Positive effects of Phycocyanobilin on gene expression in glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells and animal models of multiple sclerosis and cerebral ischemia.

Background: Oxidative stress has a predominant role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and therefore the modulation of genes and the identification of biological pathways associated with antioxidant therapies, have an impact on its treatment.

Objective: The objective of this study was the comparison of 2 methods for the analysis of real-time PCR (qPCR) data, through the use of the evaluation of genes that mediate the effect of Phycocyanobilin (PCB) and its validation in animal models.

Methods: We evaluated the effect of PCB:" in vitro" on gene modulation through qPCR analyzed by parametric ANOVA and multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) in a model of glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in the SH-SY5Y cell line and" in vivo"; in animal models of multiple sclerosis (MS) and cerebral ischemia (CI).

Easy and rapid multi-pass detection of antigen and antibody with micro-lens sensors.

We introduce a micro-lens imaging method that can perform easy and rapid multi-pass detection of antigen/antibody (Ag/Ab) without the requirement of any labeling, expensive enzymes, pre-immobilization/modification, and post-washing. Our method detects Ag or Ab presenting in solutions in a quantitative or qualitative manner by using micro-lens as the sensor to monitor the refractive index variation of the solutions during the primary stage of Ag-Ab reaction. The detection can be taken rapidly and finished in two minutes, while requires very low sample volume (several micron liters) and its detection limit can be as low as ∼pg/mL.

High glucose and free fatty acids induce beta cell apoptosis via autocrine effects of ADP acting on the P2Y(13) receptor.

While high levels of glucose and saturated fatty acids are known to have detrimental effects on beta cell function and survival, the signalling pathways mediating these effects are not entirely known. In a previous study, we found that ADP regulates beta cell insulin secretion and beta cell apoptosis. Using MIN6c4 cells as a model system, we investigated if autocrine/paracrine mechanisms of ADP and purinergic receptors are involved in this process.

ADP receptor P2Y(13) induce apoptosis in pancreatic beta-cells.

Pancreatic beta-cell loss represents a key factor in the pathogenesis of diabetes. Since the influence of purinergic signaling in beta-cell apoptosis has not been much investigated, we examined the role of the ADP receptor P2Y(13) using the pancreatic insulinoma-cell line MIN6c4 as a model system. Real time-PCR revealed high expression of the ADP receptors P2Y(1) and P2Y(13).