Ribavirin or CpG DNA sequence-modulated dendritic cells decrease the IgE level and airway inflammation.

Asthma is an allergic disease that is characterized by the imbalance between Th1 and Th2 cells and by the predominant Th2-type immune response. In this study, we investigated the application of dendritic cell (DCs)-based immunotherapy in modulating the immune response of allergic diseases. DCs incubated with ovalbumin (OVA), OVA plus ribavirin, OVA plus CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN 1826), or OVA plus non-CpG-ODN (ODN 1745) for 48 hours were injected intravenously into four corresponding groups of BALB/c mice.

Phylogenetically and spatially conserved word pairs associated with gene-expression changes in yeasts.

Background: Transcriptional regulation in eukaryotes often involves multiple transcription factors binding to the same transcription control region, and to understand the regulatory content of eukaryotic genomes it is necessary to consider the co-occurrence and spatial relationships of individual binding sites. The determination of conserved sequences (often known as phylogenetic footprinting) has identified individual transcription factor binding sites. We extend this concept of functional conservation to higher-order features of transcription control regions.

Prediction of stone disease by discriminant analysis and artificial neural networks in genetic polymorphisms: a new method.

Objective: To use information from genetic polymorphisms and from patients (drinking/exercise habits) to identify their association with stone disease, the main analytical and predictive tools being discriminant analysis (DA) and artificial neural networks (ANNs).

Patients, Subjects And Methods: Urinary stone disease is common in Taiwan; the formation of calcium oxalate stone is reportedly associated with genetic polymorphisms but there are many of these. Genotyping requires many individuals and markers because of the complexity of gene-gene and gene-environmental factor interactions.

High-throughput screening of potential inhibitors for the metabolism of the investigational anti-cancer drug 5,6-dimethylxanthenone-4-acetic acid.

By screening potential inhibitors of drug metabolism using the in vitro models, potential drug-drug interactions in vivo may be predicted with the use of appropriate pharmacokinetic principles. This study aimed to develop a rapid screening system using human liver microsomes to efficiently identify the potential inhibitors of DMXAA metabolism. Initial IC50 was estimated by using a two-point method, and then Ki values were determined if required and compared with those initial IC50 values.

Visualizing associations between genome sequences and gene expression data using genome-mean expression profiles.

The combination of genome-wide expression patterns and full genome sequences offers a great opportunity to further our understanding of the mechanisms and logic of transcriptional regulation. Many methods have been described that identify sequence motifs enriched in transcription control regions of genes that share similar gene expression patterns. Here we present an alternative approach that evaluates the transcriptional information contained by specific sequence motifs by computing for each motif the mean expression profile of all genes that contain the motif in their transcription control regions.

Vav2 is an activator of Cdc42, Rac1, and RhoA.

Vav and Vav2 are members of the Dbl family of proteins that act as guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) for Rho family proteins. Whereas Vav expression is restricted to cells of hematopoietic origin, Vav2 is widely expressed. Although Vav and Vav2 share highly related structural similarities and high sequence identity in their Dbl homology domains, it has been reported that they are active GEFs with distinct substrate specificities toward Rho family members.

Potential misidentification of Burkholderia pseudomallei by API 20NE.

Biochemical confirmation of the identity of Burkholderia pseudomallei in Singapore previously relied on the API 20NE panel of tests. After introducing an alternative proprietary biochemical panel, the Microbact 24E (MedVet, Adelaide, Australia), we noted that the API panel identified some presumptive B. pseudomallei isolates as other species.

Reaching NLM through the Internet.

Currently, many of the electronic services are still new, and there may be a need for further fine-tuning and changes. Having separate electronic addresses for each service rather than having one centralized address will make it easier for NLM to identify and isolate questions or problems. The Appendix summarizes the commands and addresses mentioned in this article.

A photometric detector based on a blue light-emitting diode.

The suitability of blue light-emitting diodes as radiation sources in molecular absorption spectroscopy was evaluated. Electronic as well as spectral considerations are discussed. A transducer based on a blue light-emitting diode and a photodiode is described which yields direct absorbance readings by passing the photocurrent to an integrated circuit logarithmic converter.

Effects of calcium antagonists on (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, Mg2+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase activities of rat cortical synaptosomes.

1. The effects of 11 calcium antagonists on (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, Mg2+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase activities of rat cortical synaptosomes were studied. 2.

Effects of calcium antagonists on KCl-evoked calcium uptake by rat cortical synaptosomes.

A series of calcium antagonists were used to study their blocking effect on high potassium-induced calcium uptake into rat cortical synaptosomes; these antagonists were classified into five groups: dihydropyridine group (i.e. nifedipine and nitrendipine), benzothiazepine group (i.

Smooth muscle antibody in children with acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.

Smooth muscle antibody (SMA) was positive in 66.7% of children with acute rheumatic fever, in 46.1% of children with chronic rheumatic heart disease, and in only 11.

Studies of [3H]nitrendipine binding and KCl-induced calcium uptake in rat cortical synaptosomes.

Rat cortical synaptosomal fraction was used to study whether there is a direct link between [3H]nitrendipine binding and KCl-induced calcium uptake. [3H]Nitrendipine exhibited reversible and saturable binding to this preparation. The equilibrium dissociation constant Kd was 0.