Granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GMA) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A useful therapeutic tool not just in ulcerative colitis but also in Crohn's disease.

Introduction: Granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GMA) removes neutrophils and monocytes from peripheral blood, preventing their incorporation into the inflamed tissue also influencing cytokine balance. Published therapeutic efficacy in ulcerative colitis (UC) is more consistent than in Crohn's disease (CD). We assessed clinical efficacy of GMA in UC and CD 4 weeks after last induction session, at 3 and 12 months, sustained remission and corticosteroid-free remission.

An unusual endoscopic presentation of diffuse duodenal gastric heterotopia.

We present the case of a 30-year-old female patient with Gilbert's syndrome and gastrointestinal intolerance to proton pump inhibitors (PPI) with longstanding epigastric pain. Laboratory tests were unremarkable, except for a slight elevation of indirect bilirubin due to Gilbert's syndrome. An upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy showed a diffuse and homogeneous micropolypoid mucosal pattern that involved the entire duodenal bulb.

Workflows in a Virtual Morphology Lab: 3D scanning, measuring, and printing.

The aim of this paper is to give a practical overview, showing how recent available digital technology can be combined to build a laboratory capable to produce 3D (and reproduce in 3D) anatomical models for research, teaching and museum exhibitions on topics related to anatomy, morphology in natural sciences, biology and medicine. We present workflows in our Virtual Morphology Lab that can be used for research, training (museum, academic), and external service. We first review different surface scanning equipment and post-processing techniques that are useful for scanning in museum collections and provide technical recommendations for hard- and software as well as storing media on the web.

Suppression of Arabidopsis peroxidase 72 alters cell wall and phenylpropanoid metabolism.

Class III peroxidases are glycoproteins with a major role in cell wall maturation such as lignin formation. Peroxidases are usually present in a high number of isoenzymes, which complicates to assign specific functions to individual peroxidase isoenzymes. Arabidopsis genome encodes for 73 peroxidases, among which AtPrx72 has been shown to participate in lignification.

Indole alkaloids from Catharanthus roseus: bioproduction and their effect on human health.

Catharanthus roseus is a medicinal plant belonging to the family Apocynaceae which produces terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) of high medicinal importance. Indeed, a number of activities like antidiabetic, bactericide and antihypertensive are linked to C. roseus.

Peroxidase 4 is involved in syringyl lignin formation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Syringyl lignins result from the oxidative polymerization of sinapyl alcohol in a reaction mediated by syringyl (basic) peroxidases. Several peroxidases have been identified in the genome of Arabidopsis thaliana as close homologues to ZePrx, the best characterized basic peroxidase so far, but none of these has been directly involved in lignification. We have used a knock-out mutant of AtPrx4, the closest homologue to ZePrx, to study the involvement of this basic peroxidase in the physiology of the plant under both long- and short-day light conditions.

The suppression of AtPrx52 affects fibers but not xylem lignification in Arabidopsis by altering the proportion of syringyl units.

Lignins result from the oxidative polymerization of three hydroxycinnamyl (p-coumaryl, coniferyl and sinapyl) alcohols in a reaction mediated by peroxidases (EC 1.11.1.

From Zinnia to Arabidopsis: approaching the involvement of peroxidases in lignification.

Zinnia elegans constitutes one of the most useful model systems for studying xylem differentiation, which simultaneously involves secondary cell wall synthesis, cell wall lignification, and programmed cell death. Likewise, the in vitro culture system of Z. elegans has been the best characterized as the differentiation of mesophyll cells into tracheary elements allows study of the biochemistry and physiology of xylogenesis free from the complexity that heterogeneous plant tissues impose.

Bioinformatic and functional characterization of the basic peroxidase 72 from Arabidopsis thaliana involved in lignin biosynthesis.

Lignins result from the oxidative polymerization of three hydroxycinnamyl (p-coumaryl, coniferyl, and sinapyl) alcohols in a reaction mediated by peroxidases. The most important of these is the cationic peroxidase from Zinnia elegans (ZePrx), an enzyme considered to be responsible for the last step of lignification in this plant. Bibliographical evidence indicates that the arabidopsis peroxidase 72 (AtPrx72), which is homolog to ZePrx, could have an important role in lignification.

Early signaling events in grapevine cells elicited with cyclodextrins and methyl jasmonate.

The use of cyclic oligosaccharides like cyclodextrins (CDs), alone or combined with methyl jasmonate (MJ), as elicitors has proved very effective in stimulating the production of trans-resveratrol (trans-R) in Vitis vinifera suspension-cultured cells (SCC). Since elicitors can be used to increase trans-R production, understanding the molecular mechanisms involved would improve the management of grapevine cells as factories of this compound. The results obtained in this study provide evidence for a role of Ca(2+) in mediating elicitor-induced trans-R production in grapevine SCC.

Cytotoxic effect of natural trans-resveratrol obtained from elicited Vitis vinifera cell cultures on three cancer cell lines.

trans-Resveratrol (trans-R) has been reported to be a potential cancer chemopreventive agent. Although its cytotoxic activity against different cancer cell lines has been tested, its effect on human acute leukemia cell lines has scarcely been investigated, and only a few in vitro studies were performed using human breast epithelial cell lines. Due to its potential value for human health, demand for trans-R has rapidly increased, and new biotechnological strategies to obtain it from natural edible sources have been developed.

Synergistic and cytotoxic action of indole alkaloids produced from elicited cell cultures of Catharanthus roseus.

Context: Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don (Apocynaceae) is a medicinal plant that produces more than 130 alkaloids, with special attention given to the production of the anti-hypertensive monomeric indole alkaloids, serpentine and ajmalicine, and the antitumor dimeric alkaloids, vinblastine and vincristine.

Induction of trans-resveratrol and extracellular pathogenesis-related proteins in elicited suspension cultured cells of Vitis vinifera cv Monastrell.

Suspension-cultured cells of Vitis vinifera cv Monastrell were used to investigate the effects of methyljasmonate, ethylene and salicylic acid separately or in combination with cyclodextrins on both trans-resveratrol production and the induction of defense responses. The results showed that the addition of methyljasmonate or ethylene to suspension-cultured cells jointly treated with cyclodextrins and salicylic acid provoked a decrease of trans-resveratrol levels suggesting that salicylic acid has a negative and antagonistic effect with methyljasmonate or ethylene on trans-resveratrol production. Likewise, the exogenous application of these compounds induced the accumulation of pathogenesis-related proteins.

[Primary esophageal melanoma].

Primary Esophageal Melanoma (PEM) is an extremely rare neoplasm, with less than 270 cases described. Although clinical presentation is similar to any other esophageal neoplasm, MEP's behavior is more aggressive and fatal in most cases. We report two new cases of MEP diagnosed through endoscopy and anatomical-pathological analysis of collected biopsies.

[Splanchnic hemodynamic effects of somatostatin and octreotide in cirrhotic patients. A Doppler ultrasonographic study].

Aim: Doppler-ultrasound assessment of the splanchnic hemodynamic effects of intravenous somatostatin and octreotide administration.

Material And Method: Forty-five cirrhotic patients with esophageal varices were randomized to receive 1-hour intravenous somatostatin (SOM, 250 mg), octreotide (OCT, 50 mg), or placebo (PLA). In baseline and at 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes of infusion, mean velocity, congestion index, flow volume and diameter of the portal vein, as well as the superior mesenteric artery resistivity index, were measured.

[Granulocytapheresis in inflammatory bowel disease. Efficacy of an induction plus maintenance sessions protocol at 32 weeks].

Introduction: Granulocytapheresis (GCAP) eliminates activated granulocytes-monocytes from peripheral blood, thus modifying the circulating pool of leukocytes and reducing intestinal inflammation.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of GCAP in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) using an induction and maintenance protocol.

Material And Method: A retrospective study including patients with active corticosteroid-dependent or refractory IBD.