Regulation of MMPs during melanoma progression: from genetic to epigenetic.

Melanoma is the most severe skin cancer characterized by a bad prognosis at metastatic stages due to resistance to most classical chemotherapies. Invasion of melanoma cells into the surrounding microenvironment locally and at distance of the primary tumour, is facilitated by expression of proteases that degrade the extracellular matrix. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) have been long thought as potential therapeutic targets as they are involved in several steps of tumour progression.

Usefulness of skin testing in cutaneous drug eruptions in routine practice.

Background: Cutaneous drug eruptions are common side-effects. The imputation score combining intrinsic (chronology, clinical and paraclinical signs) and extrinsic criteria used in Pharmacovigilance Centres is insufficient alone to identify with certainty a responsible drug.

Objective: To evaluate the imputation score before and after performing skin testing in patients with cutaneous drug eruptions.

Cyclic AMP antagonizes adenosine-induced inhibition of ganglionic transmission.

The mechanism of adenosine-induced inhibition of ganglionic transmission was investigated in the isolated superior cervical ganglion (SCG) of the rat. The inhibitory effect of adenosine on the postganglionic compound action potential (CAP) was antagonized by pretreatment of ganglia with forskolin, isoproterenol (IPNE), arginine vasopressin (AVP), or papaverine, all of which are known to increase tissue cAMP level by different mechanisms. Furthermore, pretreatment of ganglia with the adenylate cyclase inhibitor SQ 22, 536, or the phosphodiesterase activator imidazole reversed the effects of IPNE and forskolin.

An IgM specific ELISA for the serodiagnosis of viral bovine respiratory infections.

A capture ELISA for the detection of IgM antibodies to Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) and to Bovine Respiratory Syncytial (BRS) viruses was developed. In these assays, the first monoclonal antibody to bovine IgM is used as the catching antibody while the second monoclonal detects specific antiviral antibodies. The test was evaluated on serum samples originating from both experimentally and naturally infected animals.