Immune cells and oxidative stress in the endotoxin tolerance mouse model.

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response that can lead to tissue damage and death. In order to increase our understanding of sepsis, experimental models are needed that produce relevant immune and inflammatory responses during a septic event. We describe a lipopolysaccharide tolerance mouse model to characterize the cellular and molecular alterations of immune cells during sepsis.

Endotoxin tolerance: selective alterations in gene expression and protection against lymphocyte death.

Extensive lymphocyte apoptosis may be an important cause of immune suppression in sepsis. Here we investigated the effect of LPS tolerance on lymphocyte apoptosis in an experimental model of polymicrobial infection. Tolerance was induced by the injection of lipopolysaccharide (1.

Gestational trophoblastic disease: one more risk in adolescent pregnancy.

Background: An evaluation of the performance of a Referral Center in the diagnosis, treatment and follow up of adolescents with gestational trophoblastic disease.

Methods: In a 13-year prospective cohort study, between March 1987 and March 2000, 124 adolescents with gestational trophoblastic disease were followed up and/or treated by a multidisciplinary team. Adolescents underwent strict clinical and laboratory control after mole evacuation to guarantee adhesion to follow up, early diagnosis, and prompt treatment of persistent disease.

Effects of xenoestrogen bisphenol A on uterine and pituitary weight, serum prolactin levels and immunoreactive prolactin cells in ovariectomized Wistar rats.

Considerable attention has currently been focused on bisphenol A (BPA), an environmental endocrine disrupting chemical that has oestrogenic activity. In vitro and in vivo short-term assays have shown that BPA is weakly estrogenic. In addition, the issue of species- and strain-differences in susceptibility to BPA was raised.

Inhibition of cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenases by an alkaloid fraction from Helietta apiculata markedly potentiate the hypnotic action of pentobarbital.

Crude alkaloid fraction (CAF) isolated from the leaves of Helietta apiculata showed the presence of furoquinolines. The extract was investigated to determine if it can enhance the sensitivity of the central nervous system (CNS) to the hypnotic action of pentobarbital. Administration of CAF to mice in a dose range of 300-500 mg/kg prior to an injection of pentobarbital (40 mg/kg, i.