The effects of mild hypothermia on the electrode insertion trauma in a murine whole organ cochlea culture.

Introduction: Local therapeutic hypothermia (32°C) has been linked experimentally to an otoprotective effect in the electrode insertion trauma. The pathomechanism of the electrode insertion trauma is connected to the activation of apoptosis and necrosis pathways, pro-inflammatory and fibrotic mechanisms. In a whole organ cochlea culture setting the effect of therapeutic hypothermia in an electrode insertion trauma model is evaluated.

Specific growth rates calculated from CTs in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective study performed in Austria.

Objective: To provide data on specific growth rates (SGRs) of primary tumours (PT-SGR) and largest pathological cervical lymph nodes (LN-SGR) for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). To explore PT-SGR's and LN-SGR's correlation with selected biomarkers epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Ki67 and CD44.

Design And Setting: Retrospective study performed at a tertiary oncological referral centre in Innsbruck, Austria.

Phagocytosis of gadolinium chloride or zymosan induces simultaneous upregulation of hepcidin- and downregulation of hemojuvelin- and Fpn-1-gene expression in murine liver.

The liver and the spleen are the organs in which cellular material and aged erythrocytes are eliminated from the blood. Within the liver, Kupffer cells (KCs) are mainly responsible for this task, as such KCs have a pivotal role in iron metabolism. The aim of this study is to investigate the changes of hepatic gene expression in two models of KC phagocytosis.

Effect of irradiation on gene expression of rat liver adhesion molecules: in vivo and in vitro studies.

Background And Purpose: Migration of leukocytes into tissue is a key element of innate and adaptive immunity. An animal study showed that liver irradiation, in spite of induction of chemokine gene expression, does not lead to recruitment of leukocytes into the parenchyma. The aim of this study was to analyze gene expression of adhesion molecules, which mediate leukocyte recruitment into organs, in irradiated rat liver in vivo and rat hepatocytes in vitro.

Effect of tumour necrosis factor-alpha and irradiation alone or in combination on the viability of hepatocellular and biliary adenocarcinoma cell lines in vitro.

Background: Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) may exhibit antitumoral activity and can influence the reaction of both tumour and normal tissue to radiation.

Aims: To test the effect of TNF-alpha and/or irradiation on hepatocellular (HepG2, Hep3B, Sk-Hep1, HuH7) and cholangiocellular (Sk-chA1, Mz-chA1) tumour cell lines.

Methods: Colony formation, apoptosis analysis and trypan blue exclusion were used to assess cell viability.

Irradiation leads to sensitization of hepatocytes to TNF-alpha-mediated apoptosis by upregulation of IkappaB expression.

This study aimed to reveal the pathophysiological signalling responsible for radiation-induced sensitization of hepatocytes to TNF-alpha-mediated apoptosis. IkappaB was upregulated in irradiated hepatocytes. Administration of IkappaB antisense oligonucleotides prior to irradiation inhibited occurrence of apoptosis after TNF-alpha administration.

Atorvastatin induces apoptosis by a caspase-9-dependent pathway: an in vitro study on activated rat hepatic stellate cells.

Background: Statins are shown to have cholesterol-independent properties such as anti-inflammation and immunomodulation. Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) acquire the capacity to synthesize matrix proteins in damaged liver. We tested the hypothesis that atorvastatin may be capable of inducing apoptosis in HSCs.

Immune cells in primary gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

Introduction: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. They are regarded as having relatively uniform histology, although their potential for malignant behavior varies. Despite a strong promoting role of tumor-infiltrating innate immune cells in neoplastic progression, the presence of immune cells in GISTs has not yet been studied.

Effect of radiation on gene expression of rat liver chemokines: in vivo and in vitro studies.

The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of a single irradiation on chemokine gene expression in the rat liver and in isolated rat hepatocytes. RNA extracted from livers and from hepatocytes within the first 48 h after irradiation was analyzed by real-time PCR and the Northern blot assay. The chemokine concentrations in the serum of irradiated rats were measured quantitatively by ELISA.

IGF-I induces DNA synthesis and apoptosis in rat liver hepatic stellate cells (HSC) but DNA synthesis and proliferation in rat liver myofibroblasts (rMF).

Several lines of evidence suggest a role of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in the regulation of apoptosis. Up to now its impact on many specific cells is unknown. We therefore studied the effect of IGF-I on two similar mesenchymal matrix-producing cell types of the liver, the hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and the myofibroblasts (rMF).

Rat liver myofibroblasts and hepatic stellate cells differ in CD95-mediated apoptosis and response to TNF-alpha.

Hepatic stellate cells (HSC), particularly activated HSC, are thought to be the principle matrix-producing cell of the diseased liver. However, other cell types of the fibroblast lineage, especially the rat liver myofibroblasts (rMF), also have fibrogenic potential. A major difference between the two cell types is the different life span under culture conditions.