Opportunistic Quantitative Computed Tomography Assessing Bone Mineral Density in Patients With Laparoscopic Roux-En-Y-Gastric Bypass Metabolic Surgery Throughout a 5-Year Observation Window.

Background: Bariatric surgery is associated with decreasing bone mineral density (BMD).

Objective: To assess the long-term vertebral BMD, measured by opportunistic quantitative CT (QCT), and body mass index (BMI) in patients undergoing proximal laparoscopic Roux-en-Y surgery (LRYGB).

Methods: In 62 patients undergoing LRYGB, opportunistic QCT measurements were performed extracting BMD and BMI on day 1 and years 1, 3, and 5 postoperatively.

EPAS1 Attenuates Atherosclerosis Initiation at Disturbed Flow Sites Through Endothelial Fatty Acid Uptake.

Background: Atherosclerotic plaques form unevenly due to disturbed blood flow, causing localized endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction. Obesity exacerbates this process, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. The transcription factor EPAS1 (HIF2A) has regulatory roles in endothelium, but its involvement in atherosclerosis remains unexplored.

Computed tomography as primary postoperative follow-up after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Aim: To evaluate upper abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan as primary follow-up after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB).

Methods: This prospective study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the State of Zurich, and informed consent was obtained from all patients. Sixty-one patients who underwent LRYGB received upper abdominal CT on postoperative day 1, with the following scan parameters: 0.

Tricholoma vaccinum host communication during ectomycorrhiza formation.

The genome sequence of Tricholoma vaccinum was obtained to predict its secretome in order to elucidate communication of T. vaccinum with its host tree spruce (Picea abies) in interkingdom signaling. The most prominent protein domains within the 206 predicted secreted proteins belong to energy and nutrition (52%), cell wall degradation (19%) and mycorrhiza establishment (9%).

In Vivo Effects of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in Two Patients With Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Unlabelled: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been investigated as a treatment for various inflammatory diseases because of their immunomodulatory and reparative properties. However, many basic questions concerning their mechanisms of action after systemic infusion remain unanswered. We performed a detailed analysis of the immunomodulatory properties and proteomic profile of MSCs systemically administered to two patients with severe refractory acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) on a compassionate use basis and attempted to correlate these with in vivo anti-inflammatory actions.

Innate immune response to Streptococcus pyogenes depends on the combined activation of TLR13 and TLR2.

Innate immune recognition of the major human-specific Gram-positive pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes is not understood. Here we show that mice employ Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2- and TLR13-mediated recognition of S. pyogenes.

The endocytic activity of the flagellar pocket in Trypanosoma brucei is regulated by an adjacent phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase.

Phosphoinositides are spatially restricted membrane signaling molecules. Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2]--a phosphoinositide that is highly enriched in, and present throughout, the plasma membrane--has been implicated in endocytosis. Trypanosoma brucei has one of the highest known rates of endocytosis, a process it uses to evade the immune system.

The Tetrahymena meiotic chromosome bouquet is organized by centromeres and promotes interhomolog recombination.

In order to form crossovers and to undergo reductional segregation during meiosis, homologous chromosomes must pair. In Tetrahymena, meiotic prophase nuclei elongate immensely, and, within the elongated nucleus, chromosomes are arranged with telomeres assembled at one pole and centromeres at the opposite pole. This organisation is an exaggerated form of the bouquet, a meiotic chromosome arrangement that is widely conserved among eukaryotes.

REvolver: modeling sequence evolution under domain constraints.

Simulating the change of protein sequences over time in a biologically realistic way is fundamental for a broad range of studies with a focus on evolution. It is, thus, problematic that typically simulators evolve individual sites of a sequence identically and independently. More realistic simulations are possible; however, they are often prohibited by limited knowledge concerning site-specific evolutionary constraints or functional dependencies between amino acids.

Zygomycetes, microsporidia, and the evolutionary ancestry of sex determination.

Zygomycetes and their alleged sister taxon, the microsporidia, exclusively share the presence of a cluster of three genes encoding a sugar transporter, a high mobility group (HMG)-type transcription factor, and an RNA helicase. In zygomycetes, the HMG-type transcription factor acts as the sole sex determinant. This intimately ties the evolutionary history of this gene cluster to the evolution of sex determination.

FACT: functional annotation transfer between proteins with similar feature architectures.

Background: The increasing number of sequenced genomes provides the basis for exploring the genetic and functional diversity within the tree of life. Only a tiny fraction of the encoded proteins undergoes a thorough experimental characterization. For the remainder, bioinformatics annotation tools are the only means to infer their function.

Differential expression of murine macrophage-mediated tumor cytotoxicity induced by interferons.

The requirements for interferon (IFN)-induced priming of murine peritoneal macrophages for cytolysis of tumor cell lines of distinct histological origin were investigated. Lysis of B16 melanoma targets required exposure of elicited macrophages to recombinant murine gamma interferon plus lipopolysaccharide (LPS) together, while sequential treatment of macrophages with IFN-gamma then LPS resulted in lysis of P815 mastocytoma targets. The kinetics of macrophage activation by IFN-gamma and LPS for lysis of P815 and B16 melanoma targets varied considerably, 8 h being sufficient for P815 targets but 24 h being required for B16 targets.

Actin in B16 melanoma cells of differing metastatic potential. Effects of trypsin and serum.

Actin is present in cells in monomeric and polymeric (filamentous) forms. Filamentous actin is distributed in Triton-soluble (cytosolic) and Triton-insoluble (cytoskeletal core) fractions. We have used the DNase 1 inhibition assay and immunofluorescence to investigate the distribution of actin in monomeric and polymeric forms in cloned B16 murine melanoma cell lines of low and high metastatic capacity.

Induction of 32- and 34-kDa stress proteins by sodium arsenite, heavy metals, and thiol-reactive agents.

Challenge of human or murine melanoma cells with sodium arsenite, heavy metals (Zn2+, Cu2+ and Cd2+), or thiol-reactive agents (p-chloromercuribenzoate and iodoacetamide) induced the synthesis of four stress proteins with molecular masses of 100, 90, 72 (a doublet), and 32 (human) or 34 (murine) kDa. Enhanced expression of the 32- and 34-kDa polypeptides (p32 and p34) preceded or paralleled the synthesis of the other stress proteins. Hyperthermia, the calcium ionophore A23187, and amino acid analogs (L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid and L-canavanine) induced the formation of the major stress proteins, but failed to increase synthesis of p32 and p34.

Induction of mammalian stress proteins by a triethylphosphine gold compound used in the therapy of rheumatoid arthritis.

In vitro exposure of cultured human, murine and rat cells to pharmacologic concentrations (10(-8) to 10(-6) M) of auranofin, 2,3,4,6,-tetra-O-acetyl-1-thio-beta-D-glucopyranosato-S- triethylphosphine gold(I) (Ridaura), a gold containing compound approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, results in the induction of several stress proteins. The enhanced synthesis of two polypeptides, p32 and p34, was particularly prominent. A similar response was observed in freshly collected human monocytes challenged with auranofin.

Induction by immunomodulatory agents of a macrophage antigen recognized by monoclonal antibody 158.2 and correlation with macrophage function.

MA158.2, a rat monoclonal antibody with binding specificity for cells of the monocyte-macrophage lineage, reacts with an antigen (158.2) whose expression is enhanced on mononuclear cells activated to the tumoricidal phenotype by treatment with lymphokine supernatant containing macrophage activating factor (MAF).

Tumorigenic and metastatic properties of "normal" and ras-transfected NIH/3T3 cells.

To investigate the role of oncogene activation in the pathogenesis of malignant tumors, we have studied the tumorigenic and metastatic properties of NIH/3T3 secondary transfectants (designated A51) containing an activated c-Ha-ras-1 gene derived from the human T24 bladder carcinoma cell line and compared them with untransfected NIH/3T3 cells. Whereas subcutaneous implantation of NIH/3T3 cells in the supraclavicular region produced palpable tumors that failed to metastasize, NIH/3T3 cells inoculated in the footpad gave rise to malignant tumors that metastasized to the lung. Under identical conditions and irrespective of the site of implantation, A51 cells formed rapidly growing primary tumors that produced pulmonary metastases.

Production of C3 as a marker of lymphokine-mediated macrophage activation.

C3 production was assayed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in cell-free supernatants harvested from thioglycollate-elicited macrophages exposed to a variety of macrophage stimulating and activating agents. Macrophage monolayers treated with the stimulating agents starch, glycogen, and zymosan secreted three- to four-fold less C3 (mean 12 ng/10(5) cells/12 hr) than macrophages exposed to lymphokines containing macrophage-activating factor (MAF) (mean C3 production 44 ng/10(5) cells/12 hr). The increased production of C3 in macrophages exposed to MAF parallels the ability of these macrophages to acquire tumoricidal capacity as monitored in an in vitro 72 hr tumor cell cytotoxicity assay using B16 melanoma cells.

Identification and characterization of a monoclonal antibody to an antigen expressed on activated macrophages.

A hybridoma clone secreting a monoclonal antibody, designated MA158.2, that reacts with an antigen expressed on lymphokine-treated macrophages was produced by fusion of mouse myeloma cells with rat spleen cells immunized against C57BL/6 peritoneal macrophages rendered tumoricidal in vitro by incubation with the lymphokine macrophage-activating factor. The specificity of the antibody for activated macrophages and lack of reactivity with histologically diverse cell types was determined by radioimmune indirect binding and flow cytometry.

Experimental metastasis correlates with cyclic AMP accumulation in B16 melanoma clones.

Metastasis is a complex process whereby tumour cells from a primary neoplastic growth disseminate throughout the body and establish secondary tumour foci in distant organs. Biochemical traits associated with, or essential for, the expression of the metastatic phenotype have not yet been identified. In the course of examining stimulation of the B16 murine melanoma adenylate cyclase by melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) and by the diterpene forskolin, we noted that tumour cell clones isolated from common parent cell populations differed widely in their responses to these agonists.