[Evaluation of care delivered to stroke patients in a French hospital.].

The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of care provided in a university hospital to stroke patients with the use of an evaluation of practice carried out by comparing results to the recommendations of the High Authority of Health (HAS). The study period covered two years (2005 and 2006). The study was retrospective based on patients' medical records (n=154), and it compared local medical practices to national guidelines.

Rac1 and RhoA GTPases have antagonistic functions during N-cadherin-dependent cell-cell contact formation in C2C12 myoblasts.

Background Information: N-cadherin, a member of the Ca(2+)-dependent cell-cell adhesion molecule family, plays an essential role in the induction of the skeletal muscle differentiation programme. However, the molecular mechanisms which govern the formation of N-cadherin-dependent cell-cell contacts in myoblasts remain unexplored.

Results: In the present study, we show that N-cadherin-dependent cell contact formation in myoblasts is defined by two stages.

N-cadherin association with lipid rafts regulates its dynamic assembly at cell-cell junctions in C2C12 myoblasts.

Cadherins are homophilic cell-cell adhesion molecules implicated in cell growth, differentiation, and organization into tissues during embryonic development. They accumulate at cell-cell contact sites and act as adhesion-activated signaling receptors. Here, we show that the dynamic assembly of N-cadherin at cell-cell contacts involves lipid rafts.

Rho GTPases and cadherin-based cell adhesion in skeletal muscle development.

The small GTPases of the Rho subfamily (RhoA, Rac1 and Cdc42) are signaling molecules involved in cytoskeleton remodeling and gene transcription. Their activities are important for many cellular processes, including myogenesis. Classical cadherin adhesion molecules are key determinants of cell recognition and tissus morphogenesis and act as adhesion-activated signaling receptors.