Cholinergic modulation of angiogenesis: role of the 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

Pathological angiogenesis contributes to tobacco-related diseases such as malignancy, atherosclerosis and age-related macular degeneration. Nicotine acts on endothelial nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) to activate endothelial cells and to augment pathological angiogenesis. In the current study, we studied nAChR subunits involved in these actions.

A novel bioluminescent tumor model of human renal cancer cell lines: an in vitro and in vivo characterization.

Purpose: Bioluminescent imaging permits sensitive in vivo detection and quantification of cells engineered to emit light. We developed a bioluminescent human renal cancer cell line for in vitro and in vivo studies.

Material And Methods: The 2 human renal cell carcinoma cell lines SN12-C and SN12-L1 were stably transfected to constitutively express luciferase using a retroviral shuttle.