Brain capillary pericytes contribute to the immune defense in response to cytokines or LPS in vitro.

The prevention of an inflammation in the brain is one of the most important goals the body has to achieve. As pericytes are located on the abluminal side of the capillaries in the brain, their role in fighting against invading pathogens has been investigated in some points, mostly in their ability to behave like macrophages. Here we studied the potential of pericytes to react as immune cells under inflammatory conditions, especially regarding the expression of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), major histocompatibility complex II (MHC II) molecules, CD68, as well as the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), and their ability in phagocytosis.

In vitro toxicological characterisation of the S-containing arsenic metabolites thio-dimethylarsinic acid and dimethylarsinic glutathione.

Inorganic arsenic is a well-documented, exposure relevant human carcinogen. A promising starting point to further understand the mechanisms behind inorganic arsenic carcinogenicity might be a formation of reactive, highly toxic metabolites during human arsenic metabolism. This study characterises the toxicity of recently identified S-containing arsenic metabolites in cultured human A549 lung adenocarcinoma epithelium cells.