Guidance of glial cell migration and axonal growth on electrospun nanofibers of poly-epsilon-caprolactone and a collagen/poly-epsilon-caprolactone blend.

Our long-term goal is to develop an artificial implant as a conduit for axonal regeneration after peripheral nerve injury. In this study, biodegradable, aligned poly-epsilon-caprolactone (PCL) and collagen/PCL (C/PCL) nanofibers designed as guidance structures were produced by electrospinning and tested in cell culture assays. We compared fibers of 100% PCL with fibers consisting of a 25:75% C/PCL blend.

Screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip.

The reported prevalence of established dislocation the hip in an unscreened population varies from 0.7 to 1.6 / 1000 children in European and American white populations.

A novel triplet regimen with paclitaxel, carboplatin and gemcitabine (PACCAGE) as induction chemotherapy for locally advanced unresectable non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Unlabelled: Phase II study of 3 cycles of triplet induction chemotherapy (response, toxicity) followed by radiotherapy in locally advanced non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Background: Patients with locally advanced inoperable non-small cell lung cancer are currently treated with concomitant or sequential chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, the outcome of existing treatment modalities is unsatisfactory.

Neuronal differentiation of the early embryonic auditory hindbrain of the chicken in primary culture.

Neurons in the auditory hindbrain pathway of the chicken are physiologically and morphologically highly specialized. It remains unclear to what extent independent differentiation vs. activity-dependent mechanisms determines the development of this system.

Two-photon microscopy of vital murine elastic and muscular arteries. Combined structural and functional imaging with subcellular resolution.

Understanding vascular pathologies requires insight in the structure and function, and, hence, an imaging technique combining subcellular resolution, large penetration depth, and optical sectioning. We evaluated the applicability of two-photon laser-scanning microscopy (TPLSM) in large elastic and small muscular arteries under physiological conditions. Elastic (carotid) and muscular (uterine, mesenteric) arteries of C57BL/6 mice were mounted in a perfusion chamber.

An ancient Roman bowl embedded in a soil sample: surface shaded three dimensional display using data from a multi-detector CT.

We present an unusual application of multidetector CT and shaded surface rendering in the investigation of a soil sample, containing an ancient Roman bronze bowl. The CT findings were of fundamental importance in helping the archaeologists study the bronze bowl from the soil sample.

Inadequacy of the one-dimensional fit-model formula for ultrasound volume assessment of the thyroid gland.

The aim of our study is to assess the best fit-model to assess the thyroid gland formula with a calibrated, automated method namely multi-detector CT to evaluate the most correct fit model in measuring thyroid gland volume.

Tracheal stenosis: a flow dynamics study.

Patients referred for treatment of tracheal stenosis typically are asymptomatic until critical narrowing of the airway occurs, which then requires immediate intervention. To understand how tracheal stenosis affects local pressure drops and explore how a dramatic increase in pressure drop could possibly be detected at an early stage, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study was undertaken. We assessed flow patterns and pressure drops over tracheal stenoses artificially inserted into a realistic three-dimensional upper airway model derived from multislice computed tomography images obtained in healthy men.

Effects of inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNFalpha on the intracellular localization of retinoid receptors in Schwann cells.

It was investigated whether retinoic acid (RA) and the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNFalpha influence the intracellular distribution of retinoic acid receptors (RAR) and retinoid X receptors (RXR) in Schwann cells. This question arose because nuclear translocation of RARalpha, RXRalpha, and RXRbeta was observed after nerve injury, and because mutual interactions exist between the signal transduction pathways of RA and proinflammatory cytokines. Schwann cell primary cultures from the rat sciatic nerve were incubated with IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNFalpha, with all-trans RA and with a combination of IL-1beta and RA.

Time of transplantation and cell preparation determine neural stem cell survival in a mouse model of Huntington's disease.

Cell replacement therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, using multipotent neural stem cells (NSCs), require above all, a good survival of the graft. In this study, we unilaterally injected quinolinic acid (QA) into the striatum of adult mice and transplanted syngeneic NSCs of enhanced green fluorescent protein-transgenic mice into the lesioned striatum. The injection of QA leads to an excitotoxic lesion with selective cell death of the medium sized spiny neurons, the same cells that are affected in Huntington's disease.

Oxidative stress reduces the muscarinic receptor function in the urinary bladder.

Aims: Several pathophysiological conditions in the urinary bladder, for example, ischemia/reperfusion and inflammation are characterized by the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The ROS are highly toxic because they can destroy proteins, DNA, and lipids. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oxidative stress on excitation-contraction coupling of detrusor smooth muscle.

Duodenal diverticulitis: CT and MR findings.

We report a case of duodenal diverticulitis and describe the helical computed tomography and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study findings. Due to its uncommon appearance, this lesion is not typically included in the differential diagnosis of pancreatitis or cholecystitis. The imaging findings of duodenal diverticulitis can be very suggestive of its diagnosis or can narrow the differential diagnosis.

Ontogeny of chicken ductus arteriosus response to oxygen and vasoconstrictors.

The present study aimed to characterize the contractile reactivity of the chicken ductus arteriosus (DA) from the last stage of prenatal development and throughout the perinatal period. Isolated DA rings from 15-day, noninternally-pipped 19-day, and externally-pipped 21-day embryos were studied using myograph techniques. On embryonic day 15, the chicken DA did not respond to O(2) (0 to 21%), norepinephrine (NE), or phenylephrine (Phe) but contracted in response to high-K(+) solution, the inhibitor of voltage-gated channels 4-aminopyridine, U-46619, and endothelin (ET)-1.

Laparoscopic management of insulinoma in a child with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1.

The diagnosis and surgical management of insulinomas associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) pose additional problems in children because of the long-term risk of recurrence of other pancreatic and non-pancreatic tumors. We report a diagnostic confirmation by laparoscopic ultrasound of an insulinoma and its successful removal by laparoscopic enucleation in an 8- year-old boy who was admitted to our hospital with a history of recurrent episodes of absences, headache, and visual and auditive disturbances diagnosed as hyperinsulinism-related hypoglycemia. Magnetic resonance imaging of the pancreas showed a small contrast-enhancing lesion in the body of the pancreas, suspected for insulinoma.

Regulation of retinoic acid receptors alpha, beta and retinoid X receptor alpha after sciatic nerve injury.

Cell culture experiments indicated that activation of the retinoic acid signaling system is involved in axonal regeneration. This hypothesis was tested with sciatic nerve injury in the rat. Since the effect of retinoic acid is mediated via retinoic acid receptors and retinoid X receptors, we investigated mRNA and protein expression of these receptors during injury-induced degeneration and regeneration.

Skin retinoid concentrations are modulated by CYP26AI expression restricted to basal keratinocytes in normal human skin and differentiated 3D skin models.

Cellular levels of all-trans retinoic acid (RA) are meticulously regulated utilizing an array of systems to balance uptake, biosynthesis, catabolism, and efflux transport. Metabolic transformation of all-trans RA to 4-hydroxylated RA appears to be primarily catalyzed by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 26AI. Analysis of monolayer cultures of normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) and dermal fibroblasts by quantitative real-time PCR and reverse transcription-PCR revealed no basal levels of CYP26AI mRNA expression, whereas specific transcripts were detectable following addition of 10(-6) M all-trans RA.

Hepatic arterial infusion of oxaliplatin and L-folinic acid-modulated 5-fluorouracil for colorectal cancer liver metastases.

Background: Despite the progress made in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), the results of second-line chemotherapy remain poor.

Patients And Methods: The feasibility of hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) of oxaliplatin (100 mg/m2 over 6 h) followed by l-folinic acid (L-FA) (400 mg over 2 h i.v.

Reelin is transiently expressed in the peripheral nerve during development and is upregulated following nerve crush.

Reelin is an extracellular matrix protein which is critical for the positioning of migrating post-mitotic neurons and the laminar organization of several brain structures during development. We investigated the expression and localization of Reelin in the rodent peripheral nerve during postnatal development and following crush injury in the adult stage. As shown with Western blotting, immunocytochemistry and RT-PCR, Schwann cells in the developing peripheral nerve and in primary cultures from neonatal nerves produce and secrete Reelin.

New therapeutic target for CNS injury? The role of retinoic acid signaling after nerve lesions.

Experiments with sciatic nerve lesions and spinal cord contusion injury demonstrate that the retinoic acid (RA) signaling cascade is activated by these traumatic events. In both cases the RA-synthesizing enzyme is RALDH-2. In the PNS, lesions cause RA-induced gene transcription, intracellular translocation of retinoid receptors, and increased transcription of CRBP-I, CRABP-II, and retinoid receptors.

Selective endothelin B receptor blockade does not influence BNP-induced natriuresis in man.

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) both exhibit natriuretic activity within the human kidney. Furthermore, they both act partly through activation of the endothelial nitric oxide pathway. Since ET-1 may cause vasodilation and natriuresis via stimulation of the ET-B receptor, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether renal ET-B receptors participate in the renal actions of BNP.

Macrophages and neurons are targets of retinoic acid signaling after spinal cord contusion injury.

The physiological reactions after spinal cord injury are accompanied by local synthesis of the transcriptional activator retinoic acid (RA). RA exerts its effects by binding to retinoic acid receptors (RAR) which heterodimerize with retinoid X receptors (RXR) and then act as ligand-activated transcription factors. To identify possible cellular targets of RA we investigated protein levels and cellular distribution of retinoid receptors in the rat spinal cord at 4, 7, 14 and 21 days after a contusion injury.

CT analysis of defects of the cement mantle and alignment of the stem: in vitro comparison of Charnley-Kerboul femoral hip implants inserted line-to-line and undersized in paired femora.

Using a modern cementing technique, we implanted 22 stereolithographic polymeric replicas of the Charnley-Kerboul stem in 11 pairs of human cadaver femora. On one side, the replicas were cemented line-to-line with the largest broach. On the other, one-size undersized replicas were used (radial difference, 0.

The inhibitory effect of the flavonoid galangin on urinary bladder smooth muscle contractility is mediated in part by modulation of Ca2+ release from intracellular stores.

The present study was designed to examine the effect of the flavonoid galangin on the muscarinic receptor mediating a carbachol-induced contraction and to investigate the effect of the flavonoid on Ca (2+) release from intracellular stores in the urinary bladder of the pig. Galangin (10(-7) -10(-4)M) produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of the contractile responses to electrical field stimulation (EFS) and carbachol (10(-5)M). Galangin (3 x 10(-5)M) reduced muscle contractions evoked by carbachol (10(-5)M) in calcium-containing solution as well as contractions evoked by carbachol and caffeine (2 x 10(-2)M) in Ca(2+)-free solutions significantly.

Uterine artery remodeling in pseudopregnancy is comparable to that in early pregnancy.

During pregnancy, the lumenal diameter and wall mass of the uterine artery (UA) increase, most likely in response to the increased hemodynamic strain resulting from the chronically elevated uterine blood flow (UBF). In this remodeling process, the phenotype of vascular smooth-muscle cells (VSMC) is transiently altered to enable VSMC proliferation. These phenomena are already seen during early pregnancy, when the rise in UBF is still modest.