[Position statement on the use of amlodipine during pregnancy. Working Group on Hypertension in Women, Argentine Society of Hypertension].

Pharmacological management of HDP includes agents supported by extensive evidence ensuring their safety for use. Among those traditionally described in the literature are: alpha-methyldopa, labetalol, and sustained-release nifedipine (NIF-RETARD). These drugs, in addition to being compatible with pregnancy, present additional eligibility criteria.

The role of protease-activated receptor 1 signaling in CD8 T cell effector functions.

CD8 T cells are essential for adaptive immunity against viral infections. Protease activated receptor 1 (PAR1) is expressed by CD8 T cells; however, its role in T cell effector function is not well defined. Here we show that in human CD8 T cells, PAR1 stimulation accelerates calcium mobilization.

May Measurement Month 2017: analysis of the blood pressure screening results in Argentina-Americas.

Hypertension is a growing concern worldwide, causing over 10 million deaths each year. The prevalence of high blood pressure (BP) in Argentina is 36.3% and 38% of these are unaware of their disease.

Serum from calorie-restricted animals delays senescence and extends the lifespan of normal human fibroblasts in vitro.

The cumulative effects of cellular senescence and cell loss over time in various tissues and organs are considered major contributing factors to the ageing process. In various organisms, caloric restriction (CR) slows ageing and increases lifespan, at least in part, by activating nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent protein deacetylases of the sirtuin family. Here, we use an in vitro model of CR to study the effects of this dietary regime on replicative senescence, cellular lifespan and modulation of the SIRT1 signaling pathway in normal human diploid fibroblasts.

Bacterial lysates improve the protective antibody response against respiratory viruses through Toll-like receptor 4.

Respiratory viruses cause significant morbidity and mortality in infants and young children worldwide. Current strategies to modulate the immune system and prevent or treat respiratory viral infections in this age group have shown limited success. Here, we demonstrate that a lysate derived from Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms positively modulates protective antibody responses against both respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza virus in murine models of infection.

SRT1720 improves survival and healthspan of obese mice.

Sirt1 is an NAD(+)-dependent deacetylase that extends lifespan in lower organisms and improves metabolism and delays the onset of age-related diseases in mammals. Here we show that SRT1720, a synthetic compound that was identified for its ability to activate Sirt1 in vitro, extends both mean and maximum lifespan of adult mice fed a high-fat diet. This lifespan extension is accompanied by health benefits including reduced liver steatosis, increased insulin sensitivity, enhanced locomotor activity and normalization of gene expression profiles and markers of inflammation and apoptosis, all in the absence of any observable toxicity.

Deletion of the mammalian INDY homolog mimics aspects of dietary restriction and protects against adiposity and insulin resistance in mice.

Reduced expression of the Indy (I'm Not Dead, Yet) gene in D. melanogaster and its homolog in C. elegans prolongs life span and in D.

Identification of dAven, a Drosophila melanogaster ortholog of the cell cycle regulator Aven.

Aven is a regulator of the DNA-damage response and G2/M cell cycle progression. Overexpression of Aven is associated with poor prognosis in patients with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia, and altered intracellular Aven distribution is associated with infiltrating ductal carcinoma and papillary carcinoma breast cancer subtypes. Although Aven orthologs have been identified in most vertebrate species, no Aven gene has been reported in invertebrates.

Conserved cysteine residues within the attachment G glycoprotein of respiratory syncytial virus play a critical role in the enhancement of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses.

The cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response plays an important role in the control of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) replication and the establishment of a Th1-CD4+ T cell response against the virus. Despite lacking Major Histocompatibility Complex I (MHC I)-restricted epitopes, the attachment G glycoprotein of RSV enhances CTL activity toward other RSV antigens, and this effect depends on its conserved central region. Here, we report that RSV-G can also improve CTL activity toward antigens from unrelated pathogens such as influenza, and that a mutant form of RSV-G lacking four conserved cysteine residues at positions 173, 176, 182, and 186 fails to enhance CTL responses.

Regulation of the ATM-activator protein Aven by CRM1-dependent nuclear export.

Aven is a regulator of apoptosis whose overexpression is associated with poor prognosis in several cancers, including childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia. We have recently shown that Aven serves as an activator and substrate of ATM, thereby modulating the DNA-damage response and G(2)/M cell cycle progression. Under physiological conditions, the cellular localization of Aven is mainly cytosolic, but a small fraction of the protein is present in the nucleus.

Lack of antibody affinity maturation due to poor Toll-like receptor stimulation leads to enhanced respiratory syncytial virus disease.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of hospitalization in infants. A formalin-inactivated RSV vaccine was used to immunize children and elicited nonprotective, pathogenic antibody. Immunized infants experienced increased morbidity after subsequent RSV exposure.

Mitochondrial biogenesis and healthy aging.

Aging is associated with an overall loss of function at the level of the whole organism that has origins in cellular deterioration. Most cellular components, including mitochondria, require continuous recycling and regeneration throughout the lifespan. Mitochondria are particularly susceptive to damage over time as they are the major bioenergetic machinery and source of oxidative stress in cells.

Aven-dependent activation of ATM following DNA damage.

Background: In response to DNA damage, cells undergo either cell-cycle arrest or apoptosis, depending on the extent of damage and the cell's capacity for DNA repair. Cell-cycle arrest induced by double-stranded DNA breaks depends on activation of the ataxia-telangiectasia (ATM) protein kinase, which phosphorylates cell-cycle effectors such as Chk2 and p53 to inhibit cell-cycle progression. ATM is recruited to double-stranded DNA breaks by a complex of sensor proteins, including Mre11/Rad50/Nbs1, resulting in autophosphorylation, monomerization, and activation of ATM kinase.

IL-4 induces a wide-spectrum intracellular signaling cascade in CD8+ T cells.

IL-4 has distinct effects on the differentiation and functional properties of CD8+ T cells. In vivo studies have shown that it is critical for the development of protective memory responses against tumors and infections by Leishmania and Plasmodium parasites. The intracellular signaling events mediated by IL-4/IL-4 receptor (IL-4R) interactions on CD4+ T cells have been studied extensively; however, the nature of IL-4-induced signaling on CD8+ T cells has not been characterized.

C5 modulates airway hyperreactivity and pulmonary eosinophilia during enhanced respiratory syncytial virus disease by decreasing C3a receptor expression.

Enhanced respiratory syncytial virus disease, a serious pulmonary disorder that affected recipients of an inactivated vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus in the 1960s, has delayed the development of vaccines against the virus. The enhanced disease was characterized by immune complex-mediated airway hyperreactivity and a severe pneumonia associated with pulmonary eosinophilia. In this paper, we show that complement factors contribute to enhanced-disease phenotypes.

Anti-tumor therapeutic molecules that target the programmed cell death machinery.

Apoptosis is a process that governs the elimination of unwanted, damaged, or infected cells in most organisms. Defects in its execution are associated with several diseases, including cancer. Herein, we discuss novel molecules with potential anti-tumor activity that target components of the apoptotic machinery, specifically Bcl-2 proteins, IAPs and caspases.

The cysteine-rich region of respiratory syncytial virus attachment protein inhibits innate immunity elicited by the virus and endotoxin.

The attachment protein (glycoprotein) of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has long been associated with disease potentiation and respiratory symptoms. The glycoprotein has a conserved cysteine-rich region (GCRR) whose function is unknown and which is not necessary for efficient viral replication. In this report, we show that the GCRR is a powerful inhibitor of the innate immune response against RSV, and that early secretion of glycoprotein is critical to modulate inflammation after RSV infection.

Neuronal apoptosis pathways in Sindbis virus encephalitis.

Sindbis virus infects neurons of the brain and spinal cord leading to neuronal apoptosis and encephalitis in mice. During postnatal development, neurons of mice remain susceptible to infection but become refractory to SV-induced programmed cell death. Failure to undergo programmed cell death results in a persistent infection.

Viral modulators of cell death provide new links to old pathways.

By observing how viruses facilitate their parasitic relationships with host cells, we gain insights into key regulatory pathways of the cell. Not only are mitochondria key players in the regulation of programmed cell death, but many viral regulators of cell death also alter mitochondrial functions either directly or indirectly. Although cytomegalovirus vMIA and Epstein-Barr virus BHRF1 seem to have opposite effects on mitochondrial morphology, they both inhibit cell death.

Definition of an inhibitory juxtamembrane WW-like domain in the platelet-derived growth factor beta receptor.

A variety of tumors contain activating mutations in the cytoplasmic juxtamembrane domain of the type III family of receptor-tyrosine kinases, and some constructed mutations in this domain induce ligand-independent receptor activation. To explore the role of this domain in regulation of receptor activity, we subjected the juxtamembrane domain of the murine platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) beta receptor to alanine-scanning mutagenesis. The mutant receptors were expressed in Ba/F3 cells and tested for constitutive tyrosine phosphorylation, association with phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase, and their ability to induce cell survival and proliferation in the absence of interleukin-3.