Publications by authors named "S Ambesi-Impiombato"

Prolonged spaceflights are known to elicit changes in human cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and nervous systems, whose functions are regulated by the thyroid gland. It is known that sphingomyelin metabolism is involved in apoptosis (programmed cell death) of thyroid cells induced by UVC radiation, but at present no data exists with regard to this phenomenon, which occurs during space missions. The aim of this study was to analyze, for the first time, the effect of spaceflight on the enzymes of sphingomyelin metabolism, sphingomyelinase, and sphingomyelin synthase, and to determine whether the ratio between the two enzymes might be used as a possible marker for thyroid activity during space missions.

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Iodide uptake by functioning rat thyroid (FRTL) cells is increased by mouse interferon. The effect is detectable using purified interferon; it is not accompanied by an increase in intracellular cyclic AMP levels, is measurable within 20 min, and is prevented by cholera toxin, an agent which inhibits interferon's antiviral activity. The effect of interferon is biphasic with maximally increased iodide uptake (approximately 2-fold) evident at about 300 international mouse units per ml (U/ml) and lesser effects evident at higher concentrations (greater than 1000 U/ml).

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