Mesenchymal stem cells stimulate protective genetic reprogramming of injured cardiac ventricular myocytes.

Since massive irreversible loss of cardiac myocytes occurs following myocardial injury, injection of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) has emerged as a promising therapeutic intervention. Despite the growing enthusiasm for this approach, the understanding of how hMSCs evoke cardiac improvement is ever more controversial. The present study critically tests hypothesis that hMSCs provide specific benefit directly to damaged ventricular myocytes.

[Prevalence of caries, fissure sealants and filling materials among German children and children of migrants].

The aim of this study was to collect information on dental health and dental care of German children and children of migrants for planning oral health promotion in the Rems-Murr-district. To meet this aim all first and fourth degree children in primary and special schools were examined. The dmft- and DMFT-Index, the number of fissure sealants, the filling material used and the children's nationality were recorded.

Inhibition of protein phosphatase-1 is linked to phosphorylation of p53 and apoptosis.

p53 is a multifunctional protein and its activity can be modulated by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. In this study, we sought to examine the notion that serine/threonine phosphatases (PP-1 and PP-2A) are active modulators of the p53-dependent apoptotic pathway. Exposure of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes to the established apoptotic agents, bafilomycin A1 (BAF) or staurosporine (STAU) induced apoptosis and caused a decrease in PP-1 activity of 35%.

Independent inhibition of calcineurin and K+ currents by the immunosuppressant FK-506 in rat ventricle.

FK-506 increases the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration transient in rat ventricular myocytes by prolonging the action potential through inhibition of the K+ currents Ito and IK [J. Physiol. (Lond.

Novel adenovirus component system that transfects cultured cardiac cells with high efficiency.

Although it is clear that gene transfection is a potentially valuable approach in the study of cardiac cell function and differentiation, classic transfection methods are limited by their poor efficiencies in cardiac cells. Recent studies show that recombinant replication-defective human adenovirus can transfect primary cardiac cultures with near 100% efficiency. Since such recombinants are time consuming to prepare, the goal of this study was to develop a plasmid/viral transfection system that would capitalize on the advantages of adenovirus.