Impact of the cyclooxygenase system on doxorubicin-induced functional multidrug resistance 1 overexpression and doxorubicin sensitivity in acute myeloid leukemic HL-60 cells.

Multidrug resistance (MDR), a challenge in treating childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML), is frequently associated with decreased drug accumulation caused by multidrug transporter MDR1. Doxorubicin, an important anti-AML drug, is a known MDR1 substrate and inducer. Its cytostatic efficacy is thus limited by MDR1 overexpression.

Computer aided designed neo-clavicle out of osteotomized free fibula: case report.

Total clavicle reconstruction is a challenging task. We performed a reconstruction of the ventral shoulder girdle by calculating a 3D DICOM representation of the left clavicle to create a right neo-clavicle. Two cuts in correct position and angle leads to a natural 3D shape of the new clavicle.

Lubricin reduces cartilage--cartilage integration.

Cartilage integration in vivo does not occur, such that even cartilage fissures do not heal. This could be due not only to the limited access of chondrocytes to the wound, but also to exogenous factors. In this paper, we tested the hypothesis that lubricin, a lubricating protein physiologically present in the synovial fluid, reduces the integrative cartilage repair capacity.

Interleukin-18 enhances the production of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) by allergen-specific and unspecific stimulated cord blood mononuclear cells.

Background: IL-18 is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in the polarisation of T-cell response. This study was performed to determine whether or not IL-18 is detectable in phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or betalactoglobulin (BLG) stimulated supernatants of cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMC) and to study the in vitro effect of IL-18 on the interferon (IFN)-gaamma and IL-13 release of CBMC of healthy neonates.

Methods: CBMC of neonates were isolated by Ficoll density centrifugation.

Low concentrations of formaldehyde induce DNA damage and delay DNA repair after UV irradiation in human skin cells.

Long-term occupational exposure to formaldehyde (FA) increases the risk for nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. As the skin is also in contact with FA by environmental exposure, we tested the genotoxic properties of appropriate low concentrations (<100 microM) of FA on cultured keratinocytes and fibroblasts of human skin. The initial DNA damage was assessed by comet assay.

Untreated chronic rhinosinusitis: a comparison of symptoms and mediator profiles.

Objectives/hypothesis: Since the early 1990s, the knowledge of inflammatory mediators involved in chronic rhinosinusitis has increased extensively. However, until the present no data on trends in mediator levels in the natural course of the exacerbation-free interval of chronic rhinosinusitis have been published. The purpose of the study was to examine how levels of inflammatory mediators and clinical findings in chronic rhinosinusitis relate over time in the absence of acute exacerbation.

A new view of occult and obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.

Occult gastrointestinal bleeding usually is discovered when fecal occult blood test results are positive or iron deficiency anemia is detected. Fecal occult blood testing methods vary, but all have limited sensitivity and specificity. The initial work-up for occult bleeding typically involves colonoscopy or esophagogastroduodenoscopy, or both.

Size, volume fraction, and nucleation of Stober silica nanoparticles.

29Si NMR, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) are used to monitor the synthesis of silica nanoparticles from the base-catalyzed hydrolysis of TEOS in methanol and ethanol. The reactions are conducted at a [TEOS] =0.5 M, low concentrations of ammonia ([NH(3)] =0.

The Orientation of Social Support measure.

In this study we proposed and tested the theory that behavior is affected by the orientation of the members of one's social network. We collected data from 98 women (some drug users) with the Orientation of Social Support (OSS) scale and two other widely used measures: the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Drug use was measured with the Addiction Severity Index (ASI).

Peripheral nerve stimulation properties of head and body gradient coils of various sizes.

Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) caused by time-varying magnetic fields has been studied both theoretically and experimentally. A human volunteer study performed on three different body-size gradient coils and one head-size gradient coil is presented in this work. The experimental results were used to generate average PNS threshold parameters for the tested gradient systems.

Determination of molecular orientational order in cold-stretched poly(p-phenylene vinylene) thin films by DECODER 13C NMR.

The properties of poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) films depend on the degree of orientational order present in the films. Recently, Dermaut et al. reported a novel cold-stretching technique (Macromolecules 33, 5634-5637 (2000)) in which chain alignment can be introduced into PPV precursor films by uniaxially stretching them prior to the thermal elimination reaction that forms PPV.

Expansins in the bryophyte Physcomitrella patens.

Expansins are cell wall proteins which play a key function in basic processes of plant growth and differentiation. It has been proposed that expansins are likely to be present in all land plants and, to date, they have been reported in angiosperms, gymnosperms and pteridophytes. In this paper, we provide the first report and analysis of genes encoding expansin-like proteins in the bryophyte, Physcomitrella patens.

Angiofibroblastoma of the skin: a report of seven cases in support of a distinctive entity.

Background: Angiofibroblastoma of the skin is a recently described benign tumor with fibroblastic differentiation. The tumor is composed of stellate and spindle fibroblasts embedded in a fibromyxoid and fibrous matrix that contains numerous capillary-sized blood vessels.

Methods: All cases of fibromyxoid tumors of the skin from the files of two dermatopathologic centers and from consultation cases, together with clinical data and histopathologic specimens, were reviewed.

Tissue-engineered composites for the repair of large osteochondral defects.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that engineered cartilage can provide a mechanically functional template capable of undergoing orderly remodeling during the repair of large osteochondral defects in adult rabbits, as assessed by quantitative structural and functional methods.

Methods: Engineered cartilage generated in vitro from chondrocytes cultured on a biodegradable scaffold was sutured to a subchondral support and the resulting composite press-fitted into a 7-mm long, 5-mm wide, 5-mm deep osteochondral defect in a rabbit knee joint. Defects left empty (group 1) or treated with cell-free composites (group 2) served as controls for defects treated with composites of engineered cartilage and the support, without or with adsorbed bone marrow (groups 3 and 4, respectively).

A new moss genetics: targeted mutagenesis in Physcomitrella patens.

The potential of moss as a model system to study plant biology is associated with their relatively simple developmental pattern that nevertheless resembles the basic organization of the body plan of land plants, the direct access to cell-lineage analysis, their similar responses to plant growth factors and environmental stimuli as those observed in other land plants, and the dominance of the gametophyte in the life cycle that facilitates genetic approaches. Transformation studies in the moss Physcomitrella patens have revealed a totally unique feature for plants, i.e.

Exposure to 200 ppm of methanol increases the concentrations of interleukin-1beta and interleukin-8 in nasal secretions of healthy volunteers.

This study was designed to investigate subclinical irritating effects of methanol on functional and immunologic parameters in human respiratory epithelia. Twelve healthy, nonsmoking individuals were exposed to concentrations of 20 and 200 ppm of methanol in an exposure chamber. The concentrations of interleukin (IL)-8, IL-1beta, IL-6, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were monitored.

Association of IL-10 expression by mucosal lymphocytes with increased expression of Cryptosporidium parvum epitopes in infected epithelium.

The objective of this study was to determine whether changes in the ileal intraepithelial lymphocyte (TEL) phenotype and function occurred prior to development of diarrhea in Cryptosporidium parvum-infected calves. Calves were orally inoculated with 10(8) oocysts and maintained in enteric pathogen-free conditions until their use in experiments. Age-matched uninfected calves were used for comparisons.

Human recombinant EGF protein delivered by a biodegradable cell transplantation system.

We have previously shown a new approach to expand cultured human keratinocytes and reconstitute the epidermis in full-thickness wounds using a new microsperical transport system. This was a new approach to increase the cell yield for seeding without altering the anchoring proteins by enzymatic steps. That time we used Cytodex 3 which failed to be degraded and induced an inflammatory reaction in a t-cell-deficient organism.

Comparison of the threshold for peripheral nerve stimulation during gradient switching in whole body MR systems.

Purpose: To compare thresholds for peripheral nerve stimulation from gradient switching in whole body magnetic resonance (MR) equipment of different design.

Materials And Methods: Threshold data obtained in three experiments were reformatted into a single joint data set describing thresholds for anterio-posterior (AP) gradient orientation and Echo Planar Imaging (EPI) waveforms with bipolar ramp times between 0.07 and 1.

Characterization of three PDI-like genes in Physcomitrella patens and construction of knock-out mutants.

Plant genomes typically contain several sequences homologous to protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). PDI was first identified as an abundant enzyme in the endoplasmic reticulum, where it catalyzes the formation, reduction, and isomerization of disulfide bonds during protein folding. PDI-like proteins have also been implicated in a variety of other functions, such as the regulation of cell adhesion, and may act as elicitors of the autoimmune response in mammals.

Shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in dairy cattle housed in a confined environment following waterborne inoculation.

A study of Escherichia coli O157:H7 transmission and shedding was conducted with bull calves housed in individual pens within a confined environment. For comparative purposes, the numbers and duration of E. coli O157:H7 shedding in naturally infected calves were monitored after a single purchased calf (calf 156) tested positive prior to inoculation.

Efficacy of monoclonal antibodies against defined antigens for passive immunotherapy of chronic gastrointestinal cryptosporidiosis.

Cryptosporidium parvum is an important cause of diarrhea in humans and calves and can persistently infect immunocompromised hosts. Presently, there are no consistently effective parasite-specific drugs for cryptosporidiosis. We hypothesized that neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) targeting the apical complex and surface antigens CSL, GP25-200, and P23 could passively immunize against cryptosporidiosis.

Plasmid gene delivery to human keratinocytes through a fibrin-mediated transfection system.

We have developed a matrix-mediated transfection system to deliver plasmids to human keratinocytes. The matrix is a soluble, self-hardening fibrin matrix (Tissucol), Baxter) that has been used clinically. Recently it has been shown that full thickness burn wounds can be successfully treated with a keratinocyte fibrin glue suspension.