Electrocatalytic Water Oxidation with α-[Fe(mcp)(OTf)] and Analogues.

The complex α-[Fe(mcp)(OTf)] (mcp = ,'-dimethyl-,'-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine and OTf = trifluoromethanesulfonate anion) was reported in 2011 by some of us as an active water oxidation (WO) catalyst in the presence of sacrificial oxidants. However, because chemical oxidants are likely to take part in the reaction mechanism, mechanistic electrochemical studies are critical in establishing to what extent previous studies with sacrificial reagents have actually been meaningful. In this study, the complex α-[Fe(mcp)(OTf)] and its analogues were investigated electrochemically under both acidic and neutral conditions.

Survey on the Presence of spp. in Healthy Rabbit Ear Canals.

spp. have rarely been reported in rodents and lagomorphs. In 2011, was described in two rabbits.

and as Possible Drivers for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

For malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. In a previous study, we identified 51 putative cancer genes over-expressed in MPM tissues and cell lines. Here, we deepened the study on nine of them (, , , , (), , , , and ) to ascertain whether they are truly mesothelial cancer driver genes (CDGs) or genes overexpressed in an adaptive response to the tumoral progression ("passenger genes").

Selective perfusion of coronary vasculature in preterm sheep: a methodological innovation undermined by unfavourable operation of the foramen ovale.

Antenatal cardiac intervention affords new prospects for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Its success, however, may come not only from absence of impediments to blood flow but also from a sufficiently developed cardiac wall. Here, we examined the feasibility to perfuse selectively the fetal coronary circulation for treatment with growth promoting agents.

Catalytic Activity of an Iron-Based Water Oxidation Catalyst: Substrate Effects of Graphitic Electrodes.

The synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical studies of the dinuclear complex [(MeOH)Fe(Hbbpya)-μ-O-(Hbbpya)Fe(MeOH)](OTf) () (with Hbbpya = -bis(2,2'-bipyrid-6-yl)amine) are described. With the help of online electrochemical mass spectrometry, the complex is demonstrated to be active as a water oxidation catalyst. Comparing the results obtained for different electrode materials shows a clear substrate influence of the electrode, as the complex shows a significantly lower catalytic overpotential on graphitic working electrodes in comparison to other electrode materials.

New insights into the non-hemostatic role of von Willebrand factor in endothelial protection.

During exposure to ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) insult, angiotensin II (AngII)-induced endothelin-1 (ET-1) upregulation in endothelial cells progressively impairs nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability while increasing levels of superoxide anion (O) and leading to the onset of endothelial dysfunction. Moreover, the overexpression of ET-1 increases the endothelial and circulating levels of von Willebrand factor (vWF), a glycoprotein with a crucial role in arterial thrombus formation. Nowadays, the non-hemostatic role of endothelial vWF is emerging, although we do not yet know whether its increased expression is cause or consequence of endothelial dysfunction.

Inhibition of Non Canonical HIV-1 Tat Secretion Through the Cellular Na,K-ATPase Blocks HIV-1 Infection.

Besides its essential role in the activation of HIV-1 gene expression, the viral Tat protein has the unusual property of trafficking in and out of cells. In contrast to Tat internalization, the mechanism involved in extracellular Tat release has so far remained elusive. Here we show that Tat secretion occurs through a Golgi-independent pathway requiring binding of Tat with three short, non-consecutive intracytoplasmic loops at the C-terminus of the cellular Na,K-ATPase pump alpha subunit.

Magnetic resonance imaging of infarct-induced canonical wingless/integrated (Wnt)/β-catenin/T-cell factor pathway activation, in vivo.

Aims: Combined magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of molecular and morpho-functional changes might prove highly valuable for the elucidation of pathological processes involved in the development of cardiac diseases. Our aim was to test a novel MRI reporter gene for in vivo assessment of the canonical Wnt/β-catenin/TCF pathway activation, an important regulator of post-ischaemic cardiac remodelling.

Methods And Results: We designed and developed a chimeric construct encoding for both of iron-binding human ferritin heavy chain (hFTH) controlled by the β-catenin-responsive TCF/lymphoid-enhancer binding factor (Lef) promoter and constitutively expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP).

Gene silencing of endothelial von Willebrand Factor attenuates angiotensin II-induced endothelin-1 expression in porcine aortic endothelial cells.

Expression of endothelin (ET)-1 is increased in endothelial cells exposed to angiotensin II (Ang II), leading to endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disorders. Since von Willebrand Factor (vWF) blockade improves endothelial function in coronary patients, we hypothesized that targeting endothelial vWF with short interference RNA (siRNA) prevents Ang II-induced ET-1 upregulation. Nearly 65 ± 2% silencing of vWF in porcine aortic endothelial cells (PAOECs) was achieved with vWF-specific siRNA without affecting cell viability and growth.

Barley beta-glucan promotes MnSOD expression and enhances angiogenesis under oxidative microenvironment.

Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), a foremost antioxidant enzyme, plays a key role in angiogenesis. Barley-derived (1.3) β-d-glucan (β-d-glucan) is a natural water-soluble polysaccharide with antioxidant properties.

Regional mapping of myocardial hibernation phenotype in idiopathic end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy.

Myocardial hibernation (MH) is a well-known feature of human ischaemic cardiomyopathy (ICM), whereas its presence in human idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is still controversial. We investigated the histological and molecular features of MH in left ventricle (LV) regions of failing DCM or ICM hearts. We examined failing hearts from DCM (n = 11; 41.

A new dual-promoter system for cardiomyocyte-specific conditional induction of apoptosis.

Apoptosis is a key determinant of major pathological processes, including chronic cardiac failure. We developed and tested in vitro a novel system to induce cardiomyocyte-specific apoptosis by virus-mediated delivery of a conditional transgene. The entire system was packaged in a lentiviral vector.

Molecular advances in reporter genes: the need to witness the function of stem cells in failing heart in vivo.

Stem cells possess the ability to terminally differentiate in cell phenotypes belonging to several different lineages. Over the last decade, transplant of adult stem cells into the injuried myocardium has been widely studied as a revolutionary approach to promote the non-pharmacological improvement or replacement of the lost function. In spite of the tantalizing perspectives and controversial results, several questions about the viability and biology of transplanted stem cells in the beating heart still remain unanswered, mostly because of the current technological limitations.

Enhanced caveolae-mediated endocytosis by diagnostic ultrasound in vitro.

The modulation of cellular endothelial permeability is a desirable goal for targeted delivery of labels and therapeutic macromolecules; the underlying mechanisms, however, remains poorly understood. Here, we hypothesize that a higher endothelial permeability may result as an outcome of selective enhancement of caveolar endocytosis by ultrasound (US), in the frequency and intensity range of current clinical diagnostic use. To assess the role of free radicals in this phenomenon, we exposed confluent human endothelial cells to pulsed diagnostic US for 30 min, with a mechanical index (MI) of 0.