Basics of skin structure and function in elasmobranchs: a review.

In contrast to the bony fishes, particularly the teleosts, the integument of elasmobranchs is rather unknown. Therefore, a description of the basic structural and functional features of shark and ray skin is given, based on a review of the literature and published or unpublished findings of the authors. The latter aspect makes it possible to document in more detail the specific structure of the skin layers regarding, particularly, the epidermis and its cell spectrum, the more or less robust dermis with its specific features, the very special scales with their derivates and the sophisticated sensoric integumental equipment.

TARC and RANTES, but not CTACK, are induced in two models of allergic contact dermatitis. Effects of cilomilast and diflorasone diacetate on T-cell-attracting chemokines.

Background: Skin-infiltrating T cells play a predominant role in allergic and inflammatory skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis. These T cells are attracted by chemotactic factors, e.g.

Effects of cilomilast on dendritic cell function in contact sensitivity and dendritic cell migration through skin.

The phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor cilomilast demonstrated strong inhibitory effects in a model of allergic contact dermatitis. In this study, we examined whether this inhibitory effect is at least partly due to modulation of dendritic cell function. Bone marrow-derived dendritic cells were pulsed with the sensitizer toluene-2,4-diisocyanate and administered subcutaneously to nonsensitized mice.

Further aspects of the general antimicrobial properties of pinniped skin secretions.

In 2 pinniped species with varying hair densities (the northern fur seal Callorhinus ursinus, and the common seal Phoca vitulina), the enzyme lysozyme and the peptide group beta-defensins are demonstrated for the first time as products of the apocrine glands and the sebaceous glands in the common integument of mammals. These antimicrobial substances are also found in the epithelial lining of the hair follicles, between the corneal lamellae of the epidermis, and in dermal histiocytes. Thus, it becomes obvious that another general defense mechanism against microbes, in addition to free sugars (Meyer et al.

Transient increase of P-glycoprotein expression in endothelium and parenchyma of limbic brain regions in the kainate model of temporal lobe epilepsy.

Several recent studies have shown that the multidrug transporter P-glycoprotein (PGP) is over-expressed in endothelial cells from brain blood vessels of patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), suggesting that altered drug permeability across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) may be involved in pharmacoresistance to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Furthermore, over-expression of PGP has been found in astrocytes of epileptogenic tissue. However, it is not known in which regions of the temporal lobe PGP over-expression occurs and whether the over-expression is a result of uncontrolled seizures, of the mechanisms underlying epilepsy, or of chronic administration of AEDs.