Suppression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Inhibition of Overexpressed Ornithine Aminotransferase.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. DNA microarray analysis identified the ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) gene as a prominent gene overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from Psammomys obesus. In vitro studies demonstrated inactivation of OAT by gabaculine (1), a neurotoxic natural product, which suppressed in vitro proliferation of two HCC cell lines.

Effect of the synthetic cannabinoid HU-210 on quorum sensing and on the production of quorum sensing-mediated virulence factors by Vibrio harveyi.

Background: Bacterial populations communicate through the cell density-dependent mechanism of quorum sensing (QS). Vibrio harveyi, one of the best studied model organisms for QS, was used to explore effects of the synthetic cannabinoid HU-210 on QS and different QS-regulated physiological processes in bacteria.

Results: Analysis of QS-regulated bioluminescence in wild-type and mutant strains of V.

Chlorhexidine markedly potentiates the oxidants scavenging abilities of Candida albicans.

The oxidant scavenging ability (OSA) of catalase-rich Candida albicans is markedly enhanced by chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX), polymyxin B, the bile salt ursodeoxycholate and by lysophosphatidylcholine, which all act as detergents facilitating the penetration of oxidants and their intracellular decomposition. Quantifications of the OSA of Candida albicans were measured by a highly sensitive luminol-dependent chemiluminescence assay and by the Thurman's assay, to quantify hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The OSA enhancing activity by CHX depends to some extent on the media on which candida grew.

Immune therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Currently, there are no treatment options available for a large number of these patients. One of the mechanisms that may contribute to tumor growth is the lack of an effective immune response toward viral antigens or other tumor-associated antigens (TAAs).

The Antioxidant Effect of Fermented Papaya Preparation in the Oral Cavity.

Oxidative stress has been recognized to play important roles in various diseases, including of the oral cavity. However, nutritional supplementation of antioxidants to ameliorate the consequences of oxidative stress is debatable. One caveat is that oxidative status is often measured under non-physiological conditions.

Oral mixture of autologous colon-extracted proteins for the Crohn's disease: A double-blind trial.

Aim: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral administration of Alequel™, an autologous protein-containing colon extract.

Methods: A total of 43 patients were enrolled in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. Patients were orally administered with autologous protein-containing colon extract three doses of autologous study drug per week for 15 wk, for a total of 45 doses.

Influence of late-age births on maternal longevity.

Purpose: To examine the association between the mother's age at last birth and maternal long-term survival.

Methods: Data from three national censuses (1972, 1983, and 1995) and national birth and death records (1972-2009) were used to examine the association between age at last birth and mortality while accounting for potential confounders, such as parity. Age-adjusted mortality rates and Cox proportional hazard models were used in the analysis.

Relation between Body Structure and Hearing during Soft Tissue Auditory Stimulation.

Hearing is elicited by applying the clinical bone vibrator to soft tissue sites on the head, neck, and thorax. Two mapping experiments were conducted in normal hearing subjects differing in body build: determination of the lowest soft tissue stimulation site at which a 60 dB SL tone at 2.0 kHz was effective in eliciting auditory sensation and assessment of actual thresholds along the midline of the head, neck, and back.

Oral administration of non-absorbable delayed release 6-mercaptopurine is locally active in the gut, exerts a systemic immune effect and alleviates Crohn's disease with low rate of side effects: results of double blind Phase II clinical trial.

Therapy for Crohn's disease (CD) with thiopurines is limited by systemic side effects. A novel formulation of fixed-dose, delayed-release 6-mercaptopurine (DR-6MP) was developed, with local effect on the gut immune system and minimal absorption. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of DR-6MP in patients with moderately severe CD compared to systemically delivered 6-mercaptopurine (Purinethol).

Corrigendum to "Presymptomatic treatment with acetylcholinesterase antisense oligonucleotides prolongs survival in ALS (G93A-SOD1) mice".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2013/845345.].

Endothelial dysfunction and metabolic syndrome in preeclampsia: an alternative viewpoint.

Several clinical and basic science reports have elucidated partial aspects of the pathophysiology of preeclampsia and have led many authors to conclude that different "subtypes" of the disease exist. All these subtypes share the main clinical features of the disease and present additional characteristics that define different clinical phenotypes. Nevertheless, immunological alterations, endothelial dysfunction, and insulin resistance constantly characterize this syndrome.

Foam cell-derived 4-hydroxynonenal induces endothelial cell senescence in a TXNIP-dependent manner.

Vascular endothelial cell (VEC) senescence is considered an early event in the development of atherosclerotic lesions. Stressful stimuli, in particular oxidative stress, have been linked to premature senescence in the vasculature. Foam cells are a major source of reactive oxygen species and may play a role in the induction of VEC senescence; hence, we investigated their involvement in the induction of VEC senescence in a co-culture transwell system.

Endogenous plasminogen activators mediate progressive intracerebral hemorrhage after traumatic brain injury in mice.

Persistent intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a major cause of death and disability after traumatic brain injury (TBI) for which no medical treatment is available. Delayed bleeding is often ascribed to consumptive coagulopathy initiated by exposed brain tissue factor. We examined an alternative hypothesis, namely, that marked release of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) followed by delayed synthesis and release of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) from injured brain leads to posttraumatic bleeding by causing premature clot lysis.

Targeting Enterococcus faecalis biofilms with phage therapy.

Phage therapy has been proven to be more effective, in some cases, than conventional antibiotics, especially regarding multidrug-resistant biofilm infections. The objective here was to isolate an anti-Enterococcus faecalis bacteriophage and to evaluate its efficacy against planktonic and biofilm cultures. E.

Central fever in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage: predicting factors and impact on outcome.

Background: Central fever (CF) is defined as elevated temperature with no identifiable cause. We aimed to identify risk factors for developing CF among patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and to evaluate the impact of CF on outcome.

Methods: Patients included in our prospective stroke registry between 1/1/09 and 1/10/10 were studied.

Fe/S protein assembly gene IBA57 mutation causes hereditary spastic paraplegia.

Objective: To present the clinical, molecular, and cell biological findings in a family with an autosomal recessive form of hereditary spastic paraplegia characterized by a combination of spastic paraplegia, optic atrophy, and peripheral neuropathy (SPOAN).

Methods: We used a combination of whole-genome linkage analysis and exome sequencing to map the disease locus and to identify the responsible gene. To analyze the physiologic consequences of the disease, we used biochemical and cell biological methods.

Hepatitis C infection and lymphoproliferative disease: accidental comorbidities?

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been associated with liver cancer and cirrhosis, autoimmune disorders such as thyroiditis and mixed cryoglobulinema, and alterations in immune function and chronic inflammation, both implicated in B cell lymphoproliferative diseases that may progress to non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). HCV bound to B cell surface receptors can induce lymphoproliferation, leading to DNA mutations and/or lower antigen response thresholds. These findings and epidemiological reports suggest an association between HCV infection and NHL.

Genetic loci associated with circulating levels of very long-chain saturated fatty acids.

Very long-chain saturated fatty acids (VLSFAs) are saturated fatty acids with 20 or more carbons. In contrast to the more abundant saturated fatty acids, such as palmitic acid, there is growing evidence that circulating VLSFAs may have beneficial biological properties. Whether genetic factors influence circulating levels of VLSFAs is not known.

β-glycosphingolipids ameliorated non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in the Psammomys obesus model.

Liver steatosis is a common characteristic of obesity and type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease is increasingly recognized as a major health burden. Accumulating evidence suggests that β-glycosphingolipids play an important role in insulin sensitivity and thus could affect hepatic steatosis. To determine the effect associated with β-glycosphingolipid-mediated amelioration of liver injury, seven groups of Psammomys obesus on a high-energy diet were studied.

A controlled intervention to increase participation in cardiac rehabilitation.

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation programs are greatly underutilized.

Design: This study was a multicenter interventional controlled cohort study.

Methods: From cardiothoracic departments of five medical centers, 520 coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients (386 men) were enrolled in the control arm and 504 CABG patients (394 men) in the intervention arm of our study.

Plasma vitamin D is associated with fasting insulin and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance in young adult males, but not females, of the Jerusalem Perinatal Study.

Objective: To examine cross-sectional relationships between plasma vitamin D and cardiometabolic risk factors in young adults.

Design: Data were collected from interviews, physical examinations and biomarker measurements. Total plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) was measured using LC-tandem MS.