Autophagy in the presynaptic compartment in health and disease.

Synapses are functionally distinct neuronal compartments that are critical for brain function, with synaptic dysfunction being an early pathological feature in aging and disease. Given the large number of proteins needed for synaptic function, the proliferation of defective proteins and the subsequent loss of protein homeostasis may be a leading cause of synaptic dysfunction. Autophagic mechanisms are cellular digestion processes that recycle cellular components and contribute to protein homeostasis.

Steroids can reduce warm ischemic reperfusion injury in a porcine donation after circulatory death model with ex vivo lung perfusion evaluation.

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) is being used to increase the number of transplantable organs. The role and timing of steroids in DCD donation and ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we investigated the effect of steroids on warm ischemic injury in a porcine model (n = 6/group).

Antiangiogenic cancer drug using the zebrafish model.

The process of de novo vessel formation, called angiogenesis, is essential for tumor progression and spreading. Targeting of molecular pathways involved in such tumor angiogenetic processes by using specific drugs or inhibitors is important for developing new anticancer therapies. Drug discovery remains to be the main focus for biomedical research and represents the essence of antiangiogenesis cancer research.

CNR1 gene and risk of the metabolic syndrome in patients with schizophrenia.

Metabolic disturbances are more prevalent in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) than in the general population. The endocannabinoid system plays an important role in the regulation of dopamine transmission and several metabolic pathways, and the endocannabinoid receptor type 1 gene (CNR1) is considered a candidate gene for both SCZ and metabolic disorders. We examined whether genetic variation in CNR1 was associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a naturalistic cohort of 407 patients with SCZ.

The influence of surface oxides on the distribution and release of nickel from Nitinol wires.

The patterns of Ni release from Nitinol vary depending on the type of material (Ni-Ti alloys with low or no processing versus commercial wires or sheets). A thick TiO(2) layer generated on the wire surface during processing is often considered as a reliable barrier against Ni release. The present study of Nitinol wires with surface oxides resulting from production was conducted to identify the sources of Ni release and its distribution in the surface sublayers.

Mesoscopic organization of two-dimensional J-aggregates of thiacyanine in Langmuir-Schaefer films.

When dioctadecyl dimethylammonium bromide (DODAB) is compressed on a subphase containing 3,3'-disulfopropyl-5,5'-dichlorothiacyanine (THIAMS), adsorption of the dye to the DODAB monolayer results in the formation of J-aggregates which spontaneously organize into polygonal domains of micron size. The features of the domains depend on the surface pressure. The fluorescence of the individual domains is polarized.

N-acetylcysteine inhibits interleukin-17-induced interleukin-8 production from human airway smooth muscle cells: a possible role for anti-oxidative treatment in chronic lung rejection?

Background: Long-term survival of lung transplantation is threatened by obliterative bronchiolitis, or its clinical equivalent, bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome. With a prevalence of >50% at 5 years after transplantation, it has emerged as the most significant long-term complication. Neutrophilic inflammation and increased interleukin (IL)-8 production seem to be part of the basic pathophysiologic mechanism of chronic rejection.