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Evaluation Of The Antibacterial Activity Of Zataria Multiflora Boiss., Rhus Coriaria L. (Sumac), Mentha Piperita L., And Ocimum Basilicum L. Extracts On Brucella Strains Isolated From Brucellosis Patients, Yousef Motaharinia, Mohammad Ali Rezaee, Mohammad Saleh Hazhir, Farid Zandi, Reza Shapouri, Mohammad Saied Hakhamaneshi, Ahmad Rashidi, Mohammad Reza Rahmani

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Since brucellosis has been called a chronic illness and treatment of patients infected with this bacterium has not been successful, the present study aim ed to evaluate the effects of several medicinal plant extracts on clinical Brucella strains. Materials and methods: First, Brucella strains were isolated from brucellosis patients. Then an antibiotic resistance assay was performed for these strains, while the antibacterial activity of the above-mentioned extracts was evaluated. Results: After performing accurate evaluations, the obtained results showed that all of the isolated Brucella strains were sensitive to tetracycline, doxycycline, and gentamicin, and the rates of antibiotic resistance to rifampin …

Antinociceptive Activity Of Some Scorzonera L. Species, Özlem Bahadir Acikara, Hayri̇ye Gülçi̇n Saltan, Hanefi̇ Özbek

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Scorzonera species are mainly used to relieve pain in Turkish traditional medicine. The roots of Scorzonera latifolia (Fisch. & Mey) DC., S. tomentosa L., S. suberosa C.Koch subsp. suberosa, and S. mollis M.Bieb. subsp. szowitzii collected from different regions of Anatolia, and yakı sakızı, which is prepared by drying the latex obtained from the roots of Scorzonera latifolia, were evaluated for their antinociceptive activities. Materials and methods: For antinociceptive evaluation, Scorzonera latifolia (Fisch. & Mey) DC., S. tomentosa L., S. suberosa C.Koch subsp. suberosa, S. mollis M.Bieb. subsp. szowitzii, and yakı sakızı were tested on mice, and acetic acid-induced writhing …

Development Of A High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Method For Warfarin Detection In Human Plasma, Yung An Chua, Wan Zaidah Abdullah, Siew Hua Gan

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Most of the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods that have been developed to measure warfarin levels use the preextraction spiked internal standard method. We developed a new liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and reversed-phase HPLC method that uses a postextraction spiked internal standard for the determination of plasma warfarin. Materials and methods: The effect of varying the 1) mobile phase pH, 2) type and composition of organic solvents, 3) type and concentration of buffer solutions, 4) column temperatures, 5) flow rates, 6) organic modifier, and 7) ultraviolet wavelengths were tested. Results: Optimum separation was achieved by using 30:70 (v/v) acetonitrile and potassium …

Prevalence And Etiology Of Anemias In The Adult Turkish Population, Ramazan Memi̇şoğullari, Hayri̇ye Ak Yildirim, Taner Uçgun, Meli̇h Engi̇n Erkan, Cemaletti̇n Güneş, Mesut Erbaş, Adem Güngör, Mehmet Emi̇n Yanik

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Anemia is common in the general population and one of the most frequently observed nutritional deficiency diseases in the world today. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and etiology of anemias in a large cohort representing the Turkish nation. Materials and methods: The study population comprised 2187 subjects. Serum iron, iron binding capacity, ferritin, vitamin B12, and folic acid analyses were conducted with autoanalyzers using commercial kits. Results: A total of 565 (25.8%) subjects (423 females and 142 males) were diagnosed as anemic. The prevalence of anemia was 30.0% in female and 18.2% in male participants. …

The Esr1 Gene Polymorphisms In Patients With Coronary Artery Disease In The Southeastern Turkish Population, Abdussemet Hazar, Fuat Di̇lmeç, Aydemi̇r Koçarslan, Mustafa Göz, Mehmet Sali̇h Aydin, Abbas Heval Demi̇rkol

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of the estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) gene variants and their possible association with coronary artery disease (CAD) in Şanlıurfa province. Materials and methods: We used polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzyme digestion to determine the prevalence of the ESR1 gene (NM_001122742.1, GI: 2099): c.454-351 A>G (XbaI A>G) and c.454-397 T>C (PvuII T>C) polymorphisms in 100 healthy individuals and 80 angiographically confirmed CAD patients. Results: The body mass index (28.1 ± 5.4), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (126.1 ± 42 mg/dL), diabetes (n = 13), and hypertension (n = …

Histopathological Effects Of S. Xylosus Peptidoglycan In Comparison To E. Coli Lipopolysaccharide In The Urinary Tract Of Mice, Harith Jabbar Fahad Al-Mathkhury, May Talib Flaih, Hiba Khalil Tawfiq

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

The present work, among other previous studies done in our lab, aimed to highlight the histopathological effect of S. xylosus peptidoglycan in comparison to LPS of E. coli. Materials and methods: One hundred and fifty urine specimens were collected from urinary tract infection patients visiting Baghdad hospitals. The histopathological effects of S. xylosus S24 peptidoglycan was studied in the urinary tract of female mice by injecting 5 animal groups at the following concentrations: 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, and 5000 µg/mL. Another 5 groups were injected with 10, 25, 50, 75, and 100 ng/mL of E. coli (serotype 0128:B12) LPS. Results: …

Effects Of Androgen On Expression Of Omgp Of The Hibd Neonatal Rat Brain, Manling Liu, Zhankui Li

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

To investigate the protective effects of testosterone propionate (TP) on hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) neonatal rat brain by observing oligodendrocyte myelin glycoprotein (OMgp) expression in the cortex and hippocampus after HIBD. Materials and methods: Rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: TP pretreatment, HIBD control, and a sham treatment group. Rats 7 days old from the TP group and HIBD control group were subjected to HIBD, and OMgp expression in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of the different doses and groups was observed after hypoxic-ischemic induction at 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 7 days, and 14 days. Results: The …

Urothelial Cancers: Clinical And Imaging Evaluation, Hali̇l Arslan, Fati̇h Mehmet Tezcan, Oktay Alğin

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Urothelial cancers are currently diagnosed more commonly parallel to the recent developments in imaging techniques. Early diagnosis of these tumors, together with better treatment options, decreases the morbidity and the mortality significantly. This review aims to summarize the imaging findings of urothelial tumors, both at the pretreatment and posttreatment follow-up stage.

Dietary Boron Intake Does Not Change The Ischemic Tolerance And Preconditioning Response In Isoproterenol-Induced Myocardial Injury In Healthy Rats, Mehmet Fati̇h Karakaş, Mustafa Kurt, Uğur Arslantaş, Göktürk İpek, Esra Karakaş, Emi̇ne Bi̇len, Hüsametti̇n Erdamar

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Boron is important for many enzymes, most of which also have a role in the ischemic tolerance of the myocardium. We aimed to evaluate the influence of dietary boron intake on ischemic tolerance in a rat model. Materials and methods: Rats were divided into 3 groups according to the ischemia protocol: Sham (S) (n = 20 total), ischemia only (Isc-only) (n = 40 total), and remote ischemic preconditioning + ischemia (RIPC+Isc) (n = 40 total) groups. These 3 groups were further divided into 4 according to the amount of daily dietary boron (

Effects Of Lycopene On Plasma Glucose, Insulin Levels, Oxidative Stress, And Body Weights Of Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats, Muhsi̇n Aydin, Sefa Çeli̇k

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

To determine possible therapeutic effects of oral lycopene supplementation on plasma insulin levels, lipid peroxidation, blood glucose levels, and the antioxidant defense system of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Materials and methods: Classical biochemical methods were used to determine plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione (GSH) levels. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine plasma insulin levels and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the levels of brain antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px). Results: It was found that the diabetes-related increase in blood glucose levels was reduced by supplementation …

The Role Of Hba1c As A Screening And Diagnostic Test For Diabetes Mellitus In Ankara, Zeynep Gi̇ni̇ş, Gülfer Öztürk, Rana Sirmali, Ali̇ Yalçindağ, Yakup Dülgeroğlu, Tuncay Deli̇başi, Namik Deli̇baş

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

This study investigated the value of HbA1c as a screening and diagnostic test for diabetes mellitus (DM) in high-risk Turkish individuals. Materials and methods: A total of 295 participants were successfully screened. Patients were divided into 4 groups based on their oral glucose tolerance test results, according to criteria put forth by the American Diabetes Association; 120 (40.7%) had normoglycemia, 44 (14.9%) had DM, 62 (21%) had impaired fasting glucose, and 69 (23.4%) had impaired glucose tolerance. Results: With a cut-off value for the diagnosis of DM of 6.1%, HbA1c had a sensitivity of 81.8% and a specificity of 80%, …

An Indispensable Toxin Known For 2500 Years: Victims Of Mad Honey, Ayşe Semra Demi̇r Akca, Fati̇h Ozan Kahveci̇

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Mad honey (bitter honey) is a local name for a particular type of honey used in alternative medicine to treat gastric pain, bowel disorders, and hypertension, and as a sexual stimulant in the Black Sea coastal region of Turkey. Grayonotoxin behaves like cholinergic agents and has dosage dependent adverse effects on the cardiovascular system including bradycardia, atrioventricular block (AVB), and arterial hypotension. In this manuscript, we report 37 cases of mad honey intoxication from the western Black Sea region. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective case series of 37 patients who were admitted to the emergency department of a …

Development And Implementation Of Acoustic Feedback Control For Scanning Probe Microscopy, Rodolfo Fernandez Rodriguez

Dissertations and Theses

A remote-sensing acoustic method for implementing position control feedback in Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) is presented. The capabilities of this feedback control using the new Whispering Gallery Acoustic Sensing (WGAS) method is demonstrated in a Shear-force Scanning Probe Microscope that uses a sharp probe attached to a piezoelectric Quartz Tuning Fork (QTF) firmly mounted on the microscope's frame. As the QTF is electrically driven its mechanical response reaches the SPM frame which then acts as a resonant cavity producing acoustic modes measured with an acoustic sensor strategically placed on the SPM head. The novelty of the WGAS resides in using …

Mir-145 Directly Targets P70s6k1 In Cancer Cells To Inhibit Tumor Growth And Angiogenesis., Qing Xu, Ling-Zhi Liu, Xu Qian, Qi Chen, Yue Jiang, Dan Li, Lihui Lai, Bing-Hua Jiang

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

MiR-145 can regulate cell apoptosis, proliferation, neural development and stem cell differentiation. Previous studies indicate that miR-145 is downregulated in human colon cancer cells. However, the molecular mechanisms of miR-145 used to regulate colon carcinogenesis and angiogenesis remain to be clarified. Here, we show that the expression of miR-145 is downregulated in colon and ovarian cancer tissues and cell lines. MiR-145 inhibits p70S6K1 post-transcriptional expression by binding to its 3'-UTR. The angiogenic factors hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which are downstream molecules of p70S6K1, are decreased by miR-145 overexpression. P70S6K1 rescues miR-145-suppressed HIF-1 and VEGF …

Blood-Brain Barrier Abnormalities Caused By Hiv-1 Gp120: Mechanistic And Therapeutic Implications., Jean-Pierre Louboutin, David S Strayer

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is compromised in many systemic and CNS diseases, including HIV-1 infection of the brain. We studied BBB disruption caused by HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein 120 (gp120) as a model. Exposure to gp120, whether acute [by direct intra-caudate-putamen (CP) injection] or chronic [using SV(gp120), an experimental model of ongoing production of gp120] disrupted the BBB, and led to leakage of vascular contents. Gp120 was directly toxic to brain endothelial cells. Abnormalities of the BBB reflect the activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). These target laminin and attack the tight junctions between endothelial cells and BBB basal laminae. MMP-2 and …

Graft Versus Host Disease Of The Brain Following Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant For Myelodysplastic Syndrome, Janet Yoo, Lindsay Simon, Zi-Xuan Wang, Phd, Lawrence C. Kenyon

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality following bone marrow transplantation (BMT). GVHD occurs when immune cells transplanted from a non-identical donor (the graft) recognize the transplant recipient (the host) as foreign, thereby initiating an immune reaction that causes disease in the transplant recipient. GVHD, which can present either acutely or chronically, typically involves the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and liver. In contrast, GVHD involving other organs such as the heart and kidney is highly uncommon and involvement of the central nervous system has only very rarely been described in the literature. We report an unusual case …

Integrative Gene Regulatory Network Analysis Reveals Light-Induced Regional Gene Expression Phase Shift Programs In The Mouse Suprachiasmatic Nucleus., Haisun Zhu, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, Rachel Rafferty, Gregory E Gonye, David R Weaver, James S Schwaber

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

We use the multigenic pattern of gene expression across suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) regions and time to understand the dynamics within the SCN in response to a circadian phase-resetting light pulse. Global gene expression studies of the SCN indicate that circadian functions like phase resetting are complex multigenic processes. While the molecular dynamics of phase resetting are not well understood, it is clear they involve a "functional gene expression program", e.g., the coordinated behavior of functionally related genes in space and time. In the present study we selected a set of 89 of these functionally related genes in order to further …

Lung Carcinoma In The Era Of Personalized Medicine: The Role Of Cytology., Maureen F Zakowski, Marluce Bibbo

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

In 2004, three groups working independently [1–3] , almost simultaneously, reported remarkable findings: that activating mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were common in certain lung carcinomas and that these mutations correlated with the response of those lung tumors to therapy with gefitinib and erlotinib, both EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). This was the first time driver mutations in lung cancer that responded to targeted therapy had been identified, marking the beginning of a new era of personalized medicine in lung cancer. Prior to the discovery of these mutations, patients had been treated with EGFR TKIs but predicting …

Cop9 Signalosome Component Jab1/Csn5 Is Necessary For T Cell Signaling Through Lfa-1 And Hiv-1 Replication., Shigemi M Kinoshita, Peter O Krutzik, Garry P Nolan

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

To determine critical host factors involved in HIV-1 replication, a dominant effector genetics approach was developed to reveal signaling pathways on which HIV-1 depends for replication. A large library of short peptide aptamers was expressed via retroviral delivery in T cells. Peptides that interfered with T cell activation-dependent processes that might support HIV-1 replication were identified. One of the selected peptides altered signaling, lead to a difference in T cell activation status, and inhibited HIV-1 replication. The target of the peptide was JAB1/CSN5, a component of the signalosome complex. JAB1 expression overcame the inhibition of HIV-1 replication in the presence …

Knockdown Of Ki-67 By Dicer-Substrate Small Interfering Rna Sensitizes Bladder Cancer Cells To Curcumin-Induced Tumor Inhibition., Sivakamasundari Pichu, Swapna Krishnamoorthy, Andrei Shishkov, Bi Zhang, Peter Mccue, Biddanda C Ponnappa

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder is the most common cancer of the urinary tract. Most of the TCC cases are of the superficial type and are treated with transurethral resection (TUR). However, the recurrence rate is high and the current treatments have the drawback of inducing strong systemic toxicity or cause painful cystitis. Therefore, it would be of therapeutic value to develop novel concepts and identify novel drugs for the treatment of bladder cancer. Ki-67 is a large nucleolar phosphoprotein whose expression is tightly linked to cell proliferation, and curcumin, a phytochemical derived from the rhizome Curcuma …

The Dermatan Sulfate Proteoglycan Decorin Modulates Α2Β1 Integrin And The Vimentin Intermediate Filament System During Collagen Synthesis., Oliver Jungmann, Katerina Nikolovska, Christian Stock, Jan-Niklas Schulz, Beate Eckes, Christoph Riethmüller, Rick T Owens, Renato V Iozzo, Daniela G Seidler

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Decorin, a small leucine-rich proteoglycan harboring a dermatan sulfate chain at its N-terminus, is involved in regulating matrix organization and cell signaling. Loss of the dermatan sulfate of decorin leads to an Ehlers-Danlos syndrome characterized by delayed wound healing. Decorin-null (Dcn(-/-)) mice display a phenotype similar to that of EDS patients. The fibrillar collagen phenotype of Dcn(-/-) mice could be rescued in vitro by decorin but not with decorin lacking the glycosaminoglycan chain. We utilized a 3D cell culture model to investigate the impact of the altered extracellular matrix on Dcn(-/-) fibroblasts. Using 2D gel electrophoresis followed by mass spectrometry, …

Decorin Protein Core Affects The Global Gene Expression Profile Of The Tumor Microenvironment In A Triple-Negative Orthotopic Breast Carcinoma Xenograft Model., Simone Buraschi, Thomas Neill, Rick T Owens, Leonardo A Iniguez, George Purkins, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, Barry Evans, Liliana Schaefer, Stephen C Peiper, Zi-Xuan Wang, Renato V Iozzo

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Decorin, a member of the small leucine-rich proteoglycan gene family, exists and functions wholly within the tumor microenvironment to suppress tumorigenesis by directly targeting and antagonizing multiple receptor tyrosine kinases, such as the EGFR and Met. This leads to potent and sustained signal attenuation, growth arrest, and angiostasis. We thus sought to evaluate the tumoricidal benefits of systemic decorin on a triple-negative orthotopic breast carcinoma xenograft model. To this end, we employed a novel high-density mixed expression array capable of differentiating and simultaneously measuring gene signatures of both Mus musculus (stromal) and Homo sapiens (epithelial) tissue origins. We found that …

Kaempferol Nanoparticles Achieve Strong And Selective Inhibition Of Ovarian Cancer Cell Viability., Haitao Luo, Bingbing Jiang, Bingyun Li, Zhaoliang Li, Bing-Hua Jiang, Yi Charlie Chen

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Ovarian cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death for women throughout the Western world. Kaempferol, a natural flavonoid, has shown promise in the chemoprevention of ovarian cancer. A common concern about using dietary supplements for chemoprevention is their bioavailability. Nanoparticles have shown promise in increasing the bioavailability of some chemicals. Here we developed five different types of nanoparticles incorporating kaempferol and tested their efficacy in the inhibition of viability of cancerous and normal ovarian cells. We found that positively charged nanoparticle formulations did not lead to a significant reduction in cancer cell viability, whereas nonionic polymeric nanoparticles …

Temporal Changes In Innate Immune Signals In A Rat Model Of Alcohol Withdrawal In Emotional And Cardiorespiratory Homeostatic Nuclei., Kate Freeman, Anthony Brureau, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, Mary M Staehle, Melanie M Brureau, Gregory E Gonye, Jan B Hoek, D Craig Hooper, James S Schwaber

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Chronic alcohol use changes the brain's inflammatory state. However, there is little work examining the progression of the cytokine response during alcohol withdrawal, a period of profound autonomic and emotional upset. This study examines the inflammatory response in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and dorsal vagal complex (DVC), brain regions neuroanatomically associated with affective and cardiorespiratory regulation in an in vivo rat model of withdrawal following a single chronic exposure.

METHODS: For qRT-PCR studies, we measured the expression of TNF-α, NOS-2, Ccl2 (MCP-1), MHC II invariant chain CD74, and the TNF receptor Tnfrsf1a in CeA and DVC …

Emergence Of Bimodal Cell Population Responses From The Interplay Between Analog Single-Cell Signaling And Protein Expression Noise., Marc R Birtwistle, Jens Rauch, Anatoly Kiyatkin, Edita Aksamitiene, Maciej Dobrzyński, Jan B. Hoek, Walter Kolch, Babatunde A Ogunnaike, Boris N Kholodenko

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Cell-to-cell variability in protein expression can be large, and its propagation through signaling networks affects biological outcomes. Here, we apply deterministic and probabilistic models and biochemical measurements to study how network topologies and cell-to-cell protein abundance variations interact to shape signaling responses.

RESULTS: We observe bimodal distributions of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) responses to epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulation, which are generally thought to indicate bistable or ultrasensitive signaling behavior in single cells. Surprisingly, we find that a simple MAPK/ERK-cascade model with negative feedback that displays graded, analog ERK responses at a single cell level can explain the experimentally …

The Emerging Role Of Acyl-Coa Thioesterases And Acyltransferases In Regulating Peroxisomal Lipid Metabolism, Mary Hunt, Marina Siponen, Stefan Alexson

Articles

The importance of peroxisomes in lipid metabolism is now well established and peroxisomes contain approximately 60 enzymes involved in these lipid metabolic pathways. Several acyl-CoA thioesterase enzymes (ACOTs) have been identified in peroxisomes that catalyze the hydrolysis of acyl-CoAs (short-, medium-, long- and very long-chain), bile acid-CoAs, and methyl branched-CoAs, to the free fatty acid and coenzyme A. A number of acyltransferase enzymes, which are structurally and functionally related to ACOTs, have also been identified in peroxisomes, which conjugate (or amidate) bile acid-CoAs and acyl-CoAs to amino acids, resulting in the production of amidated bile acids and fatty acids. The …

Keratinocyte-Targeted Expression Of Human Laminin Γ2 Rescues Skin Blistering And Early Lethality Of Laminin Γ2 Deficient Mice., Tracy L Adair-Kirk, Gail L Griffin, Michelle J Meyer, Diane G Kelley, Jeffrey H Miner, Douglas R Keene, M Peter Marinkovich, J Michael Ruppert, Jouni Uitto, Robert M Senior

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

Laminin-332 is a heterotrimeric basement membrane component comprised of the α3, ß3, and γ2 laminin chains. Laminin-332 modulates epithelial cell processes, such as adhesion, migration, and differentiation and is prominent in many embryonic and adult tissues. In skin, laminin-332 is secreted by keratinocytes and is a key component of hemidesmosomes connecting the keratinocytes to the underlying dermis. In mice, lack of expression of any of the three Laminin-332 chains result in impaired anchorage and detachment of the epidermis, similar to that seen in human junctional epidermolysis bullosa, and death occurs within a few days after birth. To bypass the early …

Administration Of Bone Marrow Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Into The Liver: Potential To Rescue Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum In A Mouse Model (Abcc6-/-)., Qiujie Jiang, Shunsuke Takahagi, Jouni Uitto

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is a heritable ectopic mineralization disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the ABCC6 gene which is primarily expressed in the liver. There is currently no effective treatment for PXE. In this study, we characterized bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and evaluated their ability to contribute to liver regeneration, with the aim to rescue PXE phenotype. The MSCs, isolated from GFP-transgenic mice by magnetic cell sorting, were shown to have high potential for hepatic differentiation, with expression of Abcc6, in culture. These cells were transplanted into the livers of 4-week-old immunodeficient Abcc6⁻/⁻ mice by intrasplenic injection …

Investigating The Impact Of Cd147 And Its Expression On Neurodegenaration And Alzheimer's Disease (Ad), Limbikani J. Kanyenda

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

CD147, also known as basigin, extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer, neurothelin, tumour cell-derived collagenase stimulatory factor, M6, HT7, OX47 or gp42, is a transmembrane glycoprotein of the immunoglobulin super-family. It is expressed in many neuronal and non-neuronal tissues with high expression in the hippocampus, pre-frontal cortex, thyroid, heart, early erythroid, amygdala and placenta. This protein is involved in various cellular and biological functions such as lymphocyte migration and maturation, tissue repair, cancer progression, T and B lymphocyte activation and induction of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase. The CD147 protein interacts with with cyclophilin A, cyclophilin B, sterol carrier protein, caveolin-1 and integrins, and …

Cd2ap Regulates Sumoylation Of Cin85 In Podocytes, Irini Tossidou, Rainer Niedenthal, Malte Klaus, Beina Teng, Kirstin Worthmann, Benjamin King, Kevin Peterson

Dartmouth Scholarship

Podocytes are highly differentiated and polarized epithelial cells located on the visceral side of the glomerulus. They form an indispensable component of the glomerular filter, the slit diaphragm, formed by several transmembrane proteins and adaptor molecules. Disruption of the slit diaphragm can lead to massive proteinuria and nephrotic syndrome in mice and humans. CD2AP is an adaptor protein that is important for the maintenance of the slit diaphragm. Together with its paralogue, CIN85, CD2AP belongs to a family of adaptor proteins that are primarily described as being involved in endocytosis and downregulation of receptor tyrosine kinase activity. We have shown …