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Inflammation

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Articles 91 - 96 of 96

Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology

Ceramide Kinase And Ceramide-1-Phosphate, Dayanjan Wijesinghe Nov 2008

Ceramide Kinase And Ceramide-1-Phosphate, Dayanjan Wijesinghe

Theses and Dissertations

Ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P) is a bioactive lipid that has been implicated in many biological processes. Our laboratory has conclusively demonstrated its role in inflammation via activation of cPLA2α. The only known enzyme to date responsible for direct synthesis of C1P is ceramide kinase. Very little was known about this enzyme in terms of its enzyme kinetics and substrate specificity. As CERK is an enzyme that acts on membrane lipids, its kinetics cannot be studied using standard bulk dilutions methods. Thus we developed a surface dilution approach using Triton X 100 mixed micelles for studying the kinetics of CERK. We discovered that …

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Inflammation-Associated Gene Regulation In Primary Astrocytes, Glial Tumors And Cellular Differentiation, Katarzyna Marta Wilczynska Jan 2008

Inflammation-Associated Gene Regulation In Primary Astrocytes, Glial Tumors And Cellular Differentiation, Katarzyna Marta Wilczynska

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation elucidates several independent molecular mechanisms that function in astrocytes and glial tumor cells, and suggest that developmental and inflammatory signals may contribute to the development of brain tumors. First, we analyzed the mechanism of TIMP-1 activation in astrocytes and glioblastoma cells. TIMP-1 expression is activated by IL-1, which is the major neuroinflammatory cytokine, via simultaneous activation of IKK/NF-kB and MEK3/6/p38/ATF-2 pathways in primary human astrocytes. In contrast to astrocytes, TIMP-1 is expressed at lower levels in glioblastomas, and is not regulated by IL-1 due to either dysfunctional IKK/NF-kB or MEK3/6/p38/ATF-2 activation. Thus, we propose a novel mechanism of …

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Role Of Ceramide-1-Phosphate As A Specific And Potent Activator Of Group Iva Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 Alpha, Preeti Subramanian Jan 2007

Role Of Ceramide-1-Phosphate As A Specific And Potent Activator Of Group Iva Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 Alpha, Preeti Subramanian

Theses and Dissertations

Eicosanoids are potent mediators of inflammatory response whose role has been well established in inflammatory disorders. Release of arachidonic acid by group IVA cytosolic phospholipase A2 α (cPLA2α) is the initial rate limiting step for the production of eicosonoids in response to inflammatory mediators. Previous findings from our laboratory have demonstrated that cPLA2α is directly activated by the emerging bioactive sphingolipid, ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P). In this study, we have developed a modified Triton X-100/phosphatidylcholine (PC) mixed micelle assay which was utilized to determine the kinetics and specificity of this lipid-enzyme interaction. Using this assay, the activity of the enzyme increased in …

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N-Acetyl-Beta-D-Glucosaminidase In Acute Myocardial Infarction, M Perwaiz Iqbal, Khawar A. Kazmi, Hasan R. Jafri, Naseema Mehboobali Aug 2003

N-Acetyl-Beta-D-Glucosaminidase In Acute Myocardial Infarction, M Perwaiz Iqbal, Khawar A. Kazmi, Hasan R. Jafri, Naseema Mehboobali

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

The objective of the study was to investigate whether the lysosomal enzyme, N-Acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity is increased in plasma of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and to determine if there is any association between plasma levels of NAG and severity of myocardial infarction (MI). NAG activity in plasma was monitored in 69 patients with AMI and 135 normal healthy subjects using a spectrofluorimetric method. A modified Aldrich ST elevation score was used to gauge the severity of MI in terms of size of the infarct. Plasma NAG levels in AMI patients and normal healthy subjects were found to be …

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A Defect In Interleukin 12-Induced Activation And Interferon Gamma Secretion Of Peripheral Natural Killer T Cells In Nonobese Diabetic Mice Suggests New Pathogenic Mechanisms For Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus., Marika Falcone, Brian Yeung, Lee Tucker, Enrique Rodriguez, Nora Sarvetnick Oct 1999

A Defect In Interleukin 12-Induced Activation And Interferon Gamma Secretion Of Peripheral Natural Killer T Cells In Nonobese Diabetic Mice Suggests New Pathogenic Mechanisms For Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus., Marika Falcone, Brian Yeung, Lee Tucker, Enrique Rodriguez, Nora Sarvetnick

Journal Articles: Regenerative Medicine

The function of natural killer T (NKT) cells in the immune system has yet to be determined. There is some evidence that their defect is associated with autoimmunity, but it is still unclear how they play a role in regulating the pathogenesis of T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. It was originally proposed that NKT cells could control autoimmunity by shifting the cytokine profile of autoimmune T cells toward a protective T helper 2 cell (Th2) type. However, it is now clear that the major function of NKT cells in the immune system is not related to their interleukin (IL)-4 secretion. In …

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Production Of Interleukin 10 By Islet Cells Accelerates Immune-Mediated Destruction Of Beta Cells In Nonobese Diabetic Mice., Lise Wogensen, Myung-Shik Lee, Nora Sarvetnick Apr 1994

Production Of Interleukin 10 By Islet Cells Accelerates Immune-Mediated Destruction Of Beta Cells In Nonobese Diabetic Mice., Lise Wogensen, Myung-Shik Lee, Nora Sarvetnick

Journal Articles: Regenerative Medicine

The T helper type 2 (Th2) cell product interleukin 10 (IL-10) inhibits the proliferation and function of Th1 lymphocytes and macrophages (M phi). The nonobese diabetic mouse strain (NOD/Shi) develops a M phi and T cell-dependent autoimmune diabetes that closely resembles human insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). The objective of the present study was to explore the consequences of localized production of IL-10 on diabetes development in NOD/Shi mice. Surprisingly, local production of IL-10 accelerated the onset and increased the prevalence of diabetes, since diabetes developed at 5-10 wk of age in 92% of IL-10 positive I-A beta g7/g7, I-E- mice …

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