bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effect of diet on the Vervet monkey endocrine pancreas
Authors: Louw J. , Woodroof C. , Seier J. , Wolfe‐Coote S.A. 
Published: September 2011

Vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) used for pancreatic endocrine cell distribution studies were found to have been maintained on different diets. Although the effect of dietary changes on the exocrine pancreas has been described in several animals, little, apart from the effect of malnutrition, has been reported for the endocrine pancreas. Reported here are pancreatic endocrine cell distributions in monkeys on a standard diet (n ? 3) compared with monkeys on an atherogenic diet (n = 3).Quantitation of immunolabelled pancreatic endocrine cell types revealed a significant 80% increase in A (glucagon) cell volume in monkeys on an atherogenic diet concomitant with a significant reduction in B (insulin) cell volume to approximately 60% of normal. This reflects a pattern of events that occurs in non‐insulin dependent diabetes. An accompanying reduction in PP (pancreatic polypeptide) cell volumes supports our hypothesis that altering A and PP cell volumes could reflect differential gene expression in those cells in the adult in which glucagon and PP are co‐localized.
Upregulation of nitric oxide synthase in cultured human keratinocytes after ultraviolet B and bradykinin
Authors: Kang‐Rotondo C. H. , Major S. , Chiang T. M. , Myers L. K. , Kang E. S. 
Published: September 2011

Kang‐Rotondo CH, Major S, Chiang TM, Myers LK, Kang ES. Upregulation of nitric oxide synthase in cultured human keratinocytes after ultraviolet B and bradykinin. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed 1996: 12: 57–65. © Munksgaard, 1996.Ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation of the skin has been reported to upregulate nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity with enhancement of nitric oxide (NO) formation. Bradykinin, a known stimulator of NO production, is produced in the skin within minutes of UVB irradiation. The combined effect of UVB and bradykinin on NOS was therefore examined in a cultured human keratinocyte (KC) line. Activity was determined in KC homogenates by the recovery of [3H]l‐citrulline using labeled l‐arginine as the substrate in the presence of mM NADPH. Monoclonal antibodies to specific isoforms of NOS that cross‐react with their human counterparts were used to determine the isoform(s) in control, UVB, bradykin treated and UVB and bradykinin treated KC. Human KC express NOS activity which is lowest at confluence and highest during proliferation. UVB increased NOS activity when a set dose of irradiation was administered from 32.2–48.3 mJ/cm2 but was inhibitory after 64.4 and 80.5 mJ/cm2. Thirty min after 10−6 M bradykinin, NOS activity nearly doubled followed by return of activity to control levels at 60 min. Activity after UVB and bradykinin was only slightly higher than that observed with bradykinin alone. Immunochemically, an isoform of Mr 155 kDa was detected in control cells with the antibody for the constitutive brain enzyme, bNOS. Recovery of this isoform increased after UVB treatment as well as after bradykinin which was time dependent. When both stimulants were used, the recovery of the 155 kDa enzyme was markedly enhanced, unlike the enzyme activity findings. These data indicate that the expression of NOS activity under unstimulated conditions in human KC in culture is due to the constitutive NOS found in neuronal tissue, bNOS. The recovery of bNOS increased after UVB and after bradykinin while the combination of both resulted in the synergistic increase in bNOS protein with only a marginal further increase in NOS activity.
Identification of the Complement Regulatory Protein CD59 in Human Colostrum and Milk
Authors: Børge Line , Jensen Tone Skeie , Kristoffersen Einar Klæboe , Ulstein Magnar , Matre Roald 
Published: September 2011

PROBLEM: Complement lytic activity has been demonstrated, and a potential for its activation is present in human colostrum and milk. This necessitates the presence of regulatory mechanisms protecting epithelial cells in the oropharynx and the gastrointestinal tract of the infant, the milk cellular elements, and bacteria colonizing the oropharynx and the gastrointestinal tract. Lactoferrin and C1 inhibitor have been attributed such a role. However, it is likely that additional protection against the cytolytic activity of the membrane attack complex is required. This has lead us to investigate the presence of the complement regulatory protein CD59 in human colostrum and milk, and to further characterize the source of secretion.METHOD: Samples of human colostrum and milk were obtained from volunteers at different stages of lactation, and separated into fat, skim milk, and milk cellular elements by centrifugation. Normal human mammary gland tissues were obtained from patients undergoing biopsy for benign conditions. SDS‐PAGE and Western blotting, and an immuno dot‐blot assay were used to identify CD59 in human milk. Immunohistochemistry was performed on all tissue samples and cytospins of the milk cellular elements, using monoclonal antibodies to CD59.RESULTS: CD59 was present in cell‐free colostrum and milk as a 19–25 kDa glycoprotein. No variation in CD59 levels was detected between colostrum and milk. CD59 was present in great amounts in the cytoplasm and was highly expressed on the surface membrane on mammary gland acinar and ductal epithelial cells, while the milk cellular elements contained CD59 mainly in their cytoplasm.CONCLUSION: The complement regulatory protein CD59 present in cell‐free human colostrum and milk may exert its effects both in the mammary gland and in the oropharynx and gastrointestinal tract of the infant. The lobuloalveolar epithelial cells in the mammary gland are the likely source of secretion.
Termination of Pregnancy in Rodents by Oral Administration of Praneem, a Purified Neem Seed Extract
Authors: Mukherjee Sutapa , Talwar G.P. 
Published: September 2011

PROBLEM: Development of an orally administered abortifacient.METHODS: Subjects were female Wistar rats, weighting 150 to 200 g at the time of experiments. Praneem (a purified extract of neem Azadirachta indica) at a dose of 0.6 ml was given orally from day 8 to 10 after confirming presence and number of implants surgically on day 7 of pregnancy. The animals were examined again under anesthesia on day 15 of pregnancy to check the number of developing embryos. Controls received an equivalent regime of peanut oil. The number and size of implants were counted five days after treatment.RESULTS: Complete resorption of embryos was observed on day 15 of pregnancy in every animal treated with Praneem in contrast to normally developing embryos in rats given peanut oil. In repeat batch experiments, it was established that the effect of the treatment was reversible and animals regained fertility in cycles subsequent to treatment with Praneem. Cytokines of TH1 type, i.e., gamma interferon and TNF, were raised on administration of Praneem, which may be the probable cause of pregnancy termination.CONCLUSIONS: Praneem on oral adminstration can cause termination of pregnancy in rodents, and the action is probably mediated by TH1 cytokines.
Steroid Sex Hormones and Macrophage Function: Regulation of Chemiluminescence and Phagocytosis
Authors: Chao Tzu‐chieh , Phuangsab Anan , Van Alten Pierson J. , Walter Robert J. 
Published: September 2011

PROBLEM: Female sex hormones modulate a variety of humoral and cell‐mediated immunologic functions. In this study, the effects of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone on the chemiluminescence (CL) response and phagocytic ability of male rat peritoneal macrophages (Mφ) were examined.METHOD: In Mφ pretreated with 10−2ng/ml of 17β‐estradiol (E2) for 20 hours, the CL generated in response to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), 1,2‐dioctanoyl‐rac‐glycerol (C8:0), or opsonized zymosan (OZ) was significantly increased by 135%, 140%, and 136% of control values, respectively. In addition, Mφ treated with 10−5ng/ml or 10 ng/ml of E2exhibited a significantly greater PMA‐or OZ‐stimulated CL response than did untreated controls.RESULTS: At 10−2ng/ml, progesterone enhanced and testosterone reduced the CL response, but these changes were not statistically significant. In time course studies, the PMA‐stimulated CL response of Mφ treated with 10−2ng/ml of E2or progesterone for 5 h was significantly less than that of the untreated group. In the presence of endotoxin (12 pg/ml), the CL response in Mφ treated with E2or testosterone was significantly depressed as compared to untreated controls. Phagocytosis of opsonized sheep erythrocytes also was significantly enhanced (140% to 190% of control) when Mφ were pretreated with 10−12M to 10−8M of either E2or progesterone.CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that, at physiological concentrations, E2is capable of modulating both CL generation and phagocytic uptake by Mφ in a manner not shared by other steroid hormones.
Detection of Antiendometrial Antibodies in Patients With Endometriosis by Cell ELISA
Authors: Hatayama Hiroshi , Imai Kimitoshi , Kanzaki Hideharu , Higuchi Toshihiro , Fujimoto Mariko , Mori Takahide 
Published: September 2011

PROBLEM: To determine whether infertile patients with endometriosis have serum antiendometrial antibodies.METHODS: Sera from 40 infertile patients with or without endometriosis were tested by cell enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), in which endometrial cancer cells were used as endometrial antigens, and uterine cervix cancer cells as control antigens. As a negative control, eight healthy adult males were included. The level greater than the mean + 2 standard deviations (SD) of the male control group was judged positive.RESULTS: The mean value of antiendometrial antibody level was significantly higher in patients with endometriosis than in those without endometriosis (ANOVA, P < 0.01). The frequency of antiendometrial antibody‐positive patients was also higher in the former than in the latter (χ2 test, P < 0.05). However, when uterine cervix cancer cells were used as antigens, no difference was observed in the mean antibody levels or in the positive rates between the two groups.CONCLUSIONS: Endometriosis seems to be associated with autoantibody production against the endometrium‐related antigen(s).
Structural Analysis of the Carboxyl Terminal Peptide From Human Chorionic Gonadotropin β‐Subunit by Two‐Dimensional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Authors: Rock Edwin P. , Czaplicki Jerzy , Milon Alain 
Published: September 2011

PROBLEM: Vaccines that target human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) might be made more effective through greater understanding of the solution three‐dimensional structure and behavior of the hormone.METHOD: A 37‐amino acid carboxyl terminal peptide of the hCG beta subunit was synthesized, purified, and analyzed by two‐dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. RESULTS: Double‐quantum filtered correlated spectroscopy data on the peptide in water at 4°C reveals 27 multiplets in the peptide fingerprint region, as expected. A nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy spectrum shows several intraresidual peaks in the amide region but lacks clearly assignable interresidual signals.CONCLUSION: By itself in water the carboxyl terminal peptide of hCG lacks defined secondary structure elements and is thus likely a random coil. The presence of beta turns appears possible although neither their existence nor their localization can be confirmed.
The Potential of the Zona Pellucida as a Target for Immunocontraception
Authors: Aitken R.J. , Paterson M. , Duin M. van 
Published: September 2011

PROBLEM: To investigate the contraceptive potential of the zona pellucida. METHOD: Generation of antibodies against native and recombinant zona glycoproteins which have then been assessed for their capacity to disrupt sperm‐zona interaction in vivo and in vitro. The animal model selected for these studies was the common marmoset and the end points examined were antibody titre, ovarian cyclicity and fertility.RESULTS: The fact that antibodies against the major zona glycoprotein, ZP3, block both the primary and secondary phases of sperm‐zona interaction suggests that this molecule might have potential for contraceptive vaccine development. Active immunization of marmoset monkeys with native porcine ZP3 or recombinant human ZP3 produced long term infertility but also precipitated a premature decline in the primordial follicle population.CONCLUSIONS: Future studies will have to determine whether a safe, effective vaccine can be engineered by coupling unique B‐cell epitopes from ZP3 to foreign T‐cell antigens.
Luminal and Glandular Endometrial Epithelium Express Integrins Differentially Throughout the Menstrual Cycle: Implications for Implantation, Contraception, and Infertility
Authors: Lessey Bruce A. , Ilesanmi Abiodun O. , Lessey Meredith A. , Riben Michael , Harris Jocelyn E. , Chwalisz Kristof 
Published: September 2011

PROBLEM: Integrins belong to a family of cell adhesion molecules that are present on virtually all cells. The temporal and spatial expression of these important proteins on the human endometrium suggests that certain integrins may participate in the cascade of molecular events leading to successful implantation.METHODS: Using immunohistochemistry, we studied the expression of 12 different integrins in up to 600 samples of human endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle. Intensity and distribution of staining was determined using the semiquantitative HSCORE, with specific focus on the differences between glandular and luminal expression.RESULTS: We noted that the glandular and luminal epithelium undergo independent alterations in integrin expression throughout the menstrual cycle. Specifically, glandular epithelium express certain integrins only during the window of implantation, while luminal epithelium down‐regulate certain integrins during this time. The expression of one integrin (the αvβ3 vitronectin receptor) on both luminal and glandular epithelium coincides with the time of embryo attachment; aberrant expression of this integrin is associated with infertility.CONCLUSION: It appears that the endometrium is a unique tissue with regard to the number of integrins that undergo temporal and spatial changes during the menstrual cycle. These data may offer new directions for the development of a novel contraceptive approach targeted to the endometrium as well as a better understanding of occult causes of infertility in women.
Anomalous Inheritance of a Paternally Derived Trophoblast Antigen
Authors: Rezai A. , Underwood J.L. , Jalali G.R. , Mathias S. , Allen W.R. , Mowbray J.F. 
Published: September 2011

PROBLEM: Recurrent spontaneous abortion occurs in 1 in 500 random matings and usually results in abortion of all pregnancies. If absence of antibody to a paternally derived antigen caused abortion, the woman would be expected to make antibody to the other paternal antigen and abort only half her pregnancies.METHODS: Microvesicles were prepared from equine placentae. Acid‐eluted IgG antibody was eluted from the polymorphic R80K antigen and used to type the residual R80K antigen on vesicles or on peripheral blood leucocytes.RESULTS: In several equine sibships all the half‐sibs had the same paternal R80K alloantigen. In the extended horse family descended from the stallion Nearco, three allotypes were found. The allele present was usually the grandpaternal one, but exceptions are seen. Whichever allele is transmitted all the progeny have the same alloantigen (probability of this occurring by chance = 2‐45).CONCLUSION: Because only one paternal allotype is present in all progeny, lack of antibody to the R80K antigen would result in loss of all pregnancies, not one half.
Modulation of the Humoral Immune Response by Placental Secretory Factors
Authors: Borel Ileana Malan , Miranda Silvia , Freire Songeli Menezes , Canellada Andrea , Bueno Marta Eslava , Binaghi Ruben , Margni Ricardo A. 
Published: September 2011

PROBLEM: To investigate how the factors secreted by human placenta modify the quality and the quantity of the antibody produced by the hybridoma as well as its cellular proliferation.METHOD: Supernatants of cultures of human placenta (PS) were added to a mouse IgG1 hybridoma culture producing anti‐DNP antibodies. The quantity of monoclonal antibody produced, the nature of these antibodies and the proliferation of the hybridoma cells were studied.RESULT: It was found that PS augmented by 40–50% the quantity of total antibody produced, increased the proportion of asymmetric (blocking) antibodies from 15% to 30%, and diminished the cellular proliferation, as measured by 3H‐thymidine incorporation.CONCLUSION: These results, together with other similar observations already described in human, rat and mouse pregnancies, suggest that secretory factors produced by the placenta do modify the immune response of the mother against paternal antigens and participate in the mechanisms that make possible the survival of the allogenic fetus.
Expression of γδT Cells and Adhesion Molecules in Endometriotic Tissue in Patients With Endometriosis and Adenomyosis
Authors: OTA HIROTAKA , IGARASHI SHINICHI , TANAKA TOSHINOBU 
Published: September 2011

PROBLEM: Are T cell subsets, including γδT cells, HLA antigens or adhesion molecules, expressed in eutopic and ectopic endometria in patients with endometriosis and adenomyosis?METHODS: Subjects consisted of 23 patients with adenomyosis and 21 patients with endometriosis. Controls consisted of 15 patients with adenomyoma and 42 infertile women without habitual abortion and autoimmune diseases. Staining of the glandular cells in eutopic and ectopic endometria or T lymphocyte subsets or macrophages in the stroma were analyzed immunohistochemically to localize the expression of the antigens.RESULTS: Immunohistochemical analysis revealed significantly increased expression of the antigens, particularly of the number of γδT cells in the stroma and adhesion molecules and HLA antigens on the glandular cells in eutopic and ectopic endometria, compared with materials from patients with adenomyoma and infertile patients.CONCLUSION: It is likely that three distinct pathways of cell‐cell interactions are activated in patients with endometriosis or adenomyosis.
Effects of Gonadotropin‐Releasing Hormone Agonist (GnRHa) and Ovariectomy on Leukocyte Subpopulations in Rats With Autotransplanted Endometrium
Authors: Matsubayashi Hidehiko , Iwasaki Ken‐Ichi , Maruyama Tetsuo , Ozawa Nobuaki , Nemoto Taiko , Iwasaki Shinya , Sun Wen‐Shu , Nakazawa Kazumi , Nozawa Shiro , Makino Tsunehisa 
Published: September 2011

PROBLEM: To determine the effect of estrogen deficiency on populations of immune cells in rats with autotransplanted endometrium.METHOD OF STUDY: Autologous endometrial segments were implanted in the peritoneum of rats. Leukocyte subsets in the peripheral blood (PB) and peritoneal fluid (PF) of autotransplanted rats treated with gonadotropin‐releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) or ovariectomy were analyzed by flow cytometry.RESULTS: Endometrial growth was suppressed in association with increases in natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages in rats treated surgically or medically after endometrial implantation compared with autotransplanted‐only rats. Normal rats treated with GnRHa showed no significant alterations in PB and PF leukocyte subsets, even in NK cells and macrophages, compared with untreated normal rats.CONCLUSIONS: Data suggest that GnRHa itself did not have an immunomodulating effect when rats were treated for 3 weeks, but that a hypoestrogenic state reduced the size of the ectopic endometrium in association with increases in NK cells and macrophages. Our findings support the hypothesis that ectopic endometrial cells may release immunosuppressive factors.
Matrix Metalloproteinase Expression During Mouse Peri‐implantation Development
Authors: Sharkey Mark E. , Adler Richard R. , Nieder Gary L. , Brenner Carol A. 
Published: September 2011

PROBLEM: The purpose of this study was to define the temporal expression and to quantitate the mRNA levels of collagenase, 72 kDa, 92 kDa, and membrane‐type matrix metallo‐proteinases during the peri‐implantation period of pregnancy in the mouse uterus. Embryonic expression of 72 kDa and 92 kDa matrix metalloproteinases, as well as interleukin 1α, was also investigated.METHODS: Uterine matrix metalloproteinases were detected using gelatin substrate gel electrophoresis (zymography) and reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction methodology was used to detect and quantitate different mRNA species in the mouse uterus and blastocyst.RESULTS: Collagenase, 72 kDa, and 92 kDa matrix metalloproteinases are developmentally regulated during the peri‐implantation period of pregnancy, but membrane‐type matrix metalloproteinase appears to be expressed constitutively. Matrix metalloproteinase mRNA levels have been quantitated and confirm the observed developmental expression patterns. Prominent expression of both 92 kDa matrix metalloproteinase and interleukin 1α was observed in blastocysts during outgrowth while weak expression of the 72 kDa matrix metalloproteinase was detected.CONCLUSIONS: The data provide evidence of matrix metalloproteinase expression in vivo and substantiate their potential role in tissue remodeling prior to and during blastocyst implantation. Expression of interleukin 1α, 92 kDa, and 72 kDa matrix metalloproteinases suggests that these proteins are important for trophoblast invasion associated with implantation of the early embryo.