bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Immunohistochemical analysis of pRb2/p130, VEGF, EZH2, p53, p16INK4A, p27KIP1, p21WAF1, Ki‐67 expression patterns in gastric cancer
Authors: Mattioli Eliseo , Vogiatzi Paraskevi , Sun Ang , Abbadessa Giovanni , Angeloni Giulia , D'Ugo Domenico , Trani Daniela , Gaughan John P. , Vecchio Fabio Maria , Cevenini Gabriele , Persiani Roberto , Giordano Antonio , Claudio Pier Paolo 
Published: September 2006

AbstractAlthough the considerable progress against gastric cancer, it remains a complex lethal disease defined by peculiar histological and molecular features. The purpose of the present study was to investigate pRb2/p130, VEGF, EZH2, p53, p16INK4A, p27KIP1, p21WAF1, Ki‐67 expressions, and analyze their possible correlations with clinicopathological factors. The expression patterns were examined by immunohistochemistry in 47 patients, 27 evaluated of intestinal‐type, and 20 of diffuse‐type, with a mean follow up of 56 months and by Western blot in AGS, N87, KATO‐III, and YCC‐2, ‐3, ‐16 gastric cell lines. Overall, stomach cancer showed EZH2 correlated with high levels of p53, Ki‐67, and cytoplasmic pRb2/p130 (P < 0.05, and P < 0.01, respectively). Increased expression of EZH2 was found in the intestinal‐type and correlated with the risk of distant metastasis (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively), demonstrating that this protein may have a prognostic value in this type of cancer. Interestingly, a strong inverse correlation was observed between p27KIP1 expression levels and the risk of advanced disease and metastasis (P < 0.05), and a positive correlation between the expression levels of p21WAF1 and low‐grade (G1) gastric tumors (P < 0.05), confirming the traditionally accepted role for these tumor‐suppressor genes in gastric cancer. Finally, a direct correlation was found between the expression levels of nuclear pRb2/p130 and low‐grade (G1) gastric tumors that was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Altogether, these data may help shed some additional light on the pathogenetic mechanisms related to the two main gastric cancer histotypes and their invasive potentials. J. Cell. Physiol. 210: 183–191, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Heme oxygenase and cyclooxygenase in the central nervous system: A functional interplay
Authors: Mancuso Cesare , Perluigi Marzia , Cini Chiara , De Marco Carlo , Giuffrida Stella Anna Maria , Calabrese Vittorio 
Published: September 2006

AbstractHeme oxygenase (HO) and cyclooxygenase (COX) are two hemeproteins involved in the regulation of several functions in the nervous system. Heme oxygenase is the enzyme responsible for the degradation of heme into ferrous iron, carbon monoxide (CO), and biliverdin, the latter being further reduced in bilirubin (BR) by biliverdin reductase. Heme oxygenase‐derived CO is a gaseous neuromodulator and plays an important role in the synaptic plasticity, learning and memory processes, as well as in the regulation of hypothalamic neuropeptide release, whereas BR is an endogenous molecules with antioxidant and anti‐nitrosative activities. Cyclooxygenase is considered a pro‐inflammatory enzyme as free radicals and prostaglandins (PGs) are produced during its catalytic cycle. Although PGs are also involved in a variety of physiologic conditions including angiogenesis, hemostasis, or regulation of kidney function, upregulation of COX and increase in PGs levels are a common feature of neuroinflammation. In the brain, a functional interplay exists between HO and COX. Heme oxygenase regulates COX activity by reducing the intracellular heme content or by generating CO, which stimulates PGE2 release. Increased levels of PGs, free radicals, and the associated oxidative stress serve in the brain as a trigger for the induction of HO isoforms which increases cellular antioxidant defenses to counteract oxidative damage. The importance of the interaction between HO and COX in the regulation of physiologic brain functions, and its relevance to neuroprotective or neurodegenerative mechanisms are discussed. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Antiinflammatory but no neuroprotective effects of melatonin under clinical treatment conditions in rabbit models of bacterial meningitis
Authors: Spreer Annette , Gerber Joachim , Baake Daniel , Hanssen Mareike , Huether Gerald , Nau Roland 
Published: September 2006

AbstractNeuronal injury is frequent in bacterial meningitis, resulting in a high rate of death and neurological sequelae. In a search of potential neuroprotective strategies for treatment of bacterial meningitis, the antioxidant melatonin was neuroprotective in cell culture experiments and in a rabbit Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis model, when treatment was started at the time of infection. In the present study, adjunctive melatonin treatment applied from the beginning of antibiotic therapy 12 hr after infection at a dose of 1.67 mg/kg/hr resulted in plasma concentrations of 451 ± 198 ng/ml, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of 154 ± 57 ng/ml and a CSF‐to‐plasma ratio of 0.38 ± 0.19 (mean ± SD). Melatonin therapy had antiinflammatory effects but did not reduce neuronal injury in either a rabbit model of gram‐positive Streptococcus pneumoniae or gram‐negative Escherichia coli meningitis. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Intravenous administration of glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor gene‐modified human mesenchymal stem cells protects against injury in a cerebral ischemia model in the adult rat
Authors: Horita Yoshifumi , Honmou Osamu , Harada Kuniaki , Houkin Kiyohiro , Hamada Hirofumi , Kocsis Jeffery D. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractIntravenous administration of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) prepared from adult bone marrow has been reported to ameliorate functional deficits after cerebral artery occlusion in rats. Several hypotheses to account for these therapeutic effects have been suggested, and current thinking is that neuroprotection rather than neurogenesis is responsible. To enhance the therapeutic benefits of hMSCs potentially, we transfected hMSCs with the glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) gene using a fiber‐mutant F/RGD adenovirus vector and investigated whether GDNF gene‐modified hMSCs (GDNF‐hMSCs) could contribute to functional recovery in a rat permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model. We induced MCAO by using intraluminal vascular occlusion, and GDNF‐hMSCs were intravenously infused into the rats 3 hr later. MRI and behavioral analyses revealed that rats receiving GDNF‐hMSCs or hMSCs exhibited increased recovery from ischemia compared with the control group, but the effect was greater in the GDNF‐hMSC group. Thus, these results suggest that intravenous administration of hMSCs transfected with the GDNF gene using a fiber‐mutant adenovirus vector may be useful in the cerebral ischemia and may represent a new strategy for the treatment of stroke. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cerebellar modulation of feeding‐related neurons in rat dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus
Authors: Zhu Jing‐Ning , Li Hong‐Zhao , Ding Yi , Wang Jian‐Jun 
Published: September 2006

AbstractCerebellum has newly been implicated in many more nonsomatic functions other than motor control. Previous studies indicate that the cerebellum is involved in feeding regulation and that the gastric vagal nerves transmit short‐term meal‐related visceral signals, including cholecystokinin (CCK), into the hypothalamus. Recently, the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMN) has been thought to play an important role in feeding control. Here we investigate whether the inputs from cerebellar interpositus nucleus (IN) can reach and converge onto single DMN neurons with some feeding‐related visceral signals, including gastric vagal inputs, CCK, and blood glucose, whose concentration is closely linked to food intake. Among the 259 DMN neurons recorded, 120 (46.3%) and 169 (65.3%) responded to the cerebellar IN and gastric vagal stimulations, respectively. Within the 120 DMN neurons responsive to the cerebellar IN stimulation, 98 (81.7%) also responded to the gastric vagal stimulus, and a summation of the responses was observed further (n = 20), suggesting a convergence and interaction of cerebellar and gastric vagal inputs on the cells. Moreover, among the 98 cells receiving convergent inputs from cerebellar IN and gastric vagal nerves, 69 (70.4%) were identified to be glycemia sensitive, and 22 (68.8%) of the 32 tested neurons were also sensitive to systemic CCK. These results demonstrate that the DMN integrates somatic information forwarded by the cerebellar IN and visceral signals related to food intake, including gastric vagal, CCK and glycemia, and electrophysiologically reveal a novel cerebellohypothalamic IN‐DMN pathway through which the cerebellum may actively participate in short‐term feeding regulation. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ectopic expression of phospho‐Smad2 in Alzheimer's disease: Uncoupling of the transforming growth factor‐β pathway?
Authors: Lee Hyoung‐gon , Ueda Masumi , Zhu Xiongwei , Perry George , Smith Mark A. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractTransforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β), a multifunctional cytokine, has been widely suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Supporting this, levels of TGF‐β are elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid, sera, and brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Since TGF‐β is neuroprotective, whereas Alzheimer's disease is typified by neurodegeneration, we speculated that defects in TGF‐β signaling might abrogate its neuroprotective properties. Consistently with an increase in TGF‐β in Alzheimer's disease, we found significant increases in phospho‐Smad2, a major downstream signaling molecule of TGF‐β, in hippocampal neurons of Alzheimer's disease compared with age‐matched control patients. However, in contrast to an expected nuclear localization, phosphorylated Smad2 in Alzheimer's disease was predominantly, and ectopically, found in the neuronal cytoplasm, specifically colocalized with neurofibrillary tangles and granulovacuolar degeneration. Given that a nuclear localization is required to regulate the transcription of TGF‐β target genes to afford neuroprotection, the ectopic localization of phosphorylated Smad2 suggests a defect in the Smad‐mediated signaling pathway of TGF‐β in Alzheimer's disease and consequent loss of neuroprotective function. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A high‐resolution multi‐proxy stalagmite record from Mechara, Southeastern Ethiopia: palaeohydrological implications for speleothem palaeoclimate reconstruction
Authors: Asrat Asfawossen , Baker Andy , Mohammed Mohammed Umer , Leng Melanie J. , Calsteren Peter Van , Smith Claire 
Published: September 2006

AbstractAn annually laminated stalagmite from Southeastern Ethiopia grew for 443±8 yr starting at 5023 yr BP (±160 yr) as determined by lamina‐tuned U‐Th dating. The speleothem shows three growth phases: (1) an initial phase where the stalagmite has a candlestick shape, deposited by relatively slow rate drip water; (2) a middle growth phase where laminae grow on the flanks, suggesting faster drip rates; and (3) a final growth phase where the speleothem becomes narrower owing to a decrease in drip water supply towards the end of deposition. Morphometry, annual growth rate, fluorescence index, and 234U/238U isotope ratio show marked differences between the growth phases, while δ13C and δ18O do not show significant variation, except within the third phase towards the top of the stalagmite, where they have higher values. The study indicates that the multiproxy approach is crucial as the different proxies respond to single climate forcing in different manners. Our results can be widely applied to speleothem studies distinguishing the relative importance of the various proxies in recording cave ‘external’ (climate, hydrology) and cave ‘internal’ (e.g. evaporation) processes. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Concentrated Fe(III)–nitrilotriacetate solutions: study by Raman spectroscopy and ab initio calculations
Authors: Loridant Stéphane , Digne Mathieu , Daniel Marlène , Huard Thierry 
Published: September 2006

AbstractFe(III)–nitrilotriacetate(NTA) aqueous solutions are used in various redox desulfurization processes. The nature of stable Fe–NTA complexes depends highly on parameters such as [Fe(III)] concentration, NTA/Fe ratio and pH value. These complexes can be characterized by potentiometric measurements or UV‐vis spectroscopy, but only at rather low concentrations. Using synthesis of solids, Raman spectra of these solids and ab initio calculations, a rational determination of the nature of complexes stable in water at high iron concentrations was proposed from the position sensitivity of the main low wavenumber band to the coordination sphere of iron cations. This band was assigned to ν(FeN) stretching vibrations from ab initio calculations. Depending on the pH and NTA/Fe ratio of the prepared solutions, different species were identified from the Raman spectra. The present methodology can be extended to other metal–ligand systems to elucidate the nature of stable complexes in aqueous solution. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phase transition and stability of thiourea:diethyloxalate (2:1) complex
Authors: Sakuntala T. , Chitra R. , Rao Rekha , Thomas S. , Venkateswaran Sugandhi , Choudhury R. R. , Tyagi A. K. , Deb S. K. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractThe Raman spectrum of the crystalline complex thiourea:diethyloxalate (2:1) is reported. The Raman wavenumbers in the complex are compared with those of crystalline thiourea (TU) and diethyloxalate (DEO), and the observed differences are understood from the point of view of the hydrogen bonding in the system. From the wavenumbers of the NH stretching vibrations, it is inferred that the strengths of hydrogen bonds in the complex are smaller compared to those in TU. The evolution of the Raman spectrum at high temperature reveals that the NH··· O hydrogen bonds, which are a key to the formation of the complex, are broken above 397 K. The spectrum corresponding to the crystalline complex reappears below 375 K when cooled from temperatures below melting. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simulation of Rayleigh waves in cracked plates
Authors: Cao M. T. , Moreno C. , Quintela P. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to develop new numerical procedures to detect micro cracks, or superficial imperfections, in thin plates using excitation by Rayleigh waves. We shall consider a unilateral contact problem between the two sides of the crack in an elastic plate subjected to suitable boundary conditions in order to reproduce a single Rayleigh wave cycle.An approximate solution of this problem will be calculated by using one of the Newmark methods for time discretization and a finite element method for space discretization. To deal with the nonlinearity due to the contact condition, an iterative algorithm involving one multiplier will be used; this multiplier will be approximated by using Newton's techniques.Finally, we will show numerical simulations for both cracked and non‐cracked plates. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transferrin overexpression alters testicular function in aged mice
Authors: Lécureuil C. , Staub C. , Fouchécourt S. , Maurel M.C. , Fontaine I. , Martinat N. , Gauthier C. , Daudignon A. , Delaleu B. , Sow A. , Jégou B. , Guillou F. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractMany studies have shown a correlation between transferrin (Tf) concentration and sperm yield in several mammalian species. We have used transgenic mice expressing human Tf (hTf) to investigate if overexpression of Tf increases the efficiency of mouse spermatogenesis. We demonstrated that a 36% increase of Tf does not ameliorate the efficiency of mouse spermatogenesis but on the contrary resulted in a 36% decrease of testis sperm reserves. Tf overexpression had no effect on testicular determination and development, however testicular function of these transgenic mice was affected in an age‐dependent manner. At 16 months of age, testicular and epididymal weights were significantly reduced. While spermatogenesis was qualitatively normal, testicular functions were perturbed. In fact, testosterone rate after human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) stimulation was lower in Tf overexpressing mice. Intratesticular concentration of estradiol‐17β was increased and fluid accumulation after ligation of rete testis was more abundant in these transgenic mice. Surprisingly, we found that endogenous Tf levels were also increased in Tf overexpressing mice and we demonstrated for the first time that Tf may serve to upregulate its own expression in testis. Collectively, our data show that Tf overexpression has negative effects on testicular function and that Tf levels require strict regulation in the testis. Mol. Reprod. Dev. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Computer‐aided meiotic maturation assay (CAMMA) of zebrafish (danio rerio) oocytes in vitro
Authors: Lessman Charles A. , Nathani Ravikanth , Uddin Rafique , Walker Jamie , Liu Jianxiong 
Published: September 2006

AbstractWe have developed a new technique called Computer‐Aided Meiotic Maturation Assay (CAMMA) for imaging large arrays of zebrafish oocytes and automatically collecting image files at regular intervals during meiotic maturation. This novel method uses a transparency scanner interfaced to a computer with macro programming that automatically scans and archives the image files. Images are stacked and analyzed with ImageJ to quantify changes in optical density characteristic of zebrafish oocyte maturation. Major advantages of CAMMA include (1) ability to image very large arrays of oocytes and follow individual cells over time, (2) simultaneously image many treatment groups, (3) digitized images may be stacked, animated, and analyzed in programs such as ImageJ, NIH‐Image, or ScionImage, and (4) CAMMA system is inexpensive, costing less than most microscopes used in traditional assays. We have used CAMMA to determine the dose response and time course of oocyte maturation induced by 17α‐hydroxyprogesterone (HP). Maximal decrease in optical density occurs around 5 hr after 0.1 ug/ml HP (28.5°C), approximately 3 hr after germinal vesicle migration (GVM) and dissolution (GVD). In addition to changes in optical density, GVD is accompanied by streaming of ooplasm to the animal pole to form a blastodisc. These dynamic changes are readily visualized by animating image stacks from CAMMA; thus, CAMMA provides a valuable source of time‐lapse movies for those studying zebrafish oocyte maturation. The oocyte clearing documented by CAMMA is correlated to changes in size distribution of major yolk proteins upon SDS–PAGE, and, this in turn, is related to increased cyclin B1 protein. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 74: 97–107, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Embryo quality and production efficiency of porcine parthenotes is improved by phytohemagglutinin
Authors: Gupta Mukesh Kumar , Uhm Sang Jun , Han Dong Wook , Lee Hoon Taek 
Published: September 2006

AbstractIn vitro production of porcine embryos has become routine in most laboratories but the yield and quality of the resultant blastocysts remain suboptimal. Phytohemagglutinin (PHA) is an N‐acetylgalactosamine/galactose sugar‐specific lectin with a wide variety of biological activities including mitogenesis, mediation of cell recognition, and agglutination of cells. This study was therefore, designed to investigate the effect of PHA on the preimplantation embryo development and quality of in vitro produced porcine parthenotes. Parthenogenetic presumptive diploid zygotes were produced in vitro by electrical activation and cultured in the absence or presence of PHA at different concentrations (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 µg/ml). There were no significant differences in the cleavage rate of porcine parthenotes in control and treatment groups at all tested concentrations of PHA (P < 0.05). However, supplementation of PHA at the concentration of 15 µg/ml significantly improved the blastocyst rate (68.9 ± 1.5% vs. 43.1 ± 4.1%), hatching rate (25.8 ± 3.1% vs. 8.9 ± 2.0%), and total nuclei number (95.5 ± 9.3 vs. 63.4 ± 4.3) when compared to control group (P > 0.05). TUNEL labeling revealed that blastocysts in PHA group were less predisposed to biochemical apoptosis than in control group while total apoptosis and nuclear fragmentation remained unaltered. Real‐time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) analysis further revealed that PHA decreased the expression ratio of BAX/BCL‐XL and enhanced the relative abundance of IGF2 transcripts. Therefore, our study suggests that PHA improves the blastocyst yield and quality by enhancing blastocyst expansion, hatching, and total cell number and decreasing the apoptosis by positively modulating the expression of embryo survival related genes. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 74: 435–444, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Changes of maternal transcripts in oocytes from persistent follicles in cattle
Authors: Lingenfelter Brandon M. , Dailey Robert A. , Inskeep E. Keith , Vernon Michael W. , Poole Daniel H. , Rhinehart Justin D. , Yao Jianbo 
Published: September 2006

AbstractA high incidence of early embryonic loss is associated with prolonged dominance of follicles. The objective of the present experiment was to determine if persistence of a follicle resulted in alterations in mRNA expression of important genes in the oocyte. Cows were assigned to four groups: growing follicles on day 6 (G0h) or day 8 (G48h) and persistent follicles on day 13 (P0h) or day 15 (P48h) of the estrous cycle (estrus = day 0). All cows were super‐stimulated on day 1–4. Cows in G48h, P0h, and P48h groups received 25 mg prostaglandin (PG) F2α on day 6. Cows in P0h and P48h groups received progesterone from CIDR‐B devices on day 5 through 13. Ovaries of cows in G0h, G48h, P0h, and P48h groups were removed on day 6, 8, 13, and 15, respectively. Oocytes were aspirated immediately after colpotomy and denuded of cumulus cells. Quantitative real‐time PCR was used to measure the mRNA abundances of 10 selected genes important for early embryogenesis in oocytes obtained from growing and persistent follicles. Relative abundances of MSY2, PARN, and YY1 mRNA (P < 0.05) were significantly lower in oocytes from persistent than from growing follicles. Oocytes from persistent follicles, however, had greater abundances of PAP and eIF‐4E transcripts (P < 0.05). The data indicate that persistence of a follicle leads to altered abundances of mRNA for genes important for regulation of transcription and protein translation in the oocyte, which could compromise development of early embryos in cows that ovulate a persistent follicle. Mol. Reprod. Dev. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.