gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Pattern of gastric emptying in the pig: Relation to feeding (1990)

The aims of the present study were to compare the gastric emptying of dry matter (DM) and liquids during the feeding period with that following meal consumption, to clarify the relationship between feeding and gastric emptying, and to investigate how gastric emptying changes in growing animals. The studies were performed in pigs fitted with a gastric cannula and fed on a normal finely ground solid diet mixed with water containing CrEDTA as liquid marker. Gastric emptying was measured using a gastric evacuation technique. It was observed that between 0.75 and 6 h after feeding the total amounts emptied increased, but the proportion of the meal emptied fell, with increase in meal size; emptying of both DM and liquids with large and small meals followed an exponential pattern. In contrast, while the animals were feeding, there was linear and rapid emptying of both DM and liquids following a very short (approximately 2 min) lag phase before emptying began. The rate of emptying increased linearly with body-weight (by 0.055 g DM/min and by 0.24 ml/min per kg body-weight over the range 58-200 kg) such that the emptying of digestible energy per kg metabolic body-weight (W0.75) was roughly maintained (between 2.9 and 3.2 kJ/min per kg W0.75). This suggests that the rate of emptying may be linked in some way with the metabolic requirements of the body. The biphasic pattern of gastric emptying observed is probably the intrinsic pattern of emptying of a meal which does not require breakdown of particles before emptying can occur.
The presentation of class I and class II epitopes of listeriolysin O is regulated by intracellular localization and by intercellular spread of Listeria monocytogenes (1996)

The hemolysin, listeriolysin 0 (LLO), produced by Listeria monocytogenes is both a virulence factor and an immunodominant Ag. In this study, we investigated how the lytic activity of LLO effects the context of presentation of two known LLO epitopes by either class I or class II MHC molecules. T cell hybridomas were used to monitor each peptide/MHC ligand. APCs infected with strains of Listeria expressing hemolytic LLO strongly presented the class I MHC epitope; however, this ligand was not well presented by cells infected with nonhemolytic Listeria. In contrast, there was almost no presentation of the class II-binding LLO epitope in cells infected with fully hemolytic Listeria. Only hemolysin-deficient Listeria were presented by class II MHC. Listeria expressing wild-type LLO but deficient in other virulence factors showed a presentation pattern equivalent to that of hemolytic Listeria. To address further the divergence of presentation, we used an intercellular spread assay to detect Ag presentation by cells neighboring the primarily infected one. We found that hemolytic Listeria were presented by both class I and II MHC on cells adjacent to the initially infected one(s). Finally, our kinetic analysis of presentation revealed that the class II ligand is presented over 4 h before the class I ligand. We have demonstrated that LLO's lytic activity potentiates presentation of listerial Ags by class I MHC and inhibits presentation via class II MHC. LLO-mediated intracellular localization (cytoplasmic vs endosomal) of bacteria corresponds to the operative presentation pathway.
Reduced Shedding of Surface Mesothelin Improves Efficacy of Mesothelin-Targeting Recombinant Immunotoxins (2016)

Mesothelin (MSLN) is a differentiation antigen that is highly expressed in many epithelial cancers. MSLN is an important therapeutic target due to its high expression in cancers and limited expression in normal human tissues. Although it has been assumed that shed antigen is a barrier to immunotoxin action, a modeling study predicted that shed MSLN may enhance the action of MSLN-targeting recombinant immunotoxins such as SS1P and similar therapeutics by facilitating their redistribution within tumors. We aimed to determine whether shed MSLN enhances or reduces the antitumor effect of MSLN-targeting immunotoxins SS1P and RG7787. We engineered a cell line, A431/G9 (TACE mutant) that expresses a mutant form of MSLN in which the TNF-converting enzyme protease site is replaced with GGGS. We compared the response of the TACE-mutant cells with immunotoxins SS1P and RG7787 with that of the parental A431/H9 cell line. We show that TACE-mutant cells shed 80% less MSLN than A431/H9 cells, that TACE-mutant cells show a 2- to 3-fold increase in MSLN-targeted immunotoxin uptake, and that they are about 5-fold more sensitive to SS1P killing in cell culture. Tumors with reduced shedding respond significantly better to treatment with SS1P and RG7787. Our data show that MSLN shedding is an impediment to the antitumor activity of SS1P and RG7787. Approaches that decrease MSLN shedding could enhance the efficacy of immunotoxins and immunoconjugates targeting MSLN-expressing tumors. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(7); 1648-55. ©2016 AACR.
Efficient production of chimeric Human papillomavirus 16 L1 protein bearing the M2e influenza epitope in Nicotiana benthamiana plants (2011)

In this study, we report for the first time the transient expression and the self-assembly of a chimeric HPV-16 L1 bearing the M2e influenza epitope in plants, representing also the first record of a successful expression of chimeric HPV-16 L1 carrying an epitope of a heterologous virus in plants. This study further confirms the usefulness of human papillomavirus particles as carriers of exogenous epitopes and their potential relevance for the production in plants of monovalent or multivalent vaccines.
Superior In vivo Transduction of Human Hepatocytes Using Engineered AAV3 Capsid (2016)

Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors are currently being tested in multiple clinical trials for liver-directed gene transfer to treat the bleeding disorders hemophilia A and B and metabolic disorders. The optimal viral capsid for transduction of human hepatocytes has been under active investigation, but results across various models are inconsistent. We tested in vivo transduction in "humanized" mice. Methods to quantitate percent AAV transduced human and murine hepatocytes in chimeric livers were optimized using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy with image analysis. Distinct transduction efficiencies were noted following peripheral vein administration of a self-complementary vector expressing a gfp reporter gene. An engineered AAV3 capsid with two amino acid changes, S663V+T492V (AAV3-ST), showed best efficiency for human hepatocytes (~3-times, ~8-times, and ~80-times higher than for AAV9, AAV8, and AAV5, respectively). AAV5, 8, and 9 were more efficient in transducing murine than human hepatocytes. AAV8 yielded the highest transduction rate of murine hepatocytes, which was 19-times higher than that for human hepatocytes. In summary, our data show substantial differences among AAV serotypes in transduction of human and mouse hepatocytes, are the first to report on AAV5 in humanized mice, and support the use of AAV3-based vectors for human liver gene transfer.
Interphase cytogenetics of prostatic tumor progression: specific chromosomal abnormalities are involved in metastasis to the bone. (1997)

Only limited data are available on chromosomes specifically involved in the multistep tumorigenesis of prostate cancer. To investigate the cytogenetic status at different stages of prostatic tumor development, we have applied interphase in situ hybridization (ISH) with a set of (peri) centromeric DNA probes--specific for chromosomes 1, 7, 8, and Y--to routinely processed tissue sections of prostatic specimens from 75 different individuals. Our panel consisted of: 16 normal/benign prostatic hyperplasia specimens; 23 primary, localized, prostatic tumors (N0M0 stage); 20 regional lymph node metastases (M0 stage); and 16 distant metastases. Numerical aberrations of at least one chromosome were not observed in normal/benign prostatic hyperplasia cases, but were present in localized tumors (39%), regional lymph node metastases (40%), and distant metastases (69%). Within the different pTNM groups, we observed the following aberrations (listed, within each series, in decreasing order of frequency): -Y, +8, -8, +7 in primary tumors; +8, +7, -Y, +Y, -8 in regional lymph node metastases; and +8, +7, +1, -Y, -8 in distant metastases. In primary tumors, the number of aberrant cases increased significantly with local tumor stage (p < 0.05). A significant increase in gain of chromosome 8 was also observed (p < 0.02). Gain of chromosome 7 and/or 8 showed a significant increase with progression of local tumor stage (p < 0.02). Specific involvement of chromosome 8 was seen in bone metastases, but not in hematogenous metastases to other sites (p = 0.02). Comparative genomic hybridization analysis of these bone metastases disclosed centromere 8 gains as amplifications of the (whole) 8q arm, whereas centromeric loss appeared to be due to loss of 8p sequences. With progression toward metastatic disease, an accumulation of genetic changes was seen as exemplified by gain of chromosome 1, which was solely observed in distant metastases. With tumor progression, gain of chromosomes 7 and/or 8 significantly increased (p = 0.03), whereas the number of cases with aberrations of the Y chromosome did not change. Furthermore, ploidy status determined by ISH revealed a significant increase in the number of aneuploid cases along with advancement of pTNM stage (p = 0.04). Collectively, the data strongly suggest that: (a) gain of chromosome 7 and/or 8 sequences is implicated in prostatic tumor progression; (b) gain of chromosome 8 sequences is related to local tumor growth; (c) overrepresentation of 8q sequences, most likely by isochromosome 8q formation, is involved in metastatic spread to the bone; and (d) changes in the centromeric copy number, as detected by interphase ISH, might in some cases represent structural alterations, such as an isochromosome.
Zika Virus in Semen: What We Know and What We Need to Know (2016)

The emergence of the Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic in South and Central America has ascended to the forefront of international attention. While research regarding the effects and details surrounding ZIKV in pregnancy is well underway, especially related to blood-borne transmission, less attention has been devoted to ZIKV infection in semen and questions concerning implications of ZIKV infection in men. In this review, we present what is known and unknown, and the implications for localization of ZIKV to the male urogenital system. We examine the duration and viral load of ZIKV in semen, male and female transmission of ZIKV, the asymptomatic male carrier, and the consequences for assisted reproductive technology and sperm banking facilities. Furthermore, we discuss the potential for active ZIKV transmission in the United States as world travel continues to rise and the evolution and case history of ZIKV sexual transmission. We also review the current government-sponsored and reproductive society recommendations for managing sexual transmission of ZIKV and elucidate future research needs.
Synergistic interactions between airway afferent nerve subtypes regulating the cough reflex in guinea‐pigs (2005)

Cough initiated from the trachea and larynx in anaesthetized guinea-pigs is mediated by capsaicin-insensitive, mechanically sensitive vagal afferent neurones. Tachykinin-containing, capsaicin-sensitive C-fibres also innervate the airways and have been implicated in the cough reflex. Capsaicin-sensitive nerves act centrally and synergistically to modify reflex bronchospasm initiated by airway mechanoreceptor stimulation. The hypothesis that polymodal mechanoreceptors and capsaicin-sensitive afferent nerves similarly interact centrally to regulate coughing was addressed in this study. Cough was evoked from the tracheal mucosa either electrically (16 Hz, 10 s trains, 1-10 V) or by citric acid (0.001-2 m). Neither capsaicin nor bradykinin evoked a cough when applied to the trachea of anaesthetized guinea-pigs, but they substantially reduced the electrical threshold for initiating the cough reflex. The TRPV1 receptor antagonist capsazepine prevented the increased cough sensitivity induced by capsaicin. These effects of topically applied capsaicin and bradykinin were not due to interactions between afferent nerve subtypes within the tracheal wall or a direct effect on the cough receptors, as they were mimicked by nebulizing 1 mg ml(-1) bradykinin into the lower airways and by microinjecting 0.5 nmol capsaicin into nucleus of the solitary tract (nTS). Citric acid-induced coughing was also potentiated by inhalation of bradykinin. The effects of tracheal capsaicin challenge on cough were mimicked by microinjecting substance P (0.5-5 nmol) into the nTS and prevented by intracerebroventricular administration (20 nmol h(-1)) of the neurokinin receptor antagonists CP99994 or SB223412. Tracheal application of these antagonists was without effect. C-fibre activation may thus sensitize the cough reflex via central mechanisms.
5-lipoxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein are localized in the nuclear envelope of activated human leukocytes. (1993)

The intracellular distribution of the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) and 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP) in resting and ionophore-activated human leukocytes has been determined using immuno-electronmicroscopic labeling of ultrathin frozen sections and subcellular fractionation techniques. 5-LO is a 78-kD protein that catalyzes the conversion of arachidonic acid to leukotrienes. FLAP is an 18-kD membrane bound protein that is essential for leukotriene synthesis in cells. In response to ionophore stimulation, 5-LO translocates from a soluble to a sedimentable fraction of cell homogenates. In activated leukocytes, both FLAP and 5-LO were localized in the lumen of the nuclear envelope. Neither protein could be detected in any other cell compartment or along the plasma membrane. In resting cells, the FLAP distribution was identical to that observed in activated cells. In addition, subcellular fractionation techniques showed > 83% of immunoblot-detectable FLAP protein and approximately 64% of the FLAP ligand binding activity was found in the nuclear membrane fraction. A fractionation control demonstrated that a plasma membrane marker, detected by a monoclonal antibody PMN13F6, was not detectable in the nuclear membrane fraction. In contrast to FLAP, 5-LO in resting cells could not be visualized along the nuclear envelope. Except for weak labeling of the euchromatin region of the nucleus, 5-LO could not be readily detected in any other cellular compartment. These results demonstrate that the nuclear envelope is the intracellular site at which 5-LO and FLAP act to metabolize arachidonic acid, and that ionophore activation of neutrophils and monocytes results in the translocation of 5-LO from a nonsedimentable location to the nuclear envelope.
Activities of citrate synthase, NAD+-linked and NADP+-linked isocitrate dehydrogenases, glutamate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase in nervous tissues from vertebrates and invertebrates (1975)

1. The activities of citrate synthase and NAD+-linked and NADP+-linked isocitrate dehydrogenases were measured in nervous tissue from different animals in an attempt to provide more information about the citric acid cycle in this tissue. In higher animals the activities of citrate synthase are greater than the sum of activities of the isocitrate dehydrogenases, whereas they are similar in nervous tissues from the lower animals. This suggests that in higher animals the isocitrate dehydrogenase reaction is far-removed from equilibrium. If it is assumed that isocitrate dehydrogenase activities provide an indication of the maximum flux through the citric acid cycle, the maximum glycolytic capacity in nervous tissue is considerably greater than that of the cycle. This suggest that glycolysis can provide energy in excess of the aerobic capacity of the tissue. 2. The activities of glutamate dehydrogenase are high in most nervous tissues and the activities of aspartate aminotransferase are high in all nervous tissue investigated. However, the activities of alanine aminotransferase are low in all tissues except the ganglia of the waterbug and cockroach. In these insect tissues, anaerobic glycolysis may result in the formation of alanine rather than lactate.
Design and Fabrication of Elastic Interconnections for Stretchable Electronic Circuits (2007)

For biomedical and textile applications, the comfort of the user will be enhanced if the electronic circuits are not only flexible but also elastic. This letter reveals a simple moulded-interconnect-device technology for the construction of elastic point-to-point interconnections, based on 2-D spring-shaped metallic tracks, which are embedded in a highly elastic silicone film. Metal interconnections of 3-cm long were constructed with an initial resistance of about 3Omega , which did not significantly increase (<5%) when stretched. A stretchability above 100% in one direction has been demonstrated.
Titania and Silica Materials Derived from Chemically Dehydrated Porous Botanical Templates (2012)

This study describes the development of a mild room-temperature chemical dehydration method that effectively removes water from fragile living botanical leaf species without collapsing or physically degrading their macrostructure. The dehydrated plant materials retain an extensive vascular and cellular structure that was subsequently used as templating surfaces for metal oxide growth. The facile room-temperature chemical dehydration process used 2,2-dimethoxypropane (DMP) in acid-catalyzed reactions with water to yield methanol and acetone. The resulting chemically dehydrated botanical materials are relatively robust and retain their intricate internal cellular and vascular structures with little reduction in physical size despite the removal of over 70% of their original mass. Dehydrated botanical templates from several different leaf species were used to produce titania and silica structures. Water reactive titanium and silicon alkoxide precursors were incorporated into the DMP dried templates through a simple benchtop liquid absorption method. Subsequent hydrolysis, pyrolysis, and calcination in air removed the template’s cellulose framework and yielded crystalline anatase TiO2 at 475 °C or crystobalite SiO2 at 1000 °C. The oxide monoliths retain large portions of the original plant’s macroscopic and microscopic cellular structure. Challenges related to using botanical materials as inorganic structure templates are highlighted. DMP dehydration methods provide access to a potentially very diverse set of living botanical species as templates to inorganic materials with nature-inspired structures.
Presenilin 1 Negatively Regulates β-Catenin/T Cell Factor/Lymphoid Enhancer Factor-1 Signaling Independently of β-Amyloid Precursor Protein and Notch Processing (2001)

In addition to its documented role in the proteolytic processing of Notch-1 and the beta-amyloid precursor protein, presenilin 1 (PS1) associates with beta-catenin. In this study, we show that this interaction plays a critical role in regulating beta-catenin/T Cell Factor/Lymphoid Enhancer Factor-1 (LEF) signaling. PS1 deficiency results in accumulation of cytosolic beta-catenin, leading to a beta-catenin/LEF-dependent increase in cyclin D1 transcription and accelerated entry into the S phase of the cell cycle. Conversely, PS1 specifically represses LEF-dependent transcription in a dose-dependent manner. The hyperproliferative response can be reversed by reintroducing PS1 expression or overexpressing axin, but not a PS1 mutant that does not bind beta-catenin (PS1Deltacat) or by two different familial Alzheimer's disease mutants. In contrast, PS1Deltacat restores Notch-1 proteolytic cleavage and Abeta generation in PS1-deficient cells, indicating that PS1 function in modulating beta-catenin levels can be separated from its roles in facilitating gamma-secretase cleavage of beta-amyloid precursor protein and in Notch-1 signaling. Finally, we show an altered response to Wnt signaling and impaired ubiquitination of beta-catenin in the absence of PS1, a phenotype that may account for the increased stability in PS1-deficient cells. Thus, PS1 adds to the molecules that are known to regulate the rapid turnover of beta-catenin.
Trogocytosis of multiple B-cell surface markers by CD22 targeting with epratuzumab (2013)

Epratuzumab, a humanized anti-CD22 antibody, is currently in clinical trials of B-cell lymphomas and autoimmune diseases, demonstrating therapeutic activity in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Thus, epratuzumab offers a promising option for CD22-targeted immunotherapy, yet its mechanism of action remains poorly understood. Here we report for the first time that epratuzumab promptly induces a marked decrease of CD22 (>80%), CD19 (>50%), CD21 (>50%), and CD79b (>30%) on the surface of B cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from normal donors or SLE patients, and of NHL cells (Daudi and Raji) spiked into normal PBMCs. Although some Fc-independent loss of CD22 is expected from internalization by epratuzumab, the concurrent and prominent reduction of CD19, CD21, and CD79b is Fc dependent and results from their transfer from epratuzumab-opsonized B cells to FcγR-expressing monocytes, natural killer cells, and granulocytes via trogocytosis. The findings of reduced levels of CD19 are implicative for the efficacy of epratuzumab in autoimmune diseases because elevated CD19 has been correlated with susceptibility to SLE in animal models as well as in patients. This was confirmed herein by the finding that SLE patients receiving epratuzumab immunotherapy had significantly reduced CD19 compared with treatment-naïve patients.
Lactate Acquisition Promotes Successful Colonization of the Murine Genital Tract byNeisseria gonorrhoeae (2006)

Previous studies on Neisseria gonorrhoeae have demonstrated that metabolism of lactate in the presence of glucose increases the growth rate of the bacterium and enhances its resistance to complement-mediated killing. Although these findings in vitro suggest that the acquisition of lactate promotes gonococcal colonization, the significance of this carbon source to the survival of the gonococcus in vivo remains unknown. To investigate the importance of lactate utilization during Neisseria gonorrhoeae genital tract infection, we identified the gene lctP, which encodes the gonococcal lactate permease. A mutant that lacks a functional copy of lctP was unable to take up exogenous lactate and did not grow in defined medium with lactate as the sole carbon source, in contrast to the wild-type and complemented strains; the mutant strain exhibited no growth defect in defined medium containing glucose. In defined medium containing physiological concentrations of lactate and glucose, the lctP mutant demonstrated reduced early growth and increased sensitivity to complement-mediated killing compared with the wild-type strain; the enhanced susceptibility to complement was associated with a reduction in lipopolysaccharide sialylation of the lctP mutant. The importance of lactate utilization during colonization was evaluated in the murine model of lower genital tract infection. The lctP mutant was significantly attenuated in its ability to colonize and survive in the genital tract, while the complemented mutant exhibited no defect for colonization. Lactate is a micronutrient in the genital tract that contributes to the survival of the gonococcus.