tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Sarcomere length-tension relations in living rat papillary muscle.
Authors: F J Julian, M R Sollins
Journal: Circulation Research (1975)

Small papillary muscles about 2 mm long and 0.2 mm thick were dissected from the right ventricles of 16-19 day-old rats. Resting (between twitches) and active (at twitch peaks) striation patterns were photographed in living muscles using a light microscope. External muscle length was varied from Lmax, the length at which peak twitch tension was maximum, to 0.75Lmax, the length at which peak twitch tension was about 10% of maximum. Resting and active tension versus muscle length curves were similar to those obtained from other papillary muscle preparations. Resting average sarcomere length at Lmax was about 2.23 mu; it decreased with decreasing muscle length in the range between Lmax and 0.75Lmax. Near 0.75Lmax, resting average sarcomere length was about 1.5-1.6mu. Considerable internal shortening occurred during contractions, and the active average sarcomere lengths measured at the twitch peaks were less than the resting values. At Lmax, the active average sarcomere length was 1.98mu. At 0.75Lmax, there was only about a 3-6% decrease in average sarcomere length at the twitch peaks. However, at external muscle lengths between Lmax and 0.75Lmax more internal shortening was present than there was at Lmax, since average sarcomere length decreases of about 15% were observed. The finding that peak active tension decreases as sarcomere length decreases below about 2.0mu suggests that some of the factors limiting force generation at short lengths in skeletal muscle may also limit it in mammalian cardiac muscle.
Mechanisms of Cellular Invasiveness: A Comparison of Amnion Invasion In Vitro and Metastatic Behavior In Vivo
Authors: S. Yagel, R. Khokha, D. T. Denhardt, R. S. Kerbel, R. S. Parhar, P. K. Lala
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1989)

We employed a sensitive in vitro amnion invasion assay to examine the relationship of the invasive ability of numerous mouse and human tumor cell lines and their variants to their ability to spontaneously or artificially metastasize; we also studied possible enzymatic activities involved in the in vitro invasion process. In vitro invasive ability of tumor cells was strongly correlated with spontaneous metastatic ability from the subcutaneous site, regardless of the ability of tumor cells to form artificial metastases when introduced intravenously. However, normal nontumorigenic human trophoblast cells were also highly invasive. Various collagenase inhibitors totally abrogated amnion penetration by all invasive cells; various inhibitors of plasmin, plasminogen, and plasminogen activators prevented invasion in most, but not all, cases. Thus, amnion penetration provides a rigorous test for tumor cell invasiveness required for spontaneous metastasis in vivo, and invasiveness is strongly dependent on metalloproteinase activity, which usually follows plasmin activation.
The γ-glutamyl transpeptidase-to-platelet ratio as a predictor of liver fibrosis in patients co-infected with HBV and HIV
Authors: Anders Boyd, Julie Bottero, Karine Lacombe
Journal: Gut (2015)

<h3>Abstract</h3> Space travel and prolonged bed rest are examples of mechanical unloading that induce significant muscle and bone loss. To explore interactions between skeletal bone and muscle during reloading, we hypothesized that acute external mechanical loading of bone in combination with re-ambulation facilitates proportional recovery of bone and muscle lost during hind limb suspension (HLS) unloading. Adult male C57Bl/6J mice were assigned to a HLS or time-matched ground control (GC) group. After 2-weeks of HLS, separate groups of mice were studied at day 14 (no re-ambulation), day 28 (14 days re-ambulation) and day 56 (42 days re-ambulation); throughout the re-ambulation period, one limb received mechanical loading and the contralateral limb served as an internal control. HLS induced loss of trabecular bone volume (BV/TV; -51%±2%) and muscle weight (<i>-</i>15%±2%) compared to GC at day 14. At day 28, the left tibia (re-ambulation only) of HLS mice had recovered 20% of BV/TV lost during HLS, while the right tibia (re-ambulation and acute external mechanical loading) recovered to GC values of BV/TV (∼100% recovery). At day 56, the right tibia continued to recover bone for some outcomes (trabecular BV/TV, trabecular thickness), while the left limb did not. Cortical bone displayed a delayed response to HLS, with a 10% greater decrease in BV/TV at day 28 compared to day 14. In contrast to bone, acute external mechanical loading during the re-ambulation period did not significantly increase muscle mass or protein synthesis in the gastrocnemius, compared to re-ambulation alone.
Effects of Dalcetrapib in Patients with a Recent Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Gregory G. Schwartz, Anders G. Olsson, Markus Abt, Christie M. Ballantyne, Philip J. Barter, Jochen Brumm, Bernard R. Chaitman, Ingar M. Holme, David Kallend, Lawrence A. Leiter, Eran Leitersdorf, John J.V. McMurray, Hardi Mundl, Stephen J. Nicholls, Prediman K. Shah, Jean-Claude Tardif, R. Scott Wright
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (2012)

In observational analyses, higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol have been associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease events. However, whether raising HDL cholesterol levels therapeutically reduces cardiovascular risk remains uncertain. Inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) raises HDL cholesterol levels and might therefore improve cardiovascular outcomes.We randomly assigned 15,871 patients who had had a recent acute coronary syndrome to receive the CETP inhibitor dalcetrapib, at a dose of 600 mg daily, or placebo, in addition to the best available evidence-based care. The primary efficacy end point was a composite of death from coronary heart disease, nonfatal myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, unstable angina, or cardiac arrest with resuscitation.At the time of randomization, the mean HDL cholesterol level was 42 mg per deciliter (1.1 mmol per liter), and the mean low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level was 76 mg per deciliter (2.0 mmol per liter). Over the course of the trial, HDL cholesterol levels increased from baseline by 4 to 11% in the placebo group and by 31 to 40% in the dalcetrapib group. Dalcetrapib had a minimal effect on LDL cholesterol levels. Patients were followed for a median of 31 months. At a prespecified interim analysis that included 1135 primary end-point events (71% of the projected total number), the independent data and safety monitoring board recommended termination of the trial for futility. As compared with placebo, dalcetrapib did not alter the risk of the primary end point (cumulative event rate, 8.0% and 8.3%, respectively; hazard ratio with dalcetrapib, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 0.93 to 1.16; P=0.52) and did not have a significant effect on any component of the primary end point or total mortality. The median C-reactive protein level was 0.2 mg per liter higher and the mean systolic blood pressure was 0.6 mm Hg higher with dalcetrapib as compared with placebo (P<0.001 for both comparisons).In patients who had had a recent acute coronary syndrome, dalcetrapib increased HDL cholesterol levels but did not reduce the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events. (Funded by F. Hoffmann-La Roche; dal-OUTCOMES ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00658515.).
Association of Antigen-Specific T-cell Responses with Antigen Expression and Immunoparalysis in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Sabrina Fichtner, Dirk Hose, Melanie Engelhardt, Tobias Meißner, Brigitte Neuber, Fatime Krasniqi, Marc Raab, Stefan Schönland, Anthony D. Ho, Hartmut Goldschmidt, Michael Hundemer
Journal: Clinical Cancer Research (2015)

Cancer testis antigens (CTA) are immunotherapeutical targets aberrantly expressed on multiple myeloma cells, especially at later stages, when a concomitant immunoparesis hampers vaccination approaches.We assessed the expression of the multiple myeloma antigen HM1.24 (reported present in all malignant plasma cells) and the CTAs MAGE-A2/A3 and NY-ESO-1 (aberrantly expressed in a subset of patients with myeloma), in CD138-purified myeloma cells by qRT-PCR (n = 149). In a next step, we analyzed the antigen-specific T-cell responses against these antigens by IFNγ EliSpot assay (n = 145) and granzymeB ELISA (n = 62) in relation to stage (tumor load) and expression of the respective antigen.HM1.24 is expressed in all plasma-cell samples, whereas CTAs are significantly more frequent in later stages. HM1.24-specific T-cell responses, representing the immunologic status, significantly decreased from healthy donors to advanced disease. For the CTAs, the probability of T-cell responses increased in early and advanced stages compared with healthy donors, paralleling increased probability of expression. In advanced stages, T-cell responses decreased because of immunoparesis.In conclusion, specific T-cell responses in myeloma are triggered by antigen expression but suppressed by tumor load. Future CTA-based immunotherapeutical approaches might target early plasma-cell diseases to establish prophylactically a specific T-cell response against late-stage antigens in immunocompetent patients.
PDK1 decreases TACE-mediated α-secretase activity and promotes disease progression in prion and Alzheimer's diseases
Authors: Mathéa Pietri, Caroline Dakowski, Samia Hannaoui, Aurélie Alleaume-Butaux, Julia Hernandez-Rapp, Audrey Ragagnin, Sophie Mouillet-Richard, Stéphane Haik, Yannick Bailly, Jean-Michel Peyrin, Jean-Marie Launay, Odile Kellermann, Benoit Schneider
Journal: Nature Medicine (2013)
Methamphetamine-Induced Disruption of Frontostriatal Reward Learning Signals: Relation to Psychotic Symptoms
Authors: Javier Bernacer, Philip R. Corlett, Pranathi Ramachandra, Brady McFarlane, Danielle C. Turner, Luke Clark, Trevor W. Robbins, Paul C. Fletcher, Graham K. Murray
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (2013)

Frontostriatal circuitry is critical to learning processes, and its disruption may underlie maladaptive decision making and the generation of psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia. However, there is a paucity of evidence directly examining the role of modulatory neurotransmitters on frontostriatal function in humans. In order to probe the effects of modulation on frontostriatal circuitry during learning and to test whether disruptions in learning processes may be related to the pathogenesis of psychosis, the authors explored the brain representations of reward prediction error and incentive value, two key reinforcement learning parameters, before and after methamphetamine challenge.Healthy volunteers (N=18) underwent functional MRI (fMRI) scanning while performing a reward learning task on three occasions: after placebo, after methamphetamine infusion (0.3 mg/kg body weight), and after pretreatment with 400 mg of amisulpride and then methamphetamine infusion. Brain fMRI representations of learning signals, calculated using a reinforcement Q-learning algorithm, were compared across drug conditions.In the placebo condition, reward prediction error was coded in the ventral striatum bilaterally and incentive value in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex bilaterally. Reward prediction error and incentive value signals were disrupted by methamphetamine in the left nucleus accumbens and left ventromedial prefrontal cortex, respectively. Psychotic symptoms were significantly correlated with incentive value disruption in the ventromedial prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortex. Amisulpride pretreatment did not significantly alter methamphetamine-induced effects.The results demonstrate that methamphetamine impairs brain representations of computational parameters that underpin learning. They also demonstrate a significant link between psychosis and abnormal monoamine-regulated learning signals in the prefrontal and cingulate cortices.
Risk and Clinical Implications of Transformation of Follicular Lymphoma to Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Silvia Montoto, Andrew John Davies, Janet Matthews, Maria Calaminici, Andrew J. Norton, John Amess, Sarah Vinnicombe, Rachel Waters, Ama Z.S. Rohatiner, T. Andrew Lister
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2007)

To study the clinical significance of transformation to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in patients with follicular lymphoma (FL).From 1972 to 1999, 325 patients were diagnosed with FL at St Bartholomew's Hospital (London, United Kingdom). With a median follow-up of 15 years, progression occurred in 186 patients and biopsy-proven transformation in 88 of the 325. The overall repeat biopsy rate was 70%.The risk of histologic transformation (HT) by 10 years was 28%, HT not yet having been observed after 16.2 years. The risk was higher in patients with advanced stage (P = .02), high-risk Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI; P = .01), and International Prognostic Index (IPI; P = .04) scores at diagnosis. Expectant management (as opposed to treatment being initiated at diagnosis) also predicted for a higher risk of HT (P = .008). Older age (P = .005), low hemoglobin level (P = .03), high lactate dehydrogenase (P < .0001), and high-risk FLIPI (P = .01) or IPI (P = .003) score at the time of first recurrence were associated with the diagnosis of HT in a biopsy performed at that time. The median survival from transformation was 1.2 years. Patients with HT had a shorter overall survival (P < .0001) and a shorter survival from progression (P < .0001) than did those in whom it was not diagnosed.Advanced stage and high-risk FLIPI and IPI scores at diagnosis correlate with an increased risk of HT. This event strongly influences the outcome of patients with FL by shortening their survival. There may be a subgroup of patients in whom HT does not occur.
Evaluation of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy on Renin–Angiotensin System Activity in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: David D. M. Nicholl, Patrick J. Hanly, Marc J. Poulin, George B. Handley, Brenda R. Hemmelgarn, Darlene Y. Sola, Sofia B. Ahmed
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2014)

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been associated with kidney function loss, which may be related to changes in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS).We sought to determine the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) of patients with OSA on renal hemodynamics at baseline and in response to angiotensin II (AngII), which reflects RAS activity.Twenty normotensive, nondiabetic, newly diagnosed OSA subjects (15 men, 5 women, 50 ± 2 yr, respiratory disturbance index [RDI] > 15 h(-1)) with nocturnal hypoxemia (SaO2 < 90% for >12% of the night) were studied in high-salt balance pre- and post-CPAP therapy (>4 h CPAP use/night for 1 mo). Glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal plasma flow (RPF), and filtration fraction (FF) (a surrogate marker for intraglomerular pressure) were measured pre- and post-CPAP using inulin and para-aminohippurate clearance techniques at baseline and in response to graded AngII infusion (3 ng/kg/min × 30 min and 6 ng/kg/min × 30 min, respectively).CPAP corrected OSA and hypoxemia (RDI: 42 ± 4 vs. 4 ± 1 h(-1), P < 0.001; duration SaO2 < 90%: 36% ± 5% vs. 6 ± 2%, P < 0.001). CPAP reduced GFR (124 ± 8 ml/min vs. 110 ± 6 ml/min, P = 0.014), increased RPF (692 ± 36 ml/min vs. 749 ± 40 ml/min, P = 0.059), and reduced baseline FF (18.9 ± 1.6% vs. 15.3 ± 1.0%, P = 0.004). Post-CPAP demonstrated a blunted GFR response (-9 ± 3 ml/min vs. -2 ± 2 ml/min, P = 0.033) and augmented RPF response (-182 ± 22 ml/min vs. -219 ± 25 ml/min, P = 0.024) to AngII. FF response was maintained (P = 0.4). CPAP reduced baseline mean arterial pressure (94 ± 2 vs. 89 ± 2 mm Hg, P = 0.002), plasma aldosterone (149 ± 18 vs. 109 ± 10 pmol/L, P = 0.003), and urinary protein excretion (61 [39-341] mg/day vs. 56 [22-204] mg/d, P = 0.003).CPAP therapy was associated with improved renal hemodynamics and down-regulation of renal RAS activity, suggesting a potential therapeutic benefit for kidney function.
DNA copy number evolution in Drosophila cell lines
Authors: Hangnoh Lee, C Joel McManus, Dong-Yeon Cho, Matthew Eaton, Fioranna Renda, Maria Patrizia Somma, Lucy Cherbas, Gemma May, Sara Powell, Dayu Zhang, Lijun Zhan, Alissa Resch, Justen Andrews, Susan E Celniker, Peter Cherbas, Teresa M Przytycka, Maurizio Gatti, Brian Oliver, Brenton Graveley, David MacAlpine
Journal: Genome biology (2014)

Abstract Background Structural rearrangements of the genome resulting in genic imbalance due to copy number change are often deleterious at the organismal level, but are common in immortalized cell lines and tumors, where they may be an advantage to cells. In order to explore the biological consequences of copy number changes in the Drosophila genome, we resequenced the genomes of 19 tissue-culture cell lines and generated RNA-Seq profiles. Results Our work revealed dramatic duplications and deletions in all cell lines. We found three lines of evidence indicating that copy number changes were due to selection during tissue culture. First, we found that copy numbers correlated to maintain stoichiometric balance in protein complexes and biochemical pathways, consistent with the gene balance hypothesis. Second, while most copy number changes were cell line-specific, we identified some copy number changes shared by many of the independent cell lines. These included dramatic recurrence of increased copy number of the PDGF/VEGF receptor, which is also over-expressed in many cancer cells, and of bantam , an anti-apoptosis miRNA. Third, even when copy number changes seemed distinct between lines, there was strong evidence that they supported a common phenotypic outcome. For example, we found that proto-oncogenes were over-represented in one cell line ( S2-DRSC ), whereas tumor suppressor genes were under-represented in another ( Kc167 ). Conclusion Our study illustrates how genome structure changes may contribute to selection of cell lines in vitro . This has implications for other cell-level natural selection progressions, including tumorigenesis.
Proximal adenomas in hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer are prone to rapid malignant transformation
Authors: Fem Rijcken, Harmen Hollema, Jan Kleibeuker
Journal: Gut (2002)

Background: Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is thought to arise from adenomas. HNPCC mostly occurs in the proximal colon. We investigated whether this proximal preponderance is due to a proximal preponderance of adenomas or (also) differences in transformation rates from adenomas to cancer between the distal and proximal colon. Methods: A total of 100 HNPCC adenomas were evaluated and compared with 152 sporadic adenomas for location, size, and dysplasia. Twenty five adenomas from patients with a known mismatch repair (MMR) gene mutation were stained for expression of MLH1 and MSH2. Results: HNPCC adenomas were more often located proximally (50% <i>v</i> 26%; p=0.018) and were smaller in comparison with sporadic adenomas. They were similarly dysplastic. However, all proximal HNPCC adenomas ≥5 mm were highly dysplastic compared with 17% of the larger proximal sporadic polyps (p&lt;0.001). They were also more often highly dysplastic than larger distal HNPCC adenomas (p&lt;0.001). Small HNPCC adenomas were, except for their location, not different from sporadic adenomas. Fifteen of the 25 "known mutation" adenomas showed loss of expression of either MLH1 or MSH2. The 10 adenomas with expression were all small with low grade dysplasia. Conclusion: HNPCC adenomas are located mainly in the proximal colon. The progression to high grade dysplasia is more common in proximal than distal HNPCC adenomas, indicating a faster transformation rate from early adenoma to cancer in the proximal colon. MMR gene malfunction probably does not initiate adenoma development but is present at a very early stage of tumorigenesis and heralds the development of high grade dysplasia.
A review of hormonal changes during the menopausal transition: focus on findings from the Melbourne Women's Midlife Health Project
Authors: H.G. Burger, G.E. Hale, D.M. Robertson, L. Dennerstein
Journal: Human Reproduction Update (2007)

The menopause, defined as the permanent cessation of menstruation resulting from the loss of ovarian follicular activity, marks the end of natural female reproductive life. It is preceded by a period of menstrual cycle irregularity, the menopausal transition, which usually begins in the mid-40s and is conventionally divided into early and late phases. The endocrine changes, which underlie the transition, are predominantly the consequence of a marked decline in ovarian follicle numbers. The most significant changes include a decrease in early cycle inhibin B and in anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels. The decline in inhibin B results in an increase in FSH, which appears to be an important factor in the maintenance of estradiol (E2) concentrations until late in reproductive life. In the post-menopause, FSH levels are markedly raised, E2 levels are low, whereas inhibin B and AMH are undetectable. The menopausal transition is a time of marked hormonal instability. The Melbourne Women's Midlife Health Project has been an extremely productive study in which it has been possible to describe longitudinal changes in hormone levels throughout the menopause transition and to separate the effects of hormone change from the effects of ageing on a number of endpoints. This review provides the background for an accompanying manuscript in which a novel approach to modelling the hormonal changes during the transition is described.
Pretransplantation CMV-specific T cells protect recipients of T-cell-depleted grafts against CMV-related complications
Authors: Yves Chalandon, Sylvie Degermann, Jean Villard, Lionel Arlettaz, Laurent Kaiser, Solange Vischer, Steffen Walter, Mirjam H. M. Heemskerk, Rene A. W. van Lier, Claudine Helg, Bernard Chapuis, Eddy Roosnek
Journal: Blood (2005)
Podocin-Green Fluorescence Protein Allows Visualization and Functional Analysis of Podocytes
Authors: Bing He, Lwaki Ebarasi, Kjell Hultenby, Karl Tryggvason, Christer Betsholtz
Journal: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (2011)

Podocytes do not remain fully differentiated when cultured, and they are difficult to image in vivo, making the study of podocyte biology challenging. Zebrafish embryos are transparent and develop a single, midline, pronephric glomerulus accessible for imaging and systematic functional analysis. Here, we describe a transgenic zebrafish line that expresses green fluorescence protein (GFP) from the zebrafish podocin promoter. The line recapitulates the endogenous pronephric podocin expression pattern, showing GFP expression exclusively in podocytes starting 2 days postfertilization. Using the podocyte GFP signal as a guide for dissection, we examined the pronephric glomerulus by scanning electron microscopy; the surface ultrastructure exhibited fine, interdigitating podocyte foot processes surrounding glomerular capillaries. To determine whether the GFP signal could serve as a direct readout of developmental abnormalities or injury to the glomerulus, we knocked down the podocyte-associated protein crb2b; this led to a loss of GFP signal. Thus, podocin-GFP zebrafish provide a model for ultrastructural studies and in vivo visualization and functional analysis of glomerular podocytes. This model should also be useful for high-throughput genetic or chemical analysis of glomerular development and function.