47 research outputs found
The Regulation of Pulmonary Immunity
This article is made available for unrestricted research re-use and secondary analysis in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for the duration of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic.No evidence has emerged which suggests that the principles of immunity derived from studies on cells from other body sites are contradicted in the lung and its associated lymphoid tissue. What is clear, however, is that the environment dictates the types of cells, their relationship to one another, and what perturbing events will set in motion either the development of an "active" immune response or tolerance. Investigating mechanisms for the development of lung immunity has increased our understanding of how human diseases develop and is continuing to suggest new ways to manipulate pulmonary immune responses. Demonstration that lung cells regulate both nonspecific inflammation and immunity through the expression of adhesion molecules and the secretion of cytokines offers hope for ways to design more effective vaccines, enhance microbial clearance in immunosuppressed hosts, and to suppress manifestations of immunologically mediated lung disease. Important lung diseases targeted for intensive research efforts in the immediate future are tuberculosis, asthma, and fibrotic lung disease. Perhaps even the common cold might be conquered. Considering the pace of current research on lung immunity, it may not be too ambitious to predict that these diseases may be conquered in the next decade
Identification of Plasma Cells in Lung Alveoli and Interstitial Tissues After Localized Lung Immunization
Large numbers of antibody‐forming cells (AFC) can be identified with the Jerne plaque assay in immunized lung lobes of the beagle dog after localized instillation of particulate antigen. Published data suggest that these AFC are secreting antibody and are responsible for increased levels of specific antibody in immunized lung lobes. If AFC in the lung are actively secreting antibody, there should be an increase in the number of mature plasma cells in lung lobes exposed to antigen. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the number of lymphoid cells present in immunized and control lung lobes and to determine if lung immunization produces a localized increase in the number of plasma cells. Sheep red blood cells (SRBC), autologous dog red blood cells, and saline were instilled into specific lung lobes of beagle dogs with the aid of a fiberoptic bronchoscope. Light and transmission electron microscopy studies of tissues from lung lobes instilled with SRBC showed perivascular infiltrates and intra‐alveolar accumulations of lymphoid cells which were not present in control lung lobes. The morphology of these lymphoid cells ranged from small lymphocytes through mature plasma cells. From 5% to 15% of the cells present in the interstitial tissues and alveoli of immunized lung lobes were plasma cells. These observations suggest that lymphoid cells which entered the SRBC immunized lung can mature to plasma cells which are probably responsible for the local production of antigen‐specific antibody.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142186/1/jlb0001.pd
In utero exposure to transient ischemia-hypoxemia promotes long-term neurodevelopmental abnormalities in male rat offspring
The impact of transient ischemic-hypoxemic insults on the developing fetal brain is poorly understood despite evidence suggesting an association with neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism. To address this, we designed an aberrant uterine hypercontractility paradigm with oxytocin to better assess the consequences of acute, but transient, placental ischemia-hypoxemia in term pregnant rats. Using MRI, we confirmed that oxytocin-induced aberrant uterine hypercontractility substantially compromised uteroplacental perfusion. This was supported by the observation of oxidative stress and increased lactate concentration in the fetal brain. Genes related to oxidative stress pathways were significantly upregulated in male, but not female, offspring 1 hour after oxytocin-induced placental ischemia-hypoxemia. Persistent upregulation of select mitochondrial electron transport chain complex proteins in the anterior cingulate cortex of adolescent male offspring suggested that this sex-specific effect was enduring. Functionally, offspring exposed to oxytocin-induced uterine hypercontractility showed male-specific abnormalities in social behavior with associated region-specific changes in gene expression and functional cortical connectivity. Our findings, therefore, indicate that even transient but severe placental ischemia-hypoxemia could be detrimental to the developing brain and point to a possible mitochondrial link between intrauterine asphyxia and neurodevelopmental disorders
Environmental and biological controls on Mg and Li in deep-sea scleractinian corals
Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2010. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters 300 (2010): 215-225, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2010.09.029.Deep-sea scleractinian corals precipitate aragonite skeletons that provide valuable
archives of past ocean conditions. During calcification biological mediation causes variability in
trace metal incorporation and isotopic ratios of the aragonite such that signals caused by
environmental controls can be overwhelmed. This complicates the interpretation of geochemical
proxies used for paleo-reconstructions. In this study we examine the environmental controls on
the Mg/Li ratio of 34 individuals from seven genera of deep-sea scleractinian corals:
Desmophyllum, Balanophyllia, Caryophyllia, Enallopsammia, Flabellum, Trochocyanthus, and
Lophelia. In addition we examine the distributions of Mg and Li in Desmophyllum and
Balanophyllia using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS).
Both Mg/Ca and Li/Ca ratios increased by more than a factor of 2 in the center of
calcification regions compared to the outer, fibrous regions of the coral skeleton. As a result,
replicate ~10 mg subsamples of coral show less variability in the Mg/Li ratio than Mg/Ca.
Microscale Mg and Li results are consistent with Rayleigh-type incorporation of trace metals
with additional processes dominating composition within centers of calcification. Comparison of
Mg/Li to seawater properties near the site of collection shows that the ratio is not controlled by
either carbonate ion or salinity. It appears that temperature is the major control on the Mg/Li
ratio. For all 34 samples the temperature correlation (R2=0.62) is significantly better than for
Mg/Ca (R2=0.06). For corals of the family Caryophyllidae the R2 value increases to 0.82 with
the exclusion of one sample that was observed to have an altered, chalky texture. Despite this
excellent correlation the scatter in the data suggests that the Mg/Li ratio of deep-sea corals
cannot be used to reconstruct temperature to better than approximately ±1.6°C without better
temperature control and additional calibration points on modern coral samples.Financial Support was provided by the USGS WHOI Co-operative agreement, NSF-ANT grant numbers 0636787 and 80295700 and the WHOI Ocean Life Institute. David Case was supported by the WHOI Summer Student
Fellowship
THE CONCISE GUIDE TO PHARMACOLOGY 2021/22: G protein-coupled receptors.
The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2021/22 is the fifth in this series of biennial publications. The Concise Guide provides concise overviews, mostly in tabular format, of the key properties of nearly 1900 human drug targets with an emphasis on selective pharmacology (where available), plus links to the open access knowledgebase source of drug targets and their ligands (www.guidetopharmacology.org), which provides more detailed views of target and ligand properties. Although the Concise Guide constitutes over 500 pages, the material presented is substantially reduced compared to information and links presented on the website. It provides a permanent, citable, point-in-time record that will survive database updates. The full contents of this section can be found at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/bph.15538. G protein-coupled receptors are one of the six major pharmacological targets into which the Guide is divided, with the others being: ion channels, nuclear hormone receptors, catalytic receptors, enzymes and transporters. These are presented with nomenclature guidance and summary information on the best available pharmacological tools, alongside key references and suggestions for further reading. The landscape format of the Concise Guide is designed to facilitate comparison of related targets from material contemporary to mid-2021, and supersedes data presented in the 2019/20, 2017/18, 2015/16 and 2013/14 Concise Guides and previous Guides to Receptors and Channels. It is produced in close conjunction with the Nomenclature and Standards Committee of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (NC-IUPHAR), therefore, providing official IUPHAR classification and nomenclature for human drug targets, where appropriate
The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2023/24: G protein-coupled receptors.
peer reviewedThe Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2023/24 is the sixth in this series of biennial publications. The Concise Guide provides concise overviews, mostly in tabular format, of the key properties of approximately 1800 drug targets, and about 6000 interactions with about 3900 ligands. There is an emphasis on selective pharmacology (where available), plus links to the open access knowledgebase source of drug targets and their ligands (https://www.guidetopharmacology.org), which provides more detailed views of target and ligand properties. Although the Concise Guide constitutes almost 500 pages, the material presented is substantially reduced compared to information and links presented on the website. It provides a permanent, citable, point-in-time record that will survive database updates. The full contents of this section can be found at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/bph.16177. G protein-coupled receptors are one of the six major pharmacological targets into which the Guide is divided, with the others being: ion channels, nuclear hormone receptors, catalytic receptors, enzymes and transporters. These are presented with nomenclature guidance and summary information on the best available pharmacological tools, alongside key references and suggestions for further reading. The landscape format of the Concise Guide is designed to facilitate comparison of related targets from material contemporary to mid-2023, and supersedes data presented in the 2021/22, 2019/20, 2017/18, 2015/16 and 2013/14 Concise Guides and previous Guides to Receptors and Channels. It is produced in close conjunction with the Nomenclature and Standards Committee of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (NC-IUPHAR), therefore, providing official IUPHAR classification and nomenclature for human drug targets, where appropriate
Recommended from our members
Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute. Annual report, October 1, 1995--September 30, 1996
The Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute (ITRI) is a Government-owned facility leased and operated by the Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute (LBERI) as a private, nonprofit research and testing laboratory. LBERI is an operating subsidiary of the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute. Through September 30, 1996, ITRI was a Federally Funded Research and Development Center operated by Lovelace for the US Department of Energy (DOE) as a {open_quotes}Single Program Laboratory{close_quotes} within the DOE Office of Health and Environmental Research, Office of Energy Research. Work for DOE continues in the privatized ITRI facility under a Cooperative Agreement. At the time of publication, approximately 70% of the Institute`s research is funded by DOE, and the remainder is funded by a variety of Federal agency, trade association, individual industry, and university customers. The principal mission of ITRI is to conduct basic and applied research to improve our understanding of the nature and magnitude of the human health impacts of inhaling airborne materials in the home, workplace, and general environment. Institute research programs have a strong basic science orientation with emphasis on the nature and behavior of airborne materials, the fundamental biology of the respiratory tract, the fate of inhaled materials and the mechanisms by which they cause disease, and the means by which data produced in the laboratory can be used to estimate risks to human health. Disorders of the respiratory tract continue to be a major health concern, and inhaled toxicants are thought to contribute substantially to respiratory morbidity. As the country`s largest facility dedicated to the study of basic inhalation toxicology, ITRI provides a national resource of specialized facilities, personnel, and educational activities serving the needs of government, academia, and industry