IN VITRO INDUCTION OF BLOOD MONONUCLEAR CELL PROLIFERATION BY ENDOGENOUS RETROVIRAL HERV-Eλ4-1 ENVELOPE PEPTIDE IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

A comparative in vitro study of blood mononuclear cells from multiple sclerosis patients and healthy donors was performed, in order to evaluate proliferative response to a retroviral antigen, aiming to determine immunomodulatory properties of synthetic oligopeptide homologous to a highly conserved human endogenous retrovirus HERV-Eλ4-1 envelope protein. It was revealed that this oligopeptide is able to stimulate the in vitro spontaneous and mitogen-induced proliferation of blood mononuclear cells from either donor and multiple sclerosis patients. Intensity of this oligopeptide-induced stimulatory effect depends on the protein concentration, and on initial level of blood immunocompetent cells proliferation. Hence, the endogenous retrovirus HERV-Eλ4-1 envelope region protein is able to increase functional activity of immunocompetent cells from human blood, that suggesting its immunostimulatory properties. It is possible that the mitogenic effects of this protein upon immunocompetent cells of multiple sclerosis patients represent a potential mechanism of retroviral involvement into pathogenesis of the disorder

Nurturing shared leaders through internship

The Faculty of Social Sciences (the Faculty) of the University of Hong Kong has offered the very first credit-bearing internships in social sciences amongst all local tertiary institutions. Since September 2009, all students in the discipline have to complete 24 credits (equivalent to 4 courses) of off-campus experiential learning, with 12 credits in local internships and another 12 credits in global internships. In June 2012, the Faculty launched the pilot project of Service Leadership Internship (SLI) under the funding of the Li & Fung Service Leadership Initiative, which supports service leadership training in all eight of Hong Kong’s tertiary institution. The SLI took place in the summer 2012 where student interns worked as a team (groups of 3 – 5) to initiate, develop and implement (a) service task(s). By making use of the interns’ multi-disciplinary knowledge, the student interns contributed as shared leaders and helped community partners to generate innovative solutions to authentic problems under different projects. The Faculty also provided a series of support mechanisms to prepare the interns for the SLI projects. For example, an academic tutor was assigned to take care of each SLI project. Also, a series of workshops using the social cognitive approach were organized so as to enhance the interns’ social and personal competence as shared leaders and at the same time understand the construct of leaderships and social responsibilities through experiential learning and discussions. By completing the pre-workshop readings and actively participating in the workshops, interns internalized the core values of leadership such as enhanced self-awareness, became more competent as shared leaders and developed social responsibilities as an active member of the society. Booster sessions were also provided as a platform for small group sharing and problem-solving. In this paper presentation, the overall structure of the SLI, an overview of the content of the internship training and some of the learning outcome of the interns will be shared. The learning experiences in the pilot project will also help us plan for the upcoming summer of SLI 2013. A revised approach on SLI with an expanded participation of community partners will also be shared with the audience

Estimations of effectiveness of applications of the methods of lymphogeneous detoxication at a syndrome of abolition of opioids

The aim of this paper was an estimation of effectiveness of application of lymphotropic and ozone and lymphotropic and absorbtion technologies at a syndrome of abolition of opioids. The object of research was 142 patients distributed in three homogeneous groups. The control group has been got the standard therapy, the main first group - additionally to it - a complex of lymphotropic therapy and ozone therapy, the main second group - a complex of lymphotropic therapy and enteroabsorbtion. The comparative estimation of the results has shown that the lymhotropic and ozone technology has influenced more actively on the parameters of immune system and syndrome of labilization of the cellular membranes, the lymphotropic and absorbtion technology - on a purification of organism from endogeneous metabolits. The purposive combination of lymphotropic therapy and ozone therapy and enteroabsorbtion taking into account the leading mechanisms of endotoxemia, allows to provide the effective correction of endogeneous intoxication and improve a quality of standard therapy significantly.Цель работы: Целью работы настоящей явилась оценка эффективности применения лимфотропно-озоновой и лимфотропно-сорбционной технологий при синдроме отмены опиоидов. Объектом исследования явились 142 больных, распределенных на три однородные группы. Контрольная группа получала стандартную терапию, 1 -я основная дополнительно к ней комплекс лимфотропной терапии и озонотерапии, 2-я основная - лимфотропной терапии и энтеросорбции. Сравнительная оценка полученных результатов показала, что лимфотропно-озоновая технология боле активно влияла на параметры иммунной системы и синдрома лабилизации клеточных мембран, лимфотропно-сорбционная технология - на очищение организма от эндогенных метаболитов. Целенаправленное сочетание лимфотропной терапии с озонотерапией и энтеросорбцией, учитывающее ведущие механизмы эндотоксемии, позволяет обеспечить эффективную коррекцию эндогенной интоксикации и существенно улучшить качество патогенетической терапии

Whacked and Rab35 polarize dynein-motor-complex-dependent seamless tube growth

Seamless tubes form intracellularly without cell–cell or autocellular junctions. Such tubes have been described across phyla, but remain mysterious despite their simple architecture. In Drosophila, seamless tubes are found within tracheal terminal cells, which have dozens of branched protrusions extending hundreds of micrometres. We find that mutations in multiple components of the dynein motor complex block seamless tube growth, raising the possibility that the lumenal membrane forms through minus-end-directed transport of apical membrane components along microtubules. Growth of seamless tubes is polarized along the proximodistal axis by Rab35 and its apical membrane-localized GAP, Whacked. Strikingly, loss of whacked (or constitutive activation of Rab35) leads to tube overgrowth at terminal cell branch tips, whereas overexpression of Whacked (or dominant-negative Rab35) causes formation of ectopic tubes surrounding the terminal cell nucleus. Thus, vesicle trafficking has key roles in making and shaping seamless tubes

Atherosclerotic pattern of coronary myocardial bridging assessed with CT coronary angiography

The aim of our study was to evaluate the atherosclerotic pattern of patients with coronary myocardial bridging (MB) by means of CT Coronary Angiography (CT-CA). 254 consecutive patients (166 male, mean age 58.6 ± 10.3) who underwent 64-slice CT-CA according to current clinical indications were reviewed for the presence of MB and concomitant segmental atherosclerotic pattern. Coronary plaques were assessed in all patients enrolled. 73 patients (29%) presented single (90%) or multiple (10%) MB, frequently (93%) localized in the mid-distal left anterior descending artery. The MB segment was always free of atherosclerosis. Segments proximal to the MB presented: no atherosclerotic disease (n = 37), positive remodeling (n = 23), 50% stenoses (n = 7). Distal segments presented a different atherosclerosis pattern (P < 0.0001): absence of disease (n = 73), no significant lesions (n = 8). No significant differences were found between segments proximal to MB and proximal coronary segments apart from left main trunk. Pattern of atherosclerotic lesions located in segments 6 and 7 significantly differs between patients with MB and patients without MB (P < 0.05). CT-CA is a reliable method to non-invasively demonstrate MB and related atherosclerotic pattern. CT-CA provides new insight regarding atherosclerosis distribution in segments close to MB

Intracellular lumen extension requires ERM-1-dependent apical membrane expansion and AQP-8-mediated flux

SUMMARY Many unicellular tubes such as capillaries form lumens intracellularly, a process that is not well understood. Here we show that the cortical membrane organizer ERM-1 is required to expand the intracellular apical/lumenal membrane and its actin undercoat during single-cell C.elegans excretory canal morphogenesis. We characterize AQP-8, identified in an ERM-1 overexpression (ERM-1[++]) suppressor screen, as a canalicular aquaporin that interacts with ERM-1 in lumen extension in a mercury-sensitive manner, implicating water-channel activity. AQP-8 is transiently recruited to the lumen by ERM-1, co-localizing in peri-lumenal cuffs interspaced along expanding canals. An ERM-1[++]-mediated increase in the number of lumen-associated canaliculi is reversed by AQP-8 depletion. We propose that the ERM-1-AQP-8 interaction propels lumen extension by translumenal flux, suggesting a direct morphogenetic effect of water-channel-regulated fluid pressure