The dielectric constant of PbTe at 4.2 K and ν~\tilde ν=84.15 cm−1^{-1}, 96.97 cm−1^{-1}, 103.60 cm−1^{-1}

The dielectric constant of a PbTe epitaxial layer has been measured by surface wave spectroscopy using an optically pumped far-infrared laser and the technique of attenuated total reflection

Sila-Pharmaka, 14. Mitt. Darstellung und Eigenschaften sowie Kristall-und Molekülstruktur von Sila-Difenidol

Sila-difenidol (6b), a sila-analogue of the drug difenidol (6a), was synthesized according to Scheme 1. 6b and its new precursors 3 and 5 were characterized by their physical and chemical properties, and their structures confirmed by elementary analyses, 1H NMR and mass spectroscopy. 6 b crystallizes orthorhombic $P2_12_12_1$ with a = 11.523(1), b = 14.366(4), c = 11.450(1) Å, Z = 4, $D_{ber} = 1.14 gcm^{-3}$. The structure was refined to R = 0.050 for 1897 reflexions. A strong nearly linear intramolecular O-H···N hydrogen bond of 2.685 Å is observed. The anticholinergic, histaminolytic and musculotropic spasmolytic activities of 6 a and 6 b are reported

Human HT-29 colon carcinoma cells contain mucarinic M3_3 receptors coupled to phosphoinositide metabolism

Five different musearlnie receptor subtypes ean be distinguished by the differenees in their amino aeid sequence, the eoupled signal transduetion system, pharmaeologieal binding properties and aetivation of ionie fluxes. The present study served to eharaeterize the binding profile of musearlnie receptors in human eolon eareinoma eells (HT-29) using seleetive musearlnie antagonists. The affinities of the compounds were eompared with their poteney to inhibit cholinergieally-aetivated phosphoinositide metabolism. Pirenzepine displaced [$^3$H]N-methyl-scopolamine binding and inhibited inositolphosphate (IP) release with potencies typieal of those of non-M$_1$ receptors. The M$_3$ subtype-selective antagonists sila-hexocyelium and hexahydro-sila-difenidol bad high affinity to the musearlnie reeeptors in HT-29 cells (K0 = 3.1 nM and 27 nM, respectively) and inhibited IP release at nanomolar concentrations. The M$_2$ receptor antagonists, AF-DX 116 and methoctramine, had low antimusearinic poteneies. Our results demonstrate that HT-29 human colon earcinoma cells contain an apparently pure population of M$_3$ receptors. These cells could serve as a model system for further investigations coneerning regulatory and signal transduction mechanisms associated with glandular muscarinic M$_3$ receptors

The significance of macrophage polarization subtypes for animal models of tissue fibrosis and human fibrotic diseases.

The systemic and organ-specific human fibrotic disorders collectively represent one of the most serious health problems world-wide causing a large proportion of the total world population mortality. The molecular pathways involved in their pathogenesis are complex and despite intensive investigations have not been fully elucidated. Whereas chronic inflammatory cell infiltration is universally present in fibrotic lesions, the central role of monocytes and macrophages as regulators of inflammation and fibrosis has only recently become apparent. However, the precise mechanisms involved in the contribution of monocytes/macrophages to the initiation, establishment, or progression of the fibrotic process remain largely unknown. Several monocyte and macrophage subpopulations have been identified, with certain phenotypes promoting inflammation whereas others display profibrotic effects. Given the unmet need for effective treatments for fibroproliferative diseases and the crucial regulatory role of monocyte/macrophage subpopulations in fibrogenesis, the development of therapeutic strategies that target specific monocyte/macrophage subpopulations has become increasingly attractive. We will provide here an overview of the current understanding of the role of monocyte/macrophage phenotype subpopulations in animal models of tissue fibrosis and in various systemic and organ-specific human fibrotic diseases. Furthermore, we will discuss recent approaches to the design of effective anti-fibrotic therapeutic interventions by targeting the phenotypic differences identified between the various monocyte and macrophage subpopulations

CD28 between tolerance and autoimmunity: The side effects of animal models [version 1; referees: 2 approved]

Regulation of immune responses is critical for ensuring pathogen clearance and for preventing reaction against self-antigens. Failure or breakdown of immunological tolerance results in autoimmunity. CD28 is an important co-stimulatory receptor expressed on T cells that, upon specific ligand binding, delivers signals essential for full T-cell activation and for the development and homeostasis of suppressive regulatory T cells. Many in vivo mouse models have been used for understanding the role of CD28 in the maintenance of immune homeostasis, thus leading to the development of CD28 signaling modulators that have been approved for the treatment of some autoimmune diseases. Despite all of this progress, a deeper understanding of the differences between the mouse and human receptor is required to allow a safe translation of pre-clinical studies in efficient therapies. In this review, we discuss the role of CD28 in tolerance and autoimmunity and the clinical efficacy of drugs that block or enhance CD28 signaling, by highlighting the success and failure of pre-clinical studies, when translated to humans

Relationship between Friend virus and an associated lymphatic leukaemia virus.

virus into rats (Mirand and Grace, 1962; Dawson, Rose and Fieldsteel, 1966) an

Differential Ly-6C expression identifies the recruited macrophage phenotype, which orchestrates the regression of murine liver fibrosis

Although macrophages are widely recognized to have a profibrotic role in inflammation, we have used a highly tractable CCl(4)-induced model of reversible hepatic fibrosis to identify and characterize the macrophage phenotype responsible for tissue remodeling: the hitherto elusive restorative macrophage. This CD11B(hi) F4/80(int) Ly-6C(lo) macrophage subset was most abundant in livers during maximal fibrosis resolution and represented the principle matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) -expressing subset. Depletion of this population in CD11B promoter–diphtheria toxin receptor (CD11B-DTR) transgenic mice caused a failure of scar remodeling. Adoptive transfer and in situ labeling experiments showed that these restorative macrophages derive from recruited Ly-6C(hi) monocytes, a common origin with profibrotic Ly-6C(hi) macrophages, indicative of a phenotypic switch in vivo conferring proresolution properties. Microarray profiling of the Ly-6C(lo) subset, compared with Ly-6C(hi) macrophages, showed a phenotype outside the M1/M2 classification, with increased expression of MMPs, growth factors, and phagocytosis-related genes, including Mmp9, Mmp12, insulin-like growth factor 1 (Igf1), and Glycoprotein (transmembrane) nmb (Gpnmb). Confocal microscopy confirmed the postphagocytic nature of restorative macrophages. Furthermore, the restorative macrophage phenotype was recapitulated in vitro by the phagocytosis of cellular debris with associated activation of the ERK signaling cascade. Critically, induced phagocytic behavior in vivo, through administration of liposomes, increased restorative macrophage number and accelerated fibrosis resolution, offering a therapeutic strategy to this orphan pathological process

An Agent-Based Model of a Hepatic Inflammatory Response to Salmonella: A Computational Study under a Large Set of Experimental Data

Citation: Shi, Z. Z., Chapes, S. K., Ben-Arieh, D., & Wu, C. H. (2016). An Agent-Based Model of a Hepatic Inflammatory Response to Salmonella: A Computational Study under a Large Set of Experimental Data. Plos One, 11(8), 39. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0161131We present an agent-based model (ABM) to simulate a hepatic inflammatory response (HIR) in a mouse infected by Salmonella that sometimes progressed to problematic proportions, known as "sepsis". Based on over 200 published studies, this ABM describes interactions among 21 cells or cytokines and incorporates 226 experimental data sets and/or data estimates from those reports to simulate a mouse HIR in silico. Our simulated results reproduced dynamic patterns of HIR reported in the literature. As shown in vivo, our model also demonstrated that sepsis was highly related to the initial Salmonella dose and the presence of components of the adaptive immune system. We determined that high mobility group box-1, C-reactive protein, and the interleukin-10: tumor necrosis factor-a ratio, and CD4+ T cell: CD8+ T cell ratio, all recognized as biomarkers during HIR, significantly correlated with outcomes of HIR. During therapy-directed silico simulations, our results demonstrated that anti-agent intervention impacted the survival rates of septic individuals in a time-dependent manner. By specifying the infected species, source of infection, and site of infection, this ABM enabled us to reproduce the kinetics of several essential indicators during a HIR, observe distinct dynamic patterns that are manifested during HIR, and allowed us to test proposed therapy-directed treatments. Although limitation still exists, this ABM is a step forward because it links underlying biological processes to computational simulation and was validated through a series of comparisons between the simulated results and experimental studies