Decidual endothelial cells express surface-bound C1q as a molecular bridge between endovascular trophoblast and decidual endothelium

This study was prompted by the observation that decidual endothelial cells (DECs), unlike endothelial cells (ECs) of blood vessels in normal skin, kidney glomeruli and brain, express surface-bound C1q in physiologic pregnancy. This finding was unexpected, because deposits of C1q are usually observed in pathologic conditions and are associated with complement activation. In the case of DECs, we failed to detect immunoglobulins and C4 co-localized with C1q on the cell surface. Surprisingly, DECs expressed mRNA for the three chains of C1q and secreted detectable level of this component in serum-free medium. The ability to synthesize C1q is acquired by DECs during pregnancy and is not shared by ECs obtained from endometrium and from other sources. Cell-associated C1q has a molecular weight similar to that of secreted C1q and is released from DECs following treatment with heparinase or incubation at low pH. This suggests that C1q binds to DECs and it is not constitutively expressed on the cell surface. C1q is localized at contact sites between endovascular trophoblast and DECs and acts as an intercellular molecular bridge because adhesion of endovascular trophoblast to DECs was inhibited by antibodies to C1q and to a receptor recognizing its globular portion expressed on trophoblast. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Desarrollo de Modulo de Vivienda Desmontable

Con el paso del tiempo, la forma de habitar del ser humano va cambiando conforme a sus necesidades, la forma en la que vivimos repercute directamente en cómo habitamos. Los espacios, los materiales, la arquitectura, la función, las ciudades, los países, todo esto habla de momentos y experiencias de tiempos distintos por los que ha pasado el ser humano a lo largo de la vida. La realidad actual de México es una cantidad innumerable de personas sin hogar en situación de calle, construcciones genéricas y muchas de ellas en abandono, el director general de Estadísticas Sociodemográficas del Instituto, Edgar Vielma, reveló a periódico MILENIO que “Actualmente se desconoce cuántas personas sin hogar hay y los datos más recientes de 2011, elaborados por la Cepal estimaron que en México había 14 millones de personas en esta condición. “Sin hablar de la contaminación por la elección de materiales y procesos constructivos que dañan el medio ambiente, así como gran cantidad de personas habitando espacios que dañan directamente su calidad de vida, y muchas veces sin percibirlo. No solo en México, en el mundo esto es una realidad, tanto así que, según el BlogArquitectura México: “El sector de la Construcción es responsable de consumir el 50% de los recursos naturales, el 40% de la energía y del 50% del total de los residuos generados. Sin embargo, existen materiales y procesos constructivos que ayudan a disminuir drásticamente este daño. La construcción con madera es una opción con grandes beneficios para el planeta ya que, según la revista Venturelli “la madera es un material de características renovables que además ayuda a la reducción de emisiones de CO2 en el ambiente, convirtiéndola en una de las alternativas con las huellas de carbono más bajas a la hora de construir.” Además, es un material bastante fácil de trabajar, permitiendo a cualquier persona utilizarlo para distintas necesidades. En este trabajo se intentará responder a la realidad sobre los alcances de la madera en un sistema constructivo que permita la autoconstrucción, donde buscamos generar una estructura hiperestática formada por marcos de madera, los cuales trabajan en conjunto obteniendo una estructura rígida, de fácil armado y con diseño arquitectónicamente responsable

Opinion dynamics: models, extensions and external effects

Recently, social phenomena have received a lot of attention not only from social scientists, but also from physicists, mathematicians and computer scientists, in the emerging interdisciplinary field of complex system science. Opinion dynamics is one of the processes studied, since opinions are the drivers of human behaviour, and play a crucial role in many global challenges that our complex world and societies are facing: global financial crises, global pandemics, growth of cities, urbanisation and migration patterns, and last but not least important, climate change and environmental sustainability and protection. Opinion formation is a complex process affected by the interplay of different elements, including the individual predisposition, the influence of positive and negative peer interaction (social networks playing a crucial role in this respect), the information each individual is exposed to, and many others. Several models inspired from those in use in physics have been developed to encompass many of these elements, and to allow for the identification of the mechanisms involved in the opinion formation process and the understanding of their role, with the practical aim of simulating opinion formation and spreading under various conditions. These modelling schemes range from binary simple models such as the voter model, to multi-dimensional continuous approaches. Here, we provide a review of recent methods, focusing on models employing both peer interaction and external information, and emphasising the role that less studied mechanisms, such as disagreement, has in driving the opinion dynamics. [...]Comment: 42 pages, 6 figure

Consultoría en MYPES Verano 2022

ITESO, A.C

Complement production by trophoblast cells at the feto-maternal interface.

An important role played by trophoblast cells at the feto-maternal interface is to exert immunomodulatory functions, including recognition of bacterial and viral agents and recruitment of leucocytes to eradicate pathogens. In this study we present data showing that the trophoblast cell line HTR8/SVneo and freshly isolated human first trimester trophoblast cells (CTBs) synthesize complement molecules C4, C3 and the late complement components, as assessed by ELISA and RT-PCR. Both cell types secrete C4 and C3, and HTR8/SVneo trophoblast cells secrete C6 in a measurable amount. The expression of C4 by HTR8/SVneo trophoblast cells and of C3 and C4 by CTBs was up-regulated by IFNgamma, while IL-1alpha and TNFalpha had no effect on the expression of complement components. In conclusion, we show that trophoblast cells produce complement components, and that synthesis of these proteins may be regulated by the pro-inflammatory cytokine IFNgamma. Complement synthesis by trophoblast cells potentially contributes to placental immune defence from pathogen infection

C1q is responsible of the anti-inflammatory behavior of decidual endothelial cells

PROBLEM: Endothelial cells (ECs), although similar in function and morphology, represent an heterogeneous population of cells in terms of secretion of inflammatory mediators, modulation of adhesion molecules, leakiness and pro-coagulant activity and play a fundamental role in the control of the inflammatory response. Excessive inflammation at foetal-maternal interface is thought to be a key contributor in a compromised pregnancy. Intrauterine infections have been associated with pregnancy complications such as preterm labor, intrauterine growth restriction and preeclampsia. We demonstrated that decidual endothelial cells (DECs) compared to ECs isolated from adult skin (ADMECs) are ipo-responsive to the pro-inflammatory stimulus LPS for the expression of adhesion molecules and cytokines secretion. We showed also that DECs express lower level of TLR4, MD2 and MyD88 compared to ADMECs and this may be important for the control of the inflammatory response at foeto-maternal interface. We have previously shown that DECs acquired the ability to synthesize C1q during pregnancy which is to a large extent localized on the cell surface. Since it has been demonstrated that C1q suppressed LPS-induced IL-12p40 production in bone marrow-derived DC (BMDC) we hypothesised that C1q can play a role in the control of DECs response to LPS. METHODS: We investigated the expression of TLR4, MD-2, and MyD88 in ADMECs previously incubated for two hours with C1q in cells stimulated or not with LPS by Real Time PCR, Western blotting and cytofluorimetric analysis. RESULTS: Our results showed that C1q affects mRNA expression of TLR4, MD-2, and MyD88 both in resting and in stimulated cells, CONCLUSION: The presence of C1q at foeto maternal interface may be responsible of the control of inflammation during pregnancy