1,822 research outputs found
Irreducible complexity of iterated symmetric bimodal maps
We introduce a tree structure for the iterates of symmetric bimodal maps and
identify a subset which we prove to be isomorphic to the family of unimodal
maps. This subset is used as a second factor for a -product that we
define in the space of bimodal kneading sequences. Finally, we give some
properties for this product and study the *-product induced on the associated
Markov shifts
Trichothecenes NIV and DON modulate the maturation of murinedendritic cells
Nivalenol (NIV) and Deoxynivalenol (DON), mycotoxins of the trichothecene family are considered very common food contaminants. In this work, we investigated whether the immunotoxic effects ascribed to these trichothecenes may be mediated by perturbations in the activity of dendritic cells (DCs). Murine bone marrow-derived DCs were used to evaluate the effects of NIV and DON on the LPS-induced maturation process.We found that the expression of the class II MHC and of the accessory CD11c molecules, but not of the costimulatory CD86 marker, was down-regulated by NIV and DON exposure in LPS-treated DCs, as well as nitric oxide (NO) production. Interestingly, NIV, but not DON, induced DC necrosis. Moreover, the analysis of the cytokine pattern showed that IL-12 and IL-10 expressions induced by LPS exposure were suppressed by both trichothecenes in a dose-dependent fashion. On the other hand, the secretion of the proinflammatory cytokine TNFa was increased as a direct consequence of DON and NIV exposure. Taken together, our data indicated that the immunotoxicity of NIV and DON was related to the capacity of both trichothecenes to interfere with phenotypic and functional features of maturing DCs
Mycotoxins nivalenol and deoxynivalenol differently modulate cytokine mRNA expression in Jurkat T cells.
Deoxynivalenol (DON) and its hydroxylated form nivalenol (NIV) are Fusarium mycotoxins that occur in cereal grains alone or in
combination. Several studies have shown that these metabolites affect lymphocyte functions. However, the molecular mechanisms
underlying their activities are still partially known. To address this issue, we examined the influence of NIV and DON in modulating
IFNc, IL-2 and IL-8 mRNA levels in Jurkat T cells. In PMA/ionomycin stimulated cells, pre-incubated with increasing concentrations of NIV, transcription was induced in the range 0.06–2 lM; higher concentrations of NIV were found non-stimulating (4 lM) or inhibitory (8 lM) for IFNc and IL-2 whereas IL-8 was still induced. DON administration elicited a similar profile for IL-8 and IFNc, whilst IL-2 mRNA was induced in a broader range of concentrations. Combination of NIV and DON at 1:1 and 1:10 ratios essentially restored the cytokine transcriptional pattern observed with NIV alone but the level of transcripts, with the exception of IL-8, peaked at lower concentrations suggesting interactive effects. Moreover both mycotoxins caused inhibition of cell proliferation, mediated by induction of apoptosis, confirming previous results and highlighting the usefulness of Jurkat as a T-cell model to study the effects of mycotoxins on the immune functions in humans
Conference scene : Golden Helix Pharmacogenomics Days : educational activities on pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine
The Golden Helix Pharmacogenomics Days are high-profile international educational scientific meetings discussing pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine. Here, we provide an overview of the scientific lectures and the topics discussed during the 4th Golden Helix Pharmacogenomics Day, held in Cagliari, Italy, on 7 October 2011, and the 5th Golden Helix Pharmacogenomics Day, that was held in Msida, Malta, on 3 December 2011. The scientific programs of both events included scientific and company lectures on pharmacogenomics, bioinformatics and personalized medicine by local and international speakers from Europe and the USA.peer-reviewe
Method for speciation of organoarsenic in mussels by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization and QTRAP tandem mass spectrometry.
Arsenic toxicity to humans critically depends on the chemical form of the arsenic. The Expert Committee of the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization defined a tolerable intake only for inorganic arsenic, although the toxicity of some organoarsenic compounds is known. Arsenobetaine (AsB), arsenocholine (AsC), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), and monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) are abundant in shellfish. We present a fast and reliable method for identification of the type of organic arsenic in mussels by using liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry on triple quadrupole with parallel determination of total arsenic by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The method was validated by evaluating mean recoveries, repeatability, specificity, limits of quantification, and limits of detection that produced satisfactory results. The method was used to carry out the first survey of the concentrations of AsB, AsC, MMA, and DMA in seafood from southern Italy. Total As concentrations ranged from 1.38 to 12.79 mg/kg. AsB and DMA were detected in all samples (AsB: 0.72 to 10.36 mg/kg; DMA: 0.28 to 1.08 mg/kg), and concentrations of AsC and MMA ranged from 0.20 to 1.53 mg/kg. This method allowed us to rapidly and inexpensively identify arsenic types in fishery products and would be suitable for routine detection of organoarsenic compounds in molluscs
Hemocompatibility of stent materials: alterations in electrical parameters of erythrocyte membranes
A Basoli1, C Cametti2, F Ginnari Satriani2, P Mariani3, P Severino31Department of Surgery, "P Stefanini," University of Rome "La Sapienza," Rome, Italy; 2Department of Physics, University of Rome "La Sapienza," Rome Italy; 3Department of Internal Medicine, University of Rome "La Sapienza," Rome, ItalyBackground: It is presently unknown if stents used in the correction of artery stenosis are fully hemocompatible or if their implantation causes alterations at the level of the plasma membrane in red blood cells.Methods: We addressed this important issue by measuring the passive electrical properties of the erythrocyte membrane before and after stent insertion by means of dielectric relaxation spectroscopy in the radiowave frequency range in a series of patients who were undergoing standard surgical treatment of arterial disease.Results: Our findings provide evidence that full hemocompatibility of stents has not yet been reached, and that there are some measurable alterations in the passive electrical behavior of the red blood cell membrane induced by the presence of the stent.Conclusion: It is possible that these changes do not have any physiological significance and simply reflect the intrinsic variability of biological samples. However, caution is urged, and the technique we describe here should be considered when investigating the hemocompatibility of a medical device at a cell membrane level.Keywords: hemocompatibility, stent, arterial disease, cell membran
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