1,721,082 research outputs found
Immunological features of bovine mammary epithelial cells: a meta-analysis
No full textIn vitro culturing of mammary epithelial cells (MECs) is an effective method to identify the mechanisms underlying bovine mammary immunity. Primary cultures of mammary epithelium (pbMEC), and BME-UV1 and MAC-T continuous cell lines are currently used for these studies. To date, it is still unclear which of the above cell lines should be considered as the best model to perform experiments on mammary immunity and mastitis pathogenesis. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the immunological behavior of the different cell lines as reported in literature, and to predict what line is more suitable for mammary immunity experiments. This was done through a meta-analysis of all the articles found in Pubmed and Web of Knowledge databases accessed on February 2013. The initial database search was performed by using the query "bovine mammary epithelial cells", and as a result 429 candidate articles were selected. Out of them, 162 articles were further selected since reporting the use of MEC lines for studies on mammary immunity. The following selection step was done on the basis of cytokines expression, to a final set of 39 publications. The articles were then grouped according to the cell line used, the applied immunological stimulus, the type of immune response and the method used for the analysis. The present work provided for the first time a throughout comparison of the immune response of different bovine MECs, as a result of different studies. The analysis of data confirmed that both pbMEC and continuous cell lines are capable to produce several cytokines and cathelicidins even with large heterogeneity in the stimuli applied and in the assays performed. A more standardized approach for experimental condition and measurement methodologies is required to allow precise comparison of data obtained in different conditions
Prenatal diagnosis and preimplantation genetic diagnosis : novel technologies and state of the art of PGD in different regions of the world
No full textPrenatal diagnosis (PND) aims to provide accurate, rapid results as early in pregnancy as possible. Conventional PND involves sampling cells of foetal origin by chorionic villus sampling at 11-14th weeks of pregnancy or amniocentesis after 15th week. These are invasive procedures and have a small but significant rate of 0.5% to 1% for loss of pregnancy. An alternative to existing methods for conventional PND for couples at risk of transmitting a genetic disease to their child is preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). PGD is a newly emerging form of a very early prenatal diagnosis. The technique combines assisted reproductive technology with molecular genetics and cytogenetics to allow the identification of abnormality in embryos prior to implantation. The diagnosis of genetic disease in human preimplantation embryos was pioneered in the late 1980s for testing of aneuploidy, single gene and X-linked disease, such as cystic fibrosis, haemophilia and chromosomal abnormalities. The PGD-related legal and ethical issues have been debated at many levels both nationally and internationally. The attitude towards PGD varies substantially not only in different parts of the world but also within the Europe, owing to scientific, cultural and religious differences. PGD has become widely practised throughout the world for various indications and can substantially decrease the eventual risks of passing a genetic undesired condition of the offspring. Nevertheless, its extension to some new and non-medical indications has raised ethical concerns, in particular its potential eugenic dimensio
Estraction of nucleic acids from stained blood and lymph node smears : a tool for retrospective studies on clonality and microRNA
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Two-dimensional Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis map of bovine ovarian fluid proteins
No full textMolecular mechanisms underlying the cystic degeneration of ovarian follicles in the dairy cow have not been clarified yet. A useful approach for complementing endocrinological and clinical studies could be represented by the systematic analysis of the protein patterns in follicular and cystic fluid. With this aim, a two-dimensional Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis map of proteins contained in fluid from bovine ovarian follicles at different stages of development and from bovine ovarian cyst has been obtained. About 200 spots were detected after silver staining. Polypeptides from nine spots or series of spots have been identified by N-terminal sequencing, and further analysis of the map has been performed by gel comparison. Alpha-1-antitrypsin, albumin, serotransferrin and apolipoprotein A-l and A-IV were located on the map. Comparison between protein patterns revealed the differential expression of some spots among follicles of smaller diameter, follicles of larger diameter, and cysts. This could represent the first step toward the identification of proteins differentially expressed and associated with ovarian cyst development
Reproductive care in human immunodeficiency virus serodiscordant couples with haemophilia
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A simple molecular method for discriminating common filarial nematodes of dogs (Canis familiaris)
No full textAccurate diagnosis of canine filariosis is essential for choosing correct therapeutic approach. Therefore, reliable methods for discriminating among the different filarial infections in dogs are needed. The authors report simple and highly specific molecular methods that identify the three most common filarial nematodes of European dogs: Dirofilaria immitis, D. repens and Acanthocheilonema (syn. Dipetalonema) reconditum, based on (1) PCR amplifications of mitochondrial DNA (12S rDNA and coxI) with general filarial primers followed by digestion with restriction enzymes that generates band polymorphisms clearly discriminating the three species and (2) PCR amplifications with species-specific primers to support the restriction analysis, in particular in the case of multiple infections
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