1,721,154 research outputs found
Microvascular inflammation in atherosclerosis
Full text linkAtherogenesis is the pathogenetic process leading to formation of the atheroma lesion. It is associated to a chronic inflammatory state initially stimulated by an aberrant accumulation of lipid molecules beyond the endothelial barrier. This event triggers a cascade of deleterious events mainly through immune cell stimulation with the consequent liberation of potent pro-inflammatory and tissue damaging mediators. The atherogenetic process implies marked modifications of endothelial cell functions and a radical change in the endothelial–leukocyte interaction pattern. Moreover, accumulating evidence shows an important link between microvascular and inflammatory responses and major cardiovascular risk factors. This review illustrates the current knowledge on the effects of obesity, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes on microcirculation; their pathophysiological implications will be discussed
CXCL12 prolongs naive CD4+ T lymphocytes survival via activation of PKA, CREB and Bcl2 and BclXl up-regulation
No full textBackground: Naive T lymphocytes recirculate through the body, traveling from secondary lymphoid organs through tissues and via lymphatic vessels and peripheral blood into other secondary lymphoid organs and into the bone marrow. In these tissues, lymphocytes are exposed to the chemokine CXCL12 which is abundantly produced in bone marrow and in lymph nodes by stromal cells. CXCL12 is known to drive lymphocytes chemotaxis and, in cells types such as stem cells, an antiapopototic effect has been described.
Methods: Here we analyzed the effect of CXCL12 exposure on naive CD4+ T lymphocytes purified from peripheral blood by immunomagnetic negative isolation and cultured in a nutrient poor medium. We also studied, mainly by western blot analysis, the signaling pathways involved in CXCL12 action on naive CD4+ T lymphocytes.
Results: We found that CXCL12-exposed cells survived longer than untreated ones and this prolonged lifespan was specific for resting naive lymphocytes, while in vitro activated lymphoblasts died rapidly despite CXCL12 treatment. We demonstrated that the increased percentage of living cells observed upon CXCL12 administration was not due to induction of proliferation but to a prosurvival effect of this chemokine. Moreover, our data suggest that this prosurvival effect on naive CD4+ T lymphocytes might likely be mediated by PKA-dependent CREB activation and consequent increased expression of the antiapoptotic factors Bcl2 and BclXl.
Conclusions: This newly reported activity of CXCL12 might contribute to the maintenance of the naive T lymphocytes pool in vivo, which is needed to ensure a proper immune response to new antigens. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved
Sonographic evaluation of optic nerve sheath diameter in idiopathic intracranial hypertension
No full textA-mode ultrasound evaluation of optic nerve in healthy volunteers to detect increased intracranial pressure after application of a rigid cervical collar
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Effects of accelerated corneal crosslinking on the topographic parameters of patients with progressive keratoconus
No full textUltrasound evaluation of optic nerve sheath diameter to assess treatment efficacy in pediatric idiopathic intracranial hypertension
No full textMarine Natural Products Rescuing the Eye: A Narrative Review
Full text linkDifferent degrees of visual impairment lead to a decrease in patient wellbeing, which has an adverse effect on many facets of social and professional life. Eye disorders can affect several parts of the eye, most notably the retina and the cornea, and the impacted areas might share a common form of cellular damage or dysfunction (such as inflammation, oxidative stress and neuronal degeneration). Considering that marine organisms inhabit a broad variety of marine habitats, they display a great degree of chemical diversity. As a result, molecules with a marine origin are receiving more and more attention in the hopes of developing novel therapeutic approaches. For instance, fucoxanthin has been demonstrated to be effective in protecting the retina against photo-induced damage, while largazole, astaxanthin and spirulina have all shown antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic activities that can be useful for the management of several ocular diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration and ocular surface disorders. The aim of this review is to analyze the scientific literature relating to the therapeutic effects on the eye of the main natural marine products, focusing on their mechanism of action and potential clinical uses for the management of ocular diseases
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