Efecto de la infección in vivo con trypanosoma cruzi y una dieta rica en lípidos sobre receptores toll-like en un modelo experimental de ateroesclerosis.

Ateroesclerosis es una enfermedad inflamatoria crónica de arterias de mediano y gran calibre, caracterizada por activación de células endoteliales, reclutamiento de monocitos en la pared de los vasos y diferenciación de macrófagos en células espumosas cargadas de colesterol. Además de los factores de riesgo convencionales y mejor conocidos que predisponen a la ateroesclerosis, como la hiperlipemia, hipertensión y el hábito de fumar, recientemente se ha propuesto a las infecciones y la inflamación como factores de riesgo a considerar en su desarrollo. Algunas infecciones bacterianas o virales pueden ejercer una acción pro-aterogénica, probablemente como consecuencia de inflamación sistémica o un efecto directo sobre la pared vascular. Sin embargo, el papel del Trypanosoma cruzi ha sido escasamente explorado. Como objetivo principal nos propusimos, estudiar la influencia de la infección in vivo con Trypanosoma. cruzi (parásito protozoario, agente etiológico de la Enfermedad de Chagas ) más una dieta rica en lípidos sobre la expresión de los receptores tipo Toll de la inmunidad innata en un modelo experimental en ratones C57BL/6 salvajes, propensos al desarrollo de ateroesclerosis. Especifícamente, nos interesa caracterizar que tipos celulares infiltran el corazón y aorta de los animales sometidos a tratamiento experimental, el perfil de citoquinas inflamatorias séricas, quimioquinas y moléculas de adhesión intercelular, así como también establecer una correlación con parámetros bioquímicos-clínicos y endocrinológicos, en especial el perfil de lípidos, lipoproteínas y apolipoproteínas, marcadores de inflamación sistémica, peso corporal, glucemia, insulina e insulino-resistencia.

Function and regulation of death-associated protein kinase1 (DAPK) in colon cancer cells and macrophage-like cell line : identifcation of p38 as a novel DAPK interacting partner during TNFα-mediated apoptosis in colon cancer

DAPK, Apoptosis, p38, macrophages, survival

Konstruktion einer nicht-IGF-bindenden Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-2-Variante und Untersuchung ihrer Wirkung auf das Tumorzellwachstum

Magdeburg, Univ., Medizin. Fakultät, Diss., 2008

lectin-like domain of thrombomodulin ameliorates diabetic glomerulopathy via complement inhibition

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Naturwiss., Diss., 2014

Review of the Prothylacyninae, an extinct subfamily of South American "dog-like" marsupials / Larry G. Marshall --.

n.s. no.3(1979)

Review of the Hathlyacyninae, an extinct subfamily of South American "dog-like" marsupials / Larry G. Marshall --

n.s. no.7(1981)

Lankesterella alencari n. sp., a toxoplasma-like organism in the central nervous system of Amphibia (Protozoa, Sporozoa)

Lankesterella alencari n. sp. a Sporozoa that occur in the blood and CNS of the South American frog Leptodactylus acellatus is described. Since the tissue forms of this parasite have been previously reported as belonging to the genus Toxoplasma, we attempted in fection of 2 species of amphibia (Bufo marinus an dLeptodactylus ocellatus) with a Toxoplasma strain of human origen; inoculation was by intraperitoneal injection of parasite-containing ascitic fluid from infected mice. Attempt of experimental inoculation of the parasite found in the CNS of L. ocellatus in a highly susceptible host (mice) was unsuccessful. These results suggest that Toxoplasma does not occur naturally in the amphibia; be related to Toxoplasma is excluded. The following genera of haematozoa found in brazilian amphibia have been considered briedfly: Haemobartonella, Cytamoeba, Dactylosoma, Hepatozoon and Trypanosoma.

Melanoma patients respond to a cytotoxic T lymphocyte-defined self-peptide with diverse and nonoverlapping T-cell receptor repertoires.

HLA-A2+ melanoma patients develop naturally a strong CD8+ T cell response to a self-peptide derived from Melan-A. Here, we have used HLA-A2/peptide tetramers to isolate Melan-A-specific T cells from tumor-infiltrated lymph nodes of two HLA-A2+ melanoma patients and analyzed their TCR beta chain V segment and complementarity determining region 3 length and sequence. We found a broad diversity in Melan-A-specific immune T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoires in terms of both TCR beta chain variable gene segment usage and clonal composition. In addition, immune TCR repertoires selected in the patients were not overlapping. In contrast to previously characterized CD8+ T-cell responses to viral infections, this study provides evidence against usage of highly restricted TCR repertoire in the natural response to a self-differentiation tumor antigen.

Age-related change in melanin-based coloration of Barn owls (Tyto alba): females that become more female-like and males that become more male-like perform better

Ornament expression fluctuates with age in many organisms. Whether these changes are adaptively plastic is poorly known. In order to understand the ultimate function of melanin-based ornaments, we studied their within-individual fluctuations and their covariation with fitness-related traits. In barn owls (Tyto alba), individuals vary from reddish-brown pheomelanic to white and from immaculate to marked with black eumelanic spots, males being less reddish and less spotted than females. During the first molt, both sexes became less pheomelanic, females displayed larger spots and males fewer spots, but the extent of these changes was not associated with reproduction. At subsequent molts, intra-individual changes in melanin-based traits covaried with simultaneous reproduction changes. Adult females bred earlier in the season and laid larger eggs when they became scattered with larger spots, while adults of both sexes produced larger broods when they became whiter. These results suggest that the production of melanin pigments and fitness-related life history traits are concomitantly regulated in a sex-specific way.

Immunogold Detection of L-glutamate and D-serine in Small Synaptic-Like Microvesicles in Adult Hippocampal Astrocytes.

Glutamate and the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor ligand D-serine are putative gliotransmitters. Here, we show by immunogold cytochemistry of the adult hippocampus that glutamate and D-serine accumulate in synaptic-like microvesicles (SLMVs) in the perisynaptic processes of astrocytes. The estimated concentration of fixed glutamate in the astrocytic SLMVs is comparable to that in synaptic vesicles of excitatory nerve terminals (∼45 and ∼55 mM, respectively), whereas the D-serine level is about 6 mM. The vesicles are organized in small spaced clusters located near the astrocytic plasma membrane. Endoplasmic reticulum is regularly found in close vicinity to SLMVs, suggesting that astrocytes contain functional nanodomains, where a local Ca(2+) increase can trigger release of glutamate and/or D-serine.