Understanding the role of cell death in burn wound progression is crucial for giving appropriate diagnoses and designing therapy regimens for burn patients. A well-described and reliable "comb burns model" was employed to evaluate the roles of autophagy and apoptosis in burn wound progression at 2h, 6h, 12h, 24h, and ...

Severe burns initiate an inflammatory cascade within the gut, which leads to intestinal mucosal injury. Although Na(+)/H(+) exchanger 1 (NHE1) is recognised as a pivotal player in several inflammatory processes, its role in burn-induced intestinal injury is relatively unknown. We hypothesised that NHE1 might be involved in the increased intestinal ...

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) elicits innate inflammatory responses that can lead to secondary brain injury. To better understand the mechanisms involved in TBI-induced inflammation, we examined the nature of macrophages responding to TBI in mice. In this model, brain macrophages were increased >20-fold the day after injury and >77-fold four ...

Mitochondria play a central role in the integration and execution of a wide variety of apoptotic signals. In the present study, we examined the deleterious effects of burn injury on heart tissue. We explored the effects of vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) on cardiac injury in a murine burn injury model, ...

Intestinal inflammation has been linked with multiorgan failure in patients with burn and other traumatic injuries. We hypothesized that markers of intestinal inflammation are detectible noninvasively. Fecal samples were collected from seven severely burned patients and 15 control patients for the measurement of inflammatory cytokines using a multiplex assay kit. ...

IL-18 has a potential to up-regulate the Th1 and Th2 immune responses. It is known that IL-18, in synergy with IL-12, augments the Th1 response to bacterial infections, but it also augments the Th2 response to allergic disorders in the absence of IL-12. Although the Th1 and Th2 immune responses ...

The role of palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) in the regulation of complex systems involved in the inflammatory response, pruritus, neurogenic and neuropathic pain is well understood. Growing evidence indicates that this N-acylethanolamine also exerts neuroprotective effects within the central nervous system (CNS), i.e. in spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries and in ...

ABSTRACT: The trauma of a severe burn injury induces a hypermetabolic response that increases morbidity and mortality. Previously, our group showed that insulin resistance after burn injury is associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Evidence suggests that c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) 2 may be involved in ER stress-induced apoptosis. Here, ...

BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of mortality and disability in the Western world. The first stage of TBI results from the mechanical damage from an impact or blast. A second stage occurs as an inflammatory response to the primary injury and presents an opportunity for clinical ...

Within minutes of a traumatic impact, a robust inflammatory response is elicited in the injured brain. The complexity of this post-traumatic squeal involves a cellular component, comprising the activation of resident glial cells, microglia, and astrocytes, and the infiltration of blood leukocytes. The second component regards the secretion immune mediators, ...

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become the signature wound of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Injury may result from a mechanical force, a rapid acceleration-deceleration movement, or a blast wave. A cascade of secondary cell death events ensues after the initial injury. In particular, multiple inflammatory responses accompany TBI. A ...

Ghrelin, has been shown to be anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective in models of neurologic injury. We hypothesize that treatment with ghrelin will attenuate breakdown of the blood brain barrier (BBB) and apoptosis 24 hours following traumatic brain injury (TBI). We believe this protection is at least in part mediated by up-regulation ...

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major health and socioeconomic problem throughout the world. It is a complicated pathological process that consists of primary insults and a secondary insult characterized by a set of biochemical cascades. The imbalance between a higher energy demand for repair of cell damage and decreased ...

Major burn injury induces an inflammatory response that is accompanied by the release of various cytokines. We investigated the gradual changes in the levels of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines following burn injury and determined the relationship between these levels and burn size in adult Korean patients with burn injury. Blood ...

AIM/HYPOTHESIS: Glucocorticoid hormones (GCs) are widely used to treat a variety of inflammatory and immune diseases. However, their long-term administration is associated with adverse metabolic effects, including glucose intolerance and diabetes. Our objective was to elucidate the mechanisms by which GCs affect beta cell survival with a specific emphasis on ...

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by immune infiltration of the pancreatic islets resulting in an inflammatory reaction named insulitis and subsequent beta cell apoptosis. During the course of insulitis beta cell death is probably caused by direct contact with activated macrophages and T-cells, and/or exposure ...

Severe trauma such as burn injury is often associated with a systemic inflammatory syndrome characterized by a hyperactive innate immune response and suppressed adaptive immune function. Dendritic cells (DCs), which sense pathogens via their Toll-like receptors (TLRs), play a pivotal role in protecting the host against infections. The effect of ...

Traumatic injury to the brain (TBI) results in a complex set of responses involving various symptoms and long-term consequences. TBI of any form can cause cognitive, behavioral and immunologic changes in later life, which underscores the problem of underdiagnosis of mild TBI that can cause long-term neurological deficits. TBI disrupts ...

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Chronic exposure of pancreatic beta cells to proinflammatory cytokines leads to impaired insulin secretion and apoptosis. ARE/poly(U)-binding factor 1 (AUF1) belongs to a protein family that controls mRNA stability and translation by associating with adenosine- and uridine-rich regions of target messengers. We investigated the involvement of AUF1 in cytokine-induced ...

BACKGROUND: Excessive accumulation of long-chain fatty acids in the pancreatic islets is associated with beta cell dysfunction and ultimately contributes to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. It has been well proved that the cell death-inducing DFF45-like effector b (Cideb) is involved in cell apoptosis and lipid metabolism. However, the ...

The rise in type 1 diabetes (T1D) incidence in recent decades is probably related to modifications in environmental factors. Viruses are among the putative environmental triggers of T1D. The mechanisms regulating beta cell responses to viruses, however, remain to be defined. We have presently clarified the signaling pathways leading to ...

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Pro-inflammatory cytokines induce death of pancreatic beta cells, leading to the development of type 1 diabetes. We sought to identify novel players and the underlying mechanisms involved in this process. METHODS: A high-throughput screen of 3,850 mouse small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) was performed in cytokine-treated MIN6 beta cells. Cells ...

BACKGROUND: Trehalose, a nonreducing disaccharide of glucose, is synthesized as a stress response factor when cells are exposed to stressful conditions. In the cornea, oxidative stress plays the key role in the development of acute corneal inflammatory response to UVB rays, photokeratitis. We found previously that trehalose reduced UVB-induced oxidative ...

PURPOSE:: To investigate the effect of tacrolimus on chemokine production by corneal myofibroblasts compared with that of cyclosporine or dexamethasone. METHODS:: We investigated the expression of FK506-binding protein 12, calcineurin, and nuclear factor of activated T cells in corneal myofibroblasts by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry. Next, we investigated whether toll-like ...

Cardiovascular event and infection are leading causes of death from peritoneal dialysis (PD). This study examined in vitro cellular mechanism for cardiotoxicity induced by PD-related peritonitis. Cultured human cardiomyocytes were treated with PD effluent (PDE) during peritonitis (PPDE), and effects of PPDE on cultured cardiomyocytes in terms of apoptosis, with ...

Studies have shown that epithelium-expressed antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), e.g., β-defensins, play a role in clearing bacteria from mouse corneas already infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Less is known about the role of AMPs in allowing the cornea to resist infection when healthy. We previously reported that contact lens exposure, a major ...

OBJECTIVE:: To determine the mechanisms involved in inflammatory responses against octacalcium phosphate (OCP) crystals in vivo METHODS:: OCP crystal-induced inflammation was monitored using a peritoneal model of inflammation in mice with different deficiencies affecting interleukin-1 (IL-1) secretion (IL-1α(-/-), IL-1β(-/-), ASC(-/-)and NLRP3-/- mice), or in mice pre-treated with IL-1 inhibitors (anakinra ...

Encephalitozoon cuniculi (Phylum Microsporidia) infects a wide range of mammals, and replicates within resting macrophages. Activated macrophages, conversely, inhibit replication and destroy intracellular organisms. These studies were performed to assess mechanisms of innate immune responses expressed by macrophages to control E. cuniculi infection. Addition of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species ...

The immunostimulatory activity of Hyriopsis cumingii polysaccharides (HCPS) was evaluated by using in vitro cell models and in vivo animal models. The results demonstrated that crude HCPS and its purified fractions (HCPS-1, HCPS-2 and HCPS-3) could promote the splenocyte proliferation, increase the activity of acid phosphatase in peritoneal macrophages and ...

RANTES (C-C chemokine, regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted) is involved in progression of endometriosis, but the precise mechanism is understood inadequately. This study is to elucidate the roles of RANTES in macrophage recruitment and tolerance in the endometriotic milieu. The expression of RANTES was analyzed by ...

Recently it was reported that 3μg/ml of recombinant YopJ induced apoptosis in murine peritoneal macrophages in vitro. However, in this study, we report the activation of murine peritoneal macrophages in vitro on treatment with sub-apoptotic dose of recombinant YopJ protein (1μg/ml). The activation involves enhanced production of nitric oxide (NO), ...

Macrophages are important tissue resident cells that regulate the dynamics of inflammation. However, they are strikingly heterogeneous. During studies looking at podoplanin (gp38) expression on stromal cells in the murine spleen and peritoneal cavity we unexpectedly discovered that podoplanin was expressed on a subset of F4/80(+) macrophages; a subset which ...

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to analyze if peritoneal cytokine levels can predict survival in an experimental model for peritonitis. Early identification of patients most at risk for adverse outcomes would facilitate the decision for aggressive therapy in order to maximally exploit their chance for survival. STUDY DESIGN: Peritonitis was induced ...

Exposure to non-physiological solutions during peritoneal dialysis (PD) produces structural alterations to the peritoneal membrane and ultrafiltration dysfunction. The high concentration of glucose and glucose degradation products in standard PD fluids induce a local diabetic environment, which leads to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that have an ...

Endometriosis is the primary cause of infertility in women, with a prevalence rate ranging from 5% to 10%. Women with endometriosis suffer from symptoms such as chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia, which significantly reduce the quality of life. Endometriosis is a polygenic disease with a complex, multifactorial etiology. The ...

AIM OF THE STUDY: Radix Bupleuri, one of the most frequently prescribed crude herbs in traditional Chinese medicine, has been used for centuries to treat inflammatory diseases. However, little is known about the therapeutic mechanisms of crude polysaccharides (BPs) isolated from the roots of Bupleurum smithii var. parvifolium. Macrophages play ...

We previously reported that the endogenous ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABC)A7 strongly associates with phagocytic function rather than biogenesis of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), being regulated by sterol-regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)2. Phagocytic activity was found enhanced by apolipoprotein (apo)A-I and apoA-II more than twice the maximum in J774 and mouse peritoneal ...

We sought to determine the effect of peritoneal fluid from a novel animal model of abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) on the proinflammatory status of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and monocytes. We hypothesize that peritoneal fluid is a potential priming and/or activating agent for PMNs/monocytes. ACS was induced in female Yorkshire swine, ...

Peritonitis is a common and serious complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD). Coagulase-negative staphylococci from the patient's own skin flora are the most commonly found micro-organisms. In the present study we aim to elucidate the immune response in the early stage of infection and to clarify the importance of bacterial attachment ...

The plasminogen activation system plays an integral role in the migration of macrophages in response to an inflammatory stimulus, and the binding of plasminogen to its cell-surface receptor initiates this process. Although previous studies from our laboratory have shown the importance of the plasminogen receptor S100A10 in cancer cell plasmin ...

Tim-4 is a phosphatidylserine (PS) receptor that is expressed on various macrophage subsets. It mediates phagocytosis of apoptotic cells by peritoneal macrophages. The in vivo functions of Tim-4 in phagocytosis and immune responses, however, are still unclear. In this study, we show that Tim-4 quickly forms punctate caps on contact ...

Peritoneal metastasis is a distinct pathologic characteristic of advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), which is the most deadly disease of the female reproductive tract. The inflammatory environment of the peritoneum in EOC contains abundant macrophages, activated thrombin, and thrombin-associated receptors. However, little is known about the mechanism by which the ...

OBJECTIVES: Pathological studies have indicated that the peritoneum of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients exhibits characteristics of chronic inflammation like peritonitis. Abundant macrophage infiltration and increased expression of coagulation factor XII (FXII) have been observed in the peritoneum of EOC patients. The aim of this study is to determine how ...

Treponema denticola has been identified as an important cause of periodontal disease and hypothesized to be involved in extra-oral infections. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of T. denticola cell length and motility during mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro uptake. Macrophages, incubated under aerobic and anaerobic ...

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Larrea divaricata Cav. (Zygophyllaceae) is a plant widely used in Argentina. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We isolated different fractions of L. divaricata aqueous extract containing minor amounts of NDGA, and we analyzed these fractions on mouse macrophages. RESULTS: We showed that a fraction without NDGA was capableof activating ...

The immune system is highly complex, intricately regulated group of cells whose integrated function is essential to health. Modulating the functions of these cells offers important pharmacological and therapeutic approaches in many disease conditions.This study reports on the in vitro immunostimulant activities of two flavonoid-rich fractions of Alchornea cordifolia (Euphorbiaceae) ...

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is an inflammatory condition, associated with highly dysregulated immune response at both uterine and peritoneal levels. Surprisingly, Foxp3+ regulatory T-cells, which control and suppress a range of immune responses, have not previously been investigated in endometriosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Immunohistochemical analysis of Foxp3+ cells in 127 eutopic endometrial ...

Effective immunosuppressive therapy is essential to prevent transplant rejection but renders patients vulnerable to opportunistic infections. The present study investigates the effects of common immunosuppressive drugs on the course of septic peritonitis in an experimental mouse model. We show that treatment with a combination of tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and methylprednisolone ...

BACKGROUND: Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFalpha) is a pleiotropic cytokine extensively studied for its role in the pathogenesis of a variety of disease conditions, including in inflammatory diseases. We have recently shown that, in vitro, that TNFalpha utilizes PLD1 to mediate the activation of NFkappaB and ERK1/2 in human monocytes. ...

Obesity is associated with a chronic low-grade inflammation that predisposes to insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes. In this metabolic context, gastrointestinal (GI) candidiasis is common. We recently demonstrated that the PPARγ ligand rosiglitazone promotes the clearance of Candida albicans through the activation of alternative M2 macrophage ...