Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3672/1410001
Polarization of Human THP-1 Macrophages: Link between Adenosine Receptors, Inflammation and Lipid Accumulation
Michael J. Littlefild, Isaac Teboul, Iryna Voloshyna and Allison B. Reiss
Article Type: Research Article | First Published: December 08, 2014
Rationale: Macrophages are key players in inflammation and atherosclerosis. They express surface receptors of different subtypes for the endogenous autocoid adenosine. Macrophages within atherosclerotic lesions attain two clear-cut functional phenotypes M1 (pro-inflammatory) and M2 (immunosuppressive). This study examines the relative expression of adenosine receptors and proteins involved in cholesterol transport in THP-1 human macrophages upon differentiation into M1 and M2 subtypes....
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3656/1410013
Recurrent Ischemic Strokes as the First Manifestation of A Pancreatic Cancer
Rosaria Renna
Article Type: Case Report | First Published: January 03, 2015
A 56-year-old Caucasian woman presented to the Emergency Department of our hospital with acute headache and a speech disorder characterized by mild aphasia and dysarthria. She had a history of arterial hypertension and nicotism for several years. Neurological evaluation at admission revealed mild motor aphasia and dysarthria (NIHSS: 2). Brain computed tomography (CT) showed two hypodense lesions, in the lef temporal and the right frontal lobes respectively. Results of laboratory tests revealed e...
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3656/1410012
Monitoring of the Left Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve during Mediastinoscopy is Feasible and Safe
Wolfram Karenovics, Sebastien Guigard, Besa Zenelaj, Marc Licker and Frederic Triponez
Article Type: Research Article | First Published: December 29, 2014
Objective: Left Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve (RLN) palsy is a well known complication of cervical mediastinoscopy and is not infrequent if specifically looked for. Electro-physiological monitoring of the RLN is common practice in thyroid surgery and has greatly improved outcomes. We applied the same technique during cervical video-mediastinoscopy. Patients and methods: Between October 2012 and October 2013 patients undergoing mediastinoscopy were enrolled prospectively for intra-operative monitorin...
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3648/1410011
Relationship of Mitochondrial DNA Haplogroups with Complex Diseases
Carlos G Urzua-Traslavina, Maria G Moreno-Trevino, Denisse A Martinez-Trevino, Hugo A Barrera-Saldana and Rafael BR Leon-Cachon
Article Type: Review Article | First Published: December 16, 2014
Mitochondria are responsible for energy production in unicellular and multicellular eukaryotes. Apart from their major role in metabolism, mitochondria are involved in many other cellular processes. A new paradigm is needed to understand aging, aging-related illnesses, and complex diseases. Because of the long co-evolution of mitochondria with the cells, subtle variations in the function of these organelles could influence many organ systems. Understanding the extent of this influence will shed ...
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3648/1410010
Oxidative Stress and the Epigenome in Human Disease
Adriana Arita and Max Costa
Article Type: Review Article | First Published: December 15, 2014
Epigenetics refers to the study of the changes in gene expression that occur without changes in the DNA sequence. There is growing evidence that epigenetic modifications such as changes in the levels of DNA methylation or post-translational histone modifications are involved in the pathogenesis of many human diseases including cancer. Oxidative stress as a result of metabolic or environmental factors leads to excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS plays a role in many human d...
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3648/1410009
Discordant Disease Course in a Monozygotic Twin Pair with Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia
Silvia Bresolin, Paola De Filippi, Claudia Cagioni, Simone Cesaro, Annamaria Di Meglio, Anna Leszl, Fiorenza Aprili, Chiara Cugno, Chiara Frasson, Marco Zecca, Cesare Danesino and Geertruyte Kronnie
Article Type: Research Article | First Published: December 14, 2014
Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia is a rare neoplastic disorder occurring in early childhood often showing an aggressive progression. We report a case of a twin pair with concordant JMML but an extremely different disease course. Both twins presented with somatic aberrations of chromosome 7 and mutations in PTPN11. Analysis of sorted BM and PB cell populations revealed the clonal nature of the disease and indicated that genomic aberrations arise from common hematopoietic precursor cells. PTPN11 m...
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3516/1410007
Eicosapentaenoic Acid Decreases Histamine Receptor 1 Expression on Lung Microvascular Endothelial Cells and Cell Permeability during LPS Stimulation
Takaaki Osako, Michiko Aoyama-Ishikawa, Hayato Yamashita, Makoto Usami, Atsunori Nakao and Joji Kotani
Article Type: Original Article | First Published: December 26, 2014
Introduction: During acute lung inflammation, the lung microvasculature becomes hyperpermeable, resulting in immune cell infiltration and tissue edema. N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), when used as a supplement in parenteral nutrition, can attenuate Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung injury. In this study, we examined the effects n-3 PUFAs on lung microvascular cell permeability. Material and methods: Human lung microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC-L) were seeded on fibronectin-coat...
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3516/1410006
Infective Endarteritis in a Patent Ductus Arteriosus
John Fani Srour
Article Type: Case Report | First Published: December 15, 2014
The ductus arteriosus, an essential fetal structure, normally closes spontaneously soon after birth. It's persistence into late adulthood is considered rare; infective endarteritis complicating a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is an even rarer event. The clinical picture of an infected PDA could be subtle, and the diagnosis is frequently delayed. Symptoms may well be attributed to community acquired pneumonia, pleurisy, or pulmonary infarction from pulmonary embolism. Occasionally, especially in...
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3664/1410005
Development of A Cellular Hepatocarcinoma Animal Model for the Evaluation of Pt(Acac)2/Tio2 Nanoparticles Effect
Tessy Lopez Goerne, Mayra Alvarez Lemus, Gustavo Jardon Guadarrama, Paola Ramirez Olivares, Aurora Sanchez Garcia, Daniel Rembao Bojorquez, Ruben Arguero Sanchez and Octavio Novaro Penalosa
Article Type: Research Article | First Published: December 16, 2014
Because of the worldwide increasing incidence of cancer new alternative therapies are needed. The use of nanotechnology for clinical applications is constantly growing. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the administration of platinum inorganic nanoparticles over livers from Wistar rats. In order to reach this goal cellular Hepatocarcinoma was fist induced with N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) and Carbon tetrachloride....