Seventeen severely anaemic and transfusion-dependent haemodialysis patients with a haemoglobin less than 7 g/dl were treated with recombinant human erythropoietin (r-Hu-EPO). Aluminium toxicity was diagnosed by a positive desferrioxamine (DFO) test and bone biopsy. Seven out of eight patients without aluminium toxicity responded to r-Hu-EPO therapy. Similarly all patients with aluminium toxicit...

Tumor cell resistance to certain chemotherapeutic agents may result in cross-resistance to related antineoplastic agents. To study cross-resistance among inhibitors of ribonucleotide reductase, we developed hydroxyurea-resistant (HU-R) CCRF-CEM cells. These cells were 6-fold more resistant to hydroxyurea than the parent hydroxyurea-sensitive (HU-S) cell line and displayed an increase in the mRN...

The Hu proteins are a group of antigens targeted in an immune-mediated neurodegenerative disorder associated with cancer. We have cloned and characterized four members of the Hu gene family from mouse. We find that the Hu genes encode a large number of alternatively spliced transcripts to produce a series of related neuron-specific RNA binding proteins. Despite this complexity, we have discerne...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to determine the cut-off values of Hounsfield units (HU) for the discrimination of plaque components and to evaluate the feasibility of measurement of the volume of plaque components using multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT). METHODS Coronary lesions (125 lesions in 125 patients) were visualized by both integrated backscatter intravascular ul...

Activated neutrophils increase erythrocyte phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure. PS-exposed sickle red blood cells (SSRBCs) are more adhesive to vascular endothelium than non-PS-exposed cells. An increase in SSRBC fetal hemoglobin (HbF) concentration has been associated with improved rheology and decreased numbers of vasoocclusive episodes. This study examined the effects of HbF, PS-exposed SSRBCs,...

Hydroxyurea (HU) specifically inhibits class I ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), depleting dNTP pools and leading to replication fork arrest. Although HU inhibition of RNR is well recognized, the mechanism by which it leads to cell death remains unknown. To investigate the mechanism of HU-induced cell death, we used a systems-level approach to determine the genomic and physiological responses of ...

Simulated microgravity depresses the ability of arteries to constrict to norepinephrine (NE). In the present study the role of nitric oxide-dependent mechanisms on the vascular hyporesponsiveness to NE was investigated in peripheral arteries of the rat after 20 days of hindlimb unweighting (HU). Blood vessels from control rats and rats subjected to HU (HU rats) were cut into 3-mm rings and moun...

The nucleoid-associated protein HU plays an important role in bacterial nucleoid organization and is involved in numerous processes including transposition, recombination and DNA repair. We show here that HU binds specifically DNA containing mismatched region longer than 3 bp as well as DNA bulges. HU binds single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) in a binding mode that is reminiscent but different from ear...

Hydroxyurea (HU), the first of two drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treating patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), produces anti-sickling effect by re-activating fetal γ-globin gene to enhance production of fetal hemoglobin. However, approximately 30% of the patients do not respond to HU therapy. The molecular basis of non-responsiveness to HU is not clearly understo...

BACKGROUND Computed Tomography (CT) is considered the gold-standard for the pre-operative evaluation of urolithiasis. However, no Hounsfield (HU) variable capable of differentiating stone types has been clearly identified. The aim of this study is to assess the predictive value of HU parameters on CT for determining stone composition and outcomes in percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). METHOD...