This study tests the hypothesis that avb3 integrin receptors play a critical role in smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration after arterial injury and facilitate migration through the upregulation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity. We showed that b3 integrin mRNA was upregulated by SMCs in the balloon-injured rat carotid artery in coincidence with MMP-1 expression and early SMC migration. T...

The F11 hybridoma, a dorsal root ganglion-derived cell line, was used to investigate the response of nociceptive sensory neurons to nanotopographical guidance cues. This established this cell line as a model of peripheral sensory neuron growth for tissue scaffold design. Cells were seeded on substrates of cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) films imprinted via nanoimprint lithography (NIL) with a gra...

The anti-HER2 antibody pertuzumab inhibits HER2 dimerization and affects HER2/HER3 dimer formation and signaling. As HER3 and its ligand neuregulin are implicated in pancreatic tumorigenesis, we investigated whether HER3 expression could be a predictive biomarker of pertuzumab efficacy in HER2low-expressing pancreatic cancer. We correlated in vitro and in vivo HER3 expression and neuregulin dep...

The polymeric procyanidins extracted from Acacia confusa stem bark were fractionated with a step gradient of water, methanol and acetone on a Sephadex LH-20 column. The antioxidant activity of the collected fractions was investigated by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. All fractions possessed potent antioxidant...

Although the lung is the primary site of infection of tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis is capable of causing infection at other sites. In 5-10 % such extra-pulmonary tuberculosis is located in bone tissue of the spine. It is unknown whether host or microbial factors are responsible for the site where extra-pulmonary tuberculosis manifests itself. One MDR isolate belonging to strain F28,...

Three Brazilian isolates of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), antigenically distinct from the standard North American isolates, were selected to immunize BALB/c mice in order to obtain hybridoma cells secreting anti-BVDV monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Two hybridoma clones secreting mAbs, reacting specifically with BVDV-infected cells (mAbs 3.1C4 and 6.F11), were selected after five fusions and...

Clearance of apoptotic neutrophils (polymorphonuclear leukocyte [PMN]) by macrophages is thought to play a crucial role in resolution of acute inflammation. There is increasing evidence that ingestion of apoptotic cells modulates macrophage behavior. We therefore performed experiments to determine whether ingestion of apoptotic PMN modulated the uptake process itself. Rat bone marrow-derived ma...

Random heptapeptide library displayed by bacteriophage T7 was used to characterize epitopes of five monoclonal antibodies that were specific to L. australis, L. bangkok, and L. bratislava. Phages selected by biopanning were cloned by plaque isolation, and the binding specificity of individual clones was confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, before being further amplified and checked f...

The aim of this study was to develop a sustained release hydrophilic matrix tablet of Diltiazem HCl and evaluates the effect of formulation variables (e.g. lubricant, binder, polymer content and viscosity grades of HPMC) on drug release. Twelve different formulations (F1-F12) were prepared by direct compression. The results of the physical parameters and assay were found to be within the accept...

This study explored the morphological characteristics and effects of pollination methods on fruit set and characteristics in 4 red pitaya (Hylocereus spp.) clones. The distinctive morphological recognition and classification among pitaya clones were confirmed by the stem, flower and fruit features. The fruit production season was indicated from the beginning of May to the end of August – the be...