The innate immune system plays a crucial role in protecting the host against infectious microorganisms. An inappropriate control of this system may have profound consequences, because of the maintained production of specific proinflammatory molecules. Glucocorticoids are the most efficient endogenous molecules that provide negative feedback on proinflammatory signaling and gene expression. Here...

It is of great interest for gene therapy to develop vectors that drive the insertion of a therapeutic gene into a chosen specific site on the cellular genome. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is unique among mammalian viruses in that it integrates into a distinct region of human chromosome 19 (integration site AAVS1). The inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) flanking the AAV genome and the AAV-encoded ...

Augmentation of the peak bone mass (PBM) may be one of the most effective interventions to reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis later in life; however treatments to augment PBM are currently limited. Our study evaluated whether a greater PBM could be achieved either in the progesterone nuclear receptor knockout mice (PRKO) or by using a nuclear progesterone receptor (nPR) antagonist, RU48...

Selecting the most reliable method to deliver exogenous steroids remains a problem for researchers, particularly when designing experiments on small birds. We used intraperitoneal (IP) osmotic pumps to deliver exogenous corticosterone (CORT) and RU486 in captive White-throated Sparrows. Males received implants containing either a low (LD) or moderate dose (MD) of CORT, RU486 (RU), or polyethyle...

A transcriptomic analysis of cultured human uterine smooth muscle cells (hUtSMCs) was performed to examine gene expression profiles in smooth muscle in an environment containing the two major steroid hormones that regulate the human myometrium in physiological states associated with estrous, pregnancy, labor, and pathophysiological states such as leiomyoma and endometrial cancer. hUtSMCs were t...

The corpus luteum (CL) forms after ovulation and acts as a temporary endocrine gland that produces progesterone (P4), a hormone that is essential for implantation and maintenance of pregnancy in mammals. In pregnant women, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) secreted by the conceptus prevents luteolysis. hCG also increases the survival of cultured human luteinized granulosa cells (hLGCs). To cla...

To investigate gene synergism in multistage skin carcinogenesis, the RU486-inducible cre/lox system was employed to ablate Pten function (K14.cre/Delta5Pten flx) in mouse epidermis expressing activated Fos (HK1.Fos). RU486-treated HK1.Fos/Delta5Pten flx mice exhibited hyperplasia, hyperkeratosis and tumours that progressed to highly differentiated keratoacanthomas, rather than to carcinomas, ow...

Glucocorticoids are involved in many aspects of regulation of acid-base homeostasis, including the stimulation of renal ammoniagenesis during chronic metabolic acidosis. Plasma glutamine is the principal substrate for ammoniagenesis under these conditions. Expression of the System N glutamine transporter SNAT3 is increased in the renal proximal tubules during acidosis. In vivo studies in rats u...