We have examined the hypothesis that the release of tissue type plasminogen activator may play a prominent role in endothelin induced gastric mucosal injury. We determined tissue type plasminogen activator activity in the regional blood sample and the concentration of platelet activating factor in the gastric mucosa after the administration of endothelin-1 in a range of 50-500 pmol/kg into the ...

Platelet-activating factor is a novel phospholipid that has been implicated as an important mediator of acute allergic reactions. The intravenous administration of acetyl glyceryl ether phosphorylcholine, a pure, synthetic platelet-activating factor, causes electrocardiographic changes in the rabbit similar to those which are characteristic manifestations of systemic anaphylaxis. To determine w...

INTRODUCTION Severe dengue infection is characterized by enhanced vascular permeability produced by cytokines and biochemical mediators. One of these mediators is the platelet-activating factor. Degradation of platelet-activating factor is accomplished by its specific acetylhydrolase. Down or up regulation of this enzyme has been linked to several diseases. However, the role of this enzyme in d...

Both platelet activating factor and eicosanoids participate in the cerebrovascular response to ischemia. Eicosanoids also modulate cerebrovascular tone under normal physiologic circumstances, but a similar role for platelet activating factor has not been investigated. Therefore, using 16 rats, we studied the effects of the platelet activating factor receptor blockers BN 52021 (10 mg/kg, n = 4 o...

Dendritic cells are important antigen-presenting cells of the immune system that induce and modulate immune responses. They interact with T and B lymphocytes as well as with natural killer cells to promote activation and differentiation of these cells. Dendritic cells generated in vitro from monocytes by use of the cytokines GM-CSF and IL-4 are increasingly used clinically to enhance antitumor ...