The effect of transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) on proteoglycan synthesis and degradation in anatomically intact articular cartilage of murine patellae was studied. Exogenously added TGF beta up to a concentration of 200 pmol/l had no effect on proteoglycan synthesis in intact articular cartilage. Neutralisation of endogenously produced TGF beta with a specific monoclonal antibody to T...

Introduction: Acinetobacter baumannii is associated with hospital-acquired infections. Outer membrane protein A of A.baumannii (AbOmpA) is a well-characterized virulence factor which has important roles in pathogenesis of this bacterium. Methods: Based on our PCR-sequencing of ompA gene in the clinical isolates, AbOmpA protein can be categorized into two types, named here type-1 and type-2. We ...

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) selectively modulates hematopoietic cell proliferation. The proliferation of FDC-P1 clone MAC-11, a factor-dependent murine myeloid progenitor cell line, was inhibited differentially by TGF-beta 1: strongly in macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), mildly in interleukin-3, and not at all in granulocyte-macrophage-CSF (GM-CSF). Flow cytometry...

The stiffness of the extracellular matrix can profoundly influence cell and tissue behaviors. Thus there is an emerging emphasis on understanding how matrix mechanical environments are established, regulated, and modified. Here we develop a microrheometric assay to measure the mechanical properties of a model extracellular matrix (type I collagen gel) and use it to explore cytokine-induced, cel...