Human Vγ9Vδ2 T cells respond to microbial infections as well as certain types of tumors. The key initiators of Vγ9Vδ2 activation are small, pyrophosphate-containing molecules called phosphoantigens (pAgs) that are present in infected cells or accumulate intracellularly in certain tumor cells. Recent studies demonstrate that initiation of the Vγ9Vδ2 T cell response begins with sensing of pAg via...

The effects of processed Aloe vera gel (PAG) on cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced immunotoxicity were examined in mice. Intraperitoneal injection of CP significantly reduced the total number of lymphocytes and erythrocytes in the blood. Oral administration of PAG quickly restored CP-induced lymphopenia and erythropenia in a dose-dependent manner. The reversal of CP-induced hematotoxicity by PAG was...

Opioid-based narcotics are the most widely prescribed therapeutic agent for the alleviation of persistent pain; however, it is becoming increasingly clear that morphine is significantly less potent in women compared with men. Morphine primarily binds to -opioid receptors (MORs), and the periaqueductal gray (PAG) contains a dense population of MOR-expressing neurons. Via its descending projectio...

The highly conserved Myc Box II (MBII) domain of c-Myc is critically important for transformation and transcriptional regulation. A yeast two-hybrid screen identified Pag as a MBII-interacting protein. Pag, a member of the peroxiredoxin family, has been reported previously to bind to and inhibit the cytostatic properties of the c-Abl oncoprotein. We now show that Pag promotes increased cell siz...

The nociceptive response latencies were increased significantly after intra-periaqueductal grey (PAG) administration of 1.0 or 3.0 nmol of galanin, but not 0.3 nmol, in rats. The effect of galanin was attenuated by following injection of 5.5 nmol of naloxone into PAG. These results indicate an anti-nociceptive role of galanin, and a possible interaction between galanin and opioid peptides in PA...

The present study investigated the role of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the modulation of nociception in periaqueductal grey (PAG) of rats. Hindpaw withdrawal latencies (HWLs) were tested by hot-plate and Randall Selitto tests. The HWLs to thermal and mechanical stimulation increased significantly after intra-PAG administration of 0.26 or 0.13 nmol of CGRP, but not 0.026 nmol of CG...

Absolute serum concentrations of pregnancy-associated alpha2-glycoprotein (alpha2-PAG) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were compared in 54 patients before and after surgery for colorectal cancer. Preoperatively, elevated levels of alpha2-PAG were found in 32 (59%) and of CEA in 35 (65%). Postoperatively, elevated alpha2-PAG levels were found in 10 of 18 patients (56%) without clinical eviden...

Human neuroimaging offers a powerful way to connect animal and human research on emotion, with profound implications for psychological science. However, the gulf between animal and human studies remains a formidable obstacle: human studies typically focus on the cortex and a few subcortical regions such as the amygdala, whereas deeper structures such as the brainstem periaqueductal gray (PAG) p...

BACKGROUND Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with hyperarousal and active fight or flight defensive responses. By contrast, the dissociative subtype of PTSD, characterized by depersonalization and derealization symptoms, is frequently accompanied by additional passive or submissive defensive responses associated with autonomic blunting. Here, the periaqueductal gray (PAG) plays...

The periaqueductal gray (PAG) is known to be essential for vocalization and reproductive behavior. The PAG controls components of these behaviors by means of projections to the nucleus retroambiguus (NRA), a group of premotor neurons in the caudal medulla oblongata. In the accompanying study (VanderHorst et al., 2000 [accompanying study]), the NRA and its lumbosacral projections have been ident...