Formyl peptide receptors (FPRs) are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) expressed on a variety of cell types. Because FPRs play an important role in the regulation of inflammatory reactions implicated in disease pathogenesis, FPR antagonists may represent novel therapeutics for modulating innate immunity. Previously, 4H-chromones were reported to be potent and competitive FPR1 antagonists. In t...

Crosslinking of the IgE receptor on rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells using the multivalent antigen DNP-BSA leads to a rapid and sustained increase in the filamentous actin content of the cells. Stimulation of RBL cells through the adenosine receptor also induces a very rapid polymerization of actin, which peaks in 45-60 s and is equivalent in magnitude to the F-actin response elicited throug...

BACKGROUND IgE-binding of process-modified foods or proteins is the most common method for examination of how food processing affects allergenicity of food allergens. How processing affects sensitization capacity is generally studied by administration of purified food proteins or food extracts and not allergens present in their natural food matrix. OBJECTIVES The aim was to investigate if the...

BACKGROUND Chronic inflammation is one of the important mediators of colitis-related colon cancer (CRC). Abundant mast cells (MCs) were observed in the tumor microenvironment and mediators released upon MC activation play an important role in the process of chronic inflammation. Previously, we found that activation of intestine mucosal MCs recruited and modulated the inflammatory CD11b(+)Gr1(+)...

The continuum and emission lines properties of a sample of 73 blazars is studied, investigating differences and similarities among normal low–polarization quasars (LPQ), radio–loud high polarized quasars (HPQ), and BL Lacertae objects (BLL). We found that at variance with LPQ, most HPQ have power lawoptical continua (fν ∝ ν)with no indication of blue bumps or strong FeII and Balmer emission. Co...

BACKGROUND In this prospective randomized study we compared two groups of patients with grade II hemorrhoids treated with standard Rubber Band Ligation (RBL) and Combined Hemorrhoidal Radiocoagulation (CHR), respectively. METHODS Out of 90 patients initially randomized, a total of 75 patients regularly returned to visit controls at least for 6 months of follow-up. Consequently, two groups of ...

Retinoblastoma (RB), an intraocular childhood tumor occurring in a hereditary (mostly bilateral) or non-hereditary (unilateral) form, is associated with the inactivation of both alleles of a putative tumor suppressor gene (RB-I) located on chromosome 13q14. Both the process of RB development and the biological characteristics of RB cells are as yet poorly understood. We have established 7 new R...

Chronic radiation proctitis is an infrequent complication of pelvic radiotherapy, occurring in 5%–20% of patients [1]. Argon plasma coagulation (APC) is the preferred endoscopic therapy for treatment of chronic radiation proctitis and is considered effective and well tolerated. A 74-year-old man with a history of radical prostatectomy and subsequent radiotherapy 3 years previously was brought t...

We have used a model system to explore the importance of long-range lateral diffusion of membrane proteins in specific membrane-membrane adhesion. Single, cell-size phospholipid vesicles containing a dinitrophenyl (DNP)-lipid hapten were maneuvered into contact with rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells carrying fluorescent anti-DNP IgE in their cell-surface Fc epsilon receptors. Upon cell-vesicl...