Toll-like receptor 2 activation by β2→1-fructans protects barrier function of t84 human intestinal epithelial cells in a chain length-dependent manner

Dietary fiber intake is associated with lower incidence and mortality from disease, but the underlying mechanisms of these protective effects are unclear.We hypothesized that β2→1-fructan dietary fibers confer protection on intestinal epithelial cell barrier function via Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), and we studied whether β2→1-fructan chain...

The carcinoGENOMICS project: Critical selection of model compounds for the development of omics-based in vitro carcinogenicity screening assays

Recent changes in the European legislation of chemical-related substances have forced the scientific community to speed up the search for alternative methods that could partly or fully replace animal experimentation. The Sixth Framework Program project carcinoGENOMICS was specifically raised to develop omics-based in vitro screens for testing...

Inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-14 in osteosarcoma cells by clodronate

Background. Bisphosphonates reduce the bone metastasis formation and angiogenesis but the exact molecular mechanisms involved are unclear. Progelatinase A (proMMP-2; 78 KDa) is activated up during the tumor spread and metastasis by a cell surface-associated matrix metalloproteinase (membrane-type matrix metalloproteinase [MT1-MMP] or MMP-14)....

Increased sensitivity to glucocorticoids in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of chronic fatigue syndrome patients, without evidence for altered density or affinity of glucocorticoid receptors

Background: In this study we tested the hypothesis that the increased sensitivity to glucocorticoids in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)-patients can be attributed to an altered functioning of their glucocorticoid receptors (GR). Methods: For this purpose, affinity and distribution of the GR were studied in purified, peripheral blood mononuclear...

Synthesis, storage and regulated secretion of tissue-type plasminogen activator by cultured rat heart endothelial cells

The synthesis, storage and regulated secretion (acute release) of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) were studied in cultured rat heart endothelial (RHE) cells. In this study, special attention was paid to the correspondence between tPA metabolism in RHE cells in vitro and tPA metabolism in rats in vivo. RHE cells synthetized tPA, as shown...

Cell-type specific DNA-protein interactions at the tissue-type plasminogen activator promoter in human endothelial and HeLa cells in vivo and in vitro

Tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) gene expression in human endothelial cells and HeLa cells is stimulated by the protein kinase C activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) at the level of transcription. To study the mechanism of transcriptional regulation, we have characterized a segment of the t-PA gene extending from -135 to +100...

Studies on the mechanism of fibrate-inhibited expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in cultured hepatocytes from cynomolgus monkey

Fibrates are widely used drugs in hyperlipidemic disorders. In addition to lowering serum triglyceride levels, fibrates have also been shown to reduce elevated plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels in vivo. We demonstrate that fibrates suppress PAI-1 synthesis in cultured cynomolgus monkey hepatocytes in a concentration...

Role of c-Jun and proximal phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate-(PMA)-responsive elements in the regulation of basal and PMA-stimulated plasminogen-activator inhibitor-1 gene expression in HepG2

Experiments were designed to clarify the role of c-Jun/c-Fos and of putative phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate-(PMA)-responsive elements (TREs) in the induction of plasminogen-activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) gene transcription in the human hepatoma cell line HepG2 by activators of protein kinase C (PKC). Treatment of HepG2 cells with the phorbol...

Tumor necrosis factor α induces endothelial galactosyl transferase activity and verocytotoxin receptors. Role of specific tumor necrosis factor receptors and protein kinase C

Infections with verocytotoxin (VT) producing Escherichia coil have been strongly implicated in the epidemic form of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Endothelial damage plays a central role in the pathogenesis of HUS. In vitro studies have shown that VT can damage endothelial cells after interaction with its cellular receptor...

Constitutive expression of LY-6.A2 on murine keratinocytes and inducible expression on TCRγδ+ dendritic epidermal T cells

We investigated the expression of Ly-6.A2 on isolated murine epidermal cells by flow cytometry. Ly-6.A2 was expressed on 61% of keratinocytes and 6% of dendritic epidermal T cells of C57BL mice. Phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C removed Ly-6.A2, indicating that the antigen is anchored to the keratinocyte membrane via a glycosyl...