Search Results - (Author, Cooperation:M. Weller)

2018-05-17

American Physical Society (APS)

1050-2947

1094-1622

Physics

Atomic and molecular processes in external fields, including interactions with strong fields and short pulses

2018-11-17

American Physical Society (APS)

1050-2947

1094-1622

Physics

Atomic and molecular collisions and interactions

2018-11-27

American Physical Society (APS)

1050-2947

1094-1622

Physics

Atomic and molecular processes in external fields, including interactions with strong fields and short pulses

2011-10-07

Nature Publishing Group (NPG)

0028-0836

1476-4687

Biology

Chemistry and Pharmacology

Medicine

Natural Sciences in General

Physics

Animals ; Autocrine Communication ; Brain Neoplasms/genetics/immunology/*metabolism/*pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; Disease Progression ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Glioma/genetics/immunology/*metabolism/*pathology ; Humans ; Kynurenine/immunology/*metabolism/pharmacology/secretion ; Ligands ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Paracrine Communication ; Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon/immunology/*metabolism ; Tryptophan/metabolism ; Tryptophan Oxygenase/deficiency/genetics/metabolism

2018-12-15

American Physical Society (APS)

0031-9007

1079-7114

Physics

Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics

2018-04-19

The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

0022-3565

1521-0103

Medicine

2018-02-16

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

1078-0432

1557-3265

Medicine

1471-4159

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

Abstract : The inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family of anti-apoptoticgenes, originally discovered in baculovirus, exists in animals ranging frominsects to humans. Here, we investigated the ability of IAPs to suppress celldeath in both a neuronal model of apoptosis and excitotoxicity. Cerebellargranule neurons undergo apoptosis when switched from 25 to 5 mMpotassium, and excitotoxic cell death in response to glutamate. We examinedthe endogenous expression of four members of the IAP family, Xchromosome-linked IAP (XIAP), rat IAP1 (RIAP1), RIAP2, and neuronal apoptosisinhibitory protein (NAIP), by semiquantitative reverse PCR and immunoblotanalysis in cultured cerebellar granule neurons. Cerebellar granule neuronsexpress significant levels of RIAP2 mRNA and protein, but expression of RIAP1,NAIP, and XIAP was not detected. RIAP2 mRNA content and protein levels did notchange when cells were switched from 25 to 5 mM potassium. Todetermine whether ectopic expression of IAP influenced neuronal survival afterpotassium withdrawal or glutamate exposure, we used recombinant adenoviralvectors to target XIAP, human IAP1 (HIAP1), HIAP2, and NAIP into cerebellargranule neurons. We demonstrate that forced expression of IAPs efficientlyblocked potassium withdrawal-inducedN-acetly-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-specific caspase activity and reduced DNAfragmentation. However, neurons were only protected from apoptosis up to 24 hafter potassium withdrawal, not at later time points suggesting that IAPSdelay but do not block apoptosis in cerebellar granule neurons. In contrast,treatment with 100 μM or 1 mM glutamate did not induce caspase activity and adenoviral-mediated expression of IAPs had no influence on subsequent excitotoxic cell death.

Electronic Resource

1471-4159

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

Abstract— Two procedures are described for preparing from ox brain grey matter a subcellular fraction enriched in neuronal membranes. In the first, an angle rotor was used to fractionate the crude mitochondrial and nuclear fraction and yielded 1·3–1·4 g of membrane protein from 200 g of tissue. The second procedure employed essentially the same principle except that a zonal rotor was used to fractionate in the final stage. The two methods gave comparable results for yields of protein, Na-K-Mg AT Pase and succinate dehydrogenase.

Electronic Resource

1398-9995

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

In the literature, bronchial allergen challenge is usually reported to result in an increase in histamine-induced airway responsiveness (AR). The present study investigated the relation between baseline AR and allergen-induced changes in AR. The effect of allergen challenge on AR was investigated in 21 atopic asthmatic patients. Allergen challenge resulted in a significant decrease in PC20 histamine after 24 h. When the group was divided into three subgroups according to baseline PC20 histamine, a significant decrease in PC20 histamine was found only in patients with relatively high baseline PC20 histamine (groups 1 and 2). A significant inverse correlation was found between baseline PC20 and allergen-induced PC20 histamine. The effect of repeated allergen challenge on AR was studied in eight patients. The first allergen challenge resulted in a significant decrease in PC20 histamine; no further decrease in mean PC20 histamine was seen after the second allergen challenge. These results suggest that allergen-induced changes in AR occur mainly in patients with relatively high baseline PC20 values. Once an increase in AR is induced, further allergen challenge does not always result in further increase in AR.

Electronic Resource

1471-4159

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

Inhibitor-of-differentiation 2 (Id2) belongs to a family of transcriptional modulators that are characterized by a helix loop helix region but lack the basic amino acid domain. During development, Id2 antagonizes differentiation mediated by the retinoblastoma protein, probably by scavenging downstream E-box basic helix-loop-helix proteins. Here, using differential display RT-PCR, we identify Id2 as an induced gene during serum and potassium deprivation-induced apoptosis of cerebellar granule neurons. Consistent with a biological role for induced Id2 messenger RNA and protein expression in neuronal cell death, expression of Id2 antisense RNA, or targeted deletion of the Id2 gene in neurons from Id2 knock-out mice, protect from apoptosis. Further, gene transfer- mediated overexpression of Id2 induces neuronal cell death both in high potassium and low potassium conditions. Thus, the present study defines a role for Id2 in the modulation of neuronal apoptosis.

Electronic Resource

1365-2222

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

Background Anti-allergic mattress encasing may provide clinical benefit in asthmatic patients. However, the effect of mattress encasings on allergen-specific parameters, such as bronchial reactions to house dust mite (HDM) challenge, is not clear.Objective To investigate the effect of anti-allergic mattress encasings on allergen sensitivity in patients with moderate to severe asthma.Methods Twenty-seven patients with asthma and HDM allergy were studied in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Concentrations of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p 1) were measured in mattress dust before and after 1 year of treatment; bronchial histamine challenge, bronchial challenge with HDM and intradermal skin challenges with HDM were performed. The number of eosinophils in peripheral blood was assessed.Results In the active group, but not in the placebo group, there was a significant reduction in Der p 1 concentration in the dust collected from the mattresses after 1 year of treatment compared to before. There was a significant difference between the groups with respect to HDM-induced early-reaction (ER) in the airways and the number of blood eosinophils, which reflected an increase in ER and eosinophils in the placebo group without significant change in the active group. No significant improvement in PC20 histamine, late-reaction (LR) and skin tests was found in either groups.Conclusion Our data suggest that encasings protect against a further increase in allergen sensitivity in asthmatic patients, so their use should be recommended.

Electronic Resource

1365-2222

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

In view of increasing evidence suggesting an active immunoregulatory role of the skin keratinocytes and the observation that the differentiation of allergen specific T lymphocytes is critical in the development of allergy, we evaluated epidermal expression of HLA-DR antigen in skin reactions induced with an atopen (house dust mite) and with an non-atopic antigen (Hemocyanin). Two groups of patients with house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus [Der p]) allergy were compared, one group was skin tested with Der p, the other group was immunized and subsequently skin tested with Helix pomatia Hemocyanin (HPH), Biopsy specimens taken at 48 h after the HPH (n= 11) and Der p (n= 11) tests were analysed immunohistologically. Reactions in both groups were comparable in size. Immunohistological analysis showed domination by CD4 + lymphocytes. Expression of HLA-DR antigen by epidermal keratinocytes was observed in six out of 11 of the HPH induced reactions, but in none of the Der p induced reactions. Eosinophils were spotted only throughout the Der p induced reactions, showing a good correlation with the number of CD4 positive lymphocytes. The lack of HLA-DR expression by keratinocytes during the allergen-induced reaction, compared with the Hemocyanin induced reaction can be the result of a difference in cytokine profile of the lymphocytes dominating the dermal infiltrate. On the other hand evidence exists that defective HLA-DR expression by keratinocytes enhances antigen induced lymphocyte activation, and may thus contribute to the development of allergen-specific T-lymphocytes.

Electronic Resource

1398-9995

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

Background:  Eosinophils may play an important role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). Interleukin-5 is essential for eosinophil growth, differentiation and migration. A monoclonal antibody to human interleukin-5 (mepolizumab) was developed for atopic diseases. This study was designed to study the effect of mepolizumab in AD.Methods:  Two single doses of 750 mg mepolizumab, given 1 week apart, were studied in patients with moderate to severe AD using a randomized, placebo-controlled parallel group design. The primary endpoint of ‘success’ to treatment was defined as the percentage of patients with at least ‘marked improvement’ after 2 weeks as assessed by the Physician's Global Assessment of Improvement (PGA). Furthermore, SCORing AD (SCORAD), pruritus scoring, number of blood eosinophils and serum thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) values served as secondary endpoints. Fluticason propionate cream 0.05%, once daily could be used as rescue medication from day 16 if no improvement was recorded.Results:  Eighteen patients received mepolizumab and 22 placebo treatment. Peripheral blood eosinophil numbers were significantly reduced in the treatment group compared with placebo (P 〈 0.05). No clinical success was reached by PGA assessment (P = 0.115), SCORAD (P = 0.293), pruritus scoring and TARC values in the mepolizumab-treated group compared with placebo. However, modest improvement (〈50% improvement) assessed by PGA was scored significantly more in the mepolizumab-treated group compared with placebo (P 〈 0.05).Conclusion:  Two single doses of 750 mg mepolizumab did not result in clinical success in patients with AD, despite a significant decrease in peripheral blood eosinophils.

Electronic Resource

1398-9995

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

Allergic disease is reflected in a chronic inflammatory response to an allergen. It is thought that local allergen priming underlies this chronicity. To assess the effect of allergen priming on the amplitude and histologic effect of the allergic reaction, four sequential, intracutaneous skin tests were done with 48-h intervals in 13 patients allergic to the house-dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dpt). Reactions were measured at 15 min, and at 6, 24. and 48 h. Subsequently, epicutaneous tests were done on Dpt-primed spots (n= 5). At 6, 24, and 48 h, reactions increased after priming (P 〈 0.006), with unaltered early reactions. Epicutaneous reactions to Dpt on primed spots were larger than in epicutaneous controls on similarly primed skin. Local intradermal priming results in greater inflammatory responses at both intra- and epicutaneous challenge. This mechanism may explain the chronicity of allergic reactions at epithelial surfaces.

Electronic Resource

1398-9995

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

Background:  The atopy patch test (APT) is an in vivo model to study the induction of eczema by inhalant allergens. This study was designed to compare two commonly used APT methods.Methods:  In the first method, the allergen is dissolved in aqueous solution, which is applied on tape-stripped skin. In the second method, the allergen is dissolved in petrolatum and applied without tape stripping. Thirteen patients with atopic dermatitis sensitized to inhalant allergens were patch tested using both methods. Reactions were evaluated macroscopically and microscopically after 48 h.Results:  Nine out of 13 patients displayed a positive reaction for both methods. One patient had a positive APT for the aqueous method alone and three for the petrolatum method alone. Reactions were significantly stronger when using the petrolatum method. Histological evaluation of the nine patients positive for both methods showed no significant differences in number of eosinophils, T-cells and neutrophils.Conclusion:  The APT using the petrolatum vehicle induces a higher number of positive reactions and is significantly stronger relative to the APT using allergen in aqueous vehicle. The cellular influx in both test methods is comparable. Both methods can be used to study the mechanisms in the induction of eczema by inhalant allergens.

Electronic Resource

1546-170X

Nature Archives 1869 - 2009

Biology

Medicine

[Auszug] Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection is a serious complication in patients with cystic fibrosis and in immunocompromised individuals. Here we show that P. aeruginosa infection triggers activation of the acid sphingomyelinase and the release of ceramide in sphingolipid-rich rafts. Ceramide reorganizes ...

Electronic Resource

1546-170X

Nature Archives 1869 - 2009

Biology

Medicine

[Auszug] In multiple sclerosis (MS) and its animal model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) the cytokines tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF), lymphotoxin-α (LT), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) are of central pathogenetic importance. A therapy capable of stopping neurological ...

Electronic Resource

0005-2736

Elsevier Journal Backfiles on ScienceDirect 1907 - 2002

Biology

Chemistry and Pharmacology

Medicine

Physics

Electronic Resource

0005-2736

Elsevier Journal Backfiles on ScienceDirect 1907 - 2002

Biology

Chemistry and Pharmacology

Medicine

Physics

Electronic Resource