Recent studies have shown that drugs that are normally unable to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) following intravenous injection can be transported across this barrier by binding to poly(butyl cyanoacrylate) nanoparticles and coating with polysorbate 80. However, the mechanism of this transport so far was not known. In the present paper, the possible involvement of apolipoproteins in the tr...

We have previously reported that collagen-induced arthritis can be suppressed by intravenous injection of native type II (CII) but not type I collagen. We have now identified denatured fragments of CII capable of suppressing collagen-induced arthritis and inducing tolerance. Purified CII was cleaved with cyanogen bromide (CB), and the major resulting peptides were isolated. Female DBA/1 mice we...

B cells are important in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and antibodies against type II collagen (CII) are essential for disease development. How and where the autoimmune B cell response is activated in CIA is not fully known. Here we describe where autoreactive B cells are initiated following immunization with CII. Unimmunized mice and mice immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) were used as controls...

Although many bacteria with two chromosomes have been sequenced, the roles of such complex genome structuring are still unclear. To uncover levels of chromosome I (CI) and chromosome II (CII) sequence divergence, Mauve 2.2.0 was used to align the CI- and CII-specific sequences of bacteria with complex genome structuring in two sets of comparisons: the first set was conducted among the CI and CI...

diabetes mellitus is the most common endocrine disorder, causes many complications such as micro- and macro-vascular diseases. anti-diabetic, hypolipidemic and anti-oxidative properties of ginger have been noticed in several researches. the present study was conducted to investigate the effects of ginger on fasting blood sugar, hemoglobin a1c, apolipoprotein b, apolipoprotein a-i, and malondial...

BACKGROUND The mechanisms underlying tolerance induction and maintenance in autoimmune arthritis remain elusive. In a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis, collagen type II (CII)-induced arthritis, we explore the contribution of B cells to antigen-specific tolerance. METHODS To generate expression of the CII-peptide specifically on B-cell major histocompatibility complex type II, lentiviral-ba...

INTRODUCTION Immune responses against collagen type II (CII) are crucial for the development of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare the CII-directed T cell and antibody specificity at different time points in the course of CIA using two mouse strains on the B10 genetic background - B10.Q, expressing Aq MHC class II molecules, and B10.DR4.Nc...

This study sought to determine if qualitative alterations in skeletal muscle mitochondrial respiration, associated with decreased mitochondrial efficiency, contribute to exercise intolerance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Using permeabilized muscle fibers from the vastus lateralis of 13 patients with COPD and 12 healthy controls, complex I (CI) and complex II (CI...