KCl cotransport (KCC) activation by cell swelling and pH was compared in sickle (SS) and normal (AA) red blood cells (RBCs). KCC fluxes had the same relationship to mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) in SS and AA RBCs when normalized to the maximal volumestimulated (VSmax) flux (MCHC < 270 g/L [27 g/dL]). Acid-stimulated (pH 6.9) KCC flux in SS RBCs was 60% to 70% of VSmax KCC ver...

Previously, we reported that somatostatins (SS) inhibit organismal growth by reducing hepatic growth hormone (GH) sensitivity and by inhibiting insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) production. In this study, we used hepatocytes isolated from rainbow trout to elucidate the mechanism(s) associated with the extrapituitary growth-inhibiting actions of SS. SS-14, a predominant SS isoform, stimulated...

Sjögren syndrome (SS) is the second most common autoimmune disease, affecting mainly middle-aged women. The disease might occur alone (primary SS) or in association with other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (secondary SS). The important symptoms of SS, dry mouth (xerostomia) and dry eyes (keratoconjunctivitis sicca), result from lymphocytic infiltration and destruction of the ...

In anglerfish (AF) pancreatic islets, somatostatin-14 (88-14) is synthesized via a precursor-product pathway. Sequence analyses of cDNAs prepared from AF islet mRNA have demonstrated the presence of mRNAs coding for three different AF preprosomatostatins. From these sequences it was predicted that two of the three precursors contain SS-14 at their COOH terminus whereas the third has an analog f...

OBJECTIVES To identify the most significant salivary biomarkers in Sjögren's syndrome (SS) using proteomic methods. METHODS Parotid saliva from 20 non-SS subjects and 41 primary SS patients was analysed. Protein expression profiles for each sample were generated by surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS). Mean peak intensities of SS patient...

PURPOSE To verify the hypothesis that protein concentrations, such as lactoferrin, epidermal growth factor (EGF), and aquaporin 5 (AQP5), in tears are abnormal in patients with dry eye. DESIGN Prospective case-control study. METHODS One hundred three dry eye patients were divided into three groups: dry eye not associated with the Sjögren syndrome (non-SS; n = 71), Sjögren syndrome (SS; n = ...

Synovial sarcoma (SS) is an aggressive soft tissue sarcoma with a poor prognosis and, thus, novel therapeutic strategies for SS are urgently required. In the present study, we investigated the functional and therapeutic relevance of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-MET signaling in SS. Both HGF and c-MET were highly expressed in Yamato-SS cells, resulting in activation of c-MET and its downstre...

Silk sericin (SS)/silk fibroin (SF) blend nanofibers have been produced by electrospinning in a binary SS/SF trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) solution system, which was prepared by mixing 20 wt.% SS TFA solution and 10 wt.% SF TFA solution to give different compositions. The diameters of the SS/SF nanofibers ranged from 33 to 837 nm, and they showed a round cross section. The surface of the SS/SF nan...

The austenitic stainless steel (SS) has been used as a material for  building  ultra  high  vacuum  (UHV)  chamber.  Recently significant  efforts  have  been  concerned  a  comparing  the standard  cleaned  for  ultra  high  vacuum,  passivity  stainless. In  this work Austenitic  nanocomposites were  synthesize by sol-  gel method. The morphologies  and  topographies  of  the samples  h...

The vasoocclusive process in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) is complex and involves interactions among sickle erythrocytes (SS-RBC), vascular endothelium, and plasma and cellular components. The role of neutrophils (PMN) in vasoocclusion has not been examined. Patients with SCD appear to have chronically activated PMN. Because the first step in PMN activation is particle recognition, w...