Recombinant human interleukin-1 (IL-I) ac and , were found to activate a latent cytosolic form of the transcription factor NFKB in rat C6 glioma. IL-if? was 10 times more potent than IL-1 a for this activity and both were inhibited by the IL-1 receptor antagonist. The activation was detectable from 20 min and remained sustained for up to 24 h. The electrophoretic mobility of the activated compl...

The genetic programs that maintain hematopoiesis during steady state in physiologic conditions are different from those activated during stress. Here, we show that hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) with deficiencies in components of the alternative NFκB pathway (the NFκB inducing kinase, NIK, and the downstream molecule NFκB2) had a defect in response to stressors such as supraphysiological doses...

BACKGROUND Despite over forty years of investigation on low-level light therapy (LLLT), the fundamental mechanisms underlying photobiomodulation at a cellular level remain unclear. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In this study, we isolated murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) from transgenic NF-kB luciferase reporter mice and studied their response to 810 nm laser radiation. Significant activati...

BACKGROUND Ischemia/reperfusion injury during liver transplantation can cause severe damage to the graft. The objective of this randomized, double-blind study was to evaluate the possible protective effects of L-alanyl-glutamine on the liver graft. METHODS The sample included 33 patients from a liver transplantation service in Northeastern Brazil. Before cold ischemia, the patients received 5...

Transcription factor CEBPA has been widely studied for its involvement in hematopoietic cell differentiation and causal role in hematological malignancies. We demonstrate here that it also performs a causal role in cytokine-induced apoptosis of pancreas β cells. Treatment of two mouse pancreatic α and β cell lines (αTC1-6 and βTC1) with proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IFN-γ, and TNF-α at doses...

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the strongest known risk factor for gastric carcinogenesis. One cancer-linked locus is the cag pathogenicity island, which translocates components of peptidoglycan into host cells. NOD1 is an intracellular immune receptor that senses peptidoglycan from Gram-negative bacteria and responds by inducing autophagy and activating NF-kB, leading to inflammation-media...

BACKGROUND Altered pulmonary defenses in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may promote distal airways bacterial colonization. The expression/activation of Toll Like receptors (TLR) and beta 2 defensin (HBD2) release by epithelial cells crucially affect pulmonary defence mechanisms. METHODS The epithelial expression of TLR4 and of HBD2 was assessed in surgical specimens from current...