BACKGROUND Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) plays a pathogenic role in several rheumatic diseases including spondyloarthritis and, paradoxically, has been described to both promote and protect from bone formation. We therefore examined the effects of IL-17A on osteoblast differentiation in vitro and on periosteal bone formation in an in vivo model of inflammatory arthritis. METHODS K/BxN serum transf...

Salazar KD, Lankford SM, Brody AR. Mesenchymal stem cells produce Wnt isoforms and TGF1 that mediate proliferation and procollagen expression by lung fibroblasts. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 297: L1002–L1011, 2009. First published September 4, 2009; doi:10.1152/ajplung.90347.2008.—Studies have been carried out previously to determine whether mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) influence the pro...

Epithelial tubular morphogenesis leading to alteration of organ shape has important physiological consequences. However, little is known regarding the mechanisms that govern epithelial tube morphogenesis. Here, we show that inactivation of Sfrp1 and Sfrp2 leads to reduction in fore-stomach length in mouse embryos, which is enhanced in the presence of the Sfrp5 mutation. In the mono-cell layer o...

This paper presents the simulation of the tensile modulus and the tensile strength of shor t glass fibre reinforced Polypropylene. Various formulae of the shear-lag theory were implemented in an analytical calculation program to evaluate the tensile strength values. Based on the homogenization approach the modulus values and the strength values, applying an existing failure criterion, were calc...

The high morbidity and mortality associated with prostate cancer (PCa) result from its tendency to metastasize to bone where it produces predominantly osteoblastic lesions. The Wnt signaling pathway plays an important role in embryogenesis, tumorigenesis, osteoblast development, and bone formation. Androgen signaling via the androgen receptor (AR) is critical in both PCa and bone cell growth. W...

RATIONALE Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare progressive pulmonary vascular disorder associated with vascular remodeling and right heart failure. Vascular remodeling involves numerous signaling cascades governing pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation, migration and differentiation. Glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3ß) is a serine/threonine kinase and can act...