The transcription factor Pit-1/GHF-1 plays an important role in regulating the prolactin (Prl) and growth hormone (GH) genes in mammals. In this study, the role that Pit-1 plays in regulating the prolactin and growth hormone genes in avian species was examined by cotransfection assays and immunofluorescence staining of pituitary sections. In cotransfection assays, turkey Pit-1 activated the tur...

Activation of the human growth hormone (hGH-N) gene in pituitary somatotropes is mediated by a locus control region (LCR). This LCR is composed of DNase I-hypersensitive sites (HS) located -14.5 kb to -32 kb relative to the hGH-N promoter. HSI, at -14.5 kb, is the dominant determinant of hGH-N expression and is essential for establishment of a 32-kb domain of histone acetylation that encompasse...

Vascular calcification is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Hyperphosphatemia is an important contributor to vascular calcification. Our previous studies demonstrated that elevated phosphate induces calcification of smooth muscle cells (SMC) in vitro. Inhibition of phosphate transport by phosphonoformic acid blocked phosphate-induced calcification, implicating sodium-depen...

"Pitted" red cell counts (pit counts) were performed serially during a period of 18 months in 130 Jamaican children with homozygous sickle cell (SS) disease aged 0-4 years. Raised pit counts, defined as 10% or more "pitted" red cells, were present in 23% of the children at age 12 months, in 42% at age 24 months, and in 52% at age 36 months. Radioactive colloid spleen scans showed no splenic upt...

Resistance to water-stress induced cavitation is an important indicator of drought tolerance in woody species and is known to be intimately linked to the anatomy of the xylem. However, the actual mechanical properties of the pit membrane are not well known and the exact mode of air-seeding by which cavitation occurs is still uncertain. We examined the relationship between cavitation resistance ...

Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a highly cell-selective cancer therapy based on an armed antibody conjugated with a phthalocyanine-based photo-absorber, IRDye700DX (IR700). NIR-PIT can quickly kill target cells that express specific proteins on the cellular membrane but only when the antibody-IR700 conjugate binds to the cell membrane and is then exposed to NIR light. NIR-PIT is h...