EtOH exposure in male rats increases corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), a brain region responsible for coordinating stress and anxiety responses. In this study we identified the molecular mechanisms involved in mediating these effects by examining the direct effects of EtOH on CRH promoter activity in a neuronal cell line derived...

The role of interleukin-1 (IL-1), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, in parturition is typically noted by changes in its concentrations. Studying the expression of its receptor family, IL-1 receptor (IL-1R) 1, IL-1R2, IL-1R accessory protein (IL-1RAcP), and its predominantly brain isoform, IL-1RAcPb, during late gestation in the uterus in the Long-Evans rat is another. We assessed changes in their mR...

CYP3A5 is the major CYP3A form in the human lung, and it is inducible by dexamethasone in the human A549 lung adenocarcinoma cell line. In the present study, we characterized the nature and mechanism of this induction process. The induction of CYP3A5 mRNA was assessed by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in A549 cells. About 4-fold induction was detected by nanomolar ...

PURPOSE Long-term application of glucocorticoids as a treatment for conditions such as allergy, autoimmune diseases, and transplantation presents a high risk of development of steroid-induced cataract. The presence of a functional glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in human and rat lens epithelial cells suggests a direct and specific targeting of these lens cells by glucocorticoids. One important cyt...

To investigate the role of progesterone (P4) as a survival factor in quail granulosa cell explants, P4 content was determined under various conditions and correlated with apoptotic indexes (AIs) evaluated by 2',6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI)-staining. Analysis of serum-free cultures from 24 to 96 h shows decreased P4 levels in the medium paralleled by increasing AI. Inhibiting apoptosis by ...