Background—We have recently found that a hormonally active form of vitamin D, 1a,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3], exerts anticoagulant effects by upregulating the expression of an anticoagulant glycoprotein, thrombomodulin (TM), and downregulating the expression of a critical coagulation factor, tissue factor (TF), in monocytic cells including human peripheral monocytes. In this study, we ...

Th17 cells have emerged as a key factor in the pathogenesis of uveitis as well as other autoimmune disorders. They secrete a number of cytokines including IL-17A, IL-17F and IL-22 and until now the effects of these cytokines on resident cells of the eye were not yet clear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-17F and IL-22 on the production of inf...

The rate-limiting step of steroidogenesis is the transport of the substrate cholesterol from the outer to the inner mitochondrial membrane which involves a cycloheximide-sensitive newly synthesized protein. A protein believed to carry out this function was recently cloned from MA-10 mouse Leydig tumor cells and named the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR). In the present study, we ev...

BACKGROUND Idiopathic scoliosis is a three-dimensional structural deformity of the spine that occurs in children and adolescents. Recent reviews on bracing and exercise treatment have provided some evidence for effect of these interventions. The purpose of this study is to improve the evidence base regarding the effectiveness of conservative treatments for preventing curve progression in idiopa...

BACKGROUND Since 1962 to the mid eighties the Harrington Rod instrumentation was the Golden standard for surgical treatment of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS). The Boston braces were introduced in the 1970´s and are still used as a conservative treatment, for curves less than 40°. Very few long-term studies exists, focusing on the health related quality of life. The purpose of this study ...

Cytochrome P450scc (P450scc) catalyzes the cleavage of the side chain of both cholesterol and the vitamin D(3) precursor, 7-dehydrocholesterol. The aim of this study was to test the ability of human P450scc to metabolize ergosterol, the vitamin D(2) precursor, and define the structure of the major products. P450scc incorporated into the bilayer of phospholipid vesicles converted ergosterol to t...

Lipid rafts, formed by sphingolipids and cholesterol within the membrane bilayer, are believed to have a critical role in signal transduction. P2Y(2) receptors are known to couple with G(q) family G proteins, causing the activation of phospholipase C (PLC) and an increase in intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) levels. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of lipid rafts in P2Y(2)...

The title compound, C40H41NO8, is a product of the reduction of the cyclic carbonyl group of the γ-piperidone subunit of the aza-14-crown-4 ether with subsequent re-esterification of its dimethyl butenoate substituent into a monoethyl monomethyl group. The aza-crown macrocycle exhibits a bowl conformation with a dihedral angle of 70.82 (5)° between the benzene rings fused to it. The piperidine ...