BACKGROUND Rat mast cells were regarded as a good model for mast cell function in immune response. METHODS Rat bone marrow mast cells (BMMC) were prepared both by recombinant rat IL-3 (rrIL-3) and by recombinant mouse stem cell factor (rmSCF), and investigated for both proliferation and differentiation in time course. Rat BMMC was induced by culture of rat bone marrow cells (BMCs) in the pres...

Background: The pathomechanisms of gestational trophoblastic disease have not yet been able to be extensively understood. It is associated with oxidative damage related to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Estrogen, as well as all of its metabolites, can produce ROS. Therefore it is necessary to analyze how far the involvement of estrogen, in this case 17β estradiol, to the patho...

BACKGROUND The female meiotic process seems to be crucial for aneuploidy in humans. The first stages of mammalian female meiosis take place during the fetal period. Therefore, only little is known about female meiosis. The goal of this study was to develop a culture technique that permits human oocytes to progress through meiotic prophase, to provide a system to study human female meiosis. ME...

Neural stem cells (NSCs) as a heterogeneous multipotent and self- renewal population are found in different areas in the developing mammalian nervous system, as well as the sub-ventricular zone (SVZ) and the hippocampus of the adult brain. NSCs can give rise to neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. The aim of this study was to differentiate neural stem cells into noradrenergic–like cells in...

BACKGROUND Ropivacaine provides effective spinal anaesthesia for total hip arthroplasty. This study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of plain ropivacaine with plain bupivacaine for spinal anaesthesia in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. METHODS Sixty-six patients, ASA I or II, were randomized to receive an intrathecal injection of one of two local anaesthetic solution...

Ovomacroglobulin and LDL fraction of egg yolk were effective to maintain the growth of established human cancer cell lines (Kato III, QG-90, Raji). A serum-free medium (BEM-841) containing 10 mM HEPES, 50 micrograms/ml of ovomacroglobulin, 0.1% (V/V) of LDL fraction of egg yolk, 10(-8) M catalase, 5 micrograms/ml of insulin, 5 micrograms/ml of transferrin, 5 ng/ml of selenium, 1 mg/ml of BSA, a...

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of 22R-hydroxycholesterol (22R-HC), folliclestimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) on estradiol and progesterone production by cat granulosa cells. Granulosa cells from follicles were collected and cultured for up to 5 days in 24 well plates containing Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium (DMEM)/HAM F-12 supplemented with 10 M andro...