OBJECTIVE To investigate the role of cytokines and cell adhesion molecules in the pathogenesis of Sjögren's syndrome (SS). METHODS Using an indirect immunoperoxidase technique we assessed the expression of the cytokines interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin-8 (IL-8), transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) and granulocyte macrophage colony stimulatin...

The marine mollusc Aplysia has proven very useful for a mechanistic analysis of behavioral modification. Among the stimuli used to modify the behavior of Aplysia, a noxious stimulus, tail shock, is one of the most effective. In addition to the extensively analyzed facilitatory effects of tail shock, recent work has demonstrated that it also produces marked transient inhibition in reflex respons...

UGA is a nonsense or termination (opal) codon throughout prokaryotes and eukaryotes. However, mitochondria use not only UGG but also UGA as a tryptophan codon. Here, we show that UGA also codes for tryptophan in Mycoplasma capricolum, a wall-less bacterium having a genome only 20-25% the size of the Escherichia coli genome. This conclusion is based on the following evidence. First, the nucleoti...

BACKGROUND Atherosclerosis is a major health burden. Metabolic disorders had been associated with large consumption of soft drinks. The rising incidence of atherosclerosis and metabolic alterations warrants the study of long-term soft drink consumption' effects on metabolism and atherosclerosis in genetic deficiency of apolipoprotein E which typically develops spontaneous atherosclerosis and me...

A 121-day feeding trial was undertaken to test the effects of two dietary lipid levels (16 and 21% L16, L21) in triplicated gilthead sea bream groups (initial weight: 67.5 g) reared at different water temperatures (high, H 23°C low, L 17°C) same recirculation system but exposed a switch temperature after 58 days. Fish kept were transferred (HL transition, autumn shift), fish (LH summer while co...

Transition of leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1), from an inactive into an activate state depends on the presence of extracellular Mg2+ and/or Ca2+ ions. Although Mg2+ is directly involved in ligand binding, the role of Ca2+ in LFA-1 mediated adhesion remained obscure. We now demonstrate that binding of Ca2+, but not Mg2+, directly correlates with clustering of LFA-1 molecules at t...