PURPOSE Proteomic analyses of normal and glaucomatous human optic nerve were pursued for insights into the molecular pathology of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Peptidyl arginine deiminase 2 (PAD2), an enzyme that converts protein arginine to citrulline, was found only in POAG optic nerve and was probed further for a mechanistic role in glaucoma. METHODS Protein identification used liqui...

Altered external mechanical loading during spaceflights causes negative effects on muscular and cardiovascular systems. The aim of the study was estimation of the cortical cytoskeleton statement of the skeletal muscle cells and cardiomyocytes. The state of the cortical cytoskeleton in C57BL6J mice soleus, tibialis anterior muscle fibers, and left ventricle cardiomyocytes was investigated after ...

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss, characterized by drusen deposits and thickened Bruch's membrane (BM). This study details the capacity of nanosecond laser treatment to reduce drusen and thin BM while maintaining retinal structure. Fifty patients with AMD had a single nanosecond laser treatment session and after 2 yr, change in drusen area was compared wi...

Cannabinoids and ethanol can activate the same reward pathways, which could suggest endocannabinoid involvement in the rewarding effects of ethanol. The high ethanol preference of young (6-10 weeks) C57BL6J mice is reduced by the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) antagonist SR141716A to levels observed in their CB1 knockout littermates or in old (26-48 weeks) wild-type mice, in both of which ethanol...

Methods Seven 10 weeks-old C57Bl6J male mice were studied, including 4 animals with a surgical transverse aortic constriction in order to produce cardiac hypertrophy. 3 were sham (control) mice. During the entire procedure, animals were anaesthetized with Isoflurane 1-3%, in a temperature-controlled setting. Scan were retrospectively gated for electrocardiogram (ECG) and respiration. Imaging wa...

Oncostatin M (OSM) is a member of the interleukin-6 cytokine family and regulates eg. gene activation, cell survival, proliferation and differentiation. OSM binds to a receptor complex consisting of the ubiquitously expressed signal transducer gp130 and the ligand binding OSM receptor subunit, which is expressed on a specific subset of primary afferent neurons. In the present study, the effect ...

The ability of embryonic germinal cells (EG) to differentiate into primordial germinal cells (PGCs) and later into gametes during early developmental stages is a perfect model to address our hypothesis about cancer and infertility. This protocol shows how to isolate primordial germinal cells from developing gonads in 10.5-11.5 days post coitum (dpc) mouse embryos. Developing gonadal ridges from...

We evaluated herein whether diet-induced obesity alters sympathovagal balance, blood pressure, and neuropeptides levels at the hypothalamus and brainstem of mice. Male C57BL6J mice fed with a high-fat (HFD) or a high-fat high-sucrose (HFHSu), or a regular chow diet (C) for 8 weeks were evaluated for metabolic parameters and blood pressure, the latter being performed in conscious freely moving m...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of guarana on mitochondrial biogenesis in a high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. C57BL6J mice were divided in two groups: high-fat diet HFD and high-fat diet + guarana (HFD-GUA). Both groups received HFD and water ad libitum and the HFD-GUA group also received a daily gavage of guarana (1 g/kg weight). Body weight and food intake was measured weekly. G...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The natural product baicalein is a specific inhibitor of 12/15-lipoxygenase, but it also has antioxidant properties. The current study was designed to test if the neuroprotective properties of baicalein are related to its lipoxygenase inhibition. METHODS The presence of 12/15-lipoxygenase in the ischemic mouse brain was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. A mouse mode...