BACKGROUND Allergy to peanuts results in severe anaphylactic responses in affected individuals, and has dramatic effects on society and public policy. Despite the health impacts of peanut-induced anaphylaxis (PIA), relatively little is known about immune mechanisms underlying the disease. Using a mouse model of PIA, we evaluated mice with deletions in four distinct immune molecules (IL7Rα, L-se...

Visual inspection of the cervix with application of 4% acetic acid (VIA) is an inexpensive alternative to cytology-based screening in areas where resources are limited, such as in many developing countries. We have examined the diagnostic agreement between off-site (remote) expert diagnosis using photographs of the cervix (photographic inspection with acetic acid, PIA) and in-person VIA. The im...

The selective targeting of an integrin αvβ3 receptor using radioligands may enable the assessment of angiogenesis and integrin αvβ3 receptor status in tumors. The aim of this research was to label a peptidomimetic integrin αvβ3 antagonist (PIA) with (99m)Tc(CO)3 and to test its receptor targeting properties in nude mice bearing receptor-positive tumors. PIA was reacted with tris-succinimidyl am...

Plant lectins are proteins that possess at least one non-catalytic domain, which could reversibly bind to specific monosaccharides or oligosaccharides. The important roles played by plant lectins in immune regulation, signaling pathways, and plant defense could be attributed to their specific binding activities with carbohydrates. In this study, a Pinellia integrifolia lectin gene, designated p...

Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen that forms biofilms on the surfaces of medical implants. Biofilm formation by S. aureus is associated with the production of poly N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG), also referred to as polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA), which mediates bacterial adhesion, leading to the accumulation of bacteria on solid surfaces. This study shows that the ability ...

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a major nosocomial pathogen primarily infecting immunocompromised individuals or those with implanted biomaterials (e.g., catheters). Biomaterial-associated infections often involve the formation of a biofilm on the surface of the medical device. In S. epidermidis, polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA) is an important mediator of biofilm formation and pathogen...

Recent studies have indicated that activation of A1/A2-receptors may mediate metabolic adaptation of the heart to ischemia/reperfusion stress. This study tests whether pretreatment with A1-selective agonist R(-)-N6-(2-phenylisopropyl) adenosine (R-PIA) might mimic effects of a brief period of coronary occlusion (ischemic preconditioning, IP) on energy metabolism and hydroxyl radical (OH.) forma...

We prepared CHO (Chinese hamster ovary) cells expressing both IR (insulin receptor) and A1R (A1 adenosine receptor). Treatment of the cells with insulin or PIA [N6-(2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine], a specific A(1)R agonist increased Akt activity in the cells in a PI3K- (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) dependent manner. Transfection of p110beta into the cells augmented the action of PIA with little effe...

In previous studies, we demonstrated biphasic purinergic effects on prolactin (PRL) secretion stimulated by an adenosine A2 agonist. In the present study, we investigated the role of the activation of adenosine A1 receptors by (R)-N6-(2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine (R-PIA) at the pituitary level in in vitro PRL secretion. Hemipituitaries (one per cuvette in five replicates) from adult male rats we...