Gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) has been proposed to play an important role in Helicobacter-related gastritis. Using the IFN-gamma gene knockout (IFN-gamma(-/-)) mouse model and a murine gastric epithelial cell line, GSM06, we demonstrated that Helicobacter pylori maximally induced macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA only in wild-type mice. MIP...

In the current study we describe the changes of overall organization of lens fiber cells in connexin 46 (Cx46) and connexin 50 (Cx50) knockout mice. Morphometric analyses and the application of immunocytochemical techniques revealed that in Cx46 knockout lens (Cx46 -/-), where Cx50 is expressed alone, the postnatal differentiation of secondary fiber cells proceeds faster and is characterized by...

We propose a mixed integer programming (MIP) model and iterative algorithms based on topological orders to solve optimization problems with acyclic constraints on a directed graph. The proposed MIP model has a significantly lower number of constraints compared to popular MIP models based on cycle elimination constraints and triangular inequalities. The proposed iterative algorithms use gradient...

Congenital cataracts are one of the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness in children, and genetic factors play an important role in their development. This study aimed to identify the genetic defects associated with autosomal dominant congenital progressive punctate cataracts in a Chinese family and to explore the potential pathogenesis. Detailed family history and clinical data we...

PURPOSE Herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 infection of the murine cornea is known to stimulate a vigorous interleukin (IL)-6 response, but whether this pleiotropic cytokine is an essential participant in corneal inflammation is unclear. This study was designed to compare the early inflammatory response in IL-6 gene-deficient mice to that in wild-type hosts. METHODS Gene knockout and wild-type mice...

Whole cell patch-clamp experiments were undertaken to define the basal K(+) conductance(s) in human erythroleukemia cells and its contribution to the setting of resting membrane potential. Experiments revealed a non-voltage-activated, noninactivating K(+) current. The magnitude of the current recorded under whole cell conditions was inhibited by an increase in free intracellular Mg(2+) concentr...

Amphotericin B (AMB) is an antifungal agent that possesses immunomodulatory properties that may contribute to its infusion-related toxicity and activity. It has previously been shown to induce the expression of genes encoding the cytokines interleukin (IL)-1 beta and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and the chemokines IL-8 and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1 beta in the human monocyti...

The SDS-fracture immunolabeling technique, unlike conventional freeze-fracture, provides direct evidence for the biochemical nature of membrane constituents. SDS-fracture immunolabeling shows that during differentiation of lens fiber cells the onset of junctional assembly is characterized by the presence of small clusters and linear arrays comprising connexins alpha3 and alpha8. At this initial...

The importance of chemokine expression on HIV infection has been emphasized by the discovery that infection of CD4(+) T cells by M-tropic strains of HIV-1 is antagonized by the chemokines RANTES, MIP-1alpha, and MIP-1beta, which are natural ligands of CCR5, a major coreceptor for macrophagetropic (M-tropic) isolates of HIV-1. Similarly, the CCR2b ligands MCP-1 and MCP-3 inhibit productive infec...