objective: a number of studies have demonstrated the potential antitumor effects of saffron and its constituents on different malignant cells in vitro. it has been reported that a novel glycoconjugate isolated from corms and callus of saffron possesses cytotoxic activity against different tumor cellswith nitric oxide (no) production. these data suggest that the cytotoxic effect of saffron extra...

background: erythropoietin (epo) is a glycoprotein hormone function to regulate the production of red blood cells. deficiency of epo is known to cause anemia in chronically infected renal patients and they require regular blood transfusion. availability of recombinant epo has eliminated the need for blood transfusion and now it is extensively used for the treatment of anemia. glycosylation of e...

Severe dengue virus infections usually occur in individuals who have preexisting anti-dengue virus antibodies. Mast cells are known to play an important role in host defense against several pathogens, but their role in viral infection has not yet been elucidated. The effects of dengue virus infection on the production of chemokines by human mast cells were examined. Elevated levels of secreted ...

Nerve-mast cell interaction is involved in both homeostatic and pathologic regulations. The molecules that sustain this association have not been identified. Because synaptic cell adhesion molecule (SynCAM), alternatively named spermatogenic Ig superfamily (SgIGSF), is expressed on both nerves and mast cells and because it binds homophilically, this molecule may be a candidate. To examine this ...

The killer-cell Ig-like receptor (KIR) 2DL4 (CD158d) acts as a receptor for human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G and is expressed on almost all human natural killer (NK) cells. The expression and function of KIR2DL4 in other hematopoietic cells is poorly understood. Here, we focused on human mast cells, which exhibit cytotoxic activity similar to that of NK cells. KIR2DL4 was detected in all examine...

Cockcroft S. Monomeric IgE stimulates NFAT translocation into the nucleus, a rise in cytosol Ca2+, degranulation, and membrane ruffling in the cultured rat basophilic leukemia-2H3 mast cell line. J Immunol 2004; 172: 4048–4058. 5 Nunomura S, Gon Y, Yoshimaru T, et al. Role of the Fc (varepsilon) RI (b)-chain ITAM as a signal regulator for mast cell activation with monomeric IgE. Int Immunol 200...

We have established a unique variant cell line, MC/9.IL-4, which continuously proliferates in the presence of interleukin-4 (IL-4), from a murine interleukin-3 (IL-3)-dependent mast cell line, MC/9 (referred to as MC/9.IL-3). Compared with MC/9.IL-3 cells, MC/9.IL-4 cells are smaller, lack cytoplasmic granules and metachromasia, carry a very small amount of histamine, and express fewer high-aff...

Processed antigen reacts selectively with lymphocytes bearing .appropriate surface immunoglobulin molecules resulting in the clonal proliferation of these cells, produc­ing circulating immunoglobulin (humoral immunity) or non-circulating immunoglobulins (cellular immunity).  High levels of circulating immunoglobulins (lgM & lgG) occur in protozoa and helminths infections. Reaginic antibodies a...

N6,O2'-Dibutyryladenosine cyclic 3',5'-phosphate plus theophylline inhibited the growth of the mouse mast cell tumor line PY 815 both in vivo and in vitro. The inhibitory effect on growth in vitro was rapidly reversed following removal of the drugs. Growth inhibition was accompanied by reduced cell surface activity and increased cell-cell adhesion. The drug-treated cells accumulated distinct me...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Activation of protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) may stimulate various events of importance in inflammatory processes, including release of inflammatory mast cell mediators. PAR-2 is frequently up-regulated during inflammatory conditions, but it is not known if the expression is altered in Crohn's disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate the ileal mucosal ...