Although prostaglandins (PG) and oxytocin are crucial mediators of uterine contractility, their receptor-mediated effects during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and labour are not fully understood. The aim of this thesis was to elucidate the functional expression of EP, FP, TP and oxytocin receptors in isolated human myometrium relative to myocyte mRNA and signal transduction pathways. Myometrial samples were obtained from consenting non-pregnant and pregnant donors. Functional techniques were used to determine isometric muscle contractions. Primary uterine myocytes and fibroblasts were cultured at term to identify stimulated changes in calcium (Ca2+), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and mRNA. Myometrial strips exhibited spontaneous contractions, which were most active midcycle under oestrogenic conditions. At this time intrinsic contractility and responsiveness to uterotonins decreased towards the fundus. PGE2 produced bellshaped responses with predominant utero-relaxant effects mediated via the EP2 subtype. Although activity was partially restored by PGE2 through EP3/1 receptors, tissue excitation was more pronounced at FP, TP and oxytocin receptors. Despite high FP mRNA expression, the lower segment uterus was particularly responsive to U46619 and oxytocin at term pregnancy. Even so, Ca2+ mobilisation by oxytocin was greater via principal release from intracellular stores. Incubations with atosiban, progesterone and a rho-kinase inhibitor reduced oxytocin-stimulated Ca2+ transients. EP2 also attenuated oxytocic effects but this appeared to be mediated through cAMP rather than Ca2+ signalling pathways. With advancing labour, intrinsic myogenic activity declined in parallel with oxytocin desensitisation. However, TP-induced contractions were continued in the lower parturient uterus. These findings demonstrate that PG and oxytocin receptor expression are regulated in a hormone-dependent temporal and spatial manner. EP2-mediated cAMP formation appears to promote uterine quiescence, whilst TP receptors may control muscle tonus during parturition. These receptors and their messenger systems represent effective tocolytic targets for uterine hypercontractile disorders, such as dysmenorrhoea and preterm labour.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Univ., 2002. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Although prostaglandins (PG) and oxytocin are crucial mediators of uterine contractility, their receptor-mediated effects during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and labour are not fully understood. The aim of this thesis was to elucidate the functional expression of EP, FP, TP and oxytocin receptors in isolated human myometrium relative to myocyte mRNA and signal transduction pathways. Myometrial samples were obtained from consenting non-pregnant and pregnant donors. Functional techniques were used to determine isometric muscle contractions. Primary uterine myocytes and fibroblasts were cultured at term to identify stimulated changes in calcium (Ca2+), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and mRNA. Myometrial strips exhibited spontaneous contractions, which were most active midcycle under oestrogenic conditions. At this time intrinsic contractility and responsiveness to uterotonins decreased towards the fundus. PGE2 produced bellshaped responses with predominant utero-relaxant effects mediated via the EP2 subtype. Although activity was partially restored by PGE2 through EP3/1 receptors, tissue excitation was more pronounced at FP, TP and oxytocin receptors. Despite high FP mRNA expression, the lower segment uterus was particularly responsive to U46619 and oxytocin at term pregnancy. Even so, Ca2+ mobilisation by oxytocin was greater via principal release from intracellular stores. Incubations with atosiban, progesterone and a rho-kinase inhibitor reduced oxytocin-stimulated Ca2+ transients. EP2 also attenuated oxytocic effects but this appeared to be mediated through cAMP rather than Ca2+ signalling pathways. With advancing labour, intrinsic myogenic activity declined in parallel with oxytocin desensitisation. However, TP-induced contractions were continued in the lower parturient uterus. These findings demonstrate that PG and oxytocin receptor expression are regulated in a hormone-dependent temporal and spatial manner. EP2-mediated cAMP formation appears to promote uterine quiescence, whilst TP receptors may control muscle tonus during parturition. These receptors and their messenger systems represent effective tocolytic targets for uterine hypercontractile disorders, such as dysmenorrhoea and preterm labour. / Allergan Inc.

Regulation of expression DLX1 gene, whose elevated levels are detected in patients with acute myeloid leukemia with FLT3-ITD mutations, is not still completely explored topic. The first aim of this study was to determine which selected signaling pathways regulate gene expression of DLX1. ERK a JNK pathways were selected by using qRT-PCR and western blot. These pathways cause activation of the transcription factor AP-1 subunits, the AP-1 putative promoter binding site was identified also in the promoter of the DLX1 gene. The second aim of this study was to test the hypothesis on the regulation of gene expression of DLX1 (via ERK/JNK pathway) through AP-1 binding site on the promoter. Dual luciferase assay using luminescent luciferase activity was performed to test this hypothesis. Gene of the luciferase is contained in the used luciferase vector. The short and the long part of the DLX1 promoter (around AP-1 site) were inserted before the gene of the luciferase in the constructs used in this method. The results of this study indicate that the regulation of gene expression through AP-1 promoter binding site is important but not sufficient part of the regulatory cascade running through ERK and JNK pathway. There must be another transcription factors activated by ERK1/2 kinase which are probably also involved in...

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:10:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 KellyaFMB_DISSERT.pdf: 2697762 bytes, checksum: 1ffb7fc96fd841e9f2d4e4bbe9d99a4b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-12-17 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / The genus Saccharum belongs to Poaceae family. Sugarcane has become important monocultures in Brazil due to their products: ethanol and sugar. The production may change between different regions from Brazil. This difference is related to soil, climatic conditions and temperature that promotes oxidative stress that may induce an early flowering. The aim of this work was to identify the effects of oxidative stress. In order to analyse this, sugarcane plants were submitted to oxidative stress using hydrogen peroxide. After this treatment, the oxidative stress were analyzed Then, the plant responses were analyzed under different approaches, using morphophysiological, biochemical and molecular tools. Thus, sugarcane plants were grown under controlled conditions and until two months they were subjected first to a hydroponics condition for 24 hours in order to acclimation. After this period, these plants were submitted to oxidative stresse using 0 mM, 10 mM, 20 mM and 30 mM hydrogen peroxide during 8 hours. The histomorphometric analysis allowed us to verify that both root and leaf tissues had a structural changes as it was observed by the increased in cell volume, lignin accumulation in cell walls. Besides, this observation suggested that there was a change in redox balance. Also, it was analyzed the activity of the SOD, CAT and APX enzymes. It was observed an increase in the SOD activity in roots and it was also observed a lipid peroxidation in leaves and roots. Then, in order to identify proteins that were differently expressed in this conditions it was used the proteomic tool either by bidimensional gel or by direct sequencing using the Q-TOF EZI. The results obtained with this approach identified more than 3.000 proteins with the score ranging from 100-5000 ions. Some of the proteins identified were: light Harvesting; oxygenevolving; Thioredoxin; Ftsh-like protein Pftf precusor; Luminal-binding protein; 2 cys peroxiredoxin e Lipoxygenase. All these proteins are involved in oxidative stress response, photsynthetic pathways, and some were classified hypothetical proteins and/or unknown (30% of total). Thus, our data allows us to propose that this treatment induced an oxidative stress and the plant in response changed its physiological process, it made changes in tissue, changed the redox response in order to survival to this new condition / A cana-de-a??car ? uma das principais monoculturas no Brasil devido ? import?ncia dos seus produtos: etanol e a??car. A produtividade pode variar entre as diferentes regi?es do Brasil como sudeste e nordeste, por adapta??es destas gram?neas as diferentes condi??es edafo-clim?ticas. As condi??es do solo e da temperatura da regi?o Nordeste podem promover o estresse oxidativo, h?drico e consequentemente o florescimento precoce o que acarreta perdas consider?veis na produ??o. Neste trabalho, procurou-se averiguar as prov?veis altera??es morfofisiol?gicas, bioqu?micas e moleculares resultantes da resposta das plantas ao estresse oxidativo. Deste modo, plantas de cana-de-a??car foram cultivadas em condi??es controladas e quando atingiram dois meses foram submetidas a uma condi??o de hidrop?nia por 24 horas para sua aclimata??o e em seguida ao estresse oxidativo realizado por 8 horas utilizando as concentra??es de per?xido de hidrog?nio: 0 mM; 10 mM; 20 mM e 30 mM. Ap?s este per?odo, foram observadas as seguintes altera??es morfol?gicas para as folhas: o fechamento foliar parcial ou total de acordo com a concentra??o de per?xido de hidrog?nio utilizada. As an?lises histomorfol?gicas permitiram verificar para ambos os tecidos (foliar e radicular) que houve altera??es estruturais relacionadas ao aumento do volume das c?lulas propiciando, assim, a quebra das paredes das membranas dos vasos condutores xilema e floema entre outras modifica??es anat?micas em diferentes regi?es, assim como a lignifica??o em algumas regi?es. Tamb?m foi analisada a atividade enzim?tica das enzimas Super?xido dismutase - SOD; Catalase - CAT e Ascorbato peroxidase - APX. Foi observado um aumento na atividade da enzima super?xido dismutase nas ra?zes. Nessa abordagem bioqu?mica, foi tamb?m analisada a peroxida??o de lip?deos que mostrou que ocorreram danos nas membranas das folhas e ra?zes principalmente para a concentra??o de 30 mM. Entretanto, para a enzima catalase foi observada uma baixa atividade em folhas e esta atividade n?o foi detectada nas ra?zes. Contudo, os resultados histomorfologicos juntamente com os resultados bioqu?micos fortalecem que o tratamento com per?xido de hidrog?nio pode ter alterado a homeostase redox e as vias de sinaliza??o promovendo assim as altera??es morfol?gicas (aumento de c?lulas, lignifica??o) e bioqu?micas (EROs e antioxidantes). Outra ferramenta utilizada nesse trabalho foi a prote?mica, onde foi utilizado o sequenciamento tanto por meio de g?is bidimensionais como tamb?m pelo sequenciamento direto utilizando o EZI Q TOF. Os resultados obtidos permitiram com essa abordagem identificar mais de 3.000 prote?nas com o score variando de 100-5000 ?ons. Algumas das prote?nas identificadas foram: light Harvesting; oxygen-evolving; Thioredoxin; Ftsh-like protein Pftf precusor; Luminal-binding protein; 2 cys peroxiredoxin e Lipoxygenase. Estas prote?nas est?o envolvidas no metabolismo em resposta ao estresse oxidativo, prote?nas do aparelho fotossint?tico, al?m de prote?nas hipot?ticas e/ou desconhecidas (30% do total). Desta forma, os dados obtidos nos permitem propor uma hip?tese, onde ?s prote?nas identificadas estariam envolvidas em processos fisiol?gicos, na remodela??o de tecidos, dano/degrada??o e s?ntese de antioxidante/ desintoxicante, correlacionada aos dados de resposta de defesa enzim?tica, ac?mulo de H2O2 nos tecidos ativando a peroxida??o lip?dica nas paredes das membranas das c?lulas. Desta forma ativando v?rias vias de cascata de sinaliza??o

Autoinflammatorische Erkrankungen umfassen eine immer größer werdende, genetisch heterogene Gruppe von Erkrankungen mit breitem und variablem klinischen Spektrum. Aus nosologischer Perspektive wird eine strikte Abgrenzung der Autoinflammation von Autoimmunität und Immundefizienz dem aktuellen Kenntnisstand zu pathogenetischen Mechanismen nicht gerecht. Daher erscheint eine systembasierte Einteilung, die sich an den in die inflammatorischen Prozesse involvierten Signalwegen orientiert, auch im Hinblick auf das klinische Management sinnvoll. So sprechen die Inflammasomopathien in vielen Fällen auf eine Blockade des Interleukin(IL)-1β an, während die Typ-1-Interferonopathien einer Therapie mithilfe der Januskinase(JAK)-Inhibition zugänglich sind. / Autoinflammatory diseases comprise a growing genetically heterogeneous group of diseases with a broad and variable clinical spectrum. From a nosological perspective, a strict demarcation of autoinflammation from autoimmunity and immunodeficiency does not reflect the current state of knowledge on pathogenetic mechanisms. Therefore, a system-based classification according to the signalling pathways involved in the inflammatory processes, appears to be more useful also with respect to clinical management. As such, inflammasomopathies commonly respond to an interleukin 1 beta (IL-1-beta) blockade, while type 1 interferonopathies can be treated with Janus kinase (JAK) inhibition.