No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Diabetic pregnant women have an increased risk of developing pre-eclampsia, a late gestational syndrome, although the reason for this gain is unknown. Placental pathology in pre-eclampsia is linked with insufficient spiral arterial modification, a process triggered by uterine natural killer (uNK) cells, an abundant pro-angiogenic cell type found in early pregnancy decidua (endometrium of the pregnant uterus). UNK cells effect spiral arterial modification, the blood supply to the placenta, through the release of interferon gamma (Ifng), a pro-inflammatory cytokine. Peripheral blood precursors of uNK cells employ a unique pattern of homing molecules to traffic to the decidua. The goal of this thesis was to advance the understanding of how homing and functions of uNK cell precursors might be modified in diabetic pregnancy. Studies employed both murine and human models. Pregnancies were studied microscopically in normoglycemic (n-) and hyperglycemic (d-) non-obese diabetic (NOD) and NOD.Ifng-/- (NOD strain with a genetic deletion of Ifng) mice. Pre-implantation embryo development was impaired in n- and d-NOD.Ifng-/- mice. Hyperglycemia decreased both numbers of uNK cells and spiral artery remodelling within d-NOD and d-NOD.Ifng-/- decidua. This decrease in spiral artery remodelling was independent of Ifng and linked with hypertrophy of smooth muscle in implantation sites. Blood leukocytes from control and diabetic pregnant women were evaluated for adhesive function and expression of key homing molecules. Diabetic leukocytes had decreased CD56+ (uNK cell lineage) cell adhesion to decidua, increased CD56+ cell adhesion to pancreas, and comparable adhesion to lymph node compared with control leukocytes, suggesting impaired decidual homing in vivo. Of 8 lymphocyte subsets resolved by flow cytometry, type 1 cytokine CD56bright cells expressed appropriate homing molecules most abundantly. Diabetes did not alter levels of expression of these receptors. These data show that diabetes alters the potential capacity for decidual homing of pre-uNK cells but that this is not achieved through reduction in levels of key homing molecules. Diabetes also reduced spiral arterial modification in mice through hypertrophy of smooth muscle. The reproductive challenges of diabetic women who have co-morbid immunological diseases merit further study. / Thesis (Master, Anatomy & Cell Biology) -- Queen's University, 2011-01-30 23:46:23.151

No description available.

The aims of this study were to screen an array of plant families for novel lectins, to isolate candidate lectins whose reactivity suggested may be functionally useful and to assess the reactivity and modulatory effects of the novel lectins on the cells of the gastrointestinal tract (including the immune regions) and lymphocytes. Few of the seed and bulb samples screened had significant levels of lectin. However, the seeds, roots, stem and bark of <I>Morus nigra</I>, the black mulberry tree from the Moraceae plant family, were found to contain particularly high lectin activity. Two new lectins <I>Morus nigra</I> agglutinin-I (MNAI) and <I>Morus nigra</I> agglutinin-II (MNAII) were isolated. They were found to differ significantly from each other in their sugar specificity, subunit structure, amino acid sequence identity, glycosylation and haemagglutinating activity. MNAI has similarities in sugar inhibition characteristics (GalNAc) and amino acid identity to both MPA and jacalin, which also belong to the Moraceae family. MNAI recognises the similar intestinal glycan structures as jacalin and recognises T/Tn blood group antigen, both with and without sialylation. However, it differs significantly from MPA and jacalin in its lymphocyte stimulatory properties. MNAII appears to be novel and did not show amino acid sequence identity with any known proteins contained in the deltamass database. It is inhibitable by α-D-methyl mannoside. It may have an affinity for structures such as some form of N-linked glycans and appears to have low affinity for α2,6 sialylated structures. It labelled glycan structures present on the villus brush border, dome FAE and most M cells of many of the species tested <I>in vitro</I>.

Bibliography: leaves 170-206. / vi, 206 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / In T-dependent antibody responses, costimulator molecules provide contact-medited signals during interactions between T cells and B cells that regulate lymphocyte activation. This study investigated the hypothesis that costimulator molecules are differentially expressed on lymphocytes from neonates and young children compared with adults, contributing to limitations of T-dependent antibody responses in early life. Results suggest that lymphocytes from young children should be able to deliver and respond to costimulatory signals. The differences in lymphocyte expression of these costimulator molecules in young children are unlikely to fully account for limitations in humoral immunity in early life, and may even represent a specialised adaptation for this stage of immune development. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Paediatrics, 2000

Doctor of Philosophy / This work was digitised and made available on open access by the University of Sydney, Faculty of Dentistry and Sydney eScholarship . It may only be used for the purposes of research and study. Where possible, the Faculty will try to notify the author of this work. If you have any inquiries or issues regarding this work being made available please contact the Sydney eScholarship Repository Coordinator - ses@library.usyd.edu.au

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 2005. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst. / Härtill 6 uppsatser.