The characteristics of integrins expression in decidualized human endometrial stromal cell induced by 8-Br-cAMP in in vitro

Integrins are heterodimeric glycoproteins that have been found to undergo dynamic temporal and spatial changes in the endometrium during the menstrual cycle and in early pregnancy. Specificity of integrins is known to be different in human endometrial stromal cells and decidual cells. These shifts of integrins suggested to play an important role in embryo implantation and can be modulated by progesterone, cAMP derivatives, and cytokines. The mechanisms of decidualization and its precise physiological role are still not clearly understood and in vitro systems could provide an alternative that overcomes limitations of studying such complex biological phenomena in vivo at the time of implantation. This study was undertaken to establish an in vitro model system for human decidualization using 8-bromo-cAMP and to investigate the characteristics of stromal integrin expression in vitro by 8-Br-cAMP. Endometrial stromal cells were isolated and cultured, and then were induced to decidualize by 0.5 mM 8-Br-cAMP for 15 days. Immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometric analyses of the integrin subunits (alpha1, alpha4, alpha5, alpha6, beta1 and alphavbeta3) were performed at day 9. In the presence of 8-Br-cAMP, the staining intensity of alphavbeta3 was significantly higher than control and measurements for alpha1, alpha4, alpha5, alpha6, and beta1 were similar. Immunofluorescent localization of the integrins reflected the differences obtained from the flow cytometric analyses described above. In summary, the expression of alphavbeta3 integrin increased in stromal cells in vitro decidualized by 8-Br-cAMP and this up-regulation of alphavbeta3 integrin expression during decidualization might influence on human implantation.     

AN ACTION SPECTRUM FOR LETHAL PHOTOSENSITIZATION OF Candida albicans BY 8-MOP AFTER LOW-DOSE BROAD-BAND UV-A IRRADIATION; AN ACTION SPECTRUM FOR 8-MOP 4′,5′- MONOADDUCTS?

An action spectrum was obtained for lethal photosensitization of Candida albicans that had been pre-irradiated with a sub-lethal low dose of broad-band UV-A after incubation with 8-methoxypsoralen and then washed to remove any non-photobound 8-methoxypsoralen. The resultant spectrum with a peak in the 320-335 nm region was similar to that obtained by a conventional method (single irradiation only) and also to the absorption spectrum of the 4',5'-monoadduct. These data support the hypothesis that the chromophore for lethal photosensitization by 8-methoxypsoralen is the 8-methoxypsoralen/DNA 4',5'-monoadduct rather than 8-methoxypsoralen itself.     

Two-proton correlations in the target fragmentation region of nuclear collisions at 200A GeV

Correlations between protons are studied in the target fragmentation region of reactions of protons and¹⁶O with C, Cu, Ag, Au and of³²S with Al and Au at 200A GeV. The emitted protons were measured with the Plastic Ball detector in the WA80 experiment at the CERN SPS. The comparison of the correlation function with calculations, assuming a spherical, gaussian shaped source with a lifetime τ=0 fm/c, allows the extraction of radius parameters. The values are very close to those expected from the geometry of the target nuclei and increase with the target mass as αA _Target ^1/3 . Even in proton induced reactions the whole target nucleus is involved. The dependence of the radii on centrality, polar angleθ _lab, and energy, and their relation to measured proton yields are presented.     

Surfaces with simple geodesics through a point

We study compact connected surfaces inm-dimensional Euclidean spaceE ^m (3 m 5) with a point through which every geodesic is aW-curve regarded as a curve in E^m.