2012Monocyte-derived dendritic cells from breast cancer patients are biased to induce CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells JOURNAL OF LEUKOCYTE BIOLOGY, BETHESDA, v. 92, n. 3, pp. 673-682, SEP, 2012 ϩ , suppressed mitogen-stimulated T cells. Contrastingly, Mo-DCs from healthy donors induced a stronger proliferative response, a low frequency of CD4 ϩ CD25 ϩ Foxp3 ϩ with no suppressive activity. Furthermore, healthy Mo-DCs induced higher levels of IFN-␥, whereas the Mo-DCs of patients induced higher levels of bioactive TGF-␤1 and IL-10 in cocultures with allogeneic T cells. Interestingly, TGF-␤1 blocking with mAb in cocultures was not enough to completely revert the Mo-DCs of patients' bias toward Treg induction. Altogether, these findings should be considered in immunotherapeutic approaches for cancer based on Mo-DCs. J. Leukoc. Biol. 92: 673-682; 2012.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility of applying Raman spectroscopy in probing the molecular changes in terms of collagen deposition and tissue remodeling associated with two well-established experimental models of osteoarthritis (OA) in knee of rats. In order to evaluate alterations in the articular surface area, the menisci-covered tibial region was assessed into three groups as follows: control (joint preserved) and two models of experimental knee OA: collagenase-induced model (n = 8) and treadmill exercise-induced model (n = 8). Each group was examined for molecular changes using spectral parameters related to cartilage, subchondral bone, and bone tissues. A significant increase of Raman ratios related to mineralization and tissue remodeling was found (p < 0.05), suggesting that both models were successful for inducing OA in rats. The significantly lower phenylalanine content and higher crystallinity in the treadmill exercise-induced model of OA than collagenase-induced model of OA (p < 0.05) indicated that the OA pathogenesis was model-dependent. Thus, this work suggests that the Raman spectroscopy technique has potential for the diagnosis and detection of cartilage damage and monitoring of subchondral bone and bone in OA pathogenesis at the molecular level.

In the present study, we analyze the morphology and morphometry of the lateral proper digital nerve of the third finger, and of the proximal and distal segments of the ulnar, median, and radial nerves, in Wistar rats 4 or 7 weeks old. The fascicular area and diameter were generally significantly greater in the proximal compared to distal segments and tended to be larger in 7-week-old compared to 4-week-old rats (e.g., median nerve area of 0.13 mm 2 for the proximal and 0.07 mm 2 for distal segments in 4-weekold rats, and 0.17 and 0.10 mm 2 , respectively, for the proximal and distal segments of 7-week-old rats). The number of fascicles was significantly greater while the number of myelinated fibers was significantly less in the distal segments (e.g., 1,359 and 509 myelinated fibers, respectively, in the proximal and distal segments of the radial nerve 4-week-old rats). There was no significant difference in these parameters between the two age groups. The diameter of the myelinated fibers and their respective axons increased from 4 to 7 weeks of age (e.g., myelinated fiber diameter of 4.10 mm in 4-week-old animals and 4.7 mm in the ulnar nerve proximal segment of 7-week-old rats). The g-ratio regression line (axon diameter vs. fiber diameter quotient) was outlined for all the nerves studied here. Differences in myelinated fiber density were detected between the segments of the radial nerve, accompanying the number of myelinated fibers. Detailed knowledge of the microscopic anatomy of rat forelimb nerves provides control data for comparison with studies of experimentally induced neuropathies, which can shed more light on human neuropathies. Anat Rec, 290:477-485, 2007. 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Pilocarpus species have been exploited as the only source of the imidazole alkaloid pilocarpine (used in glaucoma treatment), since its isolation up to the present. Almost all Pilocarpus species are native from Brazil. Because of the medicinal importance of pilocarpine, several of them are in the path of extinction. Other secondary metabolites, such as coumarins, flavonoids and terpenes, were described for Pilocarpus species. In this review the secondary metabolites, other than pilocarpine, isolated from Pilocarpus species and their biological activities were compiled. Although the variety of structures and the importance of the biological activities described in literature for Pilocarpus species this is an unexploited field of research in Natural Products and Pharmacology.