No abstract

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a potent proinflammatory phospholipid with multiple pathological and physiological effects. We have shown that basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) supplementation induces rapid proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), which is reduced upon removal of bFGF or by bFGF immunoneutralization. The PAF receptor antagonist LAU-8080 inhibited bFGF-stimulated HUVEC proliferation, indicating the involvement of PAF in the bFGF-mediated signaling of HUVEC. Although FGF receptor phosphorylation was not affected by LAU-8080, the bFGF-mediated prolonged phosphorylation, and activation of Erk-1 and -2 were attenuated. Phosphorylation of STAT-3 was observed in the presence of PAF or bFGF, which was attenuated by PAFR antagonists. PAF-induced STAT-3 phosphorylation observed in HUVEC pretreated with either Src inhibitor PP1 or JAK-2 inhibitor AG-490 indicated (i) immediate (1 min) phosphorylation of STAT-3 is dependent on Src, (ii) JAK-2-dependent STAT-3 phosphorylation occurs after the delayed (30 min) PAF exposure, and (iii) prolonged (60 min) STAT-3 phosphorylation may be either through Src and/or JAK-2. Attenuation of the STAT-3 phosphorylation by the PAFR antagonists indicated signaling through the PAF receptor. Taken together, these findings suggest the production of PAF is important for bFGF-mediated signaling and that a dual kinase mechanism is involved in the PAF-mediated signal transduction cascade.is an ether phospholipid second messenger that mediates a number of biological responses, including inflammatory and immune responses, shock, embryogenesis, and cell differentiation (for review, see Ref. 1). PAF is also a potent mediator of pathological angiogenesis associated with tumor expansion and metastasis (2, 3). Hepatocyte growth factor, tumor necrosis factor-␣, and thrombopoietin have been shown to induce angiogenesis through a mechanism involving PAF (4, 5). Many cells produce PAF, including monocytes, endothelial cells, neutrophils, and lymphocytes, and these cell types can themselves become targets of PAF bioactions (6). PAF acts through a specific Gprotein-linked receptor containing seven ␣-helical domains that span the plasma membrane (7) and has been localized to the plasmalemma (8) and a large endosomal compartment on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) (9). PAF also up-regulates the expression of its own receptor in several cell types including human alveolar macrophages (10) and rat epithelial cells (11), thus potentially providing a positive feedback loop for PAF action.Of the 20 members of the FGF family of growth factors, only acidic FGF and basic FGF (bFGF) have been shown to regulate proliferation and migration of capillary endothelial cells (for review, see Refs. 12 and 13). Although bFGF does not contain a traditional signal sequence, it is now clear that it is secreted via a tightly regulated non-conventional secretory pathway and is localized in the basement membrane and extracellular matrix of numerous tissues (14). bFGF binds t...

Through a comprehensive literature search and meta-analysis of current arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs, we found that the single-row repairs did not differ from the double-row repairs in functional outcome scores. The double-row repairs revealed a trend toward a lower radiographic proven retear rate, although the data did not reach statistical significance. There may be a concerning trend toward higher retear rates in patients undergoing a single-row repair, but further studies are required.