(C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3606406]“
“Background. Although radiation therapy
(RT) causes permanent xerostomia, parotid-sparing radiation therapy (PSRT) ensures recovery of saliva quantity over time. Salivary epidermal growth factor (EGF) is produced primarily by parotid glands.
Objectives. The aim of this study was to determine whether salivary EGF can be detected in parotid saliva after PSRT and whether protein secretion is time dependent.
Study design. Salivary EGF concentration PLX4032 mw (pg/mL) was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in stimulated parotid saliva before RT and at 3, 6, and 12 months after RT from 22 patients with head and neck cancer treated with PSRT.
Results. Saliva samples were from 17 men and 5 women (age ranges 23-70 years and 46-71 years, respectively). At 6 months after RT, EGF concentration was 407 pg/mL lower than at baseline (P = .045). Twelve months after PSRT, parotid glands produce substantial amounts of EGF and other proteins, eventually approximating pre-RT levels, with recovery of salivary function.
Conclusions. This proof-of-principle study shows that even proteins in picogram
quantities, such as EGF, can be detected in saliva after PSRT. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2011;111:64-70)”
“Background: AHF/trichohyalin is a large structural protein abundant in the inner root sheath (IRS) of anagenic hair follicles, which has been thought to mediate the keratin filamentous assembly. However, its functional mechanism is largely unknown.
Objective: This study aimed at
the identification of the key domain in AHF find more for keratin association and the establishment of a plausible mechanism for the modulation of the keratin meshwork.
Methods: Several keratinocyte cell lines were introduced with the full length or several mutants of AHF, together Angiogenesis inhibitor with IRS-specific keratin krt31, and the profile of the AHF granules and the cellular behaviors were carefully analyzed.
Results: Full length of AHF formed small round granules that clearly bound to and aligned on the exogenous keratin filaments in the keratinocytes, severely affected cellular growth, mobility and shape. Intriguingly, the removal of only 6 amino acids around the C-terminal tail of AHF resulted not only in the complete loss of its keratin adherent ability but also in a dramatic enlargement of the granules.
Conclusion: We propose a model for cytoskeletal modulation in the IRS of anagenic hair follicles: AHF latches onto the keratin bundles by its C-terminus and rearranges the keratin meshwork by intrinsic cohesive activity for the granule formation. (C) 2012 Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“In percolation theory, the backbone is defined by chopping off dangling ends from the percolating cluster.