Results: Keloid tissue featured a pronounced expression of ECMs, such as collagen RepSox concentration types 1 and 3, whereas the production of psoriasin and koebnerisin was markedly decreased in keloid-derived cells and keloid tissue. Both S100 proteins inhibited the expression of collagens, fibronectin-1, alpha-smooth-muscle actin and TGF-beta by fibroblasts. Further, they also suppressed fibroblast proliferation. Conclusion: Psoriasin and koebnerisin show antifibrotic effects and may lead to novel preventive

and therapeutic strategies for fibroproliferative diseases. (C) 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel”
“Water-soluble tea polysaccharide conjugates (TPC-W) and alkali-soluble tea polysaccharide conjugates (TPC-A) were extracted from green tea by hot and alkali water respectively. Physicochemical properties of TPC-W and TPC-A were analyzed. Non-obese diabetic (NOD)

mice were used to evaluate antidiabetic bioactivities NSC 683864 of TPC-W and TPC-A. The daily oral administration of 150 mg kg(-1) TPC-W can significantly decrease the level of blood glucose in NOD mice. The anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibody level in NOD mice treated with 150 mg kg-1 TPC-W decreased 27% (P < 0.05). To the end of trial, only 2 out of 10 mice in NOD groups treated with TPC-W or TPC-A exhibited diabetic symptoms compared with model control group, in which 7 of 10 mice developed diabetes. The result of organ index showed that both TPC-W and TPC-A can protect thymus from shriveling to some extent. In sum, our studies demonstrated that both TPC-W and

TPC-A can suppress spontaneous diabetes mellitus in NOD mice. (C) 2010 SN-38 mouse Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“In the present work, we elaborated a synthetic lung surfactant composed of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), phosphatidylglycerol, cholesterol and bovine serum albumin (BSA), as a vehicle to study the lung toxicity of pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). MWCNT were dispersed in surfactant, saline or saline containing DPPC, BSA, Pluronic (R) F68 or sodium dodecyl sulfate, for comparison. Dispersions were characterized visually, and by light microscopy, dynamic light scattering and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM). Deposition of surfactant-dispersed MWCNT in the lung of BALB/c mice upon single or repeated administrations was analyzed by histology and TEM. Inflammation and airway remodeling were assessed in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) or lung tissue of mice by counting cells and quantifying cytokines, tumor growth factor (TGF)-beta 1 and collagen, and by histology. We found that the elaborated surfactant is more effective in dispersing MWCNT when compared to the other agents, while being biocompatible. Surfactant-dispersed MWCNT distributed all throughout the mouse airways upon single and repeated administrations and were observed in alveolar macrophages and epithelial cells, and in infiltrated neutrophils.