Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0268596 (EMA)
 2,520 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

It has recently been shown that reactive bile ductules display neuroendocrine features, including immunoreactivity for the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM). In this study we have compared the immunohistochemical expression of NCAM with that of HEA-125 (biliary specific) and LKM-1 (hepatocyte specific) and other markers relevant to morphogenesis (Bcl-2, EMA) and cell proliferation (Ki-67) in cryostat sections from different chronic liver diseases and from fetal livers at different gestational ages. In parallel, viable NCAM-positive ductular cells were purified from collagenase digests of cirrhotic livers by immunomagnetic separation and characterized by immunocytochemistry and transmission electron microscopy. We demonstrated that reactive ductules with atypical morphology coexpressed NCAM and Bcl-2 and were found mainly in congenital diseases associated with ductal plate malformation and in primary cholangiopathies. On the contrary, reactive ductules with typical morphology were negative for NCAM/Bcl-2 and positive for EMA. Reactive ductules coexpressing NCAM/Bcl-2 were negative for the proliferation marker Ki-67 and appeared to be directly connected with periportal hepatocytes. In fetal livers NCAM/Bcl-2 was transiently expressed during the early developmental stages of ductal plate (10-16 weeks) and started to disappear as the ductal plate began duplicating. NCAM-positive ductal plate cells were Ki-67 negative, becoming positive in duplicated segments. Thus the histogenesis of ductular reactive cells seems to recapitulate the early stages of biliary ontogenesis. In primary cholangiopathies and ductal plate malformations, these cells do not appear to maturate further, and thus abundant ductular structures coexist with vanishing mature ducts. These NCAM-positive ductular cells were immunopurified from patients with chronic cholestatic liver diseases and showed ultrastructural features consistent with a less differentiated phenotype than mature cholangiocytes. These isolated cells represent a useful model for in vitro studies.
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PMID:Characterization and isolation of ductular cells coexpressing neural cell adhesion molecule and Bcl-2 from primary cholangiopathies and ductal plate malformations. 1079 72

In order to isolate and culture the sweat gland epithelial cells in vitro and to study the effects of acetylcholine (ACh) on intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) of cultured sweat gland epithelial cells, the following methods were used. First, repeated shearing and neutral red staining made the sweat glands pop out from subcutaneous tissues. Then, transferpettor was used to pick up the glands, which were cultured in Epilife after type II collagenase digestion. The molecular characterization of primary cultured sweat gland epithelial cells was shown by immunocytochemistry. The [Ca(2+)](i) was examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) with the Ca(2+)-sensitive dye Fura 3-AM, when ACh was added to the primary cells and the first passage cells. In the results, the established method yielded comparatively more sweat glands, and the primary and first passage epithelial cells developed well in Epilife. The primary epithelial cells were positive to anti-EMA, anti-CK and anti-CK7. After the ACh was added, when the medium with high calcium (2 mmol/L) was applied, the calcium channel of both primary and first passage cells opened and significant [Ca(2+)](I )increase was observed; when the medium with no calcium was applied, no significant [Ca(2+)](i )increase was observed. So, it is a good method to isolate sweat glands by repeated shearing and transferpettor picking, and the culture mediums of keratinocytes, like Epilife, can be used to culture the sweat glands epithelial cells. In both the cultured primary and first passage cells, when stimulated by ACh, the calcium channel opened, which induced an increase in [Ca(2+)](i), similar to the cells in vivo.
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PMID:Effects of acetylcholine chloride on intracellular calcium concentration of cultured sweat gland epithelial cells. 1838 25

Fibrosis is a common lesion in different pathologic diseases and defined by the excessive accumulation of collagen. Different approaches have been used to treat different conditions characterized by fibrosis. The FDA and EMA approved the use of collagenase to treat palmar fibromatosis (Dupuytren's contracture). The EMA approved additionally its use in severe Peyronie's disease, but it has been used off label in other conditions [1,2]. The approved treatment includes up to three (in palmar fibromatosis) or up to eight (in penile fibromatosis) injections followed by finger extension or penile modeling procedures, typically causing severe pain. Frequent single injections are adequate to treat palmar fibromatosis [3]. The need to repeatedly inject doses of this enzyme can be due to the labile nature of collagenase, which exhibits a complete activity loss after a short period of time. This study presents a novel strategy to manage this enzyme based on the synthesis of polymeric nanocapsules that contain collagenase encapsulated within their matrix. These nanocapsules have been engineered for achieving a gradual release of the encapsulated enzyme for a longer time, which can be up to ten days. The efficacy of these nanocapsules has been tested in a murine model of local dermal fibrosis, and the results demonstrate a reduction in fibrosis greater than that with the injection of free enzyme; this type of treatment showed a significant improvement compared to conventional therapy of free collagenase.
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PMID:Collagenase nanocapsules: An approach to fibrosis treatment. 2973 7