Materno-fetal immunotolerance: is Interleukin-1 a fundamental mediator in placental viviparity?

Cytokines are important regulators of materno-fetal immunotolerance in mammals. They act within an intricate network, in which the balance among different cytokines contributes to the success of reproductive processes. Despite numerous studies, however, the role of cytokines at the materno-fetal interface remains largely unknown. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a proinflammatory cytokine with many functions in the immune system and in defence against infections. There have been very many studies of the presence and role of IL-1 in human and murine reproduction. Although studies on mammals have shown that IL-1 is an essential mediator in embryo implantation and establishment of pregnancy, mice that are transgenic for most components of the IL-1 family breed normally, suggesting that IL-1 acts in concert with other cytokines at the materno-fetal interface. We recently showed that IL-1 is also expressed by the placenta of non-mammalian vertebrates, including some squamate reptiles and elasmobranch fishes. The expression of IL-1 at the materno-fetal interface in the phylogenetically oldest extant placental vertebrates suggests that IL-1 is a fundamental regulator of materno-fetal relationships.     

Mesenteric cystic neoformations: Report of two cases

(Received for publication on Apr. 28, 1997; accepted on May 15, 1998)     

Vitrectomy for optic disc pit maculopathy: a long-term follow-up study

Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology - To evaluate the clinical outcomes of vitrectomy with induction of posterior vitreous detachment for the treatment of optic disc...     

Effect of North American ginseng on 137Cs-induced micronuclei in human lymphocytes: a comparison with WR-1065

To explore the radioprotective effect of a standardized North American ginseng extract (NAGE) on human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), a micronuclei (MN) assay was conducted in PBL obtained from 12 volunteers. NAGE (50-1000 microg/mL) and WR-1065 (1 mM and 3 mM) were applied to PBL cultures at 0 h and 90 min post-irradiation. It was found that (1) the baseline MN yield of PBL ranged from 14.4 +/- 1.5 to 15.9 +/- 1.5 per 1000 binucleated cells (p > 0.05); after irradiation (1 Gy and 2 Gy), the MN yield increased sharply; (2) MN yields declined with increasing concentrations of NAGE and WR-1065. Even at 90 min post-irradiation of 1 Gy, the maximum level of MN reduction rate caused by NAGE and WR-1065 was 53.8% and 59.2%, respectively; after 2 Gy irradiation, it was 37.3% and 42%, respectively; (3) the MN distribution in PBL followed a non-Poisson distribution in all cases; and (4) both NAGE and WR-1065 showed no significant effect on the proliferation index of lymphocytes. The results indicate that NAGE is a relatively non-toxic natural product, which can be administered as a dietary supplement and has the potential to be a radiation countermeasure.