Tug-of-War Driven by the Structure of Carboxylic Acids: Tuning the Size, Morphology, and Photocatalytic Activity of α-Ag2WO4.

Size and morphology control during the synthesis of materials requires a molecular-level understanding of how the addition of surface ligands regulates nucleation and growth. In this work, this control is achieved by using three carboxylic acids (tartaric, benzoic, and citric) during sonochemical syntheses. The presence of carboxylic acids affects the kinetics of the nucleation process, alters the growth rate, and governs the size and morphology. Samples synthesized with citric acid revealed excellent photocatalytic activity for the degradation process of Rhodamine B, and recyclability experiments demonstrate that it retains 91% of its photocatalytic activity after four recycles. Scavenger experiments indicate that both the hydroxyl radical and the hole are key species for the success of the transformation. A reaction pathway is proposed that involves a series of dissolution-hydration-dehydration and precipitation processes, mediated by the complexation of Ag+. We believe these studies contribute to a fundamental understanding of the crystallization process and provide guidance as to how carboxylic acids can influence the synthesis of materials with controlled size and morphology, which is promising for multiple other scientific fields, such as sensor and catalysis fields.

Propofol at Single Bolus and Continuous Rate Infusion Significantly Increases Serum Triglycerides, but not Cholesterol, In Healthy Bitches Undergoing Elective Ovariohysterectomy.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a single bolus and continuous rate infusion (CRI) of 1% propofol on cholesterol and triglyceride levels of healthy bitches undergoing elective ovariohysterectomy. 10 healthy bitches undergoing elective ovariohysterectomy had blood samples obtained at baseline (TB), 15 minutes following premedication with acepromazine and morphine (TPM), after an intravenous bolus of propofol (induction to anesthesia, TIND) and following 90 minutes of CRI of propofol started at 0.4 mg kg-1 min-1 and adjusted according to individual requirements (TCRI). Data were initially tested for normality using the Shapiro-Wilk test, and comparisons were performed using Friedman followed by Dunn post-hoc test. Serum cholesterol levels significantly decreased at TIND and TCRI (median [min-max] 201 mg dL-1 [111-234 mg dL-1], and 215 mg dL-1 [111-239 mg dL-1]), respectively, compared with TB (232 [128-245 mg dL-1]) and TPM (206 [115-255 mg dL-1]). No differences were found between TIND and TCRI. Triglyceride levels increased significantly at TIND (120 [67-231 mg dL-1]) and TCRI (229 [73-549 mg dL-1]) compared with TPM (36 [51-29 mg dL-1]), and TCRI compared with TB. In conclusion, 1% propofol lipid emulsion significantly increases serum triglycerides and causes lipemia in healthy dogs at a single bolus or CRI.

Peak of neuromuscular activation and angle where it occurs during bench press exercise performed with different repetition number and duration in resistance trained individuals.

The present study compared neuromuscular activation, measured by surface electromyography (EMG) amplitude [measure by EMG peak (EMGPEAK)] and range of motion (ROM) where EMGPEAK occurred between two training protocols, matched by time under tension, but with a different number and duration of repetitions. Sixteen recreationally trained males performed 2 training protocols with 3 sets, 180 s of rest with 60% of one-repetition maximum(1RM) on the bench press performed in a Smith machine. Protocol A consisted of 6 repetitions with a repetition duration of 6 s and protocol B consisted of 12 repetitions with a repetition duration of 3 s. EMG activity of anterior deltoid, pectoralis major and triceps brachii muscles were recorded. The results showed a general higher EMG amplitude (regardless of the muscle) in protocol B (p = 0.010), and pectoral and triceps brachii consistently presented higher neuromuscular activation than anterior deltoid at both protocols (p = 0.007). Additionally, the ROM where EMGPEAK occurred in triceps brachii was in the middle of the concentric action (~50% of ROM), this occurred in the first half of the same action (~24% of ROM) in the other muscles. In conclusion, protocol B demonstrated an increased EMG amplitude over protocol A, although both protocols responded similarly by achieving the highest EMG amplitude at same ROM among the muscles analysed.

Comparing Potential as Biocontrol Agents of Two Neotropical Parasitoids of Liriomyza sativae.

We evaluated the potential of two parasitoids as biocontrol agents of Liriomyza sativae Blanchard in northeastern Brazil. The two species were the koinobiont larval-pupal endoparasitoid Phaedrotoma scabriventris Nixon (Braconidae) and the idiobiont larval endoparasitoid Chrysocharis vonones (Walker) (Eulophidae). The biological parameters evaluated were survivorship, parasitism, and host-feeding, at 25 and 30°C. Differences between the species were observed at 25°C, but not at 30°C. At 25°C, the total parasitism for P. scabriventris (196.1 ± 17.7) and C. vonones (176.6 ± 7.24) was similar and with higher values compared to 30°C, 102.5 ± 8.81 and 89.1 ± 5 66 parasitized larvae, respectively. However, C. vonones showed a 3.97 lower survivorship as well as higher daily parasitism (1.4-fold) and host-feeding means (1.9-fold) than the braconid at 25°C. The results indicate a potential for both natural enemies to be used as biocontrol agents of L. sativae. The differences between species detected at 25°C suggest the best conditions for the application of each parasitoid.

Sexual dimorphism on aortic remodelling in rats offspring from diabetic mothers and the role of flaxseed oil in this effect.

Diabetes during pregnancy is associated with aortic remodelling in the fetus, stimulating the development of cardiovascular diseases in adult life. However, studies suggest that the use of foods high in omega-3 fatty acid, such as flaxseed oil, may reverse this effect of metabolic programming. This study aimed at investigating whether the effects of diabetes in mothers are passed on to their offspring in a gender-specific manner and whether the flaxseed oil used during pregnancy and lactation reverses or not the possible negative effects of this programming. Diabetic female rats (n = 18) were mated and allocated into three groups (n = 6): high-fat group (HG); flaxseed oil group (FOG) and control group (CG) (nondiabetic rats) during pregnancy and lactation. On the 21st day, male and female pups were weaned on a standard diet until 180 days. Aorta histomorphometry was analysed. Intima-media layer thickness was larger in FOG than CG in male (+15%) and than HG in female (+13.7%). Male FOG (+11.5%) showed higher amount of elastic fibre than CG. Maternal intake of flaxseed oil during pregnancy and lactation of diabetic mothers program the offspring to increase aorta intima-media layer thickness in adulthood and preserves aorta elastic fibres deposition in male offspring.

Taro flour (Colocasia esculenta) increases testosterone levels and gametogenic epithelium of Wistar rats.

This study evaluated the effects of diet containing taro flour on hormone levels and the seminiferous tubules morphology of rats. After weaning, the male rats were divided into two groups (n=12 each): control group (CG) treated with control diet and taro group (TG), fed with 25% taro flour for 90 days. Food, caloric intake, mass and body length were evaluated at experiment end. Testis followed the standard histological processing. Immunostaining was performed using an anti-vimentin antibody to identify Sertoli cells. In histomorphometry, total diameter, total area, epithelial height, luminal height and luminal area were analyzed. The testosterone levels were performed using the radioimmunoassay method. Group TG presented (P<0.05): increase in mass, body length, testicular weight, histomorphometric parameters and hormonal levels. Food intake, calorie and Sertoli cells not presented statistical differences. The taro promoted increase in the testicles parameters and hormones.

Effects of transgenic soybean and organic soybean on rat penis morphology during the aging process / Efectos de los frijoles de soja transgénica y de soja orgánica en la morfología del pene de rata durante el proceso de envejecimiento

The contents of soybean can modify the structure of the reproductive system, especially, when consumed for prolonged periods. In this study, we evaluated the effects of the consumption of transgenic soybean on rat penis morphology after prolonged use. Wistar rats (n = 30) were divided into three groups according to diet: Transgenic Soybean (TS) group, Organic Soybean (OS) group and Control (C) group. After 455 days of intake, the rats were sacrificed and the penises were excised and fixed in formalin for subsequent histological processing. The samples were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, Weigert’s resorcin-fuchsin stain, and picrosirius red with polarization. The images were scanned for the histomorphometric analyses of the corpora cavernosa, corpus spongiosum, erectile tissue, and tunica albuginea as well as the measurement of the thickness of the tunica albuginea. The diameter and areas of the penile arteries with the intima and media tunica were also measured. The elastic fibers of the tunica albuginea, corpora cavernosa and corpus spongiosum were quantified using stereological methods. No significant differences were observed in the collagen and elastic components among the groups. We concluded that no statistically significant differences were found among the groups, demonstrating that the prolonged consumption of OS and TS does not affect the penile structure.

El contenido de frijoles de soja puede modificar la estructura del sistema reproductivo, especialmente, cuando se consume durante períodos prolongados. En este estudio, se evaluaron los efectos del consumo de frijoles de soja transgénica en la morfología del pene de rata después de un uso prolongado. Las ratas Wistar (n = 30) se dividieron en tres grupos según la dieta: grupo de frijoles de soja transgénica (TS), grupo de frijoles de soja orgánica (OS) y grupo control (C). Después de 455 días de ingesta, se sacrificaron las ratas y se extirparon los penes y se fijaron en formalina para posterior procesamiento histológico. Las muestras se tiñeron con hematoxilina y eosina, tinción de resorcina-fucsina de Weigert y rojo de picrosirius con polarización. Las imágenes fueron escaneadas para análisis histomorfométrico de los cuerpos cavernosos, cuerpo esponjoso, tejido eréctil y túnica albugínea, así como para la medición del espesor de la túnica albugínea. También se midieron el diámetro y las áreas de las arterias penianas con las túnicas íntima y media. Se cuantificaron las fibras elásticas de la túnica albugínea, cuerpos cavernosos y cuerpos esponjosos utilizando métodos estereológicos. No se observaron diferencias significativas en los componentes colágenos y elásticos entre los grupos. Se concluyó que no se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los grupos, lo que demuestra que el consumo prolongado de OS y TS no afecta a la estructura del pene.

Effect of red blood cell preservation by droplet freezing with non-permeable cryoprotective agents in blood group antigen reactivity.

BACKGROUND: In the last few decades, various red blood cell (RBC) freezing techniques have been developed and improved to enable the preservation of erythrocytes for future use in pre-transfusion tests in reference immunohaematology laboratories. However, not all these techniques have been sufficiently evaluated for the preservation of blood group antigens. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we evaluated the antigenic pattern of RBCs preserved by droplet freezing in liquid nitrogen in a blood bank context. METHODS: Blood samples were evaluated for the reactivity of blood group antigens after droplet freezing using the non-permeable cryoprotective agent polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and sucrose-dextrose (S + D) solutions. RESULTS: No qualitative changes were observed in RBC reactivity after freezing and thawing for the antigens Fyb , Leb , C, E, Cw , Lua , Lub , Kpa , Kpb and Dia . However, cryopreservation using PVP resulted in a significant increase in reactivity of Fyb antigen on comparing fresh and frozen samples (P < 0·001). CONCLUSION: The establishment of detailed protocols for cryopreservation of RBCs, which take into account the maintenance of antigenic characteristics, is necessary to increase security in pre-transfusion testing using frozen RBCs.

Petal micromorphology and its relationship to pollination.

The characteristics of petal epidermal conical cells affect the quality of the signals perceived by various pollinators. This study aimed to identify variations in micromorphological characteristics of flower petals and their relationship to melittophily, ornithophily and chiropterophily pollination systems. The petals of 11 species were analysed using scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy and the micromorphological traits were described, measured and compared using Tukey's test, PCA and cluster analysis. Unlike chiropterophily, all melittophilous and some ornithophilous species possessed adaxial epidermal conical cells. Cluster grouping separated chiropterophilous flowers from melittophilous and ornithophilous. PCA analysis showed that the two morphometric profile of conical cells was the attribute that most strongly influenced the grouping of species. When considering the data set of the three pollination systems, melittophilous and ornithophilous plants were more similar to each other than they were to chriopterophilous species. The distance between conical cell apices is an important parameter in interactions with pollinators. This study facilitated recognition of smoothing pollinator resource access through petal micromorphological characteristics. Further research regarding the biometry of micromorphological traits related to pollination is required.

Cortical thinning of the right anterior cingulate cortex in spider phobia: a magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy study.

There a lack of consistent neuroimaging data on specific phobia (SP) and a need to assess volumetric and metabolic differences in structures implicated in this condition. The aim of this study is investigate possible metabolic (via (1)H MRS) and cortical thickness abnormalities in spider-phobic patients compared to healthy volunteers. Participants were recruited via public advertisement and underwent clinical evaluations and MRI scans. The study started in 2010 and the investigators involved were not blind in respect to patient groupings. The study was conducted at the Ribeirão Preto Medical School University Hospital of the University of São Paulo, Brazil. Patients with spider phobia (n=19) were matched to 17 healthy volunteers with respect to age, education and socio-economic status. The spider SP group fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for spider phobia according to the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. None of the participants had a history of neurological, psychiatric or other relevant organic diseases, use of prescribed psychotropic medication or substance abuse. All imaging and spectroscopy data were collected with a 3 T MRI scanner equipped with 25 mT gradient coils in 30-minute scans. The Freesurfer image analysis package and LC Model software were used to analyze data. The hypothesis being tested was formulated before the data collection (neural correlates of SP would include the amygdala, insula, anterior cingulate gyrus and others). The results indicated the absence of metabolic alterations, but thinning of the right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in the SP group when compared to the healthy control group (mean cortical thickness±SD: SP=2.11±0.45 mm; HC=2.16±0.42 mm; t (34)=3.19, p=0.001 [-35.45, 71.00, -23.82]). In spectroscopy, the ratios between N-acetylaspartate and creatine and choline levels were measured. No significant effect or correlation was found between MRS metabolites and scores in the Spider Phobia Questionnaire and Beck Anxiety Inventory (p>0.05). The ACC is known to be related to the cognitive processing of fear and anxiety and to be linked with the conditioning circuit. The MRS findings are preliminary and need more studies. The finding of reduced ACC thickness in SP is in agreement with evidence from previous functional neuroimaging studies and highlights the importance of this brain area in the pathophysiology of SP.

Cannabidiol can improve complex sleep-related behaviours associated with rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder in Parkinson's disease patients: a case series.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Cannabidiol (CBD) is the main non-psychotropic component of the Cannabis sativa plant. REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia characterized by the loss of muscle atonia during REM sleep associated with nightmares and active behaviour during dreaming. We have described the effects of CBD in RBD symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease. CASES SUMMARY: Four patients treated with CBD had prompt and substantial reduction in the frequency of RBD-related events without side effects. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: This case series indicates that CBD is able to control the symptoms of RBD.

Cannabidiol for the treatment of cannabis withdrawal syndrome: a case report.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE:   Cannabis withdrawal in heavy users is commonly followed by increased anxiety, insomnia, loss of appetite, migraine, irritability, restlessness and other physical and psychological signs. Tolerance to cannabis and cannabis withdrawal symptoms are believed to be the result of the desensitization of CB1 receptors by THC. CASE SUMMARY:   This report describes the case of a 19-year-old woman with cannabis withdrawal syndrome treated with cannabidiol (CBD) for 10 days. Daily symptom assessments demonstrated the absence of significant withdrawal, anxiety and dissociative symptoms during the treatment. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION:   CBD can be effective for the treatment of cannabis withdrawal syndrome.

Avian infectious bronchitis and deep pectoral myopathy - a case control study.

Infectious bronchitis is caused by a coronavirus, infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). Infectious bronchitis is an acute and highly contagious disease of economic importance due to the reduction in weight gain observed with infected broilers and the drop in egg quality and production associated with infected laying hens. The presence of deep pectoral myopathy has been associated with IBV variants. This lesion is detected at slaughterhouses and is characterized by paleness and atrophy of the deep pectoral muscle, including necrosis of the region, leading to condemnations of the breast muscle, a valuable meat cut in the market. This work aimed to study the relationship between deep pectoral myopathy and IBV by describing tracheal and muscle lesions and comparing the frequency of IBV detection via reverse-transcription (RT) PCR in muscle, tracheal, and cecal tonsil samples from broilers with and without myopathy. A case-control study was conducted in 40 broiler flocks vaccinated with the Massachusetts strain. The case group consisted of 23 flocks that presented myopathic lesions under sanitary inspection and a control group of 17 flocks without myopathic lesions. The tracheal, cecal tonsil, and supracoracoid muscle (with and without lesions) samples from the 40 broiler flocks were screened by RT-PCR to detect IBV. Histopathology of muscle and tracheal tissue was carried out. Upon microscopic examination, the muscle samples from the case group presented extensive necrosis, intense mononuclear inflammatory infiltration, muscle fiber fragmentation, and fibrotic tissue, confirming myopathy, whereas muscles from the control group showed no alterations. The tracheal samples presented a large number of infiltrated mononuclear inflammatory cells that in some areas formed submucosal nodules. A total of 25 flocks tested IBV positive by RT-PCR: 14 from the case group and 11 from the control group. The IBV was detected by RT-PCR directly in muscle samples. Despite that, the relationship between deep pectoral myopathy and IBV was not established. The higher positive IBV RT-PCR percentage noted in the cecal tonsil samples demonstrates how important the choice of organs is for diagnostic purposes.

Structural and stereological analysis of elastic fibers in the glans penis of young men.

The extracellular matrix is an important element in penile function and pathology, although little is known about its components in human glans. This study evaluates the morphological organization and volumetric density of elastic fibers in the glans penis of young men without any evidence of urogenital disease at autopsy or medical history. Penile glans were obtained from five young men who died of causes not related to the urogenital tract, ranging in age from 18 to 30 years (mean 24 years). Samples were fixed in formalin, embedded in paraffin, and histologically processed. Tissue was analyzed by light microscopy using Weigert's resorcin-fuchsin, after previous oxidation with oxone. The point-counting method was used for morphometrical evaluation. Quantities were expressed as volumetric densities (Vv) and were determined on 25 random fields for each individual. Elastic system fibers were easily identified. These fibers had tortuous profile and surrounded sinusoids in the glans penis. An irregular elastic fibers network was identified in the mucosa, while in the corpus spongiosum the elastic fibers were longitudinally distributed. Volumetric density of elastic fibers in the glans penis is 29.4% ± 3.1. These data could provide valuable information in order to draw parallels regarding patients with erectile dysfunction. Further studies regarding extracellular matrix of the penis are necessary to better elucidate the relation between elastic fibers and erectile dysfunction.

Hematologic and immunological indicators are altered by chronic intake of flaxseed in Wistar rats.

This work sought to evaluate the effects of chronic intake of flaxseed upon hematologic parameters and immunological findings on body development of Wistar rats. Female Wistar rats were used after gestation. They were randomly assigned into two groups during lactation period: Control group (CG), fed with casein based diet, made up of 17% protein and flaxseed group (FG), fed with casein based diet with the addition of 25% flaxseed. At weaning, 12 male pups of each group continued to receive the experimental diets of their mothers (with only 10% of protein) until adult age, when they were killed at 250 days of life aiming at blood collection. At 250 days old FG presented significant reduction in body mass (p<0.000) and higher levels of hemoglobin (p=0.019) and albumin (p=0.030) than CG. It was observed smaller percentage of segmented lymphocytes (p=0.016) in rats from FG and bigger percentage of segmented leucocytes (p=0.023) when compared to CG. The chronic consumption of flaxseed altered hematologic and immunological indicators in adult Wistar rats. Supplementation with flaxseed seems to be beneficial to maintenance or reduction of body mass.

Hematologic and immunological indicators are altered by chronic intake of flaxseed in Wistar rats / Indicadores hematológicos e inmunológicos alterados por el consumo crónico de linaza en ratas Wistar

This work sought to evaluate the effects of chronic intake of flaxseed upon hematologic parameters and immunological findings on body development of Wistar rats. Female Wistar rats were used after gestation. They were randomly assigned into two groups during lactation period: Control group (CG), fed with casein based diet, made up of 17% protein and flaxseed group (FG), fed with casein based diet with the addition of 25% flaxseed. At weaning, 12 male pups of each group continued to receive the experimental diets of their mothers (with only 10% of protein) until adult age, when they were killed at 250 days of life aiming at blood collection. At 250 days old FG presented significant reduction in body mass (p < 0.000) and higher levels of hemoglobin (p = 0.019) and albumin (p = 0.030) than CG. It was observed smaller percentage of segmented lymphocytes (p = 0.016) in rats from FG and bigger percentage of segmented leucocytes (p = 0.023) when compared to CG. The chronic consumption of flaxseed altered hematologic and immunological indicators in adult Wistar rats. Supplementation with flaxseed seems to be beneficial to maintenance or reduction of body mass (AU)

Este trabajo pretendía evaluar el efecto de la ingestión crónica de linaza sobre parámetros hematológicos y hallazgos inmunológicos del desarrollo corporal de ratas Wistar. Se emplearon ratas hembra Wistar tras la gestación. Se las distribuyó al azar en dos grupos durante el período de lactancia: grupo control (GC), alimentado con una dieta basada en caseína, con un 17% de proteína y el grupo linaza (GF), alimentado con una dieta basada en caseína con la adición de un 25% de linaza. En el destete, 12 ratas macho continuaron recibiendo las dietas experimentales consumidas por sus madres (con sólo el 10% de proteína) hasta la edad adulta, en que fueron sacrificados a los 250 días de vida para la recogida de las muestras. A los 250 días de edad, el GF presentaba una reducción significativa de la masa corporal (p < 0,000) y mayores concentraciones de hemoglobina (p = 0,019) y albúmina (p = 0,030) que el GC. Se observó un menor porcentaje de linfocitos segmentados (p = 0,016) en las ratas del GF y un mayor porcentaje de leucocitos segmentados (p = 0,023) en comparación con el GC. El consumo crónico de linaza alteró los indicadores hematológicos e inmunológicos en las ratas Wistar adultas. La suplementación con linaza parece ser beneficiosa en el mantenimiento o la reducción de la masa corporal (AU)

The use of polymerase chain reaction for early diagnosis of tuberculosis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture

Early diagnosis plays a vital role in controlling tuberculosis. The conventional methodology is slow, with results taking several weeks, in addition to having low sensitivity, especially in clinical paucibacillary samples. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on solid medium culture for a rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis, mainly in cases of negative sputum smears. Forty sputum samples were collected from inpatients with tuberculosis treated for less than 2 days. Bacilloscopy, PCR for sputum, culture on Lõwestein-Jensen (LJ) solid medium, and daily PCR from culture were performed on each sample. DNA extracted from the BCG vaccine, which contains attenuated bacillus Calmette-Guérin, was used as the positive control. Smear microscopy showed 68.6 percent sensitivity, 80 percent specificity, 96 percent positive predictive value, and 26.7 percent negative predictive value, with culture on LJ medium as the gold standard. Culture at day 28 showed 74.3 percent sensitivity and 100 percent specificity. PCR of DNA extracted from sputum amplified a 1027-bp fragment of the 16s RNA gene, showing 22.9 percent sensitivity and 60 percent specificity. PCR performed with DNA extracted from daily culture showed that, from the 17th to the 40th day, the sensitivity (85.7 percent) and specificity (60 percent) were constant. We conclude that a 17-day culture is a good choice for rapid diagnosis and to interfere with the transmission chain of tuberculosis.

Genomics and proteomics approaches to the study of cancer-stroma interactions.

BACKGROUND: The development and progression of cancer depend on its genetic characteristics as well as on the interactions with its microenvironment. Understanding these interactions may contribute to diagnostic and prognostic evaluations and to the development of new cancer therapies. Aiming to investigate potential mechanisms by which the tumor microenvironment might contribute to a cancer phenotype, we evaluated soluble paracrine factors produced by stromal and neoplastic cells which may influence proliferation and gene and protein expression. METHODS: The study was carried out on the epithelial cancer cell line (Hep-2) and fibroblasts isolated from a primary oral cancer. We combined a conditioned-medium technique with subtraction hybridization approach, quantitative PCR and proteomics, in order to evaluate gene and protein expression influenced by soluble paracrine factors produced by stromal and neoplastic cells. RESULTS: We observed that conditioned medium from fibroblast cultures (FCM) inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in Hep-2 cells. In neoplastic cells, 41 genes and 5 proteins exhibited changes in expression levels in response to FCM and, in fibroblasts, 17 genes and 2 proteins showed down-regulation in response to conditioned medium from Hep-2 cells (HCM). Nine genes were selected and the expression results of 6 down-regulated genes (ARID4A, CALR, GNB2L1, RNF10, SQSTM1, USP9X) were validated by real time PCR. CONCLUSIONS: A significant and common denominator in the results was the potential induction of signaling changes associated with immune or inflammatory response in the absence of a specific protein.