This study supports epidemiologic studies showing the possibility that excess environmental exposure to Se represents a risk factor for a devastating human neurodegenerative disease. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Interferons (IFNs) are expressed by many cell types and play a pivotal role in the generation of immune responses against viral infections. IFN-kappa, a novel type I IFN, displays a tight tropism for keratinocytes and specific lymphoid populations and exhibits functional similarities with other type I IFNs. The human papillomavirus

(HPV), the etiological agent for cervical cancer, infects keratinocytes of the uterine cervix and has been shown to directly inhibit the IFN pathway. We evaluated IFN-kappa, -beta, NF-��B inhibitor and -gamma gene expression in HPV-negative normal and HPV-positive pre-malignant and malignant ex vivo cervical tissue covering the entire spectrum BAY 1895344 purchase of cervical

disease. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and methods previously optimized for detecting low-expressing genes in cervical tissue were used. In contrast to IFN-beta and -gamma, IFN-kappa mRNA prevalence and levels were unexpectedly higher in diseased compared with normal whole cervical tissue with highest levels observed in invasive carcinoma tissue. Strikingly, laser capture microdissection revealed an absence of IFN-kappa mRNA in diseased epithelium, whereas stromal IFN-kappa

was found exclusively in diseased tissue. IFN-gamma and Paclitaxel IFN-beta were likewise found to be upregulated in diseased cervical stroma. Immunofluorescence supports the involvement of monocytes and dendritic cells in the stromal induction of IFNs in diseased tissue. Further, using three-dimensional raft cultures in which the viral life cycle can be mimicked, human keratinocytes transfected with full-length HPV16 displayed a significant decrease in IFN-kappa mRNA compared with non-transfected human keratinocytes. Altogether, these findings show that IFN-kappa is down-regulated in cervical keratinocytes harboring HPV, which may be a contributing factor in the progression of a cervical lesion. Laboratory Investigation (2010) 90, 1482-1491; doi: 10.1038/labinvest.2010.95; published online 17 May 2010″
“The harmful effects of the environmental carcinogen, benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), on mammalian neurodevelopment and behavior as yet remain unclear. Several studies have suggested that B[a]P impairs learning and memory. In the present investigation, we investigated the effects of subchronic exposure to B[a]P on rats. Male rats received daily injection of B[a]P (0, 1.0, 2.5, and 6.25 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle for 13 weeks. Employing the Morris water maze (MWM) test, we observed that rats exposed to either 2.5 mg/kg or 6.