Investigations into mechanisms modulating proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis in cultured liver, adrenal, skin, and bone cells.
The intricate modulatory roles played by manifold hormones, growth factors, cytokines, extracellular calcium concentrations, intracellular second messengers, protein kinases, and nuclear poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase in proliferative, differentiative, and apoptotic processes have been the subject of investigations that were carried out by means of in vitro either primary or secondary/tertiary cultures of differentiated epithelial (hepatocytes, keratinocytes, and adrenocytes) and connective tissue cells (osteoblasts and fibroblasts) obtained from man and/or other mammalians. In most cases, an ad hoc model system, in which cells were floated on the top of the growth medium and, hence, could enjoy nearly normal respiratory exchanges, was used. Such a system increased cell viability and the ability of parenchymal epithelial cells to respond to extremely low concentrations of growth factors, hormones, and pharmaco-toxicological agents in a way conceivably very close to their behaviour in vivo.
Dal Pra
I
I
Chair of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, University of Verona.
Tognana
E
E
Guerriero
C
C
Armato
U
U
D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000502:physiology; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000502:physiology; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000502:physiology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D015870:Gene Expression; D005934:Glucagon / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000502:physiology; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D008322:Mammals; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000502:physiology
D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D002273:Carcinogens; D007328:Insulin; D011453:Prostaglandins; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D005934:Glucagon; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D002118:Calcium