| 1. |
- Cousins, Sara A. O., et al.
(författare)
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Reconstructing past land use and vegetation patterns using palaeogeographical and archaeological data : A focus on grasslands in Nynas by the Baltic Sea in south-eastern Sweden
- 2002
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Ingår i: Landscape and Urban Planning. - 0169-2046 .- 1872-6062. ; 61:1, s. 1-18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Past landscape characteristics were reconstructed in Nynas, south-eastern Sweden, using geographical and archaeological data together with pollen stratigraphy and an existing shore displacement model, with the aim to explore the development of semi-natural grasslands in the area. A 2.3 m peat core was analysed and radiocarbon dated at three levels. The pollen stratigraphy was estimated to start at approximately 3800 C-14 years before present (BP), at the end of Late Neolithic. Human activities are evident, from both archaeological findings and pollen analysis, for more than 4000 years. Grazing is apparent, possibly more intense around 3200 C-14 years BP, 2500-2600 C-14 years BP, 2100-2200 C-14 years BP, and 1300/1400 C-14 years BP to present day. From 1900+/-80 C-14 years BP and onwards cultivation is intensified at the same time as spruce (Picea abies) expands. Maps on land-cover distribution in the late 17th century was used as a model for the utilisation of the landscape during the Iron Age. Land-covers on very thin soils were grazed and sometimes mown within the village boundaries, but they were also used for cultivation in narrow strips where bedrock is adjacent to clays. Till and varved glacial clays would have been used for cultivation. A reasonable estimation is that 10% of the study area could have been used for cultivation 1900 C-14 years BP, compared to 28% in the end of the 17th century. During the last century there has been a shift towards more arable fields and more forestry. There are 10% open or semi-open grassland left today, and 6% wooded grassland, compared with 47% open or semi-open grassland in the 17th century. Little more than half of the open grasslands are managed today, all by grazing. It is argued that encroachment of trees and shrubs on open or semi-open grasslands will not only reduce species richness in the landscape but also threaten parts of our cultural heritage.
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| 2. |
- Dahlman, Thèrése, et al.
(författare)
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Collagen type I expression in experimental anaplastic thyroid carcinoma : regulation and relevance for tumorigenicity
- 2002
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Ingår i: International Journal of Cancer. - : Wiley. - 0020-7136 .- 1097-0215. ; 98:2, s. 186-192
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Fibrosis in solid malignancies plays a significant role in tumor pathophysiology. Potential mechanisms for collagen type I deposition in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) were investigated using 6 characterized ATC cell lines. Three of these cell lines, which produced collagen type I, had, as a group, a poor tumorigenicity when inoculated in athymic mice. This group of cells generated tumors in 4 of 24 injected animals (17%). Pro-alpha 1(I) collagen mRNA-expressing carcinoma and stromal cells were interdispersed in the tumors generated by these ATC cells. By contrast, the 3 noncollagen-producing ATC cell lines were all tumorigenic with a tumor take of 60% in the whole group. In the latter tumors, pro-alpha 1(I) collagen mRNA-expressing cells were confined to the stromal compartment, well delineated from carcinoma cell islets. To study the influence of ATC cells on collagen type I synthesis by fibroblasts, we used AG 1518 diploid human fibroblasts cultured on poly-(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (poly[HEMA])-coated plates. This culture condition allows the study of the effect of collagen mRNA translation in the regulation of collagen type I synthesis. Conditioned media from the 6 ATC cell lines did not influence collagen synthesis. The ATC cell line KAT-4 stimulated fibroblast synthesis of collagen type I when the two cell types were cocultured on poly[HEMA]-coated substrates. Specific inhibitors of PDGF and TGF-beta reduced the KAT 4 carcinoma cell-induced stimulation of collagen type I synthesis. Our data suggest that collagen type I production by carcinoma cells correlates negatively with tumorigenicity and that the formation of a well-defined stroma is of importance for tumor growth. Furthermore, our data suggest that tumor cells are able to stimulate collagen mRNA translation in stromal fibroblasts in direct cell-cell contact by, at least in part, transferring PDGF or TGF-beta.
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| 3. |
- Franzén, Åsa, 1972-
(författare)
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Regulatory Effects of TGF-β Superfamily Members on Normal and Neoplastic Thyroid Epithelial Cells
- 2002
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Thyroid growth and function is partly regulated by growth factors binding to receptors on the cell surface. In the present thesis, the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily members have been studied for their role in regulation of growth and differentiation of both normal and neoplastic thyroid epithelial cells.TGF-β1 is a negative regulator of thyrocyte growth and function. However, the importance of other TGF-β superfamily members has not been fully investigated. TGF-β1, activin A, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-7 and their receptors were found to be expressed in porcine thyrocytes. In addition to TGF-β1, activin A was also found to be a negative regulator of thyroid growth and function, and both stimulated phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of Smad proteins. Furthermore, TGF-β1 and epidermal growth factor (EGF) demonstrated a synergistic negative effect on thyrocyte differentiation. Simultaneous addition of the two factors resulted in a loss of the transepithelial resistance and expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin. This was followed by a transient expression of N-cadherin.Despite the extremely malignant character of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) tumor cells, established cell lines are still responsive to TGF-β1. A majority of the cell lines were also found to be growth inhibited by BMP-7. BMP-7 induced cell cycle arrest of the ATC cell line HTh 74 in a dose- and cell density-dependent manner. This was associated with upregulation of p21CIP1 and p27KIP1, decreased cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) activity and hypophosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (pRb). TGF-β1, and to some extent also BMP-7, induced the expression of N-cadherin and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9. Stimulation of HTh 74 cells with TGF-β1 increased the migration through a reconstituted basement membrane indicating an increased invasive phenotype of the cells.Taken together, these data show that TGF-β superfamily members not only affect growth and function of normal thyroid follicle cells but may also, in combination with EGF, play a role in cell dedifferentiation. This study additionally suggests that the TGF-β superfamily members may be important for the invasive properties of ATC cells.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Ström, Åsa, et al.
(författare)
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Altered Vascular Remodeling in Osteopontin-Deficient Atherosclerotic Mice.
- 2004
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Ingår i: Journal of Vascular Research. - : S. Karger AG. - 1423-0135 .- 1018-1172. ; 41:4, s. 314-322
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- <i>Background:</i> Osteopontin (OPN) is a cell-binding phosphoprotein with proposed functions in atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to examine how OPN deficiency affects the atherosclerotic process. <i>Methods:</i> ApoE/LDL receptor/OPN triple knockout (ALO) mice were generated by crossing OPN null mice with ApoE/LDL receptor-deficient (AL) mice. Analysis were made on tissue sections from the aortic arch of 8-, 20- and 34-week female AL and ALO mice and included morphometric measurements, collagen staining, TUNEL staining and immunohistochemistry with antibodies to OPN, macrophages and proliferating cellular nuclear antigen (PCNA). <i>Results:</i> Lesion and media areas were significantly smaller and collagen accumulation in lesions was significantly reduced in 34-week-old ALO mice compared with AL mice. The numbers of proliferating and apoptotic cells were increased in lesions of 34 weeks old ALO mice. Furthermore, the plasma levels of SAA and total cholesterol were significantly decreased in 34 weeks old ALO mice. <i>Conclusions:</i> The present study shows that OPN deficiency reduces atherogenesis in atherosclerotic mice. The results corroborate and extend recently published findings and also include novel data on the role of OPN in the process of remodeling, inflammation and lipid metabolism.
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| 6. |
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