Studies

have predominantly focussed on placental morpholo

Studies

have predominantly focussed on placental morphology CBL0137 supplier in the third trimester or in high-risk pregnancies. We aimed to correlate abnormal placental appearances identified in the second trimester with histological appearances. We present four cases of abnormal placental morphology detected at the 20 week routine ultrasound scan in low-risk women and relate them to histological origins, which often involved areas of villous infarction. Abnormal placental appearances at routine second trimester anomaly ultrasound scans might identify women with placental dysfunction who merit increased fetal surveillance in the third trimester.”
“Lateral meristems (pericycle, procambium and cambium, phellogen) are positioned in parallel to the lateral surface of the organ, where they are present, and produce concentric layers of undifferentiated cells. Primary lateral meristems, procambium and pericycle, arise during embryogenesis; secondary lateral meristems, cambium and phellogen, – during post embryonic development. Pericycle is most pluripotent plant meristem, as it may give rise to a variety of other types of meristems: lateral meristems (cambium, phellogen), apical meristems of lateral roots, and also shoot meristems during plant in vitro regeneration. Procambium and cambium

developing from it give rise to the vascular tissues of the stems and roots, ensuring their thickening. The review considers the genetic control of lateral meristem development and the role of phytohormones PD0332991 order in the control of their activities.”
“Purpose: CP-868596 ic50 In oral and maxillofacial outpatient surgery, sedation techniques are an important component in patient management for a wide variety of surgical procedures. Fentanyl and midazolam are commonly used sedatives with

different mechanisms of action and specific analgesic or amnestic properties. This study examined whether the order of their administration would affect a patient’s pain perception or procedural vital signs. Materials and Methods: After institutional review board approval and written informed consent, a prospective, randomized, parallel-group clinical trial was conducted in patients who planned to undergo removal of at least 2 third molars under intravenous moderate sedation. Patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups. The fentanyl-first group received fentanyl and then midazolam; the midazolam-first group received midazolam and then fentanyl. Recollection of the intraoperative pain score was assessed 24 hours after surgery using the Wong-Baker FACES pain scale. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess for the presence of a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups. Statistically significant differences in procedural vital sign fluctuations were examined using the t test. Patients’ satisfaction with the procedure was assessed and intergroup comparisons were made.

We developed an inexpensive and widely available DIA technique fo

We developed an inexpensive and widely available DIA technique for fibrosis quantification in hepatitis C, and here, we evaluate its reproducibility and correlation

with semiquantitative scores, and determine the fibrosis percentage associated with septal fibrosis and cirrhosis. 282 needle biopsies staged by Ishak and METAVIR scores were included. Images of trichrome-stained sections were captured and processed using Adobe((R)) Photoshop((R)) CS3 and Adobe((R)) Bridge((R)) softwares. The percentage of fibrosis (fibrosis index) was determined by the ratio between the fibrosis area and NSC23766 price the total sample area, expressed in pixels calculated in an automated way. An excellent correlation between DIA fibrosis index and Ishak and METAVIR scores was observed (Spearman’s r=0.95 and 0.92; P smaller than 0.001, respectively). Excellent intra-observer reproducibility was observed in a randomly chosen subset of 39 biopsies with an intraclass correlation Autophagy inhibition index of 0.99 (95% CI, 0.95-0.99). The best cut-offs associated with septal fibrosis and cirrhosis were

6% (AUROC 0.97, 95% CI, 0.95-0.99) and 27% (AUROC 1.0, 95% CI, 0.99-1), respectively. This new DIA technique had high correlation with semiquantitative scores in hepatitis C. This method is reproducible, inexpensive and available worldwide allowing its use in clinical practice. The incorporation of DIA technique provides a more complete evaluation of fibrosis adding the quantification to architectural patterns.”
“Introduction: Neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a novel predictor of acute kidney

injury (AKI), which increases with inflammation. We aimed to assess whether serum NGAL (SNGAL) and urine NGAL (UNGAL) can predict AKI in burned-children. Methods: Patients were referred within the 12 h of burn to our center. Serum samples for SNGAL, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT) and urine for UNGAL, microalbumine (Umalb), creatinine (Ucr) were obtained at both admission and the 5th day after burn. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Scr) were examined daily. Results: Twenty-two subjects were enrolled and six (27.2%) Selleck XMU-MP-1 of them developed AKI within the 48 h of injury. Burn size and abbreviated burn severity index (ABSI) were significantly increased in patients with AKI. CRP, PCT, SNGAL and UNGAL levels at admission and day 5 were significantly higher in patients with AKI than in those without AKI and controls. Scr was not significant between AKI and non-AKI groups at hospital days land 5. A SNGAL level of 315 ng/ml and a UNGAL level of 100 ng/ml were determined as predictive cut-off values of AKI at admission (sensitivity and specificity: 71.4%, 83.3% and 93.3%, 93.7%, respectively). SNGAL and UNGAL were positively correlated with CRP, PCT, ABSI and Umalb/Ucr. Conclusion: SNGAL and UNGAL are good early predictors of AKI in children with severe burn.

HN2 or cisplatin-induced gamma H2AX foci persisted significantly

HN2 or cisplatin-induced gamma H2AX foci persisted significantly longer in both, ERCC1 or XRCC3 (homologous recombination) defective Chinese hamster cells that are highly sensitive to cell

killing by ICL agents compared to wild type or ionising radiation sensitive XRCC5 cells. An advantage of using gamma H2AX immunofluorescence over the comet assay is that it appears to detect ICL chemosensitivity in both ERCC1 and HR defective cells. With HN2 and cisplatin, gamma H2AX foci also persisted in chemosensitive human ovarian cancer cells (A2780) compared check details to chemoresistant (A2780cisR) cells. These results show that gamma H2AX can act as a highly sensitive and general marker of DNA damage induced by HN2 or cisplatin and shows promise for predicting potential cellular chemosensitivity to ICL agents. (c) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Human

ether-a-go-go-related gene (HERG) encodes the rapid, outwardly rectifying K(+) current I(Kr) that is critical for repolarization of the cardiac action potential. Congenital HERG mutations or unintended pharmaceutical JPH203 block of I(Kr) can lead to life-threatening arrhythmias. Here, we assess the functional role of the alanine at position 653 (HERG-A653) that is highly conserved among evolutionarily divergent K(+) channels. HERG-A653 is close to the ‘glycine hinge’ implicated in K(+) channel opening, and is flanked by tyrosine 652 and phenylalanine 656, which contribute MK-0518 to the drug binding site. We substituted an array of seven (I, C, S, G, Y, V and T) amino acids at position 653 and expressed individual variants in heterologous systems to assess changes in gating and drug binding. Substitution

of A653 resulted in negative shifts of the V(1/2) of activation ranging from -23.6 (A653S) to -62.5 (A653V) compared to -11.2 mV for wild-type (WT). Deactivation was also drastically altered: channels with A653I/C substitutions exhibited delayed deactivation in response to test potentials above the activation threshold, while A653S/G/Y/V/T failed to deactivate under those conditions and required hyperpolarization and prolonged holding potentials at -130 mV. While A653S/G/T/Y variants showed decreased sensitivity to the I(Kr) inhibitor dofetilide, these changes could not be correlated with defects in channel closure. Homology modelling suggests that in the closed state, A653 forms tight contacts with several residues from the neighbouring subunit in the tetramer, playing a key role in S6 helix packing at the narrowest part of the vestibule. Our study suggests that A653 plays an important functional role in the outwardly rectifying gating behaviour of HERG, supporting channel closure at membrane potentials negative to the channel activation threshold.

However, the precise nature of this type of interaction and its i

However, the precise nature of this type of interaction and its involving signaling mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that Gas is present in the proliferative region of ventricular zone in mouse developing neocortex and co-localizes with intrinsic cell fate determinant protein Numb in dividing

apical progenitors. Targeted ablation of Gas subunit in the cortical progenitor causes an alteration from asymmetric to symmetric cell division, consequently leading to increased progenitor proliferation. Mechanistically, we show that Gas deletion significantly reduces Numb expression and activates notch signaling. Therefore, these results reveal a novel role of Gas in control of neural progenitor asymmetric cell learn more division via suppressing Numb mediated Notch signaling inhibition. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Glucose-regulated protein, 78-kilodalton (GRP78) is a molecular chaperone that exists in the endoplasmic reticulum and is involved in the assembly, transportation, and folding of proteins. Previously, GRP78 was reported to associate with gonadotropin receptors. However, little is known about how GRP78 is A-1331852 in vitro involved in the regulation of luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR). Thus, in this study, we investigated the significance of GRP78 for the induction of LHR in rat luteinizing granulosa cells. Western blot analysis of rat LHR expressed in HEK293 cells revealed that the protein levels

of LHR were increased, depending on the increment of GRP78 protein. In both in vivo and in vitro experiments, the GRP78 mRNA level peaked while LHR mRNA was down-regulated

by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). To examine the time-dependent localization of GRP78 in vivo, immunohistochemistry was performed. GRP78 was expressed mainly in granulosa cells, and the GRP78 protein peaked 18 h Selleckchem LBH589 after the ovulatory dose of hCG injection in equine chorionic gonadotropin-primed immature rats. To ascertain the role of GRP78 in LHR after down-regulation, small interfering GRP78 was transfected to cultured rat granulosa cells, demonstrating that knockdown of the GRP78 protein level impaired the recovery of cell surface LHR from down-regulation that negatively affected progesterone synthesis. Moreover, luciferase assays showed that CRE mediated the hCG-induced promoter activity of GRP78 in rat luteinizing granulosa cells. These results reveal a novel mechanism of LHR by GRP78 in the early stage of corpus lustrum formation, which may be an important factor in the recovery of LHR after the down-regulation.”
“Background: Mutations in the retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator gene (RPGR) are estimated to cause up to 20% of all Caucasian retinitis pigmentosa and up to 75% of cases of X-Linked RP (XLRP). Exon open reading frame 15 (ORF15) is a purine-rich mutation hotspot. Mutations in RPGR ORF15 have also been documented to cause X linked cone-rod dystrophy (XLCORD) and atrophic macular degeneration at an unknown frequency.

Unique recognition of test phantom configurations was achieved in

Unique recognition of test phantom configurations was achieved in the large majority of cases. The method in the general case was further tested using an exhaustive set of inhomogeneity and phantom tissues

and geometries where the phantom thicknesses ranged between 8 and 24 cm. Unique recognition of the test phantom configurations was achieved only for part of the phantom parameter space. The correlations between the remaining false positive recognitions were analyzed.\n\nConclusions: The concept of 3D proton radiography for tissue inhomogeneities of simple geometries was established with the current work. In contrast to conventional 2D proton radiography, the main objective of the demonstrated 3D technique is not proton range. Rather, it is to measure the depth and thickness of an inhomogeneity located in an imaged geometry. Further work is needed MI-503 supplier to extend and apply the method to more complex geometries. (C) 2013 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.”
“A recent analysis of leukaemia mortality in Japanese A-bomb survivors has applied descriptive models, collected together from previous studies, to derive

a joint excess relative risk estimate (ERR) by multi-model inference (MMI) (Walsh and Kaiser BAY 57-1293 research buy in Radiat Environ Biophys 50:21-35, 2011). The models use a linear-quadratic dose response with differing dose effect modifiers. In the present AZD6094 inhibitor study, a set of more than 40 models has been submitted to a rigorous statistical selection procedure which fosters the parsimonious deployment of model parameters based on pairwise likelihood ratio tests. Nested models were

consequently excluded from risk assessment. The set comprises models of the excess absolute risk (EAR) and two types of non-standard ERR models with sigmoidal responses or two line spline functions with a changing slope at a break point. Due to clearly higher values of the Akaike Information Criterion, none of the EAR models has been selected, but two non-standard ERR models qualified for MMI. The preferred ERR model applies a purely quadratic dose response which is slightly damped by an exponential factor at high doses and modified by a power function for attained age. Compared to the previous analysis, the present study reports similar point estimates and confidence intervals (CI) of the ERR from MMI for doses between 0.5 and 2.5 Sv. However, at lower doses, the point estimates are markedly reduced by factors between two and five, although the reduction was not statistically significant. The 2.5 % percentiles of the ERR from the preferred quadratic-exponential model did not fall below zero risk in exposure scenarios for children, adolescents and adults at very low doses down to 10 mSv. Yet, MMI produced risk estimates with a positive 2.5 % percentile only above doses of some 300 mSv.


“We describe a 23-year-old patient who presented acutely w


“We describe a 23-year-old patient who presented acutely with haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HL) and Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome (MRS). MRS and HL are two unusual and complex clinical patterns that may present acutely and to our knowledge, an association between them has never been reported. The clinical investigations in this patient led to identification of parvovirus B19 (PB19) viraemia by PCR. Parvovirus infection has been reported as a cause of virus-associated HL, but the presence of PB19 has never been sought or reported as a possible trigger for MRS. This observation suggests a possible association between PB19 and HL, and opens the possibility of its association

also GF120918 concentration with acute-onset MRS. Further investigations for the presence

of PB19 in cases of MRS are warranted.”
“To investigate clinical characteristics of parvovirus (B19) related aplastic anemia (AA).\n\nOf the 28 children with AA included in this study, 24 were www.selleckchem.com/products/gsk1838705a.html treated routinely and received planned follow-up; 15 were subject to B19-DNA re-examination during the treatment and 8 underwent examination for B19-IgM and B19-IgG. Another 39 initially identified AA children were enrolled as the controls and received the treatment same as the above-mentioned group.\n\nThere were more patients aged 5-8 y in the B19 infection group than the control group (P < 0.05). The course of AA in the B19 infection group was less than 2 mo and the serious aplastic anemia (SAA) and very serious aplastic anemia (VSAA) were more frequently observed in this group than Selleck JQ1 the controls (P < 0.05). The overall efficacy of the treatments in the B19 infection group was more dismal

than that in the controls (P < 0.05). Among 15 patients who were subjected to B19-DNA re-examination, negative findings were found in 6 patients with chronic aplastic anemia (CAA); the B19-DNA was persistently positive in 2 of the SAA and 5 VSAA patients. IgM and IgG were respectively detected in 3 and 2 patients out of the 8 children who received antibody examination.\n\nParvovirus B19 infection contributes to the generation of AA, particularly in children aged 5-8 y. The AA induced may be mainly classified as serious and very serious type, with a course of disease less than 2 mo. Patients can be saved if B19-DNA is eliminated and the antibody is produced.”
“A bioenergetic model of marine phase, wild Atlantic salmon was constructed to investigate the potential effects on post-smolt growth of predicted changes in oceanic conditions. Short-term estimates of growth in weight were similar to measurements in captivity and simulated growth varied with water temperature and swimming speed as expected. Longer-term estimates of growth in length were less than that achieved by wild salmon, particularly with constant swimming assumed. The model was sensitive to parameters relating to maximum daily food consumption.

OH-Cbl is not part of the product manufacturing process; however

OH-Cbl is not part of the product manufacturing process; however we found cyanocobalamin (CN-Cbl) in cell culture media converts to OH-Cbl in the presence of light. OH-Cbl can be released from mAb and Fc-fusion proteins by conversion with potassium

cyanide to CN-Cbl, which does selleck chemicals not bind. By exploiting the differential binding of CN-Cbl and OH-Cbl, we developed a rapid and specific assay to accurately measure B-12 levels in purified protein. Analysis of multiple products and lots using this technique gives insight into color variability during manufacturing.”
“This paper presents an uncomplicated high-yield fabrication process for creating large-scale integrated (LSI) 3-D microfluidic networks in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS). The key innovation lays in the robust definition of miniaturized out-of-plane fluidic interconnecting channels

(=vias) between stacked layers of microfluidic channels in standard PDMS. Unblocked vias are essential for creating 3-D microfluidic networks. Previous methods either suffered VX-680 molecular weight from limited yield in achieving unblocked vias due to residual membranes obstructing the vias after polymerization, or required complicated and/or manual procedures to remove the blocking membranes. In contrast, our method prevents the formation of residual membranes by inhibiting the PDMS polymerization on top of the mold features that define the vias. In addition to providing unblocked vias, the inhibition process also leaves a partially cured, sticky flat-top surface that adheres well to other surfaces and that allows self-sealing stacking of several PDMS layers. We demonstrate the new method by manufacturing a densely perforated PDMS membrane and an LSI 3-D PDMS microfluidic channel network. We also characterize the inhibition mechanism and study the critical process parameters. We demonstrate that the method is suitable for structuring PDMS layers with a thickness down to 10 mu m.”
“This study, conducted within

a larger participatory action research project, explored satisfaction with end-of-life care among African Americans in a rural southeastern community. Researchers collaborated with practitioners CAL-101 molecular weight and the African American community, conducting qualitative interviews with 1 African American hospice patient, 9 primary caregivers of terminally ill patients within hospice, and 10 family caregivers outside of hospice. Results indicated a more positive experience for hospice patients, and that most nonhospice participants preferred hospice after learning about it through the study. Participants made recommendations for public information efforts, the referral and intake process, and developing a relationship with the African American community.

We showed that UCP1 turnover is very different in iBAT and inguin

We showed that UCP1 turnover is very different in iBAT and inguinal WAT (ingWAT); the former showed minimal changes in protein content, whereas the latter showed major changes. Similarly, in iBAT both mtDNA content and the expression of mitochondrial proteins were stable and expressed at similar levels during reversible transitions from 29 degrees Belnacasan in vivo C to 4 degrees C, whereas ingWAT revealed dynamic changes. Further analysis

showed that in iBAT, the expression patterns for UCP1 and other mitochondrial proteins resembled each other, whereas in ingWAT, UCP1 varied similar to 100-fold during the transition from cold to warmth, and no other mitochondrial proteins matched UCP1. In turn, quantitative analysis of thermogenic capacity determined by estimating the proportion of UCP1 to respiratory complex components showed no significant differences between brown and brite adipocytes, suggesting similar thermogenic potentiality. Ourresults indicate that dynamics

ofbrownadipocytes turnover during reversible transition from warm Ricolinostat supplier to cold may determine the thermogenic capacity of an individual in a changing temperature environment.”
“Managed bees are used to transfer pollen from male to female flowers in kiwifruit, but the contribution of wild insects has been long overlooked. We approached such contribution with multiple criteria (pollinator abundance, foraging behavior, pollinating efficiency, and response to weather conditions) in the absence of imported colonies.

An abundant and rich community of pollinators (57 % were non-Apis insects) visited kiwifruit flowers and assured a fruit set and size not different from those obtained by optimal hand pollination. Honeybees were more abundant and visited more flowers per time but bumblebees were HM781-36B clinical trial more efficient on a per-visit basis. Other taxa are expected to contribute less because of their lower numbers (hoverflies, wild bees, butterflies, beetles) or their passive behavior (non-syrphid flies). Visitation patterns of pollinators were complementary. Our results highlight the important contribution of wild insects to the pollination of kiwifruit.”
“We report the design and synthesis of a series of novel DGAT1 inhibitors in the benzimidazole class with a pyridyl-oxy-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid moiety. In particular, compound 11A is a potent DGAT1 inhibitor with excellent selectivity against ACAT1. Compound 11A significantly reduces triglyceride excursion in lipid tolerance tests (LTT) in both mice and dogs at low plasma exposure. An in vivo study in mice with des-fluoro analogue 10A indicates that this series of compounds appears to distribute in intestine preferentially over plasma. The propensity to target intestine over plasma could be advantageous in reducing potential side effects since lower circulating levels of drug are required for efficacy.

All soundtracks were presented on an iPod through headphones Pat

All soundtracks were presented on an iPod through headphones. Patients and researchers were blinded to allocation until interventions were administered. State-trait anxiety was self-assessed before the intervention and

state anxiety was self-assessed again 20 minutes after the provision of the soundtrack.\n\nMain outcome measure: Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.\n\nResults: Of 291 QNZ clinical trial patients assessed for eligibility, 170 patients completed the pre-intervention anxiety self-assessment and 169 completed the post-intervention assessment. Significant decreases (all P < 0.001) in anxiety level were observed among patients exposed to the electroacoustic musical composition (pre-intervention mean, 39; post-intervention mean, 34), audio field recordings (42; see more 35) or audio field recordings with embedded bianaural beats (43; 37) when compared with those allocated to receive simulated ED ambient noise (40; 41) or headphones only (44; 44).\n\nConclusion: In moderately anxious ED patients, state anxiety

was reduced by 10%-15% following exposure to purpose-designed sound interventions.”
“Multilayered film polycarbonate/polystyrene (PC/PS) comprising 257 layers with total thickness 125 mu m was made by coextrusion process. The nominal thickness of PC layers was 680 nm, and the nominal thickness of PS layers was 290 nm. Additionally, the control samples of PC and PS with the thickness of 125 mu m were coextruded in the same way. There was reasonably good correlation between the PC and PS layers real thickness as measured by AFM and the estimated thickness determined from the processing parameters. Significant shift of glass transition temperature is observed in multilayer film: for PS component toward higher temperature while PC still being glassy and for PC toward buy Stem Cell Compound Library lower temperature while PS being in rubbery phase.

To investigate the amplitude and geometry of fast segmental motions, the LG-CP NMR technique under fast magic-angle spinning was used. 2D 13C?1H LG-CP spectra of PC, PS, and PC/PS 70/30 were recorded at various temperatures. Cross sections of aromatic carbons spectra show us the influence of PC on PS and vice versa. It gives us also the information about PS and PC segmental motion as a function of temperature: above the glass transition temperature of PS, the PC component of a multilayer film, although still being in glassy state, becomes more flexible. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012″
“Several compounds present in fruits as polyphenols are able to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms. These proprieties are relevant mainly in tropical areas, as Amazonian region where infectious are highly prevalent. Therefore, this study investigated the antimicrobial activity of tucuma Amazonian fruit against 37 microorganisms. The potential role of oxidative metabolism imbalance was also studied as causal mechanism of antimicrobial activity.

We also explored whether neurochemical biomarkers (monoamine oxid

We also explored whether neurochemical biomarkers (monoamine oxidase, MAO; acetylcholinesterase, ChE; muscarinic acetylcholine receptor, mAChR; N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor, NMDAR) previously shown to be altered by MeHg in other wildlife were associated with brain Hg levels in these bats. Concentrations of Hg (total and MeHg) in tissues were significantly higher (10-40 fold difference) in South River bats when compared to reference sites. Mean tissue mercury levels (71.9 ppm dw in liver, 7.14 ppm dw in brain, 132 ppm fw in fur) in the South River bats exceed (sub)-clinical thresholds in mammals. When compared to the South River bats, animals from the reference site showed a greater ability

to demethylate MeHg in brain (33.1% of total Hg was MeHg vs. 65.5%) and liver (8.9% of total Hg was MeHg vs. 50.8%) thus suggesting differences in their ability to detoxify phosphatase inhibitor and eliminate selleck products Hg. In terms of Hg-associated neurochemical biomarker responses, interesting biphasic responses were observed with an inflection point between 1 and 5 ppm dw in the brain. In the reference bats Hg-associated decreases in MAO (r = -0.61; p < 0.05) and ChE (r = -0.79; p < 0.01) were found in a manner expected but these were not found in the bats from the contaminated site. Owing to high Hg exposures, differences in Hg metabolism, and the importance of the aforementioned neurochemicals in multiple facets of animal health, altered or perhaps even

a lack of expected neurochemical responses in Hg-contaminated bats raise questions about the ecological and physiological impacts of Hg on the bat population as well as the broader ecosystem

in the South River.”
“Controversial data on the lipid-lowering effect of dietary pea proteins have been provided and the mechanisms behind this effect are not completely understood. The aim of the study was to evaluate a possible hypolipidemic activity of a pea protein isolate and to determine whether pea proteins could affect the hepatic lipid metabolism through regulation of genes involved in cholesterol and fatty acid homeostasis. Rats Selleckchem PD-1 inhibitor were fed Nath’s hypercholesterolemic diets for 28 days, the protein sources being casein or a pea protein isolate from Pisum sativum. After 14 and 28 days of dietary treatment, rats fed pea proteins had markedly lower plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels than rats fed casein (p<0.05). Pea protein-fed rats displayed higher hepatic mRNA levels of LDL receptor versus those fed casein (p<0.05). Hepatic mRNA concentration of genes involved in fatty acids synthesis, such as fatty acid synthase and stearoyl-CoA desaturase, was lower in pea protein-fed rats than in rats fed casein (p<0.05). In conclusion, the present study demonstrates a marked cholesterol and triglyceride-lowering activity of pea proteins in rats. Moreover, pea proteins appear to affect cellular lipid homeostasis by upregulating genes involved in hepatic cholesterol uptake and by downregulating fatty acid synthesis genes.