Pneumococcal cell wall component, peptidoglycan-polysaccharides activated Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) in the mouse and human middle ear epithelial cells through the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB)–cytokine signaling pathway, while the I kappa B alpha mutant, a dominant negative inhibitor of NF-kB abrogated this induction of TLR2 expression. Collectively these findings suggest that a low profile of cytokine production in the middle ear mucosa contributes to the pathogenesis of otitis media.

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Increased Nitrotyrosine formation during sepsis uncoupled endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity and increased oxidative stress in fetal lamb pulmonary artery endothelial cells. These mechanisms underlie the sepsis induced vasodilation and angiogenesis.

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Enteral feeding independent of birth transition induced marked gut maturation and proteome change in the immature pig fetal intestine.

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Recombinant insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 treatment reduced intestinal cell proliferation culminating in decreased crypt depth and muscularis externa thickness evident in mice with cystic fibrosis.

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Early short-term exposure to systemic JB1, an insulin-like growth factor analogue, normalized neonatal rat retinal abnormalities due to hyperoxia-hypoxia cycling, perhaps involving soluble vascular endothelial growth factor-1.

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Cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) expression is increased in the sera and autopsied lung of preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome. The presence of the MIF-173*C allele was associated with a lower incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Whether this MIF promoter polymorphism plays a protective role against BPD needs to be investigated.

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