Interferon regulatory factor-8 (IRF-8) is a transcription factor

Interferon regulatory factor-8 (IRF-8) is a transcription factor that is essential for myelopoiesis. Depressed IRF-8 levels are observed in a majority of CML patients and Irf-8(-/-) mice exhibit a CML-like disease. The underlying mechanisms of IRF-8 loss in CML are unknown. CUDC-907 in vitro We hypothesized that BCR-ABL suppresses transcription of IRF-8 through STAT5, a proximal BCR-ABL target. Treatment of primary cells from newly diagnosed CML patients in chronic phase as well as BCR-ABL(+) cell lines with imatinib increased IRF-8 transcription. Furthermore, IRF-8 expression in cell line models was necessary for imatinib-induced antitumor responses. We have demonstrated that IRF-8 is a direct target of STAT5

and that silencing of see more STAT5 induced IRF-8 expression. Conversely, activating STAT5 suppressed IRF-8 transcription. Finally, we showed that STAT5 blockade using a recently discovered antagonist increased IRF-8

expression in patient samples. These data reveal a previously unrecognized BCR-ABL-STAT5-IRF-8 network, which widens the repertoire of potentially new anti-CML targets.”
“We have examined the effect of the peripheral application of glutamate and capsaicin to deep craniofacial tissues in influencing the activation and peripheral sensitization of deep craniofacial nociceptive afferents. The activity of single trigeminal nociceptive afferents with receptive fields in deep craniofacial tissues were recorded extracellularly in 55 halothane-anesthetized rats. The mechanical activation threshold (MAT) of each afferent was assessed before and after injection of 0.5 M glutamate (or vehicle) and 1% capsaicin (or vehicle) into the receptive field. A total of 68 afferents that could be activated by blunt noxious mechanical stimulation of the deep craniofacial tissues (23 masseter, 5 temporalis, 40 temporomandibular joint) were studied. When Stattic in vivo injected alone, glutamate and capsaicin

activated and induced peripheral sensitization reflected as MAT reduction in many afferents. Following glutamate injection, capsaicin-evoked activity was greater than that evoked by capsaicin alone, whereas following capsaicin injection, glutamate-evoked responses were similar to glutamate alone. These findings indicate that peripheral application of glutamate or capsaicin may activate or induce peripheral sensitization in a subpopulation of trigeminal nociceptive afferents innervating deep craniofacial tissues, as reflected in changes in MAT and other afferent response properties. The data further suggest that peripheral glutamate and capsaicin receptor mechanisms may interact to modulate the activation and peripheral sensitization in some deep craniofacial nociceptive afferents. Crown Copyright (c) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Background and study aims: Probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) is a new imaging modality that enables histological examination of gastrointestinal mucosa during endoscopic procedures.

canis Higher values of ALT were observed in the group infected w

canis. Higher values of ALT were observed in the group infected with Leishmania sp. and in co-infections with concurrent increase of AST and alkaline phosphatase. Significant differences were observed between dogs infected by Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma platys, whereas animals

infected by E. canis demonstrated lower values for albumin (P smaller than 0,02), and higher ALT (P smaller than see more 0,05) and alkaline phosphatase (P smaller than 0,02). Discussion: Renal azotemia, as a result of glomerulonephritis and interstitial nephritis is extensively described in dogs with leishmaniasis, but may also occur in cases of ehrlichiosis, as evidenced in this study. Changes in serum albumin and globulin are frequent in hemoparasitoses, especially in the leishmaniasis and chronic phase of ehrlichiosis, as observed in this study. Changes in biochemical analytes were frequent in animals with hemoparasitoses, highlighting the values of urea and creatinine in dogs with leishmaniasis, that also presented decreased levels of albumin and increased levels of globulins. Although these findings are reported in dogs with anaplasmosis, hipoalbiminemia check details and hypergammaglobulinemia were not identified in animals infected only by A. platys in this study. The hypoalbuminemia occurs

as a consequence of decreased protein intake caused www.selleckchem.com/products/urmc-099.html by anorexia, decreased protein production due to liver damage or loss in urine due to the kidney damage (proteinuria) while hyperglobulinaemia is linked to the host’s immune response against the parasite, exacerbated in co-infections, as identified in this study. Hepatocellular damage was demonstrated by increased values of alkaline phosphatase and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in animals infected with Ehrlichia canis. Statistical differences allowed to infer higher pathogenicity of Ehrlichia canis despite Anaplasma platys, especially in relation to oxidative stress and

hepatocellular injury, although the differences may be also attributable to the stage of the disease the dogs were in.”
“Aims/hypothesis Cytokine-induced apoptosis is recognised as a major cause of the decline in beta-cell mass that ultimately leads to type 1 diabetes mellitus. Interleukin-1 beta, interferon-gamma and tumour necrosis factor-alpha in conjunction initiate a series of events that lead to beta-cell apoptosis; important among these is NO production. The glycosphingolipid sulfatide is present in beta-cells in the secretory granules in varying amounts and is secreted together with insulin. We now investigate whether sulfatide is able to protect insulin-producing cells against the pro-apoptotic effect of interleukin-1 beta, interferon-gamma and tumour necrosis factor-alpha.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate

the association of the 2011 ACGME d

OBJECTIVE To evaluate

the association of the 2011 ACGME duty hour reforms with mortality and readmissions. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Observational study of Medicare patient admissions (6 384 273 admissions from 2 790 356 patients) to short-term, acute care, nonfederal hospitals (n = 3104) with principal medical diagnoses of acute myocardial infarction, stroke, gastrointestinal MK0683 bleeding, or congestive heart failure or a Diagnosis Related Group classification of general, orthopedic, or vascular surgery. Of the hospitals, 96 (3.1%) were very major teaching, 138 (4.4%) major teaching, 442 (14.2%) minor teaching, 443 (14.3%) very minor teaching, and 1985 (64.0%) nonteaching. EXPOSURE Resident-to-bed ratio as a continuous measure of hospital teaching intensity. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Change in 30-day all-location mortality and 30-day all-cause readmission, comparing patients in more intensive relative to less intensive teaching hospitals this website before (July 1, 2009-June 30, 2011) and after (July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012) duty hour reforms, adjusting for patient comorbidities, time trends, and hospital site. RESULTS In the 2 years before duty hour reforms, there were 4 325 854 admissions with 288 422 deaths and 602 380 readmissions. In the first

year after the reforms, accounting for teaching hospital intensity, there were 2 058 419 admissions with 133 547 deaths and 272 938 readmissions. There were no significant postreform differences in mortality accounting for teaching hospital intensity for combined medical conditions (odds signaling pathway ratio [OR], 1.00; 95% CI, 0.96-1.03), combined surgical categories (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.94-1.04), or any of the individual medical conditions or surgical categories. There were no significant postreform differences in readmissions for combined medical conditions (OR, 1.00;

95% CI, 0.97-1.02) or combined surgical categories (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.98-1.03). For the medical condition of stroke, there were higher odds of readmissions in the postreform period (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.001-1.13). However, this finding was not supported by sensitivity analyses and there were no significant postreform differences for readmissions for any other individual medical condition or surgical category. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Among Medicare beneficiaries, there were no significant differences in the change in 30-day mortality rates or 30-day all-cause readmission rates for those hospitalized in more intensive relative to less intensive teaching hospitals in the year after implementation of the 2011 ACGME duty hour reforms compared with those hospitalized in the 2 years before implementation. Copyright 2014 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.”
“OBJECTIVE.

Wild-type OAD displayed microtubule gliding in the presence of AT

Wild-type OAD displayed microtubule gliding in the presence of ATP and ADP, with a maximal velocity of 5.0 mu m/s, which is approximately 1/4 of the microtubule sliding velocity in the axoneme. The duty ratio was estimated to be as low as 0.08. The absence of the beta heavy chain lowered both the gliding velocity and ATPase activity, whereas the absence of the gamma heavy chain increased both activities. Strikingly, the absence of the alpha heavy chain lowered the gliding velocity but increased the ATPase activity. Thus, the three heavy chains are likely to play distinct roles and regulate each other to achieve coordinated force production.”
“A

detailed single-crystal X-ray study of conformationally flexible sulfonimide-based dendritic Elacridar molecules with systematically varied molecular architectures was undertaken. Thirteen crystal structures reported in this work include 9 structures of the second-generation CP 456773 dendritic sulfonimides decorated with different aryl groups, 2 compounds bearing branches of both second and first generation, and 2 representatives

of the first generation. Analysis of the packing patterns of 9 compounds bearing second-generation branches shows that despite their lack of strong directive functional groups there is a repeatedly reproduced intermolecular interaction mode consisting in an anchor-type packing of complementary second-generation branches of neighbouring molecules. The observed interaction tolerates a wide range of substituents in meta-and para-positions of the peripheral arylsulfonyl rings. Quantum chemical calculations of the molecule-molecule interaction energies agree at the qualitative level with the packing preferences found in the crystalline state. The calculations can therefore be used as a tool to rationalize and predict molecular structures with commensurate and non-commensurate branches for programming of different packing modes in crystal.”
“Background: Emergency medicine has generally been considered a high risk specialty. The purpose of this study is to assess the

risk of being sued in the district courts for caring emergency room (ER) patients from the perspective of epidemiology.\n\nMethods: EVP4593 order This research was designed to be a retrospective population based cohort study. We intended to find out the incidence of litigations arising from ER patients and that of birth inpatients in Taiwan, and computed their relative risks. The inclusion criterion was set to be incidents transpired in the time period of 1998 to 2002. The study materials included the reimbursement claim dataset of the National Health Insurance from 1998 to 2002, and the district court decision database of the Judicial Yuan from 1999 to 2006.\n\nResults: The average annual incidence rate of becoming a plaintiff for ER patients is 0.

Thus, Dicer-binding partner proteins change the choice of cleavag

Thus, Dicer-binding partner proteins change the choice of cleavage site by Dicer, producing miRNAs with target specificities different from those

made by Dicer alone or Dicer bound to alternative protein partners.”
“Permeation of polyphenols through the stratum corneum barrier is a precondition for the protective action of polyphenols against oxidative skin damage. Prior to in vitro skin permeation experiments, we developed a method for the quantification of polyphenols in pig skin, including organic solvent extraction and HPLC analysis. Catechine hydrate, epigallocatechin gallate, trans-resveratrol, quercetin, rutin and protocatechuic acid were chosen for this study as representatives of phenolics with different lipophilicity and molecular weight. The antioxidative activities of polyphenols as well as their octanol-water partition Dorsomorphin coefficients at different pH values were determined. Extraction of polyphenols from pig skin was optimized by variation of solvent composition, homogenization intensity and time, as well as partial exclusion of oxygen during extraction. The highest recovery rates could be reached by extraction with the methanol-water mixture (90:10, v/v), containing 0.2g/Ll-ascorbic acid, after the cryo-milling for 4min. Recoveries

of 72% for total phenolics, 96% for quercetin and protocatechuic acid, 90% for rutin and 74% for trans-resveratrol, were achieved. These extraction parameters will be selected for the polyphenol extraction from pig skin for further in vitro drug permeation studies. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.”
“Purpose\n\nVorinostat, Bioactive Compound Library a histone deacetylase inhibitor, exerts anticancer effects by both histone and nonhistone-mediated mechanisms. It also enhances the anticancer effects of platinum compounds and taxanes in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines. This phase II randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study evaluated the efficacy of vorinostat in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel in patients with advanced-stage NSCLC.\n\nPatients and Methods\n\nPatients with previously untreated stage IIIB (ie, wet) or IV NSCLC see more were randomly assigned (2: 1) to carboplatin

(area under the curve, 6 mg/mL X min) and paclitaxel (200 mg/m(2) day 3) with either vorinostat (400 mg by mouth daily) or placebo. Vorinostat or placebo was given on days 1 through 14 of each 3-week cycle to a maximum of six cycles. The primary end point was comparison of the response rate.\n\nResults\n\nNinety-four patients initiated protocol therapy. Baseline patient characteristics were similar between the two arms. The median number of cycles was four for both treatment arms. The confirmed response rate was 34% with vorinostat versus 12.5% with placebo (P = .02). There was a trend toward improvement in median progression-free survival (6.0 months v 4.1 months; P = .48) and overall survival (13.0 months v 9.7 months; P = .17) in the vorinostat arm.

Changes in the ubiquitin-proteasome system in the mouse lens were

Changes in the ubiquitin-proteasome system in the mouse lens were detected by ubiquitin immunofluorescence.\n\nRESULTS. BiP expression was upregulated in the fiber VX-770 price cells of transgenic mouse lenses expressing platelet-derived growth factor-A (PDGF-A), dominant-negative fibroblast

growth factor receptor (DN-FGFR), or DN-Sprouty2 (DN-Spy2). BiP upregulation occurred around embryonic day 16.5, primarily in the fiber cells adjacent to the organelle free zone. Fiber cell differentiation was disrupted in the PDGF-A and DN-Spry2 lenses, whereas the fiber cells were degenerating in the DN-FGFR lens. High levels of UPR activation and ubiquitin-labeled protein aggregates were found in the DN-FGFR lens, indicating inefficient disposal of unfolded/misfolded proteins in the fiber cells.\n\nCONCLUSIONS. This study implies that overexpression of some transgenes

in the lens can induce ER or overall cell stress in fiber cells, resulting in the activation of UPR signaling pathways. Therefore, investigators should assess the levels of UPR activation when they analyze the downstream effects of transgene expression in the lens. (Invest Ophthalmol www.selleckchem.com/JNK.html Vis Sci. 2011;52:2100-2108) DOI:10.1167/iovs.10-5650″
“The monogene Dactylogyrus eucalius Mizelle and Regensberger. 1945 and its ability to maintain a population from year to year on the annual fish Culaea inconstans Kirkland was examined in a small lake in central Ontario. Fish were sampled toward the end of their annual breeding season, at a time when the host population consisted of 2 cohorts, i.e., young-of-the-year (0+) and mature adults (I Prevalence of infection was 94%, Willi a mean intensity of 8.9 +/- 9.6; neither measure varied significantly Willi host length or between cohorts (P > 0.05). At necropsy. parasites were characterized as juveniles that included postoncomiracidia (immature, Willi a ventrally directed haptor) as well as developing protandrous

males (body with a near-complete haptor and Willi little or no pigmented vitellaria), or as adults (Willi testis, ovarium, darkened vitellaria, and occasionally bearing a tanned selleck chemical egg). The proportion Of juvenile to adult parasites differed significantly between cohorts (P < 0.05), with 0+ fish infected Willi a mixture of juveniles and adults. whereas 1+ fish had almost exclusively adult parasites. Since adult (1+) brook stickleback typically die after spawning, the increased frequency Of juvenile parasites exploiting juvenile hosts may represent an evolutionary adaptation, maximizing the chances of parasites infecting hosts that will enter winter. It is Suspected that 0+ fish can be infected in the nest within 2 wk of hatching and persist by effectively infecting new host recruits when they are sympatric with their parents.


“Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) do not produce alpha


“Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) do not produce alpha interferon (IFN-alpha)

unless viruses cause a systemic infection or overcome the first-line defense provided by conventional DCs and macrophages. We show here that even paramyxoviruses, whose infections are restricted to the respiratory tract, have a V protein able to prevent Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7)- and TLR9-dependent IFN-alpha induction specific to pDCs. Mutational analysis of human parainfluenza virus type 2 demonstrates that the second Trp residue of the Trp-rich motif (Trp-X(3)-Trp-X(9)-Trp) in the C-terminal domain unique to V, a determinant for IRF7 binding, is critical for the blockade of TLR7/9-dependent signaling.”
“A nonhuman primate model was applied to investigate the relationships between variations in the organization of microtubules, microfilaments, Selleck PF-562271 and chromatin in metaphase I and metaphase II oocytes. Marmoset oocytes were subjected to in vitro maturation and coincubation with sperm. Oocytes which failed to cleave were investigated for chromatin, tubulin, and actin using Hoechst 33258, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled alpha-tubulin antibody and rhodamine-labeled phalloidin, respectively. Spindles were categorized according to size, shape and microtubule organization: normal, large, multipolar, CHIR98014 disorganized, absent spindle, and spindles with broad poles. Actin caps were categorized

as: normal, small, split, and disorganized. Chromosomal condensation and alignment were described as

Dibutyryl-cAMP mouse normal or abnormal. Improper chromosomal condensation was associated with both abnormal microfilament and microtubule arrangement. This was further associated with abnormal actin organization, disorientation and late stabilization of microtubules, but not related to abnormal organization of spindle poles. Chromosomal misalignment was associated with disorientation and late stabilization of tubulin, but not to broad spindle pole. Additionally, abnormal actin polarization appeared not to be related to abnormal spindle poles. The model system presented in this study could be used as an experimental platform for studying the contribution of different factors to the exactness of late meiotic events in primate oocytes. The present study provides basic information on spindle, chromosome, and actin normal and abnormal organization, which can be observed in in vitro matured, but failed to cleave primate oocytes. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Notocotylus attenuatus (Digenea: Notocotylidae) is a monostome fluke parasitizing the intestinal caeca of waterfowl that uses an injection apparatus to infect its intermediate snail host. Morphology of the invading larva (a sporocyst), and the intramolluscan larval development of this fluke have not been characterized extensively. In this study, experimental infections of Lymnaea stagnalis using N.

Their intergranular porosity ranged inversely to the initial poro

Their intergranular porosity ranged inversely to the initial porosity of pellets due to the greater deformability of the most porous ones. A wide range of theophylline release rates were

achieved depending oil the drying procedure; tablets prepared from freeze-dried pellets sustained the release for 3 h. Most profiles showed a bimodal kinetics with an initial zero-order release (while the tablets did not completely disintegrate) that changed, after a certain time, to a first-order kinetics. The intergranular porosity determined drug release rate up to disintegration. Then, the release kinetics became first-order and the rate constant, which was conditioned by the intragranular porosity, showed a complex dependence on the drying procedure, the compression force, and the nature of coexcipient.

In sum, Vorinostat the modulation of drug release profiles from tablets of MCC-Carbopol (R) pellets through an adequate control of the effects of the coexcipient nature, the drying procedure of pellets, and the compression force on the inter- and intragranular porosity opens interesting possibilities to control the release of hydrosoluble drugs. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“The selleckchem mechanical behavior of the annulus fibrosus (AF) of the intervertebral disc can be modeled as a mixture of fibers, extra-fibrillar matrix (EFM), ions, and fluid. However, the properties of the EFM have not been measured directly. We measured mechanical properties of the human EFM at several locations, determined the effect of age and degeneration, and evaluated whether changes in EFM properties correspond to AF compositional changes. EFM mechanical properties were measured Fer-1 using a method that combines osmotic loading and confined compression. AF samples were dissected from several locations, and mechanical properties were correlated with age, degeneration, and composition.

EFM modulus was found to range between 10 and 50kPa, increasing nonlinearly with compression magnitude and being highest in the AF outer-anterior region. EFM properties were not correlated with composition or degeneration. However, the EFM modulus, its relative contribution to tissue modulus, and model parameters were correlated with age. These measurements will result in more accurate predictions of deformations in the intervertebral disc. Additionally, parameters such as permeability and diffusivity used for biotransport analysis of glucose and other solutes depend on EFM deformation. Consequently, the accuracy of biotransport simulations will be greatly improved. (c) 2013 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 31:1725-1732, 2013″
“This opinion paper evaluates the early warning regional systems in East Africa in 2010 and 2011 and their abilities to predict and warn about the current food insecurity crisis.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study conducted in Bali

\n\nMethods: We conducted a case-control study conducted in Bali province, Indonesia. The cases were private practitioners who had referred at least one TB suspect to a community health centre between 1 January 2007 and the start of data collection, while the controls were private practitioners who had not referred a single TB suspect in the same time.\n\nResults: JQ-EZ-05 The following factors were independently

associated with referral of TB suspects by private practitioners: having received information about the directly observed treatment short-course (DOTS) strategy (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.1-3.8), ever having been visited by a district TB program officer (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.0-4.5), availability of TB suspect referral forms in the practice (OR 2.8; 95% CI 1.5-5.2), and less than 5 km distance between the private practice and the laboratory for smear examination (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.2-4.0).\n\nConclusions: Education and exposure of private practitioners to the TB program improves referral of TB suspects from private practitioners to the

national TB program. We recommend that the TB program provides all private practitioners with information about the DOTS strategy and TB suspect referral forms, and organizes regular https://www.selleckchem.com/products/gilteritinib-asp2215.html visits to private practitioners.”
“In this study, the role of sulfur (S) and arsenic (As) species in the As hyperaccumulator Pteris learn more vittata (P. vittata) and the As hypertolerant plant Adiantum capillus-veneris (A. capillus-veneris) were investigated. Under As exposure, sulfhydryl groups (-SH) increased in both plants, indicating that arsenate enhanced sulfur assimilation. This S then played different roles in the two plants. In A. capillus-veneris, As was mainly coordinated with S; whereas in P vittata, it was coordinated with oxygen. Differences in As concentration and in the rate of As reduction were noted in the two plants. In A. capillus-veneris, As was present at lower

levels and was reduced and coordinated (combined) with -SH. This was considered to represent a defense strategy to limit As transport to the frond. For P vittata, we deduced that the SH group was likely used as an electron donor to reduce As (V) to As (III), therefore fewer SH groups were used to coordinate with reduced As (M). This was regarded as an accumulation strategy to facilitate As transport. The results of this study suggested that S played important roles in As detoxification and accumulation in tolerant and hyperaccumulating plants.”
“Equine dysautonomia, or grass sickness, is a frequently fatal disease of unknown etiology, manifested as poor gastrointestinal motility and colic as a result of degenerative changes in the autonomic nervous system.

There were no treatment-associated mortalities. At median follow-up of 6 months, there was 1 tumor with persistent disease (1.9%) and 3 tumors recurred locally (5.7%).\n\nCONCLUSIONS: This early analysis of IRE treatment of perivascular malignant hepatic tumors demonstrates safety for treating liver malignancies. Larger studies and longer follow-up are necessary to determine long-term efficacy. (J Am Coll Surg 2012;215:379-387. (c) 2012 by the American College of Surgeons)”
“Background: Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is the most lethal form of skin www.selleckchem.com/products/jnk-in-8.html malignancy, which registers a constant increase in incidence worldwide. The identification of molecular alteration(s)

involved in its biological aggressiveness represents a major challenge for researchers, considering that existing therapies are ineffective to treat metastasizing cases. The

epigenetic control of chromatin dynamics during DNA synthesis, replication, and repair is fundamental check details for the orderly progression of cell proliferation. The Chromatin Assembly Factor 1 (CAF-1) complex acts as a major regulator of this process; its intermediate (p60) subunit has been recently proposed as a novel proliferation and prognostic marker for several tumors. We aimed to establish if the evaluation of the expression of CAF-1/p60 in primary CM may help define the prevision of outcome of patients.\n\nMethods: Immunohistochemistry with anti-CAF-1/p60 was performed on paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 130 cases of primary Temsirolimus order CM retrieved from the archive files of the Department of Biomorphological and Functional Sciences, Section of Pathology, University “Federico II” of Naples, Italy. Results were compared with histopathological

and follow-up data of patients.\n\nResults: CAF-1/p60 was expressed in all CM. A significant statistical association between the overexpression of the protein and the occurrence of skin, node and/or distant metastases (P < 0.05) emerged, independently from histopathological prognostic factors.\n\nConclusions: CAF-1/p60 looks promising as a new prognostic marker for CM and sheds new light on the molecular events associated with photocancerogenesis and melanoma biology. The screening for CAF-1/p60 might contribute to the molecular sub-classification of CM, with improved translational outcomes.”
“Iron is an essential nutrient critical for many cellular functions including DNA synthesis, ATP generation, and cellular proliferation. Though essential, excessive iron may contribute to the generation of free radicals capable of damaging cellular lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. As such, the maintenance and control of cellular iron homeostasis is critical to prevent either iron deficiency or iron toxicity conditions.