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The aim of the thesis was to examine the expression and function of the extracellular nucleotide P2 receptors in the cardiovascular system. In the cardiovascular system nucleotides are released during shear stress, hypoxia, ischemia, from endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, aggregating platelets, inflammatory cells and erythrocytes. We demonstrate that ATP, ADP, UTP and UDP induce vascular rel
Leukotrienes belong to a family of biologically active conjugated trienes that are formed from arachidonic acid via the 5-lipoxygenase pathway and are important mediators of inflammatory reactions. The CysLT1 receptor that specifically serves as receptor for leukotriene D4 (LTD4) has been identified as a G-protein coupled receptor. Cell-cell and cell-matrix complexes of epithelial cells are inter
Changes in vascular permeability can immensely change plasma volume and affect the degree of oedema in the body. In diseases with an increased vascular permeability, adequate fluid therapy is of considerable importance to prevent hypovolaemia. Mechanisms behind differences in effectiveness of various plasma volume expanders to restore a low plasma volume and a compromised microcirculation are stil
In this thesis I have investigated the effects of pesticide exposure on the ecosystem level using various types of experimental ecosystems, i.e. microcosms. The direct effect of exposure to cyperemthrin, a pyretroid insecticide, was a rapid decrease of crustancean zooplankton in enclosures in a lake. In the exposed enclosures the biomass of algae, heterotrophic nanoflagellates, ciliates and bacter
Pharmaceutical tablets and pellets are often covered with a coating. There is a need for methods that enable monitoring of the growth of such films during processing. Such analyses can be performed using process analytical chemical methods based on near infrared (NIR) diffuse reflectance spectrometry. It provides with analyses that take only ca. 8 seconds in total analysis time, including physical
Replacing fossil fuels by biofuels such as ethanol is considered a promising alternative to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigate climate change. Biofuels produced from lignocellulosic biomass, so-called second generation biofuels, result in decreased GHG emissions and limit competition with food and animal feed production. Interest in producing ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass ha
Population dynamics in space and time are manifested as changes in the distribution and abundance of organisms. To couple such patterns to the underlying processes is a central question in ecology and also key to successful management. In this thesis, I use theoretical models as well as time series data to analyze population dynamics in environments that are variable in space or time. An example o
Plants are exposed to many different stress factors during their lifetime, often more than one factor at a time, which highlights the importance of research regarding interaction among stress factors. Cadmium and ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B, 280-315 nm) are two potential stress factors in the environment, which have gained increased interest due to atmospheric pollution. In this work the intera
The current thesis is aimed to increase our understanding of the generation and differentiation of telencephalic neurons, with emphasis on the role of glial cells in these processes. Using in vitro methods we have studied the role of glial cells in neurogenesis, inheritance of genetic regional specification, and influence on differentiation of neurons. We demonstrate that expanded cell cultures ex
The reduction of sludge volumes for disposal is a topic of high interest for wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) all over the world. Steadily increasing volumes for disposal create an economic, environmental, legislative and technological challenge. Researchers and process developers try to minimise the sludge during its genesis or in the downstream treatment. Due to rising costs and scarcity of fo
The human pathogenic bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes (group A Streptococcus) expresses several different virulence factors. Of these, the M protein is regarded as one of the most important, because it confers resistance to phagocytosis, allowing the bacterium to multiply in blood. A remarkable property of M proteins is their ability to bind different human plasma proteins, in partic
A method to accurately estimate the binding affinity of a small molecule to a receptor would be indispensable in numerous fields. For instance, most drugs exert their action by binding to a macromolecule target. Thus, a lot of time and resources could be saved in drug design by predicting affinities by computer programs. In a series of 15 papers, we have tested, compared, and improved the most p
The polyamines - putrescine, spermidine and spermine - are polycations found within cells. They have been shown to be essential for optimal cell proliferation and cell survival. Cells maintain their polyamine levels in a well-regulated system involving biosynthesis, catabolism and uptake/excretion. The biosynthetic enzymes - ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (Ado
The purpose of this study was to investigate the suggestions that macrophages, and the systems generating nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO), i.e. nitric oxide synthases (NOS) and heme oxygenases (HO), could be important for peripheral nerve regeneration. Immunocytochemistry was used to visualise invading and resident macrophages, inducible NOS (iNOS), two isoforms of HO (HO-1 and HO-2),
The immune response is designed to protect the body from harmful microbial invasions. However, when the immune system attacks itself instead, an autoimmune reaction starts that damage our own cells, tissues and organs. Despite decades of research concerning the etiology of autoimmune diseases the molecular mechanisms of these disorders are poorly understood as they are complex and influenced by bo
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) pose serious threats to our global environment. These compounds have high chemical and biological stability and they are also very lipophilic. These characteristics not only render POPs the ability to spread widely and pollute remote areas, they also make them prone to accumulate in adipose tissues of living organisms. Consequently, it is important to monitor P
Background: The burden of burn injuries is in developing countries, the majority of deaths (98%) related to fire burns are in developing countries.These injuries are associated with poverty and are mainly related to accidents with fires in the home environment. Aims: The aims of the thesis were to record the risk factors, causes, magnitude and outcome of burn treatment as well as establish circums
Domestic and foreign policy cannot always be kept apart. A change of Government at national level may impact on foreign policy, and foreign policy adventures sometimes translate into consequences at home. Links between domestic and foreign policy may be limiting as well as enabling factors for Governments who find themselves at the cross-roads between national and international power. This study c
The aim of this thesis was to investigate the effects of cortical reorganisational changes following experimental deafferentation and peripheral nerve injury and apply the concept of brain plasticity to enhance sensory re-education following peripheral nerve injury and repair in the hand. In the first two papers the effects on hand function of contralateral deafferentation was investigated. Tourn
P2 receptors mediate the actions of the extracellular nucleotides ATP, ADP, UTP and UDP regulating several physiological responses including cardiac function, vascular tone, smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation, platelet aggregation, and the release of endothelial factors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mRNA and protein expression of P2 receptors in human SMCs, endothelial c
