Adaptations defensive

LeVine, A.M., et al., Absence of SP-A modulates innate and adaptive defense responses to pulmonary influenza infection, Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol. Physiol. 282,3, L563,2002. 

Scientists call these physiological changes the fight or flighf response, because their purpose is to prepare the body to either face the threat or leave the situation. This response can be observed in most animals, and therefore is considered a highly adaptive defensive mechanism (Figure 1.2). That is, fear is an important emotion for our survival. 

Figure 1.2 Cats and other animals have a physical response to fear that scientists consider a highly adaptive defense mechanism. The arched back, flattened ears, and raised hair on the cat s body are designed to intimidate a potential threat or attacker.

It now seems that an overdose of paracetamol causes a massive chemical stress, which causes an immediate adaptive defense response in the liver cell, which senses danger via redox-sensitive transcription factors. A number of mechanisms are involved, including the release, as a result of the stress, of a transcription factor Nrf-2 from its binding with Keap 1, a cytoplasmic inhibitor. Nrf-2 translocates to the nucleus and with other activators binds to an antioxidant-response element. This leads to transcription of a number of genes, so producing a... 

WATERHOUSE, P. M., WANG, M.-B., LOUGH, T Gene silencing as an adaptive defense against viruses, Nature, 2001, 411,834-842. 

In contrast to the above-mentioned constitutive types of resistance, plants also possess adaptive defense mechanisms to defend themselves against pathogen or insect attack. Following an appropriate stimulation, they are capable of developing an enhanced defensive capacity, commonly referred to as induced resistance [5,6,7,8]. 

Legrand, E.K. An evolutionary perspective of endotoxin a signal for a well-adapted defense system. Med. Hypoth. 1990, 33, 49-56. 

The immune system consists of a non-specific, innate defense system and a specific, adapted defense system that is directed agairrst the pathogens. The macrophage is an example of a cell type that belongs to the irmate defense. This cell type sirrrply eats ... 

Immune Defense. Figure 1 Innate immune responses after challenge of skin or mucosa Acute inflammation and priming of adaptive immunity. 

Immune Defense. Figure 2 Cytokines involved in the development of adaptive immune responses in secondary lympoid tissues such as the lymph nodes or spleen. Abbreviations B B-lymphocyte, IFN interferon, Ig immunoglobulin, IL interleukin, NK natural killer cell, TE T-effector (cytotoxic) lymphocyte, TH T-helper lymphocyte... 

Immune Defense. Figure 3 Drugs involved in suppressing innate and adaptive immune response. Abbreviations mob monoclonal antibody, TCR T-cell antigen receptor, IL-2 interleukin-2, R receptor, CD cluster of differentiation. 

NF-kB regulates both innate and adaptive immune responses ( immune defense) [2]. Understanding the function of NF-kB in the development, maintenance, and activation of cells from the immune system (including hematopoietic cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, B and T lymphocytes) has greatly benefited from the analysis of knockout mice in which individual NF-kB family members were defective. 

A molecular variation of plasma membrane has been reported by Puccia et al. Reduction of total lipids (XL) content and significant variations of triglyceride (TG) and phospholipids (PL) fractions were observed as a consequence of exposure of C. intestinalis ovaries to TBTCl solutions. In particular, an evident TG decrease and a PL increase were observed, which probably provoked an increment in membrane fluidity, because of the high concentration of long chain fatty acids and, as a consequence, PL. This could be a cell-adaptive standing mechanism toward the pollutants, as observed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Also the increase in the content of the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUPA), important in the synthesis of compounds such as prostaglandin which are present in the ovary in a stress situation, was probably a consequence of a defense mechanism to the stress provoked by the presence of TBTCl. 

Rot A, von Andrian UH. Chemokines in innate and adaptive host defense basic chemokinese grammar for immune cells. Annu Rev Immunol 2004 22 891-928. 

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