Displaying publications 2041 - 2060 of 9214 in total

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  1. Anboo S, Lau SY, Kansedo J, Yap PS, Hadibarata T, Jeevanandam J, et al.
    Biotechnol Bioeng, 2022 Oct;119(10):2609-2638.
    PMID: 35851660 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28185
    Over the past decade, nanotechnology has been developed and employed across various entities. Among the numerous nanostructured material types, enzyme-incorporated nanomaterials have shown great potential in various fields, as an alternative to biologically derived as well as synthetically developed hybrid structures. The mechanism of incorporating enzyme onto a nanostructure depends on several factors including the method of immobilization, type of nanomaterial, as well as operational and environmental conditions. The prospects of enzyme-incorporated nanomaterials have shown promising results across various applications, such as biocatalysts, biosensors, drug therapy, and wastewater treatment. This is due to their excellent ability to exhibit chemical and physical properties such as high surface-to-volume ratio, recovery and/or reusability rates, sensitivity, response scale, and stable catalytic activity across wide operating conditions. In this review, the evolution of enzyme-incorporated nanomaterials along with their impact on our society due to its state-of-the-art properties, and its significance across different industrial applications are discussed. In addition, the weakness and future prospects of enzyme-incorporated nanomaterials were also discussed to guide scientists for futuristic research and development in this field.
    Matched MeSH terms: Enzymes, Immobilized/metabolism
  2. Fan K, Chen L, Li H, Lim JW, Lin C, Qin J, et al.
    J Hazard Mater, 2024 Oct 05;478:135633.
    PMID: 39182296 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135633
    Contamination of rice by arsenic represents a significant human health risk. Roxarsone -bearing poultry manure is a major pollution source of arsenic to paddy soils. A mesocosm experiment plus a laboratory experiment was conducted to reveal the role of rainwater-borne H2O2 in the degradation of roxarsone in paddy rice soils. While roxarsone could be degraded via chemical oxidation by Fenton reaction-derived hydroxyl radical, microbially mediated decomposition was the major mechanism. The input of H2O2 into the paddy soils created a higher redox potential, which favored certain roxarsone-degrading and As(III)-oxidizing bacterial strains and disfavored certain As(V)-reducing bacterial strains. This was likely to be responsible for the enhanced roxarsone degradation and transformation of As(III) to As(V). Fenton-like reaction also tended to enhance the formation of Fe plaque on the root surface, which acted as a filter to retain As. The dominance of As(V) in porewater, combined with the filtering effect of Fe plaque significantly reduced the uptake of inorganic As by the rice plants and consequently its accumulation in the rice grains. The findings have implications for developing management strategies to minimize the negative impacts from the application of roxarsone-containing manure for fertilization of paddy rice soils.
    Matched MeSH terms: Iron/metabolism
  3. Chen YH, Chen HJ, Yang CY, Shiu JH, Hoh DZ, Chiang PW, et al.
    Environ Microbiol, 2022 Mar;24(3):1308-1325.
    PMID: 34708512 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15824
    Terpios hoshinota is an aggressive, space-competing sponge that kills various stony corals. Outbreaks of this species have led to intense damage to coral reefs in many locations. Here, the first large-scale 16S rRNA gene survey across three oceans revealed that bacteria related to the taxa Prochloron, Endozoicomonas, SAR116, Ruegeria, and unclassified Proteobacteria were prevalent in T. hoshinota. A Prochloron-related bacterium was the most dominant and prevalent cyanobacterium in T. hoshinota. The complete genome of this uncultivated cyanobacterium and pigment analysis demonstrated that it has phycobiliproteins and lacks chlorophyll b, which is inconsistent with the definition of Prochloron. Furthermore, the cyanobacterium was phylogenetically distinct from Prochloron, strongly suggesting that it should be a sister taxon to Prochloron. Therefore, we proposed this symbiotic cyanobacterium as a novel species under the new genus Candidatus Paraprochloron terpiosi. Comparative genomic analyses revealed that 'Paraprochloron' and Prochloron exhibit distinct genomic features and DNA replication machinery. We also characterized the metabolic potentials of 'Paraprochloron terpiosi' in carbon and nitrogen cycling and propose a model for interactions between it and T. hoshinota. This study builds a foundation for the study of the T. hoshinota microbiome and paves the way for better understanding of ecosystems involving this coral-killing sponge.
    Matched MeSH terms: RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/metabolism
  4. Ashique S, Sirohi E, Kumar S, Rihan M, Mishra N, Bhatt S, et al.
    Curr Med Chem, 2024;31(31):5004-5026.
    PMID: 37497712 DOI: 10.2174/0929867331666230727103553
    Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurological disorder that results in cognitive decline. The incidence rates of AD have been increasing, particularly among individuals 60 years of age or older. In June 2021, the US FDA approved aducanumab, the first humanized monoclonal antibody, as a potential therapeutic option for AD. Clinical trials have shown this drug to effectively target the accumulation of Aβ (beta-amyloid) plaques in the brain, and its effectiveness is dependent on the dosage and duration of treatment. Additionally, aducanumab has been associated with improvements in cognitive function. Biogen, the pharmaceutical company responsible for developing and marketing aducanumab, has positioned it as a potential breakthrough for treating cerebral damage in AD. However, the drug has raised concerns due to its high cost, limitations, and potential side effects. AD is a progressive neurological condition that affects memory, cognitive function, and behaviour. It significantly impacts the quality of life of patients and caregivers and strains healthcare systems. Ongoing research focuses on developing disease-modifying therapies that can halt or slow down AD progression. The pathogenesis of AD involves various molecular cascades and signaling pathways. However, the formation of extracellular amyloid plaques is considered a critical mechanism driving the development and progression of the disease. Aducanumab, as a monoclonal antibody, has shown promising results in inhibiting amyloid plaque formation, which is the primary pathological feature of AD. This review explores the signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms through which aducanumab effectively prevents disease pathogenesis in AD.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism
  5. Fong LY, Ng CT, Yong YK, Hakim MN, Ahmad Z
    Vascul Pharmacol, 2019 06;117:15-26.
    PMID: 30114509 DOI: 10.1016/j.vph.2018.08.005
    Endothelial hyperpermeability represents an initiating step in early atherosclerosis and it often occurs as a result of endothelial barrier dysfunction. Asiatic acid, a major triterpene isolated from Centella asiatica (L.) Urban, has previously been demonstrated to protect against tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced endothelial barrier dysfunction. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanisms underlying the barrier protective effect of asiatic acid in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). The localization of F-actin, diphosphorylated myosin light chain (diphospho-MLC), adherens junctions (AJs) and tight junctions (TJs) was studied using immunocytochemistry techniques and confocal microscopy. Their total protein expressions were examined using western blot analysis. The endothelial permeability was assessed using In Vitro Vascular Permeability Assay kits. In addition, intracellular redistribution of the junctional proteins was evaluated using subcellular fractionation kits. We show that asiatic acid stabilized F-actin and diphospho-MLC at the cell periphery and prevented their rearrangement stimulated by TNF-α. However, asiatic acid failed to attenuate cytochalasin D-induced increased permeability. Besides, asiatic acid abrogated TNF-α-induced structural reorganization of vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin and β-catenin by preserving their reticulum structures at cell-cell contact areas. In addition, asiatic acid also inhibited TNF-α-induced redistribution of occludin and zona occludens (ZO)-1 in different subcellular fractions. In conclusion, the barrier-stabilizing effect of asiatic acid might be associated with preservation of AJs and prevention of TJ redistribution caused by TNF-α. This study provides evidence to support the potential use of asiatic acid in the prevention of early atherosclerosis, which is initiated by endothelial barrier dysfunction.
    Matched MeSH terms: Actins/metabolism; Aorta/metabolism; Cytoskeleton/metabolism; Myosin Light Chains/metabolism; Tight Junctions/metabolism; Adherens Junctions/metabolism; Endothelial Cells/metabolism
  6. Uddin I, Awan HH, Khalid M, Khan S, Akbar S, Sarker MR, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2024 Sep 06;14(1):20819.
    PMID: 39242695 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-71568-z
    RNA modifications play an important role in actively controlling recently created formation in cellular regulation mechanisms, which link them to gene expression and protein. The RNA modifications have numerous alterations, presenting broad glimpses of RNA's operations and character. The modification process by the TET enzyme oxidation is the crucial change associated with cytosine hydroxymethylation. The effect of CR is an alteration in specific biochemical ways of the organism, such as gene expression and epigenetic alterations. Traditional laboratory systems that identify 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) samples are expensive and time-consuming compared to other methods. To address this challenge, the paper proposed XGB5hmC, a machine learning algorithm based on a robust gradient boosting algorithm (XGBoost), with different residue based formulation methods to identify 5hmC samples. Their results were amalgamated, and six different frequency residue based encoding features were fused to form a hybrid vector in order to enhance model discrimination capabilities. In addition, the proposed model incorporates SHAP (Shapley Additive Explanations) based feature selection to demonstrate model interpretability by highlighting the high contributory features. Among the applied machine learning algorithms, the XGBoost ensemble model using the tenfold cross-validation test achieved improved results than existing state-of-the-art models. Our model reported an accuracy of 89.97%, sensitivity of 87.78%, specificity of 94.45%, F1-score of 0.8934%, and MCC of 0.8764%. This study highlights the potential to provide valuable insights for enhancing medical assessment and treatment protocols, representing a significant advancement in RNA modification analysis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cytosine/metabolism
  7. Xian LJ, Chowdhury SR, Bin Saim A, Idrus RB
    Cytotherapy, 2015 Mar;17(3):293-300.
    PMID: 25456581 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2014.10.005
    Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been found to contain a high concentration of growth factors that are present during the process of healing. Studies conducted found that application of PRP accelerates wound healing. In this study, we characterized the skin cell suspension harvested using the co-isolation technique and evaluated the effects of PRP (10% and 20%, v/v) on co-cultured keratinocytes and fibroblasts in terms of wound healing.
    Matched MeSH terms: Collagen/metabolism; Inflammation/metabolism; Skin/metabolism; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor/metabolism; Hepatocyte Growth Factor/metabolism; Chemokine CCL2/metabolism; Collagen Type I/metabolism; Collagen Type III/metabolism; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism; Platelet-Rich Plasma/metabolism*
  8. Atangwho IJ, Yin KB, Umar MI, Ahmad M, Asmawi MZ
    PMID: 25358757 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6882-14-426
    This study evaluated the impact of Vernonia amygdalina (VA) on the transcription of key enzymes involved in cellular modulation of glucose in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats in a bid to understand the possible anti-diabetic mechanism of VA.
    Matched MeSH terms: Adipose Tissue/metabolism; Blood Glucose/metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/metabolism; Glucose/metabolism*; Glucose-6-Phosphatase/metabolism; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase/metabolism; Hexokinase/metabolism; Liver/metabolism; Muscles/metabolism; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism
  9. Kasi RA, Moi CS, Kien YW, Yian KR, Chin NW, Yen NK, et al.
    Mol Med Rep, 2015 Mar;11(3):2262-8.
    PMID: 25411820 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2014.2979
    para‑Phenylenediamine (p‑PD) is a potential carcinogen, and widely used in marketed hair dye formulations. In the present study, the role of the protein tyrosine kinase (PTK)/Ras/Raf/c‑Jun N‑terminal kinase (JNK) and phosphoinositide 3‑kinase (PI3k)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathways on the growth of NRK‑52E cells was investigated. The results demonstrated that p‑PD reduced cell viability in a dose‑dependent manner. The cell death due to apoptosis was confirmed by cell cycle analysis and an Annexin‑V‑fluorescein isothiocyanate binding assay. Subsequent to staining with 2',7'‑dichlorofluorescin diacetate, the treated cells demonstrated a significant increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation compared with the controls. The effects of p‑PD on the signalling pathways were analysed by western blotting. p‑PD‑treated cells exhibited an upregulated phospho‑stress‑activated protein kinase/JNK protein expression level and downregulated Ras and Raf protein expression levels; however, Akt, Bcl‑2, Bcl‑XL and Bad protein expression levels were not significantly altered compared with the control. In conclusion, p‑PD induced apoptosis by a PTK/Ras/Raf/JNK‑dependent pathway and was independent of the PI3K/Akt pathway in NRK‑52E cells.
    Matched MeSH terms: Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/metabolism; Annexin A5/metabolism; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf/metabolism; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism; bcl-X Protein/metabolism; bcl-Associated Death Protein/metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism
  10. Ebrahimi M, Rajion MA, Goh YM
    Nutrients, 2014 Sep;6(9):3913-28.
    PMID: 25255382 DOI: 10.3390/nu6093913
    Alteration of the lipid content and fatty acid (FA) composition of foods can result in a healthier product. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of flaxseed oil or sunflower oil in the goat diet on fatty acid composition of muscle and expression of lipogenic genes in the semitendinosus (ST) muscle. Twenty-one entire male Boer kid goats were fed diets containing different levels of linoleic acid (LA) and α-linolenic acid (LNA) for 100 days. Inclusion of flaxseed oil increased (p < 0.05) the α-linolenic acid (C18:3n-3) concentration in the ST muscle. The diet high in α-linolenic acid (p < 0.05) decreased the arachidonic acid (C20:4n-6) and conjugated linolenic acid (CLA) c-9 t-11 content in the ST muscle. There was a significant (p < 0.05) upregulation of PPARα and PPARγ gene expression and downregulation of stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) gene in the ST muscle for the high α-linolenic acid group compared with the low α-linolenic acid group. The results of the present study show that flaxseed oil as a source of α-linolenic acid can be incorporated into the diets of goats to enrich goat meat with n-3 fatty acids, upregulate the PPARα and PPARγ, and downregulate the SCD gene expression.
    Matched MeSH terms: Dietary Fats/metabolism; Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase/metabolism; Arachidonic Acid/metabolism; Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism; Linoleic Acids, Conjugated/metabolism; PPAR alpha/metabolism; PPAR gamma/metabolism; Lipid Metabolism/drug effects*; Lipid Metabolism/genetics
  11. Gouk SW, Cheng SF, Ong AS, Chuah CH
    Br J Nutr, 2014 Apr 14;111(7):1174-80.
    PMID: 24286356 DOI: 10.1017/S0007114513003668
    In the present study, we investigated the effect of long-acyl chain SFA, namely palmitic acid (16:0) and stearic acid (18:0), at sn-1, 3 positions of TAG on obesity. Throughout the 15 weeks of the experimental period, C57BL/6 mice were fed diets fortified with cocoa butter, sal stearin (SAL), palm mid fraction (PMF) and high-oleic sunflower oil (HOS). The sn-1, 3 positions were varied by 16:0, 18:0 and 18:1, whilst the sn-2 position was preserved with 18:1. The HOS-enriched diet was found to lead to the highest fat deposition. This was in accordance with our previous postulation. Upon normalisation of total fat deposited with food intake to obtain the fat:feed ratio, interestingly, mice fed the SAL-enriched diet exhibited significantly lower visceral fat/feed and total fat/feed compared with those fed the PMF-enriched diet, despite their similarity in SFA-unsaturated fatty acid-SFA profile. That long-chain SFA at sn-1, 3 positions concomitantly with an unsaturated FA at the sn-2 position exert an obesity-reducing effect was further validated. The present study is the first of its kind to demonstrate that SFA of different chain lengths at sn-1, 3 positions exert profound effects on fat accretion.
    Matched MeSH terms: Dietary Fats/metabolism; Obesity/metabolism; Plant Oils/metabolism; Stearic Acids/metabolism; Triglycerides/metabolism; Triolein/metabolism; Oleic Acid/metabolism; Palmitic Acid/metabolism; Subcutaneous Fat/metabolism*; Intra-Abdominal Fat/metabolism*
  12. Yeo SK, Liong MT
    J Sci Food Agric, 2013 Jan;93(2):396-409.
    PMID: 22806322 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.5775
    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of electroporation (2.5-7.5 kV cm⁻¹ for 3.0-4.0 ms) on the growth of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, membrane properties and bioconversion of isoflavones in mannitol-soymilk.
    Matched MeSH terms: Bacterial Proteins/metabolism; beta-Glucosidase/metabolism; Bifidobacterium/metabolism*; Cell Membrane/metabolism; Glucosides/metabolism; Isoflavones/metabolism*; Lactobacillus casei/metabolism*; Mannitol/metabolism*; Probiotics/metabolism; Phytoestrogens/metabolism
  13. Abu Backer FM, Mustapha NR, Othman NH
    Anal. Quant. Cytol. Histol., 2011 Oct;33(5):283-8.
    PMID: 22611756
    To differentiate endocervical adenocarcinoma (ECA) from endometrial adenocarcinoma (EMA) using p16INK4a, p21WAF1 and p27Kip1.
    Matched MeSH terms: Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/metabolism*; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism; Endometrial Neoplasms/metabolism*; Carcinoma, Adenosquamous/metabolism; Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell/metabolism; Carcinoma, Endometrioid/metabolism*; Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous/metabolism; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16/metabolism*; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21/metabolism*; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27/metabolism*
  14. Hussin HN, Zulkifli FN, Phang KS, Cheong SK
    Malays J Pathol, 2009 Dec;31(2):105-12.
    PMID: 20514853 MyJurnal
    Dendritic cells (DC) are specialized antigen presenting cells (APC) that have important roles in host defenses and in generating anti-tumour immune response. Altered frequency and maturation of DC have been reported in malignant tumours. We studied the distribution and maturation status of DC by immunohistochemistry, on the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lymph node tissues of 32 histologically diagnosed lymphomas and 40 inflammatory conditions that were retrieved from the Department of Pathology, UKM Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur. Our study showed a significant reduction in the total DC counts in the lymphoma tissues compared to the inflammatory conditions. The mature and immature DC counts were both significantly reduced (p = 0.008 and 0.001 respectively), although a greater reduction was observed in mature DC numbers. We also observed compartmentalization of DC where the immature DC were seen within the tumour tissues and the mature DC were more in peri-tumoural areas. Our findings were similar to other reports, suggesting that reduced numbers of DC appears to be a factor contributing to lack of tumour surveillance in these cases.
    Matched MeSH terms: Dendritic Cells/metabolism; Hodgkin Disease/metabolism; Immunoglobulins/metabolism; Lymph Nodes/metabolism; Lymphoma, Follicular/metabolism; Membrane Glycoproteins/metabolism; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism; Antigens, CD/metabolism; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic/metabolism; Antigens, CD1/metabolism
  15. Chew MM, Gan SY, Khoo AS, Tan EL
    BMC Cancer, 2010;10:574.
    PMID: 20964870 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-10-574
    Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a type of neoplasm that is highly prevalent in East Asia and Africa with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), genetic, and dietary factors implicated as possible aetiologic factors. Previous studies suggested the association of certain cytokines with the invasion and metastatic properties of NPC. The present study examined the roles of EBV latent membrane protein-1 (LMP1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) and laminin in the regulation of matrix-metalloproteinases (MMPs) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in NPC. The effects of these factors on bmi-1, an oncogene, and ngx6, a tumour suppressor gene, were also investigated.
    Matched MeSH terms: Interleukins/metabolism*; Laminin/metabolism*; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/metabolism; Viral Matrix Proteins/metabolism*; Interleukin-6/metabolism; Interleukin-10/metabolism; Matrix Metalloproteinase 3/metabolism; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9/metabolism; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism; Caspase 3/metabolism
  16. Sosroseno W, Bird PS, Seymour GJ
    Oral Microbiol. Immunol., 2009 Feb;24(1):50-5.
    PMID: 19121070 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-302X.2008.00475.x
    Human osteoblasts induced by inflammatory stimuli express an inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans lipopolysaccharide stimulates the production of nitric oxide (NO) by a human osteoblast-like cell line (HOS cells).
    Matched MeSH terms: Cyclic AMP/metabolism; Cyclic GMP/metabolism; Lipoxygenase/metabolism; Osteoblasts/metabolism*; Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors/metabolism; Phospholipases/metabolism; Protein Kinases/metabolism; Lipoxygenase Inhibitors/metabolism; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/metabolism; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/metabolism*
  17. Imam MU, Musa SN, Azmi NH, Ismail M
    Int J Mol Sci, 2012;13(10):12952-69.
    PMID: 23202932 DOI: 10.3390/ijms131012952
    Oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications, and can be increased by diet like white rice (WR). Though brown rice (BR) and germinated brown rice (GBR) have high antioxidant potentials as a result of their bioactive compounds, reports of their effects on oxidative stress-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes are lacking. We hypothesized therefore that if BR and GBR were to improve antioxidant status, they would be better for rice consuming populations instead of the commonly consumed WR that is known to promote oxidative stress. This will then provide further reasons why less consumption of WR should be encouraged. We studied the effects of GBR on antioxidant status in type 2 diabetic rats, induced using a high-fat diet and streptozotocin injection, and also evaluated the effects of WR, BR and GBR on catalase and superoxide dismutase genes. As dietary components, BR and GBR improved glycemia and kidney hydroxyl radical scavenging activities, and prevented the deterioration of total antioxidant status in type 2 diabetic rats. Similarly, GBR preserved liver enzymes, as well as serum creatinine. There seem to be evidence that upregulation of superoxide dismutase gene may likely be an underlying mechanism for antioxidant effects of BR and GBR. Our results provide insight into the effects of different rice types on antioxidant status in type 2 diabetes. The results also suggest that WR consumption, contrary to BR and GBR, may worsen antioxidant status that may lead to more damage by free radicals. From the data so far, the antioxidant effects of BR and GBR are worth studying further especially on a long term to determine their effects on development of oxidative stress-related problems, which WR consumption predisposes to.
    Matched MeSH terms: Alanine Transaminase/metabolism; Antioxidants/metabolism*; Aspartate Aminotransferases/metabolism; Catalase/metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/metabolism; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/metabolism; Liver/metabolism; Oryza/metabolism*; Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism; Free Radical Scavengers/metabolism
  18. Mokhtar SS, Vanhoutte PM, Leung SW, Suppian R, Yusof MI, Rasool AH
    Eur J Pharmacol, 2016 Feb 15;773:78-84.
    PMID: 26825543 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2016.01.013
    Diabetes is associated with endothelial dysfunction, which is characterized by impaired endothelium-dependent relaxations. The present study aimed to examine the role of nitric oxide (NO), prostacyclin and endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization (EDH), in the relaxation of ventral tail arteries of rats under diabetic conditions. Relaxations of tail arteries of control and diabetic rats were studied in wire myograph. Western blotting and immunostaining were used to determine the presence of proteins. Acetylcholine-induced relaxations were significantly smaller in arteries of diabetic compared to control rats (Rmax; 70.81 ± 2.48% versus 85.05 ± 3.15%). Incubation with the combination of non-selective cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor, indomethacin and potassium channel blockers, TRAM 34 and UCL 1684, demonstrated that NO-mediated relaxation was attenuated significantly in diabetic compared to control rats (Rmax; 48.47 ± 5.84% versus 68.39 ± 6.34%). EDH-type (in the presence of indomethacin and NO synthase inhibitor, LNAME) and prostacyclin-mediated (in the presence of LNAME plus TRAM 34 and UCL 1684) relaxations were not significantly reduced in arteries of diabetic compared to control rats [Rmax: (EDH; 17.81 ± 6.74% versus 34.16 ± 4.59%) (prostacyclin; 15.85 ± 3.27% versus 17.23 ± 3.75%)]. Endothelium-independent relaxations to sodium nitroprusside, salbutamol and prostacyclin were comparable in the two types of preparations. Western blotting and immunostaining indicated that diabetes diminished the expression of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), while increasing those of COX-1 and COX-2. Thus, since acetylcholine-induced NO-mediated relaxation was impaired in diabetes because of reduced eNOS protein expression, pharmacological intervention improving NO bioavailability could be useful in the management of diabetic endothelial dysfunction.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cyclic AMP/metabolism; Blood Glucose/metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/metabolism*; Endothelium, Vascular/metabolism; Cyclic GMP/metabolism; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/metabolism; Nitric Oxide/metabolism*; Epoprostenol/metabolism; Receptors, Epoprostenol/metabolism; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III/metabolism*
  19. Zulaziz N, Azhim A, Himeno N, Tanaka M, Satoh Y, Kinoshita M, et al.
    Hum. Cell, 2015 Oct;28(4):159-66.
    PMID: 25997703 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-015-0118-2
    Antibacterial photodynamic therapy (PDT) has come to attract attention as an alternative therapy for drug-resistant bacteria. Recent reports revealed that antibacterial PDT induces innate immune response and stimulates abundant cytokine secretion as a part of inflammatory responses. However, the underlying mechanism how antibacterial PDT interacts with immune cells responsible for cytokine secretion has not been well outlined. In this study, we aimed to clarify the difference in gene expression and cytokine secretion between combined culture of fibroblasts and macrophages and their independent cultures. SCRC-1008, mouse fibroblast cell line and J774, mouse macrophage-like cell line were co-cultured and PDT treatments with different parameters were carried out. After various incubation periods (1-24 h), cells and culture medium were collected, and mRNA and protein levels for cytokines were measured using real-time PCR and ELISA, respectively. Our results showed that fibroblasts and macrophages interact with each other to mediate the immune response. We propose that fibroblasts initially respond to PDT by expressing Hspa1b, which regulates the NF-κB pathway via Tlr2 and Tlr4. Activation of the NF-κB pathway then results in an enhanced secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β) and neutrophil chemoattractant MIP-2 and KC from macrophages.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fibroblasts/metabolism; Macrophages/metabolism; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism; Interleukin-6/metabolism; Cytokines/metabolism; Inflammation Mediators/metabolism; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins/metabolism; Toll-Like Receptor 2/metabolism; Toll-Like Receptor 4/metabolism; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism
  20. Ameli F, Rose IM, Masir N
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2015;16(6):2385-90.
    PMID: 25824769
    BACKGROUND: Invasive ductal (IDC) and lobular (ILC) carcinomas are the common histological types of breast carcinoma which are difficult to distinguish when poorly differentiated. Discoidin domain receptor (DDR1) and Drosophila dishevelled protein (DVL1) were recently suggested to differentiate IDC from ILC.

    OBJECTIVES: To assess the expression of DDR1 and DVL1 and their association with histological type, grading and hormonal status of IDC and ILC.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross sectional study was conducted on IDC and ILC breast tumours. Tumours were immunohistochemically stained for (DDR1) and (DVL1) as well as estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and C-erbB2 receptor. Demographic data including age and ethnicity were obtained from patient records.

    RESULTS: A total of 51 cases (30 IDCs and 21 ILCs) were assessed. DDR1 and DVL1 expression was not significantly associated with histological type (p=0.57 and p=0.66 respectively). There was no association between DDR1 and DVL1 expression and tumour grade (p=0.32 and p=1.00 respectively), ER (p=0.62 and 0.50 respectively), PR (p=0.38 and p=0.63 respectively) and C-erbB2 expression (p=0.19 and p=0.33 respectively) in IDC. There was no association between DDR1 and DVL1 expression and tumour grade (p=0.52 and p=0.33 respectively), ER (p=0.06 and p=0.76 respectively), PR (p=0.61 and p=0.43 respectively) and C-erbB2 expression (p=0.58 and p=0.76 respectively) in ILC.

    CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that DDR1 and DVL1 are present in both IDC and ILC regardless of the tumour differentiation. More studies are needed to assess the potential of these two proteins in distinguishing IDC from ILC in breast tumours.

    Matched MeSH terms: Breast Neoplasms/metabolism; Phosphoproteins/metabolism*; Receptors, Estrogen/metabolism*; Receptors, Progesterone/metabolism*; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism*; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/metabolism; Carcinoma, Lobular/metabolism; Receptor, ErbB-2/metabolism*; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/metabolism*; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/metabolism*
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