There is ample evidence in the epidemiological literature that polyphenols, the major non-vitamin antioxidants in plant foods and beverages, have a beneficial effect on heart disease. Until recently other mechanisms which polyphenols exhibit such as cell signaling and regulating nitric oxide bioavailability have been investigated. The oxidation theory of atherosclerosis implicates LDL oxidation as

Apoptotic and inflammatory pathways play important roles in Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected macrophages. Sirt1 is a member of the deacetylase family that is known to promote apoptosis resistance in mammalian cells and was recently reported to regulate mycobacterial immunopathogenesis via inflammatory responses. However, the apoptotic role of Sirt1 in the process of M. tuberculosis infection remains

Seven of the 57 human cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes are mitochondrial and carry out important reactions with steroids and vitamins A and D. These seven P450s utilize an electron transport chain that includes NADPH, NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase (AdR), and adrenodoxin (Adx) instead of the diflavin NADPH-P450 reductase (POR) used by the other P450s in the endoplasmic reticulum. Although numerous studies

Excessive proliferation, migration and dedifferentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are the center of intimal formation during in-stent restenosis and vein graft disease. Paeoniflorin-6′-O-benzene sulfonate (CP-25) is known to suppress inflammation and atherogenesis. However, the potential effect of CP-25 on intimal formation remains elusive. In the present study, we found that CP-25 significantly

Background Sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction is one of the leading complications of sepsis, contributing to the high morbidity and mortality of septic patients. Several lines of evidence have demonstrated that autophagy and pyroptosis may be involved in septic cardiac dysfunction. In this study, we examined the impact of zinc finger antisense 1 (ZFAS1) on sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction via

Here we report the effects of ammonium on the main biophysical features of neurons and astrocytes during the first minutes of exposure. We found that ammonium causes the depolarization of neurons, which leads to the generation of high-frequency action potentials (APs). The initial alkalization and subsequent acidification of the intracellular medium in neurons occur along with the generation of calcium

The alternative oxidase (AOX) catalyzes the transfer of electrons from ubiquinol to oxygen without the translocation of protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane. This enzyme has been proposed to participate in the regulation of cell growth, sporulation, yeast-mycelium transition, resistance to reactive oxygen species, infection, and production of secondary metabolites. Two approaches have been

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a fetal cardiovascular disease with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the present study, we elucidated the role of galectin-3 in preventing myocardial ischemic reperfusion injury. We found that galactin-3 was significantly up-regulated in the myocardium and cardiomyocyte subjected to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) and hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) treatment,

RNA systems biology is marked by a myriad of cellular processes mediated by small and long non-coding RNAs. Small non-coding RNAs include siRNAs (small interfering RNAs), miRNAs (microRNAs), tRFs(tRNA derived fragments), and piRNAs (PIWI-interacting RNAs). piRNAs are vital for the maintenance of the germ-line integrity and repress the transposons either transcriptionally or post-transcriptionally.

MicroRNA-885 (miR-885) has been shown to act as vital regulator of tumorigenesis and its tumor-suppressive role has been investigated in several human cancers. However, the role of miR-885 in regulation of epithelial mesenchymal transition of liver cancer cells yet unknown. This study was undertaken to investigate the tumor-suppressive role of miR-885 and investigate its effects on epithelial mesenchymal

The accumulation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) correlates with aging and accompanies the onset of age-related diseases, such as diabetes and arteriosclerosis. Therefore, a daily intake of natural compounds that inhibit the production of AGEs may be beneficial in preventing these diseases. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of 14 natural crude extracts, including those of

Polyamines produced by both prokaryotes and eukaryotes are bioactive substances with pleiotropic effects. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that polyamines contribute to anti-inflammatory responses by suppressing the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in mononuclear cells and macrophages. However, the effects of polyamines on CD4+ T cell responses remain to be elucidated. Here, we investigated

Osteocytes sense extracellular mechanical stimuli and transduce them into biochemical signals to regulate bone remodeling. The function is also evidenced in orthodontic tooth movement. But the underlying mechanisms haven't been clarified. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved cellular catabolic process which affects cellular secretory capabilities. We hypothesized that mechanical force activated

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accompanied by diabetes is an important risk factor affecting the prognosis of patients with NSCLC in clinical practice. However, the effect of high glucose (HG) in the pathogenesis of NSCLC remains elusive. It has been found that the RNA-binding protein Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) plays important roles in various diseases, including

Autoimmune Thyroid diseases, such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, is characterized by lymphocytic infiltration and altered function of the thyroid. During inflammation, it has been reported a decreased expression in Tg and NIS, accompanied by an increase in HA production that accumulates in the gland. HA fragments produced in different pathological states can modulate gene expression in a variety of cell

2′-deoxy-ATP (dATP) is a naturally occurring small molecule that has shown promise as a therapeutic because it significantly increases cardiac myocyte force development even at low dATP/ATP ratios. To investigate mechanisms by which dATP alters myosin crossbridge dynamics, we used Brownian dynamics simulations to calculate association rates between actin and ADP- or dADP-bound myosin. These rates were

miRNA is a short non-coding RNA molecule that regulates mRNA expression post-transcriptionally, and circulating miRNA is the miRNA that is being excreted extracellularly. Breast cancer is the most prevalent female cancer, and there are eight key hallmarks relating to this disease, which include sustained proliferation, apoptosis evasion, increased invasion, enhanced metastases, inflammation initiation

Interaction of (S)-thalidomide molecule with four nucleobases: adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine, is investigated in details employing density functional theory methods. Different mutual positions of the molecules are considered, with the starting geometries enabling hydrogen bond interactions between the monomers. Optimization of geometrical parameters is carried out within the B3LYP/6-311G**

Previous studies have suggested that pyroptosis may play an important role in LPS-induced acute lung injury (ALI), but the exact mechanism of pyroptosis induction and the role of Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)/Ang (1–7)/Mas axis in pyroptosis has not been investigated yet. The present study aimed to establish a mice model of ALI and clarify the involvement of pyroptosis and ACE2/Ang (1–7)/Mas

Cytochrome c (cytc) is a heme protein of 12 kDa that transfers electrons in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Increased cytc peroxidase activity leads to cardiolipin (CL) oxidation, a hallmark of early apoptosis stage. Here, we aimed to investigate the interaction between cytc with cardiolipin hydroperoxide (CLOOH) in a mimetic mitochondrial membrane. Cytc-CL peroxidase reaction occurred at faster

Chemotherapy resistance is one of the major challenges for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In order to investigate the mechanisms involved in chemoresistance of HCC, we established cisplatin (CDDP) and doxorubicin (Dox) resistant HCC cells. The expression of transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ), one of the major downstream effectors of Hippo pathway, was upregulated

By comparing differentially abundant proteins and metabolites, the protein expression, metabolic changes and metabolic regulation mechanisms during the priming phase of liver regeneration (LR) were investigated. We combined proteomic analysis via isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) with metabolomic analysis via nontargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).

We previously found that ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 diminishes the proliferative and invasive capacities of ovarian cancer cells by decreasing miR-4425 level. Yet the mechanism of action of miR-4425 in ovarian cancer remains unclear. Here we report that miR-4425 is upregulated in ovarian cancer tissues relative to normal ovarian tissues, and transfection of miR-4425 inhibitor impairs the proliferation,

The hydrolysis of β-lactam antibiotics by class C β-lactamases proceeds through the acylation and the rate-determining deacylation steps mediated by the nucleophilic serine and the deacylation water, respectively. The pose of poor substrates such as carbapenems in the acylated enzyme is responsible for the low efficient deacylation reaction. Here we present the crystal structures of the Y150F variant

Histidine decarboxylase (HDC; EC 4.1.1.22), an enzyme that catalyzes histamine synthesis with high substrate specificity, is a member of the group II pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) -dependent decarboxylase family. Tyrosine is a conserved residue among group II PLP-dependent decarboxylases. Human HDC has a Y334 located on a catalytically important loop at the active site. In this study, we demonstrated

In the last years, the decreasing effectiveness of conventional antimicrobial-drugs has caused serious problems due to the rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens. This situation has brought attention to other antimicrobial agents like antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), for being considered an alternative to conventional drugs. These compounds target bacterial membranes for their activity, which

Bromodomain-containing 8 (BRD8), which belongs to the histone acetyl transferase (HAT) complex, functions as a driver in colorectal cancer. However, the role of BRD8 and its related regulatory mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unexplored. In this study, we found that the level of BRD8 mRNA in HCC was prominently higher than that in nontumor tissues. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry

The main component of plasma medicine is the use of low-temperature plasma (LTP) as a powerful tool for biomedical applications. LTP generates high reactivity at low temperatures and can be activated with noble gases with molecular mixtures or compressed air. LTP reactive species are quickly produced, and are a remarkably good source of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species including singlet oxygen

Purpose To explore genistein, the most active component of soy isoflavones, on viability, expression of estrogen receptor (ER) subtypes, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), and glutamate receptor subunits in amyloid peptide 25-35-induced hippocampal neurons, providing valuable data and basic information for neuroprotective effect of genistein in Aβ25-35-induced neuronal injury. Methods We established

Adropin is a peptide hormone encoded by Energy Homeostasis Associated (Enho) gene. Adropin modulates glucose and lipid metabolism, and adiposity. Recently, we found that adropin suppresses differentiation of rodent white preadipocytes into mature fat cells. By contrast, the role of adropin in controlling brown adipogenesis is largely unknown. Therefore, in the present study we evaluated the effects

About one quarter of people worldwide are infected with tuberculosis, and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) remains a health threat. It is known that two-Component Signal Transduction Systems (TCSs) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are closely related to tuberculosis resistance, but the mechanism by which orphan response protein Rv3143 regulates strain sensitivity to drug is still unclear. This

Rapamycin is a clinically important macrolide agent with immunosuppressant and antiproliferative properties, produced by the actinobacterium, Streptomyces rapamycinicus. Two cytochrome P450 enzymes are involved in the biosynthesis of rapamycin. CYP107G1 and CYP122A2 catalyze the oxidation reactions of C27 and C9 of pre-rapamycin, respectively. To understand the structural and biochemical features of

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a major polyphenol component of green tea, presents anticancer efficacy. However, its exact mechanism of action is not known. In this study, we evaluated the effect of EGCG alone or in combination with current chemotherapeutics [gemcitabine, 5-flourouracil (5-FU), and doxorubicin] on pancreatic, colon, and lung cancer cell growth, as well as the mechanisms involved

Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) is a flavoprotein and essential partner of the CHCHD4 redox protein during the mitochondrial intermembrane space import machinery. Mammalian AIF has three cysteine residues, which have received little attention. Previous reports have evidenced a redox interaction between AIF and thioredoxin 1 (Trx1), particularly after oxidant conditions. Therefore, we asked whether

NAD(P)+ transhydrogenase (NNT) is located in the inner mitochondrial membrane and catalyzes a reversible hydride transfer between NAD(H) and NADP(H) that is coupled to proton translocation between the intermembrane space and mitochondrial matrix. NNT activity has an essential role in maintaining the NADPH supply for antioxidant defense and biosynthetic pathways. In the present report, we evaluated

Podocytes are unique, highly specialized, terminally differentiated cells that form an essential, integral part of the glomerular filter. These cells limit the outside border of the glomerular basement membrane, forming a tight barrier that prevents significant protein loss from the capillary space. The slit diaphragm formed by podocytes is crucial for maintaining glomerular integrity and function

Ketol-acid reductoisomerase (KARI), the second enzyme in the branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) biosynthesis pathway, is an emerging target for the discovery of biocides. Here, we demonstrate that cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylate (CPD) inhibits KARIs from the pathogens Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mt) and Campylobacter jejuni (Cj) reversibly with Ki values of 3.03 μM and 0.59 μM, respectively. Another reversible

Antheraea mylitta arylphorin protein was extracted from the silk gland of fifth instar larvae and purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation, ion-exchange, and gel filtration chromatography. The N-terminal sequencing of ten amino acids (NH2-SVVHPPHHEV-COOH) showed similarity with Antheraea pernyi arylphorin. Based on N-terminal and C-terminal A. pernyi arylphorin sequences, primers were designed,

Fatty acid uptake and accumulation in lipid droplets are essential processes of lipid metabolism. Oocyte in vitro culture in media enriched with fatty acid is used to modify the lipid content and composition, aiming to study the consequences of obesity and enhance cell cryotolerance. We applied Raman spectroscopy and deuterium labeling approach to quantify stearic acid uptake and investigate its incorporation

The enzyme 6-Hydroxy-l-Nicotine oxidase (HLNO) is a flavin-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the first step in the pyridine pathway of oxidation of nicotine as a source of energy and nitrogen in several bacteria. Recombinant Arthrobacter nicotinovorans HLNO also catalyzes oxidation of (s)-nicotine at a low but measurable rate (Fitzpatrick et al., 2016, Biochemistry 55, 697–703). Rational design and bioinformatics

Adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC) therapy is a promising treatment strategy for wound healing; however, the mechanism underlying this effect remains unclear. In the present study, we aimed to explore the influence of ADSC-derived VEGF on diabetic wounds and its role in modulating endothelial progenitor cells. The effect of ADSCs and ADSC-derived VEGF in vivo was investigated using a diabetic wound healing