1,720,981 research outputs found
GRK2 at the control shaft of cellular metabolism
No full textG protein receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) has been for years mainly considered the negative regulator of the cardiac β adrenergic signaling. However GRK2 is a ubiquitous molecule and its kinase activity and scaffold properties brought to several investigations which have evidenced its involvement in pathophysiology of extra-cardiac diseases. Later discoveries, moreover, indicated that this molecule is also able to influence other pathways such as insulin signaling by an inhibitory role similar to what described years before on βAR signaling. The importance of this novel function is in particular related to the possibility that this molecule can regulate the cellular metabolism, modifying the ability of cells to utilize different substrates. This hypothesis has been recently investigated in animal model of Heart Failure, evidencing that upregulation of GRK2 leads to alterations of cardiac glucose metabolism in the early stages of the disease. However GRK2 shows increased level also in the early stages of others chronic disease such as Alzheimer's Disease, indicating that these findings could be possibly applied to others cellular system and supporting the emerging idea of GRK2 as master regulator of cellular metabolism
"Freeze, Don't Move": How to Arrest a Suspect in Heart Failure - A Review on Available GRK2 Inhibitors
No full textCardiovascular disease and heart failure (HF) still collect the largest toll of death in western societies and all over the world. A growing number of molecular mechanisms represent possible targets for new therapeutic strategies, which can counteract the metabolic and structural changes observed in the failing heart. G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) is one of such targets for which experimental and clinical evidence are established. Indeed, several strategies have been carried out in place to interface with the known GRK2 mechanisms of action in the failing heart. This review deals with results from basic and preclinical studies. It shows different strategies to inhibit GRK2 in HF in vivo (βARK-ct gene therapy, treatment with gallein, and treatment with paroxetine) and in vitro (RNA aptamer, RKIP, and peptide-based inhibitors). These strategies are based either on the inhibition of the catalytic activity of the kinase ("Freeze!") or the prevention of its shuttling within the cell ("Don't Move!"). Here, we review the peculiarity of each strategy with regard to the ability to interact with the multiple tasks of GRK2 and the perspective development of eventual clinical use
L’interazione con ERK favorisce la localizzazionenucleare di CaMKII in cellule muscolari lisce (VSMC)
No full textbeta 2 adrenergic receptor (AR) polymorphisms, blood pressure levels, cardiac size and vascular damage (VD) in hypertension
No full textOpposite effects of Î22-adrenoceptor gene deletion on insulin signaling in liver and skeletal muscle
No full textBackground and aim Î22-Adrenoceptors (Î22-ARs) are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) expressed in the major insulin target tissues. The interplay between Î22-AR and insulin pathways is involved in the maintenance of glucose homeostasis. The aim of this study was to explore the consequences of Î22-ARs deletion on insulin sensitivity and insulin signaling cascade in metabolically active tissues. Methods and results We evaluated glucose homeostasis in skeletal muscle and liver of Î22-AR-null mice (Î22-ARâ/â) by performing in vivo (glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test) and ex vivo (glucose uptake and glycogen determination) experiments. Î22-AR gene deletion is associated with hepatic insulin resistance and preserved skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity. Importantly, we demonstrate that hepatic Î22-AR regulates insulin-induced AKT activation via Grb2-mediated SRC recruitment through a Gi-independent mechanism. Conclusions Î2-AR stimulation contributes to the development of early stages of insulin resistance progression in the liver. Our findings indicate that the cross-talk between Î22-AR and insulin signaling represents a fundamental target towards the development of novel therapeutic approaches to treat type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
- …
