1,721,019 research outputs found
Proper regulation of β-adrenergic signal requires Btg2 gene for lipolysis and thermogenesis in response to starvation or cold acclimation in female mice
No full textMammals maintain constant body temperature in cold environment by activating thermogenesis via adrenergic/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling. B-cell translocation gene 2 (BTG2/Tis21), induced by PKA signaling, regulates glucose and lipid metabolism in liver, yet its role in lipolysis and in thermogenesis is not explored. Here, Btg2-knockout (KO) mice failed to maintain body temperature under starvation, or in cold acclimation. And norepinephrine-induced thermogenic response was turned off earlier in the KO mice. Gender specifically, gonadal white adipose tissues (gWAT) of female-KO were very active in lipolysis in fed state, however, the fat degradation was diminished upon fasting or cold acclimation. Also, insulin sensitivity was increased in female-KO, but not in male-KO mice, along with the low bone mineral density and small brown adipose tissues (BAT). In the mechanistic aspect, expressions of UCP1 and lipases (LPL, ATGL, HSL) in gWAT of female-KO mice were significantly reduced in response to adrenergic signals. Here, we present some data that Btg2 gene is essential for properly respond to β-adrenergic signals, and plays as a negative regulator of insulin signaling in female mice
First Principles Calculations on the Effect of Doping on the Structural Stability of Zirconia
No full textMitochondrial nucleoid remodeling and biogenesis are regulated by the p53-p21(WAF1)-PKCzeta pathway in p16(INK4a)-silenced cells
No full textMitochondrial dysfunction is linked to age-related senescence phenotypes. We report here the pathway increasing nucleoid remodeling and biogenesis in mitochondria during the senescence of foreskin human diploid fibroblasts (fs-HDF) and WI-38 cells. Replicative senescence in fs-HDF cells increased mitochondrial nucleoid remodeling as indicated by 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) expression in enlarged and fused mitochondria. Mitochondrial nucleoid remodeling was accompanied by mitochondrial biogenesis in old cells, and the expression levels of OXPHOS complex-I, -IV and -V subunits, PGC-1alpha and NRF1 were greatly increased compared to young cells. Activated protein kinase C zeta (PKCzeta) increased mitochondrial activity and expressed phenotypes of delayed senescence in fs-HDF cells, but not in WI-38 cells. The findings were reproduced in the doxorubicin-induced senescence of young fs-HDF and WI-38 cells via the PKCzeta-LKB1-AMPK signaling pathway, which was regulated by the p53-p21(WAF1) pathway when p16(INK4a) was silenced. The signaling enhanced PGC-1alpha-NRF1-TFAM axis in mitochondria, which was demonstrated by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis of young and old fs-HDF cells. Activation of the p53-p21(WAF1) pathway and silencing of p16(INK4a) are responsible for mitochondrial reprogramming in senescent cells, which may be a compensatory mechanism to promote cell survival under senescence stress
Mono-n-butyl phthalate regulates nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 and nuclear factor kappa B pathway in an ovalbumin-induced asthma mouse model
No full textRecent studies have emphasized the role of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in asthma development, especially in eosinophilic asthma. However, the exact mechanism was unknown. Among all the endocrine-disrupting chemicals, mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) was a chemical that was most frequently detected in human urine. Our study was performed with the aim of investigating the harmful effects of MnBP on airway epithelial cells (AECs), T cells, and eosinophils by using eosinophilic asthma mouse models. Mice that received OVA with MnBP had higher levels of airway hyperresponsiveness, total and eosinophil cell counts, as well as T cell proliferation and T helper 2 cytokine release than those which only received OVA. Moreover, MnBP contributed to directly enhancing the eosinophilic activation which was shown in. Long-term exposure MnBP activated AECs through the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) pathway, decreased nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression, and increased interleukin-33 expression. Additionally, MnBP can induce human eosinophil activation to release eosinophil extracellular traps (EETs). Taken together, our study suggested the roles of MnBP exposure increase the risk of asthma development and severity. Furthermore, vitamin E treatment (anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects) can reduce MnBP-induced harmful effects through inhibiting EETs, restoring Nrf2, and suppressing the NF-kB pathway
Serum Galectin-10: A biomarker for persistent airflow limitation in adult asthmatics
Get PDFBackground: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are primary anti-inflammatory medications to control eosinophilic airway inflammation, and prevent asthma exacerbation. However, persistent airflow limitation (PAL) presents in some asthmatics even on ICS treatment, leading to lung function decline. Thus, we evaluated clinical associations of serum galectin-10 (Gal10) and galectin-3 (Gal3) levels in adult asthmatics who had maintained anti-asthma medication. Methods: Sixty-seven asthmatics and 78 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. Serum Gal10 and Gal3 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and their clinical relevance with inflammatory and lung function parameters was evaluated. Spirometry was performed to assess PAL and small airway dysfunction (SAD). Airway epithelial cells were cocultured with eosinophils/neutrophils, and were exposed to house dust mites to assess the production of Gal10 and Gal3. Results: Serum Gal10 (not Gal3) levels were significantly higher in asthmatics than in HCs (P < 0.001), in asthmatics with PAL than in those without PAL (P = 0.005), and in those with SAD than in those without SAD (P = 0.004). The Gal10-high group had significantly higher levels of peripheral CD66+ neutrophil counts, serum periostin and Gal3, and lower values of FEV1% and MMEF% than the Gal10-low group (P < 0.050 for all). The production of Gal10 and Gal3 was increased in eosinophilic airway model, while Gal10 (not Gal3) levels were increased in neutrophilic airway model as well as house dust mite stimulation. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that serum Gal10 level may be a potential biomarker for PAL in adult asthmatics
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe 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
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