Ultrasonographic observation of the breast in early postmenopausal women during therapy with Cimicifuga foetida extract and sequential therapy with estrogen and progestin.

Background: It is now recognized that Cimicifuga foetida (C. foetida) extract is effective in alleviating menopausal symptoms. But the durations reported were usually short.

Insulin enhances dendritic cell maturation and scavenger receptor-mediated uptake of oxidised low-density lipoprotein.

Objectives: The prevalence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is increased in patients with type 2 diabetes. The role of hyperinsulinaemia as an independent participant in the atherogenic process is controversial. Therefore, we examined whether insulin regulates the expression of scavenger receptors responsible for oxidised low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) uptake in dendritic cells (DCs).

Nine-month angiographic and two-year clinical follow-up of novel biodegradable-polymer arsenic trioxide-eluting stent versus durable-polymer sirolimus-eluting stent for coronary artery disease.

Background: Despite great reduction of in-stent restenosis, first-generation drug-eluting stents (DESs) have increased the risk of late stent thrombosis due to delayed endothelialization. Arsenic trioxide, a natural substance that could inhibit cell proliferation and induce cell apoptosis, seems to be a promising surrogate of sirolimus to improve DES performance. This randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel arsenic trioxide-eluting stent (AES), compared with traditional sirolimus-eluting stent (SES).

Qiliqiangxin inhibits angiotensin II-induced transdifferentiation of rat cardiac fibroblasts through suppressing interleukin-6.

Qiliqiangxin (QL), a traditional Chinese medicine, had long been used to treat chronic heart failure. Recent studies revealed that differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) into myofibroblasts played an important role in cardiac remodelling and development of heart failure, however, little was known about the underlying mechanism and whether QL treatment being involved. This study aimed to investigate the effects of QL on angiotensin II (AngII)-induced CFs transdifferentiation.

Identification of the Biosynthetic Gene Cluster for the Anti-infective Desotamides and Production of a New Analogue in a Heterologous Host.

The desotamides (DSAs) are potent antibacterial cyclohexapeptides produced by Streptomyces scopuliridis SCSIO ZJ46. We have identified the 39-kb dsa biosynthetic gene cluster by whole-genome scanning. Composed of 17 open reading frames, the cluster codes for four nonribosomal peptide synthetases and associated resistance, transport, regulatory, and precursor biosynthesis proteins.

Probucol Protects Against Atherosclerosis Through Lipid-lowering and Suppressing Immune Maturation of CD11c+ Dendritic Cells in STZ-induced Diabetic LDLR-/- Mice.

Probucol, an agent characterized by lipid-lowering and antioxidant property, retards atherosclerosis effectively. To test the hypothesis that probucol might act its antiatherosclerotic role by suppressing immune maturation of dendritic cells (DCs), 7-week-old LDLR mice were rendered diabetic with streptozotocin (STZ) and then fed either a high-fat diet only or added with 0.5% (wt/wt) probucol for 4 months, and human monocyte-derived dendritic cells were preincubated with or without probucol and stimulated by oxidized low-density lipoprotein.

Aberrant hypermethylation of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 promoter upstream sequence in rats with experimental myocardial infarction.

Background: Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) plays a crucial role in myocardial protection against ischemia. Downregulation of ALDH2 was evidenced after myocardial infarction and the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. DNA methylation can regulate gene transcription in epigenetic level.

The significance of the individual Meq-clustered miRNAs of Marek's disease virus in oncogenesis.

Marek's disease virus (MDV) is an important oncogenic alphaherpesvirus that induces rapid-onset T-cell lymphomas in its natural hosts. The Meq-clustered miRNAs encoded by MDV have been suggested to play potentially critical roles in the induction of lymphomas. Using the technique of bacterial artificial chromosome mutagenesis, we have presently constructed a series of specific miRNA-deleted mutants and demonstrate that these miRNAs are not essential for replication of MDV and have no effects on the early cytolytic or latent phases of the developing disease.

A protective role of ciglitazone in ox-LDL-induced rat microvascular endothelial cells via modulating PPARγ-dependent AMPK/eNOS pathway.

Thiazolidinediones, the antidiabetic agents such as ciglitazone, has been proved to be effective in limiting atherosclerotic events. However, the underlying mechanism remains elucidative. Ox-LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1) plays a central role in ox-LDL-mediated atherosclerosis via endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) uncoupling and nitric oxide reduction.

Protective effect of apigenin on ischemia/reperfusion injury of the isolated rat heart.

Apigenin (Api), a mainly bioactive component of Apium graveolens L. var. dulce DC.

Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 plays protective roles in heart failure after myocardial infarction via suppression of the cytosolic JNK/p53 pathway in mice.

Background: Increasing evidence suggests a critical role for mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) in protection against cardiac injuries; however, the downstream cytosolic actions of this enzyme are largely undefined.

Methods And Results: Proteomic analysis identified a significant downregulation of mitochondrial ALDH2 in the heart of a rat heart failure model after myocardial infarction. The mechanistic insights underlying ALDH2 action were elucidated using murine models overexpressing ALDH2 or its mutant or with the ablation of the ALDH2 gene (ALDH2 knockout) and neonatal cardiomyocytes undergoing altered expression and activity of ALDH2.

miR-210 over-expression enhances mesenchymal stem cell survival in an oxidative stress environment through antioxidation and c-Met pathway activation.

microRNA-210 (miR-210) has generally been reported to be associated with cell survival under hypoxia. However, there are few data regarding the role of miR-210 in the survival of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) under oxidative stress conditions. Thus, we sought to investigate whether miR-210 over-expression could protect MSCs against oxidative stress injury and what the primary mechanisms involved are.

TNF-α-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis contributes to cardiac dysfunction after coronary microembolization in mini-pigs.

This experimental study was designed to clarify the relationship between cardiomyocyte apoptosis and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) expression, and confirm the effect of TNF-α on cardiac dysfunction after coronary microembolization (CME) in mini-pigs. Nineteen mini-pigs were divided into three groups: sham-operation group (n = 5), CME group (n = 7) and adalimumab pre-treatment group (n = 7; TNF-α antibody, 2 mg/kg intracoronary injection before CME). Magnetic resonance imaging (3.

Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) deficiency exacerbates pressure overload-induced cardiac dysfunction by inhibiting Beclin-1 dependent autophagy pathway.

Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) was demonstrated to play cardioprotective roles in cardiovascular diseases. Nonetheless, little is known about the roles and mechanisms of ALDH2 in pressure overload-induced cardiac damages. In this study, we revealed that ALDH2 deficiency overtly exacerbated transverse aortic constriction (TAC)-induced cardiac dysfunction.

Cyclic Hexapeptides from the Deep South China Sea-Derived Streptomyces scopuliridis SCSIO ZJ46 Active Against Pathogenic Gram-Positive Bacteria.

Three new cyclohexapeptides, desotamides B-D (2-4), and the known desotamide (1) were isolated from marine microbe Streptomyces scopuliridis SCSIO ZJ46. The sequences and absolute configurations of 2-4 were elucidated on the basis of high-resolution spectroscopic data, Marfey's method, and chiral-phase HPLC data. Desotamide C (3) contains a unique N-formyl-kynurenine residue, whereas 4 lacks formylation at the same site.

Deletion of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B rescues against myocardial anomalies in high fat diet-induced obesity: Role of AMPK-dependent autophagy.

Obesity-induced cardiomyopathy may be mediated by alterations in multiple signaling cascades involved in glucose and lipid metabolism. Protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP1B) is an important negative regulator of insulin signaling. This study was designed to evaluate the role of PTP1B in high fat diet-induced cardiac contractile anomalies.

Impact of chronic low to moderate alcohol consumption on blood lipid and heart energy profile in acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2-deficient mice.

Aim: To investigate the roles of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), the key enzyme of ethanol metabolism, in chronic low to moderate alcohol consumption-induced heart protective effects in mice.

Methods: Twenty-one male wild-type (WT) or ALDH2-knockout (KO) mice were used in this study. In each genotype, 14 animals received alcohol (2.

Combination of CD34-positive cell subsets with infarcted myocardium-like matrix stiffness: a potential solution to cell-based cardiac repair.

Detection of the optimal cell transplantation strategy for myocardial infarction (MI) has attracted a great deal of attention. Commitment of engrafted cells to angiogenesis within damaged myocardium is regarded as one of the major targets in cell-based cardiac repair. Bone marrow-derived CD34-positive cells, a well-characterized population of stem cells, might represent highly functional endothelial progenitor cells and result in the formation of new blood vessels.

Hydrogen-rich saline promotes survival of retinal ganglion cells in a rat model of optic nerve crush.

Objective: To investigate the effect of molecular hydrogen (H2) in a rat model subjected to optic nerve crush (ONC).

Methods: We tested the hypothesis that after optic nerve crush (ONC), retinal ganglion cell (RGC) could be protected by H₂. Rats in different groups received saline or hydrogen-rich saline every day for 14 days after ONC.

Hydrogen sulfide attenuates the recruitment of CD11b⁺Gr-1⁺ myeloid cells and regulates Bax/Bcl-2 signaling in myocardial ischemia injury.

Hydrogen sulfide, an endogenous signaling molecule, plays an important role in the physiology and pathophysiology of the cardiovascular system. Using a mouse model of myocardial infarction, we investigated the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of the H2S donor sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS). The results demonstrated that the administration of NaHS improved survival, preserved left ventricular function, limited infarct size, and improved H2S levels in cardiac tissue to attenuate the recruitment of CD11b(+)Gr-1(+) myeloid cells and to regulate the Bax/Bcl-2 pathway.

Construction of recombinant Marek's disease virus (MDV) lacking the meq oncogene and co-expressing AIV-H9N2 HA and NA genes under control of exogenous promoters.

To develop a recombinant Marek's disease virus (rMDV1) co-expressing the hemagglutinin gene (HA) and neuramidinase gene (NA) from a low pathogenic avian influenza virus (LPAIV) H9N2 strain and lacking the meq oncogene that shares homology with the Jun/Fos family of transcriptional factors, a wild strain of MDV GX0101 was used as parental virus, the HA and NA genes co-expression cassette under control of the CMV and SV40 early promoters was inserted at two meq sites of GX0101 to form a new meq knock-out mutant MDV (MZC12HA/NA) through homologous recombination. MZC12HA/NA was reconstituted by transfection of recombinant BAC-MDV DNA into the secondary chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cells. Highly purified MZC12HA/NA was obtained after four rounds of plaque purification and proliferation.

Src is required for mechanical stretch-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy through angiotensin II type 1 receptor-dependent β-arrestin2 pathways.

Angiotensin II (AngII) type 1 receptor (AT1-R) can be activated by mechanical stress (MS) without the involvement of AngII during the development of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, in which G protein-independent pathways are critically involved. Although β-arrestin2-biased signaling has been speculated, little is known about how AT1-R/β-arrestin2 leads to ERK1/2 activation. Here, we present a novel mechanism by which Src kinase mediates AT1-R/β-arrestin2-dependent ERK1/2 phosphorylation in response to MS.

Identification and in vitro characterization of a Marek's disease virus-encoded Ribonucleotide reductase.

Marek's disease virus (MDV) encodes a ribonucleotide reductase (RR), a key regulatory enzyme in the DNA synthesis pathway. The gene coding for the RR of MDV is located in the unique long (UL) region of the genome. The large subunit is encoded by UL39 (RR1) and is predicted to comprise 860 amino acids whereas the small subunit encoded by UL40 (RR2) is predicted to be 343 amino acids long.

Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 accentuates aging-induced cardiac remodeling and contractile dysfunction: role of AMPK, Sirt1, and mitochondrial function.

Cardiac aging is associated with compromised myocardial function and morphology although the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), an essential mitochondrial enzyme governing cardiac function, displays polymorphism in humans. This study was designed to examine the role of ALDH2 in aging-induced myocardial anomalies.

Olmesartan attenuates cardiac hypertrophy and improves cardiac diastolic function in spontaneously hypertensive rats through inhibition of calcineurin pathway.

Objective: To test whether olmesartan ameliorates cardiac diastolic dysfunction in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) through calcineurin pathway.

Methods: Twenty-four male SHRs of 6 months were divided into saline- (n = 12) and olmesartan-treated (n = 12) groups. Age-matched WKY (n = 12) rats served as controls.