ZBTB20 Regulates SERCA2a Activity and Myocardial Contractility Through Phospholamban.

Background: Intracellular Ca cycling determines myocardial contraction and relaxation in response to physiological demands. SERCA2a (sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase 2a) is responsible for the sequestration of cytosolic Ca into intracellular stores during cardiac relaxation, and its activity is reversibly inhibited by PLN (phospholamban). However, the regulatory hierarchy of SERCA2a activity remains unclear.

The Role of Prohibitin-2 in Diseases.

Prohibitin-2 (PHB2) is a conserved protein in mitochondria that regulates various biological processes, including cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis, transcription, signal transduction, and mitochondrial ridge morphogenesis. Recently, there has been growing interest in the biological function of PHB2. This article primarily discusses the recent advances in the role of PHB2 in diseases.

Subcellular Expression Patterns of FKBP Prolyl Isomerase 10 (FKBP10) in Colorectal Cancer and Its Clinical Significance.

FKBP10, a member of the FK506-binding protein (FKBP) family, has been implicated in cancer development, although its prognostic function remains controversial. In this study, we analyzed the expression of FKBP10 in tumor tissues using online databases (TCGA) as well as our CRC cohort, and investigated the relationship between its subcellular expression pattern and patient outcomes. Cox regression analysis was used to determine the associations between different subcellular expression patterns of FKBP10 and clinical features of patients.

Eukaryotic Ribosomal Protein S5 of the 40S Subunit: Structure and Function.

The ribosomal protein RPS5 is one of the prime proteins to combine with RNA and belongs to the conserved ribosomal protein family. It plays a substantial role in the process of translation and also has some non-ribosome functions. Despite the enormous studies on the relationship between the structure and function of prokaryotic RPS7, the structure and molecular details of the mechanism of eukaryotic RPS5 remain largely unexplored.

ChREBP-regulated lipogenesis is not required for the thermogenesis of brown adipose tissue.

Objectives: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays a critical role in energy expenditure by uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1)-mediated thermogenesis and represents an important therapeutic target for metabolic diseases. Carbohydrate response element-binding protein (ChREBP) is a key transcription factor regulating de novo lipogenesis, and its activity is associated with UCP1 expression and thermogenesis in BAT. However, the exact physiological role of endogenous ChREBP in BAT thermogenesis remains unclear.

The zinc finger and BTB domain containing protein ZBTB20 regulates plasma triglyceride metabolism by repressing lipoprotein lipase gene transcription in hepatocytes.

Background And Aims: Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is responsible for the lipolytic processing of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, the deficiency of which causes severe hypertriglyceridemia. Liver LPL expression is high in suckling rodents but relatively low at adulthood. However, the regulatory mechanism and functional significance of liver LPL expression are incompletely understood.

ZBTB20 in Nociceptive Neurons of the Trigeminal Ganglia Regulates Pruritus.

Recent studies have shown that ZBTB20, a zinc-finger protein containing transcription factor, is highly expressed in small-diameter primary sensory neurons in mice, and modulates pain through regulating TRP channels. However, whether ZBTB20 regulates itch sensation has not been demonstrated. In this study, small-diameter primary sensory neuron-specific ZBTB20 knockout (PN-ZB20KO) mice were used to investigate the role of ZBTB20 in the regulation of itch sensation.

Zbtb20 deficiency causes cardiac contractile dysfunction in mice.

The zinc-finger protein ZBTB20 regulates development and metabolism in multiple systems, and is essential for postnatal survival in mice. However, its potential role in the cardiovascular system remains undefined. Here, we demonstrate that ZBTB20 is critically involved in the regulation of cardiac contractility and blood pressure in mice.

ZBTB20 regulates EGFR expression and hepatocyte proliferation in mouse liver regeneration.

Liver has a unique regenerative capacity, however, its regulatory mechanism is not fully defined. We have established the zinc-finger protein ZBTB20 as a key transcriptional repressor for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) gene in liver. As a marker of hepatic differentiation, AFP expression is closely associated with hepatocyte proliferation.

ZBTB20 regulates nociception and pain sensation by modulating TRP channel expression in nociceptive sensory neurons.

In mammals, pain sensation is initiated by the detection of noxious stimuli through specialized transduction ion channels and receptors in nociceptive sensory neurons. Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are the key sensory transducers that confer nociceptors distinct sensory modalities. However, the regulatory mechanisms about their expression are poorly defined.

[Salusins and its cardiovascular effects].

Salusins are newly discovered cardiovascular active peptides, including salusin-alpha and salusin-beta, which are peptides containing 28 and 20 amino acids respectively. Salusins are widely distributed in tissuse and organs of human and rat, and have a series of cardiovascular effects, including lowering blood pressure, slowing down the heart rate, inhibiting myocardial contraction, reducing cardiac ischemic injury, and promoting hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. It is noteworthy to mention that salusin-alpha and salusin-beta are polypeptides produced by the same precursor and play opposite roles in the development and progression of atherosclerosis.

Effects of Salusin-β on action potential and ionic currents in ventricular myocytes of rats.

Aim: Salusin-β is a regulatory peptide that exerts negative inotropic effect on ventricular muscle, but its electrophysiological effects on ventricular myocytes are still unknown.

Methods: Action potential and channel currents such as sodium current (I(N) (a) ), transient outward potassium current (I(to) ), steady-state potassium current (I(sus) ), sodium-calcium exchange current (I(N) (aCa) ) and inward rectifier potassium current (I(K) (1) ) were measured in ventricular myocytes isolated from 12 to 16 weeks rats by whole-cell voltage-clamp techniques.

Results: Salusin-β dose-dependently shortened the duration of action potential in rat ventricular myocytes.

The inhibitory effect of miRNA-1 on ET-1 gene expression.

There is a close correlation between endothelin-1 (ET-1) and microRNA-1 (miRNA-1) expression in the heart, but whether ET-1 expression is regulated by miRNA-1 warrants further research. Our results revealed multiple clues suggesting that miRNA-1 may participate in inhibiting ET-1 gene expression. The inhibitory effect of miRNA-1 on recombinant luciferase reporter gene was mediated by the target sequence at the 127th nucleotide on ET-1 3'UTR.

Altered microRNA expression profiles in retinas with diabetic retinopathy.

Rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes were studied in order to identify abnormal microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles in diabetic retinopathy (DR) and to ascertain miRNAs associated with DR. Histopathologically, we observed characteristic features of DR in rats at 10 weeks after STZ injection. Investigation of miRNA expression profiles in the retinas of control and diabetic rats using miRNA microarrays revealed that many miRNAs were abnormally expressed in DR.

Overexpression of microRNA-378 attenuates ischemia-induced apoptosis by inhibiting caspase-3 expression in cardiac myocytes.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a novel class of powerful, endogenous regulators of gene expression. In an intact rat model of myocardial ischemia caused by coronary artery ligation, this study identified 17 miRNAs that changed more than 1.5-fold in the myocardium subjected to 4-h ischemia.

Role of miR-1 and miR-133a in myocardial ischemic postconditioning.

Background: Ischemic postconditioning (IPost) has aroused much attention since 2003 when it was firstly reported. The role of microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) in IPost has rarely been reported. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether miRNAs were involved in the protective effect of IPost against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury and the probable mechanisms involved.

Erythropoietin receptor antibody inhibits oxidative stress induced retinal neovascularization in mice.

Aim: To observe the effect of erythropoietin receptor antibody (EpoRA) on oxygen-induced retinal neovascularization.

Methods: C57BL / 6J mice, newly born 7 days, were exposed in high oxygen for 5 days and then placed in normal air for another 5 days, thus the animal models of retinal neovascularization were made. Experimental animals were allocated into 3 groups: normal, experimental and therapeutic.

Leptin protects cardiomyocytes from serum-deprivation-induced apoptosis by increasing anti-oxidant defence.

1. Leptin, an important adipose-derived hormone, can be associated with cardiac pathophysiology; however, the role of leptin in cardiomyocyte apoptosis is poorly understood. The present study examines serum-deprivation-induced apoptosis in primary cultured cardiomyocytes treated with leptin.

MicroRNAs are dynamically regulated in hypertrophic hearts, and miR-199a is essential for the maintenance of cell size in cardiomyocytes.

Cardiac hypertrophy, which is characterized by an increase in cell size and reactivation of fetal genes, occurs as an adaptive response to diverse forms of stress and often results in heart failure and sudden death. Growing evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in cardiac hypertrophy, but the function of these miRNAs remains elusive. Here, using real time PCR analysis, we showed that several miRNAs were dynamically regulated in the rat hypertrophic hearts and miR-199a was up-regulated by 10-fold in hypertrophic hearts after abdominal aorta constriction for 12 weeks.

Inhibition of L-type calcium currents by salusin-beta in rat cardiac ventricular myocytes.

Salusin-beta is a new regulatory peptide relevant to the cardiovascular system and exerts negative inotropic effect on ventricular muscle. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether salusin-beta can inhibit cardiac L-type calcium channel current (I(Ca,L)). Using whole-cell voltage-clamp techniques, I(Ca,L) was measured in ventricular myocytes isolated from 12 to 16 weeks rats.

[MAFbx and MuRF1 mRNA expression and its relationship with muscular contractility following free muscle transfer].

Objective: To study muscle atrophy F-box (MAFbx) and muscle ring finger 1 (MuRF1) mRNA expression and its relationship with muscular contraction following free muscle transfer.

Methods: The gracilis muscle was orthotopic transferred in adult rat to establish the animal model. The muscle at the unoperated side was used as control.

Disturbance of circulating ghrelin and obestatin in chronic heart failure patients especially in those with cachexia.

Plasma ghrelin was elevated in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients with cachexia. Obestatin, a sibling of ghrelin, opposes several actions of ghrelin. We, therefore, investigated plasma obestatin and ghrelin levels in patients with CHF.

Bolus intravenous injection of obestatin does not change blood pressure level of spontaneously hypertensive rat.

Ghrelin, an endogenous ligand for the GH secretagogue receptor, has been shown to decrease arterial pressure. Obestatin, a sibling of ghrelin derived from preproghrelin, opposes several physiological actions of ghrelin. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of bolus intravenous injection of obestatin on blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Association of obestatin with blood pressure in the third trimesters of pregnancy.

Obestatin is a recently discovered 23-amino acid peptide encoded by the same gene that encodes ghrelin. It has been reported that there is a significant negative correlation between the plasma ghrelin concentration and systemic blood pressure in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension. We investigated the plasma concentration of obestatin in 18 non-pregnant women, 18 normal pregnant women, and 15 patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension.

Obestatin, obesity and diabetes.

The high prevalence of obesity and diabetes will lead to higher rates of morbidity and mortality. It is well known that ghrelin plays a potential role in obesity and diabetes. Obestatin, a novel 23 amino acid amidated peptide encoded by the same gene that encodes ghrelin, was initially reported to have opposite actions to ghrelin in the regulation of food intake, emptying of the stomach and body weight.