Ghrelin ameliorates atherosclerosis by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress.

The effects of ghrelin, a peptide hormone, on atherogenesis are mainly beneficial. This study aimed to investigate whether ghrelin ameliorates atherosclerosis (AS) by preventing endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). AS was induced by a high-fat diet in ApoE mice.

Bone Morphogenetic Protein-7 Antagonizes Myocardial Fibrosis Induced by Atrial Fibrillation by Restraining Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β)/Smads Signaling.

BACKGROUND This aim of this study was to investigate the expression of BMP-7 in atrial fibrillation and illuminate the role of BMP-7 and TGF-β/Smads signaling in myocardial fibrosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS Fibrosis of myocardial fibroblasts was induced by TGF-β1 and the optimal condition was determined by the MTT assay. Cells with TGF-β1 treatment were sub-divided into 4 groups: TGF-β1 group, TGF-β1 + Smad3 siRNA group, TGF-β1 + BMP-7 group, and TGF-β1 + BMP-7 + Smad1/5 siRNA group.

Growth and toxin production of Azadinium poporum strains in batch cultures under different nutrient conditions.

Azaspiracid-2 (AZA2) is the dominant toxin produced by Azadinium poporum strains AZDY06 and AZFC22 isolated from the South China Sea. Biomass and AZA2-production were examined within batch cultures with variation in experimental concentrations of nitrate (0, 88, 882, and 2647µM) or phosphate (0, 3.6, 36, and 109µM), different nitrogen sources (nitrate and urea) and media (f/2-Si, L1-Si, and K-Si) in the present study.