Publications by authors named "Brittney Xu"
Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is the leading genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is the leading cause of dementia worldwide. Most people have two ApoE-ε3 (ApoE3) alleles, while ApoE-ε2 (ApoE2) is protective from AD, and ApoE-ε4 (ApoE4) confers AD risk. How these alleles modulate AD risk is not clearly defined, and ApoE's role in lipid metabolism is also not fully known.
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- - Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative condition linked to a genetic mutation that causes toxic protein aggregation, leading to movement and cognitive issues.
- - Research indicates that overexpression of mutant huntingtin protein in neurons results in age-related protein aggregation and negatively impacts locomotor function.
- - The study also shows that rapamycin can help reduce this protein aggregation in the brain, which highlights the interconnectedness of brain and peripheral functions in HD development.
Transient receptor potential cation channel 6 deficiency leads to increased body weight and metabolic dysfunction.
Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol
July 2022
Transient receptor potential cation channel 6 (TRPC6), a member of the TRPC family, is expressed in the hypothalamus and modulates cell Ca influx. However, the role of TRPC6 in controlling metabolic and cardiovascular functions under normal conditions has not been previously determined. Thus the impacts of TRPC6 deletion on energy balance, metabolic, and cardiovascular regulation as well as the anorexic responses to leptin and melanocortin 3/4 receptor (MC3/4R) activation were investigated in this study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh-mannose intercellular adhesion molecule-1 enhances CD16 monocyte adhesion to the endothelium.
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol
November 2019
Article Synopsis
- Human monocytes are categorized into three groups based on their inflammatory roles: classical, nonclassical, and intermediate, with nonclassical and intermediate monocytes playing key roles in inflammation and vascular diseases.* -
- A study explored how a specific form of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (HM-ICAM-1) on endothelial cells influences the selective adhesion of these monocyte subsets, particularly focusing on its effect on CD16 monocytes.* -
- The findings indicate that HM-ICAM-1 significantly promotes the adhesion of CD16 monocytes to activated endothelium, which is crucial for understanding their recruitment in cardiovascular diseases.*