During the intense neuronal activity in the retina, Müller cells are exposed to a hypotonic environment and activate a regulatory volume decrease (RVD) response, which depends on Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) and the calcium channel Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4 (TRPV4). It was reported that Osteopontin (OPN), a cytokine and component of the extracellular matrix (ECM), may modulate the RVD of Müller cells. In other cell types, OPN participates in cell survival and migration, which Müller cells undergo to maintain retinal homeostasis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose Of Review: Many synthetic endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are ubiquitous in the environment and highly detected among pregnant people. These chemicals may disrupt maternal and/or fetal sex steroid hormones, which are critical to pregnancy maintenance and fetal development. Here, we review the epidemiological literature examining prenatal exposure to common synthetic EDCs in relation to maternal and fetal sex steroid hormones.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Cardiovascular surgery risk prediction models are widely applied in medical practice. However, they have been criticized for their low methodological quality and scarce external validation. An additional limitation added in Latin America is that most of these models have been developed in the United States or Europe, which present marked geographical differences.
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