Aspirin alleviates fibronectin-induced preeclampsia phenotypes in a mouse model and reverses fibronectin-mediated trophoblast invasiveness under hypoxia by regulating ciliogenesis and Akt and MAPK signaling.

The placenta experiences a low-oxygen stage during early pregnancy. Aspirin is an effective preventative treatment for preeclampsia if applied early in pregnancy. Elevation of fibronectin (FN) level has been reported to be associated with preeclampsia; however, the role of FN in the physiological hypoxic phase and whether aspirin exerts its effect on FN at this hypoxic stage remain unknown.

3D-Printed proangiogenic patches of photo-crosslinked gelatin and polyurethane hydrogels laden with vascular cells for treating vascular ischemic diseases.

Engineering vascularized tissues remains a promising approach for treating ischemic cardiovascular diseases. The availability of 3D-bioprinted vascular grafts that induce therapeutic angiogenesis can help avoid necrosis and excision of ischemic tissues. Here, using a combination of living cells and biodegradable hydrogels, we fabricated 3D-printed biocompatible proangiogenic patches from endothelial cell-laden photo-crosslinked gelatin (EC-PCG) bioink and smooth muscle cell-encapsulated polyurethane (SMC-PU) bioink.

Endothelial Yin Yang 1 Phosphorylation at S118 Induces Atherosclerosis Under Flow.

Rationale: Disturbed flow occurring in arterial branches and curvatures induces vascular endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction and atherosclerosis. We postulated that disturbed flow plays important role in modulating phosphoprotein expression profiles to regulate endothelial functions and atherogenesis.

Objective: The goal of this study is to discover novel site-specific phosphorylation alterations induced by disturbed flow in ECs to contribute to atherosclerosis.

Punicalagin Attenuates Disturbed Flow-Induced Vascular Dysfunction by Inhibiting Force-Specific Activation of Smad1/5.

Background: Pathophysiological vascular remodeling in response to disturbed flow with low and oscillatory shear stress (OSS) plays important roles in atherosclerosis progression. Pomegranate extraction (PE) was reported having anti-atherogenic effects. However, whether it can exert a beneficial effect against disturbed flow-induced pathophysiological vascular remodeling to inhibit atherosclerosis remains unclear.

Mechanoresponsive Smad5 Enhances MiR-487a Processing to Promote Vascular Endothelial Proliferation in Response to Disturbed Flow.

MicroRNAs (miRs) and bone morphogenetic protein receptor-specific Smads are mechano-responsive molecules that play vital roles in modulating endothelial cell (EC) functions in response to blood flow. However, the roles of interplay between these molecules in modulating EC functions under flows remain unclear. We elucidated the regulatory roles of the interplay between miR-487a and Smad5 in EC proliferation in response to different flow patterns.

Effects of Chinese and Western Medicine on Patients with Dengue Fever.

Dengue fever is an important epidemic disease with a high prevalence in tropical and subtropical countries. We aimed to investigate the effects of a treatment integrating traditional Chinese (TCM) and Western medicines on dengue inpatients with warning signs (i.e.

Induction of microRNA-10a using retinoic acid receptor-α and retinoid x receptor-α agonists inhibits atherosclerotic lesion formation.

Background And Aims: MicroRNA (miR)-10a is a shear-regulated miR with the lowest expression in vascular endothelial cells (ECs) in athero-susceptible regions with oscillatory shear stress (OS). The aim of this study is to elucidate the relationship between EC miR-10a and atherosclerosis and develop a hemodynamics-based strategy for atherosclerosis treatment.

Methods: A combination of in vitro flow system and in vivo experimental animals was used to examine the functional roles of EC miR-10a and its clinical applications in atherosclerosis.

Differential regulations of fibronectin and laminin in Smad2 activation in vascular endothelial cells in response to disturbed flow.

Background: Atherosclerosis occurs in arterial curvatures and branches, where the flow is disturbed with low and oscillatory shear stress (OSS). The remodeling and alterations of extracellular matrices (ECMs) and their composition is the critical step in atherogenesis. In this study, we investigated the effects of different ECM proteins on the regulation of mechanotransduction in vascular endothelial cells (ECs) in response to OSS.

MicroRNA-10a is crucial for endothelial response to different flow patterns via interaction of retinoid acid receptors and histone deacetylases.

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) and microRNAs (miRs) have emerged as two important epigenetic factors in the regulation of vascular physiology. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between HDACs and miRs in the hemodynamic modulation of endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction. We found that miR-10a has the lowest expression among all examined shear-responsive miRs in ECs under oscillatory shear stress (OS), and a relatively high expression under pulsatile shear stress (PS).

MicroRNA mediation of endothelial inflammatory response to smooth muscle cells and its inhibition by atheroprotective shear stress.

Rationale: In atherosclerotic lesions, synthetic smooth muscle cells (sSMCs) induce aberrant microRNA (miR) profiles in endothelial cells (ECs) under flow stagnation. Increase in shear stress induces favorable miR modulation to mitigate sSMC-induced inflammation.

Objective: To address the role of miRs in sSMC-induced EC inflammation and its inhibition by shear stress.

Risk factors for Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea among hospitalized adults with fecal toxigenic C. difficile colonization.

Background: Patients with toxigenic Clostridium difficile colonization (tCDC) are at risk of developing C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD). However, the risk factors of hospitalized patients with tCDC developing CDAD are not clear.

Risk factors of fecal toxigenic or non-toxigenic Clostridium difficile colonization: impact of Toll-like receptor polymorphisms and prior antibiotic exposure.

Background: This study is to investigate the significance and risk factors of fecal toxigenic (tCdC) or non-toxigenic Clostridium difficile colonization (ntCdC) among hospitalized patients.

Methods: Adults admitted to medical wards in a district hospital between January 2011 and June 2012 were enrolled, and those with a history of colectomy, C. difficile fecal colonization or infection or receipt of either metronidazole or oral vancomycin within 3 months, were excluded.

Impact of toxigenic Clostridium difficile colonization and infection among hospitalized adults at a district hospital in southern Taiwan.

Background: The impact of toxigenic Clostridium difficile colonization (tCDC) in hospitalized patients is not clear.

Aim: To study the significance of tCDC in hospitalized patients.

Methods: A prospective study in the medical wards of a regional hospital was performed from January to June 2011.

Convergence of physical and chemical signaling in the modulation of vascular smooth muscle cell cycle and proliferation by fibrillar collagen-regulated P66Shc.

Arterial smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotype and proliferation is regulated by their surrounding collagens, which transform from fibrillar to monomeric type in atherogenesis, and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB/interleukin (IL)-1β. This study aims at elucidating the mechanisms by which physical (monomeric vs. fibrillar collagens) and chemical (PDGF-BB/IL-1βvs.

Force-specific activation of Smad1/5 regulates vascular endothelial cell cycle progression in response to disturbed flow.

Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) are constantly exposed to blood flow-induced shear stress, but the mechanism of force-specific activation of their signaling to modulate cellular function remains unclear. We have demonstrated that bone morphogenetic protein receptor (BMPR)-specific Smad1/5 can be force-specifically activated by oscillatory shear stress (OSS) in ECs to cause cell cycle progression. Smad1/5 is highly activated in ECs of atherosclerotic lesions in diseased human coronary arteries from patients with end-stage heart failure undergoing heart transplantation and from apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

Role of histone deacetylases in transcription factor regulation and cell cycle modulation in endothelial cells in response to disturbed flow.

Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) are exposed to different flow patterns (i.e., disturbed vs.

Estrogen augments shear stress-induced signaling and gene expression in osteoblast-like cells via estrogen receptor-mediated expression of beta1-integrin.

Estrogen and mechanical forces are positive regulators for osteoblast proliferation and bone formation. We investigated the synergistic effect of estrogen and flow-induced shear stress on signal transduction and gene expression in human osetoblast-like MG63 cells and primary osteoblasts (HOBs) using activations of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and expressions of c-fos and cyclooxygenase-2 (I) as readouts. Estrogen (17beta-estradiol, 10 nM) and shear stress (12 dyn/cm(2)) alone induced transient phosphorylations of ERK and p38 MAPK in MG63 cells.

Mechanisms of induction of endothelial cell E-selectin expression by smooth muscle cells and its inhibition by shear stress.

E-selectin is a major adhesion molecule expressed by endothelial cells (ECs), which are exposed to shear stress and neighboring smooth muscle cells (SMCs). We investigated the mechanisms underlying the modulation of EC E-selectin expression by SMCs and shear stress. SMC coculture induced rapid and sustained increases in expression of E-selectin and phosphorylation of interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor-associated kinase glycoprotein-130, as well as the downstream mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and Akt.

The inhibition of TNF-alpha-induced E-selectin expression in endothelial cells via the JNK/NF-kappaB pathways by highly N-acetylated chitooligosaccharides.

Chitooligosaccharides (COS) have been shown to regulate various cellular and biological functions. However, the effect of COS on inflammatory responses of the cells remains unclear. We investigated the regulatory effect of highly N-acetylated COS (NACOS) on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced endothelial cell (EC) E-selectin expression, which is crucial for leukocyte recruitment.

Shear stress regulates gene expression in vascular endothelial cells in response to tumor necrosis factor-alpha: a study of the transcription profile with complementary DNA microarray.

We investigate the role of shear stress in regulating the gene expression in endothelial cells (ECs) in response to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). ECs were kept in static condition or pre-exposed to a high level (HSS, 20 dynes/cm2) or a low level of shear stress (LSS, 0.5 dynes/cm2) for 24 h, and TNF-alpha was added under static condition for 4 h.

A model for studying the effect of shear stress on interactions between vascular endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells.

Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) are constantly subjected to blood flow-induced shear stress and the influences of neighboring smooth muscle cells (SMCs). In the present study, a coculture flow system was developed to study the effect of shear stress on EC-SMC interactions. ECs and SMCs were separated by a porous membrane with only the EC side subjected to the flow condition.

Shear stress increases ICAM-1 and decreases VCAM-1 and E-selectin expressions induced by tumor necrosis factor-[alpha] in endothelial cells.

Objective: Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) are subjected to shear stress and cytokine stimulation. We studied the interplay between shear stress and cytokine in modulating the expression of adhesion molecule genes in ECs.

Methods And Results: Shear stress (20 dynes/cm2) was applied to ECs prior to and/or following the addition of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha.