Pex11α deficiency impairs peroxisome elongation and division and contributes to nonalcoholic fatty liver in mice.

Hepatic triglyceride (TG) accumulation is considered to be a prerequisite for developing nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL). Peroxisomes have many important functions in lipid metabolism, including fatty acid β-oxidization. However, the pathogenic link between NAFL and peroxisome biogenesis remains unclear.

Plasma miR-124 as a biomarker for cerebral infarction.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small RNAs that play an important role in various physiological processes by downregulating target genes. Recently, plasma miRNAs have been investigated as biomarkers for various diseases. In this study, miRNA array analysis in various tissues showed that miR-124 is almost exclusively expressed in the central nervous system and neuronal cells, suggesting that it might be useful as a potential biomarker for neurological diseases.

Identification of genetic markers associated with high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol by genome-wide screening in a Japanese population: the Suita study.

Background: Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genes or loci affecting lipid levels. Given the difference in allele frequencies and linkage disequilibrium patterns across the populations, a GWAS was conducted using the Illumina 550K in a Japanese population (n=900) in search of population-specific genetic variations associated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol.

Methods And Results: Among the 368,274 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with a minor allele frequency of at least 0.

Assessment of mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms in salt-sensitive hypertension in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.

The Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) rat is the most prevalently used animal model of salt-sensitive hypertension. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms influence blood pressure in DS rats. We produced two strains of female F1 rats, one from female DS and male Lewis rats (DL) and the other from Lewis female and DS male rats (LD).

ECA39 is a novel distant metastasis-related biomarker in colorectal cancer.

Aim: To investigate the possible role of polysaccharide-K (PSK) -related markers in predicting distant metastasis and in the clinical outcome of colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods: Firstly, we used protein microarrays to analyze the in vitro expression profiles of potential PSK-related markers in the human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line SW480, which carries a mutant p53 gene. Then, we investigated the clinical implications of these markers in the prognosis of CRC patients.

The expression of p63 during epidermal remodeling in psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a skin disorder of chronic keratinization characterized by epidermal hyperplasia, hyperkeratosis, and inflammation. However, little is known about the mechanism (s) underlying the hyperplasia with elongated rete ridges characteristic of psoriasis. The p63 transcription factor, a homologue of the p53 tumor suppressor, has been implicated in the maintenance of epidermal stem cells and the stratification of the epidermis.

Apoptosis in the epidermis.

Keratinization is a specialized form of apoptosis that produces the stratum corneum concomitant with keratinocyte cell death. Apoptosis of keratinocytes occurs not only during normal keratinization but also in response to various intracellular or extracellular death stimuli, such as genetic defects or UVB. In general, apoptosis is characterized by chromatin condensation, membrane blebbing, cell shrinkage, formation of apoptotic bodies, and deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation.