Association between Variations in Body Mass Index and Cognitive Function in Older Korean Adults.

Background: Although several studies have assessed obesity and cognitive impairment, most of these studies focus on body mass index (BMI) and cognitive impairment. Therefore to better understand the importance of weight maintenance with aging, this study investigated the relationship between variations in weight and cognitive impairment using the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) in individuals aged 45 years or older in Korea.

Methods: Data on 3,477 adults with normal cognitive function (K-MMSE ≥24) at baseline were acquired from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) 2006-2016.

Association between Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Korean Men: Analysis Based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2014-2016.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the association between the high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in Korean men.

Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed the data of 3,705 men (age 30-64 years) who participated in the 2014-2016 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). SSB intake was defined as the sum of the intakes of carbonated beverages and fruit juices.

Suppression of the lipopolysaccharide-induced expression of MARCKS-related protein (MRP) affects transmigration in activated RAW264.7 cells.

The molecular action mechanism of MRP, one of the protein kinase C (PKC) substrates, has been under intense investigation, but reports on its role in macrophage function remain controversial. The treatment of macrophage cell lines with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced a high level of MRP expression suggesting that MRP plays a role in the function of activated macrophages. In order to investigate the role of MRP in activated RAW264.

Lysyl oxidase like 4, a novel target gene of TGF-beta1 signaling, can negatively regulate TGF-beta1-induced cell motility in PLC/PRF/5 hepatoma cells.

Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) is a multi-functional cytokine involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation and extracellular matrix formation. In search for novel genes mediating the TGF-beta1 function at downstream signaling, we performed a cDNA microarray analysis and identified 60 genes whose expression is regulated by TGF-beta1 in the liver cancer cell line PLC/PRF/5. Among them, we report here lysyl oxidase like 4 (LOXL4) as a novel target of TGF-beta1 signaling, and provide experimental evidence for its expression regulation and function.

Reverse signaling initiated from GITRL induces NF-kappaB activation through ERK in the inflammatory activation of macrophages.

Glucocorticoid-induced TNF receptor family related protein ligand (GITRL) is known to interact with its cognate receptor GITR. In order to investigate the potential role of GITRL in the pro-inflammatory activation of macrophages and the signaling pathway induced by GITRL, we stimulated the macrophage cell line, THP-1, and primary macrophages with an anti-GITRL monoclonal antibody or a GITR:Fc fusion protein and analyzed the cellular responses. The stimulation of GITRL induced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and up-regulated ICAM-1 expression levels, which was responsible for enhanced cellular aggregation and adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins.

Glucocorticoid-induced tumour necrosis factor receptor family related protein (GITR) mediates inflammatory activation of macrophages that can destabilize atherosclerotic plaques.

Glucocorticoid-induced tumour necrosis factor receptor family related protein (GITR) is the 18th member of the tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF18) and is known to interact with its cognate ligand GITRL (TNFSF18). We investigated the potential role of GITR in the pro-inflammatory activation of macrophages. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization analyses of human atherosclerotic plaques demonstrated that GITR and its ligand are expressed mainly in lipid-rich macrophages.