Thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist SQ29548 attenuates SH‑SY5Y neuroblastoma cell impairments induced by oxidative stress.

Thromboxane A2 receptor (TXA2R) serves a vital role in numerous neurological disorders. Our previous study indicated that SQ29548, an antagonist of TXA2R, attenuated the induced neuron damage in cerebral infarction animals; however, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Certain studies revealed a new role of TXA2R in the regulation of oxidative stress, which is one of the basic pathological processes in neurological disorders.

Principal States of Dynamic Functional Connectivity Reveal the Link Between Resting-State and Task-State Brain: An fMRI Study.

Task-related reorganization of functional connectivity (FC) has been widely investigated. Under classic static FC analysis, brain networks under task and rest have been demonstrated a general similarity. However, brain activity and cognitive process are believed to be dynamic and adaptive.

Novel Adipokine, FAM19A5, Inhibits Neointima Formation After Injury Through Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Receptor 2.

Background: Obesity plays crucial roles in the development of cardiovascular diseases. However, the mechanisms that link obesity and cardiovascular diseases remain elusive. Compelling evidence indicates that adipokines play an important role in obesity-related cardiovascular diseases.

Homocysteine directly interacts and activates the angiotensin II type I receptor to aggravate vascular injury.

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is a risk factor for various cardiovascular diseases. However, the mechanism underlying HHcy-aggravated vascular injury remains unclear. Here we show that the aggravation of abdominal aortic aneurysm by HHcy is abolished in mice with genetic deletion of the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor and in mice treated with an AT1 blocker.

Feasibility of free-breathing dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI of gastric cancer using a golden-angle radial stack-of-stars VIBE sequence: comparison with the conventional contrast-enhanced breath-hold 3D VIBE sequence.

Objectives: To investigate the feasibility and diagnostic value of free-breathing, radial, stack-of-stars three-dimensional (3D) gradient echo (GRE) sequence ("golden angle") on dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI of gastric cancer.

Methods: Forty-three gastric cancer patients were divided into cooperative and uncooperative groups. Respiratory fluctuation was observed using an abdominal respiratory gating sensor.

Immune complex negatively regulates toll-like receptor 3-triggered tumour necrosis factor α production in B cells.

Inappropriate activation of toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, so the negative regulation of TLR3-triggered immune response has received increasing attention. Nonpathogenic immune complex (IC) has been used as treatment for many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. However, the role of IC in the regulation of TLR3-triggered immune responses and the underlying mechanisms need to be investigated.

Acetylation of TIP60 at K104 is essential for metabolic stress-induced apoptosis in cells of hepatocellular cancer.

Tumor cells often encounter hypoglycemic microenvironment due to rapid cell expansion. It remains elusive how tumors reprogram the genome to survive the metabolic stress. The tumor suppressor TIP60 functions as the catalytic subunit of the human NuA4 histone acetyltransferase (HAT) multi-subunit complex and is involved in many different cellular processes including DNA damage response, cell growth and apoptosis.

Unspliced XBP1 Confers VSMC Homeostasis and Prevents Aortic Aneurysm Formation via FoxO4 Interaction.

Rationale: Although not fully understood, the phenotypic transition of vascular smooth muscle cells exhibits at the early onset of the pathology of aortic aneurysms. Exploring the key regulators that are responsible for maintaining the contractile phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) may confer vascular homeostasis and prevent aneurysmal disease. XBP1 (X-box binding protein 1), which exists in a transcriptionally inactive unspliced form (XBP1u) and a spliced active form (XBP1s), is a key component in response to endoplasmic reticular stress.

Estradiol postconditioning relieves ischemia/reperfusion injury in axial skin flaps of rats, inhibits apoptosis and alters the MKP-1/ERK pathway.

Previous studies have suggested that estradiol can reduce the ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in skin flaps. However, the mechanism, particularly the signal pathways involved in this protective effect are not well established. In the current study, an I/R injury model was established in rats to explore the connection between estradiol protection during I/R injury and extracellular signal‑regulated kinase (ERK) signaling.

Mitophagy in Parkinson's Disease: Pathogenic and Therapeutic Implications.

Neurons affected in Parkinson's disease (PD) experience mitochondrial dysfunction and bioenergetic deficits that occur early and promote the disease-related α-synucleinopathy. Emerging findings suggest that the autophagy-lysosome pathway, which removes damaged mitochondria (mitophagy), is also compromised in PD and results in the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria. Studies using genetic-modulated or toxin-induced animal and cellular models as well as postmortem human tissue indicate that impaired mitophagy might be a critical factor in the pathogenesis of synaptic dysfunction and the aggregation of misfolded proteins, which in turn impairs mitochondrial homeostasis.

Cross-Talk Immunity of PEDOT:PSS Pressure Sensing Arrays with Gold Nanoparticle Incorporation.

In this study, the cross-talk effects and the basic piezoresistive characteristics of gold nanoparticle (Au-NP) incorporated poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) pressure sensing 2 × 2 arrays are investigated using a cross-point electrode (CPE) structure. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) mappings were carried out to confirm the incorporation of Au-NPs in the PEDOT:PSS films. A solution mixing process was employed to incorporate the nanoparticles.

An early superficial non-ampullary duodenal tumor cured with endoscopic submucosal dissection: A case report.

Early superficial non-ampullary duodenal tumors are particularly rare, the clinical manifestations, including typical endoscopic or imaging features, and treatment methods are not well-characterized. The present case report describes a case of an asymptomatic 74-year-old male who presented to the Taizhou People's Hospital (Taizhou, China) for a regular health screening, where a primary superficial non-ampullary duodenal tumor was identified. Upper endoscopy revealed ~1.

VEGF amplifies transcription through ETS1 acetylation to enable angiogenesis.

Release of promoter-proximally paused RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) is a recently recognized transcriptional regulatory checkpoint. The biological roles of RNAPII pause release and the mechanisms by which extracellular signals control it are incompletely understood. Here we show that VEGF stimulates RNAPII pause release by stimulating acetylation of ETS1, a master endothelial cell transcriptional regulator.

FcγRIIb attenuates TLR4‑mediated NF‑κB signaling in B cells.

Toll‑like receptors (TLRs) serve a vital role in activating the innate immune system by sensing conserved microbial products. Fc γ receptor IIb (FcγRIIb), the inhibitory Fc receptor, exerts its immune regulatory functions by binding to the immunoglobulin G Fc domain. Although the individual roles of TLRs and FcγRIIb have been studied intensively, the cross‑talk between FcγRIIb and TLR4 on B cells remains unknown.

Hyperhomocysteinaemia and vascular injury: advances in mechanisms and drug targets.

Unlabelled: Homocysteine is a sulphur-containing non-proteinogenic amino acid. Hyperhomocysteinaemia (HHcy), the pathogenic elevation of plasma homocysteine as a result of an imbalance of its metabolism, is an independent risk factor for various vascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, vascular calcification and aneurysm. Treatments aimed at lowering plasma homocysteine via dietary supplementation with folic acids and vitamin B are more effective in preventing vascular disease where the population has a normally low folate consumption than in areas with higher dietary folate.

Intrinsic Flame-Retardant and Thermally Stable Epoxy Endowed by a Highly Efficient, Multifunctional Curing Agent.

It is difficult to realize flame retardancy of epoxy without suffering much detriment in thermal stability. To solve the problem, a super-efficient phosphorus-nitrogen-containing reactive-type flame retardant, 10-(hydroxy(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl)-5,10-dihydrophenophosphazinine-10-oxide (HB-DPPA) is synthesized and characterized. When it is used as a co-curing agent of 4,4'-methylenedianiline (DDM) for curing diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), the cured epoxy achieves UL-94 V-0 rating with the limiting oxygen index of 29.

CYLD Deubiquitinates Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate Oxidase 4 Contributing to Adventitial Remodeling.

Objective: Transdifferentiation of adventitial fibroblasts (AFs) into myofibroblasts plays a critical role during the vascular remodeling that occurs during atherosclerosis, restenosis, and aortic aneurysm. The ubiquitination/deubiquitination regulatory system is essential for the quality control of proteins. The involvement of ubiquitination/deubiquitination during AF transdifferentiation remains largely unknown.

Thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist SQ29548 suppresses the LPS‑induced release of inflammatory cytokines in BV2 microglia cells via suppressing MAPK and NF‑κB signaling pathways.

Inflammation in the brain, characterized by the activation of microglia, is hypothesized to participate in the pathogenesis of neuronal disorders. It is proposed that thromboxane A2 receptor (TXA2R) activation is involved in thrombosis/hemostasis and inflammation responses. In the present study, the anti‑inflammatory effects of SQ29548 on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‑stimulated BV2 microglial cells and its molecular mechanisms were investigated.

Transition temperature of poly(methyl methacrylate) determined by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and contact angle measurements.

The surface chain conformations of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) at different temperatures were extensively studied by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Similar to our previous experimental studies on polystyrene (PS) and poly(2, 3, 4, 5, 6-pentafluorostyrene) (5FPS), a transition temperature (T) could be identified through the principal component analysis (PCA) of the ToF-SIMS spectra obtained from the PMMA samples annealed at different temperatures. Interestingly, our results show that the T depended on molecular weight and was about 50-60˚C below the bulk glass transition temperature (T) and therefore could possibly be related to the surface glass transition temperature (T).

Association of CD147 genetic polymorphisms with carotid atherosclerotic plaques in a Han Chinese population with cerebral infarction.

Introduction: Given the important role of CD147 in the development of atherosclerosis, we speculated that CD147 genetic polymorphisms might influence the formation of carotid atherosclerotic plaques. The study was to investigate the association between CD147 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to carotid atherosclerotic plaques in individuals with cerebral infarction (CI).

Methods: Eight SNPs in the regulatory and coding regions of the CD147 gene were examined using polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction (PCR-LDR) in DNA samples from 732 Chinese patients with CI, divided into a carotid plaque group (n=475) and a non-carotid plaque group (n=257).

Dihydromyricetin Protects against Diabetic Cardiomyopathy in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is an important cause of heart failure in diabetic patients. The present study sought to explore the potential effects of dihydromyricetin (DHM) on DCM and its possible mechanism. A diabetic model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) in C57BL/6J mice.

Depletion of polycomb repressive complex 2 core component EED impairs fetal hematopoiesis.

Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), a H3K27me3 methyltransferase complex, promotes the development of many organs by silencing ectopic transcription program. However, currently little is known about the role of PRC2 in blood and vascular development. In this study, we interrogated the function of embryonic ectoderm development (EED), a core PRC2 component, in both endothelial and hematopoietic tissues by inactivating a floxed murine EED allele with Tie2Cre, which catalyzes recombination in endothelial and hematopoietic lineages.

The Presence of Previous Cerebral Microbleeds Has a Negative Effect on Hypertensive Intracerebral Hemorrhage Recovery.

Cerebral microbleeds are an intracerebral microangiopathy with bleeding tendency found in intracerebral hemorrhage patients. However, studies about cerebral microbleed effects on the prognosis of hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage patients are rare. We performed a prospective study to discuss not only the risk factors of cerebral microbleed incidence in hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage patients but also the relevance of cerebral microbleeds with silent brain infarction, hemorrhage and prognosis.

NKG2D ligand RAE1ε induces generation and enhances the inhibitor function of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in mice.

Expression of surface NKG2D ligands on tumour cells, which activates nature killer (NK) cells and CD8 T cells, is crucial in antitumour immunity. Some types of tumours have evolved mechanisms to suppress NKG2D-mediated immune cell activation, such as tumour-derived soluble NKG2D ligands or sustained NKG2D ligands produced by tumours down-regulate the expression of NKG2D on NK cells and CD8 T cells. Here, we report that surface NKG2D ligand RAE1ε on tumour cells induces CD11b Gr-1 myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) via NKG2D in vitro and in vivo.

Comparison of Functional Connectivity Estimated from Concatenated Task-State Data from Block-Design Paradigm with That of Continuous Task.

Functional connectivity (FC) analysis with data collected as continuous tasks and activation analysis using data from block-design paradigms are two main methods to investigate the task-induced brain activation. If the concatenated data of task blocks extracted from the block-design paradigm could provide equivalent FC information to that derived from continuous task data, it would shorten the data collection time and simplify experimental procedures, and the already collected data of block-design paradigms could be reanalyzed from the perspective of FC. Despite being used in many studies, such a hypothesis of equivalence has not yet been tested from multiple perspectives.