HGF/R-spondin1 rescues liver dysfunction through the induction of Lgr5 liver stem cells.

Induction of endogenous adult stem cells by administering soluble molecules provides an advantageous approach for tissue damage repair, which could be a clinically applicable and cost-effective alternative to transplantation of embryonic or pluripotent stem cell-derived tissues for the treatment of acute organ failures. Here, we show that HGF/Rspo1 induce liver stem cells and rescue liver dysfunction. Carbon tetrachloride treatment promotes both fibrosis and Lgr5 liver stem cell proliferation, whereas Lgr5 knockdown worsens fibrosis.

Rpb3 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma through its N-terminus.

The expression of RNA polymerase II subunit 3 (Rpb3) was found frequent up-regulation in Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumors. Significant associations could also be drawn between increased expressions of Rpb3 and advance HCC staging and shorter disease-free survival of patients. Overexpression of Rpb3 increased HCC cell proliferation, migratory rate and tumor growth in nude mice, whereas suppression of Rpb3 using shRNA inhibited these effects.

Over-expression of Slit2 induces vessel formation and changes blood vessel permeability in mouse brain.

Aim: To investigate the effect of the axon guidance cue Slit2 on the density of blood vessels and permeability of the blood-brain barrier in mouse brain.

Methods: hSlit2 transgenic mouse line was constructed, and the phenotypes of the mice were compared with wild-type mice in respect to the lateral ventricle (LV), ventricle pressure, and the choroids plexus. An in vivo Miles permeability assay and an amyloid-β permeability assay were used to assess the permeability of brain blood vessels.

Slit-Robo signaling mediates lymphangiogenesis and promotes tumor lymphatic metastasis.

The Slit family of guidance cues binds to Roundabout (Robo) receptors to modulate neuronal, leukocytic, and endothelial migration. Slit-Robo signaling had been reported to function as chemoattractive signal for vascular endothelial cells during angiogenesis. In this study, we found that Robo1 was expressed in lymphatic endothelial cells to mediate the migration and tube formation of these cells upon Slit2 stimulation, which were specifically inhibited by the function-blocking antibody R5 to Slit2/Robo1 interaction.

[Study on gamma-synuclein gene in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease].

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and two polymorphisms (C243G and A377T) of the gamma-synuclein gene in a Chinese Han population of Shanghai area.

Methods: Polymorphic genotyping was performed with PCR-RPLP technique. Association analysis was carried out in 145 unrelated idiopathic PD patients and 184 age-matched healthy controls.