Estradiol contributes to sex differences in resilience to sepsis-induced metabolic dysregulation and dysfunction in the heart via GPER-1-mediated PPARδ/NLRP3 signaling.

Background And Aim: Clinically, septic males tend to have higher mortality rates, but it is unclear if this is due to sex differences in cardiac dysfunction, possibly influenced by hormonal variations. Cardiac dysfunction significantly contributes to sepsis-related mortality, primarily influenced by metabolic imbalances. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) is a key player in cardiac metabolism and its activation has been demonstrated to favor sepsis outcomes.

CD73/adenosine axis exerts cardioprotection against hypobaric hypoxia-induced metabolic shift and myocarditis in a sex-dependent manner.

Background: Clinical and experimental studies have shown that the myocardial inflammatory response during pathological events varies between males and females. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of these sex differences remain elusive. CD73/adenosine axis has been linked to anti-inflammatory responses, but its sex-specific cardioprotective role is unclear.

Benefits of Curcumin in the Vasculature: A Therapeutic Candidate for Vascular Remodeling in Arterial Hypertension and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension?

Growing evidence suggests that hypertension is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality since uncontrolled high blood pressure increases the risk of myocardial infarction, aortic dissection, hemorrhagic stroke, and chronic kidney disease. Impaired vascular homeostasis plays a critical role in the development of hypertension-induced vascular remodeling. Abnormal behaviors of vascular cells are not only a pathological hallmark of hypertensive vascular remodeling, but also an important pathological basis for maintaining reduced vascular compliance in hypertension.

A narrative review of plant and herbal medicines for delaying diabetic atherosclerosis: an update and future perspectives.

Due to their high prevalence and incidence, diabetes and atherosclerosis are increasingly becoming global public health concerns. Atherosclerosis is one of the leading causes of morbidity and disability in type 1 and/or type 2 diabetes patients. Atherosclerosis risk in diabetic patients is obviously higher than that of non-diabetic individuals.

Amlexanox and Forskolin Prevents Isoproterenol-Induced Cardiomyopathy by Subduing Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy and Maladaptive Inflammatory Responses.

Chronic catecholamine stress (CCS) induces the occurrence of cardiomyopathy-pathological cardiac hypertrophy (PCH), which is characterized by left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). Recently, mounting evidence has implicated myocardial inflammation in the exacerbation of pathological cardiac remodeling. However, there are currently no well-defined treatment interventions or regimes targeted at both the attenuation of maladaptive myocardial hypertrophy and inflammation during CCS to prevent PCH.

A multifunctional nano-therapeutic platform based on octahedral yolk-shell Au NR@CuS: Photothermal/photodynamic and targeted drug delivery tri-combined therapy for rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common chronic autoimmune disease that results from synovial hyperplasia. The hyperplasia of synovium directly degrades cartilage by secreting matrix-degrading enzymes and inducing cartilage degradation and even loss of joint function. In this study, a metal/semiconductor composite, octahedral copper sulfide shell, and gold nanorod core (Au NR@CuS) is designed for, photothermal therapy (PTT), photodynamic therapy (PDT), and chemotherapy (CT) combination therapy for RA to remove hyperplasia of the synovium.

Gold-Bipyramid-Based Nanothernostics: FRET-Mediated Protein-Specific Sialylation Visualization and Oxygen-Augmenting Phototherapy against Hypoxic Tumor.

Despite several attempts, incorporating biological detection that supplies necessary biological information into therapeutic nanotheranostics for hypoxic tumor treatments is considered to be in its infancy. It is therefore imperative to consolidate biological detection and desirable phototherapy into a single nanosystem for maximizing theranostic advantages. Herein, we develop a versatile nanoprobe through combined fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and oxygen-augmenting strategy, namely APT, which enables glycosylation detection, O self-sufficiency, and collaborative phototherapy.

Estrogen Protects Vasomotor Functions in Rats During Catecholamine Stress.

The incidence of dysfunctional vasomotor diseases has mostly occurred in postmenopausal women but not in premenopausal women. Hence, this study sought to investigate the impact of estrogen deficiency during catecholamine stress on vasomotor function. Also, attempts were made to utilize estrogen replacement therapy to mitigate the adverse effects (pathological remodeling) of stress on the aortic vessels to preserve vasomotor functions.

Biomimetic Nanotheranostics Camouflaged with Cancer Cell Membranes Integrating Persistent Oxygen Supply and Homotypic Targeting for Hypoxic Tumor Elimination.

Treatment resistance of the tumors to photodynamic therapy (PDT) owing to O deficiency largely compromised the therapeutic efficacy, which could be addressed modulating oxygen levels by using O self-enriched nanosystems. Here, we report on augmenting the O-evolving strategy based on a biomimetic, catalytic nanovehicle (named as N/P@MCC), constructed by the catalase-immobilized hollow mesoporous nanospheres by enveloping a cancer cell membrane (CCM), which acts as an efficient nanocontainer to accommodate nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) and protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). Inheriting the virtues of biomimetic CCM cloaking, the CCM-derived shell conferred N/P@MCC nanovehicles with highly specific self-recognition and homotypic targeting toward cancerous cells, ensuring tumor-specific accumulation and superior circulation durations.

GPER mediates estrogen cardioprotection against epinephrine-induced stress.

Currently, there are no conventional treatments for stress-induced cardiomyopathy (SCM, also known as Takotsubo syndrome), and the existing therapies are not effective. The recently discovered G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) executes the rapid effects of estrogen (E2). In this study, we investigated the effects and mechanism of GPER on epinephrine (Epi)-induced cardiac stress.

Proximity hybridization triggered hybridization chain reaction for label-free electrochemical homogeneous aptasensors.

A label-free homogeneous electrochemical aptasensor was developed for detection of thrombin based on proximity hybridization triggered hybridization chain reaction induced G-quadruplex formation. Thrombin promoted the formation of a complex via the proximity hybridization of the aptamer DNA strands, which unfolded the molecular beacon, the stem part of molecular beacon as a primer to initiate the hybridization chain reaction process. Thus, with the electrochemical indicator hemin selectively intercalated into the multiple G-quadruplexes, a significant electrochemical signal drop is observed, which is dependent on the concentration of the target thrombin.

The cardiovascular aspect of COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), an infectious disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2), has hit the world very hard by affecting millions of people across countries hence posing a major health threat on a global scale. This novel virus is thought to enter and cause infection in its host through the attachment of its structural protein known as the S-glycoprotein to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Given the rapid spread of COVID-19 with its consequences globally, it is mandatory that health caregivers and researchers across all disciplines abreast themselves with the potential effects that this novel virus may have on their fields and the medical society at large.

Carbon Nanohorns/Pt Nanoparticles/DNA Nanoplatform for Intracellular Zn Imaging and Enhanced Cooperative Phototherapy of Cancer Cells.

Superfluous zinc ion (Zn) in living cells has been identified as a potential tumor biomarker for early cancer diagnosis and cancer progression monitoring. In this paper, we developed a novel carbon nanohorns/Pt nanoparticles/DNA (CNHs/Pt NPs/DNA) nanoplatform based on the clamped hybridization chain reaction (c-HCR) process for intracellular Zn imaging and enhanced cooperative phototherapy of cancer cells. Cross-shaped DNAzyme (c-DNAzyme), hairpin DNA1, hairpin DNA2, and aptamer DNA were adsorbed onto the surfaces of CNHs/Pt NPs, and the fluorescence of carboxytetramethyl-rhodamine was also quenched.

Carbon Nanocage/FeO/DNA-Based Magnetically Targeted Intracellular Imaging of Telomerase via Catalyzed Hairpin Assembly and Photodynamic-Photothermal Combination Therapy of Tumor Cells.

Human telomerase has been identified as a potential tumor biomarker for early cancer diagnosis and cancer progression monitoring. We construct a novel magnetic targeting carbon nanocage/FeO/DNA (CNC/FeO/DNA) nanoprobe for intracellular imaging of telomerase via the signal amplification strategy catalyzed hairpin assembly (CHA) and for photodynamic-photothermal therapy of tumor cells. Telomerase primer DNA, trigger DNA, hairpin DNA1 (H1), and hairpin DNA2 (H2) were adsorbed to the surface of CNC/FeO nanoparticles (CNC/FeO NPs), and the fluorescence of (chlorin e6) Ce6 was quenched by CNC/FeO NPs.

Proximity hybridization-triggered DNA assembly for label-free surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic bioanalysis.

We have developed a versatile label-free surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic platform for detecting various biotargets via proximity hybridization-triggered DNA assembly based on the 736 cm Raman peak of adenine breathing mode. We initially immobilized the first probe to AuNPs and modified the second with poly adenine. Presence of target DNA or protein molecules assembled a sandwich complex that brought the poly adenine close to the AuNPs surface, generating Raman signals, that were proportional to target molecule concentration.

Target-Induced Core-Satellite Nanostructure Assembly Strategy for Dual-Signal-On Fluorescence Imaging and Raman Quantification of Intracellular MicroRNA Guided Photothermal Therapy.

Integrating biological detection and treatment into one system is a smart therapeutic maneuver for efficient cancer treatment. Herein, a target-activated core-satellite nanostructure (CS nanostructure) assembly built on gold nanobipyramids motor (AuNBPs motor)/gold nanoparticle probe (AuNP probe) exhibiting simultaneous dual signal-on imaging, quantification of intracellular microRNA-21 (miR-21), and photothermal therapy (PTT) for cancer is designed. Of note, when the AuNBPs motor/AuNP probe enters into cells, miR-21 triggers the reaction between AuNBPs motor and AuNP probe, resulting in the formation of CS nanostructure assembly.

Carbon nitride-based nanocaptor: An intelligent nanosystem with metal ions chelating effect for enhanced magnetic targeting phototherapy of Alzheimer's disease.

Metal ions imbalance, a well-established pathologic feature of alzheimer's disease (AD), ultimately results in the deposition of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) proteins and Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. Herein, to overcome these hurdles, an intelligent Aβ nanocaptor with the capacity to chelate metal ions and targeted therapy is developed by anchoring carbon nitride (CN) nanodots to FeO@mesoporous silica nanospheres, and decorated with benzothiazole aniline (BTA) (designated as B-FeCN). The CN nanodots could effectively capture superfluous Cu to suppress the formation of Cu-Aβ complex thereby eliminating Aβ aggregation.

DNAzyme-Powered Three-Dimensional DNA Walker Nanoprobe for Detection Amyloid β-Peptide Oligomer in Living Cells and in Vivo.

Amyloid β-peptide oligomer (AβO) is widely acknowledged as the promising biomarker for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this work, we designed a three-dimensional (3D) DNA walker nanoprobe for AβO detection and real-time imaging in living cells and in vivo. The presence of AβO triggered the DNAzyme walking strand to cleave the fluorophore (TAMRA)-labeled substrate strand modified on the gold nanoparticle (AuNP) surface and release TAMRA-labeled DNA fragment, resulting in the recovery of fluorescent signal.

Carbon Nitride Hollow Theranostic Nanoregulators Executing Laser-Activatable Water Splitting for Enhanced Ultrasound/Fluorescence Imaging and Cooperative Phototherapy.

The limited efficacy of "smart" nanotheranostic agents in eradicating tumors calls for the development of highly desirable nanoagents with diagnostics and therapeutics. Herein, to surmount these challenges, we constructed an intelligent nanoregulator by coating a mesoporous carbon nitride (CN) layer on a core-shell nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dot (N-GQD)@hollow mesoporous silica nanosphere (HMSN) and decorated it with a P-PEG-RGD polymer, to achieve active-targeting delivery (designated as R-NCNP). Upon irradiation, the resultant R-NCNP nanoregulators exhibit significant catalytic breakdown of water molecules, causing a sustainable elevation of oxygen level owing to the CN shell, which facilitates tumor oxygenation and relieves tumor hypoxia.

Estrogen and calcium handling proteins: new discoveries and mechanisms in cardiovascular diseases.

Estrogen deficiency is considered to be an important factor leading to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Indeed, the prevalence of CVDs in postmenopausal women exceeds that of premenopausal women and men of the same age. Recent research findings provide evidence that estrogen plays a pivotal role in the regulation of calcium homeostasis and therefore fine-tunes normal cardiomyocyte contraction and relaxation processes.

PRP-chitosan thermoresponsive hydrogel combined with black phosphorus nanosheets as injectable biomaterial for biotherapy and phototherapy treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease causing destruction of bone and cartilago articularis. Traditional treatment methods have many side effects, or too concerne about the anti-inflammatory mechanisms but ignore osteanagenesis. In this work, a novel therapeutic platform combined black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNs) into platelet-rich plasma (PRP)-chitosan thermoresponsive hydrogel has been prepared for management of RA.

Molecular mechanisms of circular RNAs, transforming growth factor-β, and long noncoding RNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma.

At the heart of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lies disruption of signaling pathways at the level of molecules, genes, and cells. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been implicated in the disease progression of HCC. For instance, dysregulated expression of circular RNAs (circRNAs) has been observed in patients with HCC.

Multifunctional FeO@Polydopamine@DNA-Fueled Molecular Machine for Magnetically Targeted Intracellular Zn Imaging and Fluorescence/MRI Guided Photodynamic-Photothermal Therapy.

For the precise treatment of tumors, it is necessary to develop a theranostic nanoplatform that has both diagnostic and therapeutic functions. In this article, we designed a new theranostic probe for fluorescence imaging of Zn and fluorescence/MRI guided magnetically targeted photodynamic-photothermal therapy. The fluorescence imaging of Zn was based on an endogenous ATP-driven DNA nanomachine that could perform repetitive stand displacement reaction.

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy: the synergy of adenylyl cyclases inhibition in cardiac and immune cells during chronic catecholamine stress.

Response to stressors in our environment and daily lives is an adaptation conserved through evolution as it is beneficial in enhancing the survival and continuity of humans. Although stressors have evolved, the drastic physiological response they elicit still remains unchanged. The chronic secretion and circulation of catecholamines to produce physical responses when they are not required may result in pathological consequences which affect cardiac function drastically.