Optofluidic zoom system with increased field of view and less chromatic aberration.

Imaging systems are widely used in many fields. However, there is an inherent compromise between field of view (FOV) and resolution. In this paper, we propose an optofluidic zoom system with increased FOV and less chromatic aberration, which can realize switching between large FOV and high resolution.

TGFβ-induced invasion of prostate cancer cells is promoted by c-Jun-dependent transcriptional activation of Snail1.

High levels of transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) correlate with poor prognosis for patients with prostate cancer and other cancers. TGFβ is a multifunctional cytokine and crucial regulator of cell fate, such as epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is implicated in cancer invasion and progression. TGFβ conveys its signals upon binding to type I and type II serine/threonine kinase receptors (TβRI/II); phosphorylation of Smad2 and Smad3 promotes their association with Smad4, which regulates expression of targets genes, such as Smad7, p21, and c-Jun.

[Effects of leptin on RAAS and nitric oxide production in isolated rat glomeruli].

Objective: To investigate the changes in angiotensinogen (AGT), angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT(1)R), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) mRNA and protein expressions and nitric oxide (NO) content in the rat glomeruli in response to leptin stimulation.

Methods: The glomeruli isolated from male SD rats were stimulated with 3 nmol/L leptin for 2 h. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were performed to analyze the mRNA and protein expressions of AGT, AT(1)R and eNOS in the glomeruli, and nitrite concentration in the glomeruli was measured by nitrate reductase assay.