Calpain/SHP-1 interaction by honokiol dampening peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer in nu/nu mice.

Background: Honokiol, a small-molecular weight natural product, has previously been reported to activate apoptosis and inhibit gastric tumorigenesis. Whether honokiol inhibits the angiogenesis and metastasis of gastric cancer cells remains unknown.

Methodology/principal Findings: We tested the effects of honokiol on angiogenic activity and peritoneal dissemination using in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro assay systems.

IL-13 downregulates PPAR-gamma/heme oxygenase-1 via ER stress-stimulated calpain activation: aggravation of activated microglia death.

Interleukin 13 (IL-13) has been shown to induce the death of activated microglia. We observed that IL-13, but not IL-4 or IL-10, significantly enhanced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induction, apoptosis and death in microglia activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). IL-13 enhanced ER stress-regulated calpain activation and calpain-II expression in LPS-activated microglia.

Induction of autophagy and apoptosis by the extract of Solanum nigrum Linn in HepG2 cells.

Solanum nigrum L. (SN) has been used in traditional folk medicine to treat different cancers. It is also used as a hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory agent.

CC chemokines induce neutrophils to chemotaxis, degranulation, and alpha-defensin release.

We have previously shown that a Taiwanese cohort of HIV-uninfected individuals was associated with the significantly elevated levels of serum beta-chemokines, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP-1)-alpha and MIP-beta, and RANTES. In the present study, we report that the members of this cohort have significantly greater numbers of lower buoyant-density neutrophils in their blood, which leads to further investigation of the effects of beta-chemokines on neutrophils. By electron and confocal microscopic techniques and FACScan, the results demonstrated that MIP-1alpha, MIP-beta, and/or RANTES readily activated the cells to release a large quantity of alpha-defensins in vitro through the degranulation process, which was the cause of low-buoyant-density neutrophil production.

Effect of surface roughness of ground titanium on initial cell adhesion.

The effect of surface roughness of ground Ti on the initial adhesion of osteoblast-like U-2 OS cells was investigated in this study. Different numbers (#120, #600, and #1500) of SiC sandpaper and two Al2O3 polishing powder (0.3 and 1 microm) were used to prepare the metal specimens with varying degrees of surface roughness.