The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway plays a critical role in cell growth and metabolic homeostasis. The ribosomal protein S6 kinases S6K1 and S6K2 are the major effectors of the mTOR pathway key to translation efficiency, but the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain largely unclear. In this study, we searched for mTOR regulators and found that the splicing factor SRRM2 modulates the levels of S6K1 and S6K2, thereby activating the mTOR-S6K pathway.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAbdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a degenerative disease characterized by local abnormal dilation of the aorta accompanied by vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) dysfunction and chronic inflammation. VSMC dedifferentiation, transdifferentiation, and increased expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are essential causes of AAA formation. Previous studies from us and others have shown that Anemoside B4 (AB4), a saponin from , has anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and regulatory effects on VSMC dedifferentiation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAtherosclerosis (AS) is a lipid-induced, chronic inflammatory, autoimmune disease affecting multiple arteries. Although much effort has been put into AS research in the past decades, it is still the leading cause of death worldwide. The complex genetic network regulation underlying the pathogenesis of AS still needs further investigation to provide effective targeted therapy for AS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotypic transformation, proliferation, and migration play a pivotal role in developing neointimal hyperplasia after vascular injury, including percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and other cardiovascular interventions. Anemoside B4 (B4) is a unique saponin identified from the Pulsatilla chinensis (Bge.) Regel, which has known anti-inflammatory activities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMacrophages polarized to different phenotypes critically contribute to colitis development by coordinating inflammatory and anti-inflammatory processes. Herein, targeting the balance between the pro-inflammatory M1 and the anti-inflammatory M2 macrophage phenotypes can be a novel therapeutic approach for colitis. In the present study, we firstly demonstrated that tiliroside possessed the ability to alleviate the clinical symptoms of colitis as evidenced by decreased disease activity index (DAI) scores, longer colon length, reduced myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and improvement of colonic pathological damage .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContext: Dexamethasone (DXM) has an anti-immunoinflammatory effect, and is often used in acute kidney injury (AKI). However, the effects of DXM on albumin (ALB) have not been fully studied.
Objective: To investigate the effects of DXM on ALB production and renal function.
Chronic corticosterone (CORT) stress is an anxiety and depression inducing factor that involves the dysfunction of glucocorticoid receptor (GR), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and neuronal plasticity. However, the regulation of proteomic profiles in neurons suffering CORT stress is remaining elusive. Thus, the proteomic profiles of mouse neuronal C17.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLipopolysaccharide (LPS) is often used to induce immunoinflammatory reactions. TLR4/NFκB and NLRP3 signalling are major factors for inflammation. Dexamethasone (DXM) has an anti-immunoinflammatory effect.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnemoside B4 (B4) isolated from has anti-inflammatory activities in the colon and antitumor effects. However, its role in the prevention and treatment of kidney injury has not been reported. Here, we reported the effects of B4 on chronic kidney injury (CKI) and studied its related mechanism based on an adenine-induced kidney injury model in rats.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi
March 2019
Osteoporosis (OP) is an increasing public health problem worldwide. Genetic factors are considered to be major contributors to the pathogenesis of OP. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of the purinergic P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) and estrogen receptor-α (ER-α) genes with OP risk, and the effect of the possible interaction between the two genes on predisposition to OP in Chinese postmenopausal women.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOsteoporosis (OP) is a major public health problem worldwide. Genetic factors are considered to be major contributors to the pathogenesis of OP. The purinergic P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) has been shown to play a role in the regulation of osteoblast and osteoclast activity and has been considered as an important candidate gene for OP.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiabetic cardiac autonomic neuropathy (DCAN) is a serious and common complication in diabetes mellitus (DM). Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), an important class of regulatory molecules in diverse biological processes, have attracted considerable interest in DCAN. Our previous study has indicated a lncRNA, NONRATT021972 (NONCODE ID), was enhanced in sympathetic neuronal-like PC12 cells in the setting of high glucose (HG) and high FFAs (HF); its silence was found to significantly alleviate HGHF-induced tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) release in PC12 cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiabetic neuropathy (DNP) is a frequent chronic complication of diabetes mellitus with potentially life-threatening outcomes. High glucose and elevated free fatty acids (FFAs) have been recently recognized as major causes of nervous system damage in diabetes. Our previous study has indicated extracellular stimuli, such as high glucose and/or FFA stress, may activate the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway and induce a p38 MAPK-dependent sensitization of the P2X7 receptor and release of inflammatory factors in PC12 cells, while the mechanisms underlying remain to be elucidated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiabetic neuropathy (DNP) is the most common chronic complication of diabetes. Elevated free fatty acids (FFAs) have been recently recognized as major causes of inflammation and are relevant to the functional changes of nerve system in diabetes. Trans-resveratrol (RESV), a polyphenolic natural compound, has long been acknowledged to have anti-inflammation properties and may exert a neuroprotective effect on neuronal damage in diabetes, while the mechanisms underlying are largely unknown.
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