Adventitial fibroblast-derived vascular endothelial growth factor promotes vasa vasorum-associated neointima formation and macrophage recruitment.

Aims: Adventitial vasa vasorum provides oxygen and nourishment to the vascular wall, but whether it regulates vascular disease remains unclear. We have previously shown that an increased expression of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) is associated with macrophage infiltration. This study aims to determine whether adventitial fibroblast (AF)-derived VEGF increases the number of vasa vasorum contributing to neointima formation through macrophage recruitment.

Membrane raft redox signalling contributes to endothelial dysfunction and vascular remodelling of thoracic aorta in angiotensin II-infused rats.

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? Is the membrane raft redox signalling pathway involved in blood pressure increase, endothelial dysfunction and vascular remodelling in an angiotensin II-induced hypertensive animal model? What is the main finding and its importance? The membrane raft redox signalling pathway was involved in endothelial dysfunction and medial remodelling in angiotensin II-induced hypertension.

Abstract: The membrane raft (MR) redox pathway is characterized by NADPH oxidase activation via the clustering of its subunits through lysosome fusion and the activation of acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase). Our previous study shows that the MR redox signalling pathway is associated with angiontensin II (AngII)-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and endothelial dysfunction in rat mesenteric arteries.

Probing the importance of hydrogen bonds in the active site of the subtilisin nattokinase by site-directed mutagenesis and molecular dynamics simulation.

Hydrogen bonds occurring in the catalytic triad (Asp32, His64 and Ser221) and the oxyanion hole (Asn155) are very important to the catalysis of peptide bond hydrolysis by serine proteases. For the subtilisin NK (nattokinase), a bacterial serine protease, construction and analysis of a three-dimensional structural model suggested that several hydrogen bonds formed by four residues function to stabilize the transition state of the hydrolysis reaction. These four residues are Ser33, Asp60, Ser62 and Thr220.

Purification and characterization of an acid deoxyribonuclease from the cultured mycelia of Cordyceps sinensis.

A new acid deoxyribonuclease (DNase) was purified from the cultured mycelia of Cordyceps sinensis, and designated CSDNase. CSDNase was purified by (NH(4))(2)SO(4) precipitation, Sephacryl S-100 HR gel filtration, weak anion-exchange HPLC, and gel filtration HPLC. The protein was single-chained, with an apparent molecular mass of ca.