Hsp90 Inhibitor Attenuates the Development of Pathophysiological Cardiac Fibrosis in Mouse Hypertrophy via Suppression of the Calcineurin-NFAT and c-Raf-Erk Pathways.

In the previous study, we showed that an Hsp90 inhibitor, 17-(allylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG), attenuates hypertrophic remodeling of cardiomyocytes during the development of heart failure. In this present study, we investigated the effects of 17-AAG on cardiac fibrosis during the development of heart failure. We used pressure-loaded cardiac hypertrophic mice prepared by constriction of the transverse aorta (TAC), which induces significant cardiac fibrosis without scar tissue.

3D printing of soft lithography mold for rapid production of polydimethylsiloxane-based microfluidic devices for cell stimulation with concentration gradients.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is advantageous over conventional technologies for the fabrication of sophisticated structures such as 3D micro-channels for future applications in tissue engineering and drug screening. We aimed to apply this technology to cell-based assays using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), the most commonly used material for fabrication of micro-channels used for cell culture experiments. Useful properties of PDMS include biocompatibility, gas permeability and transparency.

Development of a one-pot asymmetric azaelectrocyclization protocol: synthesis of chiral 2,4-disubstituted 1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridines.

[reaction: see text] A one-pot procedure for tetracyclic chiral aminoacetals, the useful precursors for substituted piperidine synthesis, has been established via Stille-Migita coupling, 6pi-azaelectrocyclization, and aminoacetal formation from readily prepared vinylstannanes, vinyliodides, and cis-aminoindanol derivatives. Based on the method, chiral 2,4-disubstituted 1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridines, bearing a variety of aromatic substituents at the C-2 position, have been prepared.