Effects of Modulating BMP9, BMPR2, and AQP1 on BMP Signaling in Human Pulmonary Microvascular Endothelial Cells.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a chronic disease characterized by a progressive increase in mean pulmonary arterial pressure. Mutations in the and genes have been described in familial PAH. The bone morphogenetic proteins BMP9 and BMP10 bind with high affinity to BMPR2.

Aquaporin Expression and Regulation in Clinical and Experimental Sepsis.

Sepsis is an inflammatory disorder caused by the host's dysfunctional response to infection. Septic patients present diverse clinical characteristics, and in the recent years, it has been the main cause of death in intensive care units (ICU). Aquaporins, membrane proteins with a role in water transportation, have been reported to participate in numerous biological processes.

Expression of Human L-Dopa Decarboxylase (DDC) under Conditions of Oxidative Stress.

Oxidative stress is known to influence mRNA levels, translation, and proteolysis. The importance of oxidative stress has been demonstrated in several human diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders. L-Dopa decarboxylase (DDC) is the enzyme that converts L-Dopa to dopamine (DA).

Prognostic Value of HIF-1α-Induced Genes in Sepsis/Septic Shock.

Hypoxia is characterized as one of the main consequences of sepsis, which is recognized as the leading cause of death in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. In this study, we aimed to examine whether the expression levels of genes regulated under hypoxia could be utilized as novel biomarkers for sepsis prognosis in ICU patients. Whole blood expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (), interferon-stimulated gene 15 (), hexokinase 2 (), lactate dehydrogenase (), heme oxygenase-1 (), erythropoietin (), and the vascular endothelial growth factor A () were measured on ICU admission in 46 critically ill, initially non-septic patients.

The Interplay between Aquaporin-1 and the Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1α in a Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Lung Injury Model in Human Pulmonary Microvascular Endothelial Cells.

Aquaporin-1 (AQP1), a water channel, and the hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1A) are implicated in acute lung injury responses, modulating among others pulmonary vascular leakage. We hypothesized that the AQP1 and HIF1A systems interact, affecting mRNA, protein levels and function of AQP1 in human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs) exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Moreover, the role of AQP1 in apoptosis and wound healing progression was examined.