Kaempferol as a Potential PAK4 Inhibitor in Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Extra Precision Glide Docking and Free Energy Calculation.

Background: P-21 activating kinase 4 (PAK4) is implicated in poor prognosis of many human tumors, particularly in Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) progression. Studies have revealed the crucial role of PAK4 in cell proliferation, anchorage-independent growth and cell migration among other hallmarks of cancer. Thus, PAK4 is an attractive target for anti-TNBC drug design and development.

AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Mediates the Effect of Leptin on Avian Autophagy in a Tissue-Specific Manner.

Autophagy, a highly conserved intracellular self-digestion process, plays an integral role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. Although emerging evidence indicate that the endocrine system regulates autophagy in mammals, there is still a scarcity of information on autophagy in avian (non-mammalian) species. Here, we show that intracerebroventricular administration of leptin reduces feed intake, modulates the expression of feeding-related hypothalamic neuropeptides, activates leptin receptor and signal transducer and activator of transcription (Ob-Rb/STAT) pathway, and significantly increases the expression of autophagy-related proteins (Atg3, Atg5, Atg7, beclin1, and LC3B) in chicken hypothalamus, liver, and muscle.

Chronic Mild Cold Conditioning Modulates the Expression of Hypothalamic Neuropeptide and Intermediary Metabolic-Related Genes and Improves Growth Performances in Young Chicks.

Background: Low environmental temperatures are among the most challenging stressors in poultry industries. Although landmark studies using acute severe cold exposure have been conducted, still the molecular mechanisms underlying cold-stress responses in birds are not completely defined. In the present study we determine the effect of chronic mild cold conditioning (CMCC) on growth performances and on the expression of key metabolic-related genes in three metabolically important tissues: brain (main site for feed intake control), liver (main site for lipogenesis) and muscle (main site for thermogenesis).

Heat and oxidative stress alter the expression of orexin and its related receptors in avian liver cells.

Orexins (A and B) or hypocretins (1 and 2) are hypothalamic orexigenic neuropeptides that are involved in the regulation of several physiological processes in mammals. Recently, orexin has been shown to activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress axis and emerging evidences identify it as a stress modulator in mammals. However, the regulation of orexin system by stress itself remains unclear.