Publications by authors named "Rae Maeda"
Postnatal cardiomyocyte cell cycle withdrawal is a critical step wherein the mammalian heart loses regenerative potential after birth. Here, we conducted interspecies multi-omic comparisons between the mouse heart and that of the opossum, which have different postnatal time-windows for cardiomyocyte cell cycle withdrawal. Xanthine metabolism was activated in both postnatal hearts in parallel with cardiomyocyte cell cycle arrest.
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- Embryo implantation is essential for a healthy pregnancy and is influenced by changes in gene expression and metabolism in the uterus, which respond to hormones and embryo signals.
- Researchers used spatial transcriptomic analysis to identify that lipid metabolism, particularly pathways related to arachidonic acid, is important in the uterus during implantation.
- The study found that the COX2 enzyme plays a crucial role in successful implantation, while the absence of COX1 or COX2 leads to impaired pregnancy or infertility, highlighting the distinct functions of each enzyme in this process.*
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- Researchers studied cold-resistant cells from the Syrian hamster to understand how they survive cold stress, informing therapeutic hypothermia and organ preservation efforts.
- They identified a gene called Gpx4 that prevents cold-induced cell death, showing its crucial role in reducing lipid peroxidation in cold conditions.
- Other pathways that help prevent ferroptosis (a type of cell death) were found to also play a role in protecting hamster cells from cold stress, suggesting potential strategies to enhance cold resistance in human cells.
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- Dietary interventions like caloric restriction lead to 'browning' of white fat, which helps maintain health and extends lifespan, but the exact mechanisms remain unclear.
- Researchers found that caloric restriction in humans lowers cysteine levels in white adipose tissue, indicating this amino acid plays a role in the metabolic benefits of dietary changes.
- In a mouse model lacking cysteine, the absence of this amino acid led to significant weight loss and fat utilization, suggesting that cysteine is critical for metabolic health and that its depletion may trigger beneficial responses like fat browning.
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- Mitophagy is crucial for maintaining mitochondrial health and involves both ubiquitin-mediated and receptor-mediated pathways.
- HeLa cells lacking the receptors BNIP3 and NIX completely lose mitophagy, while those lacking other receptors do not.
- The study shows that this loss of mitophagy leads to increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS), activating the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway, making these cells more susceptible to ferroptosis.
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- Microbiota composed of fungi and bacteria significantly influences the physiological functions of larvae, though the specific species and their impacts are not well understood.
- The study found that a specific yeast is crucial for larval growth in the early fermentation stages, while a particular bacterium takes over as the primary growth supporter in later stages, needing the coexistence of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria for stability.
- The microbiota enhances larval nutrition and promotes gene activity related to cell growth and metabolism, highlighting the important role of these microbial species during developmental transitions.
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- Researchers analyzed serum metabolites from 83 patients to find early markers for predicting SARS-CoV-2 infection severity.
- High levels of de-aminated amino acid catabolites, linked to nucleotide synthesis, were identified as potential early indicators of severe disease and correlated with viral load.
- Animal studies showed that amino acid de-amination and nucleotide synthesis led to abnormal cell growth in the lungs, suggesting that early lung tissue changes could indicate future inflammation and disease progression.
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- The study explores how disruptions in the glutathione-based lipid redox system cause increased oxidized lipid production and cell death (ferroptosis) during ischemia-reperfusion (IR) events in cardiomyocytes.
- Clinical methods such as microdialysis and high-resolution mass spectrometry were used to analyze metabolite fluctuations, revealing significant glutathione release into extracellular spaces and decreased intracellular levels during IR.
- The research also showed that inhibiting the transporter MRP1 can reduce reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation, thus preventing ferroptosis and potential cell death following ischemic events.
The lack of biomarkers to monitor and predict the efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has hindered its optimal use. To establish metabolomic markers for monitoring and predicting the treatment efficacy of ECT, we comprehensively evaluated metabolite levels in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) by performing targeted and non-targeted metabolomic analyses using plasma samples before and after the first, third, and final ECT sessions, and 3-7 days after the final session. We compared the plasma metabolomes of age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs).
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View Article and Find Full Text PDFDuring mucosal injury, intestinal immune cells play a crucial role in eliminating invading bacteria. However, as the excessive accumulation of immune cells promotes inflammation and delays tissue repair, it is essential to identify the mechanism that limits the infiltration of immune cells to the mucosal-luminal interface. Cholesterol sulfate (CS) is the lipid product of the sulfotransferase SULT2B1 and suppresses immune reactions by inhibiting DOCK2-mediated Rac activation.
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