Protein arginine methyltransferase-1 stimulates dopaminergic neuronal cell death in a Parkinson's disease model.

Recent studies have revealed that protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) are responsible for diverse neurodegenerative diseases. However, their pathophysiological role in dopaminergic neuronal death in Parkinson's disease (PD) has not been evaluated. In this study, we demonstrated that 1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium iodide (MPP), rotenone and paraquat, which cause dopaminergic neuronal cell death, increased PRMT1 expression in dopaminergic cell line.

17β-Estradiol induces odontoblastic differentiation via activation of the c-Src/MAPK pathway in human dental pulp cells.

The present study is aimed at investigating the effects of the exogenous estrogen 17β-estradiol (E2) on odontoblastic differentiation in human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) immotalized with hTERT gene and their molecular mechanism. Proliferation was detected by BrdU assay, and odontoblast differentiation induction was evaluated by the expression of dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), dentin sialoprotein (DSP) and dentin matrix protein1 (DMP1), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineralization. Estrogen receptor-α (ER-α), c-Src, and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were examined and their inhibitors were used to determine the roles on odontogenic induction.

Hyaluronic acid/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) core/shell fiber meshes loaded with epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate as skin tissue engineering scaffolds.

In this study, hyaluronic acid (HA)/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid, PLGA) core/shell fiber meshes loaded with epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) (HA/PLGA-E) for application to tissue engineering scaffolds for skin regeneration were prepared via coaxial electrospinning. Physicochemical properties of HA/PLGA-E core/shell fiber meshes were characterized by SEM, Raman spectroscopy, contact angle, EGCG release profiling and in vitro degradation. Biomechanical properties of HA/PLGA-E meshes were also investigated by a tensile strength test.

Ambient atmosphere-processable, printable Cu electrodes for flexible device applications: structural welding on a millisecond timescale of surface oxide-free Cu nanoparticles.

Recently, various functional devices based on printing technologies have been of paramount interest, owing to their characteristic processing advantages along with excellent device performance. In particular, printable metallic electrodes have drawn attention in a variety of optoelectronic applications; however, research into printable metallic nanoparticles has been limited mainly to the case of an environmentally stable Ag phase. Despite its earth-abundance and highly conductive nature, the Cu phase, to date, has not been exploited as an ambient atmosphere-processable, printable material due to its critical oxidation problem in air.

Formamide mediated, air-brush printable, indium-free soluble Zn-Sn-O semiconductors for thin-film transistor applications.

In this study, for high-performance indium-free metal oxide channel layer, we synthesize Zn-Sn-O (ZTO) precursor solutions in which formamide is incorporated as an additive for catalyzing the subsequent sol-gel reactions and the evolution of chemical structure. It is revealed that the formamide plays a critical chemical role in evolving a chemical structure with more oxygen-deficient oxide lattice and with less hydroxide, allowing for high field-effect mobility over 7 cm(2)/V·s. Furthermore, it is for the first time demonstrated that electrically active metal-oxide films can be patterned, using an air-brush printing technique, by directly depositing formamide-mediated ZTO-precursor solutions in patterned geometries.

Effects of lanthanum ion modifications on the photoelectrochemical properties of ZnO nanorods-based dye-sensitized solar cells.

We investigated the photoelectrochemical effects on La ion-modified ZnO nanorods for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), preparing four kinds of samples grown in solutions with 0, 1, 2, and 3 at% of La precursors. It was found that La ion modifications lead to an increase in the lattice constant of ZnO nanorods, resulting in widening of their energy bandgap. I-V results tell that the photoelectrochemical properties increase in the order of 2, 1, 0, and 3 at% La ion-modified ZnO nanorod-based DSSCs.

CoCl2 induces apoptosis through the mitochondria- and death receptor-mediated pathway in the mouse embryonic stem cells.

Embryonic hypoxia/ischemia is a major cause of a poor fetal outcome and future neonatal and adult handicaps. However, biochemical cellular events in mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells during hypoxia remains unclear. This study investigated the underlying mechanism of apoptosis in mES cells under CoCl2-induced hypoxic/ischemic conditions.

EGCG induces apoptosis in human laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma Hep2 cells via mitochondria with the release of apoptosis-inducing factor and endonuclease G.

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a major green tea polyphenol, was tested for in vitro cytotoxicity against human laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma of the larynx Hep2 cells. EGCG-induced apoptotic cell death accompanied by a change in the cell cycle. However, EGCG did not result in caspase activation, nor did a caspase inhibitor block cell death.

Laparoscopic excision of a urachal cyst containing large stones in an adult.

Stone-containing urachal cysts are extremely rare in adults. Here, we report the case of a 58-year-old man with a urachal cyst who had lower abdominal pain and urinary frequency. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography showed hyperdense stones in the urachus.

Antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities of xanthorrhizol in hippocampal neurons and primary cultured microglia.

Xanthorrhizol, a natural sesquiterpenoid isolated from the rhizome of Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb (Zingiberaceae), has antibacterial activities and protective effects against cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity. In this study, we investigated the activities of xanthorrhizol as an antioxidant or antiinflammatory agent using neuronal and microglial cells. Xanthorrhizol had potent neuroprotective effects on glutamate-induced neurotoxicity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in the murine hippocampal HT22 cell line.