Publications by authors named "Wen Ying Chen"

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  • Neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation play significant roles in Japanese Encephalitis virus (JEV) infection, with the NMDA receptor contributing to these processes through excitatory neurotoxicity and inflammation.
  • Research showed that JEV infection in rat microglia leads to glutamate release, activating harmful signaling pathways that result in pro-inflammatory responses and neurodegeneration.
  • NMDA receptor antagonists, such as MK801 and memantine, were found to reduce the harmful effects of JEV infection on microglia and neurons, indicating their potential as therapeutic options to mitigate neuroinflammation and cell death.
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  • Metabolites from microbial metabolism play a key role in health and diseases, particularly in conditions like metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).
  • Recent research highlights a connection between MASLD and an increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), with changes in microbiota and metabolite profiles being significant factors.
  • The review examines specific metabolites, including bile acids, fructose, vitamin D, and shifts in microbiota composition, that could explain the relationship between MASLD and CKD.
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  • Fibrotic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a liver condition that can lead to severe disease, and researchers explored the use of an exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) breath test to diagnose fibrotic MASH without needing blood tests.
  • In a study involving 147 patients, the eNO test demonstrated diagnostic capabilities similar to existing blood-based methods (FAST, Agile 3, and FIB-4 scores), showing an area under the curve around 0.737.
  • The eNO test provided high sensitivity and specificity thresholds for diagnosing fibrotic MASH, and combining it with liver stiffness measurement increased its diagnostic accuracy.
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  • Runx2 is a protein that might help predict how serious kidney cancer (RCC) is and how cancer cells grow and move.
  • Researchers found that stopping Runx2 in kidney cancer cells slowed their growth and movement without killing them, but made them more sensitive to a cancer treatment called ABT-737.
  • The study suggests that Runx2 affects other important proteins which help cancer cells survive and grow, but they still need to learn exactly how it does this.
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Oxidative damage contributes to age-related macular degeneration. Irigenin possesses diverse pharmacologic properties, including antioxidative and antiapoptotic effects. Our in vivo experiments indicated that irigenin mitigates UVB-induced histopathologic changes and oxidative DNA damage.

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Chlorpyrifos, widely used for pest control, is known to have various harmful effects, although its toxic effects in macrophages and the mechanisms underlying its toxicity remain unclear. The present study investigated the toxic effects of chlorypyrifos in a macrophage cell line. Here, we found that chlorpyrifos induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in RAW264.

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3-Bromofluoranthene (3-BrFlu) is the secondary metabolite of fluoranthene, which is classified as a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, through bromination and exists in the fine particulate matter of air pollutants. Endothelial dysfunction plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and vascular diseases. Little is known about the molecular mechanism of 3-BrFlu on endothelial dysfunction in vivo and in vitro assay.

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Mitochondrial dysfunction, a common cellular hallmark in both familial and sporadic forms of Parkinson's disease (PD), is assumed to play a significant role in pathologic development and progression of the disease. Teaghrelin, a unique bioactive compound in some oolong tea varieties, has been demonstrated to protect SH-SY5Y cells against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium induced neurotoxicity by binding to the ghrelin receptor to activate the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway. In this study, an animal model was established using a neurotoxin, 1-methyl-4phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), a byproduct of a prohibited drug, to evaluate the oral efficacy of teaghrelin on PD by monitoring motor dysfunction of mice in open field, pole, and bean walking tests.

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Cyclizine, an over-the-counter and prescription antihistamine, finds widespread application in the prevention and treatment of motion sickness, encompassing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, along with its effectiveness in managing vertigo. However, the overuse or misuse of cyclizine may lead to hallucinations, confusion, tachycardia, and hypertension. The molecular mechanisms underlying cyclizine-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis remain unclear.

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Macrophages play an important role in defending the body against invading pathogens. In the face of pathogens, macrophages become activated and release toxic materials that disrupt the pathogens. Macrophage overactivation can lead to severe illness and inflammation.

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Context: There is limited data on the clinical significance of metabolic hyperferritinemia (MHF) based on the most recent consensus.

Objective: We aimed to validate the clinical outcomes of MHF in the general population and patients with biopsy-proven metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD).

Methods: The NHANES database and PERSONS cohort were included.

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Objectives: This cohort study investigated the correlation between Parkinson's disease (PD) risk and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) risk under particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) exposure.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The study explores the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), known for its positive impact on obesity-related issues, on inflammation in the liver and adipose tissue in obese mice.
  • * DHA supplementation over 8 weeks improved key obesity characteristics, enhanced insulin sensitivity, reduced harmful inflammatory markers, and stimulated the "browning" of fat, suggesting its potential role in dietary strategies against obesity.
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with difficult-to-treat resistance has been designated as an urgent or serious threat by the CDC in the United States; therefore, novel antibacterial drugs and combination strategies are urgently needed. The sensor kinase RoxS is necessary for the aerobic growth of . This study aimed to screen candidate RoxS inhibitors and evaluate their efficacy in treating multi-drug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant in combination with meropenem and amikacin to identify promising combination strategies.

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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a refractory autoimmune disease, affecting about 1% of the world's population. RA is divided into seronegative RA and seropositive RA. However, biomarkers for discriminating between seronegative and seropositive RA have not been reported.

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Microglia have both protective and pathogenic properties, while polarization plays a decisive role in their functional diversity. Apart from being an energetic organelle, mitochondria possess biological capabilities of signaling and immunity involving mitochondrial dynamics. The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate receptor displays excitatory neurotransmission, excitatory neurotoxicity and pro-inflammatory properties in a membrane location- and cell context-dependent manner.

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  • Traditional herbal medicine, Ligusticum wallichii (Chuan Xiong), is effective for stroke patients due to its active ingredient, tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), which protects the brain from injury.
  • Research using rats shows that TMP helps counteract oxidative stress and inflammation following strokes by targeting mitochondria, reducing harmful biochemical changes.
  • The study suggests that TMP promotes neuroprotection by maintaining mitochondrial health and integrity, making it a potential clinical treatment for stroke recovery.
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Social isolation is an unpleasant experience associated with an increased risk of mental disorders. Exploring whether these experiences affect behaviors in aged people is particularly important, as the elderly is very likely to suffer from periods of social isolation during their late-life. In this study, we analyzed the depressive-like behaviors, plasma concentrations of homocysteine (Hcy), and brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) levels in aged mice undergoing social isolation.

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Muscle atrophy caused by an imbalance between the synthesis and the degradation of proteins is a syndrome commonly found in the elders. Teaghrelin, a natural compound from oolong tea, has been shown to promote cell differentiation and to inhibit dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy in C2C12 cells. In this study, the therapeutic effects of teaghrelin on muscle atrophy were evaluated in Sprague Dawley rats treated with dexamethasone.

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  • - Vagus nerve stimulation using acetylcholine influences inflammation and metabolism, with a focus on the α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor (α7nAChR) playing a critical role in these processes.
  • - A study was conducted on rats with permanent cerebral ischemia to examine the effects of the α7nAChR agonist GTS-21, revealing improvements in brain injury, motor skills, and metabolic dysfunction post-stroke.
  • - GTS-21 treatment led to reduced inflammatory markers and increased anti-inflammatory responses in both the brain and muscle tissues, highlighting its potential neuroprotective and metabolic benefits in stroke recovery.
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Metformin may offer benefits to certain cancer populations experiencing metabolic abnormalities. To extend the anticancer studies of metformin, a tumor model was established through the implantation of murine Lewis Lung Carcinoma (LLC) cells to Normal Diet (ND)-fed and High-Fat Diet (HFD)-fed C57BL/6 mice. The HFD-fed mice displayed metabolic and pro-inflammatory alterations together with accompanying aggressive tumor growth.

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Spinal microglia are crucial to neuronal hyper-excitability and pain hypersensitivity. The local anesthetic bupivacaine is commonly used for both peripheral and spinal anesthesia. The pain-relief effects resulting from the peripheral and systemic administration of bupivacaine have been previously reported.

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Depression is a common mental disorder that affects more than 264 million people worldwide. Anxiety, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, myocardial infarction, and cancer, among other disorders, are known to increase the risk of depression. Exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) can cause human serotonin levels to increase.

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18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid is a nutraceutical agent with promising hepatoprotective effects. Its protective mechanisms against cholestatic liver injury were further investigated in a rodent model of extrahepatic cholestasis caused by Bile Duct Ligation (BDL) in rats. The daily oral administration of 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid improved liver histology, serum biochemicals, ductular reaction, oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, impaired autophagy, and fibrosis.

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