Publications by authors named "Wenwu Bai"

The integrity of the endothelial monolayer is critical for preventing life-threatening hemorrhaging and thrombosis. However, how severe endothelium-denuded injury is rapidly repaired remains unknown. Given the common biological properties between endothelial cells and circulating monocytes, we aimed to examine whether blood monocytes are involved in endothelium wound healing.

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Background: There is an urgent need to develop an efficient therapeutic strategy for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which is mediated by phenotypic changes in cardiac macrophages. We previously reported that vitamin B-6 inhibits macrophage-mediated inflammasome activation.

Objectives: We sought to examine whether the prophylactic use of vitamin B-6 prevents HFpEF.

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Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is associated with endothelial dysfunction. We have previously reported that statins prevent endothelial dysfunction through inhibition of microRNA-133a (miR-133a). This study is to investigate the effects and the underlying mechanisms of statins on HFpEF.

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Collateral circulation is essential for blood resupply to the ischemic heart, which is dictated by the contractile phenotypic restoration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Here we investigate whether S-nitrosylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a key regulator of the VSMC phenotype, impairs collateral circulation. In rats with collateral growth and development, nitroglycerin decreases coronary collateral blood flow (CCBF), inhibits vascular contractile phenotypic restoration, and increases myocardial infarct size, accompanied by reduced AMPK activity in the collateral zone.

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The aim of the present study was to elucidate the significance of secreted protein acidic and cysteine rich (SPARC) expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in terms of clinicopathology, immune-cell infiltration and survival prognosis. A meta-analysis and bioinformatics analysis were performed using studies retrieved with PubMed, Web of Science, Wanfang Data and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. The meta-analysis suggested that, compared with normal tissues, SPARC expression was elevated in NSCLC tissues.

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Article Synopsis
  • Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a significant health issue worldwide, and this study explored the effects of Angiotensin IV (Ang IV) on AMI in mice, revealing its potential protective properties.
  • The infusion of Ang IV prior to AMI significantly lowered mortality rates, reduced inflammation, decreased cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and improved heart function compared to untreated AMI subjects.
  • The research indicated that Ang IV may help mitigate oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis in the heart, suggesting a therapeutic role for Ang IV in the aftermath of an AMI.
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Cardiomyocyte apoptosis is a characteristic of a variety of cardiac diseases, including myocardial infarction (MI). Krüppel-like factor 15 (KLF15) is a transcription factor of Krüppel family that plays an important part in cardiovascular diseases. However, the function and the underlying mechanism of KLF15 in MI remain unknown.

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Qindan capsule (QC), a traditional Chinese medicine compound, has been used to treat hypertension in the clinic for over 30 years. It is still not known about the effects of QC on pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling. Hence, this study aims to investigate the effects of QC on pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and heart failure in mice and to determine the possible mechanisms.

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  • Statins, used for treating high cholesterol, can cause skeletal muscle damage through cell death, potentially linked to microRNAs.
  • The study used mice to examine how simvastatin affects muscle function and found statin increases levels of miR-1a while decreasing MAP3K1, leading to muscle cell death.
  • Inhibiting miR-1a mitigated statin-induced muscle damage, suggesting that controlling miR-1a levels could help protect against statin-related injuries.
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The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began in December 2019 and rapidly spread to other provinces in China as well as other countries. In this study, 262 patients diagnosed with moderate to severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in Wuhan, China, were analyzed. Data were compared between survivors and nonsurvivors.

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Macrophage activation participates in the pathogenesis of pulmonary inflammation. As a coenzyme, vitamin B6 (VitB6) is mainly involved in the metabolism of amino acids, nucleic acids, glycogen and lipids. We have previously reported that activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) produces anti-inflammatory effects both in vitro and in vivo.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Cardiac fibrosis affects the prognosis for patients after a heart attack (myocardial infarction, MI) and this study investigates the role of the transcription factor Prrx2 in regulating the Wnt5a gene and its impact on fibrosis post-MI.
  • - In experiments on mice, increased Prrx2 and Wnt5a expression was linked to higher levels of markers for cell differentiation and fibrosis, but knocking down Prrx2 improved survival and reduced cardiac damage after MI.
  • - Prrx2 directly interacts with the Wnt5a gene to enhance its expression, and both Prrx2 and Wnt5a are essential for TGF-β-induced cardiac fibroblast differentiation, suggesting targeting
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: Vascular dementia is the second leading cause of dementia, which is strongly associated with diabetes. Ectopic expression of miR-133a in endothelial cells is involved in endothelial dysfunction in diabetes. Whether berberine, as a natural product in , improves vascular dementia induced by diabetes remains unknown.

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Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a common vascular degenerative disease. PARP-1 (poly[ADP-ribose] polymerase 1) is a nuclear enzyme, which plays a critical role in vascular diseases. We hypothesized that PARP-1 inhibition might have protective effects on AAA.

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Peptidyl-prolyl isomerase Pin1 has been reported to be associated with endothelial dysfunction. However, the role of smooth muscle Pin1 in the vascular system remains unclear. Here, we examined the potential function of Pin1 in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and its contribution to abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) pathogenesis.

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Background: In the clinic, variations in circadian rhythm are evident in patients with cardiovascular disease, and the risk of cardiovascular events increases when rhythms are disrupted. In this study, we focused on the role of the circadian gene period2 (per2) in mobilization and function of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in vitro and in vivo after myocardial infarction (MI) in mice.

Methods And Results: MI was produced by surgical ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery in mice with and without per2 deficiency.

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Autophagic dysfunction is observed in diabetes mellitus. Resveratrol has a beneficial effect on diabetic cardiomyopathy. Whether the resveratrol-induced improvement in cardiac function in diabetes is via regulating autophagy remains unclear.

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Background: It has been demonstrated that Tongxinluo (TXL), a traditional Chinese medicine compound, improves ischemic heart disease in animal models via vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). The present study aimed to investigate whether TXL protects against pressure overload-induced heart failure in mice and explore the possible mechanism of action.

Methods And Results: Transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery was performed in mice to induce heart failure.

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Cellular therapeutic neovascularization has been successfully performed in clinical trials for patients with ischaemia diseases. Despite the vast knowledge of cardiovascular disease and circadian biology, the role of the circadian clock in regulating angiogenesis in myocardial infarction (MI) remains poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role and underlying mechanisms of Period 2 (Per2) in endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) function.

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Background. Myocardial infarction (MI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. Tongxinluo (TXL) is a traditional Chinese compound prescription which has cardioprotective functions.

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Objectives: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) can be used to repair tissues after myocardial infarction (MI) but EPC activators have adverse reactions. Rehmannia glutinosa is a herb used in traditional Chinese medicine, which can promote bone-marrow proliferation and protect the ischemic myocardium. We investigated the effects of Rehmannia glutinosa extract (RGE) on EPCs in a rat model of MI.

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Objectives: Chronic psychological stress is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis in humans. Experimental studies using various stress models have yielded controversial results. This study investigated the effects of unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) on atherogenesis in New Zealand white rabbits.

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