MURAMYL DIPEPTIDE CAUSES MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION AND INTESTINAL INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE RESPONSES IN RATS.

Introduction: Intestinal flora and the translocation of its products, such as muramyl dipeptide (MDP), are common causes of sepsis. MDP is a common activator of the intracellular pattern recognition receptor NOD2, and MDP translocation can cause inflammatory damage to the small intestine and systemic inflammatory responses in rats. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of MDP on the intestinal mucosa and distant organs during sepsis and the role of the NOD2/AMPK/LC3 pathway in MDP-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in the intestinal epithelium.

Analysis of Significant Genes and Pathways in Esophageal Cancer Based on Gene Expression Omnibus Database.

Objective To screen antigen targets for immunotherapy by analyzing over-expressed genes, and to identify significant pathways and molecular mechanisms in esophageal cancer by using bioinformatic methods such as enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and survival analysis based on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database.Methods By screening with highly expressed genes, we mainly analyzed proteins MUC13 and EPCAM with transmembrane domain and antigen epitope from TMHMM and IEDB websites. Significant genes and pathways associated with the pathogenesis of esophageal cancer were identified using enrichment analysis, PPI network, and survival analysis.

A Screened GPR1 Peptide Exerts Antitumor Effects on Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

The adipokine chemerin has been considered an important regulator of tumor immune surveillance. Chemerin recruits leukocytes through the receptor CMKLR1 to improve clinical outcomes of tumors and overall patient survival, but the role of GPR1 in tumors has not been widely investigated. Here, we found that GPR1 expression is elevated in breast cancer-especially triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) tissues and cell lines.

A new species of (Ericaceae) from Guizhou, China.

A new species of the (Ericaceae) in subgen. Tsutsusisect.Tsutsusi from Puding county of Guizhou, China, is described and illustrated.

A novel TBX20 loss‑of‑function mutation contributes to adult‑onset dilated cardiomyopathy or congenital atrial septal defect.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most prevalent form of primary cardiomyopathy in humans and is a leading cause of heart failure and sudden cardiac death. Genetic abnormalities have been demonstrated to be a major contributor to the development of DCM. However, DCM is a genetically heterogeneous disease, and the genetic basis underlying DCM in a significant proportion of patients remains unclear.

HAND1 loss-of-function mutation associated with familial dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor HAND1 is essential for cardiac development and structural remodeling, and mutations in HAND1 have been causally linked to various congenital heart diseases. However, whether genetically compromised HAND1 predisposes to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in humans remains unknown.

Methods: The whole coding region and splicing junctions of the HAND1 gene were sequenced in 140 unrelated patients with idiopathic DCM.

Assessment of the embryotoxicity of four Chinese herbal extracts using the embryonic stem cell test.

Rhizoma Atractylodes macrocephala, Radix Isatidis, Coptis chinensis and Flos Genkwa are common herbal remedies used by pregnant woman in China. In this study, their potential embryotoxicity was assessed using the embryonic stem cell test (EST) and a prediction model. The potential embryotoxicity of the herbs was based on three endpoints: the concentrations of the compounds that inhibited the proliferation of 50% of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) (IC50ES), the concentrations that inhibited 50% of 3T3 cells (IC503T3), and the concentrations that inhibited the differentiation of 50% of ESCs (ID50ES).