Background: The relationship between severe inflammation and clinical depression in the context of major medical illnesses has been addressed, but the relationship between inflammation caused by mild infections and clinical depression is unclear. We aimed to examine whether a history of repeated low-grade infections (RLGI) in medically healthy subjects (MHS) could increase their vulnerability to major depressive disorder (MDD) (ICD-9-CM) and whether RLGI could be associated with higher resistance to antidepressants in those developing MDD.
Method: A nationwide, population-based cohort study (January 1996 to December 2011) was conducted for MHS with and without a history of RLGI.
Background: Our aim was to examine the roles of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation in the repair of large uterine defects.
Methods: Uterine defects were created in both uterine horns of female rats by a punch instrument, and bone marrow-derived MSCs, MSC-conditioned medium (MSC-CM) or vehicle were injected into the myometrium around the defect. The rate of uterine defect repair was monitored on day 2 and 4 after operation.
Rationale: A high incidence of GLA IVS4+919 G>A mutation in patients with Fabry disease of the later-onset cardiac phenotype, has been reported in Taiwan. However, suitable biomarkers or potential therapeutic surrogates for Fabry cardiomyopathy (FC) in such patients under enzyme replacement treatment (ERT) remain unknown.
Objective: Using FC patients carrying IVS4+919 G>A mutation, we constructed an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based disease model to investigate the pathogenetic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets in ERT-treated FC.
Oxidative damage to cornea can be induced by alkaline chemical burn which may cause vision loss or blindness. Recent studies showed that exogenous application of natural antioxidants may be a potential treatment for corneal wound healing. However, low ocular bioavailability and short residence time are the limiting factors of topically administered antioxidants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPARP1 and poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation) have been shown to be essential for the initial steps of cellular reprogramming. However, the mechanism underlying PARP1/PARylation-regulated activation of pluripotency loci remains undetermined. Here, we demonstrate that CHD1L, a DNA helicase, possesses chromatin remodeling activity and interacts with PARP1/PARylation in regulating pluripotency during reprogramming.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPoly(ADP-ribos)ylation (PARylation) is the catalytic function of the Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (Parps) family for post-translational modification in cellular process. Being a major member of Parps, Parp1 is a crucial nuclear factor with biological significance in modulating DNA repair, DNA replication, transcription, DNA methylation and chromatin remodeling through PARylation of downstream proteins. In addition, high expression level and activity of Parp1 are correlated with pluripotent status, reprogramming, and cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Embryo implantation is a complex process that requires coordinated trophoblast-endometrial interactions. Previous studies demonstrated that the identification of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in trophoblast cells and the remodeling of the implantation process by nitric oxide (NO) support the important role of NO during implantation. However, the role of NO in trophoblast-endometrial interactions is unclear and is therefore examined in this study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground/purpose: This study provides epidemiologic data on the incidence of inguinal hernia repair in preschool children using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. We believe that the data on hernia repair in said database provide a close approximation of the true incidence of inguinal hernia in young children.
Method: A cohort of 1,073,891 deidentified individuals was randomly selected from an insured population of 23 million.
Objective: To determine whether a tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitor can reduce the embryotoxicity of the peritoneal fluid (PF) of women with endometriosis.
Design: Experimental clinical study.
Setting: University hospital.
Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol
December 2011
Objective: To study the possible non-genomic effect of selective estrogen receptor modulators on human dermal fibroblasts (HDF).
Materials And Methods: WS1 cells were used to test the effect of raloxifene. The mRNA expressions of estrogen receptor (ER) α and β and G protein-coupled ER 1(GRP30) were examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.
Background: Echocardiographic parameters could be implicated in the development of apical asynergy (characterized by apical sequestration or apical aneurysm) and worse cardiovascular outcome in patients with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (ApHCM).
Hypothesis: Echocardiographic parameters and morphological patterns of left ventriculograms are associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with ApHCM.
Methods: We followed 47 cases with echocardiographically documented ApHCM.
Embryonic stem (ES) cell transplantation represents a potential means for the treatment of degenerative diseases and injuries. As appropriate distribution of transplanted ES cells in the host tissue is critical for successful transplantation, the exploration of efficient strategies to enhance ES cell migration is warranted. In this study we investigated ES cell migration under the influence of various extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, which have been shown to stimulate cell migration in various cell models with unclear effects on ES cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Overactivated microglia that cluster at neuritic plaques constantly release neurotoxins, which actively contribute to progressive neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Therefore, attenuating microglial clustering can reduce focal neuroinflammation at neuritic plaques. Previously, we identified CCL5 and CCL2 as prominent chemokines that mediate the chemotaxis of microglia toward beta-amyloid (Abeta)aggregates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Purpose: Blastocystis hominis has not been reported as an endemic disease in Taiwan, but high prevalence rates have been found among immigrants. Due to the increasing number of immigrants in Taiwan, B. hominis may become a public health problem in Taiwan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInterleukin 13 (IL-13) has been shown to induce the death of activated microglia. We observed that IL-13, but not IL-4 or IL-10, significantly enhanced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induction, apoptosis and death in microglia activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). IL-13 enhanced ER stress-regulated calpain activation and calpain-II expression in LPS-activated microglia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: We aimed to assess the usefulness of multislice computed tomographic (CT) angiography to detect coronary artery disease (CAD), including myocardial bridging (MB) and left ventricular morphology (LVG), in patients with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (AHCM) who presented with angina and apical asynergy.
Materials And Methods: Sixty-four-slice CT angiography was performed in 14 patients with echocardiographically diagnosed AHCM who presented with typical or atypical chest pain. Coronary angiography was performed in 7 patients because of either suspected CAD or echocardiographic apical hypokinesia.
Comput Methods Programs Biomed
March 2010
The aging population is a global phenomenon. The skyrocketing costs of healthcare and the shortage of healthcare providers will soon become a crucial issue all over the world. Taiwan's government executed the Taiwan's Telehealth Pilot Project (TTPP) from July 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008, using healthcare information technology to tackle these problems.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe presented an unique case of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy concomitant with subaortic obstruction, apical sequestration, and valvular aortic stenosis. The echocardiographic findings were conflicting and characterized by quadruple pressure gradients within the left ventricle, which were compatible with the findings of 64-slice computed tomography imaging and cardiac catheterization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The endometrium becomes receptive to the embryo after sequential actions of estrogen and progesterone. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of estrogen and progesterone on endometrial hemodynamics and on secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from endometrial epithelial cells (EEC).
Methods: Six early postmenopausal women taking sequential estrogen and progestin [days 1-11: estradiol valerate (estrogen) 2 mg daily; days 12-21: estradiol valerate 2 mg plus norethisterone acetate (progestin) 1 mg daily] were recruited.
The number of microglia surrounding senile plaques is correlated with the size of plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is unclear whether more microglia are passively recruited toward larger senile plaques or, conversely, microglia recruited to senile plaques directly contribute to the growth of plaques. In this study, BV-2 microglia were used to delineate the role of microglia in the growth of plaques using time-lapse recording.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFActa Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun
April 2008
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) accounts for the majority of enterically transmitted hepatitis infections worldwide. Currently, there is no specific treatment for or vaccine against HEV. The major structural protein is derived from open reading frame (ORF) 2 of the viral genome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUp to date, no ultrastructure showing the HBV budding site has ever been reported. In this study, the liver of transgenic mice expressing a high titer of HBV was processed for cryo-ultrathin section electron microscopy. This approach preserves membrane structures very well and thus allowed us to find HBV (Dane particles) and subviral particles (spherical and filamentous form) present separately inside the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfarction in adult rat brain was induced by middle cerebral arterial occlusion (MCAO) followed by reperfusion to examine whether taxifolin could reduce cerebral ischemic reperfusion (CI/R) injury. Taxifolin administration (0.1 and 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study, we showed that nitric oxide (NO) donors induced the mesangial cell proliferation and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein expression in murine mesangial cells. An inflammatory condition [lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)] could also induce cell proliferation and significantly enhance inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and COX-2 expression. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, LY294002, inhibited these responses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDuring liver regeneration, hepatocytes sense the damage and initiate proliferation of the quiescent cells through poorly understood mechanisms. Here, we have used cultured hepatic cells to study the roles played by intercellular calcium in mediating wound-healing processes. Well-differentiated and polarized Hep-G2 cells repaired an experimentally induced wound by induction of cell divisions.
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