Cellular bioenergetics and mitochondrial dynamics are crucial for the secretion of insulin by pancreatic beta cells in response to elevated levels of blood glucose. To elucidate the interactions between energy production and mitochondrial fission/fusion dynamics, we combine live-cell mitochondria imaging with biophysical-based modeling and graph-based network analysis. The aim is to determine the mechanism that regulates mitochondrial morphology and balances metabolic demands in pancreatic beta cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNaunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol
October 2024
Recent clinical evidence shows that the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) can successfully treat patients with advanced HER2-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to characterize HER2 mutations in cervical neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) among Taiwanese women to provide the rationale for exploring T-DXd as a tumor-agnostic targeted therapy option. We analyzed 12 archived primary cervical NEC samples from Taiwanese patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUltrasound imaging is a widely used technique for fatty liver diagnosis as it is practically affordable and can be quickly deployed by using suitable devices. When it is applied to a patient, multiple images of the targeted tissues are produced. We propose a machine learning model for fatty liver diagnosis from multiple ultrasound images.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere are many complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are two complications related to the increased lipid accumulation in the liver. Previous studies have shown that mulberry leaf water extract (MLE) has the effect of lowering lipid levels in peripheral blood, inhibiting the expression of fatty acid synthase (FASN) and increasing the activity of liver antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this presentation, we explored the molecular mechanisms of N. nucifera leaf water extracts (NLWEs) and polyphenol extract (NLPE) on scopolamine-induced cell apoptosis and cognition defects. The administration of NLWE and NLPE did not alter the body weight and serum biomarker rs and significantly ameliorated scopolamine-induced cognition impairment according to Y-maze test analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrevious studies have indicated that NaIO induces intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and has been used as a model for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) due to the selective retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell damage it induces. Beta-mangostin (BM) is a xanthone-type natural compound isolated from . The influence of BM on NaIO-induced oxidative stress damage in ARPE-19 cells has not yet been elucidated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLead (Pb) is nonbiodegradable and toxic to the lungs. To investigate the potential mechanisms of Pb-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and cell death in the lungs, human non-small lung carcinoma H460 cells were stimulated with Pb(NO ) in this study. The results showed that Pb(NO ) stimulation increased cell death by inducing cell apoptosis which showed a reduced Bcl-2 expression and an enhanced caspase 3 activation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurogenesis is crucial during the human lifespan for the maintenance of synaptic plasticity and normal function. The impairment of hippocampal neurogenesis in adults may lead to neurodegenerative disease, such as Alzheimer's disease. Miquelianin (quercetin-3--β-d-glucuronide, Q3GA) is a constituent of the nuciferine leaf polyphenol extract (NLPE), and it has protective effects against neurodegeneration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Tradit Complement Med
September 2023
Background And Aim: In traditional medicine, Hayata bark (MZ) is used in combination with other medicines to treat gastric cancer, gastric ulcer (GU), and liver and cardiovascular diseases. This study aims to evaluate the gastroprotective effects and possible mechanism(s) of MZ powder against acidic ethanol (AE)-induced GU and its toxicity in mice.
Experimental Procedure: The gastroprotective effect of MZ powder was analyzed by orally administering MZ for 14 consecutive days before AE-inducing GU.
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), one of the most lethal cancers, has become a global health issue. Stearoyl-coA desaturase 1 (SCD1) has been demonstrated to play a crucial role in human cancers. However, pan-cancer analysis has revealed little evidence to date.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeripheral nerve regeneration (PNR) following trauma requires the reconstruction of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and the proper stimulation of growth factors. Decellularised small intestine submucosa (SIS) has been extensively used as an ECM scaffold for tissue repair, but its potential to enhance the effects of exogenous growth factors on PNR is not well understood. In this study, we evaluated the effects of SIS implantation combined with glial cell-derived growth factor (GDNF) treatment on PNR in a rat neurorrhaphy model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInterferon gamma (IFNγ) is a cytokine implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. SAM and HD domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1) is an IFNγ-inducible protein that modulates cellular dNTP levels. Mutations in the human gene cause Aicardi-Goutières (AG) syndrome, an autoimmune disease sharing similar clinical features with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCPT-11 (Irinotecan) remains an important chemotherapeutic agent against various solid tumors nowadays. Potential adverse effects, especially gastrointestinal toxicities, are the main limiting factor for its clinical utility. Ling Zhi-8 (LZ-8), a fungal immunomodulatory protein in mycelia, has potential for drug development due to its multiple bioactivities and functions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmune-mediated hematopoietic destruction is a key factor in idiopathic severe aplastic anemia (SAA). With great immunomodulatory functions, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are important for bone marrow niche. While the underlying etiology of immunologic changes in SAA bone marrow remains unknown, dysfunctional MSCs are implicated as a major cause.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain-age prediction is a novel approach to assessing deviated brain aging trajectories in different diseases. However, most studies have used an average brain age gap (BAG) of individuals with schizophrenia of different illness durations for comparison with healthy participants. Therefore, this study investigated whether declined brain structures as reflected by BAGs may be present in schizophrenia in terms of brain volume, cortical thickness, and fractional anisotropy across different illness durations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been a major public health challenge worldwide. Owing to the emergence of novel viral variants, the risks of reinfections and vaccine breakthrough infections has increased considerably despite a mass of vaccination. The formation of cytokine storm, which subsequently leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome, is the major cause of mortality in patients with COVID-19.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCamphorataimide B (CamB) has anticancer activities against several tumors. Here, we aimed to investigate the mechanism(s) by which CamB inhibits metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Low-dose CamB did not affect the cell viability and cell cycle progression of CRC cells, but significantly inhibited the metastatic potentials of CRC cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExcess inflammatory processes play a key detrimental role in the pathophysiology of acute lung injury (ALI). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were reported to be beneficial to ALI, but the underlying mechanisms have not been completely understood. The present study aimed to examine the involvement of MyD88−NFκB signaling in the immunomodulation of MSCs in mice with lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced ALI.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEncephalitis is a rare brain inflammation that is most commonly caused by a viral infection. In this study, we first use an in vivo imaging system (IVIS) to determine whether NF-κBp-luciferase expression could be detected in the brain of pseudorabies virus (PRV)-infected NF-κBp-luciferase mice and to evaluate proinflammatory mediators in a well-described mouse model of PRV encephalitis. In in vitro studies, we used murine microglia (BV-2) cells to demonstrate the PRV-induced encephalitis model entailing the activation of microglia cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe successful experiences of HER2 inhibitors in patients with HER2 ( +) breast cancer (BC) and advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA) have encouraged us to continuously explore the HER2 status and its potential as a therapeutic target in primary mucinous ovarian carcinoma (mOC). Using 49 primary mOC samples, we compared the assay characteristics of HER2 status between both 2017 American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologists (ASCO/CAP) for GEA and 2018 ASCO/CAP for BC guideline recommendations. We demonstrated moderate to strong agreement between their HER2 IHC results (Weighted Kappa = 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has become epidemic worldwide and is strongly associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The molecular mechanisms of microRNAs in NAFLD and T2DM development and the corresponding therapies remain unclear. We performed microRNA microarray validation to determine whether hepatic miR-34a-5p was significantly upregulated in db/db mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD), a mouse model of T2DM with steatohepatitis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIt is well known that age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disease that can cause blindness in the elderly. Oxidative stress-induced retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell damage is a part of the pathogenesis of AMD. In this study, we evaluated the protective effect and mechanisms of alpha-mangostin (α-mangostin, α-MG) against NaIO-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent toxicity, which activates apoptosis in vivo and in vitro.
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