Neuropeptide Precursor VGF Promotes Liver Metastatic Colonization of Gαq Mutant Uveal Melanoma by Facilitating Tumor Microenvironment via Paracrine Loops.

Uveal melanoma (UM), the predominant primary ocular malignancy, often progresses to liver metastasis with limited therapeutic options. The interplay of the tumor microenvironment, encompassing secreted soluble factors, plays a crucial role in facilitating liver metastasis. In this study, the role is elucidated of the neural growth factor-inducible gene (VGF), a secreted neuropeptide precursor, in Gαq mutant UM.

Novel artemisinin derivative P31 inhibits VEGF-induced corneal neovascularization through AKT and ERK1/2 pathways.

Corneal neovascularization (CoNV)is a major cause of blindness in many ocular diseases. Substantial evidence indicates that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of corneal neovascularization. Previous evidence showed that artemisinin may inhibit angiogenesis through down regulation of the VEGF receptors.

Lanosterol regulates abnormal amyloid accumulation in LECs through the mediation of cholesterol pathway metabolism.

Age-related cataract (ARC) is the predominant cause of global blindness, linked to the progressive aging of the lens, oxidative stress, perturbed calcium homeostasis, hydration irregularities, and modifications in crystallin proteins. Currently, surgical intervention remains the sole efficacious remedy, albeit carrying inherent risks of complications that may culminate in irreversible blindness. It is urgent to explore alternative, cost-effective, and uncomplicated treatment modalities for cataracts.

MicroRNA-181a-5p and microRNA-181a-3p cooperatively restrict vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis.

MicroRNAs have emerged as important post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression and are involved in diverse diseases and cellular process. Decreased expression of miR-181a has been observed in the patients with coronary artery disease, but its function and mechanism in atherogenesis is not clear. This study was designed to determine the roles of miR-181a-5p, as well as its passenger strand, miR-181a-3p, in vascular inflammation and atherogenesis.

Support vector machine-based open crop model (SBOCM): Case of rice production in China.

Existing crop models produce unsatisfactory simulation results and are operationally complicated. The present study, however, demonstrated the unique advantages of statistical crop models for large-scale simulation. Using rice as the research crop, a support vector machine-based open crop model (SBOCM) was developed by integrating developmental stage and yield prediction models.

Downregulation of ClC-3 in dorsal root ganglia neurons contributes to mechanical hypersensitivity following peripheral nerve injury.

ClC-3 chloride channel/antiporter has been demonstrated to play an important role in synaptic transmission in central nervous system. However, its expression and function in sensory neurons is poorly understood. In present work, we found that ClC-3 is expressed at high levels in dorsal root ganglia (DRG).

Reduction of Intracellular Chloride Concentration Promotes Foam Cell Formation.

Background: Previous work has demonstrated that the volume-regulated chloride channel is activated during foam cell formation, and inhibition of chloride movement prevents intracellular lipid accumulation. However, the mechanism explaining how chloride movement promotes foam cell formation is not clear.

Methods and results: Foam cell formation was determined by Oil Red O staining.

[Optimization and application of targeted LC-MS metabolomic analyses in photosynthetic cyanobacteria].

To accurately analyze metabolites in industry-important photosynthetic microbes, LC-MS based metabolomics protocol needs to be optimized specifically for individual species. In this study, an LC-MS based metabolomics method was optimized for cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

Metabolomic and network analysis of astaxanthin-producing Haematococcus pluvialis under various stress conditions.

Various combinations of acetate (Ac), Fe(2+) and high light (HL) stress conditions were evaluated to maximize astaxanthin accumulation and biomass production in Haematococcus pluvialis, and then GC-MS and LC-MS based metabolomics were applied to determine molecular mechanisms responsible for enhancing astaxanthin accumulation under the stress conditions. With the optimized analytical protocols, the GC-MS and LC-MS analyses allowed identification of 93 stable and 24 unstable intracellular metabolites from H. pluvialis, respectively.

ClC-3 chloride channel/antiporter defect contributes to inflammatory bowel disease in humans and mice.

Background: ClC-3 channel/antiporter plays a critical role in a variety of cellular activities. ClC-3 has been detected in the ileum and colon.

Objective: To determine the functions of ClC-3 in the gastrointestinal tract.

Decrease of intracellular chloride concentration promotes endothelial cell inflammation by activating nuclear factor-κB pathway.

Recent evidence suggested that ClC-3 channel/antiporter is involved in regulation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation. However, the mechanism explaining how ClC-3 modulates NF-κB signaling is not well understood. We hypothesized that ClC-3-dependent alteration of intracellular chloride concentration ([Cl(-)](i)) underlies the effect of ClC-3 on NF-κB activity in endothelial cells.

Scutellarin inhibits translocation of protein kinase C in diabetic thoracic aorta of the rat.

The aims of the present study were to explore the effects of: (i) scutellarin (Scu) on protein kinase C (PKC) translocation caused by diabetic conditions in diabetic rat thoracic aorta; and (ii) phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) treatment of cultured thoracic aortic smooth muscle cells. Diabetes was induced in rats by streptozotocin and diabetic rats were divided into two groups: (i) an Scu-treated group, administered 0.1 g/kg Scu by gavage; and (ii) an aminoquanidine (AG)-treated group, which received dietary supplementation of 0.