Endoplasmic reticulum stress induced by tunicamycin increases resistin messenger ribonucleic acid through the pancreatic endoplasmic reticulum eukaryotic initiation factor 2α kinase-activating transcription factor 4-CAAT/enhancer binding protein-α homologous protein pathway in THP-1 human monocytes.

Aims/introduction: Resistin, secreted from adipocytes, causes insulin resistance in mice. In humans, the resistin gene is mainly expressed in monocytes and macrophages. Tunicamycin is known to induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and reduce resistin gene expression in 3T3-L1 mouse adipocytes.

Stromal-epithelial interaction study: The effect of corneal epithelial cells on growth factor expression in stromal cells using organotypic culture model.

Interactions between stromal and epithelial cells play important roles in the development, homeostasis, and pathological conditions of the cornea. Soluble cytokines are critical factors in stromal-epithelial interactions, and growth factors secreted from corneal stromal cells contribute to the regulation of proliferation and differentiation of corneal epithelial cells (CECs). However, the manner in which the expression of growth factors is regulated in stromal cells has not been completely determined.

Alteration of TLR3 pathways by glucocorticoids may be responsible for immunosusceptibility of human corneal epithelial cells to viral infections.

Purpose: The toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) recognizes viral double-stranded RNA and its synthetic analog polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), and the activation of TLR3 is known to induce the production of type I interferon (IFN) and inflammatory cytokines/chemokines. The purpose of this study was to determine the role played by innate responses to a herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection of the corneal epithelial cells. In addition, we determined the effects of immunosuppressive drugs on the innate responses.

Human corneal epithelial cell proliferation by epiregulin and its cross-induction by other EGF family members.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of epiregulin, a newly identified member of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family, on the proliferation of human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs).

Methods: The proliferation of HCECs was determined by cell counting and BrdU incorporation assays at specific times after exposure to different concentrations of human recombinant epiregulin (0 to 20 ng/ml). Immunohistochemical staining was used to localize epiregulin in cadaveric corneas.