Metformin attenuates fibroblast activation during pulmonary fibrosis by targeting S100A4 AMPK-STAT3 axis.

Fibroblasts activation is a crucial process for development of fibrosis during idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis pathogenesis, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 plays a key regulatory role in fibroblast activation. It has been reported that metformin (MET) alleviated bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF) by regulating TGF-β1-induced fibroblasts activation, but the underlying mechanisms still deserve further investigations. In this study, MET blocked α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) accumulation accompanied with S100A4 expression and STAT3 phosphorylation inhibition, resulting in attenuating the progression of lung fibrosis after BLM administration.

Melatonin ameliorates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis via activating NRF2 and inhibiting galectin-3 expression.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic interstitial lung disease with no effective therapies. Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a marker of oxidative stress, plays a key role in the pathogenesis of PF. Fibroblast-myofibroblast differentiation (FMD) is an important source of fibrotic cells in PF.

Activated AMPK by metformin protects against fibroblast proliferation during pulmonary fibrosis by suppressing FOXM1.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a progressive and devastating lung disease of unknown etiology, excessive fibroblast proliferation serves as a key event to promote PF. Transcription factor forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) is not only a well-known proto-oncogene, but also an essential driver of cell proliferation. Recently, 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is reported to reduce the incidence of PF.

Protective effect of dimethyl itaconate against fibroblast-myofibroblast differentiation during pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting TXNIP.

Fibroblast-myofibroblast differentiation (FMD) is a critical cellular phenotype during the occurrence and deterioration of pulmonary fibrosis (PF). FMD can increase with an elevated level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on fibroblasts under oxidative stress. Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) is an α-arrestin family protein that regulates the level of intracellular ROS.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of purple mullein ( L.).

, known as purple mullein or temptress purple, is a species native to Central Europe, Central Asia, and Western China. In the present study, the chloroplast (cp) genome of was assembled using genome skimming sequencing. The cp genome of is 153,348 bp in length comprising two copies of inverted regions (IR, 25,430 bp) separated by the large single-copy (LSC, 84,601 bp) and small single copy (SSC, 17,887 bp) regions.