Blockage of metallothionein synthesis via adrenaline β receptor activation invalidates dehydroeffusol-mediated prevention of amyloid β toxicity.

Dehydroeffusol, a major phenanthrene in Juncus effusus, protects neurodegeneration induced by intracellular Zn ferried by extracellular amyloid β (Aβ). Here we focused on adrenaline β receptor activation and the induction of metallothioneins (MTs), intracellular Zn-binding proteins to test the protective mechanism of dehydroeffusol. Isoproterenol, an agonist of adrenergic β receptors elevated the level of MTs in the dentate granule cell layer 1 day after intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection.

The mechanosensitive ion channel PIEZO1 promotes satellite cell function in muscle regeneration.

Muscle satellite cells (MuSCs), myogenic stem cells in skeletal muscles, play an essential role in muscle regeneration. After skeletal muscle injury, quiescent MuSCs are activated to enter the cell cycle and proliferate, thereby initiating regeneration; however, the mechanisms that ensure successful MuSC division, including chromosome segregation, remain unclear. Here, we show that PIEZO1, a calcium ion (Ca)-permeable cation channel activated by membrane tension, mediates spontaneous Ca influx to control the regenerative function of MuSCs.

Isoproterenol, an adrenergic β receptor agonist, induces metallothionein synthesis followed by canceling amyloid β-induced neurodegeneration.

Adrenergic β receptor activation may ameliorate amyloid β toxicity. We examined whether isoproterenol, an adrenergic β receptor agonist reduces neurodegeneration caused by Aβ, for which intracellular Zn dysregulation is a trigger. Neurodegeneration was assessed in the dentate granule cell layer 14 days after intracerebroventricular injection of human Aβ into the mouse brain.

CXCL17-mediated downregulation of type I collagen via MMP1 and miR-29 in skin fibroblasts possibly contributes to the fibrosis in systemic sclerosis.

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by excessive deposition of collagen in the skin and internal organs. Recent studies have shown that chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligands (CXCLs) are involved in the pathogenesis of SSc.

Objective: Our aim was to examine the anti-fibrotic potential of CXCL17, a newly discovered chemokine, in cultured skin fibroblasts and in a bleomycin-induced SSc mouse model.

Royal jelly regulates the proliferation of human dermal microvascular endothelial cells through the down-regulation of a photoaging-related microRNA.

Although royal jelly is believed to prevent skin aging, the underlying mechanism is not known in detail. In the present study, we investigated the plausibility of the involvement of microRNAs in the manifestation of this effect of royal jelly. The expression of microRNAs was determined by PCR array analysis and real-time PCR and the number of cells was counted with a cell counter.

Correlations between Photovoltaic Characteristics, Adsorption Number, and Regeneration Kinetics in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Revealed by Scanning Photocurrent Microscopy.

Newly developed simultaneous scanning photocurrent and luminescence microscopy was applied to ruthenium-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) comprising a cover glass photoanode with a 100 nm thick TiO2 layer. Using this, we have investigated the lateral variations of several parameters of these DSCs under short-circuit conditions. Simultaneous measurement of photocurrent and luminescence images for the same area of the DSC demonstrated submicrometric lateral resolution of our photocurrent microscopy, which is approximately 10 times better than the resolution of photocurrent microscopy used in past studies.