Perfluorooctane sulfonate promotes the migration of colorectal cancer cells by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

The potential association between colorectal cancer (CRC) and environmental pollutants is worrisome. Previous studies have found that some perfluoroalkyl acids, including perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), induced colorectal tumors in experimental animals and promoted the migration of and invasion by CRC cells in vitro, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of PFOS on the proliferation and migration of CRC cells and the potential mechanisms involving activating the PI3K/Akt-NF-κB signal pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

Quinoline is more genotoxic than 4-methylquinoline in hiHeps cells and rodent liver.

Environmental pollutants, such as quinoline (QN) and 4-methylquinoline (4-MeQ), may be genotoxic and carcinogenic. Earlier studies, including in vitro genotoxicity tests, indicated that 4-MeQ is more mutagenic than QN. However, we hypothesized that the methyl group of 4-MeQ favors detoxication over bioactivation, and this factor may be overlooked in in vitro tests that do not incorporate supplementation with cofactors for enzymes that catalyze conjugation reactions.

Inflammation Intensifies Monocrotaline-Induced Liver Injury.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are the most common toxins of plant origin, and it is evident that PAs pollute soil, water, nearby plants, and derived foods. Cases of human poisoning due to ingestion of PA-contaminated foods have been reported in several countries. Monocrotaline (MCT) is a pyrrolizidine alkaloid from the plants of genus that causes hepatic and cardiopulmonary toxicities, and the exhibition of the toxicities requires the metabolic activation by CYP3A4 to form electrophilic dehydro-monocrotaline (DHM).

SGLT-2 as a potential target in pancreatic cancer: the preliminary clue from The Cancer Genome Atlas data.

Background: Sodium-glucose co-transporters-2 (SGLT-2) has been reported as overexpressed in tumors including pancreatic cancer (PC). The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological and prognostic significance, as well as the potential role of in PC development and progression.

Methods: The expression of SGLT-2 was assessed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) PC dataset (179 cases).

Antibiotics disrupt lipid metabolism in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae and 3T3-L1 preadipocytes.

Antibiotics are emerging environmental contaminants with wide attention due to their high consumption and pseudo-persistence in the environment. They have been shown to induce obesity or obesity-related metabolic diseases in experimental animals, but the underlying toxicological mechanisms remain unclear. Here, the disruptive effects of four commonly used antibiotics, namely doxycycline (DC), enrofloxacin (ENR), florfenicol (FF) and sulfamethazine (SMT) on lipid metabolism were investigated in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae and murine preadipocyte cell line.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea-induced Endothelial Dysfunction Is Mediated by miR-210.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)-induced endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction contributes to OSA-related cardiovascular sequelae. The mechanistic basis of endothelial impairment by OSA is unclear. The goals of this study were to identify the mechanism of OSA-induced EC dysfunction and explore the potential therapies for OSA-accelerated cardiovascular disease.

Perfluorooctanoic acid alternatives hexafluoropropylene oxides exert male reproductive toxicity by disrupting blood-testis barrier.

As alternatives to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) homologues, including hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), hexafluoropropylene oxide trimer acid (HFPO-TA), and hexafluoropropylene oxide tetramer acid (HFPO-TeA), have attracted widespread attention recently due to their environmental ubiquity and high potential for bioaccumulation and toxicity. In the present study, a set of in vivo mouse and in vitro mouse testicular Sertoli TM4 cell experiments were employed to explore the male reproductive toxicity and underlying mechanisms of HFPO homologues on blood-testis barrier. Tissue and permeability analyses of mice testes after 28-day treatment with 5 mg/kg/day HFPO-DA or PFOA, or 0.

Comparative transcriptomic analysis of genes in the triterpene saponin biosynthesis pathway in leaves and roots of A. DC., a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine.

(Primulaceae) is highly valued in traditional medicine due to its production of the pharmacologically active secondary metabolites, especially triterpenoid saponins in its roots. Although .  is very important in traditional medicine, the genetic basis for its production of triterpenoid saponins remains largely unknown.

Hepatic Reduction in Cholesterol 25-Hydroxylase Aggravates Diet-induced Steatosis.

Background & Aims: Cholesterol 25-hydroxylase (Ch25h), converting cholesterol to 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-HC), is critical in modulating cellular lipid metabolism and anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities. However, its role in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease remains unclear.

Methods: Ch25h expression was detected in livers of ob/ob mice and E3 rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD).

SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Impairs Endothelial Function via Downregulation of ACE2.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) includes the cardiovascular complications in addition to respiratory disease. SARS-CoV-2 infection impairs endothelial function and induces vascular inflammation, leading to endotheliitis. SARS-CoV-2 infection relies on the binding of Spike glycoprotein (S protein) to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in the host cells.

MDM2-Mediated Ubiquitination of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Contributes to the Development of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Background: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) converts angiotensin II, a potent vasoconstrictor, to angiotensin-(1-7) and is also a membrane protein that enables coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infectivity. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation of ACE2 enhances ACE2 stability. This mode of posttranslational modification of ACE2 in vascular endothelial cells is causative of a pulmonary hypertension (PH)-protective phenotype.

MicroRNA-483 amelioration of experimental pulmonary hypertension.

Endothelial dysfunction is critically involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and that exogenously administered microRNA may be of therapeutic benefit. Lower levels of miR-483 were found in serum from patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), particularly those with more severe disease. RNA-seq and bioinformatics analyses showed that miR-483 targets several PAH-related genes, including transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), TGF-β receptor 2 (TGFBR2), β-catenin, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and endothelin-1 (ET-1).

Association between prenatal exposure to bisphenol a and birth outcomes: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

Background: Previous studies investigated the relation of prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and birth outcomes, but these results were inconsistent. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation of prenatal exposure to BPA and birth outcomes, provide comprehensive results based on current studies.

Methods: The PubMed, Cochrane databases, and Web of Science databases were searched systematically by two researchers respectively from their inceptions to Oct.

cDNA library construction of two human Demodexspecies.

The research of Demodex, a type of pathogen causing various dermatoses in animals and human beings, is lacking at RNA level. This study aims at extracting RNA and constructing cDNA library for Demodex. First, P.