Ablation of Lgr4 enhances energy adaptation in skeletal muscle via activation of Ampk/Sirt1/Pgc1α pathway.

Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 4 (Lgr4) is a newfound obese-associated gene. Previous study reveals that heterozygous mutation of Lgr4 correlates with decreased body weight in human. In our recent study, we demonstrate that Lgr4 ablation promotes browning of white adipose tissue and improves whole-body metabolic status.

Association of large intergenic noncoding RNA expression with disease activity and organ damage in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Introduction: Despite growing evidence that large intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs) can regulate gene expression and widely take part in normal physiological and disease conditions, our knowledge of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-related lincRNAs remains limited. The aim of this study was to detect the levels of four lincRNAs (ENST00000500949: linc0949, ENST00000500597: linc0597, ENST00000501992: linc1992, and ENST00000523995: linc3995) involved in innate immunity in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with SLE and correlate these lincRNA levels with disease activity, organ damage, clinical features and medical therapies.

Methods: PBMCs were obtained from 102 patients with SLE, 54 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 76 healthy donors.

Chimaphilin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in multidrug resistant osteosarcoma cell lines through insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) signaling.

Chimaphilin, an active compound separated from pyrola, possesses the highly efficient antitumor activities. Insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) plays an important role in tumor cell survival. To look for effective strategies for interrupting IGF-IR signaling pathway, we found that chimaphilin can inhibit the receptor tyrosine kinase activity of IGF-IR.

Downregulation of miR-375 in aldosterone-producing adenomas promotes tumour cell growth via MTDH.

Objective: Previous studies have investigated the genetic and molecular basis of primary aldosteronism (PA), a common cause of human hypertension, but the effects of microRNAs (miRNAs) on the adrenocortical cell proliferation and aldosterone production are largely obscure. Here, we characterized miRNA expression patterns in the subtypes of PA to gain a better understanding of its pathogenesis.

Methods: miRNA expression was assessed by microarray profiling analysis in aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA), unilateral adrenal hyperplasia (UAH) and normal adrenal cortex tissues.

miRNAs in the Pathogenesis of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) were first discovered as regulatory RNAs that controlled the timing of the larval development of Caenorhabditis elegans. Since then, nearly 30,000 mature miRNA products have been found in many species, including plants, warms, flies and mammals. Currently, miRNAs are well established as endogenous small (~22 nt) noncoding RNAs, which have functions in regulating mRNA stability and translation.

Establishment, characterization, and application of pAcr-SP-NTP-EGFP transgenic mice in visualizing the oviduct-migrating ability of sperm from Prss37-null mice.

Transgenic mouse model with fluorescently labeled sperm has extensive application value. It is an auxiliary tool for investigating the mechanism of fertilization, especially for visualizing the oviduct-migrating ability of sperm in vivo. Here, we produced transgenic mouse lines whose sperm were tagged with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) according to the previously described method.

Analysis of human triallelic SNPs by next-generation sequencing.

Although single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have become extremely useful in the study of geneticvariation, triallelic SNPs are still not fully understood. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a promising approach to identify triallelic sites in large populations. In this study, we explored exome sequencing data from 221 Chinese individuals, with an average depth of 70-fold.

ROS generated during early reperfusion contribute to intermittent hypobaric hypoxia-afforded cardioprotection against postischemia-induced Ca(2+) overload and contractile dysfunction via the JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

Moderate enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) during early reperfusion trigger the cardioprotection against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, while the mechanism is largely unknown. Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) contributes to the cardioprotection but whether it is activated by ROS and how it regulates Ca(2+) homeostasis remain unclear. Here we investigated whether the ROS generated during early reperfusion protect the heart/cardiomyocyte against I/R-induced Ca(2+) overload and contractile dysfunction via the activation of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway by using a cardioprotective model of intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IHH) preconditioning.

COL4A3 mutations cause focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a histologically identifiable glomerular injury often leading to proteinuria and renal failure. To identify its causal genes, whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were performed on a large Chinese cohort that comprised 40 FSGS families, 50 sporadic FSGS patients, 9 independent autosomal recessive Alport's syndrome (ARAS) patients, and 190 ethnically matched healthy controls. Patients with extrarenal manifestations, indicating systemic diseases or other known hereditary renal diseases, were excluded.

Targeting β-catenin signaling for therapeutic intervention in MEN1-deficient pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours.

Inactivating MEN1 mutations are the most common genetic defects present in sporadic and inherited pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PNETs). The lack of interventional therapies prompts us to explore the therapeutic approach of targeting β-catenin signalling in MEN1-mutant PNETs. Here we show the MEN1-encoded scaffold protein menin regulates phosphorylation of β-catenin.

[Expression profile of microRNAs in the cardiomyocytes derived from mouse embryonic stem cells].

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs), derived from the inner cell mass of blastocysts, are self-renewing and pluripotent cells with the ability to differentiate into all derivatives of three primary germ layers, including cardiomyocytes. Recent studies have revealed that posttranscriptional regulations of lineage specific genes by microRNAs (miRNAs) emerge as a new class of cell fate and lineage determinants of ESCs. However, the miRNAs that control ESC differentiation are still largely unexplored.

Uncoupling protein 3 mediates H₂O₂ preconditioning-afforded cardioprotection through the inhibition of MPTP opening.

Aims: Uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3), located in the mitochondrial inner membrane, is cardioprotective, but its mechanisms of preserving mitochondrial function during ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) are not fully understood. This study investigated whether UCP3 mediates/mimics the cardioprotection of H₂O₂ preconditioning (H₂O₂PC) against I/R injury and the downstream pathway that mediates H₂O₂PC- and UCP3-afforded cardioprotection.

Methods And Results: H₂O₂PC at 20 µM for 5 min significantly improved post-ischaemic functional recovery and reduced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and infarct size with concurrently up-regulated UCP3 expressions in perfused rat hearts subjected to global no-flow I/R.

Regulation of autophagy by E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF216 through BECN1 ubiquitination.

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved biological process involved in an array of physiological and pathological events. Without proper control, autophagy contributes to various disorders, including cancer and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. It is therefore of vital importance that autophagy is under careful balance.

Lactate promotes resistance to glucose starvation via upregulation of Bcl-2 mediated by mTOR activation.

Solid tumors grow faster and need more glucose than normal tissue; however, due to poor angiogenesis and excessive growth, tumors remote from blood vessels are always under glucose starvation. Even so, cancer cells remain alive in vivo. Thus, making cancer cells sensitive to glucose depletion may potentially provide an effective strategy for cancer intervention.

Degradation of cardiac myosin light chain kinase by matrix metalloproteinase-2 contributes to myocardial contractile dysfunction during ischemia/reperfusion.

Although ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced myocardial contractile dysfunction is associated with a prominent decrease in myofilament Ca(2+) sensitivity, the underlying mechanisms have not yet been fully clarified. Phosphorylation of ventricular myosin light chain 2 (MLC-2v) facilitates actin-myosin interactions and enhances contractility, however, its level and regulation by cardiac MLC kinase (cMLCK) and cMLC phosphatase (cMLCP) in I/R hearts are debatable. In this study, the levels and/or effects of MLC-2v phosphorylation, cMLCK, cMLCP, and proteases during I/R were determined.

Histone deacetylase1 promotes TGF-β1-mediated early chondrogenesis through down-regulating canonical Wnt signaling.

Cartilage formation during both embryonic development and bone repairing processes involves mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiation. Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway inhibits early chondrogenesis and is down-regulated during Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-induced chondrogenesis. However, the regulatory molecules that participate in the process is unknown.

Bactericidal properties and biocompatibility of a gentamicin-loaded Fe3O4/carbonated hydroxyapatite coating.

Postoperative implant-associated infection remains a serious complication in total joint arthroplasty (TJA) surgery. The addition of antibiotics to bone cement is used as an antimicrobial prophylaxis in cemented joint arthroplasty; however, in cementless arthroplasty, there are no comparable measures for the local delivery of antibiotics. In this study, a gentamicin-loaded Fe3O4/carbonated hydroxyapatite coating (Gent-MCHC) was fabricated according to the following steps: (i) deposition of Fe3O4/CaCO3 particles on Ti6Al4V substrates by electrophoretic deposition; (ii) conversions of MCHC from Fe3O4/CaCO3 coatings by chemical treatment; and (iii) formation of Gent-MCHC by loading gentamicin into MCHC.

Analysis of tumor suppressor genes based on gene ontology and the KEGG pathway.

Cancer is a serious disease that causes many deaths every year. We urgently need to design effective treatments to cure this disease. Tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) are a type of gene that can protect cells from becoming cancerous.

Combined analysis with copy number variation identifies risk loci in lung cancer.

Background: Lung cancer is the most important cause of cancer mortality worldwide, but the underlying mechanisms of this disease are not fully understood. Copy number variations (CNVs) are promising genetic variations to study because of their potential effects on cancer.

Methodology/principal Findings: Here we conducted a pilot study in which we systematically analyzed the association of CNVs in two lung cancer datasets: the Environment And Genetics in Lung cancer Etiology (EAGLE) and the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial datasets.

Interleukin-17 enhances immunosuppression by mesenchymal stem cells.

IL-17 is one of the most potent and most actively investigated proinflammatory cytokines. In this study, we examined the effect of IL-17 on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) under the influence of inflammatory cytokines. Ironically, IL-17 dramatically enhanced the immunosuppressive effect of MSCs induced by IFNγ and TNFα, revealing a novel role of IL-17 in immunosuppression.

High extracellular magnesium inhibits mineralized matrix deposition and modulates intracellular calcium signaling in human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the potential to differentiate into several cell types and provide an attractive source of autologous cells for regenerative medicine. However, their cellular biology is not fully understood. Similar to Ca(2+), extracellular Mg(2+) plays an important role in the functions of the skeletal system.

Autophagy protects end plate chondrocytes from intermittent cyclic mechanical tension induced calcification.

Calcification of end plate chondrocytes is a major cause of intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of end plate chondrocyte calcification is still unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify whether autophagy in end plate chondrocytes could protect the calcification of end plate chondrocytes.

Chronic restraint stress decreases the repair potential from mesenchymal stem cells on liver injury by inhibiting TGF-β1 generation.

Chronic psychological stress has been demonstrated to play an important role in several severe diseases, but whether it affects disease therapy or not remains unclear. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been demonstrated to have therapeutic potentials in treating tissue injury based on their multidifferentiation potential toward various cell types. We investigated the effect of chronic restraint stress on therapeutic potential of MSCs on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury in mice.

Concentration-dependent wrestling between detrimental and protective effects of H2O2 during myocardial ischemia/reperfusion.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress are paradoxically implicated in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and cardioprotection. However, the precise interpretation for the dual roles of ROS and its relationship with the ER stress during I/R remain elusive. Here we investigated the concentration-dependent effects of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) preconditioning (PC) and postconditioning (PoC) on the ER stress and prosurvival reperfusion injury salvage kinase (RISK) activation using an ex vivo rat myocardial I/R model.