Journal of cellular physiology
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Previous studies reported that miR-146a was involved in small intestine ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, but the mechanism is largely vague. Here, we aimed to identify the change of miR-146a in patients with mesenteric ischemia and explore the potential regulatory mechanism of miR-146a in intestine epithelial cells survival under ischemia and I/R injury. The plasma of 20 patients with mesenteric ischemia and 25 controls was collected to examine the miR-146a expression by qPCR. ⋯ What is more, this protective effect was blocked by TRAF6 overexpression and increased nuclear NF-κB p65 nuclear. Taken together, this study revealed that miR-146a expression was decreased in small intestine ischemia and I/R injury. And miR-146a improves intestine epithelial cells survival under ischemia and I/R injury through inhibition TLR4, TRAF6, and p-IκBα, subsequently leading to decreased NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation.
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Currently, there are no medications available to treat aseptic loosening of orthopedic implants. Using osteoprotegerin fusion protein (OPG-Fc), we previously blocked instability-induced osteoclast differentiation and peri-prosthetic osteolysis. Wnt/β-catenin signaling, which regulates OPG secretion from osteoblasts, also modulates the bone tissue response to mechanical loading. ⋯ This was accompanied by decreased serum levels of TRAP5b on days 3 and 5. Treatment with AR28 upregulated osteoblast differentiation, while osteoclastogenesis was blunted, leading to increased bone mass by day 5. These data suggest that GSK-3β inactivation suppresses osteolysis through regulating both osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation in a rat model of instability-induced osteolysis.
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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor outcome. Most HCCs develop in the context of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis caused by chronic inflammation. Short-term fasting approaches enhance the activity of chemotherapy in preclinical cancer models, other than HCC. ⋯ Fasting synergized with Sorafenib in hampering HCC cell growth and glucose uptake. Finally, fasting normalized the expression levels of genes which are commonly altered by Sorafenib in HCC cells. Fasting or fasting-mimicking diet diets should be evaluated in preclinical studies as a mean to potentiate the activity of Sorafenib in clinical use.
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Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are used as contrast agents and targeted drug delivery systems (TDDS) due to their favorable size, surface charge, and magnetic properties. Unfortunately, the toxicity associated with MNPs limits their biological applications. Surface functionalization of MNPs with selective polymers alters the surface chemistry to impart better biocompatibility. ⋯ The surface functionalized MNPs are biocompatible, and demonstrate enhanced intracellular delivery under an applied magnetic field (H), which evinces the targeting ability of MNPs. After NP treatment, the physico-mechanical properties of fibroblasts are decided by the selective MNP uptake under "on" or "off" magnetic field conditions. We envision potential use of biocompatible surface functionalized MNP for intracellular-, targeted-DDS, imaging, and for investigating cellular mechanics.
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Although Iran has a deep history in herbal medicine and great heritage of ancient medical scholars, few efforts have been made to evaluate ethnopharmacological aspects of medicinal plants in this country. In the present study, the authors have reviewed all important literature about the ethnopharmacological investigations on medicinal plants used in the last decade in Iran. All provinces of Iran were categorized according to a phytogeographical division. ⋯ Iran has a rich history of knowledge about phytotherapy and has also a diverse geographical regions, and a plant flora that is a good candidate for drug discovery. Documentation of indigenous knowledge about herbal medicine used by Iranian tribes is vital for the future development of herbal drugs. Ethnopharmacological studies of Iranian folk medicine with quantitative analytical techniques are warranted to find drug candidates, and also to preserve the precious knowledge of the Iranian folk medicine.