Int J Med Sci
-
Comparative Study
Angiotensin II receptor Neprilysin inhibitor (LCZ696) compared to Valsartan attenuates Hepatotoxicity in STZ-induced hyperglycemic rats.
Background and objectives: Although diabetic-induced hepatotoxicity is less common, it can be included in the list of target organ pathologies associated with diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic role of sacubitril/valsartan (LCZ696) in modulating oxidative and inflammatory injuries and liver fibrosis in STZ-induced hyperglycemic rats in comparison to valsartan alone. Materials and Methods: Following the induction of diabetes using a single dose of streptozotocin (STZ), STZ-induced hyperglycemic animals were administered LCZ696 or valsartan for 6 weeks. ⋯ LCZ696 was superior to valsartan in reducing AST, hepatic fibrosis, tissue IL-1β, TNF-α and NF-κB. In addition, compared with the valsartan group, LCZ696 significantly increased the antioxidant parameters such as GSH, SOD, CAT and GPx. Conclusion: Collectively, our data demonstrated that LCZ696 could suppress the progression of diabetes-induced hepatic fibrosis, correlating with reduced oxidative stress, hepatic inflammation and NF-κB compared with valsartan alone.
-
Background: X-inactive specific transcript (Xist) is a lncRNA, which plays a significant role in X-chromosome inactivation, regulates cell proliferation in tumor cells, and inhibits apoptosis in acute myocardial infarction. On the other hand, miR-7a-5p is involved in cardiomyocytes injury in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion. However, their roles in LPS-induced damage remain unclear. ⋯ Besides, ATP expression in the LPS group was markedly reduced, but elevated after the inhibition of xist and mir-7a-5p. Suppressing the expression of xist or mir-7a-5p resulted in reduced cell apoptosis and increased cell proliferation. Conclusions: In this study, we established that down-regulation of xist and mir-7a-5p reduces apoptosis in response to LPS.
-
Observational Study
BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism, the Allele-Specific Analysis by qRT-PCR - a Novel Protocol.
Background: Alteration in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) production is a marker of neuropathological conditions, which has led to the investigation of Val66Met polymorphism occurring in the human BDNF gene (BDNF). Presently, there are no reported methods available for the analysis of Val66Met impact on human BDNF functioning. Purpose: To develop a qRT-PCR protocol for the allele-specific expression evaluation of the Val66Met polymorphism in BDNF. ⋯ Results: Differences in the relative values of BDNF mRNA were confirmed by ddPCR analysis. HPRT1 and B2M were the most stable genes expressed in muscle tissue among different metabolic conditions, while GAPDH revealed to be metabolic responsive. Conclusion: Our qRT-PCR protocol successfully determines the allele-specific detection and changes in BDNF expression regarding the Val66Met polymorphism.
-
Liver cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) perform important functions in cancer progression and are regarded as prospective biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Here, we used the high-throughput RNA sequencing technology in conjunction with bioinformatics tools to profile circRNA expression in patients with HBV-related liver cancer. ⋯ Consequently, our results demonstrated that depletion of circRNA_10156 upregulated miR-149-3p, reduced Akt1 expression, and suppressed liver cancer cell proliferation. The present study will facilitate the elucidation of biological functions of circRNAs in the progression of HBV-related liver cancer providing prospective biomarkers and therapeutic targets for this disease. Our findings also reveal that circRNA_10156 might represent a promising therapeutic target for liver cancer management.
-
Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) accounts for the largest proportion of thyroid cancers; and its morbidity rate has dramatically increased in recent decades. However, the pathogenesis mechanisms of PTC are still not clear. This study aimed to reveal that miR-145 acts as an antitumor miRNA in the progression of PTC. ⋯ MiR-145 inhibited PTC migration, proliferation and promoted apoptosis by directly suppresing RAB5C. In conclusion, miR-145 functions as a tumor suppressor in PTC by inhibiting RAB5C. MiR-145 and RAB5C are potential therapeutic targets in therapy of aggressive PTC cases.