Int J Med Sci
-
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease found worldwide. Notably, BKS. Cg- Dock7m+/+ Leprdb/JNarl mice are useful animal models for studying type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). ⋯ Cg- Dock7m +/+ Leprdb/JNarl in the mouse model by demonstrating a significant increase in gene and protein expression in T2DM (+Leprdb/+Leprdb) mouse liver when compared to control (+Dock7m/+Dock7m) mouse liver. We also observed that CSNK2A1 protein level in the serum of T2DM patient group was higher than that of the control group, although the data was not statistically significant. Based on our findings, we can now understand the role of CSNK2A1 gene upregulation when encountering T2DM pathologies.
-
Impacted third molars are commonly seen in teenagers and young adults and can cause considerable suffering. Preventing eruption of the third molars can reduce pain at the source. Our previous study has shown that dexamethasone (DEX) at a certain concentration can prevent the eruption of third molars without damaging alveolar bone in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, but the relevant molecular mechanisms need to be explored. ⋯ Further investigation revealed that overexpression of BMP7 attenuated the DEX-mediated inhibition of AKT and GSK-3β phosphorylation, but knockdown of BMP7 exerted the opposite effects. This study suggests that high concentrations of DEX may inhibit the expression of β-catenin via the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β pathway in a manner mediated by BMP7. The findings further illustrate the possible molecular mechanisms by which DEX prevents tooth development.
-
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a widespread central nervous system (CNS) condition and a leading cause of death, disability, and long-term disability including seizures and emotional and behavioral issues. To date, applicable diagnostic biomarkers have not been elucidated. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are enriched and stable in exosomes in plasma. ⋯ As a result, we identified 50 significantly differentially expressed miRNAs, including 31 upregulated and 19 downregulated miRNAs. Then, gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed that the most highly correlated pathways that were identified were the MAPK signaling pathway, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, Rap1 signaling pathway and Ras signaling pathway. This study provides novel perspectives on miRNAs in peripheral blood plasma exosomes, which not only could be used as biomarkers of TBI diagnosis but could also be manipulated as therapeutic targets of TBI.
-
Heparanase cleaves the extracellular matrix by degrading heparan sulfate that ultimately leads to cell invasion and metastasis; a condition that causes high mortality among cancer patients. Many of the anticancer drugs available today are natural products of plant origin, such as hinokitiol. In the previous report, it was revealed that hinokitiol plays an essential role in anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidation processes and promote apoptosis or autophagy resulting to the inhibition of tumor growth and differentiation. ⋯ Besides, mice experiment was conducted to observe the impact of hinokitiol in vivo. Our results show that hinokitiol can inhibit the expression of heparanase by reducing the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt) and extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK). Furthermore, in vitro cell migration assay showed that heparanase downregulation by hinokitiol led to a decrease in metastatic activity which is consistent with the findings in the in vivo experiment.
-
Background: Pumpkin (Curcubita sp.) is a natural product that is commonly used in folk medicine. However, the inhibitory effect and molecular mechanisms of tendril of Cucurbita Moschata Duch. (TCMD) on osteoclast differentiation have yet to be clearly elucidated. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of water extract of TCMD on osteoclast differentiation. ⋯ Further, F-actin ring formation and bone resorption were reduced by TCMD in RANKL-treated BMDMs. In addition, TCMD decreased the phosphorylation of p38 and ERK as well as the expression of osteoclast-related genes in BMDMs treated with RANKL. Conclusion: These findings suggest that TCMD may have preventive and therapeutic effects for destructive bone diseases.