Int J Med Sci
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In traditional Korean medicine, the 16-herb concoction Bojanggunbi-tang (BGT) is used to treat various gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. In this study, we investigated the regulatory mechanism underlying the influence of BGT on the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs), pacemaker cells in the GI tract. Within 12 h of culturing ICCs in the small intestines of mice, the pacemaker potential of ICCs was recorded through an electrophysiological method. ⋯ Nonselective cation channel inhibitors, such as thapsigargin and flufenamic acid, along with protein kinase C (PKC) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors, also suppressed the BGT reaction. Guanylate cyclase and protein kinase G (PKG) antagonists inhibited BGT, but adenylate cyclase and protein kinase A antagonists had no effect. In conclusion, we demonstrated that BGT acts through CHRM3, 5HTR3, and 5HTR4 to regulate intracellular Ca2+ concentrations and the PKC, MAPK, guanylate cycle, and PKG signaling pathways.
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Background: Aim to investigate bile acid profile changes and the Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) status after ileotransposition (IT), and reveal its possible hypoglycemic mechanism. Methods: Twenty male diabetic rats were randomly assigned into the IT group and the sham IT (SH) group. Bile acid profiles were measured using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. ⋯ After sacrifice, the levels of glycoursodeoxycholic acid, tauro-α-muricholic acid and tauro-β-muricholic acid in liver and ileum tissues were higher than those in the SH group (P < 0.05), the level of α- muricholic acid (P < 0.001) in liver tissues were lower than that in the SH group. Moreover, the expression of CYP7A1 mRNA (P < 0.001) and FGF15 mRNA (P = 0.001) in the IT group was significantly higher, and the expression of PEPCK mRNA (P = 0.004), SREPB1c mRNA (P = 0.005) and SRB1 mRNA (P = 0.001) were significantly lower than that in the SH group. Conclusions: We demonstrate a remarkable heterogeneity of BA profiles after IT, FXR activation might has a detrimental effect on glucose metabolism.
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Currently, no specific and standard treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been developed. Therefore, studies on new therapeutic drugs for TBI treatment are urgently needed. Trifluoperazine (TFP) is a therapeutic agent for the treatment of psychiatric disorders that reduces edema of the central nervous system. ⋯ In conclusion, TFP alleviates brain edema after TBI by preventing the accumulation of AQP4 on the surface of brain cells. Generally, TFP alleviates apoptosis and inflammatory response induced by TBI, and promotes the recovery of nerve function in rats after TBI. Thus, TFP is a potential therapeutic agent for TBI treatment.
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This study aimed to investigate the capsule-epithelium-fibre unit ultrastructure of the human lens, particularly the interfaces of the epithelium with the capsule and the epithelium with the fibre cell. A total of 12 lenses from donor humans who died of trauma without systemic and ocular diseases were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), combined with immunofluorescence staining for localising certain specific proteins. Some of the results were further studied in the anterior lens capsules of cataract patients. ⋯ Numerous extracellular vesicles could be seen in the space between human lens epithelial cells (HLECs) and between HLECs and the capsule. Mitophagy and autophagy were also observed in the HLECs. Our research may be beneficial in better understanding the function of the human lens.
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TJP1, an adaptor protein of the adhesive barrier, has been found to exhibit distinct oncogenic or tumor suppressor functions in a cell-type dependent manner. However, the role of TJP1 in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) remains to be explored. The results showed a marked down-regulation of TJP1 in KIRC tissues compared to normal tissues. ⋯ Furthermore, the overall survival analysis of KIRC patients based on the expression of autophagy-related genes revealed that most of these genes were associated with a good prognosis. TJP1 overexpression significantly suppressed cell proliferation and tumor growth in 786-O cells, whereas the addition of an autophagy inhibitor diminished its inhibitory function. Taken together, these results suggest that TJP1 serves as a favorable prognostic marker and induces autophagy to suppress cell proliferation and tumor growth in KIRC.