Current Molecular Medicine - Volume 14, Issue 9, 2014

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are now appreciated to play several important roles in a number of biological processes and regulate cell physiology and function. ROS are a heterogeneous chemical class that includes radicals, such as superoxide ion (O2•), hydroxyl radical (OH•) and nitric oxide (NO•), and non-radicals, such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), singlet oxygen (1O2), hypochlorous acid (HOCl), and peroxynitrite (NO3 -). I Read More

Epithelial cells not innervated by cholinergic neurons express nicotinic and muscarinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors (nAChR, mAChR). nAChR and mAChR are components of the auto-/paracrine-regulatory loop of non-neuronal ACh release. The cholinergic control of non-neuronal cells may be mediated by different effects (synergistic, additive, or reciprocal) triggered by these receptors. The ionic events (Ca+2 influx) are gener Read More

Lactoferricin and lactoferrampin, peptides derived from the whey protein lactoferrin, are antimicrobial agents with a promising prospect and are currently one of the research focuses. In this review, a basic introduction including location and solution structures of these two peptides is given. Their biological activities encompassing antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory activities with possible mechanisms are Read More

Some of the complexities of surgical interventions include neurological and psychiatric disturbances. Prompt identification and early treatment of these complications are pivotal in achieving excellent clinical results. Recognizing major adverse events such as stroke, seizure or delirium is usually straight-forward, however the discovery of less frequent or more subtle post-operative changes such as cognitive dysfunction might be Read More

Prolylcarboxypeptidase isoform 1 (PRCP1) is capable of regulating numerous autocrines and hormones, such as angiotensin II, angiotensin III, αMSH1-13, and DesArg9 bradykinin. It does so by cleaving a C-terminal PRO-X bond. Recent work also indicates that the human PRCP1 activates plasma prekallikrein (PK) to kallikrein on endothelial cells through an uncharacterized mechanism. This study aims to identify PRCP1 bind Read More

In this study, a two-dimensional gel-based proteomic approach was applied to profile the protein alterations underlying the significant adverse effects from post-stroke depression (PSD). In view of the close association between left prefrontal cortical dysfunction and PSD, a PSD rat model was constructed through a left anterior cortical lesion followed by chronic mild stress (CMS) for three weeks. Through sucrose preferenc Read More

The tumor suppressor, p53 regulates a large number of target genes to control cell proliferation and apoptosis. In addition, it is also implicated in the regulation of cell differentiation in muscle, the circulatory system and various carcinoma tissues. We have recently shown that p53 also controls lens differentiation. Regarding the mechanism, we reveal that p53 directly regulates several genes including c-Maf and Prox1, two impor Read More

Purinergic receptors are implicated in nociceptive signaling in small primary afferents via activation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP appears to mediate HCl-induced transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1) activation in esophageal mucosa. Up-regulation of TRPV1 expression in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is associated with increased nerve growth factor (NGF) and glial derived neurotro Read More

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a potential agent for the treatment of ocular surface diseases. Previous studies delivered siRNA by directly injecting siRNA into cornea or conjunctiva. In the present study we sought to explore an alternative approach to deliver siRNA into mouse cornea via eye drops that contains cy3-labeled siRNA (cy3-siRNA) and different cationic complexing agents and to evaluate the effects of siRNA targetin Read More

Claudin-5, one of the dominant tight junctions (TJs) proteins, plays an important role in maintaining the barrier function in the blood brain and retinal barrier. This study aimed to investigate the effect of claudin-5 overexpression on the interactions of claudin-1 and -2 and barrier functions in primary cultured human retinal pigment epithelium cells (HRPECs) and human retina endothelial cells (HRECs). Lentivirus was used to m Read More

Inflammation is an essential protective part of the body’s response to infection, yet many diseases are the product of inflammation. For example, inflammation can lead to autoimmune disease and tissue damage, and is a key element in chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and also drives changes associated with aging. Animal models of infectious and chronic disease are impo Read More