Current Protein and Peptide Science - Volume 18, Issue 12, 2017

The renoprotection of erythropoietin (EPO) and its derivatives such as helix B surface peptide (HBSP) have attracted a great deal of attention from scientists and clinicians alike. The evolutional achievement in the dissociation of tissue protection and erythropoiesis is obtained through HBSP characterisation and synthesis. We performed a series of studies using EPO, as well as HBSP, in a variety of biological models subjected Read More

Erythropoietin (EPO), recognized early as a tissue protective agent, can trigger antiinflammatory and anti-apoptotic processes to delimit injury and promote repair by binding tissueprotective receptor (TPR). However, only at a high dosage can EPO exert tissue protective effect, which may elicit severe side-effects at the meantime. Helix B surface peptide (HBSP), a 11-amnio acid sequence derived from the non-erythropoietic heli Read More

In the past decade, rapid developments in stem cell studies have occurred. Researchers have confirmed the plasticity of bone marrow stem cells and the repair and regeneration effects of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells on solid organs. These findings have suggested the possibility of using bone marrow stem cell mobilizers to repair and regenerate injured organs. Recent studies on the effects of granulocyte colony-sti Read More

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is manifested by inflammation, and an early feature in the pathogenesis is the accumulation of immune cells in the kidney. Natural killer T (NKT) cells, a peculiar T cells subtype, serve as a bridge between innate and adaptive immunity. Due to the difference between type I and type II subsets, NKT cells were supposed to play a dual role in IR-related tissue injury. Furthermore, membrane receptors and clinic Read More

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most common complications in critically ill patients, resulting in high morbidity and mortality. AKI usually occurs after major surgery, severe infection or drug-induced nephrotoxicity and is associated with prolonged hospital stays, increased costs and adverse clinical outcomes. The diagnosis of AKI is currently based on decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and urine output, and in Read More

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most common complications of various serious conditions, and early diagnosis is therefore critical for the treatment of AKI. Increase of the classic AKI biochemical markers such as serum creatinine is not evident until renal function is irreversibly damaged, which adds to the difficulties of early identification of AKI and results in an increase of the mortality rate. In order to improve t Read More

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is an effective therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, acute kidney injury (AKI) may occur after TACE due to the contrast agent and cytotoxic anticancer drugs used in this procedure. Post-TACE AKI is not an unusual event, and may adversely affect patient outcome. Coexisting situations including cirrhosis, renal insufficiency, diabetes and hypertension play a role Read More

The current lack of complete understanding of the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury (AKI) is a significant barrier to its early diagnosis and treatment. Cell cycle arrest plays an important role in the protection of renal tubular epithelial cells and maladaptive repair following AKI. G1 phase cell arrest serves as a protective mechanism following AKI, avoiding replication of damaged DNA. Insulinlike growth factor-binding protei Read More

Arginine vasopressin (AVP), also known as antidiuretic hormone (ADH), is released in response to osmotic and non-osmotic stimuli and plays a key role in many physiologic and pathologic processes. The main function of AVP is the control of fluid homeostasis by inducing water conservation by the kidney, but it also stimulates arteriolar vasoconstriction and the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). These actions are Read More

The aggregation of proteins or their digested fragments through β-sheet structures has a great significance because it leads to neurodegenerative diseases, which are a problem of the aging societies of the developed countries. Short peptides are typically used as models to study the formation of specific structures. However, while the formation of α-helical structure was investigated thoroughly, until recently, there have been m Read More

The peptide hormone relaxin (RLX), in addition to its effects on reproduction, has been reported to influence gastrointestinal motility. Interestingly, the digestive tract has been shown to express RLX receptors and the hormone appears to exert site-specific effects acting at the neural or at the smooth muscle level, mainly by a nitric oxide (NO)-mediated mechanism. NO, released by the enteric nerves and/or smooth muscle cell Read More

Research interests on amphibian antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are currently increasing because of their capability to combat microorganisms from both terrestrial and aquatic environments, which are the warehouses of human pathogens. The most remarkable feature of AMPs are their mechanism of action, primarily targeted to anionic membranes. Researchers have postulated many models to describe peptide- membr Read More

Creatine, a very popular supplement among athletic populations, is of growing interest for clinical applications. Since over 90% of creatine is stored in skeletal muscle, the effect of creatine supplementation on muscle metabolism is a widely studied area. While numerous studies over the past few decades have shown that creatine supplementation has many favorable effects on skeletal muscle physiology and metabolism, including Read More