Magic-factor 1, a partial agonist of Met, induces muscle hypertrophy by protecting myogenic progenitors from apoptosis.

Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) is a pleiotropic cytokine of mesenchymal origin that mediates a characteristic array of biological activities including cell proliferation, survival, motility and morphogenesis. Its high affinity receptor, the tyrosine kinase Met, is expressed by a wide range of tissues and can be activated by either paracrine or autocrine stimulation. Adult myogenic precursor cells, the so called satellite cells, express both HGF and Met. Following muscle injury, autocrine HGF-Met stimulation plays a key role in promoting activation and early division of satellite cells, but is shut off in a second phase to allow myogenic differentiation. In culture, HGF stimulation promotes proliferation of muscle precursors thereby inhibiting their differentiation

Effects of acetaldehyde produced by alcohol-containing mouthrinses on PDLFs

Antiseptic mouthrinses have valuable preventive roles in dental and oral diseases. There is also evidence that in caries prevention and in plaque control, they provide additive benefits. However most of them commercially available are source of alcohol. Recently the extraepatic alcohol metabolism has been demonstrated also in oral tissue. Interestingly, in the oral cavity, the activity of aldehyde-dehydrogenase (ALDH), enzyme that converts acetaldehyde into no-toxic acetate, is lower than activity of alcohol-dehydrogenase (ADH), responsible of the conversion of alcohol to acetaldehyde