48 research outputs found
Vitamin D improves autoimmune diseases by inhibiting Wnt signaling pathway
Abstract Objective In this study, we investigated the development of the Wnt signaling pathway in vitamin D (VitD) to improve systemic lupus erythematosus in mice to breakthrough clinical treatment approaches. Methods Body weight changes were recorded during rearing. Antinuclear antibodies (ANA), antiādsDNA, and antiāsnRNP were detected in the mouse serum using an enzymeālinked immunosorbent assay. Apoptosis of Th1 and Th2 immune cells in mice was detected using flow cytometry. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of Tābet, GATA3, and Wnt3a mRNA in the spleens of each group. Western blot analysis was performed to detect the expression of Wnt1, pāĪ²ācatenin, Ī²ācatenin, glycogen synthase kinsase3Ī² (GSKā3Ī²), Wnt3a, cāmyc, and cyclin D1 protein in mice spleens. Ī²ācatenin in mice spleen was visualized using immunohistochemistry. Results VitD did not substantial reduce the body weight of MRL/LPR mice, whereas the inhibitor did. VitD notably decreased the concentrations of ANA, antiādoubleāstranded DNA, and antiāsnRNP in the serum of MRL/LPR mice and alleviated apoptosis of Th1 and Th2 cells. VitD markedly increased the expression of Tābet and GATA mRNA in the spleen of MRL/LPR mice and consequently increased the levels of Wnt3a and Ī²ācatenin. Western blot analysis revealed that the levels of GSKā3Ī², pāĪ²ācatenin, Wnt1, Wnt3a, cāmyc, and cyclin D1 could be reduced by VitD, compared with MRL/LPR. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the expression of Ī²ācatenin was the most pronounced in the spleen of MRL/LPR mice, and the expression level of Ī²ācatenin decreased substantially after VitD intervention. Conclusions VitD can further inhibit the nuclear translocation of Ī²ācatenin by downregulating the expression of Wnt ligands (Wnt1 and Wnt3a), which reduces the expression of the downstream target gene cyclin D1. Systemic lupus erythematosus in mice was improved by inhibiting the activation of Wnt/Ī²ācatenin signal pathway
Synthesis and characterization of transparent polyimides derived from ester-containing dianhydrides with different electron affinities
Two series of poly(ester imide)s derived from bis(trimellitic acid anhydride) phenyl ester (TAHQ) and bis[(3,4-dicarboxylic anhydride) phenyl] terephthalate (PAHP), as well as poly(ether imide) s based on hydroquinone diphthalic anhydride (HQDPA), were synthesized with aromatic diamines via solution polycondensation. These polyimide films were transparent with an ultraviolet-visible absorption cut-off wavelength below 375 nm, and with tensile strengths of 42.0-83.8 MPa, tensile moduli of 2.5-4.7 GPa and elongations at break of 2.1-5.4%. Compared with the poly(ether imide)s, the poly(ester imide) s showed higher glass transition temperatures (T-g), lower water absorption (W-A) and lower temperature of 5% weight loss (T-d5%). Moreover, the poly(ester imide) s derived from PAHP with a low electron affinity of 2.04 eV by theoretical calculation achieved better transparency, lower W-A and slightly lower T-g than the corresponding TAHQ-based poly(ester imide)s
A preferable approach to clone hLIF cDNA from the genomic DNA
Complementary DNA (cDNA) is valuable for investigating protein
structure and function in the research of life science, but it is
difficult to obtain by traditional reverse transcription. In this
study, we employed a novel strategy to clone the human leukemia
inhibitory factor (hLIF) gene cDNA from genomic DNA directly isolated
from the mucous membrane of mouth. The hLIF sequence can be acquired
within a few hours by means of amplification of each exon and splicing
using overlap-PCR. Thus, the new approach developed in this study is
simple, time- and cost-effective, and it is not limited to particular
gene expression levels of each tissue
Scale - dependent habitat selection by reintroduced Eldās deer (Cervus eldi) in a human - dominated landscape
Context
Knowledge of the habitat selection of reintroduced species is crucial to successful re-establishment of viable populations and effective conservation decision-making.
Aims
The aim of our research was to examine habitat selection by reintroduced Eldās deer (Cervus eldi) in a human-dominated landscape.
Methods
The study was conducted during the period from July 2005 to November 2007 in the Chihao region, a human-dominated area located in western Hainan Island, China. Radio-telemetry was used to monitor 15 collared deer to gain their location information. Resource selection functions were used to quantify habitat selection of the study population at the landscape and home-range scales in both wet and dry seasons.
Key results
At the landscape scale, Eldās deer showed selection for habitats with scrubland, high elevation, gentle slope, close to water sources and roads. At the home-range scale, Eldās deer showed selection for habitats with dense forest, scrubland, grassland, low elevation and far away from roads, but they randomly used habitats without special consideration to the distance to water sources. At both landscape and home-range scales, Eldās deer showed strong avoidance of villages. In addition, Eldās deer showed increased selection of sparse forests and decreased use of grasslands in the dry season, as compared with the wet season at both spatial scales. Sexual differences in habitat selection existed in reintroduced Eldās deer. Males showed stronger avoidance to human disturbance, whereas females selected vegetation with higher forage availability but poor hiding cover, especially during the antler-growing period (i.e. wet season).
Conclusions
The habitat selection of reintroduced Eldās deer was scale-dependent. As a non-fatal anthropogenic factor, human disturbance had a strong influence on habitat selection of Eldās deer. They more strongly selected slope habitats at relatively high elevations. However, our results also indicated that the reintroduced Eldās deer had certain adaptive ability and tolerance to the disturbed environment.
Implications
This work provides insight into the habitat selection of reintroduced Eldās deer in a human-dominated landscape. If the essential food resources are available, the regions at a relatively high elevation with low human disturbance can be considered as potential sites of future Eldās deer reintroduction.
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A review of nonfullerene solar cells: Insight into the correlation among molecular structure, morphology, and device performance
Abstract Nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) lead the continuous development of organic solar cells (OSCs) with competitive efficiency over 19%. Design and synthesis of novel photovoltaic materials are effective methods to improve the OSCs performance, which can regulate the optoelectric properties, such as energy level, absorption spectra, charge transport, and so on. So far,Ā hundreds of NFAs have been reported. Meanwhile, it has been demonstrated that intrinsic morphology of active layer is partially determined by the chemical structures of NFAs. Hence, only inādepth understanding of the relationship between different structures of NFAs and morphology can guide the molecular design of NFAs for highly efficient OSCs. Herein, we review some stateāofātheāart NFAs according to their functional moieties, that is, arene core, end group and side chain, and discuss the relationship between molecular structure, morphology and device parameter. Additionally, the challenges and prospects for further development of OSCs based on NFAs are briefly considered. This review brings a unique insight into structureāfunction correlation in this field, which may help to rapidly develop efficient OSCs
Oncogenic Y68 frame shift mutation of PTEN represents a mechanism of docetaxel resistance in endometrial cancer cell lines
Abstract In this study, we aimed to identify mutations of key genes associated with docetaxel resistance in nine endometrial cancer cell lines. Endometrial cancers are associated with several critical gene mutations, including PIK3A, PTEN, and KRAS. Different gene mutations in endometrial cancer cells have varied responses to anticancer drugs and cancer therapies. The most frequently altered gene in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma tumors is PTEN. PTEN protein has lipid phosphatase and protein phosphatase activity, as well as other functions in the nucleus. Although the tumor-suppressive function of PTEN has mainly been attributed to its lipid phosphatase activity, a role for PTEN protein phosphatase activity in cell cycle regulation has also been suggested. Various tumor type-specific PTEN mutations are well documented. Here, nine endometrioid endometrial cancer cell lines with PIK3A, PTEN, and KRAS gene mutations were treated with docetaxel and radiation. One mutation with a docetaxel drug-resistant effect was a truncated form of PTEN. Among PTEN mutations in endometrial cancer cells, the Y68 frame shift mutation of PTEN constitutes a major mechanism of resistance to docetaxel treatment. The molecular mechanism involves truncation of the 403 amino acid PTEN protein at amino acid 68 by the Y68 frame shift, leading to the loss of PTEN protein phosphatase and lipid phosphatase activities
An investigation of Li0.6Na2.4V2(PO4)2F3 cathode with NASICON structure in lithium-ion battery
miR-217 inhibits triple-negative breast cancer cell growth, migration, and invasion through targeting KLF5.
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive breast cancers without effective targeted therapies. Numerous studies have implied that KLF5 plays an important roles in TNBC. How is KLF5 regulated by microRNAs has not been well studied. Here, we demonstrated that miR-217 down-regulates the expression of KLF5 and KLF5's downstream target gene FGF-BP and Cyclin D1 in TNBC cell lines HCC1806 and HCC1937. Consequently, miR-217 suppresses TNBC cell growth, migration, and invasion. MiR-217 suppresses TNBC, at least partially, through down-regulating the KLF5 expression. These results suggest that the miR-217-KLF5 axis might serve as a potential target for treatment of TNBC
Targeting mitochondrial circadian rhythms: The potential intervention strategies of Traditional Chinese medicine for myocardial ischaemiaāreperfusion injury
Coronary artery disease has one of the highest mortality rates in the country, and methods such as thrombolysis and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can effectively improve symptoms and reduce mortality, but most patients still experience symptoms such as chest pain after PCI, which seriously affects their quality of life and increases the incidence of adverse cardiovascular events (myocardial ischaemiareperfusion injury, MIRI). MIRI has been shown to be closely associated with circadian rhythm disorders and mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondria are a key component in the maintenance of normal cardiac function, and new research shows that mitochondria have circadian properties. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as a traditional therapeutic approach characterised by a holistic concept and evidence-based treatment, has significant advantages in the treatment of MIRI, and there is an interaction between the yin-yang theory of TCM and the circadian rhythm of Western medicine at various levels. This paper reviews the clinical evidence for the treatment of MIRI in TCM, basic experimental studies on the alleviation of MIRI by TCM through the regulation of mitochondria, the important role of circadian rhythms in the pathophysiology of MIRI, and the potential mechanisms by which TCM regulates mitochondrial circadian rhythms to alleviate MIRI through the regulation of the biological clock transcription factor. It is hoped that this review will provide new insights into the clinical management, basic research and development of drugs to treat MIRI