Search results for " Cat"
showing 10 items of 7219 documents
The Amino-Terminal Domain of GRK5 Inhibits Cardiac Hypertrophy through the Regulation of Calcium-Calmodulin Dependent Transcription Factors.
2018
We have recently demonstrated that the amino-terminal domain of G protein coupled receptor kinase (GRK) type 5, (GRK5-NT) inhibits NFκB activity in cardiac cells leading to a significant amelioration of LVH. Since GRK5-NT is known to bind calmodulin, this study aimed to evaluate the functional role of GRK5-NT in the regulation of calcium-calmodulin-dependent transcription factors. We found that the overexpression of GRK5-NT in cardiomyoblasts significantly reduced the activation and the nuclear translocation of NFAT and its cofactor GATA-4 in response to phenylephrine (PE). These results were confirmed in vivo in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), in which intramyocardial adenovirus-med…
Functional inhibition of Oct leads to HNF4α upregulation
2021
Organic cation transporters (human, OCT; mouse, Oct) are responsible for the intracellular uptake and detoxification of a broad spectrum of endogenous and exogenous substrates. The OCT1 gene SLC22A1 (human; mouse, Scl22a1) is transactivated by hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (human, HNF4α; mouse, Hnf4α). HNF4α is a master regulator of hepatocyte differentiation and is frequently associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In addition, the downregulation of HNF4α is associated with enhanced fibrogenesis. Our recent study revealed that hepatocarcinogenesis and fibrosis were enhanced with the loss of Oct3 (gene, Slc22a3). Notably, differences in Hnf4α expression, and in cholestasis and fibros…
Conservation status and historical relatedness of Italian cattle breeds
2018
Background In the last 50 years, the diversity of cattle breeds has experienced a severe contraction. However, in spite of the growing diffusion of cosmopolite specialized breeds, several local cattle breeds are still farmed in Italy. Genetic characterization of breeds represents an essential step to guide decisions in the management of farm animal genetic resources. The aim of this work was to provide a high-resolution representation of the genome-wide diversity and population structure of Italian local cattle breeds using a medium-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. Results After quality control filtering, the dataset included 31,013 SNPs for 800 samples from 32 breeds. Ou…
The molecular epidemiology and evolutionary dynamics of influenza B virus in two Italian regions during 2010-2015: The experience of Sicily and Ligur…
2016
Molecular epidemiology of influenza B virus remained poorly studied in Italy, despite representing a major contributor to seasonal epidemics. This study aimed to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships and genetic diversity of the hemagglutinin gene sequences of 197 influenza B strains circulating in both Southern (Sicily) and Northern (Liguria) Italy between 2010 and 2015. Upper respiratory tract specimens of patients displaying symptoms of influenza-like illness were screened by real-time RT-PCR assay for the presence of influenza B virus. PCR-positive influenza B samples were further analyzed by sequencing. Neighbor-joining phylogenetic trees were constructed and the amino-acid alignm…
Pathophysiology of non alcoholic fatty liver disease
2016
The physiopathology of fatty liver and metabolic syndrome are influenced by diet, life style and inflammation, which have a major impact on the severity of the clinicopathologic outcome of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. A short comprehensive review is provided on current knowledge of the pathophysiological interplay among major circulating effectors/mediators of fatty liver, such as circulating lipids, mediators released by adipose, muscle and liver tissues and pancreatic and gut hormones in relation to diet, exercise and inflammation.
Effects of mutations in Wnt/β-catenin, hedgehog, Notch and PI3K pathways on GSK-3 activity—Diverse effects on cell growth, metabolism and cancer
2016
Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is a serine/threonine kinase that participates in an array of critical cellular processes. GSK-3 was first characterized as an enzyme that phosphorylated and inactivated glycogen synthase. However, subsequent studies have revealed that this moon-lighting protein is involved in numerous signaling pathways that regulate not only metabolism but also have roles in: apoptosis, cell cycle progression, cell renewal, differentiation, embryogenesis, migration, regulation of gene transcription, stem cell biology and survival. In this review, we will discuss the roles that GSK-3 plays in various diseases as well as how this pivotal kinase interacts with multiple sign…
Targeting Angiogenesis in Biliary Tract Cancers: An Open Option
2017
Abstract: Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are characterized by a bad prognosis and the armamentarium of drugs for their treatment is very poor. Although the inflammatory status of biliary tract represents the first step in the cancerogenesis, the microenvironment also plays a key role in the pathogenesis of BTCs, promoting tumor angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. Several molecules, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF), are involved in the angiogenesis process and their expression on tumor samples has been explored as prognostic marker in both cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder cancer. Recent studies evaluated the genomic landscape of BTCs and…
Very low doses of muscimol and baclofen ameliorate cognitive deficits and regulate protein expression in the brain of a rat model of streptozocin-ind…
2018
Recent studies devoted to neuroprotection have focused on the role of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system in regulating neuroinflammatory processes which play a key role in the neurodegenerative processes observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD) by inducing glial cell overactivation and impairing neurotransmission. Data on the efficacy of classical GABA-A and GABA-B receptor agonists (muscimol and baclofen, respectively) in animal models of AD are not available. Moreover, no published studies have examined the ability of optimal doses of these compounds to prevent neuroinflammation, the alterations in neurotransmission and cognitive deficits. In the present study, we used a non-transgenic…
Intranasal Administration of Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Human Teeth Stem Cells Improves Motor Symptoms and Normalizes Tyrosine Hydroxylase E…
2018
Abstract Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. At present, there is no effective cure for PD; treatments are symptomatic and do not halt progression of neurodegeneration. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) can cross the blood–brain barrier and represent promising alternative to the classical treatment strategies. In the present study, we examined therapeutic effects of intranasal administration of EVs derived from human exfoliated deciduous teeth stem cells (SHEDs) on unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) medial forebrain bundle (MFB) rat model of PD. CatWalk gait tests revealed that EVs effectively suppressed 6-OHDA-…
Characterization and implications of the dynamics of eosinophils in blood and in the infarcted myocardium after coronary reperfusion.
2018
Objective We characterized the dynamics of eosinophils in blood and in the infarcted myocardium in patients and in a swine model of reperfused myocardial infarction (MI). The association of eosinophil dynamics with various outcomes was assessed. Methods Serial eosinophil count and pre-discharge cardiac magnetic resonance were carried out in a prospective series of 620 patients with a first ST-elevation MI. In a swine model of reperfused MI, the dynamics of circulating eosinophils and their presence in the infarcted myocardium were determined. In autopsies from chronic MI patients, eosinophils were quantified. Results Patient eosinophil count sharply decreased 12h post-reperfusion compared t…