Search results for "auto"

Induction of skeletal abnormalities and autophagy in Paracentrotus lividus sea urchin embryos exposed to gadolinium.

2017

Abstract Gadolinium (Gd) concentration is constantly increasing in the aquatic environment, becoming an emergent environmental pollutant. We investigated the effects of Gd on Paracentrotus lividus sea urchin embryos, focusing on skeletogenesis and autophagy. We observed a delay of biomineral deposition at 24 hours post fertilization (hpf), and a strong impairment of skeleton growth at 48 hpf, frequently displayed by an asymmetrical pattern. Skeleton growth was found partially resumed in recovery experiments. The mesodermal cells designated to biomineralization were found correctly migrated at 24 hpf, but not at 48 hpf. Western blot analysis showed an increase of the LC3-II autophagic marker…

Oxidative stress, autophagy, epigenetic changes and regulation by miRNAs as potential therapeutic targets in osteoarthritis

2015

Aging is a natural process characterized by the declining ability of the different organs and tissues to respond to stress, increasing homeostatic imbalance and risk of disease. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a multifactorial disease in which cartilage degradation is a central feature. Aging is the main risk factor for OA. In OA cartilage, a decrease in the number of chondrocytes and in their ability to regenerate the extracellular matrix and adequately respond to stress has been described. OA chondrocytes show a senescence secretory phenotype (SSP) consisting on the overproduction of cytokines (interleukins 1 and 6), growth factors (e.g., epidermal growth factor) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP…

On the origin of BAG(3) and its consequences for an expansion of BAG3's role in protein homeostasis

2021

The B-cell CLL 2-associated athanogene (BAG) protein family in general and BAG3, in particular, are pivotal elements of cellular protein homeostasis, with BAG3 playing a major role in macroautophagy. In particular, in the contexts of senescence and degeneration, BAG3 has exhibited an essential role often related to its capabilities to organize and remove aggregated proteins. Exciting studies in different species ranging from human, murine, zebrafish, and plant samples have delivered vital insights into BAG3s' (and other BAG proteins') functions and their regulations. However, so far no studies have addressed neither BAG3's evolution nor its phylogenetic position in the BAG family.

Therapeutic potential of polyphenols in cardiovascular diseases: Regulation of mTOR signaling pathway

2020

Cardiovascular diseases comprise of non-communicable disorders that involve the heart and/or blood vessels and have become the leading cause of death worldwide with increased prevalence by age. mTOR is a serine/threonine-specific protein kinase which plays a central role in many physiological processes including cardiovascular diseases, and also integrates various proliferative signals, nutrient and energy abundance and stressful situations. mTOR also acts as central regulator during chronic stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and deregulated autophagy which are associated with senescence. Under oxidative stress, mTOR has been reported to exert protective effects regulating apoptosis and auto…

Biological and chemical characterization of new isolated halophilic microorganisms from saltern ponds of Trapani, Sicily

2021

Abstract Halophilic microorganisms inhabiting hypersaline environments such as salt lakes, Dead Sea, or salt evaporation ponds, have acquired specific cell adaptation to grow within stressful conditions. In this study, we isolated heterotrophic and autotrophic microorganisms from several saltern ponds located at the Natural Reserve “Saline di Trapani e Paceco”, Sicily, Italy. The aim of the study was to investigate the biotechnological potential of new microbial strains from saltern ponds, by capturing their biological and chemical diversity. After the isolation and identification of the sampled strains, their growth capacity was determined under low and high salinity conditions. The metabo…

Anatomy, immunohistochemistry, and numerical distribution of human splenic microvessels.

2019

Abstract The microvascular architecture of the spleen plays an important role in the immunological function of this organ. The different types of vessels are related to different reticular cells each with their own immunomodulatory functions. The present study describes an immunohistochemical and morphometric analysis of the various types of vessels in 21 human autopsy non-pathological splenic samples. On an area of 785,656.37 μm2 for each sample, we classified and quantified the type and number of vascular structures, each according to their morphology and immunohistochemical profile, and obtained the ratios between them. The distribution of trabecular vessels and the characteristics of th…

The Sigma-1 Receptor at the Crossroad of Proteostasis, Neurodegeneration, and Autophagy.

2020

Neurodegenerative diseases are linked to dysfunctional proteostasis and disturbed autophagy. Here, we discuss how the sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) may act at the intersection of this interaction, as loss-of-function mutations of this unique chaperone are associated with defective autophagy and its pharmacological activation induces autophagic activity.

Microenvironmental regulation of the IL-23R/IL-23 axis overrides chronic lymphocytic leukemia indolence

2018

Although the progression of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) requires the cooperation of the microenvironment, the exact cellular and molecular mechanisms involved are still unclear. We investigated the interleukin (IL)-23 receptor (IL-23R)/IL-23 axis and found that circulating cells from early-stage CLL patients with shorter time-to-treatment, but not of those with a more benign course, expressed a defective form of the IL-23R complex lacking the IL-12Rβ1 chain. However, cells from both patient groups expressed the complete IL-23R complex in tissue infiltrates and could be induced to express the IL-12Rβ1 chain when cocultured with activated T cells or CD40L+ cells. CLL cells activated in…

2021

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease and patients are under an increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) events and mortality. The increased CV risk for patients with SLE seems to be caused by a premature and accelerated atherosclerosis, attributable to lupus-specific risk factors (i.e., increased systemic inflammation, altered immune status), apart from traditional CV risk factors. To date, there is no established experimental model to explore the pathogenesis of this increased CV risk in SLE patients. Methods: Here we investigated whether MRL-Faslpr mice, which develop an SLE-like phenotype, may serve as a model to study lupus-mediated v…

Time to activin on pathogenic T cells

2020

In multiple sclerosis (MS), Th17 cells are critical drivers of autoimmune central nervous system (CNS) inflammation and demyelination. Th17 cells exhibit functional heterogeneity fostering both pathogenic and nonpathogenic, tissue-protective functions. Still, the factors that control Th17 pathogenicity remain incompletely defined. Here, using experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an established mouse MS model, we report that therapeutic administration of activin-A ameliorates disease severity and alleviates CNS immunopathology and demyelination, associated with decreased activation of Th17 cells. In fact, activin-A signaling through activin-like kinase-4 receptor represses pathogenic t…