Molecular medicine reports
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Epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) provides a valuable source of fibroblasts that produce extracellular matrix in airway walls. The Sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway plays an essential role in regulating tissue turnover and homeostasis. SHH is strikingly upregulated in the bronchial epithelia during asthma. ⋯ Moreover, gene silencing or the pharmacological inhibition of Gli1 ameliorated EMT. In summary, these findings suggest that HDM/TGF‑β1 may induce EMT in HBECs via an SHH signaling mechanism. Inhibition of SHH signaling may be a novel therapeutic method for preventing airway remodeling in asthma.
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Damage to the blood‑brain barrier (BBB) resulting from systemic inflammation caused by surgical trauma is associated with cognitive dysfunction, and individuals with hyperlipidemia are more sensitive to such impairment. The present study was designed to ascertain whether dexmedetomidine (Dex) treatment could reduce the incidence of cognitive dysfunction following surgery in a hyperlipidemia model. Hyperlipidemia was induced in Sprague‑Dawley rats (male, 6‑7 months old) by consuming a high‑fat diet, and rats were divided into three groups (n=10 each) and underwent: exploratory laparotomy to introduce surgical trauma (surgery group), laparotomy and Dex treatment (surgery+Dex group), or sham surgery (sham group). ⋯ Mfsd2a mRNA expression was higher in the sham and surgery+Dex groups compared with that noted in the surgery group (P<0.05). In conclusion, Dex treatment decreased the incidence of cognitive dysfunction following surgical trauma in a hyperlipidemia rat model. We demonstrated that Dex stabilized BBB integrity through increased Mfsd2a gene expression.