Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry
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Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) can produce cytokines and chemokines that play an important role in the mucosal immune response. Regulation of this production is important to prevent inflammatory tissue damage. The root and stem barks of Acanthopanax species have been used as a tonic and sedative as well as in the treatment of rheumatism and diabetes. The aim of this study was to examine the inhibitory effect of acanthoic acid isolated from Acanthopanax koreanum (Araliaceae), on IL-8 production via mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) in TNF-alpha-stimulated human colon epithelial cells. ⋯ Acanthoic acid might inhibit TNF-alpha-mediated IL-8 production by blocking in both the MAPKs and NF-kappaB pathways in HT29 cells.
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A large body of evidence links plasma concentrations of homocysteine and cardiovascular disease. Several genetic and environmental variables may modulate such relationship. We investigated the influence of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene variants C677T, A1298C, and T1317C on homocysteine, folate, and cobalamin concentrations in a sample of individuals from a mild folate deficiency population to better clarify the complex interactions existing among these variables. ⋯ Taken together, these results demonstrate a significant interaction between serum folate and MTHFR genotype in predicting homocysteine concentrations. One may consider that a differential response of homocysteine to folic acid supplementation may depend on MTHFR genotype which may have important implications when attempting to lower homocysteine concentrations in populations with mild folate deficiency.
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Increasing evidence shows that CD40-CD40L interaction plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. The mechanism of CD40-CD40L interaction might be related to signal transduction via receptor. The transduction pathway of the CD40 receptor may involve the activation of phospholipase C (PLC) which induces the production of inositol trisphosphate (IP(3)) leading to the increase of the intracellular free calcium on one hand, and of diacylglycerol (DAG) which stimulates the translocation to the membrane of protein kinase C (PKC). ⋯ CD40-CD40 ligand interaction can induce a robust stimulation of the DAG-PKC and inositol trisphosphate-Ca(2+) signal transduction pathway in HUVEC.
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This study assesses gender and age as independent risk factors for hypo- and hypernatremia and describes the prevalence of hypo- and hypernatremia in different population groups. ⋯ Hyponatremia is a common but generally mild condition while hypernatremia is uncommon. Increasing age is a strong independent risk factor for both hypo- and hypernatremia. Gender is not an important risk factor for disturbances of serum Na concentration.