Biochemical and biophysical research communications
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Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. · Nov 2014
Deletion of sterol O-acyltransferase 2 (SOAT2) function in mice deficient in lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) dramatically reduces esterified cholesterol sequestration in the small intestine and liver.
Sterol O-acyltransferase 2 (SOAT2), also known as ACAT2, is the major cholesterol esterifying enzyme in the liver and small intestine (SI). Esterified cholesterol (EC) carried in certain classes of plasma lipoproteins is hydrolyzed by lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) when they are cleared from the circulation. Loss-of-function mutations in LIPA, the gene that encodes LAL, result in Wolman disease (WD) or cholesteryl ester storage disease (CESD). ⋯ The level of EC accumulation in the SI of the Lal(-)(/)(-):Soat2(-)(/)(-) mice was also much less than in their Lal(-)(/)(-):Soat2(+)(/)(+) littermates. In addition, there was a >70% reduction in plasma transaminase activities in the Lal(-)(/)(-):Soat2(-)(/)(-) mice. These studies illustrate how the severity of disease in a mouse model for CESD can be substantially ameliorated by elimination of SOAT2 function.
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Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. · Nov 2014
Perillaldehyde attenuates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury-triggered overexpression of inflammatory cytokines via modulating Akt/JNK pathway in the rat brain cortex.
Perillaldehyde (PAH), one of the major oil components in Perilla frutescens, has anti-inflammatory effects. Few studies have examined the neuroprotective effect of PAH on stroke. So the aim of our study is to investigate the effect of PAH on ischemia-reperfusion-induced injury in the rat brain cortex. ⋯ Meanwhile, the PAH groups exhibited a dramatically decrease of apoptosis-related mRNA expression such as Bax and caspase-3. Our findings shown that PAH attenuates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in the rat brain cortex, and suggest its neuroprotective effect is relate to regulating the inflammatory response through Akt /JNK pathway. The activation of this signalling pathway eventually inhibits apoptotic cell death induced by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion.