International journal of molecular medicine
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SARS‑CoV‑2 is a newly discovered member of the betacoronaviruses and the etiological agent of the disease COVID‑19. SARS‑CoV‑2 is responsible for the worldwide pandemic which has been taking place in 2020, and is causing a markedly higher number of infections and deaths compared to previous coronaviruses, such as SARS‑CoV or MERS‑CoV. Based on updated scientific literature, the present review compiles the most relevant knowledge of SARS‑CoV‑2, COVID‑19 and the clinical and typical responses that patients have exhibited against this virus, discussing current and future therapies, and proposing strategies with which to combat the disease and prevent a further global threat. ⋯ The proper function of the immune system plays a key role in an individual's favorable response to SARS‑CoV‑2 infection. A hyperactivated response, on the contrary, could account for the more severe cases of COVID‑19, and this may finally lead to respiratory insufficiency and other complications, such as thrombotic or thromboembolic events. The development of novel therapies and vaccines designed to control and regulate a proper immune system response will be key to clinical management, prevention measures and effective population screening to attenuate the transmission of this novel RNA virus.
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The roles of the Hippo‑Yes‑associated protein (YAP) pathway in lung injury and repair remain elusive. The present study examined the effects of systemic inhibition or stimulation of YAP activity on lung injury, repair and inflammation in a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‑induced lung injury. Mice were treated with or without YAP inhibitor, verteporfin, or with or without YAP stimulator, XMU‑MP‑1, and intraperitoneally injected with LPS (7.5 mg/kg). ⋯ Stimulation of YAP activity at the repair phase reversed all these processes. The results of the current study demonstrated that the Hippo‑YAP activity serves a protective role against endotoxemic lung injury. The Hippo‑YAP activity alleviated lung inflammation and injury at the injury phase and promoted inflammation resolution and lung repair at the repair phase.
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The aim of the present study was to identify novel antibody markers for the early diagnosis of atherosclerosis in order to improve the prognosis of patients at risk for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). A first screening involved the serological identification of antigens by recombinant cDNA expression cloning and identified additional sex combs‑like 2 (ASXL2) as a target antigen recognized by serum IgG antibodies in the sera of patients with atherosclerosis. ⋯ The ASXL2 antibody levels were well associated with hypertension complication, but not with sex, body mass index, habitual smoking, or alcohol intake. These results suggest that the serum ASXL2 antibody marker can discriminate between hypertension‑induced atherosclerotic AIS and AMI, as well as a number of digestive organ cancers.
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The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is a novel β coronavirus that is the etiological agent of the pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) that at the time of writing (June 16, 2020) has infected almost 6 million people with some 450,000 deaths. These numbers are still rising daily. Most (some 80%) cases of COVID‑19 infection are asymptomatic, a substantial number of cases (15%) require hospitalization and an additional fraction of patients (5%) need recovery in intensive care units. ⋯ We propose here that the thromboembolic events and eventually the development of DIC provoked by SARS‑CoV‑2 infection may represent a secondary anti‑phospholipid antibody syndrome (APS). We will apply both Baconian inductivism and Cartesian deductivism to prove that secondary APS is likely responsible for coagulopathy during the course of COVID‑19 infection. Diagnostic and therapeutic implications of this are also discussed.
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Diabetes‑associated cognitive decline is a recently identified a potential complication of diabetes. The present study was designed to examine the effects of troxerutin, a potent antioxidant, on cognitive function in rats with streptozotocin‑induced diabetes and to further explore the potential underlying mechanisms. Cognitive functions were investigated by the Morris water maze test. ⋯ Troxerutin elevated the expression levels of the antioxidant enzymes, heme oxygenase‑1 (HO‑1) and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1), and decreased the expression levels of the NOX subunits, gp91phox, p47phox and p22phox. On the whole, these findings demonstrate that troxerutin exerts neuroprotective effects against diabetes‑associated cognitive decline by suppressing oxidative stress in the hippocampus of rats with streptozotocin‑induced diabetes. Troxerutin may thus prove to be a potential therapeutic medicine for the treatment of diabetes‑associated cognitive decline.