Metabolism: clinical and experimental
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Review
New aspects on the metabolic role of intestinal microbiota in the development of atherosclerosis.
Gut microbiota remains a very interesting, yet largely unexplored ecosystem inside the human organism. The importance of this ecosystem for the physiology and the pathophysiology of the organism is being slowly unraveled. ⋯ Although these mechanisms remain largely unknown, published studies show that microbiota can lead to atherosclerosis either by augmenting known risk factors or via other, more "direct" mechanisms. This review article summarizes the available literature regarding this matter.
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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) includes a cluster of liver disorders ranging from simple fatty liver to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis. Due to its liver and vascular complications, NAFLD has become a public health problem with high morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of NAFLD is considered a "multi-hit hypothesis" that involves lipotoxicity, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, a chronic inflammatory state and mitochondrial dysfunction. ⋯ The administration of FGF21 reverses hepatic steatosis, counteracts obesity and alleviates insulin resistance in rodents and nonhuman primates. Using several strategies, we show that the reversal of simple fatty liver and NASH is mediated by activation of the FGF21 signaling pathway. In this review, we describe the molecular mechanisms involved in the onset and/or progression of NAFLD, and review the current literature to highlight the therapeutic procedures associated with the FGF21 signaling pathway for simple fatty liver and NASH, which are the two most important types of NAFLD.
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Sporadic or idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder of unknown origin that ranks only second behind Alzheimer's disease (AD) in prevalence and its consequent social and economic burden. PD neuropathology is characterized by a selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta; however, more widespread involvement of other CNS structures and peripheral tissues now is widely documented. The onset of molecular and cellular neuropathology of PD likely occurs decades before the onset of the motor symptoms characteristic of PD. ⋯ The second stage involves application of this knowledge base in follow-up studies. This strategy is unique in that it promotes the use of data-driven (omic) strategies in interrogating diseased and healthy populations and encourages a movement away from using only reductionist strategies to discover biomarkers of exposure and disease. In this short review we will examine 1) advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying PD that have led to candidate biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment efficacy and 2) new technologies on the horizon that will lead to novel approaches in biomarker development.
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Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells and oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with tumors. The last decade has seen significant advances in the development of biomarkers in oncology that play a critical role in understanding molecular and cellular mechanisms which drive tumor initiation, maintenance and progression. Clinical molecular diagnostics and biomarker discoveries in oncology are advancing rapidly as we begin to understand the complex mechanisms that transform a normal cell into an abnormal one. ⋯ Predictive biomarkers using molecular diagnostics are currently in use in clinical practice of personalized oncotherapy for the treatment of five diseases: chronic myeloid leukemia, colon, breast, lung cancer and melanoma and these biomarkers are being used successfully to evaluate benefits that can be achieved through targeted therapy. Examples of these molecularly targeted biomarker therapies are: tyrosine kinase inhibitors in chronic myeloid leukemia and gastrointestinal tumors; anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitors in lung cancer with EML4-ALk fusion; HER2/neu blockage in HER2/neu-positive breast cancer; and epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) inhibition in EGFR-mutated lung cancer. This review presents the current state of our knowledge of biomarkers in five selected cancers: chronic myeloid leukemia, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and melanoma.
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We have previously demonstrated that activation of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in skeletal muscle results in an increased reliance on glucose as an energy source and a concomitant decrease in fatty acid oxidation under basal conditions. Herein, we examined the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the primary ligand for TLR4, on mitochondrial oxygen consumption in skeletal muscle cell culture and mitochondria isolated from rodent skeletal muscle. ⋯ LPS exposure in skeletal muscle alters mitochondrial oxygen consumption and substrate preference, which is absent when antioxidants are present.