Drug Des Dev Ther
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Eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) plays important roles in the proliferation and survival of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) in animal hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension models. However, the underlying mechanism remains unknown at large. Autophagy has been reported to play a key role in the vascular remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The purposes of this study are to determine the functions of eIF2α and autophagy in the vascular remodeling of the monocrotaline-induced PAH rats and to clarify the correlation between eIF2α and autophagy. ⋯ Based on these observations, we conclude that eIF2α promotes the proliferation of PASMCs and vascular remodeling in monocrotaline-induced PAH rats through accelerating autophagy pathway.
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Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) has established protective actions against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury by regulating autophagy. However, little is known about the mechanisms of EGCG in posttranscriptional regulation in the process of cardioprotection. Here we studied whether microRNAs play a role in EGCG-induced cardioprotection. ⋯ We confirmed that EGCG has a protective role in microRNA-384-mediated autophagy by targeting Beclin-1 via activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Our results unveiled a novel role of EGCG in myocardial protection, involving posttranscriptional regulation with miRNA-384.
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Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a relatively common, devastating traumatic condition resulting in permanent disability. In this study, the use of exosomes derived from bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs-Exo) as a cell-free therapy for the treatment of SCI in rats was investigated to gain insights into their mechanisms of action. ⋯ BMSCs-Exo play a protective role in spinal cord injury by inhibiting complement mRNA synthesis and release and by inhibiting SCI-activated NF-κB by binding to microglia.
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The meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effectiveness and safety of intravenous administration of dexmedetomidine for cesarean section under general anesthesia, as well as neonatal outcomes. ⋯ Intravenous administration of dexmedetomidine could efficiently attenuate the maternal cardiovascular response during cesarean section, without affecting Apgar score of the neonate.
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Previous clinical studies reported inconsistent results on the associations of statins with the mortality and survival of lung cancer patients. This review and meta-analysis summarized the impact of statins on mortality and survival of lung cancer patients. ⋯ Statins were potentially associated with the decreasing risk of mortality and the improvement of overall survival in observational studies but not in randomized controlled trials.