Int J Med Sci
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In traditional Korean medicine, the 16-herb concoction Bojanggunbi-tang (BGT) is used to treat various gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. In this study, we investigated the regulatory mechanism underlying the influence of BGT on the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs), pacemaker cells in the GI tract. Within 12 h of culturing ICCs in the small intestines of mice, the pacemaker potential of ICCs was recorded through an electrophysiological method. ⋯ Nonselective cation channel inhibitors, such as thapsigargin and flufenamic acid, along with protein kinase C (PKC) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors, also suppressed the BGT reaction. Guanylate cyclase and protein kinase G (PKG) antagonists inhibited BGT, but adenylate cyclase and protein kinase A antagonists had no effect. In conclusion, we demonstrated that BGT acts through CHRM3, 5HTR3, and 5HTR4 to regulate intracellular Ca2+ concentrations and the PKC, MAPK, guanylate cycle, and PKG signaling pathways.
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Background: Aim to investigate bile acid profile changes and the Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) status after ileotransposition (IT), and reveal its possible hypoglycemic mechanism. Methods: Twenty male diabetic rats were randomly assigned into the IT group and the sham IT (SH) group. Bile acid profiles were measured using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. ⋯ After sacrifice, the levels of glycoursodeoxycholic acid, tauro-α-muricholic acid and tauro-β-muricholic acid in liver and ileum tissues were higher than those in the SH group (P < 0.05), the level of α- muricholic acid (P < 0.001) in liver tissues were lower than that in the SH group. Moreover, the expression of CYP7A1 mRNA (P < 0.001) and FGF15 mRNA (P = 0.001) in the IT group was significantly higher, and the expression of PEPCK mRNA (P = 0.004), SREPB1c mRNA (P = 0.005) and SRB1 mRNA (P = 0.001) were significantly lower than that in the SH group. Conclusions: We demonstrate a remarkable heterogeneity of BA profiles after IT, FXR activation might has a detrimental effect on glucose metabolism.
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Cancer has been linked to metabolic disorders and diverse gene mutations. Metformin, which is widely used to treat type 2 diabetes, inhibits the growth of cancer cells in animal models. Here we investigated the effects of metformin on human gastric cancer cell lines. ⋯ Our results revealed that metformin and lansoprazole can significantly inhibit cancer cell growth in a dose-dependent manner by suppressing cell cycle progression and inducing apoptosis. Low concentrations of metformin and lansoprazole have a synergistic effect on AGS cell growth inhibition. In summary, our findings suggest a new and safe treatment protocol for treating stomach cancers.
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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the main factors of death and disability in adults with a high incidence worldwide. Nervous system injury, as the most common and serious secondary injury after TBI, determines the prognosis of TBI patients. NAD+ has been confirmed to have neuroprotective effects in neurodegenerative diseases, but its role in TBI remains to be explored. ⋯ GO analysis also demonstrated that inflammatory response was the most significant biological process reversed by NMN treatment. Moreover, the reversed DEGs were typically enriched in NF-Kappa B signaling pathway, Jak-STAT signaling pathway and TNF signaling pathway. Taken together, our data showed that NMN alleviated neurological impairment via anti-neuroinflammation in traumatic brain injury and the mechanisms may involve TLR2/4-NF-κB signaling.
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Ischemia-induced pathological neovascularization in the retina is a leading cause of blindness in various age groups. The purpose of the current study was to identify the involvement of circular RNAs (circRNAs) methylated by N6-methyladenosine (m6A), and predict their potential roles in oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) in mice. Methylation assessment via microarray analysis indicated that 88 circRNAs were differentially modified by m6A methylation, including 56 hyper-methylated circRNAs and 32 hypo-methylated circRNAs. ⋯ According to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis, those host genes were involved in the pathways of selenocompound metabolism, salivary secretion, and lysine degradation. MeRIP-qPCR verified significant alterations in m6A methylation levels of mmu_circRNA_33363, mmu_circRNA_002816, and mmu_circRNA_009692. In conclusion, the study revealed the m6A modification alterations in OIR retinas, and the findings above shed light on the potential roles of m6A methylation in circRNA regulatory functions in the pathogenesis of ischemia-induced pathological retinal neovascularization.