Int J Med Sci
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Postmenopausal women exhibit a higher prevalence of obesity due to decreased energy expenditure and increased food intake compared to their premenopausal counterparts. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays a key role in energy homeostasis, thus providing us with appealing therapeutic targets in obesity. However, how BAT proteomes are altered in response to low levels of estrogen remains unclear. ⋯ Our findings demonstrate that the proteins involved in BAT morphology, the browning of white adipose tissue, and metabolic substrates for thermogenesis were regulated by ovariectomy. The dysregulation of proteins by ovariectomy might be related to the disruption of BAT function in the postmenopausal status. Understanding how BAT proteomes are altered in response to ovariectomy may illuminate novel therapeutic strategies for the management of postmenopausal weight gain in the future.
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Background: ECM proteins are instrumental for angiogenesis, which plays momentous roles during development and repair in various organs, including post cardiac insult. After a screening based on an open access RNA-seq database, we identified Nephronectin (NPNT), an extracellular protein, might be involved in cardiac repair post myocardial infarction (MI). However, the specific impact of nephronectin during cardiac repair in MI remains elusive. ⋯ The migration and capillary-like tube formation events could be readily revoked by EGFR or STAT3 inhibition. Notably, phosphorylation of EGFR, JAK2 and STAT3 were markedly upregulated in AAV2/9-cTnT-NPNT-treated mice with MI. Conclusions: Our study thus identifies the beneficial effects of NPNT on angiogenesis and cardiac repair post MI by enhancing the EGFR/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, implying the potential therapeutic application of NPNT on myocardial dysfunction post MI.
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High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a damage-associated molecular pattern integral for hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) in neonatal rats since it regulates the phenotypic polarization of microglia, as depicted in our previous studies. Since this mechanism is not clear, this study establishes an oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) model of highly aggressively proliferating immortalized microglia while modulating the expression of HMGB1 by plasmid transfection. The M1/M2 microglial phenotype and receptor for advanced glycation end products-phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt (RAGE-PI3K/Akt) activation were evaluated, showing that HMGB1 promoted the polarization of microglia to the M1 phenotype under OGD conditions. ⋯ Concurrently, inhibition of the HMGB1-RAGE-PI3K/Akt pathway alleviated neuronal damage in the hippocampus. These findings verified that HMGB1 could lead to an imbalance in M1/M2 microglial polarization through activation of the RAGE-PI3K/Akt signaling pathway under OGD conditions. Obstructing this pathway may attenuate the imbalanced polarization of microglia, enabling its utilization as a therapeutic strategy against brain injury in HIBD.
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Review Meta Analysis
Diagnostic value of circRNAs as effective biomarkers in human cardiovascular disease: an updated meta-analysis.
Background: A growing body of literature has demonstrated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are the potential biomarkers in human cardiovascular disease (CVD). Therefore, a meta-analysis based on current studies was accomplished to appraise the role of circRNAs in the diagnostic of CVD patients. Methods: Studies before October 30, 2021, were searched using PubMed, EMBASE, the Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. ⋯ Sensitivity analysis and Deeks' funnel plot revealed that our results are relatively robust. Conclusions: Our evidence-based analysis results suggested that circRNAs provide higher diagnostic accuracy in the prediction of CVDs. Thus, circRNAs might be potential biomarkers in CVDs.
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Reperfusion injury following myocardial ischemia remained a challenge for optimal treatment of myocardial infarction. Ginsenosides Rb (G-Rb), the primary components of ginsenoside, have been reported to exert cardioprotective effects via numerous mechanisms. G-Rb1 mediate cardioprotective effects via various signaling pathways, including mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, HIF-1α and GRF91, RhoA, p38α MAPK, and eNOS. ⋯ Generally, ginsenosides Rb1, 2, and 3 modulates oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, contributing to the improvement of structural, functional and biochemical parameters. In conclusion, G-Rb, particularly G-Rb1, have vast potential as a supplement in attenuating reperfusion injury. Translation into a clinical trial is warranted to confirm the beneficial effects of G-Rb.