BACKGROUND Recent studies have suggested that eosinophils may have a direct effect on airway smooth muscle cells (ASMC), causing their proliferation in patients with asthma, but the precise mechanism of the interaction between these cells remains unknown. We propose that changes in Wnt signaling activity and extracellular matrix (ECM) production may help explain these findings. Therefore, the a...

β1 integrin regulates multiple epithelial cell functions by connecting cells with the extracellular matrix (ECM). While β1 integrin-mediated signaling in murine epithelial stem cells is well-studied, its role in human adult epithelial progenitor cells (ePCs) in situ remains to be defined. Using microdissected, organ-cultured human scalp hair follicles (HFs) as a clinically relevant model for st...

the widespread use of sulfur mustard  (sm) as a chemical warfare agent in the  past century has proved its long-lasting toxic effects. despite a lot of research over the past decades on iranian veterans, there are still major gaps in the sm literature. transforming growth  factor  (tgf-β),  a  cytokine  that  affects  many  different  cell processes,  has  an important role in the lungs of pati...

objective(s):fuzheng huayu recipe (fzhy) exerts significant protective effects against liver fibrosis by strengthening the body’s resistance and removing blood stasis. however, the molecular mechanisms through which fzhy affects liver fibrosis are still unclear. in this study, we examined the expression levels of factors involved in the inhibitor κb kinase-β (ikk-β)/nuclear factor-κb (nf-κb) an...

Several studies in humans or transgenic animals have reported that the 389 Arg or Gly polymorphic variation of the β1-adrenergic receptor (AR) is associated with differential responses to beta-blocker therapy and/or myocardial disease progression. Analysis of changes in gene expression is an important means of defining molecular differences associated with structural or functional phenotypic va...

BACKGROUND The pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in dogs is poorly understood. In human, transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) is considered central in the pathogenesis. OBJECTIVES To investigate TGF-β1 pathway in IPF. ANIMALS Lung tissues from 12 affected and 11 control dogs. Serum from 16 affected West Highland white Terriers (WHWTs) and healthy dogs from predisposed (1...

Increased expression of the immunosuppressive cytokines, TGF-β1 and IL-10, is a hallmark of the advanced stages of cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL), where it has been associated with suppressed immunity, increased susceptibility to infections, and diminished antitumor responses. Yet, little is known about the transcriptional regulation of TGF-β1 and IL-10 in CTCL, and about their function in re...

AGEs accumulation in the skin affects extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover and triggers diabetes associated skin conditions and accelerated skin aging. The receptor of AGEs (RAGE) has an essential contribution to cellular dysfunction driven by chronic inflammatory responses while TGF-β1 is critical in both dermal homeostasis and inflammation. We investigated the contribution of RAGE and TGF-β1 t...

Although immune thrombocytopenia is a common cause for chronic thrombocytopenia in children and adolescents other disorders potentially associated with low platelet counts should be taken into consideration. The differential diagnosis includes both hematologic malignancies and inherited platelet disorders (IPDs). Macrothrombocytopenias, a subgroup of IPDs, may result from a defective expression...

Na-K-ATPase plays a central role in a variety of physiological processes, including ion transport and regulation of cell volume. Our previous data showed that hyperoxia increased the expression of Na-K-ATPase α1 and β1 mRNA in lung type II cells. We similarly show that hyperoxia (≥95% O2 for 24-48 h) increased steady-state mRNA levels in both Na-K-ATPase subunits in Madin-Darby canine kidney (M...