NO/cGMP signaling plays an important role in vascular relaxation and regulation of blood pressure. The key enzyme in the cascade, the NO-stimulated cGMP-forming guanylyl cyclase exists in two enzymatically indistinguishable isoforms (NO-GC1, NO-GC2) with NO-GC1 being the major NO-GC in the vasculature. Here, we studied the NO/cGMP pathway in renal resistance arteries of NO-GC1 KO mice and its r...

BACKGROUND There is a debate regarding the management of ovarian immature teratomas (ITs). In adult women, postoperative chemotherapy is standard except for stage I, grade 1 disease, whereas surgery alone is standard in pediatric patients. To determine the role of chemotherapy, a pooled analysis of pediatric and adult clinical trials was conducted. METHODS Data from 7 pediatric trials and 2 a...

PURPOSE To examine the spatial and temporal characteristics of cone cell survival and the expression of guanylate cyclase-activating proteins (GCAPs) in the guanylate cyclase (GC)-1 knockout (KO) mouse retina. METHODS Immunohistochemical analyses with peanut agglutinin and an antibody specific for cone transducin were used to examine cone cell survival in the GC1 KO retina at 4, 5, 9, 16, and...

In the regulation of vascular tone, the dilatory nitric oxide (NO)/cGMP pathway balances vasoconstriction induced by the renin-angiotensin and sympathetic nervous systems. NO-induced cGMP formation is catalyzed by two guanylyl cyclases (GC), NO-sensitive guanylyl cyclase 1 (NO-GC1) and NO-GC2, with indistinguishable enzymatic properties. In vascular smooth muscle cells, NO-GC1 is the major isof...

Among single-spanning transmembrane receptors (sTMRs), two guanylyl cyclase receptors, GC1 and GC2, are critically important during phototransduction in vertebrate retinal photoreceptor cells. Ca(2+)-free forms of guanylyl cyclase-activating proteins (GCAPs) stimulate GCs intracellularly by a molecular mechanism that is not fully understood. To gain further insight into the mechanism of activat...

BACKGROUND Nuclear mitotic apparatus protein 1 (NuMA1) had been reported to produce three groups of isoforms categorized as long, middle, and short groups, of which short NuMA displayed distinct localization patterns compared to long and middle isoforms. However, the function of short NuMA was not clear in the progress of cancer formation. This study aimed to unveil the role of short NuMA in ca...

Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is a highly problematic pathogen with an enormous capacity to acquire or upregulate antibiotic drug resistance determinants. The genomic epidemiology and resistome structure of 46 A. clinical isolates were studied using whole-genome sequencing. chosen based on reduced susceptibility at least three classes antimicrobial compounds initially identified MALDI-...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE In addition to its role as a transport protein, the vitamin D binding protein (DBP) may also affect lipid metabolism, inflammation and carcinogenesis. There are three common variants of the DBP, Gc1s (1s), Gc1f (1f), Gc2 (2) that result in six common phenotypes (1s/1s, 1s/1f, 1s/2, 1f/1f, 1f/2, and 2/2). These phenotypes can be identified by genotyping for the two singl...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper is to review the evidence from studies that evaluated the relationship between vitamin D and endometriosis. DESIGN Comprehensive review. MATERIALS AND METHODS Systematic literature search in Medline for relevant publications from 1946 until June 2013. RESULTS Endometriosis risk may be influenced by dietary vitamin D intake and plasma hydroxyvitamin D concen...

Introduction The integration of fuel processors, the catalytic units that can convert fossil fuels to hydrogen-rich streams, with hydrogen fuel cells is considered as a promising solution to the problems related to the availability, distribution and storage of hydrogen. Recent computer-based studies have demonstrated the possibility of efficient hydrogen production on-board the vehicles through...