Vasoinhibins (Vi) are fragments of the growth hormone/prolactin (PRL) family and have antiangiogenic functions in many species. It is considered that Vi derived from PRL are involved in the pathogenesis of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). However, the pathogenic mechanism of PPCM, as well as heart angiogenesis, is not yet clear. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to clarify whether Vi ...

Chromium exists in many different oxidation states in the environment, Cr(VI) and Cr(III) being the most stable forms. Chromium has been known for over 100 years to be a human carcinogen. The greatest risk of cancer from chromium exposure is associated with Cr(VI). Cr(VI) enters cells via the sulfate anion transporter system and is reduced to intermediate oxidation states, such as Cr(V) and Cr(...

BACKGROUND Acinetobacter baumannii is a significant hospital pathogen, possessing a considerable degree of antimicrobial resistance. A. baumannii resistance to carbapenems and aminoglycosides is mostly conferred by class D OXA carbapenemases and aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes, respectively. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of selected genes encoding OXA carbapenemases and...

Mutations in COL6A1, COL6A2 and COL6A3 genes result in collagen VI myopathies: Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD), Bethlem myopathy (BM) and intermediate phenotypes. At present, none of the existing diagnostic techniques for evaluating collagen VI expression is quantitative, and the detection of subtle changes in collagen VI expression remains challenging. We investigated flow cytomet...

Myosins are molecular motors that move along filamentous actin. Seven classes of myosin are expressed in vertebrates: conventional myosin, or myosin-II, as well as the 6 unconventional myosin classes-I, -V, -VI, -VII, -IX, and -X. We have mapped in mouse 22 probes encompassing all known unconventional myosins and, as a result, have identified 16 potential unconventional myosin genes. These gene...

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi has a 134-kb island of DNA identified as salmonella pathogenicity island 7 (SPI7), inserted between pheU and 'pheU (truncated), two genes for tRNA(Phe). SPI7 has genes for Vi exopolysaccharide, for type IVB pili, for putative conjugal transfer, and for sopE bacteriophage. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis following digestion with the endonuclease I-CeuI, using D...

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is a non-essential metal for normal plants and is toxic to plants at high concentrations. However, signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms of its action on cell function and gene expression remain elusive. In this study, we found that Cr(VI) induced endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and Ca(2+) accumulation and activated NADPH oxidase and calciu...

BACKGROUND Collagen VI related myopathies encompass a range of phenotypes with involvement of skeletal muscle, skin and other connective tissues. They represent a severe and relatively common form of congenital disease for which there is no treatment. Collagen VI in skeletal muscle and skin is produced by fibroblasts. AIMS & METHODS In order to gain insight into the consequences of collagen V...

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, which poses a threat to human public health. Recent studies have shown that mitochondrial biogenesis can be activated by inflammatory and oxidative stress. However, whether mitochondrial biogenesis is involved in Cr(VI)-induced hepatotoxicity is unclear. Here, we demonstrated the induction of inflammatory response and oxidati...

Naive CD4 T cells differentiate into several effector lineages, which generate a stronger and more rapid response to previously encountered immunological challenges. Although effector function is a key feature of adaptive immunity, the molecular basis of this process is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal regulation of cytokine gene expression in resting and restimulated...