A cDNA clone for the Ya subunit of glutathione transferase from rat liver was constructed in E. coli. The clone hybridized to Ya and Yc subunit messenger RNAs. On the basis of experiments involving cell-free translation and hybridization to the cloned probe, it was shown that prototype inducers of cytochrome P-450 such as phenobarbitone and 3-methylcholanthrene as well as inhibitors such as CoC...

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1A (HIF-1A) seems central to tumor growth and progression because it up-regulates genes essential for angiogenesis and the hypoxic adaptation of cancer cells, which is why HIF-1A inhibition is viewed as a cancer therapy strategy. Paradoxically, HIF-1A also leads to cell cycle arrest or the apoptosis of cancer cells. Thus, the possibility cannot be ruled out that HIF-1A ...

Cerebral microvascular endothelial cells form the anatomical basis of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and the tight junctions of the BBB are critical for maintaining brain homeostasis and low permeability. Ischemia/reperfusion is known to damage the tight junctions of BBB and lead to permeability changes. Here we investigated the protective role of 3-(5'-hydroxymethyl-2'-furyl)-1-benzylindazole ...

In addition to increasing cGMP, the soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) activator 3-(5'-hydroxymethyl-2'-furyl)-1-benzylindazole (YC-1) can elevate intracellular cAMP levels. This response was assumed to be as a result of cGMP-dependent inhibition of cAMP phosphodiesterases; however, in this study, we show that YC-1-induced cAMP production in the rat pancreatic beta cell line INS-1E occurs independe...

Neurodegenerative brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been well investigated. However, significant methods for the treatment of the progression of AD are unavailable currently. Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) plays important roles in neural protection from stress by assisting cellular protein folding. In this study, we investigated the effect and the molecular mechanism of YC-1,...

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS) have been implicated in ischemia-induced retinal neovascularization. Retinal ischemia has been shown to induce VEGF and iNOS expression. It has been postulated that one of the crucial consequences of iNOS expression in the ischemic retina is the inhibition of angiogenesis. Furthermore, iNOS was shown to be over...

Twelve beef steers (368 +/- 25.3 kg) and four beef heifers (559 +/- 79.5 kg) fitted with ruminal cannulas were used to evaluate effects of yeast culture (YC) and advancing season on dietary chemical composition, intake, and in situ CP and NDF degradation. Treatments were control and YC supplementation (28.4 g.steer-1.d-1 dosed ruminally). Steers grazed from late June to early November 1991 on m...

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) seems central to tumor growth and progression because it up-regulates genes essential for angiogenesis and the hypoxic adaptation of cancer cells, which is why HIF-1alpha inhibition is viewed as a cancer therapy strategy. Paradoxically, HIF-1alpha also leads to cell cycle arrest or the apoptosis of cancer cells. Thus, the possibility cannot be ruled ...

Yangjing capsule (YC), a traditional Chinese compound herbal preparation, has been proven as an effective drug to improve spermatogenesis in clinical practice. However, its pharmacological mechanisms were not fully clarified. This study was designed to investigate the protective effects of YC on spermatogenesis in the mouse model of spermatogenesis dysfunction induced by cyclophosphamide (CP). ...

In the rat isolated optic nerve, nitric oxide (NO) activates soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), resulting in a selective accumulation of cGMP in the axons. The axons are also selectively vulnerable to NO toxicity. The experiments initially aimed to determine any causative link between these two effects. It was shown, using a NONOate donor, that NO-induced axonal damage occurred independently of cG...