Abnormal lipid accumulation in glomeruli could be implicated in the pathogenesis of glomerulosclerosis. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) stimulates collagen mRNA expression in cultured human mesangial cells (HMC). To explore the possible molecular mechanisms by which LDL promotes collagen gene expression, we examined the effects of LDL on protein kinase C (PKC) activity and transforming growth fac...

Post-translational modifications in lens proteins are key causal factors in cataract. As the most abundant post-translational modification in the lens, racemization may be closely related to the pathogenesis of cataract. Racemization of αA-crystallin, a crucial structural and heat shock protein in the human lens, could significantly influence its structure and function. In previous studies, ele...

Recent evidence has shown that the level of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5 hmC) in chromosomal DNA is aberrantly decreased in a variety of cancers, but whether this decrease is a cause or a consequence of tumorigenesis is unclear. Here we show that, in gastric cancers, the 5 hmC decrease correlates with a decrease in ten-eleven translocation 1 (TET1) expression, which is strongly associated with me...

BACKGROUND Evidence has supported a role of DNA methylation in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. The purpose of the current study is to examine 5-methylcytosine (5-mc) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmc) levels in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) at different disease states. METHODS Forty-nine patients with MDD and 25 healthy control subjects were included. The severity in t...

BACKGROUND Human mast cells are multifunctional cells capable of a wide variety of inflammatory responses. Baicalein (BAI), isolated from the traditional Chinese herbal medicine Huangqin (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi), has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. We examined its effects and mechanisms on the expression of inflammatory cytokines in an IL-1beta- and TNF-alpha-activated hum...

BACKGROUND Human mast cells are capable of a wide variety of inflammatory responses and play a vital role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases such as allergy, asthma, and atherosclerosis. We have reported that cigarette smoke extract (CSE) significantly increased IL-6 and IL-8 production in IL-1β-activated human mast cell line (HMC-1). Baicalein (BAI) has anti-inflammatory properties a...

PURPOSE This study evaluated the efficacy of a hydrothermal mineral complex (HMC) supplement in participants with knee osteoarthritis. PATIENTS AND METHODS This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 12-week crossover study with 150 participants receiving either placebo or HMC for 4 weeks, with a 4-week washout period. The primary endpoint was WOMAC™ pain, and secondary endpoints were WOMAC™...

We have previously documented that human mesangial cell (HMC)-derived TNF-alpha is an important mediator involved in the glomerulo-tubular communication in the development of interstitial damage in IgA nephropathy (IgAN). With the strategic position of podocytes, we further examined the role of mesangial cells in the activation of podocytes in IgAN. There was no binding of IgA from patients wit...

Recent data suggest that mast cells (MCs) in patients with systemic mastocytosis or mast cell leukemia express a CD2-reactive antigen. To explore the biochemical nature and function of this antigen, primary MCs as well as the MC line HMC-1 derived from a patient with mast cell leukemia were examined. Northern blot experiments revealed expression of CD2 messenger RNA in HMC-1, whereas primary no...