We previously showed that a native very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)- and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-rich mix induces global changes in DNA methylation in cultured THP-1 human macrophages. The exact molecular mechanisms for this response are not yet known. Previous studies showed that apolipoprotein B (ApoB) or its fragments can be localized in nuclei following cellular uptake, thus sugges...

The restoration of blood flow following thrombolytic therapy causes ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury leading to blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption and subsequent brain edema in patients of ischemic stroke. Levo-tetrahydropalmatine (l-THP) occurs in Corydalis genus and some other plants. However, whether l-THP exerts protective role on BBB disruption following cerebral I/R remains unclear...

We have previously shown that acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase-1 (ACAT-1) protein content increases significantly during the human monocyte-macrophage differentiation process. To gain further insight, we used undifferentiated human monocytic THP-1 cells as a model system with which to examine whether ACAT-1 mRNA and protein content can be increased by treating cells with 1,25-dihydr...

Naegleria fowleri, known as the brain-eating amoeba, causes acute primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. During swimming and other recreational water activities, N. fowleri trophozoites penetrate the nasal mucosa and invade the olfactory bulbs, resulting in intense inflammatory reactions in the forebrain tissue. To investigate what kinds of inflammasome molecules are expressed in target cells due...

The release of IL-1beta as an active, mature cytokine requires proteolytic processing by caspase-1, which is recruited to signaling complexes that facilitate its autocatalytic proteolysis and activation. Caspase-1 processing has been characterized in human monocyte and murine macrophage model systems, and comparative analyses indicate significant mechanistic differences in caspase-1 activation ...