Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Apr 18:1535370219843827. Epub 2019 Apr 18.

1 Department of Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Beijing An Zhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100029, China.

Impact Statement: Our work focused on alveolar epithelial cells (AECs)-derived type-2 cytokine (interleukin [IL]-25) in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We showed that IL-25 and IL-17BR (IL-25's receptor) is upregulated in lung tissues (especially in AECs and lung fibroblasts) of IPF patients and contributes to lung fibrosis by directly activating lung fibroblasts and modulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of AECs. We suggest that IL-25 may be one of the master switches hidden in the milieu of abnormal epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Apr 11:1535370219842791. Epub 2019 Apr 11.

Department of Ophthalmology, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China.

Impact Statement: Some studies have suggested that diabetes and XRCC gene may be risk factors for glaucoma; however, no studies have focused on the interaction between the XRCC gene and T2DM with respect to POAG risk. Therefore, the present study evaluated the initiative gene-environment interactions in POAG. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Apr 8:1535370219839163. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

4 Inflammation Research Center, San Diego, CA 92109, USA.

Impact Statement: The success rate for cancer drugs which enter into phase 1 clinical trials is utterly less. Why the vast majority of drugs fail is not understood but suggests that pre-clinical studies are not adequate for human diseases. In 1975, as per the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, pharmaceutical industries expended 100 million dollars for research and development of the average FDA approved drug. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Apr 4:1535370219840987. Epub 2019 Apr 4.

2 Department of Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.

Impact Statement: We have provided, for the first time, evidence that carnosic acid (CA) attenuates ischemia-reperfusion injury of diabetic myocardium, i.e. diabetic myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (DMI/R) injury, via enhancement of autophagy. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Apr 1:1535370219839953. Epub 2019 Apr 1.

Department of Environmental Health and Center for Environmental Genetics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.

Impact Statement: This mini-review highlights current evidence on the mechanisms through which hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) disrupts transcriptional regulation, an emerging area of interest and one of the central processes by which chromium induces carcinogenesis. Several studies have shown that Cr(VI) causes widespread DNA damage and disrupts epigenetic signatures, suggesting that chromatin may be a direct Cr(VI) target. The findings discussed here suggest that Cr(VI) disrupts transcriptional regulation by causing genomic architecture changes. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Apr 1:1535370219839643. Epub 2019 Apr 1.

1 Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China.

Impact Statement: Due to high-fat and high-sugar diets accompanied by sedentary lifestyles, diabetes has become a global epidemic. Literature findings suggest a potential therapeutic effect of Nrg4 on treating obesity-related metabolic disorders including type 2 diabetes (T2D). Adipose tissue-derived MSCs (ADSCs) were used in our study as they are abundant and can be harvested with minimally invasive procedures. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar 25:1535370219839012. Epub 2019 Mar 25.

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar;244(4):281-282

1 Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, UK.

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar 24:1535370219838674. Epub 2019 Mar 24.

1 Division of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide 5000, Australia.

Impact Statement: The study of M cells, a specialized epithelial cell type found in the follicle-associated epithelium, is hampered by the lack of a universal M cell marker. As such, many studies lack reliable and universally recognized methods to identify M cells in their proposed models. As a result of this it is difficult to ascertain whether the effects observed are due to the presence of M cells or an unaccounted variable. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar 21:1535370219837905. Epub 2019 Mar 21.

1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.

Impact Statement: Amphotericin B (AmB) is an effective and commonly used antifungal agent. However, nephrotoxicity and poor solubility limits its usage. The proposed polymerized cyclodextrin (pCD) system therefore is an attractive method for AmB delivery, as it retains the antifungal activity of AmB while decreasing toxicity, and confining drug release to the local environment. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar 21:1535370219839222. Epub 2019 Mar 21.

3 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Horus University, Kafr Saad 34518, Egypt.

Impact Statement: In view of the partial clinical benefit and significant toxicity of traditional rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatments, there is a growing trend to use complementary therapy. The antiarthritic activity of soy is related to the effect of soy isoflavones. However, little is known about the antiarthritic activity of soy protein itself. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar 20:1535370219837903. Epub 2019 Mar 20.

Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.

Impact Statement: There is a rapidly occurring, dynamic change, in the causes of morbidity and mortality in different populations across the globe. More people today are being diagnosed and treated for chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes than ever before. Environmental exposures across the lifespan have a profound impact on the outcomes of these chronic diseases. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar 19:1535370219834498. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.

Impact Statement: Over the past several decades, ex vivo perfusion has emerged as a promising technology for the assessment, preservation, and recovery of donor organs. Many exciting pre-clinical findings have now been translated to clinical use, and successful transplantation following ex vivo perfusion has been achieved for heart, lung, and liver. While machine perfusion provides distinct advantages over traditional cold preservation, many challenges remain, including that of long-term (multi-day) ex vivo support. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar 19:1535370219838785. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.

Impact Statement: Vitamin A (VA) deficiency and hypervitaminosis A have been reported in groups of people worldwide. Conventional biomarkers of VA deficiency (e.g. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar 16:1535370219836771. Epub 2019 Mar 16.

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.

Impact Statement: This review provides a comprehensive description of experimental and statistical tools used for network analyses of the human gut microbiome. Understanding the system dynamics of microbial interactions may lead to the improvement of therapeutic approaches for managing microbiome-associated diseases. Microbiome network inference tools have been developed and applied to both cross-sectional and longitudinal experimental designs, as well as to multi-omic datasets, with the goal of untangling the complex web of microbe-host, microbe-environmental, and metabolism-mediated microbial interactions. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar 14:1535370219836739. Epub 2019 Mar 14.

1 Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Parenteral Nutrition, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA.

Impact Statement: This invited minireview for the upcoming thematic issue on the microbiome addresses the role of the microbiome in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The incidence of NAFLD has increased greatly in recent years in parallel with the rise in obesity and is now believed to have a population prevalence of 20-40%. It is anticipated to soon become the primary cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality, and unfortunately, there are few treatment options. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar;244(3):207-212

3 Department of Health Promotion Sciences, University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health - Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.

Impact Statement: The study of LINE-1 retroelements and their role in the pathogenesis of diseases of the lung such as COPD and lung cancer may provide valuable diagnostic and therapeutic tools to identify pre-emptively individuals at risk of pulmonary disease progression. Limited information is presently available on the role of LINE-1 in the regulation of disease phenotypes and the development of novel therapeutics designed to curtail LINE-1-mediated pathogenesis. Successful implementation of precision prevention strategies may help to spare those impacted by obstructive pulmonary disease from continued deterioration, while realizing significant cost savings and improved quality of healthcare. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar;244(3):213-226

1 Department of Public Health, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi 832003, China.

Impact Statement: Arsenic-induced respiratory inflammatory damage is an important occupational hazard in many areas of the world, particularly in underdeveloped and developing countries. Effective treatments are lacking and expensive. Therefore, the aim of the study was to examine the anti-inflammatory effects of proanthocyanidin (PC) and the molecular mechanisms in vivo and in vitro. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar 5:1535370219833624. Epub 2019 Mar 5.

Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.

Impact Statement: Bax induces mitochondria-dependent programed cell death. While cytotoxic drugs activating Bax have been developed for cancer treatment, clinically effective therapeutics suppressing Bax-induced cell death rescuing essential cells have not been developed. This mini-review will summarize previously reported Bax inhibitors including peptides, small compounds, and antibodies. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar 1:1535370219834639. Epub 2019 Mar 1.

1 Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Guangdong Geriatric Institute, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences and Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou 510080, China.

Impact Statement: In this study, our experiments confirmed that 50 Hz EMF affected hair follicle regrowth, and 50 Hz EMF enhanced K15 stem cells proliferation in the hair bulb and follicular outer root sheath of hair follicles. Those results indicated that 50 Hz EMF may be beneficial for functional healing of hair loss. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 28:1535370219834305. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-880, Brazil.

Impact Statement: Environmentally induced changes in placental morphological and molecular phenotypes may provide relevant insight towards pathophysiology of diseases. The rare opportunity to evaluate the same patient, with sickle cell anemia (SCA), in two different pregnancies, of opposite outcomes (one early onset severe preeclampsia (PE) and the other mostly non-complicated) can prove such concept. In addition, the comparison to other conditions of known placental and vascular/inflammatory involvement strengthens such findings. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 28:1535370219832810. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

1 Laboratory of Anatomy, Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.

Impact Statement: Bone disease, such as osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis, increases because of the progression of an aging society. Autoimmune disease are important and predisposing factors for the pathogenesis of the bone disease; however, the pathological mechanism is unclear. We have demonstrated that systemic autoimmune disease in BXSB/MpJ- Yaa is closely associated with the morpho-functional abnormalities of bones including bone marrow and has complicated pathology. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 26:1535370219831709. Epub 2019 Feb 26.

1 Department of Psychology, Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center (DEARC), Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA.

Impact Statement: A combined odor and taste cue was paired with a binge-like ethanol exposure (4 g/kg intraperitoneal) using a single-trial learning paradigm. Re-exposure to the CS alone was sufficient to evoke a conditioned Interleukin (IL)-6 elevation in the amygdala in adolescents, an effect that was not observed in young adults. This demonstrates a particular sensitivity of adolescents to alcohol-associated cues and neuroimmune learning, whereas prior work indicated that adults require multiple pairings of ethanol to the CS in order to achieve a conditioned amygdala IL-6 response. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 26:1535370219834895. Epub 2019 Feb 26.

1 Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.

Impact Statement: In this review, we address the potential of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-based hepatobiliary differentiation technology as a means to study human liver development and cell fate determination, and to model liver diseases in an effort to develop a new human-relevant preclinical platform for drug development. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 20:1535370219831225. Epub 2019 Feb 20.

5 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize 53010, Turkey.

Impact Statement: Some six million cancer patients currently receive radiotherapy. Radiotherapy eliminates cancer cells by accelerating their death. However, radiotherapy is not selective, and it therefore harms healthy tissues around cancerous tissue. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 19:1535370219831615. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

3 Physiology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran.

Impact Statement: It has been stated that hesperidin has many pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, antimicrobial activity, and anti-carcinogenic activity; but hesperidin and its derivatives have been under investigation as anti-fertility factors for a very long time. However, our results show that hesperidin can improve mice follicular growth and maturation during in vitro 3D culture. Hesperidin as an antioxidant factor could enhance the mRNA expression levels of two important genes involved in folliculogenesis, PCNA, and FSH-R. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Jan;244(1):36-41

1 Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD), International Center for Chemical and Biological Science (ICCBS), University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan.

Impact Statement: A multistep proteomics fractionation strategy was developed and validated for the discovery of proteomic biomarkers which could be used as potential diagnostic biomarkers for monitoring the progression of disease in smokers and COPD patients towards lung cancer. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 18:1535370219830075. Epub 2019 Feb 18.

1 Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA.

Impact Statement: Considering the clear effects of microbiota on important aspects of animal biology and development (including in humans), this topic is timely and broadly appealing, as it compels us to consider the possibilities of altering the microbiome (without antibiotics) to positively affect animal health. In this review, we highlight three general approaches to manipulating the microbiome that have demonstrated success and promise for use in animal health. We also point out knowledge gaps where further inquiry would most benefit the field. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 18:1535370219830997. Epub 2019 Feb 18.

Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada.

Impact Statement: This review will provide a summary of recent advances in choline transport research and highlight important novel areas of focus in the field. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2018 Dec 6;243(17-18):1245-1255. Epub 2019 Jan 6.

6 Department of Surgery, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA.

Impact Statement: Cancers kill mainly because metastatic disease is resistant to systemic therapies. It was hoped that newer targeted and immunomodulatory interventions could overcome these issues. However, recent findings point to a generalized resistance to elimination imparted by both cancer-intrinsic and -extrinsic changes to provide survival advantages to the disseminated tumor cells. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 14:1535370219831220. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

1 Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R7, Canada.

Impact Statement: This review summarizes the work on transcellular intestinal phosphate absorption, arguing why this pathway is not the predominant pathway in humans consuming a "Western" diet. We then highlight the recent evidence which is strongly consistent with paracellular intestinal phosphate absorption mediating the bulk of intestinal phosphate absorption in humans. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar 13;244(3):227-240. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

1 JS Yoon Memorial Cancer Research Institute LLC, Lutherville, MD 2109, USA.

Impact Statement: This review provides various genetic and cell line data previously published in a way to explain how cellular stress can lead into genetic instability. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 13:1535370219828703. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

1 Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.

Impact Statement: The composition of the microbiota is of critical importance for health and disease, and is receiving increased scientific and medical scrutiny. Of particular interest is the role of changing diets as a function of agriculture and, perhaps to an even greater extent, modern food processing. To probe the connection between diet and the gut's microbial community, the microbiota from a mole rat, a rodent with a relatively unusual diet, was analyzed in detail, and the microbes found were compared with previously identified organisms. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 13:1535370219831437. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand.

Impact Statement: Neuropeptide Y (NPY) has been reported as a vasoconstrictive substance which might be associated with preeclampsia. The novel findings of this study were that Y1R, Y2R, and Y5R expressions were significantly lower in the PE than the NP group. Moreover, the NPY receptor expression ratio between the PE/NP groups was lowest for Y2R (0. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 10:1535370219830665. Epub 2019 Feb 10.

1 Synovial Fluid Laboratory.

Impact Statement: Gout is distinguished by an inflammatory process that is mediated by phagocytosis of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in synoviocytes by regulation of unknown mechanisms. Here we suggest that the synovial cells play a crucial role in gouty arthritis by activating inflammation by MSU uptake and increasing the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, MCP-1, and the growth factors NGF and HGF. We discuss some co-existing features in synoviocytes, including anomalous morphologies of the cells, and microvesicle formation, dysregulation in VEGF gene expression. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 7;244(2):147-156. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.

Impact Statement: By compiling findings from recent studies, this review will garner novel insight on the dynamic and complex role of BMP signaling in diseases of inflammation, highlighting the specific roles played by both individual ligands and endogenous antagonists. Ultimately, this summary will help inform the high therapeutic value of targeting this pathway for modulating diseases of inflammation. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar 6;244(3):272-278. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

1 Department of Physiology & Anatomy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort, TX 76107, USA.

Impact Statement: We characterize the systemic oxidative stress response in young, healthy human subjects with exposure to simulated hemorrhage via application of lower body negative pressure (LBNP). Prior work has demonstrated that LBNP and actual blood loss evoke similar hemodynamic and immune responses (i.e. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 6;244(2):114-119. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

University of Michigan, Department of Human Genetics, MI 48103, USA.

Impact Statement: The work described in this review is very important to scientists working on Alzheimer's disease (AD) because it reveals a cause for the explosive epidemic of this disease. It is also important to the public because it provides a method to avoid this newly revealed cause, and thereby avoid AD. The field is advanced because this review reveals new information about the mechanism of AD pathogenesis, namely copper, and specifically divalent copper, toxicity is important. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar 5;244(3):193-206. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

2 Food & Nutrition, Obesity/Diabetes Center, Hoseo University, Asan 336-795, Korea.

Impact Statement: Menopausal symptoms impair the quality of life of many women, and although conventional treatments are often effective, their use is limited by adverse effects. Ojayeonjonghwan, OJa, is a traditional Oriental medicine that is used for both male and female reproductive health and has a long history of safe use. We evaluated the effectiveness of two variations of OJa (OJa1 and OJa2) for treating menopausal symptoms in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar 5;244(3):241-251. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-3121, USA.

Impact Statement: This work is important to the field of heart valve pathophysiology as it provides new insights into molecular markers of mechanically induced valvular degeneration as well as the protective role of the valvular endothelium. These discoveries reported here advance our current knowledge of the valvular endothelium and how its removal essentially takes valve leaflets into an environmental shock. In addition, it shows that static conditions represent a mild pathological state for valve leaflets, while 10% cyclic stretch provides valvular cell quiescence. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 4;244(2):157-170. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

1 Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Manitoba R3A1R9, Canada.

Impact Statement: Traditional sex-related biases in research are now obsolete, and it is important to identify the sex of humans, animals, and even cells in research protocols, due to the role of sex as a fundamental facet of biology, predisposition to disease, and response to therapy. Genetic sex, epigenetics and hormonal regulations, generate sex-dimorphisms. Recent investigations acknowledge sex differences in metabolic and immune health as well as chronic diseases. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 2;244(2):83-99. Epub 2019 Feb 2.

1 Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.

Impact Statement: Cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide. In 2016, 8.9 million people are estimated to have died from various forms of cancer. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar 2;244(3):252-261. Epub 2019 Feb 2.

1 Division of Pulmonary Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Heart and Lung, Zhejiang 325000, PR China.

Impact Statement: In this study, we reported for the first time that FGF21 alleviated hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension through attenuation of increased pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary arterial remodeling and collagen deposition in vivo, and we confirmed the mutual promotion of FGF21 and PPARγ in hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension. Additionally, we found that FGF21 and PPARγ mutually promote each other's expression via the AMPK/PGC-1α pathway and KLB protein in vitro and in vivo. Pulmonary hypertension is a progressive and serious pathological phenomenon with a poor prognosis, and current therapies are highly limited. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Jan 31:1535370219826070. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

1 Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.

Impact Statement: The studies reviewed in this article combine diet in the context of disease progression or treatment with analysis of the microbiome. First, we present findings on how diet manipulation impacts the microbiome and disease pathogenesis in a broad variety of rodent models of disease. Then, we describe results from clinical trials that are using diet therapies to attempt to shift the microbiome and treat disease symptoms. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 28;244(2):132-146. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Hematology Center, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Cidade Universitária, Campinas-SP 13083-878-SP, Brazil.

Impact Statement: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most common inherited diseases and is associated with a reduced life expectancy and acute and chronic complications, including frequent painful vaso-occlusive episodes that often require hospitalization. At present, treatment of SCD is limited to hematopoietic stem cell transplant, transfusion, and limited options for pharmacotherapy, based principally on hydroxyurea therapy. This review highlights the importance of intracellular cGMP-dependent signaling pathways in SCD pathophysiology; modulation of these pathways with soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulators or phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors could potentially provide vasorelaxation and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as elevate levels of anti-sickling fetal hemoglobin. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Jan 25:1535370219826526. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

3 Department of Internal Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.

Impact Statement: Negative alterations, or dysbiosis, in the intestinal microbial community balance in response to chronic kidney disease is emerging as a substantial and important factor in inducing and exacerbating multiple comorbid conditions. Patients with renal insufficiency experience a substantial increase in cardiovascular risk, and recent evidence is shedding light on the close interaction between microbiome dysbiosis and increased cardiovascular events in this population. Previous association and recent causality studies utilizing experimental animal models have enriched our understanding and confirmed the impact of microbial community imbalance on cardiac health in both the general population and in patients with renal impairment. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 23;244(2):171-182. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

1 Department of Pediatrics, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA.

Impact Statement: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of inherited blood disorders caused by mutations in the human β-globin gene, leading to the synthesis of abnormal hemoglobin S, chronic hemolysis, and oxidative stress. Inhibition of hemoglobin S polymerization by fetal hemoglobin holds the greatest promise for treating SCD. The transcription factor NRF2, is the master regulator of the cellular oxidative stress response and activator of fetal hemoglobin expression. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Mar 23;244(3):262-271. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

1 Institute of Research and Development - IP&D, Universidade do Vale do Paraíba - UNIVAP, Laboratory Dynamics of Cellular Compartments, Sao Paulo 12244-000, Brazil.

Impact Statement: Recently, the use of photodynamic therapy grows as an alternative treatment for cancer, since it has a noninvasive characteristic and affinity to the tumor tissue. Accordingly, understanding the therapy's foci of action is important for the technique improvement. This work aims to understand the genotoxic effect triggered by the therapy action, thus evidencing the permanent changes caused to the genetic material of the tumor cell after the treatment. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Feb 22;244(2):120-131. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

1 Department of Medicine-DIMED, Division of Rheumatology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy.

Impact Statement: Our article focuses on the pathogenesis and treatment of CTD-PAH. In the latest ESC/ESR guidelines for PAH, the authors underline that although CTD-PAH should follow the same treatment protocol as idiopathic PAH, the therapeutic approach is more complex and difficult in the former. This review throws light on several peculiar aspects of CTD-PAH and the latest findings in the pathogenesis, namely, the role of inflammation in the maladaptive right ventricle remodeling in SSc-PAH where immunosuppressants are classically believed to be ineffective. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019 Jan 21;244(1):52-63. Epub 2019 Jan 21.

4 Department of the Salmonid Research in Rutki, Inland Fisheries Institute in Olsztyn, Żukowo 83-330, Poland.

Impact Statement: The delivery of short snippets of RNA, such as synthetic miRNA agents, is an essential step for achieving RNA-mediated knockdown, which has not been studied in sufficient detail in fish. Our results indicate that a MiR92b-3p mimic may be effectively delivered via intraperitoneal injection to the spleen and the liver of whitefish, and that it likely achieves functionality without causing any apparent toxic effects in the challenged animals. We report the novel finding that the MiR92b-3p mimic reduced the in vivo liver mRNA expression levels of its putative pro-apoptotic targets (p53, cdkn1a, and pcna), and important metabolic genes, e. Read More