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J Craniofac Surg 2021 Jun;32(4):1504-1506

Ninth Department of Plastic Surgery, Plastic Surgery Hospital of Peking, Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.

Background: Skin defect of the lower part of the face and neck is a severe condition for many patients with burn and traumatic injuries or skin lesions. The expanded forehead flap with anterofrontal temporal vessel pedicles has been widely used in lower cheeks, chin, and neck reconstruction. (In this study, we introduce a new concept- "Zipper concept" of the flap design. Read More

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020 12 14;117(52):33597-33607. Epub 2020 Dec 14.

Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology and Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093;

Axon injury is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, often resulting in neuronal cell death and functional impairment. Dual leucine zipper kinase (DLK) has emerged as a key mediator of this process. However, while DLK inhibition is robustly protective in a wide range of neurodegenerative disease models, it also inhibits axonal regeneration. Read More

Biomed Pharmacother 2021 Jan 20;133:110949. Epub 2020 Nov 20.

Department of Nephrology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. Electronic address:

Autophagy has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Transcription factor EB (TFEB) is a master controller of autophagy. However, the pathophysiological roles of TFEB in modulating autophagy and tubulointerstitial injury in CKD are unknown. Read More

Nat Commun 2020 11 17;11(1):5860. Epub 2020 Nov 17.

Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden.

Mature oligodendrocytes (MOLs) show transcriptional heterogeneity, the functional consequences of which are unclear. MOL heterogeneity might correlate with the local environment or their interactions with different neuron types. Here, we show that distinct MOL populations have spatial preference in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Read More

Theranostics 2020 23;10(20):9280-9302. Epub 2020 Jul 23.

Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China.

Increasing evidence suggests that spinal cord injury (SCI)-induced defects in autophagic flux may contribute to an impaired ability for neurological repair following injury. Transcription factor E3 (TFE3) plays a crucial role in oxidative metabolism, lysosomal homeostasis, and autophagy induction. Here, we investigated the role of TFE3 in modulating autophagy following SCI and explored its impact on neurological recovery. Read More

PLoS One 2020 10;15(8):e0236781. Epub 2020 Aug 10.

Department of Biochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.

It has been reported that Bach1-deficient mice show reduced tissue injuries in diverse disease models due to increased expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)that possesses an antioxidant function. In contrast, we found that Bach1 deficiency in mice exacerbated skeletal muscle injury induced by cardiotoxin. Inhibition of Bach1 expression in C2C12 myoblast cells using RNA interference resulted in reduced proliferation, myotube formation, and myogenin expression compared with control cells. Read More

J Neurosci 2020 08 8;40(32):6165-6176. Epub 2020 Jul 8.

Hunter James Kelly Research Institute.

In the PNS, myelination occurs postnatally when Schwann cells (SCs) contact axons. Axonal factors, such as Neuregulin-1 Type III, trigger promyelinating signals that upregulate myelin genes. Neuregulin-1 Type III has been proposed to activate calcineurin signaling in immature SCs to initiate differentiation and myelination. Read More

Aging (Albany NY) 2020 06 9;12(11):11004-11024. Epub 2020 Jun 9.

Department of Rehabilitation, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China.

Mlxipl regulates glucose metabolism, lipogenesis and tumorigenesis and has a wide-ranging impact on human health and disease. However, the role of Mlxipl in neuropathic pain remains unknown. In this study, we found that Mlxipl was increased in the ipsilateral L4-L6 spinal dorsal horn after Spared Nerve Injury surgery. Read More

Exp Mol Pathol 2020 08 28;115:104475. Epub 2020 May 28.

Neurology Department I, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an 710068, Shaanxi, PR China.

The transcription factor EB (TFEB) is known for its role in lysosomal biogenesis, and it coordinates this process by driving autophagy and lysosomal gene expression during ischemia. In the present study, we aimed to explore the role of the TFEB-regulated autophagolysosome pathway (ALP) in rats with chronic cerebral ischemia (CCI) that were treated with remote ischemic postconditioning (RIPC). A modified 2-vessel occlusion (2-VO) method was utilized to establish the CCI rat model, and the CCI rats were identified by the Morris water maze test and histological staining. Read More

J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2020 May 24;39(1):93. Epub 2020 May 24.

School of Life Science, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.

Background: Doxorubicin is effective in a variety of solid and hematological malignancies. Unfortunately, clinical application of doxorubicin is limited due to a cumulative dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. Dihydrotanshinone I (DHT) is a natural product from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge with multiple anti-tumor activity and anti-inflammation effects. Read More

J Cell Mol Med 2020 06 12;24(12):7000-7014. Epub 2020 May 12.

State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn, and Combined Injury, Department of Occupational Disease, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.

Spatial recognition memory impairment is an important complication after traumatic brain injury (TBI). We previously found that spatial recognition memory impairment can be alleviated in adenosine A receptor knockout (A R KO) mice after TBI, but the mechanism remains unclear. In the current study, we used manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and the Y-maze test to determine whether the electrical activity of neurons in the retrosplenial cortex (RSC) was reduced and spatial recognition memory was impaired in wild-type (WT) mice after moderate TBI. Read More

J Cell Mol Med 2020 05 13;24(10):5817-5831. Epub 2020 Apr 13.

Key Laboratory of Transplant Engineering and Immunology, Regenerative Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) as a kind of serious microvascular complication of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) usually causes the end-stage of renal disease (ESRD). Studies have demonstrated that CD103 dendritic cells (DCs) exhibited a renal pathogenic effect in murine chronic kidney disease (CKD). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can alleviate DN and suppress the DCs maturation. Read More

J Orthop Surg Res 2020 Feb 21;15(1):66. Epub 2020 Feb 21.

Department of Orthopedic, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, No.39 Xinling Road, Minhang District, Shanghai, 201100, China.

Background: To study the role of lysosomal decomposition and elimination of old bone matrix, as well as the mechanism of promoting chondrocyte growth and bone recovery through the perspective of TFEB-mediated lysosomal autophagy.

Methods: Rat models of acute knee injury were designed, and autophagy flow was detected by injection of autophagy inhibitors 3-methyladenine. Autophagy flow was detected by RFP-GFP-LC3 double fluorescence molecule. Read More

J Emerg Med 2020 Mar 27;58(3):e153-e155. Epub 2020 Jan 27.

Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Background: Zipper injuries are rare in the pediatric emergency department, with most reported cases involving the penile and scrotal skin. Knowledge of appropriate zipper release techniques is important to ensure safe and immediate removal of entrapped tissue to prevent complications.

Case Report: This case report describes a unique presentation of a zipper injury involving entrapment of the upper eyelid. Read More

Life Sci 2020 Mar 20;244:117331. Epub 2020 Jan 20.

Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt.

Aim: Drug-induced liver and kidney injuries are worldwide problems that cause restrictions in the use of drugs. The injury is highly mediated by oxidative stress and inflammation pathways. So, demonstrating the role of the natural compound (Vit. Read More

Front Immunol 2019 19;10:2675. Epub 2019 Nov 19.

Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States.

Postoperative delirium is a frequent and debilitating complication, especially amongst high risk procedures such as orthopedic surgery, and its pathogenesis remains unclear. Inattention is often reported in the clinical diagnosis of delirium, however limited attempts have been made to study this cognitive domain in preclinical models. Here we implemented the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) to evaluate attention in a clinically relevant mouse model following orthopedic surgery. Read More

Mol Neurodegener 2019 11 27;14(1):44. Epub 2019 Nov 27.

Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of CNS neurodegeneration and has no disease-altering therapies. It is commonly associated with a specific type of biomechanical disruption of the axon called traumatic axonal injury (TAI), which often leads to axonal and sometimes perikaryal degeneration of CNS neurons. We have previously used genome-scale, arrayed RNA interference-based screens in primary mouse retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) to identify a pair of related kinases, dual leucine zipper kinase (DLK) and leucine zipper kinase (LZK) that are key mediators of cell death in response to simple axotomy. Read More

Curr Opin Neurol 2019 12;32(6):786-795

Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology.

Purpose Of Review: Diffuse or traumatic axonal injury is one of the principal pathologies encountered in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the resulting axonal loss, disconnection, and brain atrophy contribute significantly to clinical morbidity and disability. The seminal discovery of the slow Wallerian degeneration mice (Wld) in which transected axons do not degenerate but survive and function independently for weeks has transformed concepts on axonal biology and raised hopes that axonopathies may be amenable to specific therapeutic interventions. Here we review mechanisms of axonal degeneration and also describe how these mechanisms may inform biological therapies of traumatic axonopathy in the context of TBI. Read More

Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2019 10;35:501-521

Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA; email:

The dual leucine zipper-bearing kinase (DLK) and leucine zipper-bearing kinase (LZK) are evolutionarily conserved MAPKKKs of the mixed-lineage kinase family. Acting upstream of stress-responsive JNK and p38 MAP kinases, DLK and LZK have emerged as central players in neuronal responses to a variety of acute and traumatic injuries. Recent studies also implicate their function in astrocytes, microglia, and other nonneuronal cells, reflecting their expanding roles in the multicellular response to injury and in disease. Read More

Hepatology 2020 04 24;71(4):1421-1436. Epub 2020 Jan 24.

CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.

Background And Aims: STAT3, a member of the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) family, is strongly associated with liver injury, inflammation, regeneration, and hepatocellular carcinoma development. However, the signals that regulate STAT3 activity are not completely understood.

Approach And Results: Here we characterize CREB/ATF bZIP transcription factor CREBZF as a critical regulator of STAT3 in the hepatocyte to repress liver regeneration. Read More

FASEB J 2019 08 10;33(8):9062-9074. Epub 2019 Jun 10.

Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China.

The paracellular gap formed by endothelial cell (EC) contraction is fundamental for endothelium permeability, but the mechanism underlying EC contraction has yet to be determined. Here, we identified the zipper-interacting protein kinase (ZIPK) as the kinase for EC contraction and myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation. Inhibition of ZIPK activity by pharmacological inhibitors and small interfering RNAs led to a significant decrease in the mono- and diphosphorylation of MLCs along with a contractile response to thrombin, suggesting an essential role of ZIPK in EC paracellular permeability. Read More

Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol 2019 Dec;47(1):2307-2315

c Department of Pediatrics, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University , Changchun , Jilin , China.

The present study planned to dig the potential impacts of long non-coding RNA B3GALT5-AS1 in acute pancreatitis (AP). A total of 66 patients who were diagnosed with AP using ultrasonic imaging were enrolled in the study. Expression levels of B3GALT5-AS1 in the serum of AP patients were determined. Read More

Leg Med (Tokyo) 2019 May 15;38:69-72. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan. Electronic address:

Autoerotic death is defined as the accidental death of an individual while masturbating, caused by a device or material used to enhance the sexual response. Here we report an autopsy case of autoerotic death and review the literature. A healthy, single, 33-year-old Japanese male was found dead in his room in a prone position. Read More

Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2019 Jul 1;66(4):555-563. Epub 2019 May 1.

Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Huaian No.1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huaian, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.

Although cilostazol was proved to have antitumor biological effects, its function in myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury and the underlying mechanisms were not fully illustrated yet. In this study, a rat model of I/R injury was constructed and quantitative real-time PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence (IF) assay were performed. Our results showed that cilostazol increased LC3 II/LC3 I ratio, reduced p62 abundance, and promoted the expressions of LAMP1, LAMP2, cathepsin B, and cathepsin D, indicating that cilostazol could activate autophagy and elevated lysosome activation. Read More

Kaohsiung J Med Sci 2019 Jul 12;35(7):417-424. Epub 2019 Apr 12.

Department of Emergency, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Limb ischemia reperfusion (LIR) can activate endogenous cytoprotective mechanisms by generating specific proteins against reperfusion injury in remote organs. The present study investigated the roles of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) pathway and the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of this pathway on lung injury following LIR. LIR was induced by ischemia for 4 hours followed by reperfusion for 6 hours (LIR 6 hours) or 16 hours (LIR 16 hours) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Read More

Neurobiol Dis 2019 07 5;127:178-192. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. Electronic address:

Following damage to a peripheral nerve, injury signaling pathways converge in the cell body to generate transcriptional changes that support axon regeneration. Here, we demonstrate that dual leucine zipper kinase (DLK), a central regulator of injury responses including axon regeneration and neuronal apoptosis, is required for the induction of the pro-regenerative transcriptional program in response to peripheral nerve injury. Using a sensory neuron-conditional DLK knockout mouse model, we show a time course for the dependency of gene expression changes on the DLK pathway after sciatic nerve injury. Read More

Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2019 07 2;47(5):646-657. Epub 2019 Jan 2.

Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective function of a synthesized glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper peptide (GILZ-p) in a light-induced retinal degeneration model.

Methods: The GILZ peptide was synthesized and injected intravitreally into Sprague Dawley rats. Retinal injury was then induced in the rats by exposing their eyes to constant white light (5000 lux) for 24 h. Read More

Int J Med Sci 2018 7;15(13):1423-1432. Epub 2018 Sep 7.

Department of Orthopedics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University.

Peripheral nerve injury is known to activate the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) pathway as one of pro-regenerative transcriptional programs, which could stimulate multiple injury-induced gene expression and contribute to axon regeneration and functional recovery. However, the role of HIF-1α in peripheral nerve regeneration remains to be fully elucidated. In this study, rats were divided into three groups and treated with sham surgery, surgery with cobalt chloride (CoCl) and surgery with saline, respectively. Read More

J Biochem Mol Toxicol 2019 Mar 28;33(3):e22253. Epub 2018 Oct 28.

Clinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, AL-Delta University, Gamasa, Egypt.

Alcohol consumption is a major global risk factor for mortality and morbidity. We aimed to delineate the mechanisms underlying the potential ameliorative effects of hesperidin against chronically ethanol-induced cardiotoxicity. Sixty male albino rats were divided into normal control group, hesperidin-treated control group, untreated alcoholic group, and hesperidin-treated alcoholic group. Read More

Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018 10 11;504(4):805-811. Epub 2018 Sep 11.

The Nerve Involvement Department in People's Hospital of Changle County, Weifang, 262400, China. Electronic address:

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability, also resulting in long-term serious neurological impairment in survivors. However, the pathogenesis of TBI has not been fully understood. Jun dimerization protein 2 (JDP2) is a member of the AP-1 family of transcription factors, containing a basic region-leucine zipper motif. Read More