OBJECTIVE The canonical WNT pathway has been implicated as playing important roles in the pathogenesis of a variety of kidney diseases. Recently, WNT pathway activity was reported to be elevated in the renal tissue of a lupus mouse model. This study aimed to evaluate the potential role of the WNT pathway in the pathogenesis of human lupus nephritis. METHODS The expression of β-catenin was eva...

Benign airway stenosis is a clinical challenge because of recurrent granulation tissues. Our previous study proved that a Chinese drug, β-elemene, could effectively inhibit the growth of fibroblasts cultured from hyperplastic human airway granulation tissues, which could slow down the progression of this disease. The purpose of this study is to find out the mechanism. We cultured fibroblasts fr...

In the present study, we demonstrate that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces the expression of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 in BEAS-2B human bronchial epithelial cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This increase was accompanied by an increased activity of nuclear factor (NF)‑κB...

The contribution of angiotensin II (ANG II) to renal and tubular fibrosis has been widely reported. Recent studies have shown that collecting duct cells can undergo mesenchymal transition suggesting that collecting duct cells are involved in interstitial fibrosis. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays an essential role in development, organogenesis, and tissue homeostasis; however, the dysr...

The canonical Wnt signaling pathway is crucial for embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis. Activating mutations in the Wnt pathway are frequently associated with the pathogenesis of various types of cancer, particularly colon cancer. Upon Wnt stimulation, β-catenin plays a central role as a coactivator through direct interaction with Tcf/Lef transcription factors to stimulate target...

In order to better understand the mechanisms by which chondrocytes respond to mechanical stimulation, ATDC5 mouse embryonic carcinoma cells were induced to differentiate into chondrocytes and then exposed to mechanical loading. To specifically elucidate the role of this pathway, the localization and expression of proteins involved in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway were observed. Chondrogen...

Background. Both IL-9 and miR-200a are involved in the pathogenesis of cancers; however, the role of IL-9 in pancreatic cancer and the possible underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of IL-9 on pancreatic cancer cells and its interaction with miR-200a. Methods. Pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1 and AsPC-1) were treated with IL-9 and the expressio...

Wnt/β-catenin signaling is essential for melanogenesis in melanocytes. Neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) has recently been demonstrated to be involved in melanin production. However, the cross talk between NK-1R and Wnt/β-catenin is poorly understood. Here, [Sar9, Met(O2)11] substance P (SMSP) was used to activate NK-1R, while L-733060 was used to inhibit it. The effects of NK-1R activation and inh...

The aim of our study was to investigate the mechanisms by which rhubarb regulates β-catenin as well as metastasis of hepatocellular carcinomas. Our results revealed that rhubarb extract inhibited HA22T cell migration ability in wound healing, migration and invasion assays in a dose-dependent manner. Rhubarb also reduced β-catenin protein level, downregulated its downstream proteins, cyclin D, T...

Compromise in adherens junctions (AJs) is associated with several chronic inflammatory diseases. We reported previously that Janus kinase 3, a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, plays a crucial role in AJ formation through its interaction with β-catenin. In this report, we characterize the structural determinants responsible for Jak3 interactions with β-catenin and determine the functional implicati...