Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) regulates NaCl absorption by the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle (THAL). We found that augmenting luminal flow induces eNOS activation and translocation to the apical membrane of THALs (Ortiz PA, Hong NJ, and Garvin JL. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 287: F274-F280, 2004). In other cells, eNOS activation by shear stress is mediated by phosphatidyli...

In order to maintain normal metabolism, the neuroretina is completely dependent on the constant delivery of glucose across the retinal microvascular endothelial cells comprising the inner blood-retinal barrier. Glucose uptake into these cells is influenced by various stimuli, including hypoxia and growth factors. Recently, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) was shown to enhance retinal endoth...

Skeletal muscle differentiation, maturation, and regeneration are regulated by interactions between signaling pathways activated by hormones and growth factors, and intrinsic genetic programs controlled by myogenic transcription factors, including members of the MyoD and MEF2 families. Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) play key roles in muscle development in the embryo, and in the maintenance ...

Activation of insulin receptors stimulates the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-K)/Akt signaling pathway in vascular endothelial cells. Heterotrimeric G proteins appear to modulate some of the cellular responses that are initiated by receptor tyrosine kinases, but the roles of specific G protein subunits in signaling are less clearly defined. We found that insulin treatment of cultured bovine aor...

The nematode Ascaris suum primarily infects pigs, but also causes disease in humans. As part of its survival mechanism in the intestinal tract of the host, the worm produces a number of protease inhibitors, including pepsin inhibitor-3 (PI3), a 17 kDa protein. Recombinant PI3 expressed in E. coli has previously been shown to be a competitive inhibitor of a subgroup of aspartic proteinases: peps...

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) is a cytosolic enzyme that plays key roles in mediating signaling through many receptors. The heterodimeric form of PI3-kinase is made up of a regulatory subunit, p85, and a catalytic subunit, p110. Although granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) has been shown to activate PI3-kinase, the mechanisms by which this activation is mediat...

The entry of neutrophils into tissue has been well characterised; however the fate of these cells once inside the tissue microenvironment is not fully understood. A variety of signal transduction pathways including those involving class I PI3 Kinases have been suggested to be involved in neutrophil migration. This study aims to determine the involvement of PI3 Kinases in chemokinetic and chemot...

BACKGROUND Resveratrol is a natural polyphenolic compound that has cardioprotective, anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties. We investigated the capacity of resveratrol to protect RAW 264.7 cells from inflammatory insults and explored mechanisms underlying inhibitory effects of resveratrol on RAW 264.7 cells. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Murine RAW 264.7 cells were treated with resvera...

Legionella pneumophila, a causative agent of Legionnaire's disease, is an intracellular pathogen. It intervenes in the signal transduction of macrophages by secreting effector molecules through the Icm/Dot type IV secretion system (T4SS). There is a connection between signaling cascades that regulate phagocytosis and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Class I phosphatidylinositol ...

Skeletal muscle differentiation, maturation, and regeneration are regulated by interactions between signaling pathways activated by hormones and growth factors, and intrinsic genetic programs controlled by myogenic transcription factors, including members of the MyoD and myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) families. Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) play key roles in muscle development in the emb...