Programmed cell death (or apoptosis) has an essential biological function, enabling successful embryonic development, as well as maintenance of a healthy living organism [6]. Apoptosis is a physiological process which enables an organism to remove unwanted or damaged cells. Malfunctioning apoptotic pathways can lead to many diseases, including cancer and inflammatory or immune system related pr...

RATIONALE Both nuclear factors of activated T cells (NFAT) and nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) are Rel homology domain (RHD)-containing transcription factors whose independent activities are critically involved in regulating cardiac hypertrophy and failure. OBJECTIVE To determine the potential functional interaction between NFAT and NFκB signaling pathways in cardiomyocytes and its role in cardiac h...

BACKGROUND Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is recognized as a human carcinogen via inhalation. However, the molecular mechanisms by which Cr(VI) causes cancers are not well understood. OBJECTIVES We evaluated cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and the signaling pathway leading to this induction due to Cr(VI) exposure in cultured cells. METHODS We used the luciferase reporter assay and Western...

BACKGROUND Despite the advent of drug-eluting stents, restenosis after endovascular intervention is still a major limitation in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. To regulate the multiple biological mechanisms underlying restenosis, we focused on inhibition of an important transcription factor, nuclear factor-kappaB (NFκB), using a decoy strategy. METHODS AND RESULTS For site-specific a...

Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) promotes angiogenesis and metastasis, and confers resistance to anticancer agents in some cancer cell types. We previously reported that TP stimulates the expression of interleukin (IL)-8 in human KB cancer cells by an unknown mechanism. A mutation in the nuclear factor (NF)κB binding site of the IL-8 promoter suppressed promoter activity in KB/TP cells that overexp...

OBJECTIVE Deep hypothermia is used as a neuroprotectant during cardiac surgery utilizing deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA), although the ideal rewarming strategy is not known yet. Some of the neuroprotective properties of hypothermia seem to be mediated by Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NFκB) as an important transcription factor. The current study was designed to investigate the effect of the...

Phenotypic switch of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is characterized by increased expressions of VSMC synthetic markers and decreased levels of VSMC contractile markers, which is an important step for VSMC proliferation and migration during the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis. Chicoric acid (CA) is identified to exert powerful cardiovascula...

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an innovative and perspective antineoplastic therapy. Tetra-α-(4-carboxyphenoxy) phthalocyanine zinc (TαPcZn)-mediated PDT (TαPcZn-PDT) has shown antitumor activity in some tumor cells, but the manner which caspase-1 involved regulation of apoptosis pyroptosis TαPcZn-PDT-treated breast cancer MCF-7 cells unclear. Therefore, effects TαPcZn-PDT on cytotoxicity, cell ...

BACKGROUND Ionizing radiation (IR) exposure often occurs for human beings through occupational, medical, environmental, accidental and/or other sources. Thus, the role of radioprotector is essential to overcome the complex series of overlapping responses to radiation induced DNA damage. METHODS AND RESULTS Treatment of human glioma U87 cells with DMA (5- {4-methylpiperazin-1-yl}-2-[2'-(3, 4-d...

APC = antigen presenting cell; cTEC = thymic cortical epithelial cell; DC = dendritic cell; IκB = inhibitory κB; IL = interleukin; mTEC = medullary thymic epithelial cell; NFκB = nuclear factor κB; NIK = NFκB inhibitory kinase; NOD = non-obese diabetic; NZB = New Zealand black; TLR = tolllike receptor; TNF = tumor necrosis factor; TRAF6 = TNF receptor associated factor 6. Arthritis Research & T...