RATIONALE The balance between vascular prostacyclin, which is antithrombotic, and platelet thromboxane A2, which is prothrombotic, is fundamental to cardiovascular health. Prostacyclin and thromboxane A2 are formed after the concerted actions of cPLA2α (cytosolic phospholipase A2) and COX (cyclooxygenase). Urinary 2,3-dinor-6-keto-PGF1α (PGI-M) and 11-dehydro-TXB2 (TX-M) have been taken as biom...

Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT-MSCs) are currently used for bone tissue engineering. AT-MSCs undergoing osteogenic differentiation respond to mechanical loading with increased cyclooxygenase-2 gene expression, a key enzyme in prostaglandin (PG) synthesis. PGs are potent multifunctional regulators in bone, exhibiting stimulatory and inhibitory effects on bone formation and res...

The heart is unable to synthesize L-carnitine and is strictly dependent on the L-carnitine provided by the blood stream; however, additional studies are needed to better understand the mechanism of L-carnitine supplementation to the heart. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of L-carnitine on angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced cardiac fibroblast proliferation and to explore its intra...

To determine whether vasoregulation is an important cause of pulmonary perfusion heterogeneity, we measured regional blood flow and gas exchange before and after giving prostacyclin (PGI(2)) to baboons. Four animals were anesthetized with ketamine and mechanically ventilated. Fluorescent microspheres were used to mark regional perfusion before and after PGI(2) infusion. The lungs were subsequen...

The controlled accumulation of fibroblasts to sites of inflammation is crucial to effective tissue repair after injury. Either inadequate or excessive accumulation of fibroblasts could result in abnormal tissue function. Prostacyclin (PGI(2)) is a potent mediator in the coagulation and inflammatory processes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of PGI(2) on chemotaxis of human f...

The Martian moon Phobos is the target of upcoming JAXA Moons eXploration (MMX) mission. There are currently no known samples Phobos, so spacecraft hardware testing and scientific studies require regolith simulants. Here, we present two new simulants: Captured Asteroid-1 (PCA-1) Giant Impact (PGI-1). These simulants reflect hypotheses for Phobos’s formation, thus broad possibilities composition....

Cell-free biosystems comprised of synthetic enzymatic pathways would be a promising biomanufacturing platform due to several advantages, such as high product yield, fast reaction rate, easy control and access, and so on. However, it was essential to produce (purified) enzymes at low costs and stabilize them for a long time so to decrease biocatalyst costs. We studied the stability of the four r...

AIM To observe changes in gastric biomarker levels with age and effects of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in a healthy population, and explore factors associated with gastric biomarkers. METHODS Three hundred and ninety-five subjects were selected and underwent physical examinations, biochemical tests, and measurement of serum pepsinogen (PG) I and II, gastrin-17 (G-17) and H. pylo...

The inhibition of prostaglandin (PG) synthesis is at the center of current anti-inflammatory therapies. Because cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) inhibit the formation of multiple PGs, there is currently a strong focus on characterizing the role of the different PGs in the inflammation process and development of arthritis. Evidence to date sug...