Dexmedetomidine has been reported to reduce mortality in septic rats. This study was designed to investigate the effects of dexmedetomidine on inflammatory reaction in lung tissues of septic rats induced by CLP. After induction of sepsis, the rats were treated with normal saline or dexmedetomidine (5, 10, or 20 μg/kg). The survival rate of septic rats in 24 h was recorded. The inflammation of l...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) expression and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in colorectal carcinoma by detecting the expression of IE1-72, TLR2, TLR4 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in colorectal carcinoma and colon adenoma samples, as well as by analyzing the mRNA levels of the proteins in colon cancer cell lines, following ...

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease occurs frequently in the setting of metabolic syndrome, but the factors leading to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are not fully understood. This study investigated Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling in human liver with the goal of delineating whether activation of this pathway segregates those with nonalcoholic fatty liver from those with NASH. Experimen...

Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (IIR) is a common pathological event associated with intestinal injury and apoptosis with high mortality. Nuclear factor (NF)-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) is a key transcription factor that interacts with NF-κB and has a vital anti-inflammatory effect. However, whether Nrf2 has a role in IIR-induced apoptosis and the possible underlining mechanisms, such as modulat...

BACKGROUND Fatty acid deposition in the liver can activate a number of pro-inflammatory signaling pathways such as the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway, which may be important in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. 1,25(OH)2D3 downregulates the expression of TLR4 and may represent a novel treatment strategy for reducing hepatocyte injury. Therefore, in this study, we investigat...

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-mediated apoptosis plays a critical role in the etiology and pathogenesis of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury (MIRI). Bicyclol has been shown to possess a variety of pharmacological effects, but its anti-apoptotic property has garnered particular interest. The aim of this study is to elucidate the cardioprotective effect of bicyclol in I/R injury, and to ...

Pain caused by acute pulpitis (AP) is a common symptom in clinical settings. However, its underlying mechanisms have largely remained unknown. Using AP model, we demonstrated that dental injury caused severe pulp inflammation with up-regulated serum IL-1β. Assessment from head-withdrawal reflex thresholds (HWTs) and open-field test demonstrated nociceptive response at 1 day post injury. A consi...

This study assessed the inflammatory response mediated by the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway after acute eccentric exercise before and after an eccentric training program in women. Twenty women performed two acute eccentric bouts using a squat machine over a ~9 week interval. The training group (TG) carried out an eccentric training program during 6 weeks, while the control group...

AIMS The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a damage pattern molecule that signals the presence of necrosis, on TLR4 signaling in hepatic stellate cells (HSC). MAIN METHODS Immortalized mouse HSC lines JS1, JS2, and JS3 that were either TLR4(+/+), TLR4(-/-), or MyD88(-/-) were transfected with NF-κB or AP-1 responsive luciferase report...

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are important in a variety of inflammatory diseases including acute cardiac disorders. TLR4 innate signaling regulates the synthesis of anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-10 (IL-10) upon TLR4 agonists' re-stimulation. Anti-apoptotic action of IL-10 in cardiac dysfunction is generally accepted but its protective mechanism through TLR4 is not yet understood. We stu...