Bone marrow-derived, circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) contribute to neovascularization in various diseases, and represent a very interesting alternative cell source for enhancing vasculogenesis in regenerative medicine. In this study, we investigated the effects of Ginkgolide B (GB) on proliferation and differentiation of EPCs, and the involved signaling pathway in vitro. EPC pro...

The autofluorescent pigments that accumulate in retinal pigment epithelial cells with aging and in some retinal disorders have been implicated in the etiology of macular degeneration. The major constituent is the fluorophore A2E, a pyridinium bisretinoid. Light-exposed A2E-laden retinal pigment epithelium exhibits a propensity for apoptosis with light in the blue region of the spectrum being mo...

Objective—The objective of this study was to determine the effects and molecular mechanisms of eotaxin, a newly discovered chemokine (CCL11), on endothelial permeability in the human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs). Methods and Results—Cells were treated with eotaxin, and the monolayer permeability was studied by using a costar transwell system with a Texas Red–labeled dextran tracer...

The effect of a thrombin receptor agonist peptide (TRAP-6) on the release of nitric oxide (NO) and platelet activating factor (PAF) from resting and calcium-ionophore (A23187)-activated rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMC) was studied using a platelet aggregation bioassay. RPMC spontaneously released NO, which inhibited TRAP-6-, ADP-, and PAF-stimulated platelet aggregation. This effect of NO was a...

The accumulation of aggregated forms of the α-synuclein (αSN) is associated with the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy Bodies. The loss of synapses is an important event in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Here we show that aggregated recombinant human αSN, but not βSN, triggered synapse damage in cultured neurons as measured by the loss of synaptic proteins. Pr...

Mitochondrial dysfunction is the key pathogenic mechanism of cerebral injury induced by high-altitude hypoxia. Some Chinese herbal monomers may exert anti-hypoxic effects through enhancing the efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation. In this study, effects of 10 kinds of Chinese herbal monomers on mitochondrial respiration and membrane potential of cerebral mitochondria isolated from hypoxia-ex...

Chronic bladder inflammation can result in a significant reduction in quality of life. Smoking remains a leading preventable risk factor in many diseases. Despite the large amount of evidence supporting the risks of smoking, roughly 45 million people in the United States remain smokers. The impact of cigarette smoking on inflammation is well established, but how smoking promotes bladder inflamm...

Effects of the leaf extract Ginkgo biloba, ginkgolides A and B, and the amino acid taurine (2-aminoethane sulfonic acid) on platelet aggregation was studied. All potential anitcoagulants were incubated in day one platelet-rich plasma and subjected to various agonist-induced clotting and tests and other measures of platelet viability. G. biloba extract and its respective ginkgolides had no effec...

Increasing evidence shows that inflammation plays a vital role in the occurrence and development of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Suppression of excessive inflammation can ameliorate impaired cardiac function, which shows therapeutic potential for clinical treatment of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) diseases. In this study, we investigated whether Ginkgolide C (GC), a potent anti-inflamma...