Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays a central role in development and is also involved in a diverse array of diseases. β-Catenin activity is tightly regulated via a multiprotein complex that includes the kinase glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β). GSK-3β phosphorylates β-catenin, marking it for ubiquitination and degradation via the proteasome. Thus in regulation of the Wnt pathway, the ubiquitin sy...

The aim of the present study was to examine the protective effect of proanthocyanidins anoxia-reoxygenation injury of myocardial cells and its association with phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/Akt and glycogen synthase kinase (PI3K/Akt/GSK)-3β and ATP-sensitive potassium channels. Neonatal rat myocardial cells were cultured and an anoxia-reoxygenation model was established following pretreatment w...

Aberrant Wnt signaling appears to play an important role in the onset of diabetes. Moreover, the insulin signaling pathway is defective in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and fructose-fed rats. Nevertheless, the relationships between Wnt signaling and the insulin pathway and the related modulation of blood pressure (BP) in the central nervous system...

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate whether astragaloside IV modulates the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening through glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) in H9c2 cells. METHODS H9c2 cells were exposed to astragaloside IV for 20 min. GSK-3β (Ser(9)), Akt (Ser(473)), and VASP (Ser(239)) activities were determined with western blot. The mPTP opening was evaluated by...

Immunopathogenetic mechanisms of dengue virus (DENV) infection are involved in hemorrhagic syndrome resulting from thrombocytopenia, coagulopathy, and vasculopathy. We have proposed a mechanism of molecular mimicry in which Abs against DENV nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) cross-react with human endothelial cells and cause NF-κB-regulated immune activation and NO-mediated apoptosis. However, the s...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by extensive deposition of amyloid β (Aβ) and formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) consisting of hyperphosphorylated Tau. So far, a variety of AD drugs targeting Aβ have been developed, but ended in failure. A recent focus on AD therapy, therefore, is development of Tau-targeted drugs. Aβ activates glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), that plays...

BACKGROUND Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic auto- immune disease characterized by joint synovitis. Recent evidence suggests that rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts (RASFs) promote joint destruction. In this study, we investigated the role of microRNA-26b (miR-26b) in cell proliferation and inflammatory cytokine secretion using patient-derived Rheumatoid arthritis fibroblas...

Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) is known to be closely linked to cell death by various insults. However, whether acceleration of the ΔΨm recovery process prevents cell necrosis remains unclear. Here we examined the hypothesis that facilitated recovery of ΔΨm contributes to cytoprotection afforded by activation of the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K+ (mKATP) channel or inactivation ...

Relevance. The increase in the number of severe brain injuries due to stroke and traumatic injury determines need study develop effective strategies for neuroprotection. article highlights new mechanisms neuroprotective action inhalation anesthetic xenon based on data our own experimental studies. Aim study. To assess effect anesthesia with at a concentration 0.5 MAC (minimum alveolar concentra...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Loss-of-function mutations of the lipoprotein receptor-related protein-6 (LRP6), a coreceptor in the Wingless-related integration site-β-catenin prosurvival pathway, have been implicated in myocardial ischemia and neurodegeneration. However, it remains to be established whether LRP6 is also involved in ischemic brain injury. We used LRP6+/- mice to examine the role of thi...