microRNA-210 (miR-210) is upregulated in hypoxia, but its function in cardiomyocytes and its regulation in response to hypoxia are not well characterized. The purpose of this study was to identify upstream regulators of miR-210, as well as to characterize miR-210's function in cardiomyocytes. We first showed miR-210 is upregulated through both hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-dependent and -indep...

The alpha-radioactive polonium 210 (Po-210) is one of the most powerful carcinogenic agents of tobacco smoke and is responsible for the histotype shift of lung cancer from squamous cell type to adenocarcinoma. According to several studies, the principal source of Po-210 is the fertilizers used in tobacco plants, which are rich in polyphosphates containing radio (Ra-226) and its decay products, ...

Oscar M. Portilla-Rivera1, Simón J. Téllez-Luis1, José A. Ramírez de León1 and Manuel Vázquez2* Department of Food Science and Technology, UAM Reynosa-Aztlán, Autonomous University of Tamaulipas, Calle 16 y Lago de Chapala s/n, Col. Aztlán, Reynosa, MX-88740 Tamaulipas, Mexico Department of Analytical Chemistry, Veterinary Faculty, University of Santiago de Compostela-Campus de Lugo, ES-27002 L...

Due to the relatively high activity concentrations of (210)Po and (210)Pb that are found in tobacco and its products, cigarette smoking highly increases the internal intake of both radionuclides and their concentrations in the lung tissues. That might contribute significantly to an increase in the internal radiation dose and in the number of instances of lung cancer observed among smokers. Samp...