Elabela (ELA) or Toddler is a recently discovered hormone which is required for normal development of heart and vasculature through activation of apelin receptor (APJ), a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), in zebrafish. The present study explores whether the ELA-APJ signaling pathway is functional in the mammalian system. Using reverse-transcription PCR, we found that ELA is restrictedly expres...

OBJECTIVE The apelin receptor APJ is a putative receptor protein related to angiotensin (Ang) type 1 receptor. The apelin-APJ system has been implicated in diabetes, but its role in the diabetic vasculature and the mechanisms involved remain unclear. Our aim here was to explore the regulatory role of apelin in the aortic vascular tone in diabetic mice. METHODS A Multi Myograph system was used...

OBJECTIVE Apelin is a novel adipokine acting on APJ receptor, regulated by insulin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in adipose tissue (AT). Plasma apelin levels are increased in obese hyperinsulinemic subjects. The aim was to investigate whether the hypocaloric diet associated with weight loss modifies the elevated plasma apelin levels and the expression of apelin and APJ receptor in...

Recent studies implicate that apelin and its receptor APJ may have important role for the modulation of angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to further characterise the regulation of apelin/APJ system in bovine ovary. Experiment 1: corpora lutea (CL) were assigned to the following stages: days 1-2, 3-4, 5-7, 8-12, 13-16, >18 (after regression) of oestrous cycle and of gravidity (month <3, 3-...

We have tested a panel of pediatric and adult human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) primary isolates for the ability to employ the following proteins as coreceptors during viral entry: CCR1, CCR2b, CCR3, CCR4, CCR5, CCR8, CXCR4, Bonzo, BOB, GPR1, V28, US28, and APJ. Most non-syncytium-inducing isolates could utilize only CCR5. All syncytium-inducing viruses used CXCR4, some also employed ...

Apelin, a novel adipokine, is the specific endogenous ligand of G protein-coupled receptor APJ. Consistent with its putative role as an adipokine, apelin has been linked to states of insulin resistance. However, the function of apelin in hepatic insulin resistance, a vital part of insulin resistance, and its underlying mechanisms still remains unclear. Here we define the impacts of apelin on TN...

Apelin is the endogenous ligand of the APJ receptor, a member of the G-protein-coupled receptor family. The apelin-APJ complex has been detected in many tissues and is emerging as a promising target for several pathophysiological conditions. There is currently little information on the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of the apelin hormone. In an effort to better delineate SAR, we synthesi...

It has been assumed that most, if not all, signals regulating early development have been identified. Contrary to this expectation, we identified 28 candidate signaling proteins expressed during zebrafish embryogenesis, including Toddler, a short, conserved, and secreted peptide. Both absence and overproduction of Toddler reduce the movement of mesendodermal cells during zebrafish gastrulation....

Possible involvement of downregulation of the apelin–APJ system in 1 doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity 2 Juri Hamada , Altansarnai Baasanjav, Natsumi Ono, Kazuya Murata, Koichiro 3 Kako, Junji Ishida , Akiyoshi Fukamizu 2 4 Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Life Science Center, 5 Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 6 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibar...

PURPOSE Apelin is an endogenous ligand for the angiotensin-1-like receptor APJ. Because apelin has been reported to regulate angiogenesis, the authors searched for associations between apelin and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. METHODS The study included 55 patients undergoing vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (study group) and 34 patients undergoing vitrectomy for idiopat...