Open Access

REVIEW

Yong CHEN¹, Yongpin DONG², Xiaoli DU^3,*
BIOCELL, Vol.44, No.1, pp. 1-5, 2020, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2020.08041
Abstract The human respiratory system consists of the upper and the lower respiratory tracts. Anatomically, the lower respiratory tract consists of the trachea, bronchi, bronchioles (terminal bronchioles and respiratory bronchioles), alveolar duct, alveolar duct sacs, and alveoli. Alveoli are composed of two epithelial cell types, cuboidal alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells that secrete surfactant to prevent alveolar collapse and function as stem cells to regenerate alveolar type 1 (AT1) cells during damage repair, and squamous AT1 cells that cover most of the surface area of the alveoli and mediate gas exchange. Previous studies mainly focused on AT2 cells; this review summarizes… More >

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REVIEW

Yuguo YI, Jiamin ZHENG, Yang ZHOU, Zhiqin LIU, Dan WENG^*
BIOCELL, Vol.44, No.1, pp. 7-11, 2020, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2020.08686
Abstract Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a huge threat to public health of the whole world. Around 25% of NAFLD patients will progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which has been predicted to be the main reason for liver transplantation in the United States in 2020. Extensive effort has been devoted to investigating the underlying molecular mechanisms of NASH pathogenesis and developing new promising treatments. Recent studies have demonstrated that pyroptosis, an inflammatory programmed cell death mediated by inflammasome and gasdermin-D (GSDMD), is involved in the development and progression of NASH. This review aims to summarize the recent findings regarding the… More >

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2013

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ARTICLE

Xihe TANG^1,2, Meigang YU³, Rui HUANG², Shengyong LAN^2,*; Yimin FAN^1,*
BIOCELL, Vol.44, No.1, pp. 13-18, 2020, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2020.07593
Abstract Human-induced neural stem cells (iNSCs) transplantation is a potential treatment of neurodegeneration diseases. However, whether the reprogrammed cells have the same characterizations as human fetal neural stem cells needs further exploration. Here we isolated human fetal neural stem cells from aborted 12-week fetal brains and compared with iNSCs reprogrammed from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in gene expression, proliferation ability, differentiation capacity, and the responses to tumor necrosis factor-α. We found that iNSCs and NSCs both expressed neural stem cell markers Nestin, SOX1, and SOX2. However, only iNSCs can be patterned into dopaminergic neurons and motor neurons. Furthermore, both iNSCs… More >

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ARTICLE

Binbin QIAN¹, Xiaoduo LIU², Xiaolin GU¹, Lu YANG³, Dake CHEN^1,*
BIOCELL, Vol.44, No.1, pp. 19-26, 2020, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2020.07859
Abstract Prolylcarboxypeptidase (PRCP) belongs to the S28 family of proteases, which is also a dipeptidyl peptidase. In this study, we demonstrate the expression pattern of PRCP in Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We found that the repression of PRCP expression by small interfering RNA successfully inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Further, we explored the involvement of PRCP in the regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The epithelial marker E-cadherin was significantly increased, meanwhile mesenchymal markers MUC1, vimentin, and SNAIL were markedly decreased in PRCP knockdown cells. Moreover, the downregulation of PRCP in the NSCLC cells induced the expression of apoptosis-related proteins… More >

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2064

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ARTICLE

Osama M. AHMED¹, Mohamed A. HASSAN², Ablaa S. SALEH²
BIOCELL, Vol.44, No.1, pp. 27-29, 2020, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2020.08040
Abstract This study aimed to assess the effect of hesperetin and/or bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) on disturbed lipid profile, heart and kidney functions, oxidative stress and antioxidant defense system in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) was induced in male Wistar rats by injecting 40 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) STZ dissolved in citrate buffer (pH 4.5). The diabetic rats were treated with hesperetin orally administered at dose 20 mg/kg b.w., BM-MSCs intravenously injected at a dose of 1 x 106 cells/ rat/week and their combination for 6 weeks. The diabetic rats exhibited lipid abnormalities manifested by… More >

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ARTICLE

Osama M. AHMED^1,*, Sanaa R. GALALY², Mai RASLAN³, Mennah-Allah M. A. MOSTAFA^1,*
BIOCELL, Vol.44, No.1, pp. 41-53, 2020, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2020.08157
Abstract This study aimed to assess the preventive effects of thyme oil and thymol on doxorubicin (DOX)-induced renotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, and oxidative stress in Wistar rats. Thyme oil was subjected to GC-MS analysis, which indicated that thymol was the major constituent representing 33.896%. Rats intraperitoneally injected with DOX at a dose of 2 mg/kg b.w./one per week for 7 weeks were co-treated with thyme oil and its major constituent, thymol, at doses 250 and 100 mg/kg b.w./every other day, respectively, by oral gavage for the same period. Thyme oil and thymol markedly ameliorated the raised levels of serum urea, uric acid, and… More >

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ARTICLE

Sahar ALZAIN¹, Hana AL SHEIKH¹, Arwa AL THOMALI², Fatimah AL-MUKAYNIZI², Noha ALMOBEREK², Sahar A. ALMALKI², Narasimha Reddy PARINE³, Arjumand WARSY²,
BIOCELL, Vol.44, No.1, pp. 55-62, 2020, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2020.07974
Abstract Residual ridge resorption (RRR) is the decrease in the jaw structure that follows tooth extraction. It is a multifactorial disorder, but reports on the associated genetic factors are scarce, particularly amongst the Saudis. This study aimed to investigate the role of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 oncogene partner 2 (FGFR1OP2) in RRR development in Saudis. The study included 192 individuals (RRR = 96; controls = 96) attending outpatient clinics at the College of Dentistry, King Saud University. Demographic and clinical data were collected, the digital panoramic dental radiograph was obtained, and mandibular residual ridge height… More >

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1770

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ARTICLE

Sareh HAJIABADI¹, Mansour MASHREGHI¹, Ahmad Reza BAHRAMI^1,2, Kiarash GHAZVINI³, Maryam M. MATIN^1,2,*
BIOCELL, Vol.44, No.1, pp. 63-71, 2020, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2020.08171
Abstract Cellulose is the main structural component of lignocellulosic wastes that can be converted to sugars and biofuels by cellulase. Due to wide applications of this enzyme in various industries around the world, cellulase is considered as the third industrial enzyme. The ability of thermophilic bacteria in the production of heat-stable cellulases has made them valuable tools in biotechnology. The aim of this study was isolation and molecular identification of cellulolytic thermophile bacteria from Dig Rostam hot spring and investigating their cellulase activity. Samples were taken from water and sediments of this hot spring, and cellulolytic bacteria were enriched in media… More >

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2601

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ARTICLE

Wensong LIU¹, Yunjie LU¹, Dong ZHANG¹, Longqing SHI¹, Guangchen ZU¹, Haijiao YAN^2,*, Donglin SUN^1,*
BIOCELL, Vol.44, No.1, pp. 73-80, 2020, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2020.08613
Abstract Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive malignancies with poor prognosis and high mortality. Recent studies showed that microRNAs are dysregulated and involved in the initiation and progression of pancreatic cancer. In this study, we found that miR-708 was significantly downregulated in pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines. Lentivirus-mediated overexpression of miR-708 could significantly inhibit the proliferation and invasion, while enhanced chemosensitivity to gemcitabine in both Panc-1 and SW1990 cells. Luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-708 bound the 3’-untranslated region of survivin and suppressed the expression of survivin in pancreatic cancer cells. In pancreatic cancer tissues, survivin protein was… More >

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ARTICLE

Xinxiong FEI, Wenbin HU, Gangsheng WANG, Chunyan SU, Xuqun HUANG, Zhongjun JIANG^*
BIOCELL, Vol.44, No.1, pp. 81-88, 2020, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2020.08125
Abstract Lung cancer poses a serious threat to human life with high incidence and miRNA is an important biomarker in tumors. This study aimed to explore the effect of miR-143-3p on the biological function of lung cancer cells and the underlying mechanism. Eighty-seven samples of lung cancer tissues and 81 samples of tumor-adjacent tissues from patients undergoing radical lung cancer surgery in our hospital were collected. The lung cancer cells and lung fibroblast cells (HFL-1) were purchased, and then miR-143-3p-mimics, miR-NC, si-CTNND1, and NC were transfected into A549 and PC-9 cells to establish cell models. MiR-143-3p and CTNND1 expression levels were… More >

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ARTICLE

Zhenzhen SHI, Jiaxin CAO, Hailong PANG, Lingyun JIA, Kun SUN, Hanqing FENG^*
BIOCELL, Vol.44, No.1, pp. 89-99, 2020, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2020.08059
Abstract Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most widespread and toxic heavy metals to plants. Extracellular ATP (exATP) is thought to be an extracellular effector in regulating the physiological responses of plant cells to environmental stresses. However, the function of exATP in Cd-stressed plant cells is much unknown. The present work showed that treating tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Bright Yellow-2) cell-suspension cultures with exogenous CdCl₂ reduced the cell viability, exATP level, and Mg content. However, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), Cd content, and electrolyte leakage of the cells were enhanced by exogenous CdCl₂. When the Cd-induced accumulation of… More >

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ARTICLE

Xin YANG^*, Liqun LU, Li HUANG, Jing HE, Jie LV
BIOCELL, Vol.44, No.1, pp. 101-110, 2020, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2020.08324
Abstract T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a hematological tumor caused by the malignant transformation of immature T-cell progenitor cells. Emerging studies have stated that microRNAs (miRNAs) may play key roles in T-ALL progression. This study aimed to investigate the roles of miR-145-3p in T-ALL cell proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis with the involvement of the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. T-ALL Jurkat cells were harvested, and the expression of miR-145-3p and NF-κB-p65 was measured. Gain- and loss-of-functions of miR-145-3p and NF-κB-p65 were performed to identify their roles in the biological behaviors of Jurkat cells, including proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion. Consequently, the… More >

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ARTICLE

Ha ABDEL MAKSOUD¹, Mk MAHFOUZ¹, Mi SOLIMAN¹, Mohamed G ELHARRIF^2,*, M ABBASS¹, Ma EL-BADRY¹,
BIOCELL, Vol.44, No.1, pp. 111-115, 2020, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2020.08399
Abstract Pyrethroid esters are widely used as insecticides worldwide. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the harmful effect of deltamethrin on the male reproductive system through the assessment of reproductive hormones, inflammatory markers, and testicular function. To achieve our aim, eighty male 7-9-week-old, Wistar rats were taken, weighed, and divided into four experimental groups. The first group was kept as a control group, and the other three groups were given deltamethrin orally at different concentrations (0.87, 8.7, and 17.4 mg/kg body weight) for nine weeks. The results indicated that deltamethrin administration associated with a significant decrease in reproductive hormones, especially… More >

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ARTICLE

Yao SUN, Yao LI, Xin SUN, Qiong WU, Lei WANG^*
BIOCELL, Vol.44, No.1, pp. 117-126, 2020, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2020.08242
Abstract Phosphorylation is a common type of post-translational modification (PTM). It plays a vital role in many cellular processes. The reversible phosphorylation and dephosphorylation affect protein structures and proteinprotein interactions. Previously, we obtained five proteins that interact with ethylene-responsive factor (ERF) from the cDNA library of Populus simonii x Populus nigra. To further investigate the effect of dephosphorylation of PsnERF on its protein binding ability, we generated different phosphorylation states of PsnERF and demonstrated their protein binding capacity by the yeast two-hybrid assay (Y2H). The secondary structures and 3D structures of PsnERF, ERFm, TrunERF, and psnerf^197/198/202a were predicted by homology modeling.… More >

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