BIN LI^1,2,3,#, YUCHENG SHENG^4,#, XIAOYING XU⁴, SHENGCUN WANG³, HONGYAN SONG³, JINGYUAN LI³, HAONAN JI¹, QINGHUA WANG³, XIAODI ZHOU^1,*, LONGJU QI^2,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.4, pp. 601-611, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2024.047404

Abstract Objective: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive disorder characterized by intricate structural and functional alterations in the kidneys, attributable to diverse causative factors. Notably, the therapeutic promise of miR-145-5p in addressing renal pathologies has been discerned. This investigation seeks to elucidate the functional role of miR-145-5p in injured kidneys by subjecting human glomerular mesangial cells (HGMCs) to stimulation with Angiotensin II (AngII). Materials and Methods: Cellular viability and the levels of inflammatory mediators were evaluated utilizing Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and western blot methodologies, both in the presence of AngII incubation and in… More >

ZIPENG LIN^1,#, CHUXI TANG^1,#, LE KANG², GUANXI LAI¹, SHIWEN LIU¹, YIXIANG WU¹, HUIQUN TIAN^3,*, SONG LIU^1,4,5,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.10, pp. 2217-2232, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.030233

Abstract The multiple roles of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-inducible protein 8 (TNFAIP8), also named TIPE family of proteins have been shown in tumor and inflammation progression and regulation of cellular autophagy and apoptosis. In this review, we found that the TIPE family showed highly homologous sequences and conserved functional domains, such as the death effector domain (DED)-like domain but displayed different roles and mechanisms in different biological activities. For example, while TIPE is primarily associated with tumor progression and antitumor drug resistance, TIPE1 suppresses tumor progression in most instances. TIPE2 has multiple roles in tumor progression regulation, and antitumor drug… More > Graphic Abstract

XUNAN ZHAO^#, EMMANUEL MAGO^#, DAN WENG^*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.10, pp. 2151-2162, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.030570

Abstract Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening pulmonary disease typically caused by microbial infections, trauma, inhalation of harmful gases, and other factors. It is characterized by an inflammation in the lungs and increased alveolar permeability, leading to pulmonary edema and consequently, a low oxygen supply or hypoxemia. ARDS is responsible for 1 in 10 admissions to intensive care units, and the mortality rate for patients with severe ARDS is as high as 46%. Extensive efforts have been devoted to investigating the pathological mechanisms of ARDS to develop new effective clinical strategies. Recent studies have reported that receptor-interacting serine/threonine kinase… More > Graphic Abstract

JIAO HU, JIALU MO, XIANGLIN CHENG^*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.8, pp. 1689-1701, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.029409

Abstract Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases worldwide with a high prevalence and unknown pathogenesis. Further, its control is challenging. It is generally accepted that an imbalance between the excitatory and inhibitory properties of the central nervous system (CNS) leads to a large number of abnormally synchronized neuronal discharges in the brain. Transient receptor potential vanilloid protein type 1 (TRPV1) is a non-selective cation channel that contributes to the regulation of the nervous system and influences the excitability of the nervous system. This includes the release of neurotransmitters, action potential generation due to alterations in ion channels, synaptic… More >

YAN ZHENG^1,2, SIHUI MA^3,4,*, KATSUHIKO SUZUKI⁴, HISANORI KATO³, HUIJUAN JIA^3,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.8, pp. 1897-1906, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027632

Abstract Mental disorders such as depression and anxiety inflict significant burdens on individuals and society. Commonly prescribed treatments often involve cognitive therapy and medications. However, for patients resistant to these conventional methods, alternative therapies like the Ketogenic Diet (KD) offer a promising avenue. KD and its key metabolite, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), have been hypothesized to alleviate mental disorders through anti-inflammatory actions, a crucial pathway in the pathophysiology of depression. This mini-review examines 15 clinical trials exploring the influence of KD and BHB on inflammation and their potential roles in managing mental disorders. Both human and animal studies were scrutinized to elucidate possible… More >

UMAPATHY PRAKASH¹, SUBRAMANIAM RAJESH BHARATHIDEVI^1,*, RAMYA R. NADIG², RAJIV RAMAN², GIRISH SHIV RAO², MUNA BHENDE²

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.7, pp. 1473-1482, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027804

Abstract Zinc alpha 2 glycoprotein (ZAG) is a 41 KDa secretory soluble glycoprotein found in different body fluids like the serum, saliva, sweat, breast milk, and urine. It is also found in tissues like the testis, epididymis, kidney, spleen, liver, lungs, heart, and brain. ZAG is an adipokine with multiple roles, including lipid mobilization, modulating glucose metabolisms, improving insulin sensitivity, inhibiting tumor proliferation through RNAse activity, and suppressing inflammation. Low levels of zinc and ZAG are linked to metabolic syndrome and are also reported as potential biomarkers for diabetic nephropathy. Interestingly zinc has been found to regulate the binding of ZAG… More >

RYAN STARK^*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.6, pp. 1191-1198, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027838

Abstract Protein-mediated interactions are the fundamental mechanism through which cells regulate health and disease. These interactions require physical contact between proteins and their respective targets of interest. These targets include not only other proteins but also nucleic acids and other important molecules as well. These proteins are often involved in multibody complexes that work dynamically to regulate cellular health and function. Various techniques have been adapted to study these important interactions, such as affinity-based assays, mass spectrometry, and fluorescent detection. The application of these techniques has led to a greater understanding of how protein interactions are responsible for both the instigation… More >

FERDINANDO CALABRIA¹, ANTONIO BAGNATO¹, GIULIANA GUADAGNINO², MARIA TOTEDA¹, ANTONIO LANZILLOTTA¹, STEFANIA CARDEI¹, ROSANNA TAVOLARO¹, MARIO LEPORACE^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.31, No.2, pp. 117-124, 2023, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.027705

Abstract We observed several patients presenting 2-[¹⁸F]FDG uptake in the reactive axillary lymph node at PET/CT imaging, ipsilateral to the site of the COVID-19 vaccine injection. Analog finding was documented at [¹⁸F]Choline PET/CT. The aim of our study was to describe this source of false positive cases. All patients examined by PET/CT were included in the study. Data concerning patient anamnesis, laterality, and time interval from recent COVID-19 vaccination were recorded. SUVmax was measured in all lymph nodes expressing tracer uptake after vaccination. Among 712 PET/CT scans with 2-[¹⁸F]FDG, 104 were submitted to vaccination; 89/104 patients (85%) presented axillary and/or deltoid… More >

ALFREDO FRANCO-OBREGÓN^*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.2, pp. 239-244, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.025357

Abstract An organism’s survival depends on its ability to adapt to stress. Mitochondria are the cellular integrators of environmental stressors that ultimately translate their responses at the organismal level, and are thus central to the process whereby organisms adapt to their respective environments. Mitochondria produce molecular energy via oxidative phosphorylation that then allows cells to biosynthetically respond and adapt to changes in their environment. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are by-products of oxidative phosphorylation that can be either beneficial or damaging, depending on the context; ROS are hence both the conveyors of environmental stress as well as cellular “adaptogens”. Mitohormesis refers to… More >

ALPASLAN OZTURK^1,*, MEHMET KARA²

BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.12, pp. 2625-2635, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.023124

Abstract In this study, our aim was to examine the diagnostic and prognostic significance of lymphocyte/C-reactive protein ratio (LCR), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and D-dimer parameters in COVID-19 infection. The LCR, NLR, neutrophil count, mean platelet volume (MPV), C-reactive protein (CRP), and D-dimer parameters were evaluated retrospectively. This was a retrospective cohort study with 1000 COVID-19 positive and 1000 healthy control groups, all over the age of 18 years. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) values were calculated for each parameter found to be statistically significant in the univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. Herein, 127 (12.7%) of the COVID-19⁺… More >