YAO FANG^1,2,#, FEI XIA^1,#, FEIFEI TIAN³, LEI QU¹, FANG YANG¹, JUAN FANG^1,2, ZHENHONG HU^1,*, HAICHAO LIU^1,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.4, pp. 613-621, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2024.031539

Abstract Objective: In the realm of Class I pathogens, Burkholderia pseudomallei (BP) stands out for its propensity to induce severe pathogenicity. Investigating the intricate interactions between BP and host cells is imperative for comprehending the dynamics of BP infection and discerning biomarkers indicative of the host cell response process. Methods: mRNA extraction from BP-infected mouse macrophages constituted the initial step of our study. Employing gene expression arrays, the extracted RNA underwent conversion into digital signals. The percentile shift method facilitated data processing, with the identification of genes manifesting significant differences accomplished through the application of the t-test. Subsequently, a comprehensive analysis… More >

HUAN GAO^1,2, JIE ZHANG¹, TONY G. KLEIJN^1,3,4, ZHAOYONG WU⁵, BING LIU^1,6, YUJIN MA⁶, BAOYUE DING^1,*, DONGFENG YIN^2,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.4, pp. 769-784, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.044276

Abstract Bone metastasis secondary to breast cancer negatively impacts patient quality of life and survival. The treatment of bone metastases is challenging since many anticancer drugs are not effectively delivered to the bone to exert a therapeutic effect. To improve the treatment efficacy, we developed Pluronic P123 (P123)-based polymeric micelles dually decorated with alendronate (ALN) and cancer-specific phage protein DMPGTVLP (DP-8) for targeted drug delivery to breast cancer bone metastases. Doxorubicin (DOX) was selected as the anticancer drug and was encapsulated into the hydrophobic core of the micelles with a high drug loading capacity (3.44%). The DOX-loaded polymeric micelles were spherical,… More > Graphic Abstract

DAOLUN YU¹, DEYONG SHE², KAI GE¹, LEI YANG¹, RUINA ZHAN¹, SHAN LU^3,*, YAFEI CAI^4,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.1, pp. 139-147, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.045884

Abstract Background: SMAD family proteins (SMADs) are crucial transcription factors downstream of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß)/SMAD signaling pathways that have been reported to play a pivotal role in mammalian reproduction. However, the role of SMAD family member 8 (SMAD8, also known as SMAD9), a member of the SMAD family, in mammalian reproduction remains unclear. Methods: We employed RNA interference techniques to knock down Smad8 expression in mouse granulosa cells (GCs) to investigate the effects of Smad8 on GC growth and steroidogenesis. Results: Our findings revealed a significant decrease in the proliferative capacity and a substantial increase in the apoptosis rate… More >

WEI LIANG^1,2,*, ZONGWEI ZHANG^1,2, KEJU YANG^1,2,3, HONGTU HU^1,2, QIANG LUO^1,2, ANKANG YANG^1,2, LI CHANG⁴, YUANYUAN ZENG⁴

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.6, pp. 1253-1263, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027373

Abstract Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most common complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus and the main cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide. Diagnostic biomarkers may allow early diagnosis and treatment of DN to reduce the prevalence and delay the development of DN. Kidney biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosing DN; however, its invasive character is its primary limitation. The machine learning approach provides a non-invasive and specific criterion for diagnosing DN, although traditional machine learning algorithms need to be improved to enhance diagnostic performance. Methods: We applied high-throughput RNA sequencing to obtain the genes related to DN tubular… More >

JIAN LI¹, QINGQING WANG², XIAOYING ZHANG^1,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.6, pp. 1307-1316, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.028714

Abstract Scutellarin (SCU) is a herbal flavonoid glucuronide with multiple pharmacological activities, including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammation, vascular relaxation, anti-platelet, and myocardial protection. However, the effect of SCU on complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)-induced rheumatoid arthritis (RA) had not been studied. In this study, we investigated the beneficial effects of SCU in the CFA-induced RA mice model and the anti-arthritic activity was evaluated by paw edema. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was carried out to evaluate the plasma levels of immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgE, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL), and osteoprotegerin (OPG). Histological slides were prepared from… More >

YAO LU^1,2,*, QIUYUE WANG¹, CAIHUI ZHANG¹

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.2, pp. 393-400, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.024944

Abstract Myocardial fibrosis is an important manifestation of diabetic cardiomyopathy. This study investigated the potential mechanism of diabetic myocardial fibrosis. Male C57BL/6J and db/db mice aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into the diabetic (DB) and control groups. At 20 weeks, the mouse heart was harvested and subjected to hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE) and Masson staining to investigate the degree of fibrosis. The expressions of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1), collagen-III, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl2), Bcl2-associated X protein (Bax), cleaved gasdermin D (GSDMD), cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1 (caspase-1), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor 3 (NLRP3)… More >

CARLOS ALBERTO-SILVA^1,*, ANA CAROLINA DE ARAUJO¹, RODRIGO SIMãO BONFIM¹, JOYCE MEIRE GILIO²

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.2, pp. 289-295, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.023787

Abstract Bothrops envenomation is complex and provokes prominent local tissue damage and systemic disturbances, but little is known about their effects on the male reproductive system. After intratesticular injection, the bioactive peptide fraction (Bj-PF) obtained from Bothrops jararaca snake venom changes the structure of different stages of the seminiferous epithelium cycle in adult mice. For the first time, we investigated whether local envenomation of Bj-PF induces toxicological effects on the male reproductive system, particularly on the seminiferous epithelium and Sertoli cells. Male adult mice were treated with 0.24 mg.kg⁻¹ by intramuscular (i.m.) injection for 24 h. The testes samples were collected… More >

TIANTIAN ZHOU^1,3,#, YUMEI ZHANG^1,2,#, JUAN ZHANG^1,2, CHUNYAN XIE², ZHENYA ZHAI^1,2, XIN WU^1,2,3,*

BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.11, pp. 2433-2442, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.021290

Abstract High-fat diet (HFD) is demonstrated to disturb the bile acid metabolism. The rhythm of bile acid metabolism can also be affected by uridine, whose metabolism exhibits a daily rhythm. However, the mechanism of dynamic uridine administration affecting bile acid during HFD remains unclear. In this study, C57BL/6J mice were fed HFD (the control group; CON) or HFD with oral administration of uridine in the daytime (DUR) and nighttime (NUR) to investigate the mechanism of the effect of uridine on the bile acid. This study showed that the mRNA expression of uridine transporters and circadian clock genes in the jejunum was… More >

BING WANG^*, KAORU TANAKA, KOUICHI MARUYAMA, YASUHARA NINOMIYA, TAKANORI KATSUBE, MITSURU NENOI^*

BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.10, pp. 2315-2325, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.021161

Abstract Investigation on possible induction of adaptive response (AR) by high-liner energy transfer (LET) particle radiation for protection against low-LET photon radiation-induced detrimental effects has not yet been performed in utero. This study verified if an AR could be induced by high-LET particle radiation from accelerated heavy ions against low-LET X-ray radiation-induced detrimental effects on fetal mice. Total body irradiation of pregnant C57BL/6J mice were performed by delivering a priming dose ranging from 10 mGy to 320 mGy of particle radiation on gestation day 11 followed one day later by a challenge dose at 3500 mGy from X-ray radiation. The monoenergetic… More >

EUN NA¹, SUN YOUNG LIM^2,*

BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.9, pp. 2101-2109, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.019807

Abstract We investigated the diversity and composition of microflora in feces of Lycopus lucidus Turcz.-fed mice. In addition, we evaluated the production of major cytokines (Interleukin-6 and -10) which are related to inflammation and fatty acid composition of several tissues. 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing-based microbiome taxonomic profiling analysis was performed utilizing the EzBioCloud data base. Male mice fed on L. lucidus showed a significantly reduced number of lactic acid bacteria and coliform in the feces compared with the control group (p < 0.05). 16S rDNA sequencing analysis of fecal samples showed that L. lucidus supplementation decreased the community of harmful microflora… More >