Beta cells from Alpha cells

The ocular surface microenvironment, containing the cornea, conjunctiva, and lacrimal gland, constitutes the mucosal frontline of the eye and houses a myriad of immune cells. As a part of unconventional T cells, gamma delta (γδ) T cells differ in the development and functions from canonical alpha beta (αβ) T cells. They are predominantly situated in mucosal sites throughout the body, including ocular surface tissues. Recent research has elucidated that γδ T cells serve as the primary interleukin-17A (IL-17A) source in the conjunctiva...

OBJECTIVE: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a condition of insufficient penile erection, consistently or recurrently, for sexual activity. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) induces transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), which causes the transition of epithelial cells into mesenchymal cells that affect ED. This study aimed to evaluate the roles of TNF-α, TGF-β, degree of lower urinary tract symptoms, and prostatic volume for the presence of ED in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients...

Fabry disease, a rare X-linked genetic disorder, results from pathogenic variants in GLA , leading to deficient lysosomal α-galactosidase A enzyme activity and multi-organ manifestations. Since 2001, enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), using agalsidase alfa or agalsidase beta, has been the mainstay treatment, albeit with limitations such as rapid clearance and immunogenicity. Pegunigalsidase alfa, a novel PEGylated recombinant alpha-galactosidase, offers promise as an alternative. Produced in plant cells, pegunigalsidase alfa exhibits enhanced stability, prolonged half-life, and reduced immunogenicity due to pegylation...

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in cattle raised in North America. At the feedlot, cattle are subject to metaphylactic treatment with macrolides to prevent BRD, a practice that may promote antimicrobial resistance and has resulted in an urgent need for novel strategies. Mannheimia haemolytica is one of the major bacterial agents of BRD. The inhibitory effects of two amphipathic, α-helical (PRW4, WRL3) and one β-sheet (WK2) antimicrobial peptides were evaluated against multidrug-resistant (MDR) M...

OBJECTIVE: In the pathogenesis of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), inflammation plays an important role. However, it is unclear whether there is a causal link between inflammation and MPNs. We used a bidirectional, two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to investigate the causal relationship between systemic inflammatory cytokines and myeloproliferative neoplasms. METHODS: A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 8293 European participants identified genetic instrumental variables for circulating cytokines and growth factors...

High-risk Human Papillomavirus (HR-HPV) genotypes, specifically HPV16 and HPV18, pose a significant risk for the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer. In the multifaceted cervical microenvironment, consisting of immune cells and diverse microbiota, Lactobacillus emerges as a pivotal factor, wielding significant influence in both stabilizing and disrupting the microbiome of the reproductive tract. To analyze the distinction between the cervical microbiota and Lactobacillus-dominant/non-dominant status of HR-HPV and non-infected healthy women, sixty-nine cervical swab samples were analyzed, included 44 with HR-HPV infection and healthy controls...

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can infect human cells by first attaching to the ACE-2 receptor via its receptor-binding domain (RBD) in the spike protein. Here, we report the influence of N-glycosylation sites of the RBD and the membrane (M) protein on IgG antibody binding in serum samples from patients infected with the original SARS-CoV-2 strain in Germany. The RBDs of the wildtype, alpha, beta, gamma, and kappa variants expressed in HEK293S GnTI- cells were all N-glycosylated at Asn331, Asn334, Asn343, and Asn360 or Asn370, whereas the M-protein was glycosylated at Asn5...

Arctic ecosystems are undergoing rapid changes, including increasing disturbance by herbivore populations, which can affect plant species coexistence and community assemblages. Although the significance of mosses in Arctic wetlands is well recognized, the long-term influence of medium-sized herbivores on the composition of moss communities has received limited attention. We used data from a long-term (25 years) Greater Snow Goose ( Anser caerulescens atlanticus ) exclusion experiment in Arctic tundra wetlands to assess changes in the composition of moss communities at multiple spatial scales (cell, 4 cm2 ; quadrat, 100 cm2 ; exclosure, 16 m2 )...

Alhagi honey is derived from the secretory granules of Alhagi pseudoalhagi Desv., a leguminous plant commonly known as camelthorn. Modern medical research has demonstrated that the extract of Alhagi honey possesses regulatory properties for the gastrointestinal tract and immune system, as well as exerts anti-tumor, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and hepatoprotective effects. The aim of this study was to isolate and purify oligosaccharide monomers (referred to as Mel) from camelthorn and elucidate their structural characteristics...

To probe the functions of Aster glehni (AG) extract containing various caffeoylquinic acids on dyslipidemia, obesity, and skeletal muscle-related diseases focused on the roles of skeletal muscle, we measured the levels of biomarkers involved in oxidative phosphorylation and type change of skeletal muscle in C2 C12 cells and skeletal muscle tissues from apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE KO) mice. After AG extract treatment in cell and animal experiments, western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to estimate the levels of proteins that participated in skeletal muscle type change and oxidative phosphorylation...

Camellia japonica is an important garden landscape plant in southern China. In April 2022, leaf spot symptoms were observed at the camellia garden of Jiaying University (24°32'83″N, 17 116°12'31″E) in Meizhou city, Guangdong Province, China. The initial symptoms were grayish brown spots on the leaves, as the disease progressed, the lesions were enlarged and affected the whole leaf and eventually led to the loss of its ornamental value. The disease incidence was above 15%. Leaf pieces (5 × 5 mm) from 3 diseased Camellia leaves were sterilized in 75% ethanol for 1 min, then in 1% NaOCl for 1 min; and rinsed three times with sterile water...

This study aims to investigate the regulatory effects of Shenling Baizhu Powder(SBP) on cellular autophagy in alcoholic liver disease(ALD) and its intervention effect through the TLR4/NLRP3 pathway. A rat model of chronic ALD was established by gavage of spirits. An ALD cell model was established by stimulating BRL3A cells with alcohol. High-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) was utilized for the compositional analysis of SBP. Liver tissue from ALD rats underwent hematoxylin-eosin(HE) and oil red O staining for pathological evaluation...

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a vital role in metastasis, recurrence and chemoresistance in breast cancer. β-catenin, which is a frequently over activated protein in CSCs, binds to T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor (Tcf/Lef) family transcription factors leading to ectopic expression of Wnt pathway responsive genes necessary for the maintenance and action of CSCs. With the aim of identifying a small molecules that can effectively eliminate CSCs, molecular docking studies were performed against the Tcf/Lef binding hotspot on β-catenin using a library of 100 natural or synthetic small molecules...

STUDY QUESTION: Are the molecular signatures of cumulus cells (CCs) and follicular fluid (FF) of adolescents undergoing fertility preservation differ from that of reproductively adult oocyte donors? SUMMARY ANSWER: The microenvironment immediately surrounding the oocyte, including the CCs and FF, is altered in adolescents undergoing fertility preservation compared to oocyte donors. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Adolescents experience a period of subfecundity following menarche...

In addition to its association with milk protein synthesis via the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway, JAK2 also affects milk fat synthesis. However, to date, there have been no reports on the effect of JAK2 on ovine mammary epithelial cells (OMECs), which directly determine milk yield and milk contents. In this study, the coding sequence (CDS) region of ovine JAK2 was cloned and identified and its tissue expression and localization in ovine mammary glands, as well as its effects on the viability, proliferation, and milk fat and casein levels of OMECs, were also investigated...

Stem cell-derived exosomes (SC-Exos) are used as a source of regenerative medicine, but certain limitations hinder their uses. The effect of hydrolyzed collagen oligopeptides (HCOPs), a functional ingredient of SC-Exos is not widely known to the general public. We herein evaluated the combined anti-aging effects of HCOPs and exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HucMSC-Exos) using a senescence model established on human skin fibroblasts (HSFs). This study discovered that cells treated with HucMSC-Exos + HCOPs enhanced their proliferative and migratory capabilities; reduced both reactive oxygen species production and senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity; augmented type I and type III collagen expression; attenuated the expression of matrix-degrading metalloproteinases (MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-9), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α); and decreased the expression of p16, p21, and p53 as compared with the cells treated with HucMSC-Exos or HCOPs alone...

BACKGROUND: Despite the abundance of research examining the effects of coffee, tea, and alcohol on inflammatory diseases, there is a notable absence of conclusive evidence regarding their direct causal influence on circulating inflammatory cytokines. Previous studies have primarily concentrated on established cytokines, neglecting the potential impact of beverage consumption on lesser-studied but equally important cytokines. METHODS: Information regarding the consumption of coffee, tea, and alcohol was collected from the UK Biobank, with sample sizes of 428,860, 447,485, and 462,346 individuals, respectively...

Over the past three decades a diverse collection of small protein domains have been used as scaffolds to generate general-purpose protein-binding reagents using a variety of protein display and enrichment technologies. To expand the repertoire of scaffolds and protein surfaces that might serve this purpose, we have explored the utility of (i) a pair of anti-parallel alpha-helices in a small highly disulfide-bonded 4-helix bundle, the CC4 domain from Reversion-inducing Cysteine-rich Protein with Kazal Motifs (RECK), and (ii) a concave beta-sheet surface and two adjacent loops in the human FN3 domain, the scaffold for the widely used monobody platform...

Inhalation of ambient particulate matter (PM) can disrupt the gut microbiome, while exercise independently influences the gut microbiome by promoting beneficial bacteria. In this study, we analyzed changes in gut microbial diversity and composition in response to combined interventions of PM exposure and aerobic exercise, extending up to 12 weeks. This investigation was conducted using mice, categorized into five groups: control group (Con), exercise group (EXE), exercise group followed by 3-day exposure to PM (EXE + 3-day PM), particulate matter exposure (PM), and PM exposure with concurrent treadmill exercise (PME)...

Pancreatic alpha cell activity and glucagon secretion lowers as glucose levels increase. While part of the decrease is regulated by glucose itself, paracrine signaling by their neighboring beta and delta cells also plays an important role. Somatostatin from delta cells is an important local inhibitor of alpha cells at high glucose. Additionally, Urocortin3 (UCN3) is a hormone that is co-released from beta cells with insulin and acts locally to potentiate somatostatin secretion from delta cells. UCN3 thus inhibits insulin secretion via a negative feedback loop with delta cells, but its role with respect to alpha cells and glucagon secretion is not understood...