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Topic Review
Zeaxanthin and Lutein Across Life's Taxa
Zeaxanthin and lutein are structural isomers with zeaxanthin possessing a slightly longer system of conjugated double bonds (11) than lutein. Carotenoids also play key roles in light-independent processes, e.g., as gene regulators of human immune function. Carotenoid-derived vitamin A has a well-documented immunoregulatory role and a similar role is emerging for xanthophylls. Xanthophylls may be especially important in opposing non-resolving inflammation that can trigger a plethora of associated inflammatory diseases, disorders, and dysfunctions. Additionally, lutein and zeaxanthin are emerging as candidates for protecting cognitive function across the human lifespan, including attention, memory, learning, and executive functions.
  • 981
  • 28 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Heteromeric TRP Channels
Heteromeric Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels build a tetrameric structure with at least one TRP subunit from another subfamily. In pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells their activation can disrupt endothelial barrier function, as their mediated calcium influx activates the CaM (calmodulin)/MLCK (myosin light chain kinase)-signaling pathway, and thereby rearranges the cytoskeleton, increases endothelial permeability and thus can facilitate activation of inflammatory cells and formation of pulmonary edema.
  • 957
  • 06 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1
Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), the primary inhibitor of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) and urinary-type plasminogen activator (uPA), is a key regulator of fibrinolysis and cell migration. Indeed, elevated PAI-1 expression is associated with major cardiovascular adverse events that have been attributed to its antifibrinolytic activity. However, extensive evidence indicates that PAI-1 can induce endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis through complex interactions within the vasculature in an antifibrinolytic-independent matter.
  • 957
  • 01 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Dental Stem Cells
Stem cells of the teeth can contribute to the regeneration of non-dental organs, namely mammary glands. According to a new study from researchers at the University of Zurich, dental epithelial stem cells from mice can generate mammary ducts and even milk-producing cells when transplanted into mammary glands. This could be used for post-surgery tissue regeneration in breast cancer patients. The ability of adult stem cells to generate various tissue-specific cell populations is of great interest in the medical and dental research fields. These cells can replace damaged cells and therefore represent a good alternative to classical medical treatments for tissue regeneration. This may even allow the de novo formation entire tissues and organs in the future.
  • 951
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Radiomics
Radiomics is a new frontier of medicine based on the extraction of quantitative features (named radiomic features) from radiological images that cannot be seen by radiologist’s naked eye and on the use of these data for the creation of clinical decision support systems.
  • 946
  • 18 Mar 2021
Topic Review
ZIKA Virus and Male Infertility
Zika virus (ZIKV) has been reported by several groups as an important virus causing pathological damage in the male reproductive tract. ZIKV can infect and persist in testicular somatic and germ cells, as well as spermatozoa, leading to cell death and testicular atrophy. ZIKV has also been detected in semen samples from ZIKV-infected patients. This has huge implications for human reproduction. Global scientific efforts are being applied to understand the mechanisms related to arboviruses persistency, pathogenesis, and host cellular response to suggest a potential target to develop robust antiviral therapeutics and vaccines. Here, we discuss the cellular modulation of the immunologic and physiologic properties of the male reproductive tract environment caused by arboviruses infection, focusing on ZIKV. We also present an overview of the current vaccine effects and therapeutic targets against ZIKV infection that may impact the testis and male fertility.
  • 944
  • 01 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Sex, Asthma and Exercise
Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is a common complication of athletes and individuals who exercise regularly. It is estimated that about 90% of patients with underlying asthma (a sexually dimorphic disease) experience EIB; however, sex differences in EIB have not been studied extensively. With the goal of better understanding the prevalence of EIB in males and females, and because atopy has been reported to occur at higher rates in athletes, in this study, we investigated sex differences in EIB and atopy in athletes. A systematic literature review identified 60 studies evaluating EIB and/or atopy in post-pubertal adult athletes (n = 7501). Collectively, these studies reported: (1) a 23% prevalence of EIB in athletes; (2) a higher prevalence of atopy in male vs. female athletes; (3) a higher prevalence of atopy in athletes with EIB; (4) a significantly higher rate of atopic EIB in male vs. female athletes. Our analysis indicates that the physiological changes that occur during exercise may differentially affect male and female athletes, and suggest an interaction between male sex, exercise, and atopic status in the course of EIB. Understanding these sex differences is important to provide personalized management plans to athletes with underlying asthma and/or atopy.
  • 940
  • 30 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Protease-Activated Receptors
Protease-activated receptors (PARs) are a class of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) with a unique mechanism of activation, prompted by a proteolytic cleavage in their N-terminal domain that uncovers a tethered ligand, which binds and stimulates the same receptor.
  • 928
  • 20 Feb 2021
Topic Review
KCNQ Channels
The broad distribution of voltage-gated potassium channels (VGKCs) in the human body makes them a critical component for the study of physiological and pathological function. Within the KCNQ family of VGKCs, these aqueous conduits serve an array of critical roles in homeostasis, especially in neural tissue.
  • 925
  • 19 May 2022
Topic Review
Muscular Dystrophies
Muscle dystrophy is a muscle disease that leads to a progressive loss of muscle mass and a weakened musculoskeletal system in accordance with age of onset, severity, and the group of muscles affected.
  • 914
  • 21 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Lactate-Mediated Signaling in the Brain
Lactate is a universal metabolite produced and released by all cells in the body. Traditionally it was viewed as energy currency that is generated from pyruvate at the end of the glycolytic pathway and sent into the extracellular space for other cells to take up and consume. In the brain, such a mechanism was postulated to operate between astrocytes and neurons many years ago. 
  • 904
  • 13 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Management of Cirrhotic Ascites
Tolvaptan is a recently available diuretic that blocks arginine vasopressin receptor 2 in the renal collecting duct. Its diuretic mechanism involves selective water reabsorption by affecting the water reabsorption receptor aquaporin 2. Given that liver cirrhosis patients exhibit hyponatremia due to their pseudo-aldosteronism and usage of natriuretic agents, a sodium maintaining agent, such as tolvaptan, is physiologically preferable. However, large scale studies indicating the patients for whom this would be effective and describing management under its use have been insufficient. The appropriate management of cirrhosis patients treated with tolvaptan should be investigated. In the present review, we collected articles investigating the effectiveness of tolvaptan and factors associated with survival and summarized their management reports. Earlier administration of tolvaptan before increasing the doses of natriuretic agents is recommended because this may preserve effective arterial blood volume.  
  • 903
  • 12 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Superficial Heat Therapy
Low back pain (LBP) is an exceptionally common musculoskeletal problem and a leading cause of disability. LBP is experienced by most adults at some stage of their life, with an estimated 577 million people affected in 2017. A recent systematic literature review stated that the prevalence of LBP ranges from 1.4% to 20.0%, and the incidence from 0.024% to 7.0%. The review focused on the application and effect of mild superficial heat for musculoskeletal pain, especially back pain. The review was able to show that the application of mild heat is easily applicable and effective when indicated.
  • 898
  • 20 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Aminopeptidases in Cardiovascular and Renal
       The entry tries to summarize our current understanding of the role of aminopeptidases in the control of blood pressure, through their effects on kidney function. Their possible role as biomarkers on acute or chronic kidney injury is also analyzed.
  • 893
  • 28 Aug 2020
Topic Review
Nociceptive TRP Channel
Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels have emerged as key molecular identities in the sensory transduction of pain-producing stimuli. The ability of nociceptors to behave as noxious stimuli detectors relies on the presence of specialized transducing molecules at their peripheral nerve terminals capable of transforming the harmful physical (thermal and mechanical) and chemical stimuli into generator potentials. Upon nerve terminal stimulation, the output signal conveying to the central nervous system depends on the properties of transducer channels which produce generator potentials. Voltage-gated channels subsequently translate it into action potential firing. Nociceptive TRP channels are among the most studied transducer channels expressed in nociceptors and play a pivotal role in the study of pain.
  • 889
  • 09 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Pathophysiology of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common inherited disorder that typically presents in adults. Both kidneys are affected by cysts, leading to end stage renal disease in adulthood. Prevalence of ADPKD was estimated to be 1:400 to 1:1000 live births.
  • 887
  • 14 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Oxidative Stress in Cardiovascular Diseases
       This entry aims to introduce the physiological roles and pathological implications of oxidative stress in cardiovascular tissues
  • 882
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Vitamin D, microbiome, and IBD
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), which differ in the location and lesion extensions. Both diseases are associated with microbiota dysbiosis, with a reduced population of butyrate-producing species, abnormal inflammatory response, and micronutrient deficiency (e.g., vitamin D hypovitaminosis). Vitamin D (VitD) is involved in immune cell differentiation, gut microbiota modulation, gene transcription, and barrier integrity. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) regulates the biological actions of the active VitD (1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3), and is involved in the genetic, environmental, immune, and microbial aspects of IBD. VitD deficiency is correlated with disease activity and its administration targeting a concentration of 30 ng/mL may have the potential to reduce disease activity. Moreover, VDR regulates functions of T cells and Paneth cells and modulates release of antimicrobial peptides in gut microbiota-host interactions. Meanwhile, beneficial microbial metabolites, e.g., butyrate, upregulate the VDR signaling.
  • 874
  • 31 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Dietary (Phyto)Nutrients for Glutathione Support
Glutathione is a tripeptide that plays a pivotal role in critical physiological processes resulting in effects relevant to diverse disease pathophysiology such as maintenance of redox balance, reduction of oxidative stress, enhancement of metabolic detoxification, and regulation of immune system function. The diverse roles of glutathione in physiology are relevant to a considerable body of evidence suggesting that glutathione status may be an important biomarker and treatment target in various chronic, age-related diseases. 
  • 871
  • 26 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Different Pathophysiological Mechanisms of HIF-1α in Renal Disease
Partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) in the kidney is maintained at a relatively stable level by a unique and complex functional interplay between renal blood flow, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), oxygen consumption, and arteriovenous oxygen shunting. The vulnerability of this interaction renders the kidney vulnerable to hypoxic injury leading to different renal diseases. Hypoxia has long been recognized as an important factor in the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury (AKI), especially renal ischemia/reperfusion injury. Accumulating evidence suggests that hypoxia also plays an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and CKD-related complications, such as anemia, cardiovascular events, and sarcopenia. In addition, renal cancer is linked to deregulation of hypoxia pathways. Renal utilizes various molecular pathways to respond and adapt to changes in renal oxygenation. Particularly, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) (including HIF-1, 2, 3) has been shown to be activated in renal disease and plays a major role in the protective response to hypoxia. HIF-1 is a heterodimer that is composed of an oxygen-regulated HIF-1α subunit and a constitutively expressed HIF-1β subunit. In renal diseases, the critical characteristic of HIF-1α is protective, but it also has a negative effect, such as in sarcopenia. This review summarizes the mechanisms of HIF-1α regulation in renal disease.
  • 864
  • 02 Nov 2022
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