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Topic Review
The Initiation of Apoptosis
Apoptosis is a normal physiological process of highly regulated cell death that occurs in most multicellular organisms. Apoptosis plays an important role in the cell cycle and is an integral part of the immune system under physiological and pathological conditions. Disorders of apoptosis are associated with autoimmune diseases, bacterial and viral diseases, heart disease, and neurodegeneration. Apoptosis is defined as an energy-dependent cell death which is one of the pathological characteristics of ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI).
  • 593
  • 09 Mar 2022
Topic Review
The Gut Microbiota Function
The microbiota is known as the set of microorganisms residing in each ecosystem, with a symbiotic relationship and with adaptive properties and rapid renewal, forming a large metabolic unit. The intestinal microbiota is a set of microorganisms made up of approximately 100,000 million bacteria that live in people intestine. The microbiota is responsible, among other functions, for maintaining the well-being of the intestinal mucosa, helping digest food and converting harmful elements into less toxic substances.
  • 346
  • 17 Oct 2022
Topic Review
The Cytoskeleton of Contractile Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell
As a key element of the smooth muscle cell contractile apparatus, the actin cytoskeleton participates in the development of force by acting as a molecular track for the myosin cross bridge motor. At the same time, the actin cytoskeleton must transmit the force developed during contraction to the extracellular matrix and, thus, to neighboring cells. This propagation of force to the cell periphery and beyond is initiated in part on specifically localized cellular cortical actin filaments also involved in mechano-chemical transduction. During the contractile process itself and in response to extracellular structural and chemical alterations, the smooth muscle actin cytoskeletal remodels. This indicates that the cytoskeleton is a dynamic cellular organelle that adapts to the changes in cell shape and chemical cues.
  • 640
  • 13 May 2022
Topic Review
The Concept of “Quantum-Like”
The birth and spread of the prefix “quantum-” to disciplines other than physics, and the introduction of the term “quantum-like”, reflect the increasing dissatisfaction with the perceived limits and pitfalls of classic Western thought. Of course, the latter remains valuable; what is wrong is its dogmatic use and the claim of its exclusive capacity to comprehend the world. The development of quantum physics has been paralleled by the introduction of paraconsistent logics, such as fuzzy logic and dialetheism, a clear sign of the need for smoothing the inflexibility of Aristotelian logic. There is also a fil rouge (viz. an epistemological symmetry) linking the paradigm of quantum physics to ancient pre-Socratic and Eastern philosophies, suggesting the need for reappraising them in the process of reexamination of the classical thought. The increasing use of the term “quantum-like” calls for the defining and sharing of its meaning in order to properly adopt it and avoid possible misuse. 
  • 726
  • 14 Mar 2022
Topic Review
The Complex Interaction between P53 and miRNAs
P53 responds to stress in a variety of ways ranging from activating survival-promotion pathways to triggering programmed cell death to eliminate damaged cells. In physiological stress generated by any external or internal condition that challenges cell homeostasis, P53 exerts its function as a transcription factor for target genes or by regulating the expression and maturation of a class of small non-coding RNA molecules (miRNAs).
  • 564
  • 26 May 2022
Topic Review
The Clinical Significance of Cyclic Glycine-Proline
Cyclic Glycine-Proline and insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP)-3 collectively regulate the bioavailability of IGF-1. The molar ratio of cGP/IGF-1 represents the amount of bioavailable and functional IGF-1 in circulation. The cGP/IGF-1 molar ratio is low in patients with age-related conditions, including hypertension, stroke, and neurological disorders with cognitive impairment. Stroke patients with a higher cGP/IGF-1 molar ratio have more favorable clinical outcomes. The elderly with more cGP have better memory retention. An increase in the cGP/IGF-1 molar ratio with age is associated with normal cognition, whereas a decrease in this ratio with age is associated with dementia in Parkinson disease. In addition, cGP administration reduces systolic blood pressure, improves memory, and aids in stroke recovery. These clinical and experimental observations demonstrate the role of cGP in regulating IGF-1 function and its potential clinical applications in age-related brain diseases as a plasma biomarker for—and an intervention to improve—IGF-1 function.
  • 597
  • 07 Feb 2023
Topic Review
The Circadian Clock from Birth to Death
The circadian clock is a prominent regulator of physiology. Most lifeforms on earth use endogenous, so-called circadian clocks to adapt to 24-h cycles in environmental demands driven by the planet’s rotation around its axis. Interactions with the environment change over the course of a lifetime, and so does regulation of the circadian clock system.
  • 446
  • 10 Mar 2023
Topic Review
The Cardiac Sodium Channel
The upstroke phase of the cardiac action potential (AP) is mainly coordinated by cardiac sodium channels, which are immediately activated and generate a fast Na+ inward current, through the membrane, after membrane depolarization. In atrial and ventricular myocytes, the sodium current (INa) is principally governed by cardiac voltage-gated sodium channel 1.5 (Nav1.5) with a tinny contribution of NaV1.8. The human Nav1.5 channel is composed of a pore-forming α-subunit (227-kDa) and one or more auxiliary β-subunit (30-kDa).
  • 718
  • 10 Feb 2022
Topic Review
The Brain at High Altitude
The brain requires over one-fifth of the total body oxygen demand for normal functioning. At high altitude (HA), the lower atmospheric oxygen pressure inevitably challenges the brain, affecting voluntary spatial attention, cognitive processing, and attention speed after short-term, long-term, or lifespan exposure. Molecular responses to HA are controlled mainly by hypoxia-inducible factors.
  • 401
  • 29 Jun 2023
Topic Review
The Anti-Epileptic Effects of Carbenoxolone
Gap junctions (GJs) are intercellular junctions that allow the direct transfer of ions and small molecules between neighboring cells, and GJs between astrocytes play an important role in the development of various pathologies of the brain, including regulation of the pathological neuronal synchronization underlying epileptic seizures. Recently, we found that a pathological change is observed in astrocytes during the ictal and interictal phases of 4-aminopyridin (4-AP)-elicited epileptic activity in vitro, which was correlated with neuronal synchronization and extracellular epileptic electrical activity. This finding raises the question: Does this signal depend on GJs between astrocytes?
  • 294
  • 25 Jan 2022
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