Galectin-3 is overexpressed in advanced cirrhosis and predicts post-liver transplant infectious complications.

Background & Aims: Patients with advanced cirrhosis often have immune dysfunction and are more susceptible to infections. Galectin-3 is a β-galactoside-binding lectin implicated in inflammation, immune regulation and liver fibrosis. We aim to investigate galectin-3 expression in advanced cirrhosis and its ability to predict post-transplant infectious complications.

Inulin Improves Diet-Induced Hepatic Steatosis and Increases Intestinal Genus Level.

Hepatic steatosis is characterized by triglyceride accumulation within hepatocytes in response to a high calorie intake, and it may be related to intestinal microbiota disturbances. The prebiotic inulin is a naturally occurring polysaccharide with a high dietary fiber content. Here, we evaluate the effect of inulin on the intestinal microbiota in a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease model.

Chaya Leaf Decreased Triglycerides and Improved Oxidative Stress in Subjects With Dyslipidemia.

Chaya is an edible leaf popular in Mexico and Central America because of its high nutritional value. Studies in animal models have demonstrated the beneficial effects of Chaya, which include reduction of circulating lipids and increase in antioxidant activity. However, its hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects have not been demonstrated in humans.

A novel vieuvirus from multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

Bacteriophages are considered the most abundant biological entities on earth, and they are able to modulate the populations of their bacterial hosts. Although the potential of bacteriophages has been accepted as an alternative strategy to combat multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria, there still exists a considerable knowledge gap regarding their genetic diversity, which hinders their use as antimicrobial agents. In this study, we undertook a genomic and phylogenetic characterization of the phage Ab11510-phi, which was isolated from a multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strain (Ab11510).

The Role of the Unfolded Protein Response on Renal Lipogenesis in C57BL/6 Mice.

Renal injury observed in several pathologies has been associated with lipid accumulation in the kidney. While it has been suggested that the accumulation of renal lipids depends on free fatty acids released from adipose tissue, it is not known whether in situ renal lipogenesis due to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress contributes to kidney injury. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the role of pharmacological ER stress in renal structure and function and its effect on renal lipid metabolism of C57BL/6 mice.

Male Ejaculatory Endophenotypes: Revealing Internal Inconsistencies of the Concept in Heterosexual Copulating Rats.

Distinct manifestations of sexual behavior are conceived as separate phenotypes. Each sexual phenotype is assumed to be associated with a characteristic brain. These notions have justified the phenotyping of heterosexual copulator males based upon their ejaculation's latencies (EL) or frequencies (i.

Analysis of circulating blood and tissue biopsy PDX1 and MSX2 gene expression in patients with pancreatic cancer: A case-control experimental study.

Early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer (PC) is based on endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). However, EUS is invasive and requires a high level of technical skill. Recently, liquid biopsies have achieved the same sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of numerous pathologies, including cancer.

The activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ is regulated by Krüppel-like transcription factors 6 & 9 under steatotic conditions.

Liver steatosis is characterised by lipid droplet deposition in hepatocytes that can leads to an inflammatory and fibrotic phenotype. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) play key roles in energetic homeostasis by regulating lipid metabolism in hepatic tissue. In adipose tissue PPARγ regulates the adipocyte differentiation by promoting the expression of lipid-associated genes.

Transcriptional profiling of fetal hypothalamic TRH neurons.

Background: During murine hypothalamic development, different neuroendocrine cell phenotypes are generated in overlapping periods; this suggests that cell-type specific developmental programs operate to achieve complete maturation. A balance between programs that include cell proliferation, cell cycle withdrawal as well as epigenetic regulation of gene expression characterizes neurogenesis. Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) is a peptide that regulates energy homeostasis and autonomic responses.

The Krüppel-like factor 4 controls biosynthesis of thyrotropin-releasing hormone during hypothalamus development.

Embryonic neurogenesis is controlled by the activation of specific genetic programs. In the hypothalamus, neuronal thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) populations control important physiological process, including energy homeostasis and autonomic function; however, the genetic program leading to the TRH expression is poorly understood. Here, we show that the Klf4 gene, encoding the transcription factor Krüppel-like factor 4 (Klf4), was expressed in the rat hypothalamus during development and regulated Trh expression.

BDNF up-regulates pre-pro-TRH mRNA expression in the fetal/neonatal paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. Properties of the transduction pathway.

Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) increases the levels of pre-pro-thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) mRNA in fetal rodent hypothalamic neurons that express TrkB receptors. The present studies aimed at better understanding the role of BDNF in establishing and maintaining the TRH phenotype in hypothalamic neurons during early development. To determine where BDNF regulates the expression of pre-pro-TRH mRNA in vivo, we compared the hypothalamic distribution of pre-pro-TRH mRNA to that of TrkB mRNA.