Objectives To evaluate the effects of different diets on the risk of metabolic syndrome.Methods Five groups of female SD rats were fed a normal control(NC)diet,a high-protein(HP)diet,a high-fat diet(HF),a combination ...Objectives To evaluate the effects of different diets on the risk of metabolic syndrome.Methods Five groups of female SD rats were fed a normal control(NC)diet,a high-protein(HP)diet,a high-fat diet(HF),a combination high-fat and high-protein diet(HF+HP)or a high-fat with cholesterol diet(HF+CHO),and the changes in body weight,insulin sensitivity and blood biochemical parameters were examined.Results The HF and HF+CHO diets resulted in an increase in body insulin resistance,high blood TG,high blood cholesterol and high blood LDL,with the HF+CHO resulting in larger changes than the HF diet.Furthermore,the HF+CHO diet led to a decrease in HDL,making it the most dangerous diet.However,the HF+HP diet also led to increased blood sugar and some insulin resistance.Conclusions Our findings indicate that the levels of fat and cholesterol should be carefully considered in future diet formulations for patients with or at risk of metabolic syndrome.A high protein diet may reduce the risk of insulin resistance and serum lipid level elevation,but its effects on kidney function remain unknown.展开更多
There have been many chapters written about macrophage polarization.These chapters generally focus on the role of macrophages in orchestrating immune responses by highlighting the T-cell-derived cytokines that shape t...There have been many chapters written about macrophage polarization.These chapters generally focus on the role of macrophages in orchestrating immune responses by highlighting the T-cell-derived cytokines that shape these polarizing responses.This bias toward immunity is understandable,given the importance of macrophages to host defense.However,macrophages are ubiquitous and are involved in many different cellular processes,and describing them as immune cells is undoubtedly an oversimplification.It disregards their important roles in development,tissue remodeling,wound healing,angiogenesis,and metabolism,to name just a few processes.In this chapter,we propose that macrophages function as transducers in the body.According to Wikipedia,WA transducer is a device that converts energy from one form to another.^The word transducer is a term used to describe both the"sensor,which can interpret a wide range of energy forms,and the"actuator,which can switch voltages or currents to affect the environment.Macrophages are able to sense a seemingly endless variety of inputs from their environment and transduce these inputs into a variety of different response outcomes.Thus,rather than functioning as immune cells,they should be considered more broadly as cellular transducers that interpret microenvironmental changes and actuate vital tissue responses.In this chapter,we will describe some of the sensory stimuli that macrophages perceive and the responses they make to these stimuli to achieve their prime directive,which is the maintenance of homeostasis.展开更多
It has been controversial whether gender has any effect on recovery following spinal cord injury（SCI）. Past experimental and clinical research aimed at addressing this subject has led to constrasting findings on whe...It has been controversial whether gender has any effect on recovery following spinal cord injury（SCI）. Past experimental and clinical research aimed at addressing this subject has led to constrasting findings on whether females hold any advantage in locomotor recovery. Additionally, for studies supporting the notion of a female gender related advantage, a definite cause has not been explained. In a recent study, using large sample sizes for comparative male and female spinal cord injury cohorts, we reported that a significant gender advantage favoring females existed in both tissue preservation and functional recovery after taking into consideration discrepancies in age and weight of the animals across sexes. Prior animal research frequently used sample sizes that were too small to determine significance with certainty and also did not account for two other factors that influence locomotor performance： age and weight. Our finding is important in light of controversy surrounding the effect of gender on outcome and the fact that SCI affects more than ten thousand new individuals annually, a population that is disproportionately male. By deepening our understanding of why a gender advantage exists, potential new therapeutics can be designed to improve recovery for the male population following the initial trauma or putatively augment the neuroprotective privilege in females for enhanced outcomes.展开更多
Cells of specialized secretory organs expand their secretory pathways to accommodate the increased protein load necessary for their function. The endoplasmic reticulum （ER）, the Golgi apparatus and the secretory ves...Cells of specialized secretory organs expand their secretory pathways to accommodate the increased protein load necessary for their function. The endoplasmic reticulum （ER）, the Golgi apparatus and the secretory vesicles, expand not only the membrane components but also the protein machinery required for increased protein production and transport. Increased protein load causes an ER stress response akin to the Unfolded Protein Response （UPR）. Recent work has implicated several bZip transcription factors in the regulation of protein components of the early secretory pathway necessary to alleviate this stress. Here, we highlight eight bZip transcription factors in regulating secretory pathway component genes. These include components of the three canonical branches of the UPR-ATF4, XBP1, and ATF6, as well as the five members of the Creb3 family of transcription factors. We review findings from both invertebrate and vertebrate model systems suggesting that all of these proteins increase secretory capacity in response to increased protein load. Finally, we propose that the Creb3 family of factors may have a dual role in secretory cell differentiation by also regulating the pathways necessary for cell cycle exit during terminal differentiation.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NO.81501226,81170814,81370881).
文摘Objectives To evaluate the effects of different diets on the risk of metabolic syndrome.Methods Five groups of female SD rats were fed a normal control(NC)diet,a high-protein(HP)diet,a high-fat diet(HF),a combination high-fat and high-protein diet(HF+HP)or a high-fat with cholesterol diet(HF+CHO),and the changes in body weight,insulin sensitivity and blood biochemical parameters were examined.Results The HF and HF+CHO diets resulted in an increase in body insulin resistance,high blood TG,high blood cholesterol and high blood LDL,with the HF+CHO resulting in larger changes than the HF diet.Furthermore,the HF+CHO diet led to a decrease in HDL,making it the most dangerous diet.However,the HF+HP diet also led to increased blood sugar and some insulin resistance.Conclusions Our findings indicate that the levels of fat and cholesterol should be carefully considered in future diet formulations for patients with or at risk of metabolic syndrome.A high protein diet may reduce the risk of insulin resistance and serum lipid level elevation,but its effects on kidney function remain unknown.
文摘There have been many chapters written about macrophage polarization.These chapters generally focus on the role of macrophages in orchestrating immune responses by highlighting the T-cell-derived cytokines that shape these polarizing responses.This bias toward immunity is understandable,given the importance of macrophages to host defense.However,macrophages are ubiquitous and are involved in many different cellular processes,and describing them as immune cells is undoubtedly an oversimplification.It disregards their important roles in development,tissue remodeling,wound healing,angiogenesis,and metabolism,to name just a few processes.In this chapter,we propose that macrophages function as transducers in the body.According to Wikipedia,WA transducer is a device that converts energy from one form to another.^The word transducer is a term used to describe both the"sensor,which can interpret a wide range of energy forms,and the"actuator,which can switch voltages or currents to affect the environment.Macrophages are able to sense a seemingly endless variety of inputs from their environment and transduce these inputs into a variety of different response outcomes.Thus,rather than functioning as immune cells,they should be considered more broadly as cellular transducers that interpret microenvironmental changes and actuate vital tissue responses.In this chapter,we will describe some of the sensory stimuli that macrophages perceive and the responses they make to these stimuli to achieve their prime directive,which is the maintenance of homeostasis.
基金supported by CDMRP SCIRP Award No.W81XWH-10-1-0793The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and The Buoniconti Fund
文摘It has been controversial whether gender has any effect on recovery following spinal cord injury（SCI）. Past experimental and clinical research aimed at addressing this subject has led to constrasting findings on whether females hold any advantage in locomotor recovery. Additionally, for studies supporting the notion of a female gender related advantage, a definite cause has not been explained. In a recent study, using large sample sizes for comparative male and female spinal cord injury cohorts, we reported that a significant gender advantage favoring females existed in both tissue preservation and functional recovery after taking into consideration discrepancies in age and weight of the animals across sexes. Prior animal research frequently used sample sizes that were too small to determine significance with certainty and also did not account for two other factors that influence locomotor performance： age and weight. Our finding is important in light of controversy surrounding the effect of gender on outcome and the fact that SCI affects more than ten thousand new individuals annually, a population that is disproportionately male. By deepening our understanding of why a gender advantage exists, potential new therapeutics can be designed to improve recovery for the male population following the initial trauma or putatively augment the neuroprotective privilege in females for enhanced outcomes.
文摘Cells of specialized secretory organs expand their secretory pathways to accommodate the increased protein load necessary for their function. The endoplasmic reticulum （ER）, the Golgi apparatus and the secretory vesicles, expand not only the membrane components but also the protein machinery required for increased protein production and transport. Increased protein load causes an ER stress response akin to the Unfolded Protein Response （UPR）. Recent work has implicated several bZip transcription factors in the regulation of protein components of the early secretory pathway necessary to alleviate this stress. Here, we highlight eight bZip transcription factors in regulating secretory pathway component genes. These include components of the three canonical branches of the UPR-ATF4, XBP1, and ATF6, as well as the five members of the Creb3 family of transcription factors. We review findings from both invertebrate and vertebrate model systems suggesting that all of these proteins increase secretory capacity in response to increased protein load. Finally, we propose that the Creb3 family of factors may have a dual role in secretory cell differentiation by also regulating the pathways necessary for cell cycle exit during terminal differentiation.
