ANA CECILIA LIAUDAT, FRANCISCA EBEL, BIANCA ANA OPIZZO, MARINA AURORA GONZALEZ, DAMIÁN BLOIS, PABLO BOSCH^#, NANCY RODRIGUEZ^#,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.5, pp. 1135-1143, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027628

Abstract Background: Capacitation is a set of physiological changes sperms undergo to acquire fertilizing capacity. In vivo, this process is directly associated with high calcium levels in sperm cytoplasm. Calcitriol, the vitamin D hypercalcemic metabolite, is related to human sperm motility, capacitation, and acrosome reaction. This work aimed to study the effect of calcitriol on bull sperm quality parameters and capacitation. Methods: One million freeze-thawed spermatozoa were obtained from different bulls and treated with 20 nM of calcitriol for 30 min. Untreated cells (negative control) and treated ones with calcitriol or heparin (100 µg/mL, positive capacitation control) were evaluated for motility,… More >

Wei-Zhen Liu, Nian Liu

Oncology Research, Vol.27, No.1, pp. 1-8, 2019, DOI:10.3727/096504018X15172738893959

Abstract Propofol has been widely used in lung cancer resections. Some studies have demonstrated that the effects of propofol might be mediated by microRNAs (miRNAs). This study aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of propofol on lung cancer cells by regulation of miR-1284. A549 cells were treated with different concentrations of propofol, while transfected with miR-1284 inhibitor, si-FOXM1, and their negative controls. Cell viability, migration, and invasion, and the expression of miR-1284, FOXM1, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) factors were detected by CCK-8, Transwell, qRT-PCR, and Western blot assays, respectively. In addition, the regulatory and binding relationships among propofol, miR-1284, and… More >

Yanhui Li^*†, Su Dong^*†, Arya Tamaskar^†, Heather Wang^†, Jing Zhao^†, Haichun Ma^*, Yutong Zhao^†

Oncology Research, Vol.28, No.5, pp. 497-507, 2020, DOI:10.3727/096504020X15929939001042

Abstract Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer and accounts for 85% of all lung carcinomas. The hepatocyte growth factor receptor (c-Met) has been considered as a potential therapeutic target for NSCLC. Proteasome inhibition induces cell apoptosis and has been used as a novel therapeutic approach for treating diseases including NSCLC; however, the effects of different proteasome inhibitors on NSCLC have not been fully investigated. The aim of this study is to determine a precise strategy for treating NSCLC by targeting c-Met using different proteasome inhibitors. Three proteasome inhibitors, bortezomib, MG132, and ONX 0914, were… More >

Zeenat Mushtaq¹, Shahla Faizan¹, Basit Gulzar², Humira Mushtaq³, Sayyada Bushra¹, Alisha Hussain¹, Khalid Rehman Hakeem^4,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.91, No.1, pp. 149-168, 2022, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2022.016231

Abstract Salinity is one of the most severe abiotic stresses for crop production. The present study investigates the salinity-induced modulation in growth indicators, morphology and movement of stomata, photosynthetic pigments, activity of carbonic anhydrase as well as nitrate reductase, and antioxidant systems in two varieties of chickpea (Pusa-BG5023, and Pusa-BGD72). On 20^th day of sowing, plants were treated with varying levels of NaCl (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM) followed by sampling on 45 days of sowing. Recorded observations on both the varieties reveal that salt stress leads to a significant decline in growth, dry biomass, leaf area, photosynthetic pigments,… More >

Zhenzhen SHI, Jiaxin CAO, Hailong PANG, Lingyun JIA, Kun SUN, Hanqing FENG^*

BIOCELL, Vol.44, No.1, pp. 89-99, 2020, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2020.08059

Abstract Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most widespread and toxic heavy metals to plants. Extracellular ATP (exATP) is thought to be an extracellular effector in regulating the physiological responses of plant cells to environmental stresses. However, the function of exATP in Cd-stressed plant cells is much unknown. The present work showed that treating tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Bright Yellow-2) cell-suspension cultures with exogenous CdCl₂ reduced the cell viability, exATP level, and Mg content. However, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), Cd content, and electrolyte leakage of the cells were enhanced by exogenous CdCl₂. When the Cd-induced accumulation of… More >

Marcia Cristina Branciforti^1,*, Caroline Faria Bellani², Carolina Lipparelli Morelli², Alice Ferrand³, Nadia Benkirane-Jessel³, Rosario Elida Suman Bretas²

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.7, No.3, pp. 269-277, 2019, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2019.01833

Abstract Although nanocomposites have recently attracted special interest in the tissue engineering area, due to their potential to reinforce scaffolds for hard tissues applications, a number of variables must be set prior to any clinical application. This manuscript addresses the evaluation of thermo-mechanical properties and of cell proliferation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) films and their bionanocomposites with 2 wt% of CNC obtained by casting technique. Cellulose nanocrystals extracted from Balsa wood by acid hydrolysis were used as a reinforcing phase in PBAT and PCL matrix films. The films and pure CNC at different concentrations were cultured… More >