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Loss-of-function mutations in co-chaperone BAG3 destabilize small HSPs and cause cardiomyopathy
Defective protein quality control (PQC) systems are implicated in multiple diseases. Molecular chaperones and co-chaperones play a central role in functioning PQC. Constant mechanical and metabolic stress in cardiomyocytes places great demand on the PQC …
Publication
Chronic exposure to electronic cigarette (E-cig) results in impaired cardiovascular function in mice
Proponents for electronic cigarettes(E-cigs) claim they are a safe alternative to smoking tobacco-based cigarettes,however little is known about the long-term effects of E-cig vapor exposure on vascular function.The purpose of this study was to determine …
Publication
Lysyl oxidase overexpression accelerates cardiac remodeling and aggravates angiotensin II–induced hypertrophy
Lysyl oxidase (LOX) controls matrix remodeling, a key process that underlies cardiovascular diseases and heart failure; however, a lack of suitable animal models has limited our knowledge with regard to the contribution of LOX to cardiac dysfunction. …
Publication
Loss of mouse cardiomyocyte talin-1 and talin-2 leads to β-1 integrin reduction, costameric instability, and dilated cardiomyopathy
Continuous contraction-relaxation cycles of the heart require strong and stable connections of cardiac myocytes (CMs) with the extracellular matrix (ECM) to preserve sarcolemmal integrity. CM attachment to the ECM is mediated by integrin complexes …
Publication
Intermittent hypoxia-induced cardiomyopathy and its prevention by Nrf2 and metallothionein
The mechanism for intermittent hypoxia (IH)-induced cardiomyopathy remains obscure. We reported the prevention of acute and chronic IH-induced cardiac damage by selective cardiac overexpression of metallothionein (MT). Herein we defined that MT-mediated …
Publication
Multitarget Effects of Danqi Pill on Global Gene Expression Changes in Myocardial Ischemia
Danqi pill (DQP) is a widely prescribed traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The objective of this study is to systematically characterize altered gene expression pattern induced by myocardial ischemia (MI) in a …
Publication
A neonatal rat model of increased right ventricular afterload by pulmonary artery banding
Objective To construct a neonatal rat model of increased right ventricular (RV) afterload for studying the pathophysiological remodeling of the right ventricle in patients with congenital heart disease with increased RV afterload. Methods Surgery was …
Publication
Proteoglycan-targeting applied to hypoxia-activated prodrug therapy in chondrosarcoma: first proof-of-concept
Due to its abundant chondrogenic matrix and hypoxic tissue, chondrosarcoma is chemo- and radio-resistant. Our group has developed a proteoglycan targeting strategy by using a quaternary ammonium (QA) function as a carrier of DNA alkylating agents to …
Publication
Therapy with mesenchymal stromal cells or conditioned medium reverse cardiac alterations in a high-fat diet–induced obesity model
Background Obesity is associated with numerous cardiac complications, including arrhythmias, cardiac fibrosis, remodeling and heart failure. Here we evaluated the therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and their conditioned medium (CM) …
Publication
A carvedilol-responsive microRNA, miR-125b-5p protects the heart from acute myocardial infarction by repressing pro-apoptotic bak1 and klf13 in cardiomyocytes
Background Cardiac injury is accompanied by dynamic changes in the expression of microRNAs (miRs), small non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate target genes. MiR-125b-5p is downregulated in patients with end-stage dilated and ischemic …