Rationale Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) regulate remodeling of the left ventricle (LV) post-myocardial infarction (MI). MMP-12 has potent macrophage-dependent remodeling properties in the atherosclerotic plaque; however, post-MI roles have not been …

Among the dysfunctions and pathologies associatedwith sepsis, the underlyingmolecularmechanisms of sepsis- induced acute lung injury (ALI) are poorly understood. Endothelin (ET)-1, a potent vasoconstrictor and pro-in- flammatory peptide, is known to be …

The present study investigated the contribution of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) to neointimal formation, and whether endothelial-like cells (ELCs) differentiated from BM-MSCs could attenuate intimal hyperplasia following vascular …

Kindlin-2, a member of the Kindlin family focal adhesion proteins, plays an important role in cardiac development. It is known that defects in the Z-disc proteins lead to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Our previ- ous …

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS IH) is a lyso- somal storage disease (LSD) caused by inactivating mutations to the alpha-L-iduronidase (IDUA) gene. Treatment focuses on IDUA enzyme replacement and currently employed methods can be non-uniform in their …

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular (LV) stiffening contributes to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), a syndrome with no effective treatment options. Increasing the compliance of titin in the heart has become possible recently through …

Hepatic infarcts or abscesses occur after hepatic artery interruption. We explored the mechanisms of hepatic deprivation-induced acute liver injury and determine whether partial portal vein arterialization attenuated this injury in rats. Male …

Secondary lymphedema is a common complication of cancer treatment characterized by chronic limb swelling with interstitial inflammation. The rodent hindlimb is a widely used model for the evaluation of novel lymphedema treatments. However, the assessment …

Fever is a highly conserved systemic response to infection dating back over 600 million years. Although conferring a survival benefit, fever can negatively impact the function of excitable tissues, such as the heart, producing cardiac arrhythmias. Here we …

The transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α1 has been identified as a central factor mediating metabolic adaptations of the heart. However, it is still mostly unresolved how much physiological changes in PGC-1α1 expression levels actually contribute to the …