Qishen granules (QSG), a traditional Chinese medicine, have been prescribed widely in the treatment of coronary heart diseases. Previous studies demonstrated that QSG had anti-inflammatory and cardio-protective effects in mice with acute myocardial …

Aims: Inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir) channels are known to be sensitive to flow, but their role in flow-induced endothelial responses is not known. The goal of this study is to establish the role of Kir channels in flow-induced vasodilation and to provide …

Previous studies evidenced the beneficial effects of low-to-moderate alcohol consumption on cardiovascular sys- temby activation of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), a key enzyme metabolizing acetalde- hyde to innocuous acetic acid, in …

Cardiac fibrosis is a pathological feature of myocardium of failing heart and plays causative roles in arrhythmia and cardiac dysfunction, but its regulatory mechanisms remain largely elusive. In this study, we investigated the effects of the novel EP4 …

Heart attack is a global health problem that leads to significant morbidity, mortality, and health care burden. Adult human hearts have very limited regenerative capability after injury. However, evolutionarily primitive species generally have higher …

Aims: Human cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes (CREG) is a secreted glycoprotein that regulates tissue and cell homeostasis and has been shown to antagonize heart fibrosis,which indicates a potential protective effect of CREG against cardiomyocyte …

Recent studies reported that atorvastatin (ATOR) alleviated progression of experimental diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), possibly by protecting against apoptosis. However, the underlying mechanisms of this protective effect remain unclear. Therefore, our …

Background: Erythropoietin (EPO) has been reported to exert protective effects on a host of damaged tissues. However, the erythropoietic effect of this hormone can result in high risks of thrombosis, stroke, and hypertension, remarkably limiting the …

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest cancers with survival averaging only 3months if untreated following diagnosis. A major limitation in effectively treating PDAC using conventional and targeted chemotherapeutic agents, is …

Maternal immune tolerance of fetal engraftment is critical for the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy, but the exact mechanisms permitting this semi-allograft in the maternal host are not completely understood. Further, failure of the embryo to …