Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kumar R. Kakularam, Miquel Canyelles-Nino, Xin Chen, Jose M. Lluch, Angels Gonzalez-Lafont, Hartmut Kuhn
Summary: Mouse and human arachidonic acid lipoxygenase 15B orthologs have different reaction products when arachidonic acid is used as the substrate. Mutations in mouse arachidonic acid lipoxygenase 15b humanized the product pattern, while inverse mutagenesis in human arachidonic acid lipoxygenase 15B murinized the specificity of the enzyme. Experimental proof for the suggested inverse substrate binding at the active site is still pending.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marjann Schaefer, Florian Reisch, Dominika Labuz, Halina Machelska, Sabine Stehling, Gerhard P. Pueschel, Michael Rothe, Dagmar Heydeck, Hartmut Kuhn
Summary: Mammalian arachidonic acid lipoxygenases (ALOXs) play a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, with pro- and anti-inflammatory effects reported for different ALOX-isoforms. By testing knock-in mice that express a mutant of the Alox15b gene, researchers found that the humanization of the reaction specificity of mouse Alox15b sensitizes mice to dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis, but partially protects them in the complete Freund's adjuvant-induced paw edema model.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hayato Sasaki, Madoka Imanishi, Daisuke Fujikura, Makoto Sugiyama, Kyosuke Tanimoto, Yohei Mochiji, Yuki Takahashi, Koki Hiura, Masaki Watanabe, Takashige Kashimoto, Kenta Nakano, Tadashi Okamura, Nobuya Sasaki
Summary: The study successfully achieved specific depletion of all populations of mast cells in vivo using the Mcpt5/Cma1(DTR/+) mouse model, without causing a marked reduction in other cells. This new mouse model helps to further understand the functions of mast cells in the body and their impact on the immune system.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Allergy
Erika Mendez-Enriquez, Maya Salomonsson, Jens Eriksson, Christer Janson, Andrei Malinovschi, Mikael E. Sellin, Jenny Hallgren
Summary: It has been found that mast cell progenitors can be activated by IgE cross-linking, which may contribute to the development of acute allergic airway inflammation.
JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Arcangelo Iannuzzi, Paolo Rubba, Marco Gentile, Vania Mallardo, Ilenia Calcaterra, Alessandro Bresciani, Giuseppe Covetti, Gianluigi Cuomo, Pasquale Merone, Anna Di Lorenzo, Roberta Alfieri, Emilio Aliberti, Francesco Giallauria, Matteo Nicola Dario Di Minno, Gabriella Iannuzzo
Summary: Carotid artery plaques are indicative of atherosclerosis and linked to cardiovascular disease risk, especially ischemic strokes. Monitoring high-risk stroke patients is crucial, and non-invasive imaging provides insights into atherosclerosis and plaque vulnerability. Lipid parameters show a strong correlation with carotid atherosclerosis, often assessed using carotid ultrasound.
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Diede Smeets, Anton Gistera, Stephen G. Malin, Dimitrios Tsiantoulas
Summary: B cells play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with both protective and harmful functions. Their unique ability to produce and secrete antigen-specific antibodies that can have effects at distant sites is a key factor in the development of atherosclerosis. The atherogenic environment can impact the homeostasis, differentiation, and antibody production of B cells, but it is unclear if their responses are directed by atherosclerosis-specific antigens. Understanding the full spectrum of B cell properties in atherosclerosis is essential for developing innovative therapies.
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Tongqian Wu, Lan Ma, Xiaoqian Jin, Jingjing He, Ke Chen, Dingshan Zhang, Rui Yuan, Jun Yang, Qin Zhong, Haiyan Zhou, Zou Xiang, Yu Fang
Summary: The study demonstrated that S100A4 plays a critical role in regulating mast cell activation and allergic responses. S100A4(-/-) mice showed reduced symptoms in allergic models, indicating that S100A4 is required for mast cell activation and may be involved in the regulation of allergic diseases through this mechanism.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Pier Giorgio Puzzovio, Thayse R. Brueggemann, Hadas Pahima, David Mankuta, Bruce D. Levy, Francesca Levi-Schaffer
Summary: The study found that Cromolyn Sodium has immunomodulatory actions in allergic inflammation that go beyond just stabilizing mast cells, indicating broader mechanisms at play.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Deisy Segura-Villalobos, Itzel G. Ramirez-Moreno, Magnolia Martinez-Aguilar, Alfredo Ibarra-Sanchez, J. Omar Munoz-Bello, Isabel Anaya-Rubio, Alejandro Padilla, Marina Macias-Silva, Marcela Lizano, Claudia Gonzalez-Espinosa
Summary: This article reviews the recent evidence regarding the complex relationship between mast cells (MCs) and tumor cells, discussing the multifaceted role of MCs in tumor growth, the signaling pathways that regulate MC function and migration inside tumors, the possible phenotypic changes of MCs triggered by prevalent conditions in the tumor microenvironment, and the potential role of MCs in tumor fibrosis and metastasis. The article also discusses novel literature on molecular mechanisms related to phenotypic changes of MCs in the tumor microenvironment and therapeutic strategies targeting MC activation to limit tumor growth.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Petri Kresanov, Juha Mykkanen, Markku Ahotupa, Mika Ala-Korpela, Markus Juonala, Jari Kaikkonen, Mika Kahonen, Terho Lehtimaki, Tommi Vasankari, Jorma Viikari, Olli T. Raitakari
Summary: The study found that oxidized HDL lipids were not significantly associated with lipoprotein subclass lipid concentrations and composition after adjusting for certain factors, while oxidized LDL lipids were associated with multiple markers of lipoprotein subclass lipid concentrations and composition. Additionally, HDL and LDL subclass measures, such as phospholipid and triglyceride composition, were directly associated with oxidized LDL lipids, while cholesterol ester and free cholesterol composition in HDL and LDL were inversely associated. These results suggest that LDL oxidation may play a role in atherogenesis.
FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Rheumatology
Philipp Jud, Franz Hafner, Andreas Meinitzer, Marianne Brodmann, Christian Dejaco, Guenther Silbernagel
Summary: This study evaluated endothelial dysfunction, lipid metabolism, and the prevalence and development of cardiovascular diseases in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA). GCA patients had a higher prevalence of arterial disease and higher levels of cholesterol, lipoproteins, and triglycerides. They also had a higher risk of cardiovascular events, with underuse of statins and elevated LDL cholesterol concentrations.
Article
Surgery
Joost M. Mekke, Daan H. J. Egberts, Farahnaz Waissi, Nathalie Timmerman, Ilze Bot, Johan Kuiper, Gerard Pasterkamp, Gert J. de Borst, Dominique P. de Kleijn
Summary: The study revealed significant intersegment differences in MC numbers in human carotid plaques. The distribution of MCs impacts microvessel density and macrophage content within the plaques. Future histological studies should use standardized segments for plaque characterization.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF VASCULAR AND ENDOVASCULAR SURGERY
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Alma Zernecke, Florian Erhard, Tobias Weinberger, Christian Schulz, Klaus Ley, Antoine Emmanuel Saliba, Clement Cochain
Summary: This study aimed to refine the nomenclature of mononuclear phagocytes in atherosclerotic vessels and compare their transcriptomic profiles in mouse and human disease. The researchers integrated single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets from both mice and humans, identifying subpopulations and unique transcriptomic features. They found conserved transcriptomic features of macrophages and DCs in atherosclerosis, highlighting the relevance of mouse models in studying mononuclear phagocytes in this disease.
CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
George Athanasios Karpouzas, Bianca Papotti, Sarah Ormseth, Marcella Palumbo, Elizabeth Hernandez, Maria Pia Adorni, Francesca Zimetti, Matthew Budoff, Nicoletta Ronda
Summary: Cholesterol loading capacity (CLC) is associated with coronary atherosclerosis presence, burden, and cardiovascular risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is particularly linked to high-risk low attenuation and obstructive plaques in non-users of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARD).
Article
Spectroscopy
Wumin Cai, Gongji Wang, Hao Wu, Huiyu Li, Chen Shen, Xin Wei, Kai Yu, Qinru Sun, Zhenyuan Wang
Summary: This study successfully identified and distinguished TBI in putrefied mouse cadavers using FT-IR spectroscopy and chemometrics, providing crucial evidence for judicial proceedings.
SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART A-MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY
(2022)