AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a serine/threonine protein kinase, has been shown to exert a protective effect against cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Our previous re- ports have demonstrated that AMPK can inhibit cardiac hypertrophy and block …

Objective: Stem cell-based regenerative therapies have been intensively studied with the aim to define an ideal cell type for the treatment of myocardial infarction. We tested systemically delivered, platelet-targeted induced vascular progenitor cells …

Ultra High Frequency Ultrasound (UHFUS) enables the visualization of highly deformable small and medium vessels in the hand. Intricate vessel-based measurements, such as intimal wall thickness and vessel wall compliance, require sub-millimeter vessel …

The mechanism underlying the spontaneous regression of neuroblastoma is unclear. Although it was hypothesized that this regression occurs via an immunological mechanism, there is no clinical evidence, and no animal models have been developed to …

Background. The widely used genetically engineered mouse LSL-KrasG12D/+; LSL-Trp53R172H/+; Pdx-1-Cre, termed KPC, spontaneously develops pancreatic cancer mirroring all phases of the carcinogenesis but in asynchronous manner. Preclinical studies need …

We reported previously that nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and metallothionein (MT) play critical roles in preventing intermittent hypoxia (IH)-induced cardiomyopathy. In addition, positive feedback regulation between Nrf2 and MT is …

Aims: MiR-101a is reported to reduce post-infarction myocardial fibrosis through targeting c-FOS and TGFbr1. However the actions of miR-101a within the TGF-β signaling pathway are largely unknown. We demonstrate the mechanisms underlying mutual inhibition …

Background: Little investigation was done to test the efficiency of microRNA-217 (miR-217) on atherosclerosis in vivo. Methods: ApoE−/− mice were used to construct atherosclerotic models and ultrasound bio-microscopy (UBM) was applied to detect the …

Background/Aims: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a serious complication of diabetes. It is therefore crucial to elucidate the characteristic metabolic changes that occur during the development of diabetes to gain an understanding the pathogenesis of this …

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a disease with a developmental origin characterized by obstructive vascular remodelling that is partially due to excessive pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) proliferation. Paeonol has important effects on …