DL-3-n-Butylphthalide (NBP) has protective effects on ischemic brain tissue through multiple mechanisms and has been used for stroke treatment in China for several years. BAY 63-2521 nmr In this study, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was used to induce oxidative stress injury to rat bone marrow

stem cells (rBMSCs), imitating the microenvironment surrounding transplanted cells in the ischemic brain in vitro. The protective effects of NBP on rBMSCs against apoptosis induced by oxidative stress were investigated. Our results indicated that NBP could protect rBMSCs against apoptosis due to antioxidative properties and modulation of PI3K/Akt pathway. NBP could be used in combination with BMSCs for the treatment of cerebral infarction by improving the oxidative stress microenvironments and cell survival, however, further studies remain warranted.

(c) 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder of unknown cause. Some familial forms of PD are provoked by mutations in the genes encoding for the PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog)-induced putative kinase-1 (PINK1) and Parkin. Mounting evidence indicates that PINK1 and Parkin might function in concert to modulate mitochondrial degradation, termed mitophagy. However, the molecular mechanisms by which PINK1/Parkin affect mitophagy are just beginning to be elucidated. Herein, we review the main advances in our understanding of the PINK1/Parkin pathway. Because of the phenotypic similarities among the different forms of PD, a better understanding of selleck PINK1/Parkin biology might have far-reaching pathogenic and therapeutic implications for both the inherited and the sporadic forms of PD.”
“A proteomic approach was applied to compare

the secretome (culture filtrate proteome) of phosphate-sufficient (+Pi) and Pi-deficient (-Pi) Arabidopsis thaliana suspension cell cultures. Secretomes harvested from the +Pi and -Pi cells yielded dissimilar 2-DE maps. PMF via MALDI-TOF MS resulted in the identification of 50 protein spots representing 37 discrete GANT61 ic50 proteins having unique gene identities. A total of 24 Pi-starvation responsive proteins were identified, with 18 of these being up-regulated and six down-regulated. Secreted proteins up-regulated by the -Pi cells included a ribonuclease involved in Pi scavenging from extracellular nucleic acids, as well as enzymes of cell wall modification, proteolysis, pathogen responses, and ROS metabolism. Enzyme activity assays and immunoblotting demonstrated that a pair of purple acid phosphatase isoforms having subunit M(r)s of 65 and 55 kDa was also secreted by the -Pi cells. Semiquantitative RT-PCR was used to assess the relationship between mRNA levels and relative amounts of selected secretome proteins.