Plump endothelial cells integrated into pre-existing venules contribute to the formation of 'mother' and 'daughter' vessels in pyogenic granuloma: possible role of galectin-1, -3 and -8

Galectin‑1 binds GRP78 to promote the proliferation and metastasis of gastric cancer

The present study aimed to investigate the potential molecular mechanisms by which galectin‑1 (Gal‑1) and glucose‑regulated protein 78 (GRP78) influence the development of malignant gastric cancer (GC). Immunohistochemistry and western blotting were used to map the expression and location of the Gal‑1 gene in the 80 paraffin‑embedded GC samples, 16 fresh samples and surrounding tissues. Gal‑1 was overexpressed and knocked down using lentiviral vectors in the human GC cell lines HGC‑27 and AGS. Through the use of the Cell Counting Kit‑8 assay, clone formation assay, wound healing assay, invasion assay and tumor xenograft, the possible biological roles of Gal‑1 were further evaluated. The downstream interacting proteins were predicted by the BioGRID database, and GRP78 was chosen for further investigation. Immunofluorescence labeling and Co‑IP were used to confirm the connection. The statistical tests utilized were the two‑tailed paired Student's t‑test, χ2 test, Kaplan‑Meier and Cox regression analysis, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients. In GC, Gal‑1 is extensively expressed and has the potential to interact with GRP78. Poor prognosis is linked to high levels of GRP78 and Gal‑1 expression in patients with GC. According to the functional study, Gal‑1 knockdown prevented cells from thriving and pushed Gal‑1 expression, which aided in the proliferation, migration and invasion of GC. Gal‑1 overexpression additionally aided the development of subcutaneous xenograft tumors. The mechanistic investigation proved that GRP78 and Gal‑1 interacted, accelerating the course of GC. Gal‑1 silencing had an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of HGC‑27 cells that was removed by ectopic GRP78 expression, whereas the stimulating effects of Gal‑1 overexpression in AGS cells were inhibited by GRP78 knockdown. In conclusion, Gal‑1 interacts with GRP78 to facilitate the advancement of GC. The Gal‑1/GRP78 axis is supported by the functional data of the present study as a possible GC treatment target.

Intensity distribution segmentation in ultrafast Doppler combined with scanning laser confocal microscopy for assessing vascular changes associated with ageing in murine hippocampi

The hippocampus plays an important role in learning and memory, requiring high-neuronal oxygenation. Understanding the relationship between blood flow and vascular structure—and how it changes with ageing—is physiologically and anatomically relevant. Ultrafast Doppler (\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\mu$$\end{document}μDoppler) and scanning laser confocal microscopy (SLCM) are powerful imaging modalities that can measure in vivo cerebral blood volume (CBV) and post mortem vascular structure, respectively. Here, we apply both imaging modalities to a cross-sectional and longitudinal study of hippocampi vasculature in wild-type mice brains. We introduce a segmentation of CBV distribution obtained from \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\mu$$\end{document}μDoppler and show that this mice-independent and mesoscopic measurement is correlated with vessel volume fraction (VVF) distribution obtained from SLCM—e.g., high CBV relates to specific vessel locations with large VVF. Moreover, we find significant changes in CBV distribution and vasculature due to ageing (5 vs. 21 month-old mice), highlighting the sensitivity of our approach. Overall, we are able to associate CBV with vascular structure—and track its longitudinal changes—at the artery-vein, venules, arteriole, and capillary levels. We believe that this combined approach can be a powerful tool for studying other acute (e.g., brain injuries), progressive (e.g., neurodegeneration) or induced pathological changes.