Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UNIPROT:P10415 (Bcl-2)
 33,771 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Vasculogenic erectile dysfunction (ED) is associated with collagen replacement of the cavernosal smooth muscle, mediated by an increase in transforming growth factor (TGF)-production secondary to hypoxemia. We tested the hypothesis that human ED is the result of an increase in apoptosis of the cavernosal smooth muscle cells with replacement by collagen, mediated by the TGFbeta upregulation. We also examined the tissue for proteins associated with apoptosis. Human cavernosal tissue was procured from impotent men at the time of prosthesis insertion. Normal corpous cavernosum served as a control. The TUNEL assay was used to assess apoptosis. Immunohistochemistry staining was used to detect TGFbeta and Bcl-2 expression, while Western blot analysis was used to detect expression of Bcl-2, p53, and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1a. Immunohistochemistry showed downregulation of TGFbeta protein expression in the corpus cavernosum of men with ED. Apoptotic nuclei were noted in cavernosal smooth muscle from a potent man but were not found in cavernosal tissue from men with ED. To gain insight into the possible mechanism of apoptosis in men with ED, the proto-oncogene Bcl-2, a potential inhibitor of apoptosis, was examined. Both immunohistochemistry and Western analysis revealed the presence of Bcl-2 in the cavernosal nerve of a potent man but its absence in cavernosal tissue from men with ED. Thus, loss of Bcl-2 expression correlated with the loss of apoptosis. In contrast, Western blotting demonstrated upregulation of p53 and HIF-1a expression in the cavernosal tissues from the men with ED and diabetes. Male ED follows an active process characterized by a loss of TGFb expression, apoptosis, and Bcl-2 expression. However, there is upregulation of p53 and HIF-1a in men with diabetes. These data support the possibility of hypoxia-mediated ED in diabetes via upregulation of p53 and HIF-1a but does not substantiate a role for TGFbeta in ED.
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PMID:Loss of TGFbeta, Apoptosis, and Bcl-2 in Erectile Dysfunction and Upregulation of p53 and HIF-1alpha in Diabetes-Associated Erectile Dysfunction. 1085 11

Epimedium, a traditional Chinese herb, has been used for the remedy of coronary heart disease, impotence and osteoporosis in traditional oriental medicine. However, despite extensive pharmacological studies, the molecular mechanism of the anti-heart failure effect of epimedium is little known. In the present study, we investigated the pharmacological action mechanism of ethanol extract of epimedium (EPI-ext) on isoproterenol-induced congestive heart failure (CHF) in rats. Isoproterenol administration resulted in severe heart failure, as shown by the increased levels of left ventricular (LV) weight index and heart rate, as well as LV end diastolic pressure, and by the decreased levels of LV systolic pressure, maximal rate of LV pressure rise, and maximal rate of LV pressure decline. EPI-ext dose-dependently reversed the changes of these cardiac morphometric and hemodynamic parameters. In addition, EPI-ext significantly inhibited the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha, norepinephrine, angiotensin II and brain natriuretic peptide in rats with CHF and improved the histological changes including cadiocyte hypertrophy, cadiocyte degeneration, inflammatory infiltration, and cardiac desmoplasia. Furthermore, the expression and activities of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9, which regulate collagen production, were also blocked by EPI-ext. Moreover, myocardial apoptosis was remarkably attenuated by EPI-ext through the regulating Bcl-2/Bax axle. In conclusion, EPI-ext ameliorates LV dysfunction and cardiac remodeling through down-regulating matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 activity and myocardial apoptosis in rats with CHF.
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PMID:Ethanol extract from Epimedium brevicornum attenuates left ventricular dysfunction and cardiac remodeling through down-regulating matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 activity and myocardial apoptosis in rats with congestive heart failure. 1809 24