In this study, we investigated the role of Preso in the regulation of glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in rat cortical neurons. Knockdown of Preso with small interfering RNA improved neuronal viability and attenuated the elevation of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release after glutamate treatment. Downregulation of Preso also inhibited an increase in the BAX/Bcl-2 ratio and cleavage of caspase-9 and caspase-3. Although the expression and distribution of metabotropic

glutamate receptor (mGluR) 1/5, NR1, NR2A and NR2B were not changed by knockdown of Preso, downregulation of Preso protected neurons from glutamate-induced excitotoxicity by inhibiting mGluR and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor function. However, downregulation of Preso neither affected the expression of GluR1 and GluR2 nor influenced the function of -amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate receptor after glutamate treatment. Furthermore, NCT-501 cell line intracellular Ca2+ was an important downstream effector of Preso in the

regulation of excitotoxicity. These results suggest that expression of Preso promotes the induction Selleckchem SC79 of excitotoxicity by facilitating different glutamate receptor signaling pathways. Therefore, Preso might be a potential pharmacological target for preventing and treating neurological diseases.”
“Innate immune responses contribute to synovial inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. The present study was designed to investigate the contribution of IFN regulatory factor (IRF) 3 and IRF7 to type I IFN-regulated gene expression in synoviocytes. Fibroblast-like synoviocytes were stimulated with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly [I-C]) after transfection with IRF3 or IRF7 small interfering RNA to knockdown transcription factor expression. Western blots, luciferase assay after transfection with reporter constructs, quantitative

PCR, and AP-1 DNA binding ELISA were performed to see more evaluate the role of IRF3 and IRF7 in poly (I-C)-induced signaling and synoviocyte gene expression. IRF3 regulates IFN-stimulated response element (ISRE) promoter activity as well as IFN-beta, IRF5, IRF7, RANTES, IFN-inducible protein-10, MCP-1, and MIP1 alpha gene expression in response to poly (I-C). IRF7 knockdown modestly decreased a subset of genes and ISRE activity, although the results were not statistically significant. Surprisingly, IRF3 knockdown almost completely blocked expression of additional genes in which the ISRE is not traditionally considered a dominant promoter site in fibroblast-like synoviocytes, including matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)3, MMP9, IL-6, and IL-8. Transcription factor activation studies demonstrated a role for IRF3 in regulation of c-Jun phosphorylation and AP-1 binding. IRF3 rather than IRF7 regulates poly (I-C)-induced type I IFN responses in human synoviocytes by increasing ISRE promoter activity.