Iron is an essential nutrient for mammalian cells. Most iron absorption occurs in the duodenal epithelial cells and is regulated by hepcidin, which is produced and secreted in the liver. High hepcidin levels can cause iron deficiency anemia due to iron absorption failure. Inside the cell, iron conjugates with a porphyrin ring and is placed with an iron coordinated to heme. One of the heme-binding proteins, known as progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (Pgrmc1), is a non-canonical progesterone receptor associated with diverse molecular gene regulation. Previous studies showed that Pgrmc1 is related to iron homeostasis via hepcidin; however, these mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In the present study, to investigate the role of Pgrmc1 in mammalian iron metabolism, we introduced Pgrmc1 knockout (KO) mice and performed molecular biological analyses using qPCR and western blotting. Pgrmc1 deficiency decreased Hamp mRNA expression and hepcidin protein levels. However, Pgrmc1 deficiency failed to decrease Hamp transcript expression and hepcidin protein levels in siPGRMC1-transfected HepG2 cells and primary Pgrmc1 KO hepatocytes, respectively. PGRMC1 knockdown cells revealed low HAMP mRNA levels upon cyclic AMP (cAMP) activation, suggesting that PGRMC1 promotes HAMP mRNA transcription via cAMP activation. It has been implicated that hepatic Pgrmc1 cannot control hepcidin directly; however, the internal environment caused by the lack of Pgrmc1 may potentially cause low hepcidin levels.

This study aimed to examine the effect of a mild elevation in serum cholesterol level in a porcine coronary overstretch restenosis model using a balloon angioplasty catheter or drug-eluting coronary stent. Pigs were divided into two groups and were fed a commercial normal diet (CND, n = 4) or a high-fat diet (HFD, n = 4) for 5 weeks. Coronary overstretch injury by balloon angioplasty or stent implantation was induced in the left anterior descending and left circumflex artery after 1 week of feeding. Histopathological analysis was performed at 4 weeks after coronary injury. During the experiment, the total cholesterol level in the HFD group increased by approximately 44.9% (from 65.9 ± 3.21 mg/dL at baseline to 95.5 ± 9.94 mg/dL at 5 weeks). The lumen area in the CND group was reduced in comparison with that in the HFD group after balloon angioplasty. After stent implantation, the injury score showed no significant difference. There were significant differences in the neointimal area (2.7 ± 0.33 mm2 in the CND group vs. 3.3 ± 0.34 mm2 in the HFD group, p<0.05), lumen area (2.6 ± 0.54 mm2 in the CND group vs. 2.0 ± 0.33 mm2 in the HFD group, p<0.05), and percent area stenosis (52.0 ± 7.96% in the CND group vs. 62.4 ± 5.15% in the HFD group, p<0.05). Body weight change was not different between the two groups. Increased serum cholesterol level activated vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation in the porcine coronary overstretch model.

방울토마토의 수경재배 중 붕소+칼슘+규소 및 칼슘+규소의 복합 엽면시비가 수확 후 품질과 MAP 저장 중 저장성에 미치는 영향을 알아보고자 본 연구를 실시하였다. 엽면시비한 방울 토마토(‘Unicorn’)는 반숙 과상태에서 수확하여 산소투과성 필름으로 포장한 5oC, 11oC, 그리고 24oC에서 25일, 15일, 10일간 저장하였다. 붕소+칼슘+규소 복합처리한 방울토마토가 3가지 저장온도 모두에서 호흡과 에틸렌 발생이 억제되어 MAP 저장중 가장 낮은 생체중 감소와 가장 높은 외관상 품질을 보였다. 수확 후 조사한 방울토마토의 경도, 산도, 비타민 C 함량은 붕소+칼슘+규소 복합처리에서 가장 높았으며, 3가지 온도 모두에서 MAP 저장 후에도 모두 높게 유지되었다. 그러나 과피색, 라이코펜 함량과 당도는 수확 후에는 엽면시비 처리로 차이가 없었으나, 3가지 온도 모두 붕소+칼슘+규소 복합처리에서 가장 낮은 수치를 보였다. 이상의 결과로 볼 때 붕소+칼슘+규소 복합처리는 방울토마토의 수확후 생리 작용을 억제하고 경도, 산도, 비타민 C 함량을 높여 저장성을 향상시키는 것으로 판단되었다