Cell Differentiation ; Cell Polarity ; Ginsenosides ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Leukemia

Background: Macrophage polarization is involved in the development of many diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cancer. This study aimed to understand the trends and hotspots of macrophage polarization research. Methods: We searched through the Web of Science Core Collection database to obtain original articles in this research domain. CiteSpace, HistCite, and VOSviewer software were used to facilitate the analysis and visualization of scientific productivity and emerging trends. Results: The survey included 3064 articles, and the annual number of publications exhibited an exponential increase. These articles have received a total of 74,801 citations, and the number of annual citations grew from 68 to 18,074 in a decade. Research on macrophage polarization was performed in 76 countries, and the USA ranked first in terms of research output by contributing 1129 (36.8%) articles. The USA also had the highest H-index, total citations, and highly cited article number. PLOS One, Journal of Immunology, and Scientific Reports were the three journals that published the most articles. Interdisciplinary research areas involving macrophage polarization, such as biomaterials, cancer, and diabetes, were identified by journal citation analysis. The top 20 most productive institutions were located mainly in the USA, France, and China, and top authors originated mainly from the USA and Italy. Tumor biology, obesity, and infection were research hotspots and may be promising in the next few years. Conclusions This study provides a comprehensive analysis that delineates the scientific productivity, collaboration, and research hotspots of macrophage polarization research.
Bibliometrics ; Biomedical Research ; Cell Polarity ; physiology ; Efficiency ; Humans ; Macrophages ; physiology

Brain Ischemia ; Cell Polarity ; Humans ; Ischemic Stroke ; Microglia ; Stroke/therapy*

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is one mechanism by which cells with mesenchymal features can be generated and is a fundamental event in morphogenesis. Recently, invasion and metastasis of cancer cells from the primary tumor are now thought to be initiated by the developmental process termed the EMT, whereby epithelial cells lose cell polarity and cell-cell interactions, and gain mesenchymal phenotypes with increased migratory and invasive properties. The EMT is believed to be an important step in metastasis and is implicated in cancer progression, although the influence of the EMT in clinical specimens has been debated. This review presents the recent results of two cell surface proteins, the functions and underlying mechanisms of which have recently begun to be demonstrated, as novel regulators of the molecular networks that induce the EMT and cancer progression.
Cell Polarity ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition* ; Membrane Proteins* ; Membranes* ; Morphogenesis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Phenotype

BACKGROUND: The Scribble, Par and Crumbs polarity modules are essential for establishing and maintaining apicobasal cell polarity in epithelial cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression pattern of Lethal giant larvae2 (Lgl2) in normal colonic epithelium and epithelial tumors and to examine the relationship between Lgl2 expression and clinicopathological parameters. METHODS: We examined Lgl2 expression in 66 primary colon cancers and 20 adenomas by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In normal colonic epithelium, Lgl2 was strongly expressed at the basolateral membrane of cells in the luminal surface but was not expressed at the base of crypts. The expression pattern of E-cadherin in normal epithelium was similar to that of Lgl2. In contrast, tumors did not express Lgl2 or showed diffuse cytoplasmic staining. The Lgl2 positive rate in tumors was significantly lower than in normal epithelium, and its negative rate in tumors was higher in tumors with abnormal E-cadherin expression than in tumors with positive membranous staining. Lgl2 staining intensity was significantly lower in tumor budding sites than in tumor centers. No significant differences were observed between Lgl2 and clinicopathological parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Lgl2 expression was reduced or localized at the cytoplasm in colon epithelial tumors, suggesting that a perturbation of Lgl2 expression frequently occurs in colon epithelial tumors.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenoma ; Cadherins ; Cell Polarity ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Cytoplasm ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Immunohistochemistry ; Membranes ; Phenobarbital

Dentin is the major part of tooth and formed by odontoblasts. Under the influence of the inner enamel epithelium, odontoblasts differentiate from ectomesenchymal cells of the dental papilla and secrete pre-dentin which then undergo mineralization into dentin. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)/bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling is essential for dentinogenesis; however, the precise molecular mechanisms remain unclear. To understand the role of TGF-β/BMP signaling in odontoblast differentiation and dentin formation, we generated mice with conditional ablation of Smad4, a key intracellular mediator of TGF-β/BMP signaling, using Osr2 or OC-Cre mice. Here we found the molars of Osr2(Cre)Smad4 mutant mice exhibited impaired odontoblast differentiation, and normal dentin was replaced by ectopic bone-like structure. In Osr2(Cre)Smad4 mutant mice, cell polarity of odontoblast was lost, and the thickness of crown dentin was decreased in later stage compared to wild type. Moreover, the root dentin was also impaired and showed ectopic bone-like structure similar to Osr2(Cre)Smad4 mutant mice. Taken together, our results suggest that Smad4-dependent TGF-β/BMP signaling plays a critical role in odontoblast differentiation and dentin formation during tooth development.
Animals ; Cell Polarity ; Crowns ; Dental Enamel ; Dental Papilla ; Dentin* ; Dentinogenesis ; Epithelium ; Mice ; Miners ; Molar ; Odontoblasts* ; Tooth

No abstract available.
Calcium Signaling/physiology* ; Cell Polarity/physiology* ; Epithelial Cells/physiology* ; Epithelial Cells/cytology*

In order to carry out their physiological functions, the cells of transporting epithelial tissues must be able to polarize their cell surface domains. Different collections of membrane transport proteins must be distributed to distinct domains of the plasma membrane, and cells must be coupled to one-another through junctional complexes that help organize polarized domains and regulate the permeability of the paracellular pathway. This exquisite organization requires that epithelial cells possess a sorting apparatus that can target newly synthesized transport proteins to the appropriate surface domains. Furthermore, the transport proteins themselves must possess information embedded within their structures that specifies their sites of ultimate functional residence. The nature of this information, and of the protein-protein interactions involved in its interpretation, is beginning to be elucidated. The initial formation of the polarized state involves signaling cascades that epithelial cells use to orient themselves to sites of cell-cell and cell-matrix contact. Recent evidence suggests that one component of these cascades is a kinase that also serves as a cellular energy sensor.
Animals ; Cell Polarity ; Epithelial Cells ; physiology ; Humans ; Membrane Transport Proteins ; physiology ; Protein Transport ; Signal Transduction

In the present study, we used in vitro whole-cell patch-clamp technique to record and analyze oscillatory activity of neurons in the optic tectum of Xenopus. Two patterns of subthreshold oscillations were induced by long-term depolarizing current pulses. One of the oscillating patterns occurred without a slow inward current (SIC); the other was superimposed on the SIC. The subthreshold oscillations were induced by depolarization in 48% of the recorded neurons. Both the oscillations and the SIC were tetrodotoxin (TTX)-resistant, but neither occurred when the slices were immersed in Ca(2+) free solutions. The evocation of the oscillations was voltage-sensitive: only when the initial membrane potentials of the neurons were held at -40 mV or -50 mV, 10 mV depolarization could induce the subthreshold oscillations. The amplitude and duration of the SIC depended on the level of the initial membrane potential. The subthreshold oscillations might play an important role in the physiological and behavioral functions of frogs, e.g. pattern discrimination, prey recognition, avoiding behavior etc., furthermore, these oscillations might play roles in the integration of neural activity in both mammals and non-mammalian vertebrates.
Animals ; Cell Polarity ; Membrane Potentials ; Neurons ; cytology ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Tetrodotoxin ; pharmacology ; Xenopus

Macrophages are heterogeneous and diversified, and can be polarized into different phenotypes in various microenvironments and physiological or pathological conditions. Major macrophage subpopulations including classically activated(M1) and alternatively activated(M2) macrophages, which represent different surface receptors, secret different cytokines and chemokines, are regulated by different signal paths of transcriptions and epigenetic levels, and play distinctive roles in tumor progress. TCMs may improve the microenvironment by regulating phenotype polarization of macrophages. So far, specific biomarkers and polarized molecules mechanisms generated through the macrophage polarization approach are still unclear. In this article, we merely summarize the advance in domestic and foreign studies on phenotype polarization of macrophages and regulatory mechanisms and look into the future of intervention with TCMs.
Animals ; Cell Polarity ; Humans ; Macrophages ; physiology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Phenotype