Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is considered as one of the principal risk factors of gastric cancer. Constitutive activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) plays an important role in inflammation-associated gastric carcinogenesis. In the canonical STAT3 pathway, phosphorylation of STAT3 on Tyr705 is a major event of STAT3 activation. However, recent studies have demonstrated that STAT3 phosphorylated on Ser727 has an independent function in mitochondria. In the present study, we found that human gastric epithelial AGS cells infected with H. pylori resulted in localization of STAT3 phosphorylated on Ser727 (P-STAT3Ser727), predominantly in the mitochondria. Notably, H. pylori-infected AGS cells exhibited the loss of mitochondrial integrity and increased expression of the microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3), the autophagosomal membrane-associated protein. Treatment of AGS cells with a mitophagy inducer, carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), resulted in accumulation of P-STAT3Ser727 in mitochondria. In addition, the elevated expression and mitochondrial localization of LC3 induced by H. pylori infection were attenuated in AGS cells harboring STAT3 mutation defective in Ser727 phosphorylation (S727A). We also observed that both P-STAT3Ser727 expression and LC3 accumulation were increased in the mitochondria of H. pylori-inoculated mouse stomach.

One of the principal regulators of mitogenesis in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB). An increase of PDGF-BB expression has been observed in atherosclerotic lesions. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects and molecular mechanism of (2E)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)phenylpro-2-en-1-one (KTJ2242), a newly synthesized benzylideneacetophenone derivative, on PDGF-BB-stimulated rat aortic VSMCs. KTJ2242 induced accumulation of cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle of VSMCs. We observed that KTJ2242 inhibited PDGF-BB-stimulated [ 3 H]-thymidine incorporation into the DNA of VSMCs, and the cell number was significantly reduced in a concentration-dependent manner. # These two authors contributed equally to this work. Also, we observed that KTJ2242 decreased PDGF-BB-stimulated extracellular-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and Akt phosphorylation. These results suggest the possibility that KTJ2242 may be a potential agent with which to control vascular disorders and its antiproliferative mechanism may be mediated through partial Akt and ERK1/2-dependent signaling pathways.

The weir is one of the hydraulic structure which is supposed to be used to store water quantity against drought. To solve the disturbance of flood control caused by soil sediment and environment problems from the severance of moving sediment, movable weir is currently set up so as to solve that serious problem. There have been many studies focusing on the weir in specific target area. however, it is not applicable for all kinds of moveable weir. Therefore, In this study, experiments for moveable weir typed sluice gate are performed and hydraulics characteristics are measured depending on gate operation. According to comparison results between apron length calculated by Bligh's equation and hydraulic jump length by experiments, hydraulic jump length is bigger than apron length by Bligh's equation where oscillation jump happens. Therefore, it is necessary to set the energy dissipator up for improving stability of hydraulic structure.