Asthmatics with exacerbation were characterized by sustained asthma symptoms, high levels of eNO and a blunted expression pattern of the genes associated with mucosal repair, despite having a similar proportion of medication use to asthmatics with no exacerbations (63% versus 60%; Table 1).
In particular, new animal models have been generated with blunted expression of a gene-of-interest by the use of expression cassettes for small hairpin RNA (shRNA) [2] [4].
This was associated with blunted expression of a primary clock output, the transcription factor DBP, which transactivates the promoters of both genes.
We conclude that the reduced plasticity of mitochondria in aged muscle is partly due to the blunted expression of these factors in response to chronic contractile activity.
The finding that blunted expression of fetal genes in diabetic hearts is not altered by exercise has been shown in previous studies [ 27, 28].
Therefore, we suggest that the loss of HDAC1/2 and the increased association of the mSin3A corepressor with REST may underlie the blunted expression of fetal genes in the diabetic heart.
Of particular interest in the present context is the report that mice with MC4R deletion are protected against tumour-induced anorexia and weight loss (Marks et al, 2001) and the finding of a blunted gene expression of the endogenous melanocortin antagonist agouti-related peptide in tumour-bearing rats (Pourtau et al, 2011).
Npas2-deficient mice are characterized by blunted expression rhythms of Per2 in the cerebral cortex [19] and adaptation to rapidly shifted LD cycles (jet lag) is accelerated when compared to WT controls [20].
Compared with the robust oscillation of the control SCN, the SCN of BKOs exhibited blunted expression patterns with low-amplitude but detectable rhythms, which were close to 24 hr (23.54 ± 0.29 hr in Fx/Fx control SCN vs 22.99 ± 2.36 hr in BKO SCN for mean period length ± SD, Figure 4A).
Notably, KO and D/A cells revealed a comparable pattern of PPARγ expression, while K/R cells exhibited blunted expression throughout differentiation.
