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Objective@#To explore the molecular mechanism of resveratrol (RES) in the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) through the use of biological information methods such as network pharmacology and molecular docking and to provide a theoretical reference for the clinical application of RES in the treatment of OSCC.@*Methods@#The Swiss Target Prediction(http://www.swisstargetprediction.ch), SEA (http://sea.bkslab.org)database, and Pharm mapper database(http://lilab-ecust.cn) were used to retrieve RES-related targets, and the DISGENET (www.disgenet.org), OMIM (https://omim.org) and GeneCards (https://www.genecards.org) databases were used to screen OSCC disease targets. The intersection of drugs and disease targets was determined, and Cytoscape 3.7.2 software was used to construct a "drug-diseasetarget pathway" network. The Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) database was used to construct a target protein interaction network, and the DAVID database was used for enrichment analysis of key proteins. Finally, molecular docking validation of key proteins was performed using AutoDock and PyMOL. The enrichment analysis and molecular docking results were integrated to predict the possible molecular mechanisms of RES treatment in OSCC; western blot was used to determine the effect of resveratrol at different concentrations (50, 100) μmol/L on the expression of Src tyrosine kinase (SRC), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), estrogen receptor gene 1 (ESR1), and phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway proteins in OSCC HSC-3 cells.@*Results@#A total of 243 targets of RES drugs and 6 094 targets of OSCC were identified. A total of 116 potential common targets were obtained by intersecting drugs with disease targets. These potential targets mainly participate in biological processes such as in vivo protein self-phosphorylation, peptide tyrosine phosphorylation, transmembrane receptor protein tyrosine kinase signaling pathway, and positive regulation of RNA polymerase Ⅱ promoter transcription, and they interfere with the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to exert anti-OSCC effects. The docking results of resveratrol with OSCC molecules indicated that key targets, such as EGFR, ESR1, and SRC, have good binding activity. The results of cell-based experiments showed that resveratrol inhibited the protein expression of SRC, EGFR, ESR1, p-PI3K, and p-AKT in HSC-3 cells in a dose-dependent manner.@*Conclusion@#RES can inhibit the expression of its targets EGFR, ESR1, SRC, p-PI3K, and p-AKT in OSCC cells.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of Geju Hugan tablets on the liver of mice with alcohol-induced liver injury， and explore the underlying mechanism based on nuclear factor-κB p65 （NF-κB p65） and B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）/Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） signaling pathways. MethodAccording to the body weight， 60 SPF-grade male ICR mice were randomized into normal， model， Compound Yiganling tablets （0.16 g·kg-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （0.2， 0.4， 0.8 g·kg-1， respectively） Geju Hugan tablets groups. The drugs were administrated at the corresponding doses by gavage， and the normal and model groups with equal volume of pure water once a day for 28 consecutive days. On day 29， the mice in other groups except the normal group were administrated with liquor （53% Vol） by gavage twice a day at the doses of 20， 10 mL·kg-1 and with the interval of 6 h. Samples were harvested on day 30. The histopathological changes in the liver were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， and the ultrastructural changes in hepatocytes were observed by transmission electron microscopy. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the levels of malonaldehyde （MDA）， reduced glutathione （GSH）， and triglycerides （TG） in the liver tissue and the levels of alanine aminotransferase （ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） in the serum. Western blotting was employed to determine the protein levels of NF-κB p65， phosphorylated p-inhibitor kappa B alpha （p-IκBα）， Bcl-2， and Bax in the liver tissue. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed increases in the ALT， AST， MDA， and TG levels， a decrease in the GSH level， and increases in the liver injury scores evaluated based on the HE， oil red O， and transmission electron microscopy （P<0.01）. Moreover， the model group showed up-regulated expression of NF-κB， p-IκBα， and Bax （P<0.05， P<0.01） and down-regulated expression of Bcl-2 （P<0.05） in the liver tissue. Compared with the model group， Geju Hugan tablets of all the doses lowered the ALT， AST， MDA， and TG levels and elevated the GSH level （P<0.01）. The liver injury scores assessed based on HE staining and transmission electron microscopy in the medium- and high-dose Geju Hugan tablets groups were lower than those in the model group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， medium- and high-dose Geju Hugan tablets down-regulated the protein levels of NF-κB， p-IκBα， and Bax （P<0.01） and all doses of Geju Hugan tablets up-regulated the protein level of Bcl-2 （P<0.01）. ConclusionGeju Hugan tablets protect mice from alcohol-induced liver injury by down-regulating NF-κB signaling pathway to alleviate inflammation in the liver tissue and down-regulating the expression of Bax and up-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 to inhibit hepatocyte apoptosis.
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Dayuanyin (DYY) has been shown to reduce lung inflammation in both coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and lung injury. This experiment was designed to investigate the efficacy and mechanism of action of DYY against hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) and to evaluate the effect of DYY on the protection of lung function. Animal welfare and experimental procedures are approved and in accordance with the provision of the Animal Ethics Committee of the Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Science. Male C57/BL6J mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group, model group, DYY group (800 mg·kg-1), and positive control sildenafil group (100 mg·kg-1). The animals were given control solvents or drugs by gavage three days in advance. On day 4, the animals in the model group, DYY group and sildenafil group were kept in a hypoxic chamber containing 10% ± 0.5% oxygen, and the animals in the control group were kept in a normal environment, and the control solvent or drugs continued to be given continuously for 14 days. The right ventricular systolic pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy index, organ indices and other metrics were measured in the experimental endpoints. Meantime, the expression levels of the inflammatory factors in mice lung tissues were measured. The potential therapeutic targets of DYY on pulmonary hypertension were predicted using network pharmacology, the expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway-related proteins were measured by Western blot assay. It was found that DYY significantly reduced the right ventricular systolic pressure, attenuated lung injury and decreased the expression of inflammatory factors in mice. It can also inhibit hypoxia-induced activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. DYY has a protective effect on lung function, as demonstrated by DYY has good efficacy in HPH, and preventive administration can slow down the disease progression, and its mechanism may be related to inhibit the activation of NF-κB and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) by DYY.
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@#Objective To investigate the underlying mechanism of the compound Bugansan Decoction (补肝散, BGSD) in intervening learning and memory in D-galactose (D-gal)-induced aging rats. @*Methods@#A total of 40 rats were randomly assigned to four groups: control, model, BGSD [14.06 g/(kg·d)], and piracetam [0.4 g/(kg·d)] groups, with 10 rats in each group. D-gal [400 mg/(kg·d)] was injected intraperitoneally to establish the aging rat model. The rats' body weight, water intake, food intake, and gripping strength were recorded each week. The eightarm maze and step-down test were used to measure the rats' capacity for learning and memory. Liver, thymus, spleen, and brain tissues were weighed to calculate the corresponding organ indices; serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were measured. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was adopted to observe the pathological changes of the hippocampus; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β in the hippocampus. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression of receptors for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β mRNA in the hippocampus. Western blot (WB) was employed to detect the expression levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), RAGE, and NF-κB protein in the hippocampus. @*Results@#In D-gal-induced aging rats, BGSD significantly increased food intake, water intake, body weight, gripping strength, and organ indices (P < 0.05), and significantly decreased working memory error (WME), reference memory error (RME), and total memory errors (TE) in an eight-arm maze (P < 0.05). In the step-down test, step-down latency was prolonged and the frequency of errors dropped (P < 0.05). Additionally, BGSD could lessen the harm done to hippocampus neurons, increase serum SOD activity, lower MDA levels, and down-regulate the expression levels of the pro-inflammatory molecules TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β (P < 0.05). Further findings showed that BGSD significantly decreased hippocampal AGEs, RAGE, and NF-κB expression (P < 0.05). @*Conclusion@#By blocking the AGEs/RAGE/NF-κB signaling pathway, BGSD may regulate the neuroinflammatory damage in D-gal-induced aging rats, and thus improve learning and memory.
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Objective To investigate the role and mechanism of eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1(EEF1) family members (EEF1D,EEF1A1,and EEF1A2) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) based on public databases.Methods We examined EEF1 member expression levels in human LUAD samples via The Cancer Genome Atlas in the UCSC Xena browser and the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium.We analyzed the mRNA and protein levels of EEF1D,EEF1A1,and EEF1A2 and their correlations with pathological variables via the Mann-Whitney U test.The Kaplan-Meier curves were established to assess the prognostic values of EEF1D,EEF1A1,and EEF1A2.The single-sample gene set enrichment analysis algorithm was employed to explore the relationship between the expression levels of EEF1 members and tumor immune cell infiltration.Spearman and Pearson correlation analyses were performed to examine the relationship between the expression levels of EEF1 members and those of the genes in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway.The immunohistochemical assay was employed to determine the expression levels of EEF1D,EEF1A1,and EEF1A2 in the LUAD tissue (n=75) and paracancer tissue (n=75) samples.Results The mRNA and protein levels of EEF1D,EEF1A1,and EEF1A2 showed significant differences between tumor and paracancer tissues (all P<0.001).The patients with high protein levels of EEF1A1 showed bad prognosis in terms of overall survival (P=0.039),and those with high protein levels of EEF1A2 showed good prognosis in terms of overall survival (P=0.012).The influence of the mRNA level of EEF1D on prognosis was associated with pathological characteristics.The expression levels of EEF1 members were significantly associated with the infiltration of various immune cells and the expression of key molecules in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway.Conclusion EEF1D,EEF1A1,and EEF1A2 are associated with the progression of LUAD,serving as the candidate prognostic markers for LUAD.
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Humans , Peptide Elongation Factor 1/metabolism , Proteomics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism , Carcinogenesis , Adenocarcinoma of Lung , Lung Neoplasms , RNA, Messenger/genetics , Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases , PrognosisABSTRACT
Aim To study the protective effect of eplerenone on the contralateral kidney in pregnant rats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its mechanism. Methods Female Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham-operation group, sham-operation pregnancy group, model group and eplerenone group. The rats in the model group and eplenone group had ligation unilateral ureter, and the rats in the eplenone group were treated with 100 mg • kg
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Objective To investigate the effect of short hairpin RNA(shRNA)-mediated pleomorphic adenoma gene like-2 (PALAG2) silencing on the malignant behavior of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and its mechanism. Methods Real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expression level of PLAGL2 in liver cancer tissues and adjacent tissues. Hepatoma cells MHCC97-L were cultured in vitro, the lentiviral vector plasmid PLAGL2-shRNA and control NC-shRNA were constructed, transfected into MHCC97-L cells, and stable transfected strains were selected with puromycin. CCK-8 and Transwell chamber assay detected the proliferation activity and the number of migration and invasion of MHCC97-L cells after silencing PLAGL2. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of p-PI3K and p-Akt proteins. The PI3K/ Akt signaling pathway activator was used to treat MHCC97-L cells to detect cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Results The expression of PLAGL2 was significantly increased in liver cancer tissue (P < 0. 05). Transfection of 9 strains of MHCC97-L cells with PLAGL2-shRNA could significantly reduce the expression level of PLAGL2, and the ability of proliferation, migration, and invasion of MHCC97-L cells was also weakened (P<0. 05), and the expression levels of p-PI3K, and p-Akt were inhibited (P<0. 05), PI3K/ Akt activator could obviously reverse the above phenomenon. Conclusion shRNA lentiviral vector pathway can effectively silence the expression of PLAGL2 gene in hepatocarcinoma cells. Silencing of PLAGL2 can significantly inhibit the malignant behavior of proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocarcinoma cells, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of PI3K / Akt signaling pathway activation.
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Objective To investigate the expression of MEX3A in colorectal cancer (CRC), and to explore the effect and mechanism of MEX3A on the proliferation and migration of colorectal cancer cells. Methods Totally 327 cases of data(41 normal tissues and 286 tumor tissues) were obtained from TCGA database, and 104 cases of clinical samples (77 cases tissues and 27 paracancerous tissues) were collected for immunohistochemistry, then analysed the differences in MEX3A expression between CRC tissues and normal tissues. Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining were used to evaluate the differential expression of MEX3A in CRC cell lines. CL187 cells were selected as the follow-up research vector. Small interfering RNA of MEX3A(siMEX3A) was transfected into CL187 cells to inhibit the expression of MEX3A. The proliferation and migration of CL187 cells were measured by MTT, colony formation assay and Transwell assay. The expression of PI3K, p-PI3K, Akt and p-Akt were detected by Western blotting. Results TCGA database, immunohistochemistry and Western blotting analysis showed that MEX3A was highly expressed in colorectal cancer. The result of immunofluorescence staining showed that MEX3A was concentrated in the cytoplasm and the nucleus. In MTT, colony formation assay and Transwell assay, the proliferation and migration ability of CL187 cells in siMEX3A group decreased significantly than those in control group (P<0.05). Western blotting result showed that the expression of p-PI3K and p-Akt in siMEX3A group down-regulated significantly (P<0.05), and the inhibition of proliferation and migration ability of CL187 cells induced by siMEX3A group could be reversed by 740 Y-P via activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Conclusion MEX3A is highly expressed in colorectal cancer and promotes the proliferation and migration of CRC cells via PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
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Objective To explore olanzapine effect on the cognitive function and neuronal damage of aged schizophrenic rats based on the PI3 K/Akt signaling pathway. Methods Ten-week-old SD rats were randomly divided into a blank control group（n=12） and a modeling intervention group（n=48）. The modeling group were injected with didroxapine maleate [MK-801,0.2 mg/（kg·d）] for 14 days. And the model was evaluated by general behavioral studies to determine the success of model building. The model rats were randomly divided into model group and low, medium, and high dose olanzapine groups [10, 20, 40 mg/（kg·d）], each with 12 rats. The control group and model group were given distilled water; the low, medium, and high dose olanzapine groups were given olanzapine for 21 days. The stereotyped lines were scored by the standard of Sams Dodd and Hoffman, the cognitive evaluation of the rats was performed by the Morris water maze, and the levels of interleukin-6（IL-6） and tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α） in the serum were determined by ELISA. The activities of dihydrokaempferol（Ach） and acetyl cholinesterase（AchE）in brain tissue were detected by acetylcholinesterase activity assay kit. Rat brain tissue PI3 K, Akt, mammalian target of rapamycin（mTOR） mRNA expression levels were detected by Real-time PCR. Results Compared with the model group, the stereotyped behavior and ataxia scores, escape latency, number of crossing platforms, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, AchE, phosphorylated PI3 K（p-PI3 K）, phosphorylated Akt（p-Akt） protein expression decreased（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）, while brain tissue Ach, PI3 K, mTOR and phosphorylated mTOR（p-mTOR） protein content increased（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01） in the low, medium and high dose olanzapine groups. The content of Akt was increased in the low-dose group. Compared with the model group, Akt and mTOR mRNA in the brain tissue of rats in the low, medium, and high-dose alanzapine groups expression levels were down-regulated（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. PI3 K mRNA in the brain tissue of rats in the low, medium, and high-dose alanzapine groups expression levels were down-regulated（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Conclusion Olanzapine can reduce stereotyped behavior and ataxia scores, escape latency, number of crossing platforms, IL-6, TNF-α, AchE and increase Ach content and regulate the PI3 K/Akt signaling pathway to relieve the schizophrenia.
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Aim To explore the role of transcription factor F0XM1 in collagen synthesis in MRC-5 cells in-duced by high glucose.Methods I ▪ The optimal time and concentration of the hyperglycemia model in MRC-5 cells were explored by CCK8: the time gradi¬ents: 6,12,24,48,72 h; the concentration gradients: 5.5,15 ,30,45 mmol • L 1 , and 30 mmol • L 1 man- nitol was used to be the hypertonic control group.(2) Hie effect of collagen synthesis in MRC-5 cells induced by high glucose was detected: the cells were divided into normal control group, hypertonic control group (30 mmol • L 1 mannitol) and high glucose (30 mmol • L 1 ) group.WB and qPCR assays were used to de¬tect the expression of conllagen synthesis factors ( Fn, COL 1, COL m, a-SMA, MMP9, TIMP1 ) and TGF-p signaling pathway factors (TGF-pi , p-Smad2/ Smad2).(3 The role of FOXMl in promoting collagen synthesis by high glucose was investigated: the cells were divided into normal control group, hypertonic control group (30 mmol • L 1 mannitol) , high glucose ( 30 mmol • L 1 ) group and high glucose (30 mmol • L 1 ) + thiostrepton ( 1 (xmol) group, and the expres¬sions of FOXM1 , collagen synthesis factors were detec¬ted by WB and qPCR assays.Results Mannitol had no significant effect on proliferation of MRC-5 cells, hut their proliferation activity was significantly lower than that of control group when MRC-5 cells were trea¬ted with 30 mmol • L 1 high glucose for 24 h; the ex¬pressions of COL 1 , COL IH , F0XM1 and other fac¬tors were promoted when MRC5 cells were treated with high glucose; the expression of F0XM1 was signifi¬cantly inhibited after the addition of thiostrepton, and the expressions of collagen synthesis factors also de-creased compared with high glucose group, and the a- bove differences were all statistically significant (P < 0.05).Conclusion FOXM1 is a factor related to the increase of collagen synthesis in MRC-5 cells induced by high glucose.
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OBJECTIVE：To study the effects and mechanism of panaxadiol （PD） on Tau protein phosphorylation in the SH-SY5Y cells transfected with APP gene（APP-SH-SY5Y）. METHODS ：The target of PD and non-receptor tyrosine kinases Fyn was verified by molecular docking. SH-SY 5Y cells were cultured in vitro ，and the APP-SH-SY 5Y cell models and green fluorescent （GFP）-SH-SY5Y cell model （control cell ）was constructed. The expression of Aβ1-42 was detected so as to verify the success of APP-SH-SY5Y cell model. Taking GFP-SH-SY 5Y cells as control ，the effects of 5，10，20，30，40 μmol/L PD and 125，250， 500，1 000，2 000 nmol/L PP 2（Fyn inhibitor ，positive control ）on the survival rate of APP-SH-SY 5Y cells were detected by CCK-8 assay after treated for 24 h，so as to confirm the optimal concentration. The concentration of Ca 2 + ，the ratio fophosphorylated Tau protein （p-Tau）/Tau，phosphorylatedn Src（p-Src）/Fyn and phosphorylated glutamate receptor 2B（p-GluN2B）/ GluN2B were detected in APP-SH-SY 5Y cells after trated with the optimal concentration of PD and PP 2 for 24 h. RESULTS ：The results of molecular simulation docking showed that PD could target Fyn protein. Compared with GFP-SH-SY 5Y cells ，the protein expression of Aβ1-42 in APP-SH-SY 5Y cell were increased significantly （P＜0.01）. The optimal concentration of PD and PP 2 were 20 μmol/L and 500 nmol/L. The 20 μmol/L PD and 500 nmol/L PP 2 could increase the survival rate of the cells and reduced the concentration of Ca 2+，the ratio of p-Tau/Tau ，p-Src/Fyn，and p-GluN 2B/GluN2B. CONCLUSIONS：PD can reduce the the phosphorylation of Tau protein through inhibiting Fyn/GluN 2B signaling pathway.
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OBJECTIVE@#Duranta repens is reported to contain a wide array of secondary metabolites, including α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitors, and - has potent antioxidant activity. The present study evaluated the network pharmacology of D. repens (whole plant) with targets related to diabetes mellitus and assessed its outcome by evaluating the effects of the hydroalcoholic extract of D. repens in streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced diabetes mellitus in rats.@*METHODS@#Phytoconstituents of D. repens were retrieved from an open-source database and published literature, and their targets were predicted for diabetes mellitus using BindingDB and the therapeutic target database. Protein-protein interaction was predicted using STRING, and pathways involved in diabetes mellitus were identified using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway browser. Druglikeness, ADMET profile (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity) and cytotoxicity of compounds modulating proteins involved in diabetes were predicted using MolSoft, admetSAR2.0 and CLC-Pred, respectively. The interaction network among phytoconstituents, proteins and pathways was constructed using Cytoscape, and the docking study was performed using AutoDock4.0. The hydroalcoholic extract of D. repens was evaluated using streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced diabetes mellitus animal model for 28 d, followed by an oral glucose tolerance test. At the end of the study, biochemical parameters like glycogen content, hepatic enzymes, antioxidant biomarkers and lipid profiles were quantified. Further, the liver and pancreas were collected for a histopathology study.@*RESULTS@#Thirty-six different secondary metabolites from D. repens were identified to regulate thirty-one targets involved in diabetes mellitus, in which protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) was primarily targeted. Enrichment analysis of modulated proteins identified 12 different pathways in diabetic pathogenesis in which the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B (PI3K-Akt) signaling pathway was chiefly regulated. The docking study found that durantanin I possessed the highest binding affinity (-8.9 kcal/mol) with PTP1B. Similarly, ADMET profiling showed that the majority of bioactive constituents from D. repens had higher human intestinal absorptivity and minimal cytotoxicity to normal cell lines, than tumor cell lines. Further, an in vivo animal study reflected the efficacy of the hydroalcoholic extract of D. repens to lower the elevated blood glucose level by stimulating insulin secretion, maintaining pancreatic β cell mass, regulating glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and enhancing the glucose uptake in skeletal muscles.@*CONCLUSION@#The present study reflected the probable network interaction of bioactive constituents from D. repens, their targets and modulated pathways, which identified the prime regulation of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and PTP1B protein. Modulation of PTP1B protein and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway could contribute to enhancing glucose uptake, insulin production and glycolysis and decreasing gluconeogenesis in diabetes, which was evaluated via the experimental study.
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@#To investigate the neuroprotective effect and possible mechanism of masitinib on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats, healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham group (n = 12), model group (n = 12), masitinib low dosage group (n = 12), masitinib middle dosage group (n = 12), and masitinib high dosage group (n = 12). All rats was subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for two hours and reperfusion except sham group, and received treatment twice per day for 7 days once reperfusion started.Neurological score, infarct volume, and brain water content were detected; some autophagic markers, apoptotic and inflammatory cytokines were evaluated by Western blot and PCR after 7 d of reperfusion. Treatment with masitinib significantly ameliorated neurologic deficit, infarct volume and brain water after I/R injury. Masitinib also decreased the ratio of LC3II/I and the expression of Beclin-1 and increased the expression of p62 in the brain tissues of rats with I/R injury.Furthermore, it could inhibit apoptosis-related proteins and NF-κB expression. Masitinib could relieve the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats through inhibiting autophagy and apoptosis.
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OBJECTIVE：To study the anti-inflammatory effects of Yuyang capsule on bacterial dermatitis model rats and its effect on TLR/NF-κ B pathway. METHODS：Minimum inhibition concentration （MIC）and minimal bactericidal concentration （MBC）of Yuyang capsule against Staphylococcus aureus were determined by microdilution test. Totally 50 SD rats were randomly divided into model group ，positive control group （amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium ，120 mg/kg as amoxicillin ），Yuyang capsules high-dose ，medium-dose and low-dose groups （according to MIC ），with 10 rats in each group. The model of bacterial dermatitis was established by using the burned skin of rats infected with S. aureus . 24 h after modeling ，administration groups were intragastrically given the corresponding drug ，and model group was intragastrically given the same amount of normal saline ，once a day，for consecutive 7 days. The skin healing rate was calculated on the 1st，3rd，5th and 7th day of administration ，and the scab formation，decrustation and healing were recorded. The contents of IL- 1β，IL-6，IL-10，TNF-α，hydroxyproline（HYP），collagen Ⅰ（Col Ⅰ）and Col Ⅲ in skin tissue were detected by ELISA. Morphology changes of skin tissues were observed by HE staining. The ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscope. Protein expression of TLR 2，TLR4 and p-NF-κB p65 were detected by Western blotting assay. RESULTS ：MIC and MBC of Yuyang capsule were 25 mg/mL and 50 mg/mL，respectively. Dose of Yuyang capsules high-dose ，medium-dose and low-dose groups were set at 600，300，150 mg/kg. Compared with model group，scab appeared on the injured skin 3 days after administration in Yuyang capsule high-dose and medium-dose groups ，and decrustation appeared on the injured skin of part mice 5-7 days after administration ；the skin healing rate of the positive control group，Yuyang capsule high-dose and medium-dose groups were all significantly increased at each time point. The contents of IL- 1 β，IL-6，IL-10 and TNF-α，pathological score ，protein expression of TLR 2，TLR4 and p-NF-κB p65 were decreased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）；the pathological changes such as inflammatory cell infiltration in skin tissue were improved. The contents of HYP，Col Ⅰ and Col Ⅲ were increased significantly in positive control group and Yuyang capsule high-dose group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. There was no statistical significance in most above indexes in positive control group ，Yuyang capsule high-dose and medium-dose groups （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS ：Yuyang capsule can promote skin healing of bacterial dermatitis model rats and shows certain anti-inflammatory effects ；the mechanism may be related to inhibiting TLR/NF-κB signaling pathway and reducing inflammatory response.
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OBJECTIVE@#To study the mechanism of the anti-tumor effect of Morinda citrifolia (noni).@*METHODS@#The influences of noni juice on cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration and the activity of AKT/nuclear factor- κ B (NF- κ B) signaling pathway in A549 human lung cancer cells were detected by MTT, cell counting kit-8, colony formation, Annexin V/PI double labeling, transwell, scratch test and immunoblotting assay, respectively. A549 cells were inoculated into the right axilla of nude mice, followed by noni juice treatment. The body weight of the nude mice was weighed, and the tumor volume and weight were measured. Cell proliferation and expression of apoptosis-related proteins were measured by immunohistochemistry, and the activity of NF- κ B signaling pathway was measured by immunoblotting.@*RESULTS@#The in vitro studies showed that noni juice inhibited the A549 cells proliferation, migration and invasion. Noni juice also promoted cells apoptosis in A549 cells. Immunoblotting assay showed that the phosphorylation level of AKT, p50, and STAT3 proteins was inhibited to different extents after noni juice treatment. The in vivo studies showed that noni juice effectively suppressed tumor formation of A549 cells in nude mice. Noni juice treatment inhibited the expression of Ki67, PCNA, and Bcl-2 protein in the tumor; while promoted the expression of caspase-3 protein. Additionally, we also found that noni juice treatment could restrain the activity of AKT/NF- κ B signaling pathway in the tumor tissue.@*CONCLUSION@#Noni juice inhibited the proliferation of A549 lung cancer cells, induced apoptosis, and inhibited cell invasion and migration via regulating AKT/NF- κ B signaling pathway.
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Objective To explore the effect and mechanism of insulin-like growth factor 2 ( IGF2 ) on the proliferation of human ovarian granulosa cells ( KGN ). Methods KGN cells cultured in vitro and treated with different concentrations of IGF2 were divided into control group and IGF2 group (25 μg/L, 50 μg/L, 100 μg/L), and then cells were divided into control group, 100 μg/L IGF2 group, LY294002 group, and IGF2 +LY294002 group after intervened the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway with LY294002. MTS and 5-ethynyl-2'- deoxyuridine (EdU) method was used to detect the effect of IGF2 on KGN cell proliferation, and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the contents of estrogen and progesterone in cell culture supernatant. The expressions of insulin like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R), protein kinase B (Akt), phosphorylated protein kinase B(p-Akt) and CYP19A1 protein in each group were detected by Western blotting. Results With the concentration gradient of IGF2, the proliferation rate of KGN cells and the secretion of estrogen and progesterone gradually increased. The cell proliferation rate and hormone level in the group treated with lOOfig/L IGF2 were the highest (P<0.01), while the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was inhibited, and the cell proliferation rate and hormone secretion decreased significantly (P<0.01). The protein expression levels of IGF1R, p-Akt and CYP19A1 in different concentration groups increased significantly (P<0.05). While the expression of the above proteins were affected by intervened the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Compared with the control group, the protein expression of IGF1R and p-Akt increased significantly in IGF2 group and IGF2 +LY294002 group(P<0.01), CYP19A1 increased significantly in IGF2 group(P<0.01), the protein expression of p-Akt and CYP19A1 decreased significantly in LY294002 group (P<0.05), there was no significant difference in the protein expression of IGF 1R. Compared with the IGF2 group, the protein expression of p-Akt and CYP19A1 decreased in IGF2 +LY294002 group (P<0.01), there was no statistically significant difference in the protein expression of IGF1R, and the expression levels of IGF1R, p-Akt and CYP19A1 were significantly reduced in LY294002 group (P<0.01). Conclusion IGF2 may promote the proliferation and secretion of human ovarian granulosa cells through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway mediated by IGF1R.
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Montelukast sodium is an effective and well-tolerated anti-asthmatic drug. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in the treatment of asthma. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of montelukast sodium on children with cough-variant asthma (CVA) and the role of lncRNA prostate cancer gene expression marker 1 (PCGEM1) in drug efficacy. The efficacy of montelukast sodium was evaluated by assessing the release of inflammatory factors and pulmonary function in CVA children after a 3-month treatment. An ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized mouse model was developed to simulate asthmatic conditions. PCGEM1 expression in clinical peripheral blood samples and lung tissues of asthmatic mice was determined. Asthmatic mice experienced nasal inhalation of PCGEM1 overexpression with simultaneous montelukast sodium to investigate the roles of PCGEM1 in asthma treatment. The NF-κB axis after PCGEM1 overexpression was detected to explore the underling mechanisms. Consequently, montelukast sodium contributed to reduced levels of pro-inflammatory factors and improved pulmonary function in CVA children. PCGEM1 was poorly expressed in OVA-sensitized asthmatic mice and highly expressed in CVA children with response to the treatment. PCGEM1 overexpression enhanced the anti-inflammatory effects and promoted effects on pulmonary function of montelukast sodium in CVA children and OVA-sensitized asthmatic mice. Furthermore, PCGEM1 inhibited the activation of the NF-κB axis. This study demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and lung-protective effects of montelukast sodium on CVA, which was strengthened by overexpression of PCGEM1. Findings in this study highlighted a potential anti-asthmatic target of montelukast sodium.
Subject(s)
Quinolines/therapeutic use , Asthma/drug therapy , Anti-Asthmatic Agents/therapeutic use , Protective Agents/therapeutic use , Cough/drug therapy , RNA, Long Noncoding/metabolism , Acetates/therapeutic use , Asthma/blood , Cough/blood , Disease Models, Animal , Mice, Inbred BALB CABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease. Keratinocytes hyperproliferation and excessive inflammatory response contribute to psoriasis pathogenesis. The agents able to attenuate keratinocytes hyper-proliferation and excessive inflammatory response are considered to be potentially useful for psoriasis treatment. Daphnetin exhibits broad bioactivities including anti-proliferation and anti-inflammatory. This study aims to evaluate the anti-psoriatic potential of daphnetin in vitro and in vivo, and explore underlying mechanisms. METHODS: HaCaT keratinocytes was stimulated with the mixture of IL-17A, IL-22, oncostatin M, IL-1α, and TNF-α (M5) to establish psoriatic keratinocyte model in vitro. Cell viability was measured using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to measure the mRNA levels of hyperproliferative marker gene keratin 6 (KRT6), differentiation marker gene keratin 1 (KRT1) and inflammatory factors IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IL-23A and MCP-1. Western blotting was used to detect the protein levels of p65 and p-p65. Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) was carried out to detect p65 nuclear translocation. Imiquimod (IMQ) was used to construct psoriasis-like mouse model. Psoriasis severity (erythema, scaling) was scored based on Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was performed to examine histological change in skin lesion. The expression of inflammatory factors including IL-6, TNF-α, IL-23A and IL-17A in skin lesion was measured by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: Daphnetin attenuated M5-induced hyperproliferation in HaCaT keratinocytes. M5 stimulation significantly upregulated mRNA levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IL-23A and MCP-1. However, daphnetin treatment partially attenuated the upregulation of those inflammatory cytokines. Daphnetin was found to be able to inhibit p65 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation in HaCaT keratinocytes. In addition, daphnetin significantly ameliorate the severity of skin lesion (erythema, scaling and epidermal thickness, inflammatory cell infiltration) in IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse model. Daphnetin treatment attenuated IMQ-induced upregulation of inflammatory cytokines including IL-6, IL-23A and IL-17A in skin lesion of mice. CONCLUSIONS: Daphnetin was able to attenuate proliferation and inflammatory response induced by M5 in HaCaT keratinocytes through suppression of NF-κB signaling pathway. Daphnetin could ameliorate the severity of skin lesion and improve inflammation status in IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse model. Daphnetin could be an attractive candidate for future development as an anti-psoriatic agent.
Subject(s)
Humans , Animals , Mice , Rabbits , Psoriasis/chemically induced , Psoriasis/drug therapy , Umbelliferones/pharmacology , Adjuvants, Immunologic/adverse effects , Imiquimod/adverse effects , Inflammation/drug therapy , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Keratinocytes , Cell Proliferation , Mice, Inbred BALB CABSTRACT
In this study, we aim to investigat the effect of microgravity on osteoblast differentiation in osteoblast-like cells (MC3T3-E1). In addition, we explored the response mechanism of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway to "zero- " in MC3T3-E1 cells under the simulated microgravity conditions. MC3T3-E1 were cultured in conventional (CON) and simulated microgravity (SMG), respectively. Then, the expression of the related osteoblastic genes and the specific molecules in NF-κB signaling pathway were measured. The results showed that the mRNA and protein levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin (OCN) and type Ⅰ collagen (CoL-Ⅰ) were dramatically decreased under the simulated microgravity. Meanwhile, the NF-κB inhibitor α (IκB-α) protein level was decreased and the expressions of phosphorylation of IκB-α (p-IκB-α), p65 and phosphorylation of p65 (p-p65) were significantly up-regulated in SMG group. In addition, the IL-6 content in SMG group was increased compared to CON. These results indicated that simulated microgravity could activate the NF-κB pathway to regulate MC3T3-E1 cells differentiation.
Subject(s)
Animals , Mice , 3T3 Cells , Cell Differentiation , NF-kappa B , Physiology , Osteoblasts , Signal Transduction , Weightlessness SimulationABSTRACT
@#Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect and molecular mechanism of delphinidin (Dp) on HER-2 positive breast cancer. Methods The HER-2 positive breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-453 and BT-474) were treated with different concentrations of delphinidin (10，20，40，80 and 160 μmol/L) for 48 hours. The same concentration of DMSO was used as the solvent control. CCK-8 method was used to measure the effect of Dp on cell activity, and half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was calculated to determine the concentration of subsequent experiments. The cells were treated with different concentrations of Dp (20, 40 and 80 μmol/L) for 48 hours. HE staining was used to observe the cell morphological changes. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell cycle. Cell apoptosis rate was detected by TUNEL assay. The phosphorylation levels of NF - κB signaling pathway related proteins were determined by Western blot assay. Results Delphinidin inhibited the proliferation of MDA-MB-453 and BT-474 in the concentration ranges of 10，20，40，80 and 160 μmol/L (IC50: 41.02 and 60.97 μmol/L). In the concentrations of 20，40 and 80 μmol/L, compared with the control group, it was found that some cells were detached, floated and lysed, and the cell volume was decreased, the proportion of cells in G2/ M phase and the apoptosis rate were increased in DP treatment groups. Compared with the control group, the expression levels of p-NF-κB/p65, p-IκBα, p-IKKα/β and p-PKCα were significantly decreased in the 40 and 80 μmol/L Dp treatment groups, while the expression levels of IκBα, IKKα, IKKβ and PKCα were increased in the Dp treatment groups (P＜0.05). Conclusion Delphinine can inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells by blocking the NF-κB signaling pathway and inducing the G2/M cycle arrest and apoptosis of MDA-MB-453 and BT-474 cells. Key words：receptor, epidermal growth factor; antineoplastic agents, phytogenic; breast neoplasms; cell cycle; delphinidin;HER-2 positive breast cancer; NF-κB signaling pathway