Fangji Fuling Decoction Alleviates Sepsis by Blocking MAPK14/FOXO3A Signaling Pathway / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To examine the therapeutic effect of Fangji Fuling Decoction (FFD) on sepsis through network pharmacological analysis combined with in vitro and in vivo experiments.@*METHODS@#A sepsis mouse model was constructed through intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS). RAW264.7 cells were stimulated by 250 ng/mL LPS to establish an in vitro cell model. Network pharmacology analysis identified the key molecular pathway associated with FFD in sepsis. Through ectopic expression and depletion experiments, the effect of FFD on multiple organ damage in septic mice, as well as on cell proliferation and apoptosis in relation to the mitogen-activated protein kinase 14/Forkhead Box O 3A (MAPK14/FOXO3A) signaling pathway, was analyzed.@*RESULTS@#FFD reduced organ damage and inflammation in LPS-induced septic mice and suppressed LPS-induced macrophage apoptosis and inflammation in vitro (P<0.05). Network pharmacology analysis showed that FFD could regulate the MAPK14/FOXO signaling pathway during sepsis. As confirmed by in vitro cell experiments, FFD inhibited the MAPK14 signaling pathway or FOXO3A expression to relieve LPS-induced macrophage apoptosis and inflammation (P<0.05). Furthermore, FFD inhibited the MAPK14/FOXO3A signaling pathway to inhibit LPS-induced macrophage apoptosis in the lung tissue of septic mice (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#FFD could ameliorate the LPS-induced inflammatory response in septic mice by inhibiting the MAPK14/FOXO3A signaling pathway.

Mechanism of Gegen Qinliantang in Improving Ectopic Lipid Accumulation in Liver of db/db Mice with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Regulating AMPK-FoxO3a Autophagy Axis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Gegen Qinliantang （GQT） in improving ectopic lipid accumulation in the liver of db/db mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） by regulating the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）-forkhead box O3a （FoxO3a） autophagy axis， to provide a scientific basis for clarifying the hypoglycemic mechanism of GQT and its clinical application. MethodSeventy-five spontaneous T2DM db/db mice and 15 normal db/m mice were selected and maintained on a regular diet for one week， followed by the measurement of blood glucose. They were then randomly divided into six groups， with 15 mice in each group， including normal group （0.2 g·kg-1 saline）， metformin group （0.2 g·kg-1）， high-， medium， and low-dose GQT group （31.9， 19.1， 6.9 g·kg-1）， and model group （0.2 g·kg-1 saline）. The mice were orally administered the corresponding drugs once daily for 12 weeks. Fasting blood glucose （FBG） and glycated hemoglobin （HbA1c） were detected. Fasting insulin （FINS） and free fatty acid （FFA） levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Pathological changes in liver tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The protein expression levels of phosphorylated （p）-AMPK， p-FoxO3a， and autophagy-related proteins microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 Ⅱ （LC3Ⅱ） and p62 were detected using Western blot. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α） in liver tissues. Real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was performed to detect the mRNA expression of AMPK， FoxO3a， and LC3 in liver tissues. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed pathological changes in liver tissues， increased FBG， HbA1c， FINS， and FFA levels （P<0.01）， increased protein expression levels of p-AMPK， p62， and HIF-1α， decreased protein expression levels of p-FoxO3a and LC3Ⅱ in liver tissues （P<0.01）， decreased mRNA expression of AMPK， and increased expression of FoxO3a （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the treatment groups showed relieved liver tissue lesions and decreased FBG， HbA1c， FINS， and FFA levels （P<0.01）. The expression of p-AMPK， p62， and HIF-1α increased， while the expression of p-FoxO3a showed a dose-dependent decrease in the high-dose GQT group. The expression of LC3Ⅱ increased in the metformin group and the high-dose GQT group （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of AMPK showed a dose-dependent increase， and the expression of FoxO3a showed a dose-dependent decrease in the treatment groups （P<0.01）. ConclusionGQT can improve ectopic lipid accumulation in the liver of T2DM db/db mice， which may be related to the regulation of the AMPK-FoxO3a autophagy axis.

Effect of Liuwei Dihuangwan on Cognitive Ability of SAMP8 Mice by Regulating Autophagy Through PI3K/Akt/FoxO3a Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Liuwei Dihuangwan on memory function of senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 （SAMP8） mice by regulating autophagy through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/forkhead box O3a （FoxO3a） pathway. MethodSix male senescence-accelerated mouse resistant 1 （SAMR1） mice of SPF grade aging 6 months were assigned to a normal group， and 24 male SAMP8 mice of SPF grade aging 6 months were randomly divided into a model group， a donepezil group （0.747 mg·kg-1）， and high- and low-dose Liuwei Dihuangwan groups （2.700 and 1.350 g·kg-1）， with 6 mice in each group. The mice were treated with drugs by gavage for 2 months. Morris water maze was used to detect the learning and memory abilities of mice in each group. Nissl staining was used to observe the neurons in the cortex and hippocampus. The positive expression of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B （LC3B） in the cortex and hippocampus was detected by immunohistochemistry （IHC）. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of the mammalian ortholog of yeast ATG6 （Beclin-1）， B cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， autophagy-related gene 5 （ATG5）， cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease 3 （Caspase-3）， Caspase-9， Akt， p-Akt， FoxO3a， and p-FoxO3a. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed prolonged escape latency （P<0.05，P<0.01）， reduced number of platform crossings and the residence time in the target quadrant （P<0.01）， decreased neurons with reduced volume and dispersed distribution in the cortex and hippocampus， increased positive expression of LC3B （P<0.01）， elevated expression of Beclin-1 and ATG5 in the cortex （P<0.01）， declined Bcl-2 expression （P<0.01）， up-regulated Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 expression （P<0.01）， and decreased expression levels of p-Akt/Akt and p-FoxO3a/FoxO3a （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the donepezil group and the Liuwei Dihuangwan groups showed shortened 3 d escape latency （P<0.05，P<0.01）， increased number of platform crossings （P<0.01）， and prolonged residence time in the target quadrant （P<0.01）. In the donepezil group， the number of neurons in the cortex and hippocampus was increased. In the Liuwei Dihuangwan groups， the number of neurons and Nissl bodies increased with denser distribution and lower degree of cell damage. The positive expression of LC3B in the cortex and hippocampus was decreased in the donepezil group and Liuwei Dihuangwan groups （P<0.01）. The expression of Beclin-1 was decreased in the Liuwei Dihuangwan groups （P<0.01）. The expression of ATG5 was decreased in the donepezil group and the low-dose Liuwei Dihuangwan group （P<0.01）. The donepezil group and the Liuwei Dihuangwan groups showed the increased expression level of Bcl-2 in the cortex （P<0.01）， decreased expression level of Caspase-3 （P<0.01）， reduced expression level of Caspase-9 （P<0.05，P<0.01）， and elevated expression levels of p-Akt/Akt and p-FoxO3a/FoxO3a （P<0.01）. ConclusionLiuwei Dihuangwan can effectively improve the learning and memory abilities of the SAMP8 mice and protect neurons. Its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the PI3K/Akt/FoxO3a signaling pathway， down-regulation of the expression of ATG5， Beclin-1， and LC3B， and the inhibition of apoptosis.

Study on expression relationship of DNA methyltransferase 1 and forkhead box O3a in colon cancer / 国际肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To analyze the relationship between DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and forkhead box O3a (FOXO3a) in colon cancer and the diagnostic efficacy of combined detection in predicting the occurrence of colon cancer by detecting the levels of DNMT1 and FOXO3a in serum of colon cancer patients.Methods:A total of 105 patients with colon cancer diagnosed and treated in Xi′an International Medical Center Hospital from September 2019 to September 2020 were selected as the colon cancer group, and 65 patients with colon polyps diagnosed by biopsy during the same period were selected as control group. The levels of DNMT1 and FOXO3a in serum of patients were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Pearson correlation coefficient method was used to analyze the correlation between the levels of DNMT1 and FOXO3a in serum of patients with colon cancer. Subject operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic values of DNMT1 and FOXO3a levels in colon cancer.Results:The serum levels of DNMT1 in the control group and colon cancer group were 0.93±0.28 and 1.34±0.35, compared with the control group, the level of DNMT1 in the colon cancer group was significantly higher, with a statistically significant difference ( t=7.990, P<0.001). The serum levels of FOXO3a were 1.04±0.39 and 0.69±0.18, compared with the control group, the level of FOXO3a in the colon cancer group was significantly lower, with a statistically significant difference ( t=7.940, P=0.001). The serum levels of DNMT1 and FOXO3a in patients with colon cancer were negatively correlated ( r=-0.687, P<0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) of DNMT1 predicting colon cancer was 0.843, the sensitivity was 71.40%, and the specificity was 90.80%. The AUC of FOXO3a predicting colon cancer was 0.812, the sensitivity was 88.60%, and the specificity was 67.70%. The AUC of the two combined predicting colon cancer was 0.859, the sensitivity was 89.50%, and the specificity was 92.30%. Compared with FOXO3a single detection, the predictive value of combined detection of DNMT1 and FOXO3a were higher ( Z=1.982, P=0.047). Conclusion:The level of DNMT1 in the serum of patients with colon cancer is increased, while the level of FOXO3a is decreased. There is a negative correlation between them in the serum of patients with colon cancer. The combined detection of the DNMT1 and FOXO3a can effectively improve the diagnostic value of colon cancer.

Mechanism of Wenshen Yangxue Prescription Improving Endometrial Receptivity of Aged Female Mice by Regulating PI3K/Akt/FoxO3A Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the effective components， targets， and possible mechanisms of Wenshen Yangxue prescription in improving endometrial receptivity of aged female mice based on network pharmacology and experimental verification. Method:Based on Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular mechANism of Traditional Chinese Medicine （BATMAN-TCM） and Integrative Pharmacology-based Research Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine， the components and targets of Wenshen Yangxue prescription were retrieved， and the targets of ovulatory dysfunctional infertility were collected from the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man （OMIM） and GeneCards with "anovulatory sterility" and "anovulatory infertility" as keywords. The protein-protein interaction （PPI） network was constructed based on STRING and the core targets of Wenshen Yangxue prescription against ovulatory dysfunctional infertility were screened by Cytoscape， followed by Gene Ontology （GO） term enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment of the core targets in DAVID database. Then， the "medicinal-component-target-pathway" network was established and the core targets were verified by animal experiment. Result:A total of 253 components and 326 targets of Wenshen Yangxue prescription， 819 disease targets， and 74 common targets were screened out. The common targets were mainly involved in the biological processes such as positive regulation of nitric oxide biosynthetic process， positive regulation of cell proliferation， response to estradiol， aging， response to oxidative stress， and angiogenesis. The GO term of response to oxidative stress and five of the top 20 KEGG pathways were analyzed. According to the "medicinal-component-target-biological process/pathway" network， 41 chemical components in 20 medicinals participated in hypoxia inducible factor-1 （HIF-1） signaling pathway， tumor necrosis factor （TNF） signaling pathway， forkhead box O （FOXO） signaling pathway， Toll-like receptor （TLR） signal pathway， and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） signaling pathway by affecting 35 targets. The results of animal experiment showed that the prescription could increase the expression of PI3K， phosphorylated PI3K （p-PI3K）， Akt， phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt）， forkhead box O3A （FoxO3A）， and phosphorylated FoxO3A （p-FoxO3A） in uterus of aged female ICR mice. Conclusion:Wenshen Yangxue prescription interferes with oxidative stress and PI3K/Akt/FoxO3A signaling pathway by influencing Akt1， dual oxidase 2 （DUOX2）， epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR）， heme oxygenase-1 （HMOX1）， myeloperoxidase （MPO）， and other targets， thereby improving endometrial receptivity of aged female mice.

Effect of Koumine on Proliferation and Apoptosis of Colorectal Cancer Cells via ROS/JNK/FoxO3a Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the effect and underlying mechanism of koumine （Kou） at different concentrations （0， 100， 200， 400 μmol·L^-1） on the proliferation and apoptosis of colorectal cancer HCT-116 cells. Method:After 24 hours of<italic> in vitro</italic> intervention with HCT-116 cells by Kou， cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was used to detect its effect on cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell cycle， apoptosis， and reactive oxygen species （ROS） expression. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression of forkhead box O3a （FoxO3a）. Cells were transfected with small interfering ribonucleic acid （siRNA）. Western blot was employed to detect the protein expression of the FoxO3a target gene. Result:Compared with the conditions in the blank group， Kou treatment reduced the proliferation rate of HCT-116 cells （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01） in a dose-dependent manner， caused cell cycle arrest in the G₀/G₁ phase， and induced the apoptosis of HCT-116 cells （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）， which was positively correlated with the concentration of Kou. FoxO3a siRNA interference reduced the expression of FoxO3a and its downstream target genes cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A （p21）， cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B （p27）， and Bcl-2 interacting mediator of cell death （Bim） （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Kou treatment induced the activation of c-Jun <italic>N</italic>-terminal kinase （JNK） in HCT116 cells. SP600125 （JNK specific inhibitor） treatment inhibited the Kou-induced FoxO3a activation and the expression of its downstream target genes. <italic>N</italic>-acetyl cysteine （NAC） treatment reduced Kou-induced ROS levels （<italic>P</italic><0.01） and JNK signal activation. The above results were significantly different from those in the blank group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Conclusion:Kou can effectively inhibit the proliferation of HCT-116 cells and promote apoptosis， and the mechanism may be related to the regulation of the ROS/JNK/FoxO3a pathway.

miR-182-5p enhances proliferation and inhibits apoptosis of A549 lung cancer cells by targeting fork-head box O3a / 国际肿瘤学杂志

Objective To evaluate the effect of microRNA-182-5p (miR-182-5p) on proliferation and apoptosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) A549 cells by targeting forkhead box O3a (FOXO3a).Methods The difference of miR-182-Sp expression between human normal lung epithelial cells BEAS-2B and NSCLC cells A549 was compared.The A549 cells were chosen,and miR-182-Sp mimic (miR-182-Sp mimic group),miR-182-Sp inhibitor (miR-182-5p inhibitor group),negative control mimic (NC mimic group) and negative control inhibitor (NC inhibitor group) were transfected respectively.The expression of miR-182-Sp was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).The protein expression of FOXO3a was detected by Western blotting.The cell proliferation activity was detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method.The cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry.The targeted relationship between miR-182-5p and FOXO3a was detected by dual-luciferase experiment.Results The miR-182-5p expression of A549 cells and BEASo2B cells respectively was 3.21 ±0.24 and 1.01 ±0.11,and the difference was statistically significant (t =14.209,P＜0.001).The miR-182-5p expression of NC mimic group,miR-182-5p mimic group,NC inhibitor group and miR-182-5p inhibitor group respectively was 1.09 ± 0.20,12.80 ± 1.10,1.03 ± 0.11and 0.47 ± 0.08,and the difference was statistically significant (F =87.872,P ＜ 0.001).The FOXO3a expression of the above four groups respectively was 118.34 ± 16.71,50.89 ± 11.58,125.33 ± 20.87 and 289.26 ± 34.51,and the difference was statistically significant (F =62.125,P ＜ 0.001).The 72 h proliferation activity of the four groups respectively was 1.12 ± 0.13,1.70 ± 0.14,1.07 ± 0.13 and 0.71 ± 0.11,and the difference was statistically significant (F =31.336,P ＜ 0.001).The proliferation activity of miR-182-5p mimic group was significantly higher than that of NC mimic group (P ＜ 0.05),and the proliferation activity of miR-182-5p inhibitor group was significantly lower than that of NC inhibitor group (P ＜0.05).The apoptosis rate of the four groups respectively was (5.51 t±1.80)％,(1.41 ±0.50)％,(6.24 ± 1.71)％ and (47.93 ± 5.12) ％,and the difference was statistically significant (F =211.081,P ＜ 0.001).The apoptosis rate of miR-182-5p mimic group was significantly lower than that of NC mimic group (P ＜ 0.05),and the apoptosis rate of miR-182-5p inhibitor group was significantly higher than that of NC inhibitor group (P ＜0.001).The miRNA target genes prediction software test results showed that miR-182-5p could act on FOXO3a 3' untranslated region (UTR).Compared with transfection NC mimic,co-transfection miR-182-5p mimic and FOXO3a-Wt could make luciferase activity of A549 significantly decreased (1.20 ±0.14 vs.0.62 ±0.10;t =5.839,P =0.004).Conclusion miR-182-5p can enhance proliferation and inhibit apoptosis of A549 cell by targeting FOXO3a.

Role of FOXO3a in hypoxia-induced cisplatin resistance in osteosarcoma U-2OS cells / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@# Objective:To investigate the role of FOXO3a in hypoxia-induced cisplatin (DDP) resistance in osteosarcoma cells. Methods: The FOXO3a expression was detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting in osteosarcoma U-2OS cell line under normoxia and hypoxia conditions. The effects of HIF-1α-siRNAand FOXO3a-siRNAon the expressions of HIF-1αand FOXO3a were detected by Western blotting. CCK-8 and Annexin V/PI assays were used to detect the function of FOXO3a in hypoxia-induced DDP resistance of U20S cells. Results: Hypoxia could significantly increase the mRNAand protein levels of FOXO3a in U-2OS cells (All P<0.05). The expression of FOXO3a was regulated by HIF-1α; compared with control group and HIF-1α-NC group, the FOX03a protein expression was significantly down-regulated in HIF-1α-siRNA group [(0.38±0.03) vs (0.89±0.08)， (0.91±0.07), all P<0.01]. Under hypoxia condition, FOXO3a-siRNA could decrease the tolerance of U-2OS cells to DDP [(38.50±2.83)% vs (61.75±5.73)%, P<0.01], and increase DDP-induced apoptosis of U-2OS cells [(73.41±6.13)% vs (32.38±2.23)%, (55.89±4.46)%,All P<0.05]. Conclusions: Hypoxia significantly enhanced DDP-resistance of U-2OS cells by increasing FOXO3a expression in a HIF-1-dependent manner.

Effect of NMN on renal fibrosis of diabetic nephropathy rats and its mechanism / 吉林大学学报(医学版)

Objective: To investigate the effect of niacinamide mononucleotide (NMN) on the fibrosis of renal cells in the rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN), and to elucidate the mechanism of NMN in regulating the fibrosis of renal parenchymal cells through silent information regulator 1 (Sirtl) and AKT pathways. Methods: The rat models of type 2 diabetes mellitus were induced by streptozotocin (STZ) and the model rats were randomly divided into experiment group (n= 30) and control group (n=10). The rats in experiment group were divided into diabetes + NMN group (n=15) and diabetes + PBS group (n=15). The rats in diabetes+ NMN group were given subcutaneous injection of NMN for 20 d and the rats in diabetes + PBS group were given 200 μL sterile PBS in the same way. Then the rats were decapitated and the kidney tissues were taken for section and protein extraction. The expression levels of Sirtl, AKT, p-Fox03a and Cav-1 proteins in kidney tissue of the rats in various groups were detected by Western blotting method and immuno-confocal focusing. The glomerular mesangial HBZY-1 cells were treated with high concentration of glucose (200 mmol · L-1) for 3-6 d, and then the cells were further randomly divided into 4 groups (treated with 0, 50, 100, and 200 mmol · L-1 NMN) and the cells only treated with 5. 6 mmol · L-1 glucose were regareded as control group. After 24 h culture, the cells were collected and the expression levels of Sirtl, AKT, and p-Fox03a proteins in the HBZY-1 cells in various groups were detected by Western blotting method. Results: Compared with diabetes +PBS group, the expression levels of Sirtl and AKT proteins in the renal parenchyma cells of the rats in diabetes+ NMN group were significantly increased (P<0. 01) and the expression levels of p-Fox03a and Cav-1 proteins in the renal parenchyma cells of the rats in diabetes + NMN group were also increased (P<0. 01). Compared with control group, the expression levels of Sirtl and AKT proteins in the HBZY-1 cells of the rats in 50 mmol · L-1 NMN group were significantly increased (P<0. 01), and the expression levels of Sirtl, AKT, and p-Fox03a proteins in the HBZY-1 cells in 100 and 200 mmol · L-1 NMN groups were increased significantly (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01). Conclusion: NMN can increase the expression levels of endogenous p-Fox03a and Cav-1 proteins in the glomerular cells of the DN rats by regulating the expression levels of Sirtl and AKT proteins, indicating that NMN and its analogues may play an important role in the prevention and treatment of the renal fibrosis of the DN rats.