Research progress in role of autophagy in diabetic wound healing and traditional Chinese medicine intervention / 中国中药杂志

Diabetic ulcer(DU) is a chronic and refractory ulcer which often occurs in the foot or lower limbs. It is a diabetic complication with high morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of DU is complex, and the therapies(such as debridement, flap transplantation, and application of antibiotics) are also complex and have long cycles. DU patients suffer from great economic and psychological pressure while enduring pain. Therefore, it is particularly important to promote rapid wound healing, reduce disability and mortality, protect limb function, and improve the quality of life of DU patients. By reviewing the relevant literatures, we have found that autophagy can remove DU wound pathogens, reduce wound inflammation, and accelerate ulcer wound healing and tissue repair. The main autophagy-related factors microtubule-binding light chain protein 3(LC3), autophagy-specific gene Beclin-1, and ubiquitin-binding protein p62 mediate autophagy. The traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) treatment of DU mitigates clinical symptoms, accelerates ulcer wound healing, reduces ulcer recurrence, and delays further deterioration of DU. Furthermore, under the guidance of syndrome differentiation and treatment and the overall concept, TCM treatment harmonizes yin and yang, ameliorates TCM syndrome, and treats underlying diseases, thereby curing DU from the root. Therefore, this article reviews the role of autophagy and major related factors LC3, Beclin-1, and p62 in the healing of DU wounds and the intervention of TCM, aiming to provide reference for the clinical treatment of DU wounds and subsequent in-depth studies.

Leonurine inhibits ferroptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells by activating p62/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway / 中国中药杂志

To investigate the protective effect and the potential mechanism of leonurine(Leo) against erastin-induced ferroptosis in human renal tubular epithelial cells(HK-2 cells), an in vitro erastin-induced ferroptosis model was constructed to detect the cell viability as well as the expressions of ferroptosis-related indexes and signaling pathway-related proteins. HK-2 cells were cultured in vitro, and the effects of Leo on the viability of HK-2 cells at 10, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 μmol·L~(-1) were examined by CCK-8 assay to determine the safe dose range of Leo administration. A ferroptosis cell model was induced by erastin, a common ferroptosis inducer, and the appropriate concentrations were screened. CCK-8 assay was used to detect the effects of Leo(20, 40, 80 μmol·L~(-1)) and positive drug ferrostatin-1(Fer-1, 1, 2 μmol·L~(-1)) on the viability of ferroptosis model cells, and the changes of cell morphology were observed by phase contrast microscopy. Then, the optimal concentration of Leo was obtained by Western blot for nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2) activation, and transmission electron microscope was further used to detect the characteristic microscopic morphological changes during ferroptosis. Flow cytometry was performed to detect reactive oxygen species(ROS), and the level of glutathione(GSH) was measured using a GSH assay kit. The expressions of glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4), p62, and heme oxygenase 1(HO-1) in each group were quantified by Western blot. RESULTS:: showed that Leo had no side effects on the viability of normal HK-2 cells in the concentration range of 10-100 μmol·L~(-1). The viability of HK-2 cells decreased as the concentration of erastin increased, and 5 μmol·L~(-1) erastin significantly induced ferroptosis in the cells. Compared with the model group, Leo dose-dependently increased cell via-bility and improved cell morphology, and 80 μmol·L~(-1) Leo promoted the translocation of Nrf2 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Further studies revealed that Leo remarkably alleviated the characteristic microstructural damage of ferroptosis cells caused by erastin, inhibited the release of intracellular ROS, elevated GSH and GPX4, promoted the nuclear translocation of Nrf2, and significantly upregulated the expression of p62 and HO-1 proteins. In conclusion, Leo exerted a protective effect on erastin-induced ferroptosis in HK-2 cells, which might be associated with its anti-oxidative stress by activating p62/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Advances in molecular function of p62 protein and its role in diseases / 生物工程学报

Sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1/p62) is a selective autophagy adaptor protein that plays an important role in the clearance of proteins to be degraded as well as in the maintenance of cellular proteostasis. p62 protein has multiple functional domains, which interact with several downstream proteins to precisely regulate multiple signaling pathways, thereby linking p62 to oxidative defense systems, inflammatory responses and nutrient sensing. Studies have shown that mutation or abnormal expression of p62 is closely related to the occurrence and development of various diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, tumors, infectious diseases, genetic diseases and chronic diseases. This review summarizes the structural features and molecular functions of p62. Moreover, we systematically introduce its multiple functions in protein homeostasis and regulation of signaling pathways. Furthermore, the complexity and versatility of p62 in the occurrence and development of diseases are summarized, with the aim to provide a reference for understanding the function of p62 protein and facilitating related disease research.

Effects of modified Zhujing pill on retinal autophagy in mice with form deprivation myopia / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To investigate the effect of modified Zhujing pill on retinal autophagy in mice with form deprivation myopia.METHODS: Thirty C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a negative control group, a myopia model group and a traditional Chinese medicine intervention group, with 10 mice in each group. Except for the negative control group, all mice in the myopia model group and the traditional Chinese medicine intervention group used translucent EP tubes to cover their right eyes to make a form deprivation myopia(FDM)model; The traditional Chinese medicine intervention group gavage Zhujing pill modified suspension 0.546g/(kg·d)(0.15mL/d), the negative control group and the myopia model group were given an equal amount of normal saline(0.15mL/d)for 4wk. At the beginning and the end of the experiment respectively, the right eye diopter of the mouse was measured with a strip retinoscope, measurement of the axial length of the right eye of mouse by A-ultrasound. At the end of the experiment, the right eyes of all mice were taken for detection, and immunofluorescence method was used to locate and detect the activity and migration of the retinal microglia marker(Iba1); Transmission electron microscope observation of autophagosome formation in retinal pigment epithelial cells; Western Blot, real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR(q-PCR)to detect the autophagy marker LC3Ⅱ and p62 protein quantitative and gene expression in retinal tissues.RESULTS: At the end of the experiment, the refractive power of the right eyes of mice showed that the myopia model group and the traditional Chinese medicine intervention group formed relative myopia, the myopia model group and the traditional Chinese medicine intervention group were significantly lower than those of the negative control group(all P<0.01). At the end of the experiment, the axial length of the myopia model group and the Chinese medicine intervention group were significantly increased compared with the negative control group(P<0.01). Immunofluorescence method for locating and detecting Iba1 showed that the average optical density of Iba1 in the retina of the myopia model group increased the most obviously, followed by the increase in the negative control group, and the decrease in the traditional Chinese medicine intervention group. Compared with the negative control group, the myopia model group increased significantly(P<0.05), and the traditional Chinese medicine intervention group was significantly lower than the myopia model group(P<0.05). It was found that Iba1 migrated to the ganglion cell layer in the myopia model group and the traditional Chinese medicine intervention group. Transmission electron microscopy showed that autophagosomes were observed in the retinal pigment epithelial cells of the myopia model group and the Chinese medicine intervention group. The results of Western Blot and q-PCR showed that the expression of LC3Ⅱ and p62 increased most obviously in the traditional Chinese medicine intervention group, followed by the myopia model group, and the negative control group was the lowest.CONCLUSION: The results of the study show that modified Zhujing pill may enhance retinal autophagy in mice with FDM by inhibiting the activation of microglia.

c-MYC-mediated TRIB3/P62+ aggresomes accumulation triggers paraptosis upon the combination of everolimus and ginsenoside Rh2

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is abnormally activated in lung cancer. However, the anti-lung cancer effect of mTOR inhibitors as monotherapy is modest. Here, we identified that ginsenoside Rh2, an active component of Panax ginseng C. A. Mey., enhanced the anti-cancer effect of the mTOR inhibitor everolimus both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, ginsenoside Rh2 alleviated the hepatic fat accumulation caused by everolimus in xenograft nude mice models. The combination of everolimus and ginsenoside Rh2 (labeled Eve-Rh2) induced caspase-independent cell death and cytoplasmic vacuolation in lung cancer cells, indicating that Eve-Rh2 prevented tumor progression by triggering paraptosis. Eve-Rh2 up-regulated the expression of c-MYC in cancer cells as well as tumor tissues. The increased c-MYC mediated the accumulation of tribbles homolog 3 (TRIB3)/P62+ aggresomes and consequently triggered paraptosis, bypassing the classical c-MYC/MAX pathway. Our study offers a potential effective and safe strategy for the treatment of lung cancer. Moreover, we have identified a new mechanism of TRIB3/P62+ aggresomes-triggered paraptosis and revealed a unique function of c-MYC.

Anthelmintics nitazoxanide protects against experimental hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis in hamsters and mice

Lipid metabolism disorders contribute to hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis. It is ideal to develop drugs simultaneous improving both hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis. Nitazoxanide is an FDA-approved oral antiprotozoal drug with excellent pharmacokinetic and safety profile. We found that nitazoxanide and its metabolite tizoxanide induced mild mitochondrial uncoupling and subsequently activated AMPK in HepG2 cells. Gavage administration of nitazoxanide inhibited high-fat diet (HFD)-induced increases of liver weight, blood and liver lipids, and ameliorated HFD-induced renal lipid accumulation in hamsters. Nitazoxanide significantly improved HFD-induced histopathologic changes of hamster livers. In the hamsters with pre-existing hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis, nitazoxanide also showed therapeutic effect. Gavage administration of nitazoxanide improved HFD-induced hepatic steatosis in C57BL/6J mice and western diet (WD)-induced hepatic steatosis in Apoe -/- mice. The present study suggests that repurposing nitazoxanide as a drug for hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis treatment is promising.

Effect of Danggui Niantongtang on Expression of Autophagy-related Proteins LC3， Beclin1 and p62 in Rats with Adjuvant Arthritis Differentiated into Wind-damp-heat Impediment / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the preventive and control effects of Danggui Niantongtang against adjuvant arthritis differentiated into wind-damp-heat impediment in rats and its influences on the expression of autophagy-related proteins microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3）， homolog of yeast Atg6 （Beclin1） and p62. MethodThe six-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into the normal group， wind-damp-heat impediment model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose Danggui Niantongtang （5.67， 11.34， 22.68 g·kg-1） groups， and methotrexate （MTX， 1.35 mg·kg-1） group， with 10 rats in each group. A rat model of adjuvant arthritis was established by subcutaneous injection of inactivated Mycobacterium tuberculosis into the tail root， followed by exposure to the manual climatic box for 16 d for inducing the wind-damp-heat impediment. The drugs were administered intragastrically on the day of immunization for 28 d. The general conditions of rats were observed and the swelling degree of toes and arthritis index （AI） were detected. The pathological changes in the synovial tissues of the knee joints were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The mRNA expression levels of LC3， Beclin1， and p62 in the synovial tissues were measured by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， followed by the assay of their protein expression by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. ResultCompared with the normal group， the wind-damp-heat impediment model group exhibited significantly increased swelling degree of toes （P<0.01）， increased AI （P<0.01）， proliferated synovial cells （P<0.01）， up-regulated LC3 and Beclin1 protein and mRNA expression （P<0.01）， and down-regulated p62 protein and mRNA expression （P<0.01） after 16， 20， 24， 28-d medication. Compared with the wind-damp-heat impediment model group， each medication group displayed alleviated toe swelling and synovial hyperplasia to different degrees， decreased mRNA and protein expression levels of LC3 and Beclin1 （P<0.01）， and increased p62 mRNA and protein expression （P<0.05，P<0.01）， with the best outcomes observed in the medium-dose Danggui Niantongtang group. ConclusionDanggui Niantongtang effectively relieves adjuvant arthritis due to wind-damp-heat impediment in rats， which may be related to its regulation of the expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3， Beclin1， and p62 and the inhibition of autophagy.

Progress of multifunctional protein p62 in kidney disease / 国际儿科学杂志

p62 is a ubiquitous multifunctional protein with six domains in the body.p62 is mainly involved in selective autophagic degradation of ubiquitinated substrates.Hence, it has become an important biomarker of monitoring autophagic flux.p62 is also involved in oxidative stress.Additionally, p62 participates in series of cellular biological processes including nutrient sensing, apoptosis and metabolic reprogramming.The expression of p62 is regulated by some transcriptive factors such as TFEB.The mutations of p62 gene are associated with neurological and other disorders.It has been shown that p62 is necessary for maintaining normal function of glomerular podocytes, massangial cells and renal tubular cells.Based on the diversity and importance of p62 protein functions, it may turn to be a candidate of therapeutic target in renal diseases in future.

The protective effect of essential oil from fructus alpiniae zerumbet on T2DM induced pancreatic injury in mice based on p62/Keapl/Nrf2 signaling pathway / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the protective effect of essential oil from Fructus Alpiniae Zerumbet (EOFAZ ) on type 2 diabetes-induced pancreatic injury in mice and its mechanism.Methods After C57 BL/6 mice fed with high-sugar and high-fat ( HFS) feed developed insulin resistance, streptozotocin ( STZ, 120 mg • kg 1 ) was injected intraperitoneal

Progress of autophagy in the pathogenesis of dry age-related macular degeneration / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#Age-related macular degeneration(ARMD)is a major clinical blind-inducing eye disease, and its pathogenesis is closely related to the autophagy of RPE cells and the signaling pathway of nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2(Nrf2). Autophagy is one of the common and important physiological phenomena in human body, which is of vital significance for maintaining the stability and metabolism of cells. Nrf2 is a key transcription factor regulating cells to fight against foreign bodies and oxidative damage, and Nrf2 signaling pathway plays a wide range of cell protective functions in anti-tumor, anti-stress and other aspects. With the development of research, it is found that there are extensive interaction mechanisms between autophagy and Nrf2 signaling pathway. Inhibition of autophagy leads to accumulation of p62, which activates the Nrf2 signaling pathway by binding with Keap1(kelch-like ech-associated protein1). At the same time, studies have also found that reactive oxygen species(ROS)and other factors also participate in the mutual regulation between autophagy and Nrf2.This paper will review the recent research progress on the interaction between Nrf2 signaling pathway and autophagy in the development of ARMD. Hope to provide a new perspective for the treatment of ARMD.

Detection of autophagy in peripheral CD4+ T lymphocytes and skin lesions of patients with herpes zoster / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective@#To observe changes in expression of autophagy proteins in peripheral CD4+ T lymphocytes and the epidermis of skin lesions, as well as generation of autophagy vesicles in epidermal cells in skin lesions of patients with herpes zoster, and to explore the relationship between varicella-herpes zoster virus (VZV) infection and autophagy.@*Methods@#Totally, 35 patients with herpes zoster were enrolled from Department of Dermatology, General Hospital of Southern Theater Command of PLA between December 2017 and December 2018, including 20 males and 15 females. Their age ranged from 18 to 79 (59.23 ± 9.27) years, pain duration was 5.14 ± 2.28 days, and lesion duration (from the onset of the lesion to the clinic visit) was 3.45 ± 1.77 days. Flow cytometry was performed to determine the expression of autophagy proteins including microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B (LC3B) , Beclin-1 and p62 in peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytes of these patients. Thirty healthy adults served as control group. Lesional skin tissues were obtained from 12 patients with herpes zoster, and perilesional normal skin tissues of the same patient served as the control. Immunohistochemical study was conducted to determine the expression of autophagy proteins LC3B, Beclin-1 and p62 in epidermal tissues, and transmission electron microscopy to observe the generation of autophagy vesicles in epidermal cells. Two independent-sample t-test was carried out for intergroup comparison.@*Results@#The expression rates of autophagy proteins LC3B and Beclin-1 in peripheral CD4+ T lymphocytes were significantly higher in the herpes zoster group (61.23% ± 7.61%, 35.84% ± 4.22%, respectively) than in the control group (36.56% ± 4.27%, 15.34% ± 1.89%, respectively; t = 15.75, 24.56 respectively, both P < 0.01) , while the expression rate of p62 (5.75% ± 0.67%) was significantly lower in the herpes zoster group than in the control group (10.03% ± 1.15%, t = 18.65, P < 0.01) . Among the 12 patients with herpes zoster, the expression levels of LC3B and Beclin-1 in the epidermis were significantly higher in the skin lesions than in the perilesional normal skin tissues (t = 2.86, 4.58, P < 0.05) , but the expression level of p62 was significantly lower in the skin lesions than in the perilesional normal skin tissues (t = 2.43, P < 0.05) . Transmission electron microscopy showed formation of autophagy vesicles containing virus particles in epidermal cells in the skin lesions of 12 patients with herpes zoster, and vesicle counts were significantly higher in the skin lesions than in perilesional normal skin tissues (t = 9.67, P < 0.01) .@*Conclusion@#The autophagy level was elevated in peripheral CD4+ T lymphocytes and epidermis of skin lesions of patients with herpes zoster.

Effect of Qingjin Huatantang on AECOPD Inflammatory Factors by Regulating p62 / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To regulate autophagy protein p62 of airway epithelial cells in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) rats with Qingjin Huatantang, in order to explore its effect on interleukin (IL) -1β and tumor necrosis, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), leukotriene B4 (LTB4), and leukotriene C4 (LTC4). Method:Airway epithelial cells and AECOPD airway epithelial cells were cultured. Sixty SPF male SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, namely high, medium and low-dose Qingjin Huatantang groups, western medicine group, model group and normal group. Except for the normal group, the remaining groups were included into the AECOPD model by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) tracheal instillation method + fumigation method. After modeling, the dosage of the high-dose traditional Chinese medicine group was 30 g·kg-1·d-1, that of the middle-dose group was 15 g·kg-1·d-1, that of the low-dose group was 7.5 g·kg-1·d-1, the positive control group was given luo erythromycin (0.017 5 g·kg-1·d-1), the model group and the blank control group were orally given normal saline with the volume of 20 mL·kg-1·d-1. Serum was extracted two weeks after administration, and the cells were intervened with drug-containing serum. The content of interleukin IL-1β, TNF-α, and LTB4 in cell supernatants were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). And LTC4 content, p62 mRNA and protein expressions in lung airway epithelial cells were detected by quantitative real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) and Western blot. Result:Compared with the normal group, ELISA results showed that IL-1β, TNF-α, LTB4, and LTC4 in the model group were significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, IL-1β, TNF-α, LTB4, LTC4 in cell supernatants in each administration group were significantly reduced (P<0.01), mRNA and protein expressions in p62 showed that compared with the normal group, mRNA and protein expressions in p62 of model group significantly decreased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the mRNA and protein expressions of p62 in each administration group significantly increased to different degrees (P<0.01). The expression of autophagy in Qingjin Huatantang high-dose group and western medicine group was comparable. Conclusion:Qingjin Huatantang can reduce the inflammatory response in airway epithelial cells, which may be related to the regulation of autophagy protein p62.

Effect of Danggui Yinzi on Relieving Allergic Reaction in CU Model Mice by Autophagy Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of Danggui Yinzi on allergic reaction in chronic urticaria (CU) mice model and the mechanism of autophagy intervention. Method:The SPF BALB/c mice were used to replicate the CU mice model by intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin and aluminum hydroxide suspension. The animals were randomly allocated into six groups: a normal group (normal saline 20 mL·kg-1·d-1), a model group (normal saline 20 mL·kg-1·d-1), a loratadine group(0.001 3 g·kg-1·d-1), a Danggui Yinzi high，medium and low-dose group（39.3，19.6，9.8 g·kg-1·d-1）. The pathological changes of skin tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Morphological changes of autophagy in skin tissues epithelial cells were observed by transmission electron microscope. The mRNA levels of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B(LC3B) and ubiquitin-binding protein p62 mRNA in skin tissues were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR). The expressions of LC3B and p62 in skin tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Result:Danggui Yinzi can significantly improve the pathological manifestations of dermal edema, collagen bundles separation, telangiectasia in CU mice， it can also improve autophagosomes formation and abnormal cell ultrastructure such as nuclear chromatin condensation, mitochondrial swelling, endoplasmic reticulum expansion, etc. Compared with the normal group, the protein expressions of LC3B in skin tissues of the model group was significantly increased (P<0.01), LC3B mRNA level was increased too, while p62 mRNA levels and its protein expressions were decreased-regulated (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, levels of LC3B mRNA and protein expressions of the Danggui Yinzi groups were significantly increased (P<0.05,P<0.01), while p62 mRNA levels and its protein expressions were significantly decreased-regulated (P<0.05,P<0.01). Conclusion:Danggui Yinzi can regulate the expression of LC3B, p62 mRNA and protein expressions, enhance the level of autophagy, and improve the pathological state of CU mice.

Detection of autophagy in peripheral CD4+ T lymphocytes and skin lesions of patients with herpes zoster / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective To observe changes in expression of autophagy proteins in peripheral CD4+ T lymphocytes and the epidermis of skin lesions,as well as generation of autophagy vesicles in epidermal cells in skin lesions of patients with herpes zoster,and to explore the relationship between varicella-herpes zoster virus (VZV) infection and autophagy.Methods Totally,35 patients with herpes zoster were enrolled from Department of Dermatology,General Hospital of Southern Theater Command of PLA between December 2017 and December 2018,including 20 males and 15 females.Their age ranged from 18 to 79 (59.23 ± 9.27) years,pain duration was 5.14 ± 2.28 days,and lesion duration (from the onset of the lesion to the clinic visit) was 3.45 ± 1.77 days.Flow cytometry was performed to determine the expression of autophagy proteins including microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B (LC3B),Beclin-1 and p62 in peripheral blood CD4 + T lymphocytes of these patients.Thirty healthy adults served as control group.Lesional skin tissues were obtained from 12 patients with herpes zoster,and perilesional normal skin tissues of the same patient served as the control.Immunohistochemical study was conducted to determine the expression of autophagy proteins LC3B,Beclin-1 and p62 in epidermal tissues,and transmission electron microscopy to observe the generation of autophagy vesicles in epidermal cells.Two independent-sample t-test was carried out for intergroup comparison.Results The expression rates of autophagy proteins LC3B and Beclin-1 in peripheral CD4 + T lymphocytes were significantly higher in the herpes zoster group (61.23％ ± 7.61％,35.84％ ± 4.22％,respectively) than in the control group (36.56％ ± 4.27％,15.34％ ± 1.89％,respectively;t =15.75,24.56 respectively,both P ＜ 0.01),while the expression rate of p62 (5.75％ ± 0.67％) was significantly lower in the herpes zoster group than in the control group (10.03％ ± 1.15％,t =18.65,P ＜ 0.01).Among the 12 patients with herpes zoster,the expression levels of LC3B and Beclin-1 in the epidermis were significantly higher in the skin lesions than in the perilesional normal skin tissues (t =2.86,4.58,P ＜ 0.05),but the expression level of p62 was significantly lower in the skin lesions than in the perilesional normal skin tissues (t =2.43,P ＜ 0.05).Transmission electron microscopy showed formation of autophagy vesicles containing virus particles in epidermal cells in the skin lesions of 12 patients with herpes zoster,and vesicle counts were significantly higher in the skin lesions than in perilesional normal skin tissues (t =9.67,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion The autophagy level was elevated in peripheral CD4+ T lymphocytes and epidermis of skin lesions of patients with herpes zoster.

Primary age-related tauopathy in a Chinese cohort / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Primary age-related tauopathy (PART) is characterized by the presence of tau neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) which are typically observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains, with few or without β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques. The diagnosis of PART can be categorized into "definite" or "possible" depending on the amount of Aβ plaques. Definite PART is diagnosed when NFTs are observed and the Braak stage is ≤IV, with Thal Aβ Phase 0 (Crary et al., 2014). According to the neuropathological diagnostic criteria, we reported that PART was frequently observed in the Chinese population according to our findings from specimens in our brain bank, with 47% of brain bank subjects meeting the criteria for PART. There is no consensus on the nature of PART. It remains to be elucidated whether PART is an early form of AD or a novel tauopathy (Duyckaerts et al., 2015; Jellinger et al., 2015).

High expression of LC3A, LC3B, and p62/SQSTM1 autophagic proteins in human colonic ganglion cells

@#Introduction: Autophagy is a mechanism that degrades large damaged organelles and misfolded proteins to maintain the homeostasis in all cells. It plays double-faceted roles in tumourigenesis and prevention of various cancers. In our side observation of investigating the prognostic value of autophagy in colorectal cancer (CRC), we found high expression of autophagy proteins (LC3A, LC3B, and p62/SQSTM1) in the colonic ganglion cells. To our best understanding, this is the first paper reporting such finding. Materials and Methods: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) CRC tissues blocks were retrieved and confirmed by haematoxylin & eosin (H&E) staining. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) targeting autophagy proteins (LC3A, LC3B, and p62/SQSTM1) was then performed followed by pathological examination. Results: All three autophagy proteins were present in both normal and tumour tissues of CRC patients. Interestingly, high expression of autophagy proteins in colonic ganglion cells was consistently seen regardless of tissue type (normal or cancer) or tumour site (caecum, ascending, transverse, descending, sigmoid colon and rectum). Conclusions: This work highlights the high autophagic activities in human colonic ganglion cells.

Escin alleviates chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathic pain by inducing autophagy in the spinal cord of rats / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of escin in relieving chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathic pain in rats and explore and the underlying mechanism.@*METHODS@#Eighteen SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (@*RESULTS@#The rats in both the escin preconditioning group and escin postconditioning group showed obviously increased thresholds of mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia as compared with those in the control group (@*CONCLUSIONS@#Escin can alleviate chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathic pain in rats possibly by upregulating the expressions of autophagy-related proteins in the spinal cord.

Particulate Matter-Induced Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Regulates Autophagy in Keratinocytes

Particulate matter (PM), which refers to the mixture of particles present in the air, can have harmful effects. Damage to cells by PM, including disruption of organelles and proteins, can trigger autophagy, and the relationship between autophagy and PM has been well studied. However, the cellular regulators of PM-induced autophagy have not been well characterized, especially in keratinocytes. The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) is expressed in the epidermis and is activated by PM. In this study, we investigated the role of the AhR in PM-induced autophagy in HaCaT cells. Our results showed that PM led to AhR activation in keratinocytes. Activation of the AhR-target gene CYP1A1 by PM was reduced by co-treatment with α-naphthoflavone (α-NF), an AhR inhibitor. We also evaluated activation of the autophagy pathway in PM-treated keratinocytes. In HaCaT cells, treatment with PM treatment led to the induction of microtubules-associated proteins light chain 3 (LC3) and p62/SQSTM1, which are essential components of the autophagy pathway. To study the role of the AhR in mediating PM-induced autophagy, we treated cells with α-NF or used an siRNA against AhR. Expression of LC3-ІІ induced by PM was decreased in a dose dependent manner by α-NF. Furthermore, knockdown of AhR with siAhR diminished PM-induced expression of LC3-ІІ and p62. Together, these results suggest that inhibition of the AhR decreases PM-induced autophagy. We confirmed these results using the autophagy-inhibitors BAF and 3-MA. Taken together, our results indicate that exposure to PM induces autophagy via the AhR in HaCaT keratinocytes.

Effect of Baihe Gujin Tang on LPS-induced Acute Lung Injury in Mice Based on Nrf2/Keap1/p62 Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of Baihe Gujin Tang on lipopolysaccharide induced acute lung injury (LPS-ALI). Method:KM mice were randomly divided into 5 groups:blank control group, model group, dexamethasone 0.002 g·kg-1 group, Baihe Gujin Tang (0.417, 1.25 g·kg-1) group. Except for the blank control group, the other groups were given LPS to induce the mouse ALI model. Except for the blank control group and the model group, the other groups were continuously given intragastric administration for 7 days on the 1st to 7th days before modeling. The lung tissue of the mice was taken 6 h after modeling, and the wet/dry mass ratio (W/D) of the left lung was measured. The serum levels of superoxide dismutase(SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA),reactive oxygen species (ROS)and nitric oxide (NO) were detected in the mice. Thepathological changes of the lung tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. The expression levels of nuclear factor E2 related factor 2(Nrf2), Kelch-likeECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), p62 and autophagy associated proteinsLC3Ⅱ proteins in the lung tissues were detected by Western blot. Result:Compared with the blank control group, the W/D of the model group was significantly increased (PPPP-1 group was significantly lower (P-1 group and dexamethasone group were able to significantly inhibited MDA levels in serum (PPPPPPConclusion:Baihe Gujin Tang has obvious protective effect on LPS-ALI mice, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of Nrf2/Keap1/autophagy feedback loop.

Study of autophagy and expression of LC3/P62 in hepatocytes of septic mice / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective To investigate the occurrence of hepatocyte autophagy and the expression of autophagy associated proteins at different time points in sepsis mice model established by cecal ligation and puncture.Methods Fifty male ICR mice aged 6-8 weeks were randomly (random number) divided into 5 groups:CLP 3 h group,CLP 6 h group,CLP 12 h group,CLP 24 h group and control group.The samples were collected at the corresponding time points after operation.Liver function was tested to obtain alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST).The expression of TNF-α and IL-6 was detected by ELISA,the inflammation of liver tissue by HE staining while the ultrastructure of autophagosome and autolysosome in liver tissue was observed by electron microscopy.Meanwhile,the expression of LC3 and P62 was detected by Western blot.and the location and quantity of autophagosome was observed by Immunofluorescence.SPSS 21.0 was used for statistical analysis.Two independent sample t tests were performed to compare the two groups,and one-way ANOVA was used for comparison between multiple groups.Results ALT and AST increased significantly after CLP,and peaked at 12 h,respectively (137.8 ±11.94) U/L and (475.3 ±57.34) U/L.The expression of IL-6 peaked at 6 h (2589.63 ±27.96) pg/mL,and TNF-α peaked at 3 h (320.21±8.9) pg/mL.HE staining showed activation of Kupffer cells and infiltration of single granulocyte.Electron microscope showed the formation of autophagosome and autolysosome.Compared with the control group,the ratio of LC3 Ⅱ/Ⅰ increased first and then decreased,peaked at 6 h (t=13.35,P＜0.05).The content of P62 protein declined first and then went up,reaching the lowest level at 6 h (t=66.1 l,P＜0.05),contrary to the trend of LC3 Ⅱ/Ⅰ.Immunofluorescence results illustrated that the fluorescence intensity of LC3 reached its high point at 6 h (t=12.52,P＜0.05).Conclusions Autophagy occurred in the liver of sepsis mice model established by cecal ligation and puncture.The formation of autophagosome first increased and then decreased,reaching its peak at 6 h.