Effect of Guipitang on ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK in Rats with Myocardial Ischemia / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Guipitang on rats with myocardial ischemia. MethodFifty SD rats were divided into five groups： a control group， a model group， low and high-dose Guipitang （7.52， 15.04 g·kg-1） groups， and a trimetazidine group （0.002 g·kg-1）. By intragastric administration of vitamin D3 and feeding rats with high-fat forage and injecting isoproterenol， the rat model of myocardial ischemia was established. After drug treatment of 15 d， an electrocardiogram （ECG） was performed to analyze the degree of myocardial injury. A fully automatic biochemical analyzer was used to detect the changes in the serum levels of total cholesterol （TC）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， triglyceride （TG）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Masson staining were used to observe myocardial histopathological changes. TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling （TUNEL） staining was used to detect cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Western blot was adopted to detect the protein levels of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 （ERK1/2）， phospho-ERK1/2 （p-ERK1/2）， p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p38 MAPK）， phospho-p38 MAPK （p-p38 MAPK）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）-associated X （Bax）， Bcl-2， and cleaved cysteine aspartate proteolytic enzyme （cleaved Caspase-3）. ResultCompared with the control group， the ECG S-T segment decreased in the model group. The serum levels of TC， TG， and LDL-C were increased significantly （P<0.05）. The arrangement of myocardial tissue was disordered， and the proportion of cardiomyocyte apoptosis increased. The protein levels of cleaved Caspase-3， Bax， and p-p38 MAPK in the heart were increased， and the Bcl-2 expression was decreased （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the S-T segment downward shift was restored in the low and high-dose Guipitang groups and trimetazidine group， and the levels of TC， TG， and LDL-C were decreased. The protein expression of cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax in the heart dropped， and p-p38 MAPK and p-ERK1/2 protein expressions increased significantly （P<0.05）. The degree of myocardial injury was alleviated， and the proportion of cardiomyocyte apoptosis decreased. Bcl-2 protein expression was increased significantly in the low-dose Guipitang group （P<0.05）. ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK proteins had no significant difference among different groups. ConclusionGuipitang could alleviate myocardial injury and inhibit cardiomyocyte apoptosis in rats by activating the expression of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK.

Quercetin exhibits neuroprotective effect by reduc-ing amyloid precursor protein expression and oxida-tive stress in Neuro2a/APPswe cell model / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE The abnormal amyloid-β(Aβ)and oxidative stress assiociated with the progression of Alzheimer disease(AD).Quercetin has been reported to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in neurodegenerative disorders.In this present study,we designed to characterize the mechanisms by which quer-cetin exerts neuroprotective effects in murine neuroblas-toma N2a cells stably expressing human Swedish mutant amyloid precursor protein(N2a/APP).METHODS N2a/APP cells were treated with quercetin at concentrations of 10,20 and 50 μ mol·L-1 for 24 h.Cell viability was examined with CCK-8 assays.The protein levels of ERK1/2 and Akt were detected by Western blotting.Intra-cellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)was detected by a fluorescent probe 2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate(DCFH-DA).The mitochondrial membrane potential(Δψ m)in N2a/APP cells was detected by using JC-1 staining method.Immunofluorescence was used to detect the generation of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine(8-OHdG)and 4-hydroxynonenal(4-HNE).RESULTS Quercetin attenuated the enhancement of p-ERK1/2,reductions of p-Akt,and decreased levels of APP expression.More-over,quercetin alleviated loss of mitochondria membrane potential(MMP)since it attenuates these oxidative stress,as reflected in the levels of ROS,4-HNE and 8-OHdG,was elevated in N2a/APP cells and these effects were again ameliorated by quercetin.CONCLUSION Neuroprotection by quercetin in N2a/APP cells involves normalizing the impaired mitochondrial function and reducing oxidative stress via inactivation of the ERK1/2 and activation of the Akt pathways.

Acteoside Inhibits Epithelial Mesenchymal Transformation of Hepatoma Cells Through Regulation of ERK1/2 Signaling Pathway / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of acteoside (ACT) in inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human hepatoma HCCLM3 cells by regulating the ERK1/2 pathway. Methods CCK-8 assay was used to detect the effect of hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation. The invasion and migration of HCC cells were detected by scratch and Transwell tests. The mRNA and protein expression levels of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway and EMT-related genes (E-cadherin and N-cadherin) were detected by real-time PCR and Western blot analyses. Results ACT reduced the activity of HCCLM3 cells and inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells, and the effects had certain correlation with drug concentration and time. ACT inhibited the migration and invasion process of HCCLM3 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. ACT downregulated the mRNA and protein expression of genes related to the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. It increased the mRNA and protein expression levels of the EMT-related gene E-cadherin but decreased those of N-cadherin. Conclusion ACT could inhibit EMT and the invasion and migration of HCCLM3 cells in human hepatoma, and the underlying mechanism is closely related to the downregulation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

Exploring the treatment of sepsis-associated acute lung injury with Liangge Powder via ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT pathways: based on network pharmacology and whole animal experimentation / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Liangge Powder against sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI) . Methods: From April to December 2021, the key components of Liangge Powder and its targets against sepsis-induced ALI were analyzed by network pharmacology, and to enrich for relevant signaling pathways. A total of 90 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to sham-operated group, sepsis-induced ALI model group (model group), Liangge Powder low, medium and high dose group, ten rats in the sham-operated group and 20 rats in each of the remaining four groups. Sepsis-induced ALI model was established by cecal ligation and puncture. Sham-operated group: gavage with 2 ml saline and no surgical treatment. Model group: surgery was performed and 2 ml saline was gavaged. Liangge Powder low, medium and high dose groups: surgery and gavage of Liangge Powder 3.9, 7.8 and 15.6 g/kg, respectively. To measure the wet/dry mass ratio of rats lung tissue and evaluate the permeability of alveolar capillary barrier. Lung tissue were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histomorphological analysis. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL) -6 and IL-1β in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relative protein expression levels of p-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), p-protein kinase B (AKT), and p-ertracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) were detected via Western blot analysis. Results: Network pharmacology analysis indicated that 177 active compounds of Liangge Powder were selected. A total of 88 potential targets of Liangge Powder on sepsis-induced ALI were identified. 354 GO terms of Liangge Powder on sepsis-induced ALI and 108 pathways were identified using GO and KEGG analysis. PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was recognized to play an important role for Liangge Powder against sepsis-induced ALI. Compared with the sham-operated group, the lung tissue wet/dry weight ratio of rats in the model group (6.35±0.95) was increased (P<0.001). HE staining showed the destruction of normal structure of lung tissue. The levels of IL-6 [ (392.36±66.83) pg/ml], IL-1β [ (137.11±26.83) pg/ml] and TNF-α [ (238.34±59.36) pg/ml] were increased in the BALF (P<0.001, =0.001, <0.001), and the expression levels of p-PI3K, p-AKT and p-ERK1/2 proteins (1.04±0.15, 0.51±0.04, 2.31±0.41) were increased in lung tissue (P=0.002, 0.003, 0.005). The lung histopathological changes were reduced in each dose group of Liangge Powder compared with the model group. Compared with the model group, the wet/dry weight ratio of lung tissue (4.29±1.26) was reduced in the Liangge Powder medium dose group (P=0.019). TNF-α level [ (147.85±39.05) pg/ml] was reduced (P=0.022), and the relative protein expression levels of p-PI3K (0.37±0.18) and p-ERK1/2 (1.36±0.07) were reduced (P=0.008, 0.017). The wet/dry weight ratio of lung tissue (4.16±0.66) was reduced in the high-dose group (P=0.003). Levels of IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α[ (187.98±53.28) pg/ml, (92.45±25.39) pg/ml, (129.77±55.94) pg/ml] were reduced (P=0.001, 0.027, 0.018), and relative protein expression levels of p-PI3K, p-AKT and p-ERK1/2 (0.65±0.05, 0.31±0.08, 1.30±0.12) were reduced (P=0.013, 0.018, 0.015) . Conclusion: Liangge Powder has therapeutic effects in rats with sepsis-induced ALI, and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT pathway activation in lung tissue.

Correlation Between ERK1/2 Signal Transduction and Ovarian Cancer / 肿瘤防治研究

Ovarian cancer is one of the common tumors in female reproductive organs and accounts for about 4% of all malignant tumors in women. It is also the leading cause of death among various gynecological tumors. Surgery combined with chemotherapy is the frequently used treatment for ovarian. Chemotherapy resistance is one of the main reasons for the recurrence and poor prognosis of ovarian cancer. Various components of the MAPK pathway, also known as the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK signaling cascade, are related to cancer, and ERK1/2 is an indispensable key site in this pathway. Continuous research has found that ERK1/2 is a "ferryman" involved in regulating the occurrence, development, and drug resistance mechanisms of ovarian cancer. This article briefly introduces the activation mechanism and pathway of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway, summarizes its relationship to ovarian cancer, and emphasizes that ERK1/2 inhibitors may be a new treatment strategy with potential advantages in improving poor prognosis in patients with ovarian cancer.

DUSP6: Potential interactions with FXR1P in the nervous system

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a leading genetic cause of autism intellectual disorder and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with either limited treatment options or incurable. Fragile X-related gene 1 (FXR1) is a homolog of the Fragile X mental retardation gene 1 (FMR1), the causative gene of FXS, and both are highly homologous and functionally identical. In FXS, both PI3K (AKT/mTOR signaling pathway) and ERK1/2 (MAPK signaling pathway) expression levels were abnormal. Dual speci?city phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) is a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) that participates in the crosstalk between the two signaling systems of MEK/ERK and mTOR. By interacting with multiple nodes of MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways (including the mTOR complex), DUSP6 regulates cellular growth, proliferation, metabolism and participates in pathological processes of cancer and cognitive impairment. However, whether there is an interaction between FXR1P and DUSP6 and the effects of DUSP6 on the growth of SK-N-SH cells remains elusive. As demonstrated by our results, FXR1P was identified in the cytoplasm and nucleus of SK-N-SH cells co-localized with DUSP6, which might have regulated ERK1/2 signaling pathways in SK-N-SH cells. To a certain extent, FXR1P may reverse the negative regulation of ERK1/2 by DUSP6. Moreover, we discovered that not only does DUSP6 inhibit proliferation, but it also promotes the apoptosis of SK-N-SH cells.

Mechanism of the influence of CPT1 on the proliferation of rat intestinal epithelial cells IEC-6 after 60Co γ-ray irradiation / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To investigate the changes of CPT1A and CPT1B protein expression in rat intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6) after 60Co γ-ray irradiation, and the mechanism of the influence of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) on the proliferation of irradiated IEC-6 cells. Methods:IEC-6 cells were cultured in serum-normal medium or in serum-starved medium overnight, and pretreated with 20 μmol/L palmitic acid (PA) before irradiation with 0, 5, 10, and 15 Gy. At 24 h after irradiation, the cellular protein was collected for the measurement of CPT1A and CPT1B proteins by Western blot. The influences of ETO, an inhibitor of CPT1, on the survival and proliferation of irradiated IEC-6 cells were analyzed by colony formation assay and CCK-8 assay. The protein expressions and phosphorylation levels of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in 5 Gy irradiated IEC-6 cells pre-treated with ETO were analyzed by Western blot at 48 h after radiation.Results:When IEC-6 cells were cultured in serum-normal medium together with PA, the protein level of CPT1A was significantly increased after 15 Gy irradiation ( t=-2.82, P<0.05). When IEC-6 cells were cultured in serum-starved medium, the protein level of CPT1A was significantly increased at 5, 10, and 15 Gy ( t=-3.28, -8.72, -8.67, P<0.05). When IEC-6 cells were cultured in serum-starved medium together with PA, the protein levels of CPT1A were significantly increased at 5, 10 and 15 Gy ( t=-10.69, -7.02, -8.23, P<0.05), the protein levels of CPT1B were significantly increased at 10 and 15 Gy ( t=-3.73, -5.05, P<0.05). After irradiation, the survival and proliferation of IEC-6 cells in ETO group were significantly lower than those in control group ( t=5.46, 13.22, P<0.05), and the protein level of ERK1/2 and p-JNK in ETO group were significantly lower than those in control group ( t=4.01, 3.29, 10.68, 14.44, P<0.05). Conclusions:CPT1 promoted radiation-induced IEC-6 injury cells survival and proliferation by enhancing the expression level of ERK1/2 protein and the activity of JNK.

CTHRC1 promotes the migration and invasion of bladder cancer 5637 cells through activating the FAK-ERK1/2 signaling pathway / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[摘 要] 目的：探讨胶原三螺旋重复蛋白1（CTHRC1）在膀胱癌组织和细胞中的表达及其对膀胱癌5637细胞迁移和侵袭的影响及其机制。方法：利用TCGA和Arrayexpress数据库中膀胱癌基因表达数据，分析CTHRC1转录和翻译水平。收集2014年9月至2020年12月重庆医科大学附属第一医院手术切除的144例膀胱癌组织和25例全膀胱切除的癌旁组织标本，以及人膀胱癌细胞RT4、5637、T24、UMUC-3、TCCSUP和输尿管上皮永生化细胞SV-HUC-1。采用免疫组织化学染色法、qPCR法和WB法检测膀胱癌组织和细胞中CTHRC1的表达水平，通过Kaplan-Meier曲线分析CTHRC1表达对总生存期（OS）的影响。运用RNAi技术，敲降5637细胞CTHRC1表达后，通过细胞划痕实验和Transwell实验检测CTHRC1表达下调对5637细胞迁移和侵袭的影响。利用基因集富集分析（GSEA）预测CTHRC1相关的潜在信号通路，WB法检测敲降CTHRC1表达对FAK-ERK1/2通路相关蛋白表达的影响。结果：CTHRC1的转录和翻译水平在肌层浸润性膀胱癌（MIBC）组织和细胞中表达显著上调（均P<0.05），CTHRC1高表达组患者5年OS较低表达患者缩短（P<0.05）。干扰CTHRC1表达后，膀胱癌5637细胞迁移及侵袭能力均显著降低（均P<0.01）。GSEA预测显示，CTHRC1高表达组主要富集在黏着斑激酶（FAK）、肌动蛋白细胞骨架调节、FAK和ERK1/2信号通路。WB法实验结果表明，重组CTHRC1蛋白促进膀胱癌5637细胞FAK-ERK1/2信号通路活化（P<0.05或P<0.01）。结论：CTHRC1在MIBC中表达上调，且与膀胱癌患者不良预后密切相关；CTHRC1促进膀胱癌细胞迁移和侵袭，该过程可能与FAK-ERK1/2信号通路的激活有关。

Betahistine alleviates benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) through inducing production of multiple CTRP family members and activating the ERK1/2-AKT/PPARy pathway

BACKGROUND: Betahistine is a clinical medication for the treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Otolin, a secreted glycoprotein with a C-terminal globular domain homologous to the immune complement C1q, has been identified as a biomarker for BPPV. However, the role of complement C1q/TNF-related proteins (CTRPs) with a C-terminal globular domain in BPPV is unclear, so we explored the change of CTRPs in betahistine treated BPPV. METHODS: We treated BPPV patients with Betahistine (12 mg/time, 3 times/day) for 4 weeks and observed the clinical efficacy and the expression of CTRP family members in BPPV patients. Then, we constructed a vertigo mice model of vestibular dysfunction with gentamicin (150 mg/Kg) and a BPPV model of Slc26a4loop/loop mutant mice. Adenoviral vectors for CTRP expression vector and small interfering RNA were injected via the intratympanic injection into mice and detected the expression of CTRP family members, phosphorylation levels of ERK and AKT and the expression of PPARγ. In addition, we treated mice of vestibular dysfunction with Betahistine (10 mg/Kg) and/or ERK inhibitor of SCH772984 (12 mg/Kg) and/or and PPARγ antagonist GW9662 (1 mg/Kg) for 15 days, and evaluated the accuracy of air righting reflex, the time of contact righting reflex and the scores of head tilt and swimming behavior. RESULTS: After treatment with Betahistine, the residual dizziness duration and the score of the evaluation were reduced, and the expression of CTRP1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 were significantly increased in BPPV patients. We also found that Betahistine improved the accuracy of air righting reflex, reduced the time of contact righting reflex and the scores of head tilt and swimming behavior in gentamicin-treated mice and Slc26a4loop/loop mutant mice. The expression levels of CTRP1, 3, 6, 9 and 12, phosphorylation levels of ERK and AKT, and PPARγ expression were significantly increased, and the scores of head tilt and swimming behavior were decreased in vestibular dysfunction mice with overexpression of CTRPs. Silencing CTRPs has the opposite effect. SCH772984 reversed the effect of Betahistine in mice with vestibular dysfunction. CONCLUSION: Betahistine alleviates BPPV through inducing production of multiple CTRP family members and activating the ERK1/2-AKT/PPARy pathway.

Lithocarpus polystachyus (Sweet Tea) water extract promotes human hepatocytes HL7702 proliferation through activation of HGF/AKT/ERK signaling pathway / 中草药·英文版

Objective: Sweet Tea (ST), derived from the leaves of Lithocarpus polystachyus, is a Chinese folk medicine with wide pharmacological activities. However, the promotive effects of ST water extract on hepatocytes proliferation and its underlying mechanism remains still unknown. In the present study, the beneficial effects of ST water extract on human hepatocytes and its possible mechanism were investigated. Methods: MTT assay was used to detect the safety range of ST; HL7702 cells were divided into four groups: control group, ST low- (50 μg/mL), medium- (200 μg/mL) and high-concentration (800 μg/mL) groups; BrdU ELISA and EDU staining were used to observe DNA content and cell proliferation; Moreover, flow cytometry was applied to analyze the distribution of cell cycle. Furthermore, the expression of cyclin D1, CDK4, HGF/c-Met, Akt, Erk1/2 were detected by Western blot. Results: It was found that ST water extract concentration-dependent promoted human hepatocytes HL7702 cell proliferation within 72 h through accumulating the cells in S phase and G2/M phase. Furthermore, ST water extract up-regulated expression of Cyclin D1 and CDK4 proteins. Moreover, ST water extract not only increased HGF expression and phosphorylation of c-Met level, but also activated the phosphorylation levels of AKT, ERK1/2. Interestingly, both of AKT inhibitor A6730 and ERK1/2 inhibitor U0126 reversed the promotive effects of ST water extract, which further confirmed that activation of AKT and ERK1/2 were involved. Conclusion: The findings reveal that ST water extract promoted HL7702 cells proliferation through the stimulation of cell cycle mediated by activating the AKT- and ERK1/2-related pathway.

Effect of Wenjing Tongluo Decoction on VEGF/VEGFR2/ERK1/2 Signaling Pathway in Mice with Knee Osteoarthritis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the possible mechanism of Wenjing Tongluo decoction （WTD） in alleviating articular cartilage defect in knee osteoarthritis （KOA） and delaying joint degeneration. Method:The KOA model was established by anterior cruciate ligament transection （ACLT）. Mice were classified into sham-operated group， model group， WTD high-dose and low-dose groups， and positive control group. Four weeks after modeling， WTD groups and the positive control group were given WTD （80， 20 g·kg^-1） and glucosamine sulfate capsules （0.29 g·kg^-1）， respectively， and the sham-operated group and model group received normal saline of the equivalent volume. After continuous intervention for 4 weeks， hemoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the morphological changes of cartilage and Mankin scoring system was employed to score the knee cartilage. Western blot was combined with Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） to detect the protein and mRNA levels of vascular endothelial growth factor <italic>α</italic> （VEGFA）， vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 （VEGFR2）， extracellular signal-related kinase 1/2 （ERK1/2） and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 4 （ADAMTS4）. Result:The Mankin score in the model group increased as compared with that in the sham-operated group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the model group， administration groups demonstrated alleviated articular cartilage defect and low Mankin score （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， but there was no statistical significance in Mankin score between the WTD groups and positive control group. The protein and mRNA levels of VEGFA， VEGFR2， ERK1/2， and ADAMTS4 in the model group were significantly higher than those in the sham-operated group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The protein expression of VEGFA and ERK1/2 was inhibited in each administration group as compared with that in the model group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the inhibition in the positive control group was stronger than that in the WTD low-dose group （<italic>P</italic><0.05） but weaker than that in the WTD high-dose group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Glucosamine Sulfate capsules suppressed the expression of VEGFR2 and ADAMTS4 to the extent the same with low-dose WTD but weaker than the high-dose WTD （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. Conclusion:WTD can relieve the articular cartilage injury in KOA mice， and the mechanism may be related to VEGF/VEGFR2/ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

Role and mechanism of focal adhesion kinase in inducing osteogenic differentiation of mouse embryonic fibroblasts cells / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is regarded as a bridge molecule of “biomaterial/scaffold,” “seed cell,” and “growth factor” in bone tissue engineering. Exploration on the role and mechanism of focal adhesion kinase in inducing osteogenic differentiation of related seed cells is particularly important for the development and application of bone tissue engineering. OBJECTIVE: To determine the role and mechanism of FAK in inducing osteogenic differentiation of immortalized mouse embryonic fibroblasts (iMEF). METHODS: Under the same induction conditions, the iMEF cells with (iMEFFAK+/+ cells) or without FAK knockout (iMEFFAK-/- cells), treated with or without PI3K/ AKT phosphorylation inhibitor LY294002 or ERK1/2 phosphorylation inhibitor U0126, were induced to differentiate into osteoblasts. The morphological changes of iMEFs (iMEFFAK+/+ and iMEFFAK-/-) at different induction periods were observed under a microscope. Runx2 protein levels and corresponding p-ERK1/2 and p-AKT levels were detected by western blot. RT-PCR technology was used to detect the transcription level of Runx2 gene. Finally, the induced iMEFs (iMEFFAK+/+ and iMEFFAK-/-) were stained with alizarin red staining for calcium nodules 3 weeks after osteogenesis induction. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The osteogenic effect of iMEFFAK-/- cells was lower than that of iMEFFAK+/+ cells under the same induction conditions. Both the expression levels of Runx2 and the osteogenic effect of iMEFFAK+/+ cells and iMEFFAK-/- cells treated with LY294002 decreased significantly compared with the control group. Both the expression levels of Runx2 and the osteogenic effect of iMEFFAK+/+ cells and iMEFFAK-/- cells treated with U0126 decreased significantly compared with the control group. To conclude, silencing FAK expression can inhibit osteogenic differentiation of mouse embryonic fibroblasts by reducing the levels of PI3K/AKT, serine/threonine protein kinase, and ERK1/2 phosphorylation levels.

PD0325901, an ERK inhibitor, enhances the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitor in non-small cell lung carcinoma

ERK pathway regulated the programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression which was linked to the response of programmed death-1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 blockade therapy. So it is deducible that ERK inhibitor could enhance the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitor in cancer immunotherapy. In this study, PD0325901, an oral potent ERK inhibitor, strongly enhanced the efficacy of PD-1 antibody

Tumor necrosis factor alpha promotes apoptosis in long bone-like cells via erk1/2 signaling pathway / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) is a pro-inflammatory factor that can induce osteoblast apoptosis and enhance osteoclast function, resulting in inflammatory bone destruction. However, the specific mechanism is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of TNF-α on the proliferation and apoptosis of MLO-Y4 cells and the possible mechanism. METHODS: MLO-Y4 cells were divided into control group, TNF-α group and ERK1/2 inhibitor group, followed by incubation with α-MEM complete medium containing nothing, 50 μg/L TNF-α, and 50 μmol/L PD98059 for 24 hours, respectively. Cell proliferation was detected by MTT method, and cell apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry. To assess the level of oxidative stress, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase levels were detected. The protein levels of PCNA, cleaved Caspase-3, p-ERK1/2 and ERK1/2 were measured by western blot. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the control group, treatment with 50 μg/L TNF-α for 24 hours reduced the cell proliferation ability and increased the apoptosis rate increased; levels of lipid peroxidase and malondialdehyde increased significantly, whereas the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase decreased significantly. Compared with the control group, significantly decreased PCNA and p-ERK1/2 as well as significantly up-regulated cleaved caspase-3 were observed in the TNF-α group; however, the expression of total protein ERK1/2 remained unchanged. There was no significant difference between the ERK1/2 inhibitor group and TNF-α group. To conclude, 50 μg/L TNF-α can decrease the proliferation and increase the apoptosis of MLO-Y4 cells. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

Avaliação das alterações moleculares dos folículos dentários em relação à idade cronológica / Evaluation of molecular changes in dental follicles in relation to chronological age

O Folículo dental (FD) é um tecido de origem ectomesenquimal. Aproximadamente 57% dos adultos apresentam terceiro molar mandibular impactado, sendo esse elemento dentário com maior prevalência de impactação dental. Há maior incidência de alterações patológicas em indivíduos mais velhos em comparação com indivíduos mais jovens. Porém os mecanismos envolvidos na formação de cistos e tumores relacionados aos FDs não estão bem elucidados, e, por isso, alguns autores defendem a extração profilática dos terceiros molares inclusos. Durante o envelhecimento cronológico, padrões epigenéticos mudam, e um padrão de hipometilação global do DNA pode ser encontrado concomitantemente com hipermetilação de vários genes supressores tumorais. A metilação do DNA é um dos mecanismos que regula as vias de sinalização celular, como a da MAPK/ERK, que atuam no controle da proliferação e diferenciação. Alguns pesquisadores descobriram um aumento na atividade do ERK 1/2 durante o processo de envelhecimento, o que poderia contribuir para a ocorrência de doenças, e a sua desregulação está envolvida na indução e na progressão de doenças como câncer e doenças autoimunes. Portanto, o presente estudo teve por objetivo avaliar se os FDs de indivíduos jovens e indivíduos mais velhos apresentam diferença no perfil de metilação global do DNA, e avaliar o padrão de imunoexpressão da forma fosforilada ERK1/2 (pERK1/2) nos FDs. A metilação global do DNA (percentual de 5mC) e a hidroximetilação (5hmC) foram avaliadas por ELISA em 59 amostras. Testamos a correlação entre o conteúdo de 5mC e 5hmC e a correlação de cada um com a idade dos pacientes. Examinamos a imunorreatividade do pERK 1/2 para avaliar a ativação das vias MAPK/ERK em 46 amostras de FD. As amostras apresentaram variação entre 13 e 31 anos de idade. Os resultados mostraram uma relação inversamente proporcional entre o conteúdo de 5hmC e idade até os 19 anos, portanto o percentual de 5hmC nos FDs tende a diminuir linearmente com o envelhecimento. O estudo imuno-histoquímico mostrou um padrão variável de imunoexpressão de pERK1/2 com 46% (21/46) das amostras exibindo menos de 10% de células positivas, enquanto 24% (11/46) das amostrasapresentaram imunopositividade entre 10 e 50% e 30% (14/46) das amostras mais de 50% das células de FD. Não foi observado diferença nas idades entre esses grupos. Em conclusão, nossos resultados sugerem que a hidroximetilação global do DNA possui alteração no seu padrão durante o envelhecimento e que a via de sinalização celular MAPK/ERK está ativa nos FDs.

The dental follicle (DF) is a tissue of ectomesenquimal origin. Approximately 57 % of young adults have impacted third molars, which is the most prevalent impacted tooth. The incidence of pathological changes is greater among older individuals than younger individuals. However, the mechanisms behind the formation of cysts and tumors related to DFs have not been fully clarified and, therefore, some researchers defend the prophylactic extraction of third molars. During chronological aging, epigenetic patterns change and a global DNA hypomethylation pattern can be found concomitantly with hypermethylation of several tumor suppressor genes. DNA methylation is one of the regulators of cell signaling pathways, such as the MAPK/ERK pathway. Some researchers have found an increase in ERK1/2 activity during the aging process, which may contribute to the occurrence of disease, and its dysregulation is involved in the induction and progression of diseases such as cancer and autoimmune diseases. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate whether DFs in young and older individuals differ in terms of global methylation and hydroxymethylation and to evaluate the immunoexpression pattern of phosphorylated ERK1/2. Global DNA methylation (5mC content) and hydroxymethylation (5hmC) were evaluated by ELISA in 59 DF samples We tested the correlation between 5mC and 5hmC content, and the correlation of each with patients' age. We examined ERK1/2 immunoreactivity for the evaluation of the activation of the MAPK pathways in 46 DF samples. Age of patients of the 59 samples of DFs raged from 13 to 31 years. An inversely proportional relation was found between the 5hmC content and age up to 19 years, therefore, the percentage of 5hmC in the DFs tends linearly decrease with aging. The immunohistochemical study showed a variable pattern of immunoexpression of pERK 1/2 with 46% (21/46) of the samples showing less than 10% of positive cells, while 24% (11/46) of the samples showed immunopositivity between 10 and 50% and 30% (14/46) of the samples greater than 50% of the DF cells. There was no difference in age among these groups. In conclusion, our results suggest that the global hydroxymethylation of DNA changes in its pattern during aging and that the MAPK/ERK cell signaling pathway is active in DFs.

Study on Mechanism and Validation of Effect of Astragali Radix in Treatment of Parkinson's Disease by Network Pharmacology / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To analyze the mechanism of Astragali Radix in the treatment of Parkinson's disease by network pharmacology and PC-12 extracellular model. Method:Traditional Chinese medicines systems pharmacology platform （TCMSP） and CD-HIT databases were used to screen out active components and targets of Astragali Radix， GENECARDS and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man （OMIM） databases were used to screen out targets relating to Parkinson's disease and draw component-target network， STRING database was used to build the protein-protein interaction network， Bioconductor Cluster Profiler was applied in Gene Ontology （GO） enrichment analysis， and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis. PC-12 cells were pretreated with water extract of Astragali Radix， and Western blot was used to assess the expression of phosphorylation extracellular regulatory protein kinase 1/2（p-ERK1/2）， ERK1/2， B cell lymphoma -2 （Bcl-2） associated X protein （Bax）， Bcl-2， cysteine aspartic acid protease -3 （Caspase-3） and cleaved-Caspase3 （c-Caspase-3）. The levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6）， IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α） were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） interleukin-6 （IL-6）， IL-10， tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）. Result:Network pharmacology showed that 14 compounds in Astragali Radix， including emodin and quercetin， played a role through multi-target and multi-channel synergy， involving ERK signal pathway， Bax， Bcl-2， Caspase-3， IL-6， IL-10， TNF-α and other target proteins. Western blot showed that the expressions of Bax， p-ERK1/2， c-Caspase-3 and Bcl-2 in Astragali Radix Extract group decreased， while the expressions of Bcl-2 in Astragali Radix Extract group was significantly higher than that in model group （P<0.05）. There were statistical differences between the two groups. ELISA showed that Astragali Radix water extract could reduce the expressions of IL-6， TNF-α， but increase the expression of IL-10， with statistical differences from the model group （P<0.05）. Conclusion:This study shows that Astragali Radix can affect the expressions of these proteins， and verify the results of network pharmacology， so as to provide a basis for further study of Astragali Radix in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Low Doses of Nonylphenol Promote Growth of Colon Cancer Cells through Activation of ERK1/2 via G Protein‒Coupled Receptor 30 / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: Nonylphenol (NP) is an endocrine disruptor found in products such as cleaners, plastics, and detergents. It exerts actions similar to endogenous 17β-estradiol (E2) and is reported to influence various cancers. However, its role in colon cancer remains elusive. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Colon cancer cell lines COLO 205 and SW480 were employed in our study. The cells were treated with NP or E2 followed by measurement of apoptosis and proliferation using flow cytometry and MTT assays, respectively. G protein–coupled estrogen receptor 30 (GPR30) expression was visualized using immunofluorescence and Western blot. To investigate the underlying mechanism, the expression levels of GPR30, p-protein kinase A (PKA), c-myc, cyclin D1, and ERK1/2 were analyzed using Western blot. Meanwhile, the GPR30 antagonist G15 was utilized to validate the role of GPR30 in colon cancer progression. Finally, the effect of a GPR30 inhibitor on tumor growth was determined in vivo using tumor xenograft mouse models. RESULTS: NP facilitated the proliferation of colon cancer cells and induced apoptosis failure in vitro. Western blot revealed increased GPR30 expression levels in response to NP treatment. Cyclin D1, p-PKA, c-myc, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen, proteins that regulate the cell cycle, were all upregulated by NP, and NP-mediated ERK1/2 activation and subsequent cell proliferation were abrogated by the GPR30 inhibitor G15. Moreover, colon cancer mice that received G15 administration demonstrated impaired tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSION: Low dose NP promotes the growth of colon tumors through GPR30-mediated activation of ERK1/2 signaling.

Protective effect of recombinant human IL-1Ra on hepatocytes in vitro / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

Objective: To evaluate protective effects of recombinant human IL-1Ra (rhIL-1Ra) on acute liver injury in vitro by using D-galactosamine (D-GalN) and HepG2 cells to establish the D-galactosamine (D-GalN)-induced HepG2 cells injury models. Methods:Models of HepG2 cells injury induced by D-GalN was established. HepG2 cells were maintained in mediums which contained different concentration of D-GalN (0.02, 0.2, 2 or 4 mg/mL) for different time (1, 2 or 3 d). Optimized concentration and time of D-GalN were used to analyze cell viability and morphology. A serial dose of rhIL-1Ra (10, 20 or 50 μg/mL) was used to treat HepG2 cells which were challenged with D-GalN. Cell apoptosis and the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were analyzed in different treatment groups. Real-time PCR was employed to analyze the mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in cells. ERK1/2 inhibitor (SCH772984) was used to confirm whether ERK1/2 phosphorylation played a critical role in IL-1Ra protecting hepatocytes or not. Results: Cell viability was significantly decreased by D-GalN whose concentration was 4 mg/mL in HepG2 cells after 2 d. Compared with the control group, rhIL-1Ra could significantly improve cell survival and down-regulate the level of ROS in the cells. RhIL-Ra also could suppress expression of pro-apoptotic cytokines factors (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) induced by D-GalN in HepG2 cells. The results also showed that erk1/2 signaling pathways have certain effect on mediating the injury of rhIL-1Ra to protect hepatocytes. Conclusion: RhIL-1Ra can protect hepatocytes from toxins by directly targeting hepatocytes and inhibit cells apoptosis by activating ERK1/2 pathway in HepG2 cells.

Multi-components from Pulsatilla Chinensis saponins synergistically inhibit proliferation of NCI-H460 cells based on tumor glycolysis mechanism / 中草药

Objective: The study was designed to investigate the antitumor effect of Pulsatilla chinensis saponins components and the synergistic effect of its effect components on tumor glycolysis. Methods: NCI-H460 cell lines were cultured in vitro, MTT assay was used to detect the inhibitory rate of various components of Pulsatilla chinensis saponins. The compatibility and synergistic antitumor effect of different effect components were studied by Calcusyn 3.0 software. Biochemical assay and Elisa assay were used to detect the glycolysis related metabolites (pyruvate, lactic acid, and glucose) and enzymes (GLUT1, HK, PKM2, and LDHA). Energy metabolism related gene members from KEGG pathway database and key protein (ERK1/2, Ras, GLUT1, MCT4) were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Results: The antitumor results in vitro showed that PSD, R13 and PSA in Pulsatilla chinensis saponins had the strongest antitumor activity for human lung cancer NCI-H460 cells and the IC50 were 5.2, 4.6, and 7.9 μg/mL, respectively. Using Calcusyn 3.0 software to confirm the distribution ratio of three effective monomers in Pulsatilla chinensis saponins and determine the synergistic antitumor effect after compatibility. The results of biochemical and Elisa assay showed that the content of pyruvate, lacate, glucose, HK, PKM2 and LDHA were significantly decreased and the GLUT1 content was significantly increased compared with the blank group (P < 0.05),; Compared with each monomer group, the content of pyruvic acid, lactic acid, glucose, HK, PKM2 and LDHA in the combined group were significantly decreased and the content of GLUT1 was significantly increased (P < 0.05). Real-time PCR results show that the combinations group has the most nodes in the network diagram, and its target was more than each monomer group. Western blotting results showed that compared with the blank group, the combinations group significantly decreased the expression of ERK1/2, Ras, GLUT1, and MCT4 protein (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The combination of effect components of Pulsatilla chinensis saponins has synergistic antitumor effect on NCI-H460 cells and the antitumor mechanism may be associated with the regulation of glycolysis.

Protective effect and mechanism of total flavonoids of Dracocephalum moldevica on doxorubicin myocardial toxicity / 中草药

Objective: To explore the protective effect and mechanism of total flavonoids of Dracocephalum moldevica (TFDM) on doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Methods: H9c2 cells were induced with 1 μmol/L doxorubicin for 24 h to establish a cardiotoxicity model. H9c2 cells were randomly divided into control group, model group, and drug intervention group (four subgroups of 5, 25, 50, and 100 μg/mL). After the intervention of TFDM, the doxorubicin cardiotoxicity model was established in the other groups except the control group. The cell counting Kit-8 method was used to determine the viability of H9c2 cells induced by doxorubicin injury after the intervention of TFDM. The effects of lactate dehydrogenase release, intracellular superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde in each group were determined by kit method. The apoptosis rate of each group was detected by flow cytometry using Annexin-V FITC/PI double staining method. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential in each group were detected by DCFH-DA and JC-1 probes. The expressions of p38MAPK, ERK1/2, and PI3K/Akt pathway-related proteins were detected by Western blotting. Results: Compared with the control group, the cell viability of the model group induced by doxorubicin was decreased, the release of lactate dehydrogenase and the content of malondialdehyde were increased, the activity of superoxide dismutase was decreased, the apoptosis rate was increased, the release of reactive oxygen species was increased significantly, and the mitochondrial membrane potential was decreased significantly. However, TFDM increased H9c2 cell viability, decreased LDH and MDA levels, increased SOD activity, decreased apoptosis rate, significantly decreased ROS release, and significantly increased MMP in a dose-dependent manner. The difference was statistically significant. The results of Western blot showed that the expression levels of p-PI3K, p-Akt, p-ERK1/2, and Bcl-2 were decreased, and the expression levels of p-p38MAPK, Bax and Caspase-3 were significantly increased compared with the control group. However, in the TFDM-treated group, the expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt, p-ERK1/2, and Bcl-2 protein was increased, and the protein expression of p-p38MAPK, Bax, and Caspase-3 protein was decreased. Conclusion: TFDM can protect cardiomyocytes, and its protective mechanism may be related to the resistance to oxidative stress, protection of cardiomyocyte mitochondria, and regulating MAPK enzyme family proteins, and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and subsequent release of apoptotic cytokines to inhibit apoptosis.