Study on the mechanism of action of different synovial cell-derived inflammatory exosomes on chondrocytes after lipopolysaccharide intervention / 安徽医科大学学报

Objective To observe the effect of different synovial cell secretions on chondrocytes after LPS-induced inflammation,and to explore the mechanism of two synovial cell secretions causing cartilage damage in the progres-sion of KOA disease.Methods Two kinds of synovial cells were co-cultured at 1∶4 and LPS-induced inflamma-tion.The supernatant and exocrine were extracted,and then the normal and LPS-induced inflammation were extrac-ted.The human cartilage tissue obtained during the operation was isolated and cultured into chondrocytes,which were divided into five groups:the first group was added with FLS secretion,the second group was added with nor-mal FLS secretion,the third group was added with secretion after co-culture of two kinds of synovial cells,the fourth group was added with inflammatory MLS secretion,and the fifth group was added with inflammatory FLS se-cretion.CCK-8 was used to detect the viability of chondrocytes in each group.TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6 level in the su-pernatant of chondrocytes in each group was detected by ELISA.The protein expression of TLR4,NF-κB,IkK,IκB,ADAMTS5 in chondrocytes of each group was detected by Western blot method.Results CCK-8 showed that the activity of chondrocytes in the three groups of inflammatory secretions decreased compared with the secretions from normal synovial cells(P＜0.05);ELISA showed TNF-α,IL-1 β,IL-6 level in the supernatant of group Ⅲ,Ⅳ and V was higher than that of group Ⅰ and Ⅱ(P＜0.05),TNF-α,IL-1 β,IL-6 level in group Ⅲ was higher than that in group Ⅳ but lower than that in group Ⅴ(P＜0.05).Western blot showed the protein expression of TLR4,NF-κB,IkK,IκB,ADAMTS5 in chondrocytes of group Ⅲ,Ⅳ and Ⅴ was higher than that in group Ⅰ and Ⅱ(P＜0.05),the protein expression of TLR4,NF-κB,IkK,IκB,ADAMTS5 in group Ⅲ was higher than that in group Ⅳbut lower than that in group Ⅴ(P＜0.05).Conclusion Two kinds of synovial cell-derived secretions after LPS-induced inflammation can regulate cartilage TLRs/NF-κB signal pathway,causing cartilage inflammation.The in-flammatory effect of MLS secretion is stronger than that of FLS secretion,but the inflammatory effect of MLS secre-tion under two co-cultures is weaker than that of MLS secretion alone.

Wogonin promotes Th17/Treg cell balance in rat models with autoimmune hepatitis / 基础医学与临床

Objective To investigate the impacts of wogonin(WG)on Th17/Treg cell balance in autoimmune hep-atitis(AIH)rats.Methods A total of 10 rats were randomly selected as the control group.The remaining rats were injected with concanavalin A(ConA,12.5 mg/kg)solution via tail vein to construct AIH model rat,which were ran-domly divided into AIH group,L-WG group(10 mg/kg),M-WG group(20 mg/kg),H-WG group(30 mg/kg),H-WG+VPA group(30 mg/kg WG+300 mg/kg Notch signal pathway activator VPA),10 rats in each group and administered once a day for 10 days.Serum inflammatory factors and liver function indexes were detected by ELISA;HE staining was used to observe the pathological morphology of liver tissue;the level of spleen Th17/Treg cells was detected by flow cytometry;Western blot was used to detect the expression of spleen retinoid acid related orphan receptor γ t(RORγt),fork head box protein P3(Foxp3)and liver Notch signal pathway proteins.Results The liver tissue structure of control group was normal and the staining was clear;In AIH group,the cells of liver tis-sue showed edema,the increase of cell volume led to the compression and narrowing of liver sinuses,and a large number of inflammatory cell infiltration and a small amount of necrosis occurred.The contents of alanine aminotrans-ferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),interleukin(IL)-17 and IL-23,level of Th17 cells,Th17/Treg,the expression of RORγt,Notch,hes family bHLH transcription factor 1 gene(HES1)and hes related family bHLH transcription factor with YRPW motif 1(HEY1)protein in AIH group were greatly higher than those in control group(P＜0.05),the contents of IL-10 and TNF-β,level of Treg cells,and level of Foxp3 protein were greatly lower(P＜0.05);Compared with AIH group,the liver injury in L-WG group,M-WG group and H-WG group was im-proved,the contents of ALT,AST,IL-17 and IL-23,level of Th17 cells,Th17/Treg,the expression of RORγt,Notch,HES1 and HEY1 protein were greatly lower(P＜0.05),the contents of IL-10 and TNF-β,level of Treg cells,and level of Foxp3 protein were greatly higher(P＜0.05);VPA reversed the improvement effect of H-WG on AIH rats.Conclusions WG could promote Th17/Treg cell balance in AIH rats by down-regulating Notch signal pathway.

Effect of neferine on diabetic nephropathy by regulating SDF-1/CXCR4 signal pathway / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

Objective·To investigate the effect of neferine(Nef)on renal tissues of diabetic nephropathy(DN)rats and its related mechanism.Methods·DN model rats were constructed by feeding high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin,and the successfully constructed rats were randomly divided into DN group,Nef(low,medium and high)dose groups and Nef high-dose+pathway antagonist(AMD3100)group,with 10 rats in each group.At the same time,10 common rats were selected as the normal group.The levels of fasting blood glucose(FBG),24 h urinary protein,serum glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c),serum creatinine(Scr),blood urea nitrogen(BUN)and renal index of rats in the six groups were measured.Hematoxylin-eosin(H-E)and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological changes of renal tissues.The content of malondialdehyde(MDA)in renal tissues was determined by thiobarbituric acid(TBA)method,and the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD)and catalase(CAT)in renal tissues were determined by water soluble tetrazolium(WST-1)method and ammonium molybdate method,respectively.The mRNA and protein expressions of stromal cell-derived factor-1(SDF-1)and CXC chemokine receptor 4(CXCR4)in renal tissues were detected by quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR)and Western blotting,respectively.Rat renal tubular epithelium cells NRK-52E were induced by high glucose(30 mmol/L glucose)to establish DN cell model.The cells were divided into control group,high glucose(HG)group,HG+Nef(low,medium and high)dose(i.e.HG+Nef-L,M and H)group,and HG+Nef-H +AMD3100 group.SOD and CAT activities were detected by WST-1 method and ammonium molybdate method,respectively.MDA content was detected by TBA method.The mRNA and protein expressions of SDF-1 and CXCR4 were detected by qPCR and Western blotting,respectively.CCK-8 method and flow cytometry were used to detect cell viability and apoptosis rate,respecti-vely.Results·Compared with the DN group,the levels of FBG,24 h urinary protein,HbA1c,Scr,BUN,renal index and MDA content in Nef(low,medium and high)dose groups and Nef high-dose+AMD3100 group were decreased,the mRNA and protein expressions of SDF-1 and CXCR4 were increased,and the activities of SOD and CAT were increased(all P<0.05).The degree of pathological damage and fibrosis of renal tissues was reduced;all of the above changes were dose-dependent.AMD3100 could weaken the renal protective effect of high-dose Nef on DN rats.Compared with the HG group,NRK-52E cell viability,SOD and CAT activities,and the mRNA and protein expressions of SDF-1 and CXCR4 were increased in HG+Nef-L,M and H groups,while apoptosis rate and MDA content were decreased(all P<0.05).AMD3100 could reverse the protective effect of Nef-H on NRK-52E cell damage.Conclusion·Nef may control blood glucose levels on DN rats and improve antioxidant capacity by activating the SDF-1/CXCR4 signal pathway,playing a renal protective role.

Effects of treadmill exercise on osteoporosis and wnt/beta-catenin signal pathway in aged rats / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Exercise training can improve osteoporosis,but its effects and mechanisms on senile osteoporosis are not fully understood. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of treadmill exercise on osteoporosis and wnt/β-catenin signal pathway in aged rats. METHODS:Sixteen 24-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into osteoporosis group(n=8)and treadmill group(n=8)and eight 6-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were used as young control group.The model of senile osteoporosis was replicated by natural aging and the rats in the treadmill group were treated with treadmill exercise once a day,5 days a week,for 8 weeks.Levels of bone metabolic markers such as type I collagen cross-linked C-terminal peptide,tartrate resistant acid phosphatase,osteocalcin and bone specific alkaline phosphatase were detected by ELISA;bone mineral density of the left femur and L5 was measured by dual energy X-ray;bone scanning and bone microstructure quantitative analysis were performed by bone micro-CT;and the mRNA and protein expression levels of wnt3a,β-catenin,LRP5,DKK1 and GSK3β were detected by RT-PCR and western blot,respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the young control group,the osteoporosis group showed a reduction in serum bone specific alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin levels(P<0.05),bone mineral density of the femur and L5,the number of tibia and L4 bone trabeculae,bone volume,bone volume fraction(P<0.05),and mRNA and protein expression of wnt3a,β-catenin,and LRP5 in bone marrow tissue(P<0.05)as well as an increase in serum levels of tartrate resistant acid phosphatase and type I collagen cross-linked C-terminal peptide(P<0.05),the intertrabecular space between the tibia and L4,structural model index(P<0.05),and mRNA and protein expression of DKK1 and GSK3 β in bone marrow tissue(P<0.05).In addition to the reduced number of trabeculae in the tibia and L4 vertebrae,the trabeculae were structurally disturbed and sparsely aligned and fractured.Compared with the osteoporosis group,the treadmill group showed an increase in serum bone specific alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin levels(P<0.05),bone mineral density of the femur and L5(P<0.05),the number of tibial trabeculae,bone volume,bone volume fraction(P<0.05),mRNA and protein expression of wnt3a,β-catenin,and LRP5 in bone marrow tissue(P<0.05)but a reduction in the serum levels of tartrate resistant acid phosphatase and type I collagen cross-linked C-terminal peptide,L4 trabecular space,tibial trabecular space,structural model index,and mRNA and protein expression of DKK1 and GSK3 β in bone marrow tissue(P<0.05).In addition to the increased number of tibial and L4 trabeculae,the trabeculae were arranged in a regular and dense pattern and were connected to a network.To conclude,treadmill exercise may improve osteoporosis in aged rats by activating the wnt/β-catenin signal pathway.

Signaling pathways in the mechanism underlying active ingredients of Chinese medicine in the treatment of osteoarthritis / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative disease of skeletal muscle,and the incidence of osteoarthritis is increasing yearly,but its pathogenesis is not clear.The commonly used drugs for osteoarthritis include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and glucocorticoid.Adverse drug reactions to these drugs can reduce patient compliance and ultimately affect the efficacy of treatment.Active ingredients in Chinese medicine are closely scrutinized for their safety and other characteristics. OBJECTIVE:Through reviewing the research progress in the effect of active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine on osteoarthritis-related signaling pathways,to provide ideas and theoretical basis for the research,development,and application of new drugs in the prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis. METHODS:CNKI,WanFang,VIP,PubMed,and GeenMedical were searched for relevant literature in the last 10 years.The key words were"OA,osteoarthritis,traditional Chinese medicine,active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine,chondrocyte,inflammation,signal pathways,mechanism"in Chinese and English.We excluded the irrelevant repetitive and older literature,and finally included 63 articles for further review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine regulate the levels of inflammatory factors,promote the proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes,regulate the apoptosis of chondrocytes,and delay the degeneration of chondrocytes through Wnt/β-catenin,NK-ΚB,P38 MAPK,PI3K/AKT,JAK2/STAT3 and other signaling pathways,thus slowing the progression of osteoarthritis.

Pharmacological Effects of Icariin on Male Reproductive System:A Review and Literature Visualization / 医药导报

Icariin,which belongs to the class of flavonoids,is the main active ingredient of the traditional tonic Chinese herb Epimedii Folium.Modern studies have shown that icariin has a wide range of effects on the male reproductive system.It has various pharmacological activities such as regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis,antioxidants,promoting testosterone secretion,improving erectile function,inhibiting prostate cancer cell migration,invasion,and regulating cell cycle.It has research value and application prospects in the field of urology and assisted reproduction.Therefore,Icariin's pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms on the male reproductive system are reviewed in this paper combined with literature visualization analysis.It is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the therapeutic value development and application of icariin in male reproductive health.

Effect and mechanism of arctigenin on ventricular remodeling and inflammatory reaction in rats with chronic heart failure / 中华老年心脑血管病杂志

Objective To investigate the influences of arctigenin(ATG)on ventricular remodeling and inflammatory reaction in chronic heart failure(CHF)rats,and to analyze its potential mecha-nism.Methods A total of 79 SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group(n=12),and the remaining rats were inflicted with abdominal aortic coarctation to establish a rat CHF model.After modeling,60 CHF rats were randomly divided into CHF group,low and high dose ATG group(ATG-L and ATG-H groups,10 and 20 mg/kg,respectively),ATG+NC group[20 mg/kg ATG+100 μl high mobility group protein B1(HMGB1)negative control plasmid],and ATG+HMGB1 group(20 mg/kg ATG+100 pl HMGB1 overexpression plasmid),with 12 rats per group.After 4 weeks of corresponding intervention,heart function,levels of B-type brain na-triuretic peptide(BNP),N-terminal B-type brain natriuretic peptide precursor(NT-proBNP)andIL-6 and TNF-α,heart mass index(HMI)and left ventricular mass index(LVMI),pathological changes of myocardial tissue,cross-sectional area of myocardial cells and myocardial collagen vol-ume fraction(CVF)and protein expression of HMGB1/Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/NF-κB sig-naling pathway in left ventricular myocardial tissue were measured.Results Compared with the sham operation group,myocardial tissue HMGB1(0.42±0.05 vs 0.15±0.02)and TLR4(0.70± 0.09 vs 0.21±0.04)protein levels,and phosphorylated NF-κB p65(p-NF-κB p65)/NF-κB p65(0.73±0.09 vs 0.26±0.05)protein ratio were obviously increased in the CHF group,while the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and left ventricular short-axis fractional shortening(LVFS)were obviously decreased(P＜0.05).Myocardial tissue HMGB1(0.33±0.04、0.24±0.04 vs 0.42±0.05)and TLR4(0.56±0.06、0.41±0.05 vs 0.70±0.09)protein levels,and p-NF κB p65/NF-KB p65(0.61±0.08、0.49±0.06 vs 0.73±0.09)protein ratio were decreased,and the LVEF and LVFS were increased in the ATG-L group and ATG-H group than the CHF group(P＜0.05).Overexpression of HMGB1 obviously attenuated the inhibitory effects of ATG on HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway,ventricular remodeling,and inflammatory reaction in CHF rats(P＜0.05).Conclusion ATG may suppress ventricular remodeling in CHF rats by in-hibiting HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB signaling inflammatory pathway.

Mechanism of musk-containing serum in promoting the migration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To investigate the effect and mechanism of musk-containing serum on the migration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). 【Methods】 Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: musk-high-, medium- and low-dose groups and blank control group; medicated serum was prepared. Fifteen SD rats were isolated and cultured with BMSCs, and the third generation of BMSCs were identified by morphology, phenotype, osteogenic and adipogenic induction. BMSCs received medicinal healing intervention with high-, medium- and low- (16.8, 8.4, and 4.2 μL/100 g) musk, and the cell proliferation rate was detected by MTT assay. Under the intervention of the protein kinase C (PKC) signaling pathway (GF109203X), the effect of musk with pharmacition on the migration of BMSCSs was detected with the Transwell test. 【Results】 The rat BMSCs were attached to the wall, with orderly arrangement and good cell viability. Phenotypic identification revealed that the expressions of CD44 and CD90 were positive, while the expressions of CD45 and CD34 were negative, and the cells could differentiate into osteoblasts and adipocytes. The proliferation rates of BMSCSs with different concentrations at different time periods were higher than those in the blank control group (P0.05). 【Conclusion】 The mechanism of musk-containing serum in promoting BMSCs migration may be related to the activation of PKC signaling pathway.

Construction of competitive endogenous RNA network mediated by lung ischemia-reperfusion core genes / 器官移植

Objective To analyze the core genes of lung ischemia-reperfusion injury and construct a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network. Methods Original data of GSE145989 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database as the training set, and the GSE172222 and GSE9634 datasets were used as the validation sets, and the differentially-expressed genes (DEG) were identified. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, and the core genes were screened, and the diagnostic values of these core genes and the immune infiltration levels of immune cells were evaluated. The ceRNA network was constructed and validated. The targeted drugs based on ceRNA network were assessed. Results A total of 179 DEG were identified, including 61 down-regulated and 118 up-regulated genes. GO analysis showed that DEGs were associated with multiple biological processes, such as cell migration, differentiation and regulation, etc. They were correlated with cell components, such as vesicle membrane, serosa and membrane raft, etc. They were also associated with multiple molecular functions, such as chemokine receptor, G protein-coupled receptor, immune receptor activity and antigen binding, etc. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that DEG were involved in tumor necrosis factor (TNF), Wnt, interleukin (IL)-17 and nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathways, etc. PPI network suggested that CD8A, IL2RG, STAT1, CD3G and SYK were the core genes of lung ischemia-reperfusion injury. The ceRNA network prompted that miR-146a-3p, miR-28-5p and miR-593-3p were related to the expression level of CD3G. The miR-149-3p, miR-342-5p, miR-873-5p and miR-491-5p were correlated with the expression level of IL-2RG. The miR-194-3p, miR-512-3p, miR-377-3p and miR-590-3p were associated with the expression level of SYK. The miR-590-3p and miR-875-3p were related to the expression level of CD8A. The miR-143-5p, miR-1231, miR-590-3p and miR-875-3p were associated with the expression level of STAT1. There were 13 targeted drugs for CD3G, 4 targeted drugs for IL-2RG, 28 targeted drugs for SYK and 3 targeted drugs for lncRNA MUC2. No targeted drugs were identified for CD8A, STAT1 and other ceRNA network genes. Conclusions CD8A, IL2RG, STAT1, CD3G and SYK are the core genes of lung ischemia-reperfusion injury. The research and analysis of these core genes probably contribute to the diagnosis of lung ischemia-reperfusion injury and providing novel research ideas and therapeutic targets.

Research progress of traditional Chinese medicine regulating related signaling pathways to promote tendon-bone healing / 中国药房

Tendon-bone healing is a complex biological process. Multiple signaling pathways are involved in tendon-bone healing， including transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway， bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathway， Wnt signaling pathway， fibroblast growth factor signaling pathway and nuclear transcription factor-κB signaling pathway. This paper summarizes the research status of traditional Chinese medicine regulating related signaling pathways to promote tendon-bone healing. It is found that a variety of traditional Chinese medicine monomers or herbal extracts （such as baicalein， icariin， total flavonoids of Drynaria fortunei， parthenolide， total saponins of Panax notoginseng， etc.） and traditional Chinese medicine compounds （such as Taohong siwu decoction， Liuwei dihuang pill， Xujin jiegu liquid， etc.） can promote bone formation， anti-inflammatory， anti-oxidation， by regulating the above signaling pathways， thereby effectively promoting tendon-bone healing.

Regulating PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway by Traditional Chinese Medicine to Improve Cognitive Impairment： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Cognitive impairment refers to the abnormality of the hippocampus， cortex and other parts of the brain， which is manifested by the decline of cognitive abilities such as learning， memory and attention. With the increase in people's work pressure and bad living habits， the incidence of cognitive impairment is getting higher and higher， which seriously affects people's normal life. However， there are adverse reactions such as gastrointestinal reactions and extrapyramidal reactions in Western drug treatment for cognitive impairment. Therefore， the development of a drug with relatively minimal adverse reactions is of great significance. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has the characteristics of "multi-component， multi-pathway and multi-target"， and the incidence of adverse reactions is relatively low. Studies have shown that the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment is closely related to oxidative stress， inflammation， apoptosis， autophagy and other processes of neurons in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）-protein kinase B （Akt） signal pathway plays an important role in the transmission of intracellular and intracellular signals， and in the regulation of cellular inflammation， apoptosis， autophagy， etc. TCM monomers， TCM extracts， and TCM compounds exert anti-inflammatory， antioxidant， anti-apoptotic and autophagy regulation effects by regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to improve cognitive impairment. This review first summarized the composition and regulatory process of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway， and then discussed the research progress on the improvement of cognitive impairment through the improvement of oxidative stress， inflammation， apoptosis and autophagy of neurons. Finally， the recent research status of the regulation of this signaling pathway by TCM extracts， TCM monomers and TCM compounds to improve cognitive impairment was summarized. This study provides a theoretical basis for the future study of new TCM related to cognitive impairment.

MiRNA Regulating Autophagy Signaling Pathway Induced by Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

Ischemia and hypoxia cause functional damage to brain tissues during stroke， and when blood supply is restored to brain tissues after ischemia， a large number of free radicals and calcium overload cause cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury， which further aggravates the condition. Autophagy is a self-protection mechanism that maintains the homeostasis of the intracellular environment， but excessive autophagy causes brain tissue damage. MiRNA is a small endogenous non-coding RNA molecule that regulate various physiological activities at the gene level by binding to complementary sequences in the 3 '- UTR of its target gene mRNA， leading to translation inhibition or mRNA degradation. MiRNA not only directly acts on autophagy related proteins， but also participates in autophagy regulation induced by ischemia/reperfusion through various signaling pathways. However， there is still a lack of systematic induction and analysis of miRNA regulation of autophagy signaling pathways induced by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion. This article reviews the regulation of cellular autophagy during cerebral ischemia/ reperfusion by miRNA-124， miRNA-298， miRNA-202-5p， miRNA-142， miRNA-26b and so on through different signaling pathways， providing a systematic and theoretical approach for the study of autophagy in stroke.

Exploration of the significance of NOX4 in the evaluation of gastric cancer / 中国现代普通外科进展

Objective:This article is to investigate NADPH oxidase 4(NOX4)expression,prog-nosis,signaling pathway and key immune cells infiltrating in tumor tissues in gastric cancer.Meth-ods:Data were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)and the Integrated Gene Ex-pression Database(GEO).The expression of NOX4 in gastric cancer and normal tissues,the rela-tionship between NOX4 expression level and clinical characteristics of patients,gene enrichment analysis of signaling pathways and immune infiltration analysis have been analyzed.Results:In terms of NOX4 expression,tumor tissue is significantly higher than normal tissue,which has certain diagnostic value;NOX4 is an important prognostic factor with poor prognosis in patients with high NOX4 expression;NOX4 is associated with cell adhesion molecules(CAMs),transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β),and WNT signaling pathway.NOX4 high expression group was mainly related to M2 macrophages and plasma cell infiltration in tumor tissues.Conclusion:NOX4 plays an impor-tant role in the progression of gastric cancer(GC).

Sub-chronic aluminum exposure induces cognitive impairment through ALKBH5/PTEN/AKT signaling pathway in rats / 中国职业医学

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of maltol aluminum exposure on miR-193a-3p, demethylase AlkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5), phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) and protein kinase B (AKT), and whether miR-193a-3p is involved in aluminum-induced cognitive impairment by regulating ALKBH5/PTEN/AKT signaling pathway. Methods Specific pathogen-free male SD rats were randomly divided into control group and low-, medium- and high- dose groups according to their body weight, with eight rats in each group. Rats in the low-, medium-, and high- dose groups were intraperitoneally injected with maltol aluminum solution at concentrations of 10.00, 20.00, and 40.00 μmol/kg body weight, respectively, while the rats in control group were given an equal volume of 0.9% sodium chloride solution. Rats were injected for five days every week for three months. After injection, the novel object recognized test was used to assess the learning and memory ability of the rats. The relative expression of miR-193a-3p and B-cell lymphocytoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) and cysteine aspartate protease-3 (Caspase-3) mRNA in rat hippocampus was detected using the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The relative protein expression of ALKBH5, PTEN, and AKT2 in the rat hippocampus was detected using Western blot. Results The discrimination index and the preference index of the new object recognition test of the rats in high-dose group were lower than those in control group and low-dose group (all P<0.05). The relative expression of miR-193a-3p and Bcl-2 mRNA in the hippocampus of the rats in high-dose group was lower than those in control group and low-dose group (all P<0.05). The relative mRNA expression of Bax in the high-dose group was higher than those in the control group and low-dose group (both P<0.05). The relative mRNA expression of Caspase-3 of the rats in the high-dose group was higher than that in the other three groups (both P<0.05). The relative protein expression of ALKBH5 in the hippocampus of the rats in the high-dose group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The relative expression of PTEN protein was higher than those in the control group and low-dose group (both P<0.05). The relative protein expression of AKT2 was lower than those in the control group and low-dose group (both P<0.05). Conclusion Sub-chronic aluminum exposure can inhibit the expression of miR-193a-3p in the hippocampus of rats, which may disrupt the ALKBH5/PTEN/AKT pathway and affect normal neuronal homeostasis and cellular function. This pathway may play an important role in aluminum-induced cognitive impairment.

PRMT7 Regulates Adipogenic Differentiation of hBMSCs by Modulating IGF-1 Signaling / 生物化学与生物物理进展

ObjectiveProtein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) play pivotal roles in numerous cellular biological processes. However, the precise regulatory effects of PRMTs on the fate determination of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) remain elusive. Our previous studies have shed light on the regulatory role and molecular mechanism of PRMT5 in MSC osteogenic differentiation. This study aims to clarify the role and corresponding regulatory mechanism of PRMT7 during the adipogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Methods(1) Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) were cultured in a medium that induces adipogenesis. We used qRT-PCR and Western blot to monitor changes in PRMT7 expression during adipogenic differentiation. (2) We created a cell line with PRMT7 knocked down and assessed changes in PRMT7 expression and adipogenic capacity using Oil Red O staining, qRT-PCR and Western blot. (3) We implanted hBMSCs cell lines mixed with a collagen membrane subcutaneously into nude mice and performed Oil Red O staining to observe ectopic lipogenesis in vivo. (4) A cell line overexpressing PRMT7 was generated, and we examined changes in PRMT7 expression using qRT-PCR and Western blot. We also performed Oil Red O staining and quantitative analysis after inducing the cells in lipogenic medium. Additionally, we assessed changes in PPARγ expression. (5) We investigated changes in insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) expression in both PRMT7 knockdown and overexpressing cell lines using qRT-PCR and Western blot, to understand PRMT7’s regulatory effect on IGF-1 expression. siIGF-1 was transfected into the PRMT7 knockdown cell line to inhibit IGF-1 expression, and knockdown efficiency was confirmed. Then, we induced cells from the control and knockdown groups transfected with siIGF-1 in lipogenic medium and performed Oil Red O staining and quantitative analysis. Finally, we assessed PPARγ expression to explore IGF-1’s involvement in PRMT7’s regulation of adipogenic differentiation in hBMSCs. Results(1) During the adipogenesis process of hBMSCs, the expression level of PRMT7 was significantly reduced (P<0.01). (2) The adipogenic differentiation ability of PRMT7 knockdown group was significantly stronger than that of control group (P<0.001). (3) The ectopic adipogenic differentiation ability of PRMT7 knockdown group was significantly stronger than that of control group. (4) The adipogenic differentiation ability of the PRMT7 overexpression group was significantly weaker than that of the control group (P<0.01). (5) The expression level of IGF-1 increased after PRMT7 knockdown (P<0.000 1). The expression level of IGF-1 decreased after PRMT7 overexpression (P<0.000 1), indicating that PRMT7 regulates the expression of IGF-1. After siIGF-1 transfection, the expression level of IGF-1 in all cell lines decreased significantly (P<0.001). The ability of adipogenic differentiation of knockdown group transfected with siIGF-1 was significantly reduced (P<0.01), indicating that IGF-1 affects the regulation of PRMT7 on adipogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. ConclusionIn this investigation, our findings elucidate the inhibitory role of PRMT7 in the adipogenic differentiation of hBMSCs, as demonstrated through both in vitro cell-level experiments and in vivo subcutaneous transplantation experiments conducted in nude mice. Mechanistic exploration revealed that PRMT7’s regulatory effect on the adipogenic differentiation of hBMSCs operates via modulation of IGF-1 signaling pathway. These collective findings underscore PRMT7 as a potential therapeutic target for fatty metabolic disorders, thereby offering a novel avenue for leveraging PRMT7 and hBMSCs in the therapeutic landscape of relevant diseases.

The Pharmaceutical Properties of Sulforaphane and Its Role in Tumor and Neurodegenerative Diseases / 生物化学与生物物理进展

Sulforaphane is a naturally occurring active substance derived from cruciferous vegetables with potent antioxidant and anticancer properties. Researches have shown that sulforaphane has good bioavailability and can be absorbed by the small intestine through passive transport, followed by excretion in the form of urine via the hydrophobic acid pathway. In addition, since sulforaphane is easy to be absorbed and metabolized, wrapping sulforaphane with nanomaterials can improve its bioavailability and stability, prolong its action time in human body, and better utilize its therapeutic effect. In terms of mechanism of action, sulforaphane can activate Nrf2 and HSF1 signaling pathways, induce the expression of phase II detoxification enzymes HO-1, NADPH, GST and HSP, thus regulating the concentration of oxidative stress ROS in vivo; inhibit NF-κB signaling pathway, thus suppressing the expression of inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1 and IL-6; regulate epigenetic modifications, thus inhibiting HDAC and DNMT, and increasing the concentration of histone H3 and H4. By regulating the expression levels of the above factors, sulforaphane can affect the occurrence and development of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and other diseases. In recent years, several phase I/II clinical trials have shown that sulforaphane has good drug-generating properties. For example, researchers have found that patients with skin cancer have not shown any health problems and their corresponding functional problems have improved greatly after long-term use of sulforaphane. This suggests that in the future sulforaphane has a very high medicinal potential for the treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. In this paper, we review the pharmacokinetics, target of action and safety of sulforaphane and its research progress in tumor and neurodegenerative diseases to provide a reference for the future application of sulforaphane in the treatment of tumor and neurodegenerative diseases.

LED red light up-regulates MAPK signal to promote osteogenic/odontogenic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells in an inflammatory environment / 口腔疾病防治

Objective @#To study the effect of light-emitting diode (LED) red light on the osteogenic/odontogenic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) and its mechanism were discussed. @*Methods@#This study has been reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee. hDPSCs were cultured by tissue block enzyme digestion. The proliferative capacity of hDPSCs was detected by the CCK-8 at days 1, 3, 5 and 7 under stimulation with 0, 1, 5 and 10 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and the LPS stimulatory concentration was screened. The CG group (mineralization induction), LPS+CG group, and LPS+CG+ (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 J/cm2) LED red light groups were set. On day 7, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and ALP activity were determined. Relative expression levels of the ALP, osterix (OSX), dentin matrix protein-1 (DMP-1) and dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) genes were measured by qRT-PCR. On day 21, alizarin red staining and calcium nodule quantitative determination were performed to screen the best light energy. The LPS+CG group and LPS+CG+LED group (optimal energy) were set up, and the secretion and expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were detected by ELISAs on days 1, 3, 5 and 7. The relative expression levels of the extracellular regulated protein kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2), p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and extracellular regulated protein kinases 5 (ERK5) proteins and their phosphorylated proteins in the MAPK signaling pathway were detected by Western blots. After the pathway was blocked, the relative expression levels of the ALP, OSX, DMP-1, and DSPP proteins after LED red light irradiation on day 7 were detected by Western blots.@*Results@# CCK-8 assays showed that the proliferation of hDPSCs induced by 10 μg/mL LPS was lower than that of the 0, 1, and 5 μg/mL groups on the 5th and 7th days (P<0.05), and 10 μg/mL was selected as the LPS stimulatory concentration in the follow-up experiment. ALP staining, ALP activity, gene expression levels of ALP, OSX, DMP-1 and DSPP and calcium nodule quantification in the LPS+CG+4 J/cm2 group were higher than those in the other treatment groups (P<0.05). 4 J/cm2 LED red light had the strongest ability to promote osteogenic/odontogenic differentiation and was used as the LED light energy density in subsequent experiments. ELISA showed that the secretion and expression levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in the LPS+CG+LED group were lower than those in the LPS+CG group on the 5th and 7th days (P<0.05). Western blot analysis showed that 4 J/cm2 LED red light promoted the expression levels of the p-ERK1/2, p-p38, p-JNK and p-ERK5 proteins. After the MAPK pathway was blocked, the expression levels of the ALP, OSX, DMP-1, and DSPP proteins in the LPS+CG+LED+U0126 (ERK1/2 inhibitor), SP600125 (JNK inhibitor), and BIX02189 (ERK5 inhibitor) groups were lower than those in the LPS+CG+LED group (P<0.001). The protein expression levels of ALP, OSX and DMP-1 in the LPS+CG+LED+SB203580 (p38 inhibitor) group were not significantly different from those in the LPS+CG+LED group (P>0.05).@*Conclusion@#In inflammatory conditions, LED red light promotes osteogenic/odontogenic differentiation of hDPSCs. This effect may be attributed to enhancement of the ERK1/2, JNK, and ERK5 signaling pathways, which reduces the production of the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β.

Effect of expressing of anti-PD-1 antibody in mouse mammary gland on spleen T cells in transgenic mice / 生物工程学报

This study aims to investigate the effect of anti-PD-1 antibody expressed in mouse mammary gland on the surface antigen protein of spleen T cells, cytokine expression, spleen CD4+ T cell proliferation and proliferation related pathways of transgenic mice at the cellular level. Transgenic mice expressing anti-human PD-1 antibody at 8 weeks of age without pregnancy and 18 weeks of age with lactation were divided into two groups, with transgenic negative mice in each group as the control. Spleen lymphocytes were extracted and the changes of spleen lymphocytes were detected. Compared with transgenic negative mice, the proportion of effector T cells of spleen T cells in the immune system of transgenic mice with anti-PD-1 antibody expressed in breast increased, the proportion of Treg cells decreased, and the IFN-γ, IL-17 and IL-2 expressed in CD4+ T cells increased in varying degrees. Moreover, IL-4, IL-10 and TGF-β in CD4+ T cells did not change, nor did some cell surface protein molecules related to T cell stimulate. There was no significant difference in T cell proliferation between transgenic positive and transgenic negative mice. In transgenic positive mice, the expression of phosphorylated proteins in PI3K/Akt/mTOR and RAS/MEK/ERK pathways were partially up-regulated, but the whole pathway was not completely up-regulated. Therefore, it is feasible to use transgenic mice as host to express monoclonal antibodies related to immune system such as anti-PD-1 antibody.

Mechanism of Berberis atrocarpa anthocyanin against Alzheimer's disease based on network pharmacology and experimental verification / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to explore the potential mechanism of Berberis atrocarpa Schneid. anthocyanin against Alzheimer's disease(AD) based on network pharmacology, molecular docking technology, and in vitro experiments. Databases were used to screen out the potential targets of the active components of B. atrocarpa and the targets related to AD. STRING database and Cytoscape 3.9.0 were adopted to construct a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network and carry out topological analysis of the common targets. Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed on the target using the DAVID 6.8 database. Molecular docking was conducted to the active components and targets related to the nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB)/Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4) pathway. Finally, lipopolysaccharide(LPS) was used to induce BV2 cells to establish the model of AD neuroinflammation for in vitro experimental validation. In this study, 426 potential targets of active components of B. atrocarpa and 329 drug-disease common targets were obtained, and 14 key targets were screened out by PPI network. A total of 623 items and 112 items were obtained by GO functional enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, respectively. Molecular docking results showed that NF-κB, NF-κB inhibitor(IκB), TLR4, and myeloid differentiation primary response 88(MyD88) had good binding abilities to the active components, and malvidin-3-O-glucoside had the strongest binding ability. Compared with the model group, the concentration of nitric oxide(NO) decreased at different doses of malvidin-3-O-glucoside without affecting the cell survival rate. Meanwhile, malvidin-3-O-glucoside down-regulated the protein expressions of NF-κB, IκB, TLR4, and MyD88. This study uses network pharmacology and experimental verification to preliminarily reveal that B. atrocarpa anthocyanin can inhibit LPS-induced neuroinflammation by regulating the NF-κB/TLR4 signaling pathway, thereby achieving the effect against AD, which provides a theoretical basis for the study of its pharmacodynamic material basis and mechanism.

Research Progress of Macropinocytosis in Digestive System Tumors / 肿瘤防治研究

Macropinocytosis, an evolutionarily conserved, actin-dependent form of endocytosis, is involved in various physiological processes, including nutrient absorption, antigen presentation, and cell signaling transduction and migration. Oncogene activation and tumor suppressor inactivation induce macropinocytosis in tumors in the digestive system, involved in tumorigenesis and progression, whereas the inhibition of macropinocytosis slows the aggressive phenotype of digestive system tumors and improves the efficacy of anti-tumor drugs. Macropinocytosis can also be used as a delivery route for anti-tumor drugs. Therefore, macropinocytosis has been widely studied to develop new methods for the treatment of digestive system tumors.This paper reviews the role of macropinocytosis in the body, the regulation of macropinocytosis-related signaling pathway, as well as the mechanism of macropinocytosis in colorectal cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, liver cancer and other digestive system tumors, to provide reference for related researches.