Shikonin ameliorates depressive- and anxiogenic-like behaviors in rats via the suppression of inflammation in the hippocampus.

Shikonin is an active naphthoquinone with antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. In this study, we investigated the effects of shikonin on depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced depression and chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rat models and explored the potential mechanism. First, a 14-day intraperitoneal administration of shikonin (10 mg/kg) significantly decreased immobility time in forced swimming test (FST) and increased open arm entries in elevated plus maze (EPM) test, without affecting line crossings in open field test (OFT), indicating that shikonin has anti-depressant- and anxiolytic-like effects. Second, chronic shikonin administration (10 mg/kg) reversed depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors in LPS-induced and CUMS depression models, as shown in the sucrose preference test (SPT), FST, EPM, and novel object recognition test (NORT). Finally, shikonin significantly reduced the levels of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in hippocampus, indicating that the anti-depressant- and anxiolytic-like effects of shikonin are related to the reduction of neuroinflammation in hippocampus. These findings suggest that shikonin exerts anti-depressant- and anxiolytic-like effects via an anti-inflammatory mechanism of shikonin in the hippocampus.

Antidepressant effect of teriflunomide via oligodendrocyte protection in a mouse model.

Addressing the treatment of depression is crucial; nevertheless, the etiology and pathogenesis remain unelucidated. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of teriflunomide (TF) on corticosterone (CORT)-induced depression-like behaviors in mice. Notably, TF administration resulted in a substantial amelioration of anxiety and depression-like behaviors observed in CORT-treated mice. This was evidenced by behavioral assessments conducted via the sucrose preference test (SPT), open-field test (OFT), novelty-suppressed feeding test (NSFT), forced swimming test (FST), and tail suspension test (TST). The administration of CORT inflicts damage upon oligodendrocytes and neurons within the hippocampus. Our findings indicate that TF offers significant protective effects on oligodendrocytes, mitigating apoptosis both invivo and invitro. Additionally, TF was found to counteract the CORT-induced neuronal loss and synaptic damage, as demonstrated by an increase in Nissl-positive cells across hippocampal regions CA1, CA3, and the dentate gyrus (DG) alongside elevated levels of synapse-related proteins including PSD-95 and synaptophysin. Additionally, TF treatment facilitated a reduction in the levels of apoptosis-related proteins while simultaneously augmenting the levels of Bcl2. Our findings indicate that TF administration effectively mitigates CORT-induced depression-like behaviors and reverses damage to oligodendrocytes and neurons in the hippocampus, suggesting TF as a promising candidate for depression.

Roles of lncLingo2 and its derived miR-876-5p in the acquisition of opioid reinforcement.

Recent studies found that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) played crucial roles in drug addiction through epigenetic regulation of gene expression and underlying drug-induced neuroadaptations. In this study, we characterized lncRNA transcriptome profiles in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of mice exhibiting morphine-conditioned place preference (CPP) and explored the prospective roles of novel differentially expressed lncRNA, lncLingo2 and its derived miR-876-5p in the acquisition of opioids-associated behaviours. We found that the lncLingo2 was downregulated within the NAc core (NAcC) but not in the NAc shell (NAcS). This downregulation was found to be associated with the development of morphine CPP and heroin intravenous self-administration (IVSA). As Mfold software revealed that the secondary structures of lncLingo2 contained the sequence of pre-miR-876, transfection of LV-lncLingo2 into HEK293 cells significantly upregulated miR-876 expression and the changes of mature miR-876 are positively correlated with lncLingo2 expression in NAcC of morphine CPP trained mice. Delivering miR-876-5p mimics into NAcC also inhibited the acquisition of morphine CPP. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase assay confirmed that miR-876-5p binds to its target gene, Kcnn3, selectively and regulates morphine CPP training-induced alteration of Kcnn3 expression. Lastly, the electrophysiological analysis indicated that the currents of small conductance calcium-activated potassium (SK) channel was increased, which led to low neuronal excitability in NAcC after CPP training, and these changes were reversed by lncLingo2 overexpression. Collectively, lncLingo2 may function as a precursor of miR-876-5p in NAcC, hence modulating the development of opioid-associated behaviours in mice, which may serve as an underlying biomarker and therapeutic target of opioid addiction.

Roles of nucleus accumbens shell small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels in the conditioned fear freezing.

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychiatric disorder caused by stressful events, is characterized by long-lasting fear memory. The nucleus accumbens shell (NAcS) is a key brain region that regulates fear-associated behavior. Small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (SK channels) play a key role in regulating the excitability of NAcS medium spiny neurons (MSNs) but their mechanisms of action in fear freezing are unclear. METHOD: We established an animal model of traumatic memory using conditioned fear freezing paradigm, and investigated the alterations in SK channels of NAc MSNs subsequent to fear conditioning in mice. We then utilized an adeno-associated virus (AAV) transfection system to overexpress the SK3 subunit and explore the function of the NAcS MSNs SK3 channel in conditioned fear freezing. RESULTS: Fear conditioning activated NAcS MSNs with enhanced excitability and reduced the SK channel-mediated medium after-hyperpolarization (mAHP) amplitude. The expression of NAcS SK3 were also reduced time-dependently. The overexpression of NAcS SK3 impaired conditioned fear consolidation without affecting conditioned fear expression, and blocked fear conditioning-induced alterations in NAcS MSNs excitability and mAHP amplitude. Additionally, the amplitudes of mEPSC, AMPAR/NMDAR ratio, and membrane surface GluA1/A2 expression in NAcS MSNs was increased by fear conditioning and returned to normal levels upon SK3 overexpression, indicating that fear conditioning-induced decrease of SK3 expression caused postsynaptic excitation by facilitating AMPAR transmission to the membrane. CONCLUSION: These findings show that the NAcS MSNs SK3 channel plays a critical role in conditioned fear consolidation and that it may influence PTSD pathogenesis, making it a potential therapeutic target against PTSD.

Repurposing antimalarial artesunate for the prophylactic treatment of depression: Evidence from preclinical research.

INTRODUCTION: Several studies have linked inflammation and oxidative stress with the pathogenesis of depression. Artesunate is a commonly used medication to treat malaria and has been shown to produce antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. However, its prophylactic effects on depression and depression-related brain pathology are unknown. METHODS: In Experiment 1, using a PC12 cell line, we investigated whether artesunate can prevent hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 )-induced oxidative injury that mimics oxidative stress commonly observed in the depressed brain. Next, using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse model of depression, we investigated whether artesunate can prevent behavioral deficits observed in the open field test, novelty-suppressed feeding test, sucrose preference test, forced swimming test, and tail suspension procedure. RESULTS: We found that artesunate significantly prevented a H2 O2 -induced reduction in PC12 cell activity, suggesting its antioxidant potential. We also found that mice pretreated with artesunate (5, 15 mg/kg) intraperitoneally (i.p.) prior to the LPS (.8 mg/kg, i.p.) treatment showed fewer and less severe depression- and anxiety-like behaviors than the LPS-treated control mice. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that artesunate produces antioxidant effect, as well as antidepressant and anxiolytic effects. Importantly, our findings first demonstrate that artesunate can prevent LPS-induced depression- and anxiety-like symptoms, strongly suggesting its prophylactic potential in the treatment of depression and, perhaps, other psychiatric disorders associated with inflammation and oxidative stress.

Novel role of AMPK in cocaine reinforcement via regulating CRTC1.

Repeated cocaine exposure causes compensatory neuroadaptations in neurons in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a region that mediates reinforcing effects of drugs. Previous studies suggested a role for adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a cellular energy sensor, in modulating neuronal morphology and membrane excitability. However, the potential involvement of AMPK in cocaine use disorder is still unclear. The present study employed a cocaine self-administration model in rats to investigate the effect of AMPK and its target cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein-regulated transcriptional co-activator 1 (CRTC1) on cocaine reinforcement and the motivation for cocaine. We found that intravenous cocaine self-administration significantly decreased AMPK activity in the NAc shell (NAcsh), which persisted for at least 7 days of withdrawal. Cocaine reinforcement, reflected by self-administration behavior, was significantly prevented or enhanced by augmenting or suppressing AMPK activity pharmacologically and genetically, respectively. No difference in sucrose self-administration behavior was found after the same manipulations. The inhibition of AMPK activity in the NAcsh also increased the motivation for cocaine in progressive-ratio schedules of reinforcement, whereas the activation of AMPK had no effect. The knockdown of CRTC1 in the NAcsh significantly impaired cocaine reinforcement, which was rescued by pharmacologically increasing AMPK activity. Altogether, these results indicate that AMPK in the NAcsh is critical for cocaine reinforcement, possibly via the regulation of CRTC1 signaling. These findings may help reveal potential therapeutic targets and have important implications for the treatment of cocaine use disorder and relapse.

DNA methyltransferase activity in the basolateral amygdala is critical for reconsolidation of a heroin reward memory.

The persistence of drug memory contributes to relapse to drug seeking. The association between repeated drug exposure and drug-related cues leads to cravings triggered by drug-paired cues. The erasure of drug memories has been considered a promising way to inhibit cravings and prevent relapse. The re-exposure to drug-related cues destabilizes well-consolidated drug memories, during which a de novo protein synthesis-dependent process termed "reconsolidation" occurs to restabilize the reactivated drug memory. Disrupting reconsolidation of drug memories leads to the attenuation of drug-seeking behavior in both animal models and people with addictions. Additionally, epigenetic mechanisms regulated by DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) are involved in the reconsolidation of fear and cocaine reward memory. In the present study, we investigated the role of DNMT in the reconsolidation of heroin reward memory. In the heroin self-administration model in rats, we tested the effects of DNMT inhibition during the reconsolidation process on cue-induced reinstatement, heroin-priming-induced reinstatement, and spontaneous recovery of heroin-seeking behavior. We found that the bilateral infusion of 5-azacytidine (5-AZA) inhibiting DNMT into the basolateral amygdala (BLA) immediately after heroin reward memory retrieval, but not delayed 6 h after retrieval or without retrieval, decreased subsequent cue-induced and heroin-priming-induced reinstatement of heroin-seeking behavior. These findings demonstrate that inhibiting the activity of DNMT in BLA during the reconsolidation of heroin reward memory attenuates heroin-seeking behavior, which may provide a potential strategy for the therapeutic of heroin addiction.

Exogenous Carbon Monoxide Produces Rapid Antidepressant- and Anxiolytic-Like Effects.

Carbon monoxide (CO), a byproduct of heme catalyzed by heme oxygenase (HO), has been reported to exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions, and to produce significant neuroprotective effects. The potential effects of CO and even HO on depressive-like behaviors are still poorly understood. Utilizing several approaches including adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated overexpression of HO-1, systemic CO-releasing molecules (CO-RMs), CO-rich saline or CO gas treatment procedures in combination with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced PC12 cell injury model, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced depression mouse model, the present study aimed to investigate the potential antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects of endogenous and exogenous CO administration in vivo and in vitro. The results of in vitro experiments showed that both CO-RM-3 and CO-RM-A1 pretreatment blocked H2O2-induced cellular injuries by increasing cell survival and decreasing cell apoptosis and necrosis. Similar to the effects of CO-RM-3 and CO-RM-A1 pretreatment, AAV-mediated HO-1 overexpression in the dorsal hippocampus produced significant antidepressant-like activities in mice under normal conditions. Further investigation showed that the CO gas treatment significantly blocked LPS-induced depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors in mice. Taken together, our results suggest that the activation of HO-1 and/or exogenous CO administration produces protective effects and exerts antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects. These data uncover a novel function of the HO-1/CO system that appears to be a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of depression and anxiety.

Atractylenolide III reduces depressive- and anxiogenic-like behaviors in rat depression models.

Atractylenolide III, a major component of the atractylodes macrocephala Koidz, derived from the rhizoma atractylodes, has been reported to produce various pharmacological effects including anti-aging, anti-inflammation, anti-tumor, and other effects. Growing evidence suggests that proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, are increased in depressed patients. The present study was aimed at investigating the antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects of atractylenolide III in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge and chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rat model. We found that 30 mg/kg of atractylenolide III administered by oral gavage for 14 days, significantly reduced the immobility time in a forced swimming test (FST), but did not alter the number of crossings in an open field test (OFT), respectively. The results indicated that atractylenolide III has an antidepressant-like effect without affecting locomotor activity. We then used the LPS-induced depression model to assess the effects of atractylenolide III on behaviors in FST, sucrose preference test (SPT), and novelty-suppressed feeding test (NSFT). Interestingly, in addition to the antidepressant-like effects, 30 mg/kg of atractylenolide III also produced an anxiolytic-like effect. To further identify the antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects of atractylenolide III, we used the CUMS model with 28 consecutive days of the atractylenolide III treatment, followed by the SPT, FST, and NSFT. Atractylenolide III prevented CUMS-induced depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors in rats. To illustrate the underlying possible mechanisms of action of atractylenolide III, we measured the proinflammatory cytokines levels. The results showed that atractylenolide III decreased the proinflammatory cytokines levels in the hippocampus of CUMS exposed rats. In summary, our findings demonstrated that atractylenolide III produces antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects in rats, and these effects appear to be mediated by inhibition of hippocampal neuronal inflammation.

Blockade of ß-Adrenergic Receptors by Propranolol Disrupts Reconsolidation of Drug Memory and Attenuates Heroin Seeking.

Persistent traces of drug reward memories contribute to intense craving and often trigger relapse. A number of pharmacological interventions on drug-associated memories have shown significant benefits in relapse prevention at a preclinical level but their translational potential is limited due to deleterious side effects. Propranolol, a non-specific ß-adrenergic receptors antagonist, is known for its ability to erase maladaptive memories associated with nicotine or cocaine in rodents and humans. However, little is known about its effect on reconsolidation of heroin memory and heroin seeking. In the present study, rats with a history of intravenous heroin self-administration received the propranolol treatment (10 mg/kg; i.p.) at different time windows with or without CS (conditioned stimulus) exposure. Our results showed that propranolol, when administered immediately after CS exposure but not 6 h later, can significantly attenuate cue-induced and drug-primed reinstatement of heroin seeking, suggesting that propranolol has the ability to disrupt heroin memory and reduce relapse. The propranolol treatment without retrieval of drug memory had no effect on subsequent reinstatement of heroin seeking, suggesting that its interfering effects are retrieval-dependent. Importantly, the effects of propranolol were long lasting as rats showed diminished drug seeking even 28 days after the treatment. Altogether, our study suggests that propranolol can interfere with reconsolidation of heroin memory and reduce subsequent drug seeking, making it an attractive therapeutic candidate for the treatment of opioid addiction and relapse prevention.

The role of circTmeff-1 in incubation of context-induced morphine craving.

A progressive increase in drug craving following drug exposure is an important trigger of relapse. CircularRNAs (CircRNAs), key regulators of gene expression, play an important role in neurological diseases. However, the role of circRNAs in drug craving is unclear. In the present study, we trained mice to morphine conditioned place preference (CPP) and collected the nucleus accumbens (NAc) sections on abstinence day 1 (AD1) and day 14 (AD14) for RNA-sequencing. CircTmeff-1, which was highly expressed in the NAc core, was associated with incubation of context-induced morphine craving. The gain- and loss- of function showed that circTmeff-1 was a positive regulator of incubation. Simultaneously, the expression of miR-541-5p and miR-6934-3p were down-regulated in the NAc core during the incubation period. The dual luciferase reporter, RNA pulldown, and fluorescence insitu hybridization assays confirmed that miR-541-5p and miR-6934-3p bind to circTmeff-1 selectively. Furthermore, bioinformatics and western blot analysis suggested that vesicle-associated membrane protein 1 (VAMP1) and neurofascin (NFASC), both overlapping targets of miR-541-5p and miR-6934-3p, were highly expressed during incubation. Lastly, AAV-induced down-regulation of circTmeff-1 decreased VAMP1 and NFASC expression and incubation of morphine craving. These findings suggested that circTmeff-1, a novel circRNA, promotes incubation of context-induced morphine craving by sponging miR-541/miR-6934 in the NAc core. Thus, circTmeff-1 represents a potential therapeutic target for context-induced opioid craving, following prolonged abstinence.

BFAR coordinates TGFß signaling to modulate Th9-mediated cancer immunotherapy.

TGFß is essential for the generation of anti-tumor Th9 cells; on the other hand, it causes resistance against anti-tumor immunity. Despite recent progress, the underlying mechanism reconciling the double-edged effect of TGFß signaling in Th9-mediated cancer immunotherapy remains elusive. Here, we find that TGFß-induced down-regulation of bifunctional apoptosis regulator (BFAR) represents the key mechanism preventing the sustained activation of TGFß signaling and thus impairing Th9 inducibility. Mechanistically, BFAR mediates K63-linked ubiquitination of TGFßR1 at K268, which is critical to activate TGFß signaling. Thus, BFAR deficiency or K268R knock-in mutation suppresses TGFßR1 ubiquitination and Th9 differentiation, thereby inhibiting Th9-mediated cancer immunotherapy. More interestingly, BFAR-overexpressed Th9 cells exhibit promising therapeutic efficacy to curtail tumor growth and metastasis and promote the sensitivity of anti-PD-1-mediated checkpoint immunotherapy. Thus, our findings establish BFAR as a key TGFß-regulated gene to fine-tune TGFß signaling that causes Th9 induction insensitivity, and they highlight the translational potential of BFAR in promoting Th9-mediated cancer immunotherapy.

Disrupting Reconsolidation by Systemic Inhibition of mTOR Kinase via Rapamycin Reduces Cocaine-Seeking Behavior.

Drug addiction is considered maladaptive learning, and drug-related memories aroused by the presence of drug related stimuli (drug context or drug-associated cues) promote recurring craving and reinstatement of drug seeking. The mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway is involved in reconsolidation of drug memories in conditioned place preference and alcohol self-administration (SA) paradigms. Here, we explored the effect of mTOR inhibition on reconsolidation of addiction memory using cocaine self-administration paradigm. Rats received intravenous cocaine self-administration training for 10 consecutive days, during which a light/tone conditioned stimulus was paired with each cocaine infusion. After acquisition of the stable cocaine self-administration behaviors, rats were subjected to nosepoke extinction (11 days) to extinguish their behaviors, and then received a 15 min retrieval trial with or without the cocaine-paired tone/light cue delivery or without. Immediately or 6 h after the retrieval trial, rapamycin (10 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally. Finally, cue-induced reinstatement, cocaine-priming-induced reinstatement and spontaneous recovery of cocaine-seeking behaviors were assessed in rapamycin previously treated animals, respectively. We found that rapamycin treatment immediately after a retrieval trial decreased subsequent reinstatement of cocaine seeking induced by cues or cocaine itself, and these effects lasted at least for 28 days. In contrast, delayed intraperitoneal injection of rapamycin 6 h after retrieval or rapamycin injection without retrieval had no effects on cocaine-seeking behaviors. These findings indicated that mTOR inhibition within the reconsolidation time-window impairs the reconsolidation of cocaine associated memory, reduces cocaine-seeking behavior and prevents relapse, and these effects are retrieval-dependent and temporal-specific.

Exogenous microbiota-derived metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide treatment alters social behaviors: Involvement of hippocampal metabolic adaptation.

Increasing evidence indicates that gut microbiota and its metabolites can influence the brain function and the related behaviors. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), an indirect metabolite of gut microbiota, has been linked to aging, cognitive impairment, and many brain disorders. However, the potential effects of TMAO on social behaviors remain elusive. The present study investigated the effects of early life systemic TMAO exposure and intra-hippocampal TMAO infusion during adulthood on social behaviors in mice. We also analyzed the effects of intra-hippocampus infusion of TMAO during adulthood on levels of metabolites. The results showed that both systemic TMAO exposure in the post-weaning period and intra-hippocampal TMAO infusion during adulthood decreased social rank and reduced sexual preference in adult mice. Data from LC-MS metabolomics analysis showed that intra-hippocampal TMAO infusion induced a total 207 differential metabolites, which belongs to several metabolic or signaling pathways, especially FoxO signaling pathway and retrograde endocannabinoid signaling pathway. These data suggest that TMAO may affect social behaviors by regulating metabolites in the hippocampus, which may provide a new insight into the role of gut microbiota in regulating social behaviors.

A STING-related prognostic score predicts high-risk patients of colorectal cancer and provides insights into immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Targeted therapeutic strategies for advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) have been limited. STING is crucial to the antitumor immunotherapy, for it stimulates IFN signaling to mediate the crosstalk between innate and adaptive immune responses. Emerging evidence suggests that STING also contributes to the prognosis of CRC. However, prognostic models relating to STING have not yet been explored. METHODS: A total of 431 CRC samples from the TCGA database were analyzed to explore the prognostic value of STING-related genes. We trained prognostic models using the multivariate Cox regression. A STING-related prognostic score (SPS) was calculated as the gene expression multiplied by the corresponding coefficients of the final model. A backward stepAIC strategy was adopted to select the optimal model. A nomogram was used to personalize medical decisions for CRC. RESULTS: The expression level of STING was upregulated in the CMS1 subtype (P=0.036). Among STING-related genes, DHX9 (HR =0.72, P=0.01), IRF2 (HR =1.34, P=0.022), and POLR1D (HR =1.23, P=0.038) showed significant prognostic value. The SPS was proven to be an independent risk factor (training: HR =2.9, P=0.00013; validation: HR =3.02, P=0.01), and outperformed random classifiers in identifying high-risk CRC. The high SPS group was characterized by less genomic aberrations, upregulated IL6-JAK-STAT3 and IL2-STAT5 signaling pathways, increased expression of TIM-3, increased infiltration of regulatory T (Treg) cells and T helper 17 (Th17) cells, and decreased infiltration of M0 macrophages. Finally, the nomogram based on the SPS and clinical factors showed good performance in CRC. CONCLUSIONS: SPS is an independent risk factor that could identify high-risk CRC. While ICBs may benefit patients of the CMS1 subtype, for the CMS2, CMS3, and CMS4 subtypes in the high SPS group, STING agonists and immunotherapies targeting the Th17 axis may be beneficial. Finally, the SPS-based nomogram could help advance personalized medical decisions for CRC.

Berberine Facilitates Extinction and Prevents the Return of Fear.

Exposure to a catastrophic event or intense stimulation can trigger fear memories, and the threatening memories persist even over a lifetime. Exposure therapy is based on extinction learning and is widely used to treat fear-related disorders, but its effect on remote fear memory is modest. Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid derived from Coptis chinensis or Berberis spp., has been recently reported to exert a diversity of pharmacological effects on the central nervous system, such as facilitating extinction of drug memory. Here, we explored the effect of berberine on extinction of fear memory using a classical contextual fear conditioning (CFC) paradigm, which is Pavlovian conditioning, can rapidly create fear memories related to contexts. Twenty-four hours or 30 days after CFC training, mice were subjected to context extinction (10 days) to extinguish their behaviors and treated with 12.5 or 25 mg/kg berberine intragastrically 1 or 6 h after each extinction session, followed by reinstatement and spontaneous recovery tests. The results showed that intragastric administration of 25 mg/kg berberine 1 h after extinction significantly promoted the extinction of recent and remote fear memories and prevented reinstatement and spontaneous recovery of extinguished fear in mice. These findings indicate that berberine combined with extinction training could serve as a promising novel avenue for the treatment of fear-related disorders.

Differential alterations of insular cortex excitability after adolescent or adult chronic intermittent ethanol administration in male rats.

Adolescent alcohol drinking, primarily in the form of binge-drinking episodes, is a serious public health concern. Binge drinking in laboratory animals has been modeled by a procedure involving chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) administration, as compared with chronic intermittent water (CIW). The prolonged effects of adolescent binge alcohol exposure in adults, such as high risk of developing alcohol use disorder, are severe but available treatments in the clinic are limited. One reason is the lack of sufficient understanding about the associated neuronal alterations. The involvement of the insular cortex, particularly the anterior agranular insula (AAI), has emerged as a critical region to explain neuronal mechanisms of substance abuse. This study was designed to evaluate the functional output of the AAI by measuring the intrinsic excitability of pyramidal neurons from male rats 2 or 21 days after adolescent or adult CIE treatment. Decreases in intrinsic excitability in AAI pyramidal neurons were detected 21 days, relative to 2 days, after adolescent CIE. Interestingly, the decreased intrinsic excitability in the AAI pyramidal neurons was observed 2 days after adult CIE, compared to adult CIW, but no difference was found between 2 versus 21 days after adult CIE. These data indicate that, although the AAI is influenced within a limited period after adult but not adolescent CIE, neuronal alterations in AAI are affected during the prolonged period of withdrawal from adolescent but not adult CIE. This may explain the prolonged vulnerability to mental disorders of subjects with an alcohol binge history during their adolescent stage.

Atractylenolide III alleviates the apoptosis through inhibition of autophagy by the mTOR-dependent pathway in alveolar macrophages of human silicosis.

Silica-induced apoptosis of alveolar macrophages (AMs) is an essential part of silicosis formation. Autophagy tends to present a bidirectional effect on apoptosis. Our previous study found that the blockade of autophagy degradation might aggravate the apoptosis of AMs in human silicosis. We presume that targeting the autophagic pathway is regarded as a promising new strategy for silicosis fibrosis. As a main active component of the Atractylodes rhizome, Atractylenolide III (ATL-III) has been widely applied in clinical anti-inflammation. However, the effect and mechanism of ATL-III on autophagy in AMs of silicosis are unknown. In this study, we found that ATL-III might inhibit autophagy by mTOR-dependent manner, thereby improving the blockage of autophagic degradation in AMs. ATL-III alleviated the apoptosis of AMs in human silicosis. Furthermore, Rapamycin reversed the protective effect of ATL-III in AMs. These results indicate that ATL-III may be a potentially protective ingredient targeting autophagy for workers exposed to silica dust. These findings also suggest that inhibition of autophagy may be an effective way to alleviate the apoptosis of AMs in silicosis.

Combined chemotherapy of platinum and fluorouracil promotes T cell-mediated antitumor immunity.

The two-drug combined chemotherapy of platinum and fluorouracil has been reported to efficiently kill tumor cells as the first-line treatment for advanced gastric cancer. However, the effect of these drugs on T cells remains unclear. Here, we showed that T cells including CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells of the patients with advanced gastric cancer after platinum and fluorouracil chemotherapy exhibited enhanced ex vivo proliferation ability as compared to that before chemotherapy. In addition, platinum and fluorouracil also promoted the differentiation of human T cells into Th1 and Th9 subtypes and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in vitro and in vivo. Accordingly, the combination therapy greatly suppressed tumor growth with increased tumor infiltration of Th1, Th9, and CTL cells in a mouse tumor model. Moreover, in activated T cells, long-term treatment with these two drugs further facilitates T cell activation along with promoted nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation. Our findings demonstrate a previously unidentified function of platinum and fluorouracil combination chemotherapy in promoting T cell-mediated antitumor immunity.

Limited versus extended cocaine intravenous self-administration: Behavioral effects and electrophysiological changes in insular cortex.

AIMS: Limited vs extended drug exposure has been proposed as one of the key factors in determining the risk of relapse, which is the primary characteristic of addiction behaviors. The current studies were designed to explore the related behavioral effects and neuronal alterations in the insular cortex (IC), an important brain region involved in addiction. METHODS: Experiments started with rats at the age of 35 days, a typical adolescent stage when initial drug exposure occurs often in humans. The drug-seeking/taking behaviors, and membrane properties and intrinsic excitability of IC pyramidal neurons were measured on withdrawal day (WD) 1 and WD 45-48 after limited vs extended cocaine intravenous self-administration (IVSA). RESULTS: We found higher cocaine-taking behaviors at the late withdrawal period after limited vs extended cocaine IVSA. We also found minor but significant effects of limited but not extended cocaine exposure on the kinetics and amplitude of action potentials on WD 45, in IC pyramidal neurons. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate potential high risks of relapse in young rats with limited but not extended drug exposure, although the adaptations detected in the IC may not be sufficient to explain the neural changes of higher drug-taking behaviors induced by limited cocaine IVSA.