Electroacupuncture Alleviates Neuropathic Pain through Regulating miR-206-3p Targeting BDNF after CCI.

Background: Electroacupuncture (EA) has benefits for neuropathic pain. However, the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. The current study explores the underlying mechanisms of EA in neuropathic pain of chronic constriction injury (CCI) rats. Material/Methods. Overall, 126 Sprague-Dawley (200-250 g) rats were divided into nine groups randomly: the sham-operated, CCI, CCI+EA, CCI+sham EA, CCI+NS, CCI+AAV-NC, CCI+AAV-miR-206-3p, CCI+EA+NS, and CCI+EA+AAV-miR-206-3p groups. The animals were sacrificed 14 days postsurgery. Mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) tests were used to determine differences in neurobehavioral manifestations. qPCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence (IF) were carried out to detect the expression levels of miR-206-3p, BDNF, BAX/Bcl-2, TNF-α, and IL-6. Nissl staining was measured to observe morphological changes in neurons. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was employed to evaluate microscopic changes in dorsal horn synapses. Results: Hyperalgesia was reduced markedly by EA in the CCI model. The expression level of miR-206-3p was elevated, whereas the expression levels of BDNF, BAX/Bcl-2, TNF-α, and IL-6 were decreased in EA-treated CCI rats. However, a miR-206-3p inhibitor partially abrogated the analgesic effect of EA and resulted in poor behavioral performance and the BDNF, BAX/Bcl-2, TNF-α, and IL-6 expression was elevated as well. Conclusions: EA can relieve neuropathic pain by regulating the miR-206-3p/BDNF pathway, thus exerting anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effect.

Ischemic stroke induces cardiac dysfunction and alters transcriptome profile in mice.

BACKGROUND: Stroke can induce cardiac dysfunction in the absence of primary cardiac disease; however, the mechanisms underlying the interaction between the neurological deficits and the heart are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of stroke on cardiac function and to identify the transcriptome characteristics of the heart. RESULTS: Stroke significantly decreased heart weight/tibia length ratio and cardiomyocyte cross-sectional areas and increased atrogin-1 and the E3 ubiquitin ligase MuRF-1, indicating myocardial atrophy in MCAO-induced mouse hearts. RNA sequencing of mRNA revealed 383 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in MCAO myocardium, of which 221 were downregulated and 162 upregulated. Grouping of DEGs based on biological function and quantitative PCR validation indicated that suppressed immune response and collagen synthesis and altered activity of oxidoreductase, peptidase, and endopeptidase may be involved in MCAO-induced cardiomyopathy. The DEGs were mainly distributed in the membrane or extracellular region of cardiomyocytes and acted as potential mediators of stroke-induced cardiac dysregulation involved in cardiac atrophy. CONCLUSION: Stroke induced a unique transcriptome response in the myocardium and resulted in immediate cardiac atrophy and dysfunction.

Profilin 1 knockdown prevents ischemic brain damage by promoting M2 microglial polarization associated with the RhoA/ROCK pathway.

Microglial polarization to the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype is essential in resolving neuroinflammation, making it a promising therapeutic strategy for stroke intervention. The actin cytoskeleton is known to be important for the physiological functions of microglia, including migration and phagocytosis. Profilin 1 (PFN1), an actin-binding protein, is involved in the dynamic transformation and reorganization of actin. However, the role of PFN1 in microglial polarization and ischemia/reperfusion injury is unclear. The role of PFN1 on microglial polarization was examined in vitro in BV2 microglial cells subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGDR) and in vivo in male mice after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Knockdown of PFN1 inhibited M1 microglial polarization and promoted M2 microglia polarization 48 hr after OGDR stimulation in BV2 cells and 7 days after MCAO-induced injury in male mice. RhoA/ROCK pathway was involved in the regulation of PFN1 during microglial polarization. Knockdown of PFN1 also significantly attenuated brain infarcts and edema, improved cerebral blood flow and neurological deficits in MCAO-injured mice. Inhibition of PFN1 effectively protected the brain against ischemia/reperfusion injuries by promoting M2 microglial polarization in vitro and in vivo.

Disruption of calpain reduces lipotoxicity-induced cardiac injury by preventing endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Diabetes and obesity are prevalent in westernized countries. In both conditions, excessive fatty acid uptake by cardiomyocytes induces cardiac lipotoxicity, an important mechanism contributing to diabetic cardiomyopathy. This study investigated the effect of calpain disruption on cardiac lipotoxicity. Cardiac-specific capns1 knockout mice and their wild-type littermates (male, age of 4weeks) were fed a high fat diet (HFD) or normal diet for 20weeks. HFD increased body weight, altered blood lipid profiles and impaired glucose tolerance comparably in both capns1 knockout mice and their wild-type littermates. Calpain activity, cardiomyocyte cross-sectional areas, collagen deposition and triglyceride were significantly increased in HFD-fed mouse hearts, and these were accompanied by myocardial dysfunction and up-regulation of hypertrophic and fibrotic collagen genes as well as pro-inflammatory cytokines. These effects of HFD were attenuated by disruption of calpain in capns1 knockout mice. Mechanistically, deletion of capns1 in HFD-fed mouse hearts and disruption of calpain with calpain inhibitor-III, silencing of capn1, or deletion of capns1 in palmitate-stimulated cardiomyocytes prevented endoplasmic reticulum stress, apoptosis, cleavage of caspase-12 and junctophilin-2, and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. Pharmacological inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress diminished palmitate-induced apoptosis and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in cardiomyocytes. In summary, disruption of calpain prevents lipotoxicity-induced apoptosis in cardiomyocytes and cardiac injury in mice fed a HFD. The role of calpain is mediated, at least partially, through endoplasmic reticulum stress. Thus, calpain/endoplasmic reticulum stress may represent a new mechanism and potential therapeutic targets for cardiac lipotoxicity.

Comprehensive Study of Multiple Stages Progressing to Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis with Subsequent Fibrosis in SD Rats.

Because of the absence of the time course of histological nonalcoholic fatty hepatitis with subsequent fibrotic progression, the effective approaches available for controlling the onset and progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) remain limited. Therefore, we detected the serum and liver tissue related lipid metabolism disorder, liver pathology and relative molecular makers alteration dynamically in a high fat-sucrose diet during different time points. High fat-sucrose diet significantly increased the serum lipid level on day 10. The excess lipid accumulation in liver was referred to as simple steatosis after the feeding of a high fat-sucrose diet for 20 days. The high fat-sucrose diet induced a hepatic inflammation response on day 30. Similarly, hepatic fibrosis was also initiated on day 30 and gradually formed from the 30th to the 50th day. Oxidative stress may be related with the process from NASH to liver fibrosis. Insulin resistance was involved in the progression from hepatic steatosis to NASH with hepatic fibrosis from the 20th to the 50th day. In conclusion, we established a high fat-sucrose diet induced nonalcoholic fatty hepatitis with liver fibrosis rat model, which presented the time course of histological nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and the initiation and progression change of characteristic molecular makers in the process from steatosis to hepatic fibrosis.

Deep near infrared light-excited stable synergistic photodynamic and photothermal therapies based on P-IR890 nano-photosensitizer constructed via a non-cyanine dye.

The cyanine dyes represented by IR780 can achieve synergistic photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) under the stimulation of near-infrared (NIR) light (commonly 808 nm). Unfortunately, the stability of NIR-excited cyanine dyes is not satisfactory. These cyanine dyes can be attacked by self-generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) during PDT processes, resulting in structural damage and rapid degradation, which is fatal for phototherapy. To address this issue, a novel non-cyanine dye (IR890) was elaborately designed and synthesized by our team. The maximum absorption wavelength of IR890 was located in the deep NIR region (ca. 890 nm), which was beneficial for further improving tissue penetration depth. Importantly, IR890 exhibited good stability when continuously illuminated by deep NIR light. To improve the hydrophilicity and biocompatibility, the hydrophobic IR890 dye was grafted onto the side chain of hydrophilic polymer (POEGMA-b-PGMA-g-C[bond, triple bond]CH) via click chemistry. Then, the synthesized POEGMA-b-PGMA-g-IR890 amphiphilic polymer was utilized to prepare P-IR890 nano-photosensitizer via self-assembly method. Under irradiation with deep NIR light (850 nm, 0.5 W/cm2, 10 min), the dye degradation rate of P-IR890 was less than 5%. However, IR780 was almost completely degraded with the same light output power density and irradiation duration. In addition, P-IR890 could stably generate a large number of ROS and heat at the same time. It was rarely reported that the stable synergistic combination therapy of PDT and PTT could be efficiently performed by a single photosensitizer via irradiation with deep NIR light. P-IR890 exhibited favorable anti-tumor outcomes through apoptosis pathway. Therefore, the P-IR890 could provide a new insight into the design of photosensitizers and new opportunities for synergistic combination therapy of PDT and PTT.

Exercise improves cardiac function and attenuates myocardial inflammation and apoptosis by regulating APJ/STAT3 in mice with stroke.

Stroke can induce cardiac dysfunction without a primary cardiac disease. Exercise can promote the overall rehabilitation of stroke patients and be beneficial for all kinds of heart diseases. However, the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of exercise in stroke-induced cardiac dysfunction are poorly understood. Hence, we aimed to distinguish the different effects of acute and long-term exercise and further study the mechanism of protection against cardiomyopathy caused by stroke. Mice underwent a single acute session or long-term exercise for 30 days, followed by middle cerebral artery occlusion surgery. The expression of apoptosis-related proteins and proinflammatory factors in the heart was evaluated. Then, overexpression of apelin peptide jejunum (APJ) transfected adeno-associated virus type 9 (AAV9) and inhibition of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) by Stattic were used in stroke mice or hypoxic cardiomyocytes. ML221 were used to inhibit APJ activity in exercise mouse. Thereafter, changes in apoptotic and proinflammatory factors were evaluated. The results demonstrated that chronic exercise prevented myocardial inflammation, apoptosis and cardiac dysfunction after stroke. However, acute exercise did not have similar effects. Exercise maintained the levels of APJ expression and decreased phosphorylated-STAT3 (p-STAT3) activation to protect cardiomyocytes. Moreover, APJ overexpression promoted cardiomyocyte survival and reduced p-STAT3 levels. STAT3 inhibition also reduced apoptosis and proinflammatory factors in mice hearts. Conversely, the protective effect of exercise was eliminated by APJ inhibition. This study showed that exercise can maintain APJ expression and inhibit p-STAT3, thus, conferring protection against myocardial inflammation and apoptosis induced by stroke.

[Valproate up-regulates the expression of NKG2DL through the MEK/ERK signaling pathway to enhance the killing effect of NK cells on A375 human melanoma cells].

Objective To investigate the effect of sodium valproate (VPA) on the expression of NKG2D ligand and the killing effect of NK cells on melanoma cells through MEK/ERK signaling pathway. Methods In the group with A375 cells in logarithmic phase treated with 1 mmol/L of VPA for 24 hours, the protein expression levels of MICA, MICB, phosphorylated MEK (p-MEK), MEK, phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2), and ERK1/2 were detected by Western blotting, the expressions of MICA and MICB were detected by flow cytometry, and the killing effect of NK92 cells on A375 cells was detected by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay. In the group with A375 cells treated with the MEK/ERK signaling pathway inhibitor PD98059 combined with VPA, the protein expressions of MICA and MICB were detected by Western blotting, the expressions of MICA and MICB were detected by flow cytometry, and the killing effect of NK92 cells on A375 cells was detected by LDH release assay. The changes of melanoma volume in non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID) mice were detected by tumor formation assay, and the expression of MICA and MICB was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Results Compared with those in the control group, the expressions of MICA and MICB of A375 cells, the killing effect of NK92 cells on A375 cells, and the ratios of p-MEK/MEK and p-ERK1/2/ERK1/2 were increased in the VPA group. Compared with those in the VPA group, the expressions of MICA and MICB of A375 cells and the killing effect of NK92 cells on A375 cells were decreased in the group of VPA combined with PD98059. Compared with those in the group of NK92 cells, the tumor volume of NOD/SCID mice was reduced, and the expressions of MICA and MICB were increased in the group of NK92 cells with VPA. Compared with those in the group of NK92 cells with VPA, the tumor volume of NOD/SCID mice was increased, and the expressions of MICA and MICB were decreased in the group of NK92 cells with VPA and PD98059. Conclusion VPA up-regulates the expression of MICA and MICB in melanoma cells and enhances the killing effect of NK92 cells on melanoma, which may be related to the activation of MEK/ERK signaling pathway.

Electroacupuncture pre-treatment alleviates sepsis-induced cardiac inflammation and dysfunction by inhibiting the calpain-2/STAT3 pathway.

Electroacupuncture (EA) has both anti-inflammatory and cardio-protective effects. Activation of calpain pathway is involved in several myocardiopathy. In sepsis, the role of calpain-2-regulated STAT3 in cardio-protective mechanism of electroacupuncture remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which electroacupuncture reduces cardiac inflammation and apoptosis and improves cardiac function during sepsis. Electroacupuncture pretreatment for 7 days was applied in septic cardiomyopathy model induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). lipopolysaccharide-induced sepsis was associated with a dramatically systemic inflammation and cardiac dysfunction, which was alleviated by electroacupuncture pre-treatment. Lipopolysaccharide resulted in increases of pro-inflammatory factors (TNF-α,IL1ßand IL-6) and apoptosis (TUNEL staining and BAX/Bcl2) via activation of calpain-2/STAT3 pathway.Electroacupuncture pre-treatment inhibited LPS-induced activation of cardiac calpain-2/STAT3 signalling and ameliorated inflammatory and apoptosis. Additionally, inhibition of calpain-2 expression using the corresponding siRNA decreased the Phosphorylation of STAT3,pro-inflammatory factors and apoptosis in lipopolysaccharide- treated cardiomyocytes, confirming that calpain-2 activated p-STAT3 participate in septic cardiomyopathy. Furthermore, suppression of STAT3 by stattic enhanced anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptosis effects of electroacupuncture. These findings reveal mechanisms of electroacupuncture preconditioning protection against cardiac inflammation and apoptosis in sepsis mouse via calpain-2/STAT3 pathway and may provide novel targets for clinical treatments of the sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction.

Catalpol as a Component of Rehmannia glutinosa Protects Spinal Cord Injury by Inhibiting Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Mediated Neuronal Apoptosis.

Disturbance of the internal environment in the spinal cord after spinal cord injury (SCI) is an important cause of the massive death of neurons in the injury area and one of the major problems that lead to the difficult recovery of motor function in patients. Rehmannia glutinosa, a famous traditional Chinese medicine, is commonly used in neurodegenerative diseases, whereas an iridoid glycoside extract of catalpol (CAT), with antioxidant, antiapoptotic, and neuroprotective pharmacological effects. However, the neuroprotective and anti-apoptosis mechanism of CAT in SCI remains unclear. In our study, we found that CAT has a restorative effect on the lower limb motor function of rats with SCI by establishing a rat model of SCI and treating CAT gavage for 30 days. Our study further found that CAT has the effect of inhibiting apoptosis and protecting neurons, and the action pathway may reduce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress by inhibiting CHOP and GRP78 expression and then reduce apoptosis and protect neurons through the Caspase3/Bax/Bcl-2 pathway. In conclusion, we demonstrated that CAT can treat SCI by inhibiting ER stress-mediated neuronal apoptosis and has the potential to be a clinical drug for the treatment of SCI.

Water Treadmill Training Ameliorates Neurite Outgrowth Inhibition Associated with NGR/RhoA/ROCK by Inhibiting Astrocyte Activation following Spinal Cord Injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) often results in damage to or degeneration of axons. Crosstalk between astrocytes and neurons plays a pivotal role in neurite outgrowth following SCI. Rehabilitative training is a recognized method for the treatment of SCI, but the specific mechanism underlying its effect on axonal outgrowth in the central nervous system (CNS) has not yet been determined. A total of 190 adult male SD rats weighing 200-250 g were randomly divided into eight groups for use as animal models of SCI. Rats were subjected to water treadmill training (TT) for 7 or 14 d. The Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) motor function scale, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, Nissl staining, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence were used to measure tissue morphology and the degree of neurological deficit and to determine quantitative expression and accurate localization of the corresponding proteins. We found that TT decreased tissue structure damage and improved functional recovery. TT also promoted the regeneration of neurons and reduced SCI-induced apoptosis SCI around the lesion, as well as significantly increasing the expression of GAP43 and NF200 after SCI. In addition, TT significantly inhibited the injury-induced increase in the expression of proinflammatory factors. Moreover, TT reduced the activation of astrocytes and microglia, accompanied by the reduced expression of C3d and increased expression of S100A10. Finally, TT effectively reduced the level of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) surrounding the lesion and inhibited the NGR/RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway in neurons after SCI. Overall, we found that TT played a novel role in recovery from SCI by promoting axonal outgrowth associated with NGR/RhoA/ROCK signaling by inhibiting astrocyte activation after SCI.

Exercise in mice ameliorates high-fat diet-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by lowering HMGCS2.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common chronic liver disease worldwide. Exercise is a therapeutic strategy for preventing NAFLD. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms by which NAFLD can be ameliorated through exercise are still not clear. This study investigates the mechanisms by which exercise suppresses NAFLD development induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) in mice. Male 6-week-old C57BL/6J mice were fed a normal diet or HFD for 12 weeks and then induced to swim or remain sedentary for 8 weeks. Histomorphology, inflammatory factors, fat metabolizing enzymes, fibrosis, and steatosis were determined in HFD-fed mouse liver, and levels of hepatic enzymes and molecules in the related pathways were analyzed. NAFLD mice showed evident steatosis, fibrosis, and liver injury, and an increased expression of HMGCS2, Wnt3a/ ß-catenin, and phosphorylated (p)-AMPK in the liver. Exercise significantly attenuated these symptoms and downregulated the level of Wnt3a/ß-catenin in lipotoxic liver tissue. Inhibition of HMGCS2 expression decreased the activation of the Wnt3a/ß-catenin pathway and lowered p-AMPK in palmitate-treated HepG2. Our results suggest that exercise prevents NAFLD-associated liver injury, steatosis, and fibrosis. Exercise-mediated hepatoprotection was achieved partly via the blocking of the upregulation of HMGCS2 and the attenuation of the Wnt3a/ß-catenin pathway.

Water treadmill training protects the integrity of the blood-spinal cord barrier following SCI via the BDNF/TrkB-CREB signalling pathway.

Following spinal cord injury (SCI), destruction of the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) leads to increased microvascular permeability and tissue oedema. The BSCB, formed by a dense network of tight junctions (TJs) and adhesion junctions (AJs) is considered a therapeutic target. Most studies have focused on the effect of drug therapy on the neurovascular system after SCI, ignoring the protection and functional recovery of the vascular system by exercise training. Previously, we indicated that water treadmill training (TT) has a protective effect on the BSCB after SCI, but the specific molecular mechanism of the effect of TT on BSCB is still not clear. In this study, we used a specific inhibitor of TrkB (ANA-12) to explore whether the BDNF/TrkB-CREB signalling pathway is involved in TT-mediated BSCB protection after SCI. A New York University (NYU) impactor was used to establish the SCI model. Rats in the SI (Sham + ANA-12), IM (SCI + ANA-12) and ITM (SCI + TT + ANA-12) groups were injected with ANA-12 (0.5 mg/kg) daily, and rats in TM (SCI + TT) and ITM (SCI + TT + ANA-12) groups were treated with water TT for 7 or 14 d. The degree of neurological deficit, water content, BSCB permeability, protein expression and ultrastructure of vascular endothelial cells were assessed by the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) motor rating scale, Evans blue (EB), Western blot (WB) experiments, immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Our results suggest that TT upregulates the BDNF/TrkB-CREB signalling pathway following SCI. The BDNF/TrkB-CREB signalling pathway is involved in the protection of the BSCB. Application of the inhibitor blocked the protective effect of TT on the BSCB. We concluded that TT ameliorated SCI-induced BSCB impairment by upregulating the BDNF/TrkB-CREB signalling pathways.

Exercise Training Reverses Lipotoxicity-induced Cardiomyopathy by Inhibiting HMGCS2.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the effect of exercise training on preventing lipotoxic cardiomyopathy and to investigate the role of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 2 (HMGCS2) and miR-344g-5p in cardiomyocytes. METHODS: Male C57BL/6 mice were fed a 60% high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 wk then began swimming exercise or remained sedentary for 8 wk. Thereafter, cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography, and heart tissue and plasma were collected for further measurements. The molecular mechanism of exercise was investigated after treating Hmgcs2 siRNA in palmitate-induced neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes. RESULTS: HFD induced myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis and reduced coronary reserve and cardiac function. HMGCS2 levels increased, but junctophilin-2 (JPH2) levels decreased in HFD mice hearts. Such effects were attenuated by swimming exercise. Mechanistically, Hmgcs2 silencing prevented apoptosis and caspase-3 cleavage and elevated the expression of JPH2 in palmitate-stimulated cardiomyocytes. In addition, exercise promoted miR-344g-5p expression in HFD hearts. The overexpression of miR-344g-5p by chemical mimic reduced HMGCS2, apoptosis, and caspase-3 cleavage and elevated JPH2 expression in palmitate-induced cardiomyocytes. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that exercise limits lipid metabolic disorder, cardiac hypertrophy, and fibrosis and aids in the prevention of lipotoxic cardiomyopathy. Exercise-mediated cardioprotection by upregulating miR-344g-5p, which targets Hmgcs2 mRNA, prohibits HMGCS2 upregulation and thus lipotoxicity.

Water treadmill training attenuates blood-spinal cord barrier disruption in rats by promoting angiogenesis and inhibiting matrix metalloproteinase-2/9 expression following spinal cord injury.

BACKGROUND: The permeability of the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) is mainly determined by junction complexes between adjacent endothelial cells (ECs), including tight junctions (TJs) and adherens junctions (AJs), which can be severely damaged after spinal cord injury (SCI). Exercise training is a recognized method for the treatment of SCI. The destruction of the BSCB mediated by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) leads to inflammation, neurotoxin production, and neuronal apoptosis. The failure of new blood vessels to effectively regenerate is also an important cause of delayed recovery after SCI. For the first time, we introduced water treadmill training (TT) to help SCI rats successfully exercise and measured the effects of TT in promoting recovery after SCI and the possible mechanisms involved. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley (200-250 g) rats were randomly divided into the following three groups: sham operated, SCI, and SCI + TT. Animals were sacrificed at 7 or 14 days post-surgery. The degree of neurological deficit, tissue morphology and BSCB permeability were assessed by the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) motor function scale and appropriate staining protocols, and apoptosis, protein expression and vascular EC ultrastructure were assessed by TUNEL staining, Western blotting, immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). RESULTS: Our experiments showed that TT reduced permeability of the BSCB and decreased structural tissue damage. TT significantly improved functional recovery when compared with that in the SCI group; TJ and AJ proteins expression increased significantly after TT, and training reduced apoptosis induced by SCI. TT could promote angiogenesis, and MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression was significantly inhibited by TT. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that TT promotes functional recovery for the following reasons: TT (1) protects residual BSCB structure from further damage, (2) promotes vascular regeneration, and (3) inhibits MMP-2/9 expression to mitigate BSCB damage.

Profilin 2 Promotes Proliferation and Metastasis of Head and Neck Cancer Cells by Regulating PI3K/AKT/ß-Catenin Signaling Pathway.

Profilin 2 (PFN2) was found to be mainly expressed in neurons and involved in the development of the brain. In recent years, emerging evidence indicated that PFN2 is also significantly upregulated in various cancers including head and neck cancer (HNSC) and influences cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. However, the role of PFN2 in HNSC development and progression remains unclear. The aim of our study was to investigate the role of PFN2 in the development of HNSC and its possible molecular mechanisms. Bioinformatics showed that increased expression of PFN2 in tumors correlated highly with poor prognosis of HNSC patients. Our results indicated that PFN2 was highly expressed in HNSC tissues and in HNSC cell lines. Knockdown of PFN2 inhibited proliferation, invasion, and migration of HNSC cells, while PFN2 overexpression produced the opposite effects. Using a nude mouse xenograft model, we substantiated the tumor-promoting effect of PFN2 on HNSC in vivo. Furthermore, we found that PFN2 downregulation reduced the phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3ß and reduced the expression of ß-catenin in HNSC cells. The opposite was observed when PFN2 was overexpressed. Collectively, these results suggest that PFN2 promotes the proliferation and metastasis of HNSC by activating the PI3K/Akt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Although further validation is needed, we speculate that PFN2 plays a crucial role in HNSC and may be a promising therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker.

[Effect of different types of jumps on the expressions of IL-6, OPG and RANKL in rat tibia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of different types of jumps on the expressions of interleukin 6 (IL-6), osteoprotegerin(OPG), ligand of receptor activator of NF-κB(RANKL) genes related to bone metabolism in rat tibia, and explore the molecular mechanism underlying bone destruction associated with over-loading jumping. METHODS: Twenty-four male SD rats were randomly assigned to control group (C), jump group (J) and loading jump group (JL), 8 rats in each group. J group participated in incremental load training. The rats in JL group carried loads that were 5% of their body mass. Same training plan was used in J and JL groups, while control group was not treated. The experiment was completed after 6 weeks. The serum samples were collected and assayed for the contents of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRACP). One-side tibia was used for paraffin section and HE staining, and the other side was used for real time quantitative PCR(qRT-PCR) to detect the expressions of IL-6, OPG and RANKL mRNA. RESULTS: Compared with control group and J group, the collagen fibers in periost was more disordered in JL group. We further observed a more serious damage of the cortical bone and increased cavities in JL group. The serum ALP levels in JL group were significantly higher than those in control and J groups (P<0.05). The serum TRACP levels in JL and J groups were significantly higher compared to control group (P<0.05). Furthermore, there was a significantly higher expression level of IL-6 in both jump groups (P<0.01), while the JL group had a higher IL-6 expression compared with J group (P<0.01). There was a higher expression of OPG mRNA in JL and J groups (P<0.05). The highest expression level of OPG was observed in J group. The expression level of RANKL was significantly higher in JL group compared with control and J groups (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: After loading jump for 6 weeks, the expressions of IL-6 and RANKL were markedly elevated in rat tibia, suggesting that IL-6 and RANKL might be involved in the process of bone destruction due to increased bone turnover.