TMED10 mediates the trafficking of insulin-like growth factor 2 along the secretory pathway for myoblast differentiation.

The insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) plays critical roles in cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, and survival. Despite its importance, the molecular mechanisms mediating the trafficking of IGF2 along the secretory pathway remain unclear. Here, we utilized a Retention Using Selective Hook system to analyze molecular mechanisms that regulate the secretion of IGF2. We found that a type I transmembrane protein, TMED10, is essential for the secretion of IGF2 and for differentiation of mouse myoblast C2C12 cells. Further analyses indicate that the residues 112-140 in IGF2 are important for the secretion of IGF2 and these residues directly interact with the GOLD domain of TMED10. We then reconstituted the release of IGF2 into COPII vesicles. This assay suggests that TMED10 mediates the packaging of IGF2 into COPII vesicles to be efficiently delivered to the Golgi. Moreover, TMED10 also mediates ER export of TGN-localized cargo receptor, sortilin, which subsequently mediates TGN export of IGF2. These analyses indicate that TMED10 is critical for IGF2 secretion by directly regulating ER export and indirectly regulating TGN export of IGF2, providing insights into trafficking of IGF2 for myoblast differentiation.

Identifications of novel host cell factors that interact with the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells is facilitated by the interaction between the receptor-binding domain of its spike protein (CoV2-RBD) and host cell receptor, ACE2, promoting viral membrane fusion. The virus also uses endocytic pathways for entry, but the mediating host factors remain largely unknown. It is also unknown whether mutations in the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 variants promote interactions with additional host factors to promote viral entry. Here, we used the GST pull-down approach to identify novel surface-located host factors that bind to CoV2-RBD. One of these factors, SH3BP4, regulates internalization of CoV2-RBD in an ACE2-independent but integrin- and clathrin-dependent manner and mediates SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus entry, suggesting that SH3BP4 promotes viral entry via the endocytic route. Many of the identified factors, including SH3BP4, ADAM9, and TMEM2, show stronger affinity to CoV2-RBD than to RBD of the less infective SARS-CoV, suggesting SARS-CoV-2-specific utilization. We also found factors preferentially binding to the RBD of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, potentially enhancing its entry. These data identify the repertoire of host cell surface factors that function in the events leading to the entry of SARS-CoV-2.

VP2 mediates the release of the feline calicivirus RNA genome by puncturing the endosome membrane of infected cells.

Feline calicivirus (FCV) is one of the few members of the Caliciviridae family that grows well in cell lines and, therefore, serves as a surrogate to study the biology of other viruses in the family. Conley et al. (14) demonstrated that upon the receptor engagement to the capsid, FCV VP2 forms a portal-like assembly, which might provide a channel for RNA release. However, the process of calicivirus RNA release is not yet fully understood. Our findings suggest that the separation of the FCV capsid from its genome RNA (gRNA) occurs rapidly in the early endosomes of infected cells. Using a liposome model decorated with the FCV cell receptor fJAM-A, we demonstrate that FCV releases its gRNA into the liposomes by penetrating membranes under low pH conditions. Furthermore, we found that VP2, which is rich in hydrophobic residues at its N-terminus, functions as the pore-forming protein. When we substituted the VP2 N-terminal hydrophobic residues, the gRNA release efficacy of the FCV mutants decreased. In conclusion, our results suggest that in the acidic environment of early endosomes, FCV VP2 functions as the pore-forming protein to mediate gRNA release into the cytoplasm of infected cells. This provides insight into the mechanism of calicivirus genome release.IMPORTANCEResearch on the biology and pathogenicity of certain caliciviruses, such as Norovirus and Sapovirus, is hindered by the lack of easy-to-use cell culture system. Feline calicivirus (FCV), which grows effectively in cell lines, is used as a substitute. At present, there is limited understanding of the genome release mechanism in caliciviruses. Our findings suggest that FCV uses VP2 to pierce the endosome membrane for genome release and provide new insights into the calicivirus gRNA release mechanism.

Uridylation and the SKI complex orchestrate the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis through RNA surveillance of TKL1 in Arabidopsis.

RNA uridylation, catalyzed by terminal uridylyl transferases (TUTases), represents a conserved and widespread posttranscriptional RNA modification in eukaryotes that affects RNA metabolism. In plants, several TUTases, including HEN1 SUPPRESSOR 1 (HESO1) and UTP: RNA URIDYLYLTRANSFERASE (URT1), have been characterized through genetic and biochemical approaches. However, little is known about their physiological significance during plant development. Here, we show that HESO1 and URT1 act cooperatively with the cytoplasmic 3'-5' exoribonucleolytic machinery component SUPERKILLER 2 (SKI2) to regulate photosynthesis through RNA surveillance of the Calvin cycle gene TRANSKETOLASE 1 (TKL1) in Arabidopsis. Simultaneous dysfunction of HESO1, URT1, and SKI2 resulted in leaf etiolation and reduced photosynthetic efficiency. In addition, we detected massive illegitimate short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) from the TKL1 locus in heso1 urt1 ski2, accompanied by reduced TKL1/2 expression and attenuated TKL activities. Consequently, the metabolic analysis revealed that the abundance of many Calvin cycle intermediates is dramatically disturbed in heso1 urt1 ski2. Importantly, all these molecular and physiological defects were largely rescued by the loss-of-function mutation in RNA-DEPENDENT RNA POLYMERASE 6 (RDR6), demonstrating illegitimate siRNA-mediated TKL silencing. Taken together, our results suggest that HESO1- and URT1-mediated RNA uridylation connects to the cytoplasmic RNA degradation pathway for RNA surveillance, which is crucial for TKL expression and photosynthesis in Arabidopsis.

Perimenopausal and Menopausal Mammary Glands In A 4-Vinylcyclohexene Diepoxide Mouse Model.

As both perimenopausal and menopausal periods are recognized critical windows of susceptibility for breast carcinogenesis, development of a physiologically relevant model has been warranted. The traditional ovariectomy model causes instant removal of the entire hormonal repertoire produced by the ovary, which does not accurately approximate human natural menopause with gradual transition. Here, we characterized the mammary glands of 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD)-treated animals at different time points, revealing that the model can provide the mammary glands with both perimenopausal and menopausal states. The perimenopausal gland showed moderate regression in ductal structure with no responsiveness to external hormones, while the menopausal gland showed severe regression with hypersensitivity to hormones. Leveraging the findings on the VCD model, effects of a major endocrine disruptor (polybrominated diphenyl ethers, PBDEs) on the mammary gland were examined during and after menopausal transition, with the two exposure modes; low-dose, chronic (environmental) and high-dose, subacute (experimental). All conditions of PBDE exposure did not augment or compromise the macroscopic ductal reorganization resulting from menopausal transition and/or hormonal treatments. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that the experimental PBDE exposure during the post-menopausal period caused specific transcriptomic changes in the non-epithelial compartment such as Errfi1 upregulation in fibroblasts. The environmental PBDE exposure resulted in similar transcriptomic changes to a lesser extent. In summary, the VCD mouse model provides both perimenopausal and menopausal windows of susceptibility for the breast cancer research community. PBDEs, including all tested models, may affect the post-menopausal gland including impacts on the non-epithelial compartments.

EEBR induces Caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis through the NF-κB/NLRP3 signalling cascade in non-small cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Recent studies have identified pyroptosis, a type of programmed cell death, as a critical process in the development and progression of lung cancer. In this study, we investigated the effect of EEBR, a new compound synthesized by our team, on pyroptosis in non-small cell lung cancer cells (NSCLC) and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Our results demonstrated that EEBR significantly reduced the proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC cells in vitro. Moreover, EEBR-induced pyroptosis in NSCLC cells, as evidenced by cell membrane rupture, the release of cytokines such as interleukin-18 and interleukin-1 beta and the promotion of Gasdermin D cleavage in a Caspase-1-dependent manner. Furthermore, EEBR promoted the nuclear translocation of NF-κB and upregulated the protein level of NLRP3. Subsequent studies revealed that EEBR-induced pyroptosis was suppressed by the inhibition of NF-κB. Finally, EEBR effectively suppressed the growth of lung cancer xenograft tumours by promoting NSCLC pyroptosis in animal models. Taken together, our findings suggest that EEBR induces Caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis through the NF-κB/NLRP3 signalling cascade in NSCLC, highlighting its potential as a candidate drug for NSCLC treatment.

The clathrin adaptor complex-1 and Rab12 regulate post-golgi trafficking of WT epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays important roles in cancer progression and is one of the major drug targets for targeted cancer therapy. Although fundamentally important, how newly synthesized EGFR is delivered to the cell surface to perform its cellular functions remains to be further investigated. In this study, we found using the approaches of gene knockout, siRNA knockdown, streptavidin pull-down, and co-immunoprecipitation assays that the clathrin adaptor complex-1 (AP-1) and Rab12 interact with EGFR and regulate the export of EGFR out of the trans-Golgi network (TGN). In addition, the tyrosine residue at the 998 position on human EGFR is critical to bind to AP-1, and this residue is important for TGN export of EGFR. We demonstrate that AP-1 and Rab12 are important for epidermal growth factor-induced phosphorylation of EGFR, cell elongation, and proliferation, suggesting that AP-1-mediated and Rab12-mediated post-Golgi trafficking is important for EGFR signaling. Moreover, TGN export of the constitutively activated mutant form of EGFR (EGFRL858R) is independent of AP-1 and Rab12. Our results reveal insights into the molecular mechanisms that mediate the TGN-to-cell surface delivery of EGFR and indicate that TGN export of WT EGFR and EGFRL858R depends on different cellular factors.

Mapping morphological cortical networks with joint probability distributions from multiple morphological features.

Morphological features sourced from structural magnetic resonance imaging can be used to infer human brain connectivity. Although integrating different morphological features may theoretically be beneficial for obtaining more precise morphological connectivity networks (MCNs), the empirical evidence to support this supposition is scarce. Moreover, the incorporation of different morphological features remains an open question. In this study, we proposed a method to construct cortical MCNs based on multiple morphological features. Specifically, we adopted a multi-dimensional kernel density estimation algorithm to fit regional joint probability distributions (PDs) from different combinations of four morphological features, and estimated inter-regional similarity in the joint PDs via Jensen-Shannon divergence. We evaluated the method by comparing the resultant MCNs with those built based on different single morphological features in terms of topological organization, test-retest reliability, biological plausibility, and behavioral and cognitive relevance. We found that, compared to MCNs built based on different single morphological features, MCNs derived from multiple morphological features displayed less segregated, but more integrated network architecture and different hubs, had higher test-retest reliability, encompassed larger proportions of inter-hemispheric edges and edges between brain regions within the same cytoarchitectonic class, and explained more inter-individual variance in behavior and cognition. These findings were largely reproducible when different brain atlases were used for cortical parcellation. Further analysis of macaque MCNs revealed weak, but significant correlations with axonal connectivity from tract-tracing, independent of the number of morphological features. Altogether, this paper proposes a new method for integrating different morphological features, which will be beneficial for constructing MCNs.

Enhanced cerebral blood flow similarity of the somatomotor network in chronic insomnia: Transcriptomic decoding, gut microbial signatures and phenotypic roles.

Chronic insomnia (CI) is a complex disease involving multiple factors including genetics, gut microbiota, and brain structure and function. However, there lacks a unified framework to elucidate how these factors interact in CI. By combining data of clinical assessment, sleep behavior recording, cognitive test, multimodal MRI (structural, functional, and perfusion), gene, and gut microbiota, this study demonstrated that enhanced cerebral blood flow (CBF) similarities of the somatomotor network (SMN) acted as a key mediator to link multiple factors in CI. Specifically, we first demonstrated that only CBF but not morphological or functional networks exhibited alterations in patients with CI, characterized by increases within the SMN and between the SMN and higher-order associative networks. Moreover, these findings were highly reproducible and the CBF similarity method was test-retest reliable. Further, we showed that transcriptional profiles explained 60.4 % variance of the pattern of the increased CBF similarities with the most correlated genes enriched in regulation of cellular and protein localization and material transport, and gut microbiota explained 69.7 % inter-individual variance in the increased CBF similarities with the most contributions from Negativicutes and Lactobacillales. Finally, we found that the increased CBF similarities were correlated with clinical variables, accounted for sleep behaviors and cognitive deficits, and contributed the most to the patient-control classification (accuracy = 84.4 %). Altogether, our findings have important implications for understanding the neuropathology of CI and may inform ways of developing new therapeutic strategies for the disease.

High-Performance Gel-Free and Label-Free Size Fractionation of Extracellular Vesicles with Two-Dimensional Electrophoresis in a Microfluidic Artificial Sieve.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived particles that exhibit diverse sizes, molecular contents, and clinical implications for various diseases depending on their specific subpopulations. However, fractionation of EV subpopulations with high resolution, efficiency, purity, and yield remains an elusive goal due to their diminutive sizes. In this study, we introduce a novel strategy that effectively separates EV subpopulations in a gel-free and label-free manner, using two-dimensional (2D) electrophoresis in a microfluidic artificial sieve. The microfabricated artificial sieve consists of periodically arranged micro-slit-well structures in a 2D array and generates an anisotropic electric field pattern to size fractionate EVs into discrete streams and steer the subpopulations into designated outlets for collection within a minute. Along with fractionating EV subpopulations, contaminants such as free proteins and short nucleic acids can be simultaneously directed to waste outlets, thus accomplishing both size fractionation and purification of EVs with high performance. Our platform offers a simple, rapid, and versatile solution for EV subpopulation isolation, which can potentially facilitate the discovery of biomarkers for specific EV subtypes and the development of EV-based therapeutics.

Androgen action in cell fate and communication during prostate development at single-cell resolution.

Androgens/androgen receptor (AR)-mediated signaling pathways are essential for prostate development, morphogenesis and regeneration. Specifically, stromal AR signaling has been shown to be essential for prostatic initiation. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying AR-initiated mesenchymal-epithelial interactions in prostate development remain unclear. Here, using a newly generated mouse model, we have directly addressed the fate and role of genetically marked AR-expressing cells during embryonic prostate development. Androgen signaling-initiated signaling pathways were identified in mesenchymal niche populations at single-cell transcriptomic resolution. The dynamic cell-signaling networks regulated by stromal AR were additionally characterized in relation to prostatic epithelial bud formation. Pseudotime analyses further revealed the differentiation trajectory and fate of AR-expressing cells in both prostatic mesenchymal and epithelial cell populations. Specifically, the cellular properties of Zeb1-expressing progenitors were assessed. Selective deletion of AR signaling in a subpopulation of mesenchymal rather than epithelial cells dysregulated the expression of the master regulators and significantly impaired prostatic bud formation. These data provide novel, high-resolution evidence demonstrating the important role of mesenchymal androgen signaling in the cellular niche controlling prostate early development by initiating dynamic mesenchyme-epithelia cell interactions.

Stromal androgen and hedgehog signaling regulates stem cell niches in pubertal prostate development.

Stromal androgen-receptor (AR) action is essential for prostate development, morphogenesis and regeneration. However, mechanisms underlying how stromal AR maintains the cell niche in support of pubertal prostatic epithelial growth are unknown. Here, using advanced mouse genetic tools, we demonstrate that selective deletion of stromal AR expression in prepubescent Shh-responsive Gli1-expressing cells significantly impedes pubertal prostate epithelial growth and development. Single-cell transcriptomic analyses showed that AR loss in these prepubescent Gli1-expressing cells dysregulates androgen signaling-initiated stromal-epithelial paracrine interactions, leading to growth retardation of pubertal prostate epithelia and significant development defects. Specifically, AR loss elevates Shh-signaling activation in both prostatic stromal and adjacent epithelial cells, directly inhibiting prostatic epithelial growth. Single-cell trajectory analyses further identified aberrant differentiation fates of prostatic epithelial cells directly altered by stromal AR deletion. In vivo recombination of AR-deficient stromal Gli1-lineage cells with wild-type prostatic epithelial cells failed to develop normal prostatic epithelia. These data demonstrate previously unidentified mechanisms underlying how stromal AR-signaling facilitates Shh-mediated cell niches in pubertal prostatic epithelial growth and development.

A Reversible MnO2 Deposition-Enabled Multicolor Electrochromic Device with Efficient Tunability of Ultraviolet-Visible Light.

Electrochromic technology offers exciting opportunities for smart applications such as energy-saving and interactive systems. However, achieving dual-band regulation together with the multicolor function is still an unmet challenge for electrochromic devices. Herein, an ingenious electrochromic strategy based on reversible manganese oxide (MnO2) electrodeposition, different from traditional ion intercalation/deintercalation-type electrochromic materials is proposed. Such a deposition/dissolution-based MnO2 brings an intriguing electrochromic feature of dual-band regulation for the ultraviolet (UV) and visible lights with high optical modulation (93.2% and 93.6% at 400 and 550 nm, respectively) and remarkable optical memory. Moreover, a demonstrative smart window assembled by MnO2 and Cu electrodes delivers the electrochromic properties of effective dual-band regulation accompanied by multicolor changes (transparent, yellow, and brown). The robust redox deposition/dissolution process endows the MnO2-based electrochromic device with excellent rate capability and an areal capacity of 570 mAh m-2 at 0.1 mA cm-2. It is believed that the metal oxide-based reversible electrodeposition strategy would be an attractive and promising electrochromic technology and provide a train of thought for the development of multifunctional electrochromic devices and applications.

Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing of Soybean Reveals Transcriptional Changes and Antiviral Functions of GmGSTU23 and GmGSTU24 in Response to Soybean Mosaic Virus.

Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) stands as a prominent and widespread threat to soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.), the foremost legume crop globally. Attaining a thorough comprehension of the alterations in the transcriptional network of soybeans in response to SMV infection is imperative for a profound insight into the mechanisms of viral pathogenicity and host resistance. In this investigation, we isolated 50 294 protoplasts from the newly developed leaves of soybean plants subjected to both SMV infection and mock inoculation. Subsequently, we utilized single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to construct the transcriptional landscape at a single-cell resolution. Nineteen distinct cell clusters were identified based on the transcriptomic profiles of scRNA-seq. The annotation of three cell types-epidermal cells, mesophyll cells, and vascular cells-was established based on the expression of orthologs to reported marker genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. The differentially expressed genes between the SMV- and mock-inoculated samples were analyzed for different cell types. Our investigation delved deeper into the tau class of glutathione S-transferases (GSTUs), known for their significant contributions to plant responses against abiotic and biotic stress. A total of 57 GSTU genes were identified by a thorough genome-wide investigation in the soybean genome G. max Wm82.a4.v1. Two specific candidates, GmGSTU23 and GmGSTU24, exhibited distinct upregulation in all three cell types in response to SMV infection, prompting their selection for further research. The transient overexpression of GmGSTU23 or GmGSTU24 in Nicotiana benthamiana resulted in the inhibition of SMV infection, indicating the antiviral function of soybean GSTU proteins.

Cell size and xylem differentiation regulating genes from Salicornia europaea contribute to plant salt tolerance.

Cell wall is involved in plant growth and plays pivotal roles in plant adaptation to environmental stresses. Cell wall remodelling may be crucial to salt adaptation in the euhalophyte Salicornia europaea. However, the mechanism underlying this process is still unclear. Here, full-length transcriptome indicated cell wall-related genes were comprehensively regulated under salinity. The morphology and cell wall components in S. europaea shoot were largely modified under salinity. Through the weighted gene co-expression network analysis, SeXTH2 encoding xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolases, and two SeLACs encoding laccases were focused. Meanwhile, SeEXPB was focused according to expansin activity and the expression profiling. Function analysis in Arabidopsis validated the functions of these genes in enhancing salt tolerance. SeXTH2 and SeEXPB overexpression led to larger cells and leaves with hemicellulose and pectin content alteration. SeLAC1 and SeLAC2 overexpression led to more xylem vessels, increased secondary cell wall thickness and lignin content. Notably, SeXTH2 transgenic rice exhibited enhanced salt tolerance and higher grain yield. Altogether, these genes may function in the succulence and lignification process in S. europaea. This work throws light on the regulatory mechanism of cell wall remodelling in S. europaea under salinity and provides potential strategies for improving crop salt tolerance and yields.

Targeting macrophages for enhancing CD47 blockade-elicited lymphoma clearance and overcoming tumor-induced immunosuppression.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are often the most abundant immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Strategies targeting TAMs to enable tumor cell killing through cellular phagocytosis have emerged as promising cancer immunotherapy. Although several phagocytosis checkpoints have been identified, the desired efficacy has not yet been achieved by blocking such checkpoints in preclinical models or clinical trials. Here, we showed that late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) was resistant to therapy targeting phagocytosis checkpoint CD47 due to the compromised capacity of TAMs to phagocytose lymphoma cells. Via a high-throughput screening of the US Food and Drug Administration-approved anticancer small molecule compounds, we identified paclitaxel as a potentiator that promoted the clearance of lymphoma by directly evoking phagocytic capability of macrophages, independently of paclitaxel's chemotherapeutic cytotoxicity toward NHL cells. A combination with paclitaxel dramatically enhanced the anticancer efficacy of CD47-targeted therapy toward late-stage NHL. Analysis of TME by single-cell RNA sequencing identified paclitaxel-induced TAM populations with an upregulation of genes for tyrosine kinase signaling. The activation of Src family tyrosine kinases signaling in macrophages by paclitaxel promoted phagocytosis against NHL cells. In addition, we identified a role of paclitaxel in modifying the TME by preventing the accumulation of a TAM subpopulation that was only present in late-stage lymphoma resistant to CD47-targeted therapy. Our findings identify a novel and effective strategy for NHL treatment by remodeling TME to enable the tumoricidal roles of TAMs. Furthermore, we characterize TAM subgroups that determine the efficiency of lymphoma phagocytosis in the TME and can be potential therapeutic targets to unleash the antitumor activities of macrophages.

Urine and serum metabolomic analysis of endometrial cancer diagnosis and classification based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to reveal the urinary and serum metabolic pattern of endometrial cancer (EC) and establish diagnostic models to identify EC from controls, high-risk from low-risk EC, and type II from type I EC. METHOD: This study included 146 EC patients (comprising 79 low-risk and 67 high-risk patients, including 124 type I and 22 type II) and 59 controls. The serum and urine samples were analyzed using ultraperformance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Analysis was used to elucidate the distinct metabolites and altered metabolic pathways. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were employed to discover and validate the potential biomarker models. RESULTS: Serum and urine metabolomes displayed significant differences between EC and controls, with metabolites related to amino acid and nicotinamide metabolisms. The serum and urine panels distinguished these two groups with Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.821 and 0.902, respectively. The panel consisting of serum and urine metabolites demonstrated the best predictive ability (AUC = 0.953 and 0.976 in discovering and validation group). In comparing high-risk and low risk EC, differential metabolites were enriched in purine and glutamine metabolism. The AUC values for serum and urine panels were 0.818, and 0.843, respectively. The combined panel exhibited better predictive accuracy (0.881 in discovering group and 0.936 in external validation). In the comparison between type I and type II group, altered folic acid metabolism was identified. The serum, urine and combined panels discriminated these two groups with the AUC of 0.829, 0.913 and 0.922, respectively. CONCLUSION: The combined urine and serum metabolome effectively revealed the metabolic patterns in EC patients, offering valuable diagnostic models for EC diagnosis and classification.

Baicalin - 2- ethoxyethyl ester alleviates renal fibrosis by inhibiting PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway.

With the increasing incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD), the development of safe and effective anti-renal fibrosis drugs is particularly urgent. Recently, Baicalin has been considered to have a renal protective effect, but its bioavailability is too low. Therefore, we synthesized baicalin-2-ethoxyethyl ester (BAE) by esterification of baicalin. We hope that this experiment will demonstrate the anti-renal fibrosis effect of BAE and explain its molecular mechanism. In this study, the chronic kidney injury model of SD rats was established by 5/6 nephrectomy, and BAE was given for 28 days. The results showed that after BAE treatment, the serum creatinine and urea nitrogen levels decreased significantly, and the pathological changes in kidneys were improved. In addition, RNA-seq analysis showed that the mechanism of BAE in relieving renal fibrosis was related to the ECM receptor, PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and inflammatory reaction. The western blotting analysis confirmed that BAE could inhibit the expression of α-SMA, TGF-ß1, p-PI3K, p-AKT, p-IκBα, and NF-κB p65. We found that BAE can inhibit the inflammatory reaction and promote the degradation of the extracellular matrix by inhibiting the activation of the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway, thus alleviating the symptoms of renal fibrosis in 5/6Nx rats, which revealed BAE was a potential compound to relieve renal fibrosis effect.

Exosomal miRNA-21 derived from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells inhibits microglial overactivation to counteract nerve damage.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of neurological disability, and current treatments have limited effectiveness. Recent studies have emphasized the potential of exosomes derived from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs-Exo) in TBI treatment, but the molecular mechanisms underlying their therapeutic effects are not fully understood. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, UC-MSCs-Exo was isolated using ultracentrifugation and intraventricularly injected to TBI rat model. The neurofunctional motor function of the rats was evaluated using the modified neurological severity score (mNSS), and the activation of microglia was assessed through immunofluorescence detection of IBA1 expression levels. Additionally, we established an in vitro neuroinflammatory model using BV2 microglia to investigate the effects of UC-MSCs-Exo and miRNA-21. Our findings indicate that UC-MSCs-Exo promote neurological recovery in TBI rats and inhibit excessive microglia activation. Furthermore, UC-MSCs-Exo highly expresses miRNA-21 and inhibited the proliferation, migration, and release of inflammatory mediators of BV2 microglia by transporting miRNA-21. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that the promotion of neurological recovery in TBI rats by UC-MSCs-Exo may be attributed to the inhibition of excessive microglia activation through miRNA-21.

Altered vigilant maintenance and reorganization of rich-clubs in functional brain networks after total sleep deprivation.

BACKGROUND: Sleep deprivation strongly deteriorates the stability of vigilant maintenance. In previous neuroimaging studies of large-scale networks, neural variations in the resting state after sleep deprivation have been well documented, highlighting that large-scale networks implement efficient cognitive functions and attention regulation in a spatially hierarchical organization. However, alterations of neural networks during cognitive tasks have rarely been investigated. METHODS AND PURPOSES: The present study used a within-participant design of 35 healthy right-handed adults and used task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine the neural mechanism of attentional decline after sleep deprivation from the perspective of rich-club architecture during a psychomotor vigilance task. RESULTS: We found that a significant decline in the hub disruption index was related to impaired vigilance due to sleep loss. The hierarchical rich-club architectures were reconstructed after sleep deprivation, especially in the default mode network and sensorimotor network. Notably, the relatively fast alert response compensation was correlated with the feeder organizational hierarchy that connects core (rich-club) and peripheral nodes. SIGNIFICANCES: Our findings provide novel insights into understanding the relationship of alterations in vigilance and the hierarchical architectures of the human brain after sleep deprivation, emphasizing the significance of optimal collaboration between different functional hierarchies for regular attention maintenance.