Mitochondrial damage-induced abnormal glucose metabolism with ageing in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice.

INTRODUCTION: Accumulation of ß-amyloid (Aß) in neurons of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) inhibits the activity of key enzymes in mitochondrial metabolic pathways, triggering mitochondrial dysfunction, which plays an important role in the onset and development of AD. Mitophagy is a process whereby dysfunctional or damaged mitochondria are removed from the cell. Aberrant mitochondrial metabolism may hinder mitophagy, promote autophagosome accumulation, and lead to neuronal death. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this experiment is to explore the mechanism of neuronal mitochondria damage in the hippocampus of different age APP/PS1 double transgenic AD mice, and to explore the related metabolites and metabolic pathways for further understanding of the pathogenesis, so as to provide new ideas and strategies for the treatment of AD. METHODS: In this study, 24 APP/PS1(APPswe/PSEN1dE9) mice were divided into 3, 6, 9, and 12-month-old groups, and 6-month-old wild-type C57BL/6 mice were as controls. The Morris water maze test was used to evaluate learning and memory. Levels of Aß were detected by immunohistochemistry. Electron microscopy was used to observe mitochondrial damage and autophagosome accumulation. Western blot was for measuring LC3, P62, PINK1, Parkin, Miro1, and Tom 20 protein expression levels. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used to screen differentially abundant metabolites. RESULTS: The results showed that with the increase of age in APP/PS1 mice, cognitive impairment, hippocampal neuron mitochondrial damage, and autophagosome accumulation all increased. Furthermore, enhanced mitophagy and impaired mitochondrial clearance leading to metabolic abnormalities were observed with ageing in APP/PS1 mouse hippocampus. Especially, abnormal accumulation of succinic acid and citric acid in the Krebs cycle was observed. CONCLUSION: This study investigated the abnormal glucose metabolism associated with age-related damage to mitochondria in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice. These findings provide new insights into the pathogenesis of AD.

Prediction and characterization of the T cell epitopes for the major soybean protein allergens using bioinformatics approaches.

Protein allergens is a health risk for consumption of soybeans. To understand allerginicity mechanism, T cell epitopes of 7 soybean allergens were predicted and screened by abilities to induce cytokine interleukin (IL) 4. The relationships among amino acid composition, properties, allergenicity, and pepsin hydrolysis sites were analyzed. Among the 138 T cell epitopes identified, YIKDVFRVIPSEVLS, KDVFRVIPSEVLSNS, DVFRVIPSEVLSNSY of Gly m 6.0501 (P04347), and AKADALFKAIEAYLL, ADALFKAIEAYLLAH of Gly m 4.0101 (P26987) were the most possible epitope candidates. In T cell epitopes pattern, the frequencies of amino acids Q, D, E, P, and G decreased, while F, I, N, V, K, H, A, L, and S increased. Hydrophobic residues at positions p1 and p2 and positively charged residues in positions p13 might contribute to allergenicity. Most of epitopes could be hydrolyzed by pepsin into small polypeptides within 12 residues length, and the anti-digestive epitope regions contained I, V, S, N, and Q residues. T cell epitopes EEQRQQEGVIVELSK from Gly m 5.03 (P25974) showed resistance to pepsin hydrolysis and would cause a higher Th2 cell response. This research provides basis for the development of hypoallergenic soybean products in the soybean industry as well as for the immunotherapy design for protein allergy.

Study of mitophagy and ATP-related metabolomics based on ß-amyloid levels in Alzheimer's disease.

The aggregation of ß-amyloid (Aß) peptide in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy impairment. Mitophagy is a homeostatic mechanism by which autophagy selectively eliminates damaged mitochondria. Valinomycin is a respiratory chain inhibitor that activates mitophagy via the PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway. However, the mechanism underlying the association between mitophagy and valinomycin in Aß formation has not been explored. Here, we demonstrate that genetically modified (N2a/APP695swe) cells overexpressing a mutant amyloid precursor protein (APP) serve as an in vitro model of AD for studying mitophagy and ATP-related metabolomics. Our results prove that valinomycin induced a time-dependent increase in the mitophagy activation of N2a/APP695swe cells as indicated by increased levels of PINK1, Parkin, and LC3II as well as increased the colocalization of Parkin-Tom20 and fewer mitochondria (indicated by decreased Tom20 levels). Valinomycin significantly decreased Aß1-42 and Aß1-40 levels after 3 h of treatment. ATP levels and ATP-related metabolites were significantly increased at this time. Our findings suggest that the elimination of impaired mitochondria via valinomycin-induced mitophagy ameliorates AD by decreasing Aß and improving ATP levels.

Curcumin ameliorates lipid metabolic disorder and cognitive dysfunction via the ABCA1 transmembrane transport system in APP/PS1 double transgenic mice.

The disorder of lipid metabolism, especially cholesterol metabolism, can promote Alzheimer's Disease. Curcumin can ameliorate lipid metabolic disorder in the brain of Alzheimer's Disease patients, while the mechanism is not clear. APP/PS1 (APPswe/PSEN1dE9) double transgenic mice were divided into dementia, low-dose, and high-dose groups and then fed for six months with different dietary concentrations of curcumin. Morris water maze was used to evaluate the transgenic mice's special cognitive and memory ability in each group. In contrast, the cholesterol oxidase-colorimetric method was used to measure total serum cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein levels. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the expression of liver X receptor-ß, ATP binding cassette A1 and apolipoprotein A1 of the hippocampus and Aß42 in the brains of transgenic mice. The mRNA and protein expression levels of liver X receptor-ß, retinoid X receptor-α and ATP binding cassette A1 were evaluated using qRT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Curcumin improved the special cognitive and memory ability of transgenic Alzheimer's Disease Mice. The total serum cholesterol decreased in Alzheimer's Disease mice fed the curcumin diet, while the high-density lipoprotein increased. The curcumin diet was associated with reduced expression of Aß and increased expression of liver X receptor-ß, ATP binding cassette A1, and apolipoprotein A1 in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. The mRNA and protein levels of retinoid X receptor-α, liver X receptor-ß, and ATP binding cassette A1 were higher in the brains of Alzheimer's Disease mice fed the curcumin diet. Our results point to the mechanism by which curcumin improves lipid metabolic disorders in Alzheimer's Disease via the ATP binding cassette A1 transmembrane transport system.

Enhancing Rab7 Activity by Inhibiting TBC1D5 Expression Improves Mitophagy in Alzheimer's Disease Models.

Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction exists in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain, and damaged mitochondria need to be removed by mitophagy. Small GTPase Rab7 regulates the fusion of mitochondria and lysosome, while TBC1D5 inhibits Rab7 activation. However, it is not clear whether the regulation of Rab7 activity by TBC1D5 can improve mitophagy and inhibit AD progression. Objective: To investigate the role of TBC1D5 in mitophagy and its regulatory mechanism for Rab7, and whether activation of mitophagy can inhibit the progression of AD. Methods: Mitophagy was determined by western blot and immunofluorescence. The morphology and quantity of mitochondria were tracked by TEM. pCMV-Mito-AT1.03 was employed to detect the cellular ATP. Amyloid-ß secreted by AD cells was detected by ELISA. Co-immunoprecipitation was used to investigate the binding partner of the target protein. Golgi-cox staining was applied to observe neuronal morphology of mice. The Morris water maze test and Y-maze were performed to assess spatial learning and memory, and the open field test was measured to evaluate motor function and anxiety-like phenotype of experimental animals. Results: Mitochondrial morphology was impaired in AD models, and TBC1D5 was highly expressed. Knocking down TBC1D5 increased the expression of active Rab7, promoted the fusion of lysosome and autophagosome, thus improving mitophagy, and improved the morphology of hippocampal neurons and the impaired behavior in AD mice. Conclusions: Knocking down TBC1D5 increased Rab7 activity and promoted the fusion of autophagosome and lysosome. Our study provided insights into the mechanisms that bring new possibilities for AD therapy targeting mitophagy.

Roles of circular RNAs in regulating the development of glioma.

BACKGROUND: Glioma is the most common malignant tumor in the central nervous system. In patients with glioma, the prognosis is poor and median survival is only 12-15 months. With the recent development of sequencing technology, important roles of noncoding RNAs are being discovered in cells, especially those of circular RNAs (circRNAs). Because circRNAs are stable, abundant, and highly conserved, they are regarded as novel biomarkers in the early diagnosis and prognosis of diseases. PURPOSE: In this review, roles and mechanisms of circRNAs in the development of glioma are summarized. METHODS: This paper collects and reviews relevant PubMed literature. CONCLUSION: Several classes of circRNAs are highly expressed in glioma and are associated with malignant biological behaviors of gliomas, including proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and drug resistance. Further studies are needed to clarify the roles of circRNAs in glioma and to determine whether it is possible to increase therapeutic effects on tumors through circRNA intervention.

B7-H6 enhances F-actin rearrangement by targeting c-MYC activation to promote medulloblastoma migration and invasion.

Medulloblastoma (MB) is children's most common primary malignant primitive neuro-ectodermal tumor. Group 3 MB showed a higher propensity to metastasis, which is molecularly characterized by c-MYC gene amplification. The activation of c-MYC promotes the remodeling of the F-actin cytoskeleton to enhance metastasis. The B7 homologue 6 (B7-H6) is associated with the manifold essential hallmarks of tumorigenesis. In this study, we will explore whether B7-H6 regulates the reorganization of F-actin by elevating the c-MYC expression to promote metastasis. The Daoy cell line was used to act as the cell model of medulloblastoma. Small interfering RNA and the plasmid were used to downregulate and upregulate the expression of B7-H6 in Daoy cells. Transwell assays with/without the matrigel matrix were used to detect migration and invasion of Daoy cells. Western blots were used to detect the expression of related proteins. Immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the impact of B7-H6 on the c-MYC /F-actin axis. B7-H6 improved migration and invasion in the Daoy cell line. B7-H6 enhanced the rearrangement of F-actin and activated the expression of MMP-9 and MMP-2. B7-H6 promoted the remodeling of F-actin by targeting c-MYC activation to reinforce migration and invasion. B7-H6 acts as a promoter of migration and invasion in medulloblastoma by activating the c-MYC /F-actin axis.

Long-term efficacy and safety of programmed death-1 (PD-1) antibody alone in relapsed/refractory human immunodeficiency virus-associated Hodgkin lymphoma.

We report a young patient initially diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and received six cycles of ABVD chemotherapy regimens and involvement field irradiation therapy. However, the disease progressed after two months later, and then received second line GDP regimen. Unfortunately, after five cycles of GDP, the patient progression disease (PD) again. The patient was then offered sintilimab alone. After 8 cycles, the patient received complete response (CR) and no 3/4 grade toxicity. Currently, at a follow-up period of four years, he is still alive with CR and no lymphoma-related symptoms. This case demonstrates the feasibility of sintilimab antibody in relapsed/refractory HIV-associated Hodgkin lymphoma.

Scavenging Reactive Oxygen Species Decreases Amyloid-ß Levels via Activation of PI3K/Akt/GLUT1 Pathway in N2a/APP695swe Cells.

BACKGROUND: Dysregulated glucose metabolism in the brain is considered to be one of the key causes of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Abnormal glucose uptake in AD is tightly associated with decreased levels of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and GLUT3 in the brain, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the cause and mechanism of impaired glucose uptake in AD. METHODS: N2a/WT and N2a/APP695swe cells were cultured in vitro, and cellular glucose uptake and ATP content, as well as the expression of GLUT1, GLUT3, and PI3K/Akt pathway members, were detected. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected by flow cytometry. After treatment with the ROS scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), the above indicators were detected again. RESULTS: GLUT1 expression was significantly decreased (p = 0.0138) in N2a/APP695swe cells, while GLUT3 expression was no statistical difference (p > 0.05). After NAC treatment, PI3K and Akt phosphorylation levels, GLUT1 expression, glucose uptake and ATP levels were remarkably increased (p = 0.0006, p = 0.0008, p = 0.0009, p = 0.0001, p = 0.0013), while Aß levels were significantly decreased (p = 0.0058, p = 0.0066). After addition of the PI3K inhibitor LY29004, GLUT1 expression was reduced (p = 0.0008), and Aß levels were increased (p = 0.0009, p = 0.0117). In addition, increases in glucose uptake and ATP levels induced by the Akt activator SC79 were hindered by the GLUT1 inhibitor WZB117 (p = 0.0002, p = 0.0005). Aß levels were decreased after SC79 treatment and increased after WZB117 treatment (p = 0.0212, p = 0.0006). CONCLUSION: Taken together, scavenging of ROS prevents from Aß deposition via activation of the PI3K/Akt/GLUT1 pathway, and improved the impaired glucose uptake in N2a/APP695swe cells.

Clinicopathologic study of mantle cell lymphoma with epstein-barr virus infection: A case series and literature review.

Background: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is rarely reported. The objective of this study was to analyze the prevalence and clinicopathological features of MCL with EBV infection in the largest series thus far. Methods: After screening 138 cases of MCL, we identified eight cases of MCL with EBV infection. Results: Most of them (7/8) had non-neoplastic bystander cells with positivity for EBV and no expression of latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) and EBV nuclear antigen 2 (EBNA2). The cases of MCL with EBER positivity did not have abnormal immune function or other lymphomas. Moreover, their histopathological morphology was indicative of classical MCL. Cases of MCL with EBER positivity exhibited statistically significant differences in lactate dehydrogenase, anemia status, and MCL international prognostic index grouping (P=0.008, P=0.02, P=0.001, and P=0.011, respectively). The differences between the two groups in age, sex ratio, clinical manifestations, and immunohistochemical phenotypes were not statistically significant. Conclusions: The incidence of MCL with EBV infection was low (5.8%). Clinicopathologically, cases of MCL with EBER positivity were similar to their EBV-negative counterparts. Our findings revealed that most cells infected by EBV in MCL are background cells rather than tumor cells. This is inconsistent with data from previous studies, indicating that tumor cells in MCL may not be prone to EBV infection.

NPD1 Enhances Autophagy and Reduces Hyperphosphorylated Tau and Amyloid-ß42 by Inhibiting GSK3ß Activation in N2a/APP695swe Cells.

BACKGROUND: The most prevalent kind of dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD), is a neurodegenerative disease. Previous research has shown that glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (GSK-3ß) is involved in the etiology and progression of AD, including amyloid-ß (Aß), phosphorylated tau, and mitochondrial dysfunction. NPD1 has been shown to serve a neuroprotective function in AD, although the mechanism is unclear. OBJECTIVE: The effects of NPD1 on Aß expression levels, tau protein phosphorylation, apoptosis ratio, autophagy activity, and GSK-3ß activity in N2a/APP695swe cells (AD cell model) were studied, as well as the mechanism behind such effects. METHODS: N2a/APP695swe cells were treated with NPD1, SB216763, or wortmannin as an AD cell model. The associated proteins of hyperphosphorylated tau and autophagy, as well as the activation of GSK3ß, were detected using western blot and RT-PCR. Flow cytometry was utilized to analyze apoptosis and ELISA was employed to observe Aß42. Images of autophagy in cells are captured using transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: In N2a/APP695swe cells, NPD1 decreased Aß42 and hyperphosphorylated tau while suppressing cell death. NPD1 also promoted autophagy while suppressing GSK-3ß activation in N2a/APP695swe cells. The outcome of inhibiting GSK-3ß is comparable to that of NPD1 therapy. However, after activating GSK-3ß, the opposite experimental results were achieved. CONCLUSION: NPD1 might minimize cell apoptosis, downregulate Aß expression, control tau hyperphosphorylation, and enhance autophagy activity in AD cell models to promote neuronal survival. NPD1's neuroprotective effects may be mediated via decreasing GSK-3ß.

Detection of Lectin Protein Allergen of Kidney Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and Desensitization Food Processing Technology.

With the increase of food allergy events related to not properly cooked kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), more and more researchers are paying attention to the sensitization potential of lectin, one of the major storage and defensive proteins with the specific carbohydrate-binding activity. The immunoglobulin E (IgE), non-IgE, and mixed allergic reactions induced by the lectins were inducted in the current paper, and the detection methods of kidney bean lectin, including the purification strategies, hemagglutination activity, specific polysaccharide or glycoprotein interactions, antibody combinations, mass spectrometry methods, and allergomics strategies, were summarized, while various food processing aspects, such as the physical thermal processing, physical non-thermal processing, chemical modifications, and biological treatments, were reviewed in the potential of sensitization reduction. It might be the first comprehensive review on lectin allergen detection from kidney bean and the desensitization strategy in food processing and will provide a basis for food safety control.

Mirtronic miR-4646-5p promotes gastric cancer metastasis by regulating ABHD16A and metabolite lysophosphatidylserines.

The aberrant classical miRNAs are considered to play significant roles in tumor progression. However, it remains unclear for nonclassical miRNAs, a set of Drosha-independent miRNAs in the process of various biology. Here, we reveal that a nonclassical miR-4646-5p plays a pivotal role in gastric cancer (GC) metastasis. MiR-4646-5p, one of Drosha-independent mirtronic miRNA, is aberrant up-regulated in Drosha-low expressed GC and Drosha-knockdown gastric cancer cells. Mirtronic miR-4646-5p is a specific transcription splicing product of intron 3 of the host gene Abhd16a with the aid of SRSF2. The enhanced miR-4646-5p can stabilize HIF1A by targeting PHD3 to positive feedback regulate Abhd16a and miR-4646-5p itself expressions. ABHD16A, as an emerging phosphatidylserine-specific lipase, involves in lipid metabolism leading to lysophosphatidylserines (lyso-PSs) accumulation, which stimulates RhoA and downstream LIMK/cofilin cascade activity through GPR34/Gi subunit, thus causes metastasis of gastric cancer. In addition, miR-4646-5p/PHD3/HIF1A signaling can also up-regulate RhoA expression and synergistically promote gastric cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Our study provides new insights of nonclassical mirtronic miRNA on tumor progress and may serve as a new diagnostic biomarker for gastric cancer. MiR-4646-5p and its host gene Abhd16a mediated abnormal lipid metabolism may be a new target for clinical treatment of gastric cancer.

Enhanced autophagic retrograde axonal transport by dynein intermediate chain upregulation improves Aß clearance and cognitive function in APP/PS1 double transgenic mice.

Autophagosome accumulation is observed in the distal axons of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and AD animal models, suggesting that deficient retrograde transport and impaired autophagic clearance of beta-amyloid (A ß) contribute to AD pathogenesis. Expression of the retrograde axonal transport-related protein dynein intermediate chain (DIC) is also reduced in AD patients, but the contributions of DIC to AD pathology remain elusive. This study investigated the effects of DIC expression levels on cognitive function, autophagosome axonal transport, and A ß clearance in the APP/PS1 double transgenic mouse model of AD. Autophagic activity was enhanced in the hippocampus of young (3-month-old) AD mice, as evidenced by greater expression of autophagosome markers, lysosome markers, axonal transport motors (including DIC), and dynein regulatory proteins. The expression levels of autophagosome markers remained elevated, whereas those of autophagic and axonal transport proteins decreased progressively with age, accompanied by spatial learning and memory deficits, axonal autophagosome accumulation, and A ß deposition. Knockdown of DIC exacerbated while overexpression improved axonal transport, autophagosome maturation, Aß clearance, and spatial learning and memory in aged AD mice. Our study provides evidence that age-dependent failure of axonal autophagic flux contributes to AD-associated neuropathology and cognitive deficits, suggesting DIC as a potential therapeutic target for AD.

Enhancing the retrograde axonal transport by curcumin promotes autophagic flux in N2a/APP695swe cells.

The accumulation of autophagosomes and dysfunction at the axonal terminal of neurons play crucial roles in the genesis and development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Abnormalities in neuron axonal transport-related proteins prevent autophagosome maturation in AD. Curcumin, a polyphenol plant compound, has been shown to exert neuroprotective effects by increasing autophagy in AD, but the underlying mechanism of its effect on autophagy axon transport remains elusive. This study investigated the effects of curcumin on autophagosome formation and axonal transport in N2a/APP695swe cells (AD cell model) as well as the mechanism underlying those effects. Curcumin treatment significantly increased the expression of Beclin1, Atg5, and Atg16L1, induced the formation of autophagosomes, and promoted autophagosome-lysosome fusion in N2a/APP695swe cells. At the same time, curcumin promoted the expression of dynein, dynactin, and BICD2 as well as their binding to form the retrograde axonal transport molecular motor complex. Moreover, curcumin also increased the expression of the scaffolding proteins Rab7- interacting lysosomal protein (RILP) and huntingtin in N2a/APP695swe cells. Taken together, our findings indicate that curcumin increases autophagic flux by promoting interactions among autophagic axonal transport-related proteins and inducing lysosome-autophagosome fusion. This study provides evidence suggesting the potential use of curcumin as a novel treatment for AD.

MiR-124-3p attenuates hyperphosphorylation of Tau protein-induced apoptosis via caveolin-1-PI3K/Akt/GSK3ß pathway in N2a/APP695swe cells.

Hyperphosphorylation of Tau forming neurofibrillary tangles has been considered as a crucial event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). MiR-124-3p belongs to microRNA (miRNA) family and was markedly decreased in AD, however, the functions of miR-124-3p in the pathogenesis of AD remain unknown. We observed that the expression of miR-124-3p was significantly decreased in N2a/APP695swe cells; and transfection of miR-124-3p mimics not only attenuated cell apoptosis and abnormal hyperphosphorylation of Tau protein without any changes of total Tau protein, but also increased expression levels of Caveolin-1, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), phospho-Akt (Akt-Ser473)/Akt, phospho-glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3ß-Ser9)/GSK-3ß in N2a/APP695swe cells. We further found that miR-12-3p directly targeted Caveolin-1; miR-124-3p inhibited abnormal hyperphosphorylation of Tau by regulating Caveolin-1-PI3K/Akt/GSK3ß pathway in AD. This study reveals that miR-124-3p may play a neuroprotective role in AD, which may provide new ideas and therapeutic targets for AD.