Progress on the mechanism of natural products alleviating androgenetic alopecia.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) has become a widespread problem that leads to considerable impairment of the psyche and daily life. The currently approved medications for the treatment of AGA are associated with significant adverse effects, high costs, and prolonged treatment duration. Therefore, natural products are being considered as possible complementary or alternative treatments. This review aims to enhance comprehension of the mechanisms by which natural products treat AGA. To achieve this, pertinent studies were gathered and subjected to analysis. In addition, the therapeutic mechanisms associated with these natural products were organized and summarized. These include the direct modulation of signaling pathways such as the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, the PI3K/AKT pathway, and the BMP pathway. Additionally, they exert effects on cytokine secretion, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant capabilities, as well as apoptosis and autophagy. Furthermore, the review briefly discusses the relationship between signaling pathways and autophagy and apoptosis in the context of AGA, systematically presents the mechanisms of action of existing natural products, and analyzes the potential therapeutic targets based on the active components of these products. The aim is to provide a theoretical basis for the development of pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, or dietary supplements.

Multi-omics joint analysis revealed the metabolic profile of retroperitoneal liposarcoma.

Retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RLPS) is the main subtype of retroperitoneal soft sarcoma (RSTS) and has a poor prognosis and few treatment options, except for surgery. The proteomic and metabolic profiles of RLPS have remained unclear. The aim of our study was to reveal the metabolic profile of RLPS. Here, we performed proteomic analysis (n = 10), metabolomic analysis (n = 51), and lipidomic analysis (n = 50) of retroperitoneal dedifferentiated liposarcoma (RDDLPS) and retroperitoneal well-differentiated liposarcoma (RWDLPS) tissue and paired adjacent adipose tissue obtained during surgery. Data analysis mainly revealed that glycolysis, purine metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism and phospholipid formation were upregulated in both RDDLPS and RWDLPS tissue compared with the adjacent adipose tissue, whereas the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, lipid absorption and synthesis, fatty acid degradation and biosynthesis, as well as glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism were downregulated. Of particular importance, the glycolytic inhibitor 2-deoxy-D-glucose and pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) inhibitor RRX-001 significantly promoted the antitumor effects of the MDM2 inhibitor RG7112 and CDK4 inhibitor abemaciclib. Our study not only describes the metabolic profiles of RDDLPS and RWDLPS, but also offers potential therapeutic targets and strategies for RLPS.

Therapeutic Potential Targeting Podocyte Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis.

Background: Podocytes are essential components of the glomerular filtration barrier and essential for the proper filtration function of the glomerulus. Podocyte injury under various stress conditions is the primary pathogenesis and key determinant of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) with prominent clinical manifestations of proteinuria or nephrotic syndrome. Summary: Under physiological conditions, a highly coordinated mitochondrial quality control system, including antioxidant defenses, mitochondrial dynamics (fusion, fission, and mitophagy), and mitochondrial biogenesis, guarantees the sophisticated structure and various functions of podocytes. However, under FSGS pathological conditions, mitochondria encounter oxidative stress, dynamics disturbances, and defective mitochondrial biogenesis. Moreover, mutations in mitochondrial DNA and mitochondria-related genes are also strongly associated with FSGS. Based on these pieces of evidence, bioactive agents that function to relieve mitochondrial oxidative stress and promote mitochondrial biogenesis have been proven effective in preclinical FSGS models. Targeting the mitochondrial network is expected to provide new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of FSGS and delay its progression to end-stage renal disease. Key Messages: Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a key role in podocyte injury and FSGS progression. This review summarized recent advances in the study of mitochondrial homeostatic imbalance and dysfunction in FSGS and discussed the potential of mitochondria-targeted therapeutics in improving FSGS and retarding its progression to end-stage renal disease.

The glycolysis/HIF-1α axis defines the inflammatory role of IL-4-primed macrophages.

T helper type 2 (Th2) cytokine-activated M2 macrophages contribute to inflammation resolution and wound healing. This study shows that IL-4-primed macrophages exhibit a stronger response to lipopolysaccharide stimulation while maintaining M2 signature gene expression. Metabolic divergence between canonical M2 and non-canonical proinflammatory-prone M2 (M2INF) macrophages occurs after the IL-4Rα/Stat6 axis. Glycolysis supports Hif-1α stabilization and proinflammatory phenotype of M2INF macrophages. Inhibiting glycolysis blunts Hif-1α accumulation and M2INF phenotype. Wdr5-dependent H3K4me3 mediates the long-lasting effect of IL-4, with Wdr5 knockdown inhibiting M2INF macrophages. Our results also show that the induction of M2INF macrophages by IL-4 intraperitoneal injection and transferring of M2INF macrophages confer a survival advantage against bacterial infection in vivo. In conclusion, our findings highlight the previously neglected non-canonical role of M2INF macrophages and broaden our understanding of IL-4-mediated physiological changes. These results have immediate implications for how Th2-skewed infections could redirect disease progression in response to pathogen infection.

Accumulation and metabolism of pyroxasulfone in tomato seedlings.

Pyroxasulfone (PYS) is an isoxazole herbicide favored for its high activity. However, the metabolic mechanism of PYS in tomato plants and the response mechanism of tomato to PYS are still lacking. In this study, it was found that tomato seedlings had a strong ability to absorb and translocate PYS from roots to shoots. The highest accumulation of PYS was in the apex tissue of the tomato shoots. Using UPLC-MS/MS, five metabolites of PYS were detected and identified in tomato plants, and their relative contents in different parts of tomato plants varied greatly. The serine conjugate, DMIT [5, 5-dimethyl-4, 5-dihydroisoxazole-3-thiol (DMIT)] &Ser, was the most abundant metabolites of PYS in tomato plants. In tomato plants, the conjugation of thiol-containing metabolic intermediates of PYS to serine may mimic the cystathionine ß-synthase-catalyzed condensation of serine and homocysteine (in the pathway sly00260 sourced from KEGG database). This study ground breakingly proposed that serine may play an important role in plant metabolism of PYS and fluensulfone (whose molecular structure is similar to PYS). PYS and atrazine (whose toxicity profile is similar to PYS but not conjugate with serine) produced different regulatory outcomes for endogenous compounds in the pathway sly00260. Differential metabolites in tomato leaves exposed to PYS compared with the control, including amino acids, phosphates, and flavonoids, may play important roles in tomato response to PYS stress. This study provides inspiration for the biotransformation of sulfonyl-containing pesticides, antibiotics and other compounds in plants.

PRMT6 promotes tumorigenicity and cisplatin response of lung cancer through triggering 6PGD/ENO1 mediated cell metabolism.

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer, including lung cancer. However, the exact underlying mechanism and therapeutic potential are largely unknown. Here we report that protein arginine methyltransferase 6 (PRMT6) is highly expressed in lung cancer and is required for cell metabolism, tumorigenicity, and cisplatin response of lung cancer. PRMT6 regulated the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) flux and glycolysis pathway in human lung cancer by increasing the activity of 6-phospho-gluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD) and α-enolase (ENO1). Furthermore, PRMT6 methylated R324 of 6PGD to enhancing its activity; while methylation at R9 and R372 of ENO1 promotes formation of active ENO1 dimers and 2-phosphoglycerate (2-PG) binding to ENO1, respectively. Lastly, targeting PRMT6 blocked the oxidative PPP flux, glycolysis pathway, and tumor growth, as well as enhanced the anti-tumor effects of cisplatin in lung cancer. Together, this study demonstrates that PRMT6 acts as a post-translational modification (PTM) regulator of glucose metabolism, which leads to the pathogenesis of lung cancer. It was proven that the PRMT6-6PGD/ENO1 regulatory axis is an important determinant of carcinogenesis and may become a promising cancer therapeutic strategy.

A novel 3-phenylglutaric acid derivative (84-B10) alleviates cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury by inhibiting mitochondrial oxidative stress-mediated ferroptosis.

Cisplatin is one of the most effective chemotherapy drugs and is widely used for cancer treatment. However, its clinical use is limited by nephrotoxicity. Emerging findings suggested that both ferroptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction mediate cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. In the current study, a novel 3-phenylglutaric acid derivative 5-[[2-(4-methoxyphenoxy)-5-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]amino]-5-oxo-3-phenylpentanoic acid (referred to as 84-B10) was found to play a protective role in cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury with no tumor promoting effects. A genome-wide transcriptome analysis indicated that the protective effect of 84-B10 might be dependent on antagonizing ferroptosis. In accordance, lipid peroxide accumulation and downregulation of key ferroptosis suppressors were reversed using 84-B10 treatment both in vivo and in vitro. In addition, 84-B10 inhibited cisplatin-induced mitochondrial damage and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) production and restored superoxide dismutases (SODs). Furthermore, 84-B10 showed similar therapeutic effects to MnTBAP (a cell-permeable SOD mimetic) in eliminating mtROS, restoring mitochondrial homeostasis, and inhibiting ferroptosis under cisplatin challenge. Comparable effects of 84-B10 and liproxstatin-1 in ameliorating cisplatin-induced ferroptosis were observed. However, liproxstatin-1 failed to prevent mitochondrial dysfunction. These data indicated that mtROS might act upstream of cisplatin-induced tubular ferroptosis. Taken together, the novel 3-phenylglutaric acid derivative 84-B10 showed therapeutic potential against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity possibly by restoring mitochondria homeostasis and inhibiting mtROS-induced ferroptosis, which suggests the potential use of 84-B10 in preventing and treating cisplatin-nephrotoxicity.

Therapeutic targeting of the mevalonate-geranylgeranyl diphosphate pathway with statins overcomes chemotherapy resistance in small cell lung cancer.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) lacks effective treatments to overcome chemoresistance. Here we established multiple human chemoresistant xenograft models through long-term intermittent chemotherapy, mimicking clinically relevant therapeutic settings. We show that chemoresistant SCLC undergoes metabolic reprogramming relying on the mevalonate (MVA)-geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) pathway, which can be targeted using clinically approved statins. Mechanistically, statins induce oxidative stress accumulation and apoptosis through the GGPP synthase 1 (GGPS1)-RAB7A-autophagy axis. Statin treatment overcomes both intrinsic and acquired SCLC chemoresistance in vivo across different SCLC PDX models bearing high GGPS1 levels. Moreover, we show that GGPS1 expression is negatively associated with survival in patients with SCLC. Finally, we demonstrate that combined statin and chemotherapy treatment resulted in durable responses in three patients with SCLC who relapsed from first-line chemotherapy. Collectively, these data uncover the MVA-GGPP pathway as a metabolic vulnerability in SCLC and identify statins as a potentially effective treatment to overcome chemoresistance.

Themis is indispensable for IL-2 and IL-15 signaling in T cells.

To perform their antiviral and antitumor functions, T cells must integrate signals both from the T cell receptor (TCR), which instruct the cell to remain quiescent or become activated, and from cytokines that guide cellular proliferation and differentiation. In mature CD8+ T cells, Themis has been implicated in integrating TCR and cytokine signals. We investigated whether Themis plays a direct role in cytokine signaling in mature T cells. Themis was required for IL-2- and IL-15-driven CD8+ T cell proliferation both in mice and in vitro. Mechanistically, we found that Themis promoted the activation of the transcription factor Stat and mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling downstream of cytokine receptors. Metabolomics and stable isotope tracing analyses revealed that Themis deficiency reduced glycolysis and serine and nucleotide biosynthesis, demonstrating a receptor-proximal requirement for Themis in triggering the metabolic changes that enable T cell proliferation. The cellular, metabolic, and biochemical defects caused by Themis deficiency were corrected in mice lacking both Themis and the phosphatase Shp1, suggesting that Themis mediates IL-2 and IL-15 receptor-proximal signaling by restraining the activity of Shp1. Together, these results not only shed light on the mechanisms of cytokine signaling but also provide new clues on manipulating T cells for clinical applications.

Mitochondrial C1qbp promotes differentiation of effector CD8+ T cells via metabolic-epigenetic reprogramming.

Early-activated CD8+ T cells increase both aerobic glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). However, whether and how the augmentation of OXPHOS regulates differentiation of effector CD8+ T cell remains unclear. Here, we found that C1qbp was intrinsically required for such differentiation in antiviral and antitumor immune responses. Activated C1qbp-deficient CD8+ T cells failed to increase mitochondrial respiratory capacities, resulting in diminished acetyl­coenzyme A as well as elevated fumarate and 2-hydroxyglutarate. Consequently, hypoacetylation of H3K27 and hypermethylation of H3K27 and CpG sites were associated with transcriptional down-regulation of effector signature genes. The effector differentiation of C1qbp-sufficient or C1qbp-deficient CD8+ T cells was reversed by fumarate or a combination of histone deacetylase inhibitor and acetate. Therefore, these findings identify C1qbp as a pivotal positive regulator in the differentiation of effector CD8+ T cells and highlight a metabolic-epigenetic axis in this process.

Roxadustat prevents Ang II hypertension by targeting angiotensin receptors and eNOS.

The prevalence of hypertension is increasing globally, while strategies for prevention and treatment of hypertension remain limited. FG-4592 (Roxadustat) is a potentially novel, orally active small-molecule hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) stabilizer and is being used clinically to treat chronic kidney disease (CKD) anemia. In the present study, we evaluate the effects of FG-4592 on hypertension. In an angiotensin II (Ang II) hypertension model, FG-4592 abolished hypertensive responses; prevented vascular thickening, cardiac hypertrophy, and kidney injury; downregulated AGTR1 expression; and enhanced AGTR2, endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), and HIF1α protein levels in the aortas of mice. Additionally, the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs) in blood and urine were diminished by FG-4592 treatment. In vascular smooth muscle cells, FG-4592 treatment reduced angiotensin receptor type 1 (AGTR1) and increased AGTR2 levels, while preventing Ang II-induced oxidative stress. In vascular endothelial cells, FG-4592 upregulated total and phosphorylated eNOS. Moreover, FG-4592 treatment was hypotensive in L-NAME-induced hypertension. In summary, FG-4592 treatment remarkably ameliorated hypertension and organ injury, possibly through stabilizing HIF1α and subsequently targeting eNOS, AGTR1, AGTR2, and oxidative stress. Therefore, in addition to its role in treating CKD anemia, FG-4592 could be explored as a treatment for hypertension associated with high renin angiotensin system (RAS) activity or eNOS defects.

Biofilm formation in Acinetobacter baumannii was inhibited by PAßN while it had no association with antibiotic resistance.

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between Acinetobacter baumannii biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, the effects of PAßN, a potential efflux pump inhibitor, on A. baumannii biofilm formation and dispersion were tested, and the gene expression levels of efflux pumps were determined to study the mechanisms. A total of 92 A. baumannii isolates from infected patients were collected and identified by multiplex PCR. The antimicrobial susceptibility of A. baumannii clinical isolates was tested by VITEK 2 COMPACT® . Genotypes were determined by ERIC-2 PCR. Biofilm formation and dispersion were detected by crystal violet staining. The presence and mRNA expression of efflux pump genes were analyzed by conventional PCR and real-time PCR, respectively. More than 50% of the A. baumannii strains formed biofilm and were divided into different groups according to their biofilm-forming ability. Antibiotic resistance rates among most groups did not significantly differ. There were 7 clonal groups in 92 strains of A. baumannii and no dominant clones among the different biofilm-forming groups. PAßN inhibited A. baumannii biofilm formation and enhanced its dispersion, whereas adeB, adeJ, and adeG and the mRNA expression of adeB, abeM, and amvA showed no differences in the different biofilm-forming groups. In conclusion, there was no clear relationship between biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance in A. baumannii. The effects of PAßN on A. baumannii biofilm formation and dispersion were independent of the efflux pumps.