Integrating Metabolomics and Network Pharmacology to Explore the Mechanism of Xiao-Yao-San in the Treatment of Inflammatory Response in CUMS Mice.

Depression can trigger an inflammatory response that affects the immune system, leading to the development of other diseases related to inflammation. Xiao-Yao-San (XYS) is a commonly used formula in clinical practice for treating depression. However, it remains unclear whether XYS has a modulating effect on the inflammatory response associated with depression. The objective of this study was to examine the role and mechanism of XYS in regulating the anti-inflammatory response in depression. A chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mouse model was established to evaluate the antidepressant inflammatory effects of XYS. Metabolomic assays and network pharmacology were utilized to analyze the pathways and targets associated with XYS in its antidepressant inflammatory effects. In addition, molecular docking, immunohistochemistry, Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR), and Western Blot were performed to verify the expression of relevant core targets. The results showed that XYS significantly improved depressive behavior and attenuated the inflammatory response in CUMS mice. Metabolomic analysis revealed the reversible modulation of 21 differential metabolites by XYS in treating depression-related inflammation. Through the combination of liquid chromatography and network pharmacology, we identified seven active ingredients and seven key genes. Furthermore, integrating the predictions from network pharmacology and the findings from metabolomic analysis, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGFA) and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-γ (PPARG) were identified as the core targets. Molecular docking and related molecular experiments confirmed these results. The present study employed metabolomics and network pharmacology analyses to provide evidence that XYS has the ability to alleviate the inflammatory response in depression through the modulation of multiple metabolic pathways and targets.

Paeoniflorin Coordinates Macrophage Polarization and Mitigates Liver Inflammation and Fibrogenesis by Targeting the NF-[Formula: see text]B/HIF-1α Pathway in CCl4-Induced Liver Fibrosis.

Liver fibrosis is a disease largely driven by resident and recruited macrophages. The phenotypic switch of hepatic macrophages can be achieved by chemo-attractants and cytokines. During a screening of plants traditionally used to treat liver diseases in China, paeoniflorin was identified as a potential drug that affects the polarization of macrophages. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of paeoniflorin in an animal model of liver fibrosis and explore its underlying mechanisms. Liver fibrosis was induced in Wistar rats via an intraperitoneal injection of CCl4. In addition, the RAW264.7 macrophages were cultured in the presence of CoCl2 to simulate a hypoxic microenvironment of fibrotic livers in vitro. The modeled rats were treated daily with either paeoniflorin (100, 150, and 200[Formula: see text]mg/kg) or YC-1 (2[Formula: see text]mg/kg) for 8 weeks. Hepatic function, inflammation and fibrosis, activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC), and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition were assessed in the in vivo and in vitro models. The expression levels of M1 and M2 macrophage markers and the NF-[Formula: see text]B/HIF-1[Formula: see text] pathway factors were measured using standard assays. Paeoniflorin significantly alleviated hepatic inflammation and fibrosis, as well as hepatocyte necrosis in the CCl4-induced fibrosis model. Furthermore, paeoniflorin also inhibited HSC activation and reduced ECM deposition both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, paeoniflorin restrained M1 macrophage polarization and induced M2 polarization in the fibrotic liver tissues as well as in the RAW264.7 cells grown under hypoxic conditions by inactivating the NF-[Formula: see text]B/HIF-1[Formula: see text] signaling pathway. In conclusion, paeoniflorin exerts its anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects in the liver by coordinating macrophage polarization through the NF-[Formula: see text]B/HIF-1[Formula: see text] pathway.

SNS alleviates depression-like behaviors in CUMS mice by regluating dendritic spines via NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Depression is one of the most common mood disturbances worldwide. The Si-ni-san formula (SNS) is a famous classic Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) widely used to treat depression for thousands of years in clinics. However, the mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of SNS in improving depression-like behaviors following chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) remains unknown. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to investigate whether SNS alleviates depression-like behaviors in CUMS mice by regulating dendritic spines via NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy in vitro and in vivo. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In vivo, mice were exposed to CUMS for 42 days, and SNS (4.9, 9.8, 19.6 g/kg/d), fluoxetine (10 mg/kg/d), 3-methyladenine (3-MA) (30 mg/kg/d), rapamycin(1 mg/kg/d), and deferoxamine (DFO) (200 mg/kg/d) were conducted once daily during the last 3 weeks of the CUMS procedure. In vitro, a depressive model was established by culture of SH-SY5Y cells with corticosterone, followed by treatment with different concentrations of freeze-dried SNS (0.001, 0.01, 0.1 mg/mL) and rapamycin (10 nM), NCOA4-overexpression, Si-NCOA4. After the behavioral test (open-field test (OFT), sucrose preference test (SPT), forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST), dendritic spines, GluR2 protein expression, iron concentration, and ferritinophagy-related protein levels (P62, FTH, NCOA4, LC3-II/LC3-I) were tested in vitro and in vivo using immunohistochemistry, golgi staining, immunofluorescence, and Western blot assays. Finally, HEK-293T cells were transfected by si-NCOA4 or GluR2-and NCOA4-overexpression plasmid and treated with corticosterone(100 µM), freeze-dried SNS(0.01 mg/mL), rapamycin(25 nM), and 3-MA(5 mM). The binding amount of GluR2, NCOA4, and LC3 was assessed by the co-immunoprecipitation (CO-IP) assay. RESULTS: 3-MA, SNS, and DFO promoted depressive-like behaviors in CUMS mice during OFT, SPT, FST and TST, improved the amount of the total, thin, mushroom spine density and enhanced GluR2 protein expression in the hippocampus. Meanwhile, treatment with SNS decreased iron concentrations and inhibited NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy activation in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, 3-MA and SNS could prevent the binding of GluR2, NCOA4 and LC3 in corticosterone-treated HEK-293T, and rapamycin reversed this phenomenon after treatment with SNS. CONCLUSION: SNS alleviates depression-like behaviors in CUMS mice by regulating dendritic spines via NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy.

Variations in genetic diversity in cultivated Pistacia chinensis.

Identification of the evolution history and genetic diversity of a species is important in the utilization of novel genetic variation in this species, as well as for its conservation. Pistacia chinensis is an important biodiesel tree crop in China, due to the high oil content of its fruit. The aim of this study was to uncover the genetic structure of P. chinensis and to investigate the influence of intraspecific gene flow on the process of domestication and the diversification of varieties. We investigated the genetic structure of P. chinensis, as well as evolution and introgression in the subpopulations, through analysis of the plastid and nuclear genomes of 39 P. chinensis individuals from across China. High levels of variation were detected in the P. chinensis plastome, and 460 intraspecific polymorphic sites, 104 indels and three small inversions were identified. Phylogenetic analysis and population structure using the plastome dataset supported five clades of P. chinensis. Population structure analysis based on the nuclear SNPs showed two groups, clearly clustered together, and more than a third of the total individuals were classified as hybrids. Discordance between the plastid and nuclear genomes suggested that hybridization events may have occurred between highly divergent samples in the P. chinensis subclades. Most of the species in the P. chinensis subclade diverged between the late Miocene and the mid-Pliocene. The processes of domestication and cultivation have decreased the genetic diversity of P. chinensis. The extensive variability and structuring of the P. chinensis plastid together with the nuclear genomic variation detected in this study suggests that much unexploited genetic diversity is available for improvement in this recently domesticated species.

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of organic acid profiles in human serum: A protocol of direct ultrasound-assisted derivatization.

RATIONALE: Low-molecular-weight organic acids that generally contain one to three carboxyl groups are involved in many important biological processes; therefore, it is important to develop a quantitative method for analyzing organic acids in serum in order to allow an evaluation of metabolic changes. In this study, we evaluated a protocol for detecting 26 organic acids in serum based on ultrasound-assisted derivatization by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). METHODS: Serum samples were prepared using ultrasound-assisted silane derivatization before GC/MS analysis to quantify concentrations of organic acids. Additionally, we investigated the variables affecting derivatization yields, including the extraction solvent, derivatization reagents, and derivatization conditions (reaction temperature, duration, and sonication parameters). The protocol was ultimately applied to detect organic acid profiles related to obesity. RESULTS: We used acetone as the extraction solvent and determined suitable derivatization conditions, as follows: BSTFA + 1% TMCS, 50°C, 10 min, and 100% ultrasound power. The protocol showed satisfactory linearity (r = 0.9958-0.9996), a low limit of detection (0.04-0.42 µmol/L), good reproducibility (coefficient of variation (CV) %: 0.32-13.76%), acceptable accuracy (recovery: 82.97-114.96%), and good stability within 5 days (CV%: 1.35-12.01% at room temperature, 1.24-14.09% at 4°C, and 1.01-11.67% at -20°C). Moreover, the protocol was successfully applied to obtain the organic acid profiles from obese and healthy control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: We identified and validated a protocol for ultrasound-assisted derivatization prior to GC/MS analysis for detecting 26 kinds of organic acids in serum. The results suggest the efficacy of this protocol for clinical applications to determine metabolic changes related to fluctuations in organic acid profiles.

[Molecular mechanisms of anti-inflammatory action of AMPK].

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an evolutionarily conserved serine/threonine protein kinase, is known as the "cellular energy regulator" and a key molecule to maintain the energy balance of cells and organism. Recent studies have shown that AMPK exerts anti-inflammatory effects mainly through activating SIRT1, PGC-1α, p53, FoxO3a and p300, and down-regulating the activity of various inflammatory related proteins such as NF-κB and AP-1. This article reviews the molecular mechanisms of the anti- inflammatory effects of AMPK, and provides some clues for the development of AMPK-targeted therapeutics to treat inflammation and related diseases.

Carrier Transport Improvement of CH3NH3PbI3 Film by Methylamine Gas Treatment.

Recently, perovskite solar cells with high photovoltaic performance based on methylammonium lead halide have attracted great interest due to the superior physical properties of the perovskite optical absorption layer. Here, we investigate the interface carrier transport properties of CH3NH3PbI3 film by applying the reported treatment with methylamine gas, to reveal the possible mechanism of high performance perovskite-sensitized solar cell results. It is found that the crystal structure and surface morphology are effectively improved by the room-temperature repair of methylamine atmosphere. The preferred 110 orientation results in a slightly larger band gap, which may contribute to the better energy level matching and carrier transport. Further investigations on relaxation time and electron mobility confirm the significantly enhanced carrier diffusion length, revealing the important role of optimized crystallization on charge transport properties, which may be helpful to seek high-powered perovskite solar cells by optimizing the perovskite synthetic process.

Preparation and activity of bubbling-immobilized cellobiase within chitosan-alginate composite.

Cellobiase can hydrolyze cellobiose into glucose; it plays a key role in the process of cellulose hydrolysis by reducing the product inhibition. To reuse the enzyme and improve the economic value of cellulosic ethanol, cellobiase was immobilized using sodium alginate and chitosan as carriers by the bubbling method. The immobilization conditions were optimized as follows: enzyme loading of 100 U cellobiase/g carrier, 30 min immobilization, 3.5 wt% sodium alginate, 0.25 wt% chitosan, and 2 wt% calcium chloride. Compared to free enzyme, the immobilized cellobiase had a decreased apparent K(m) and the maximum activity at a lower pH, indicating its higher acidic and thermal stability. The immobilized cellobiase was further tested in the hydrolysis of cellobiose and various cellulosic substrates (microcrystalline cellulose, filter paper, and ammonia-pretreated corn cobs). Together with cellulases, the immobilized cellobiase converted the cellulosic substrates into glucose with the rate and extent similar to the free enzyme.