Ac2-26 reduced the liver injury after cardiopulmonary bypass in rats via AKT1/GSK3ß/eNOS pathway.

OBJECTIVE: About 10% of patients after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) would undergo acute liver injury, which aggravated the mortality of patients. Ac2-26 has been demonstrated to ameliorate organic injury by inhibiting inflammation. The present study aims to evaluate the effect and mechanism of Ac2-26 on acute liver injury after CPB. METHODS: A total of 32 SD rats were randomized into sham, CPB, Ac, and Ac/AKT1 groups. The rats only received anesthesia, and rats in other groups received CPB. The rats in Ac/AKT1 were pre-injected with the shRNA to interfere with the expression of AKT1. The rats in CPB were injected with saline, and rats in Ac and Ac/AKT1 groups were injected with Ac2-26. After 12 h of CPB, all the rats were sacrificed and the peripheral blood and liver samples were collected to analyze. The inflammatory factors in serum and liver were detected. The liver function was tested, and the pathological injury of liver tissue was evaluated. RESULTS: Compared with the sham group, the inflammatory factors, liver function, and pathological injury were worsened after CPB. Compared with the CPB group, the Ac2-26 significantly decreased the pro-inflammatory factors and increased the anti-inflammatory factor, improved liver function, and ameliorated the pathological injury. All the therapeutic effects of Ac2-26 were notably attenuated by the shRNA of AKT1. The Ac2-26 increased the GSK3ß and eNOS, and this promotion was inhibited by the shRNA. CONCLUSION: The Ac2-26 significantly treated the liver injury, inhibited inflammation, and improved liver function. The effect of Ac2-26 on liver injury induced by CPB was partly associated with the promotion of AKT1/GSK3ß/eNOS.

Fast freezing inhibits melanin synthesis of melanocytes by modulating the Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway.

Skin hyperpigmentation is mainly caused by excessive synthesis of melanin; however, there is still no safe and effective therapy for its removal. Here, we found that the dermal freezer was able to improve UVB-induced hyperpigmentation of guinea pigs without causing obvious epidermal damage. We also mimic freezing stimulation at the cellular level by rapid freezing and observed that freezing treatments <2.5 min could not decrease cell viability or induce cell apoptosis in B16F10 and Melan-A cells. Critically, melanin content and tyrosinase activity in two cells were greatly reduced after freezing treatments. The dramatic decrease in tyrosinase activity was associated with the downregulation of MITF, TYR, TRP-1 and TRP-2 protein expression in response to freezing treatments for two cells. Furthermore, our results first demonstrated that freezing treatments significantly reduced the levels of p-GSK3ß and ß-catenin and the nuclear accumulation of ß-catenin in B16F10 and Melan-A cells. Together, these data suggest that fast freezing treatments can inhibit melanogenesis-related gene expression in melanocytes by regulating the Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway. The inhibition of melanin production eventually contributed to the improvement in skin hyperpigmentation induced by UVB. Therefore, fast freezing treatments may be a new alternative of skin whitening in the clinic in the future.

HIF-1α participates in the regulation of S100A16-HRD1-GSK3ß/CK1α pathway in renal hypoxia injury.

S100 calcium-binding protein 16 (S100A16) is implicated in both chronic kidney disease (CKD) and acute kidney injury (AKI). Previous research has shown that S100A16 contributes to AKI by facilitating the ubiquitylation and degradation of glycogen synthase kinase 3ß (GSK3ß) and casein kinase 1α (CK1α) through the activation of HMG-CoA reductase degradation protein 1 (HRD1). However, the mechanisms governing S100A16-induced HRD1 activation and the upregulation of S100A16 expression in renal injury are not fully understood. In this study, we observed elevated expression of Hypoxia-inducible Factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) in the kidneys of mice subjected to ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). S100A16 deletion attenuated the increased HIF-1α expression induced by IRI. Using a S100A16 knockout rat renal tubular epithelial cell line (NRK-52E cells), we found that S100A16 knockout effectively mitigated apoptosis during hypoxic reoxygenation (H/R) and cell injury induced by TGF-ß1. Our results revealed that H/R injuries increased both protein and mRNA levels of HIF-1α and HRD1 in renal tubular cells. S100A16 knockout reversed the expressions of HIF-1α and HRD1 under H/R conditions. Conversely, S100A16 overexpression in NRK-52E cells elevated HIF-1α and HRD1 levels. HIF-1α overexpression increased HRD1 and ß-catenin while decreasing GSK-3ß. HIF-1α inhibition restored HRD1 and ß-catenin upregulation and GSK-3ß downregulation by cellular H/R injury. Notably, Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and luciferase reporter assays demonstrated HIF-1α binding signals on the HRD1 promoter, and luciferase reporter gene assays confirmed HIF-1α's transcriptional regulation of HRD1. Additionally, we identified Transcription Factor AP-2 Beta (TFAP2B) as the upregulator of S100A16. ChIP and luciferase reporter assays confirmed TFAP2B as a transcription factor for S100A16. In summary, this study identifies TFAP2B as the transcription factor for S100A16 and demonstrates HIF-1α regulation of HRD1 transcription within the S100A16-HRD1-GSK3ß/CK1α pathway during renal hypoxia injury. These findings provide crucial insights into the molecular mechanisms of kidney injury, offering potential avenues for therapeutic intervention.

Human dental pulp stem cells mitigate the neuropathology and cognitive decline via AKT-GSK3ß-Nrf2 pathways in Alzheimer's disease.

Oxidative stress is increasingly recognized as a major contributor to the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), particularly in the early stages of the disease. The multiplicity advantages of stem cell transplantation make it fascinating therapeutic strategy for many neurodegenerative diseases. We herein demonstrated that human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) mediated oxidative stress improvement and neuroreparative effects in in vitro AD models, playing critical roles in regulating the polarization of hyperreactive microglia cells and the recovery of damaged neurons. Importantly, these therapeutic effects were reflected in 10-month-old 3xTg-AD mice after a single transplantation of hDPSCs, with the treated mice showing significant improvement in cognitive function and neuropathological features. Mechanistically, antioxidant and neuroprotective effects, as well as cognitive enhancements elicited by hDPSCs, were at least partially mediated by Nrf2 nuclear accumulation and downstream antioxidant enzymes expression through the activation of the AKT-GSK3ß-Nrf2 signaling pathway. In conclusion, our findings corroborated the neuroprotective capacity of hDPSCs to reshape the neuropathological microenvironment in both in vitro and in vivo AD models, which may be a tremendous potential therapeutic candidate for Alzheimer's disease.

Chaperone-mediated autophagy protects the bone formation from excessive inflammation through PI3K/AKT/GSK3ß/ß-catenin pathway.

Multiple regulatory mechanisms are in place to ensure the normal processes of bone metabolism, encompassing both bone formation and absorption. This study has identified chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) as a critical regulator that safeguards bone formation from the detrimental effects of excessive inflammation. By silencing LAMP2A or HSCA8, we observed a hindrance in the osteoblast differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) in vitro. To further elucidate the role of LAMP2A, we generated LAMP2A gene knockdown and overexpression of mouse BMSCs (mBMSCs) using adenovirus. Our results showed that LAMP2A knockdown led to a decrease in osteogenic-specific proteins, while LAMP2A overexpression favored the osteogenesis of mBMSCs. Notably, active-ß-catenin levels were upregulated by LAMP2A overexpression. Furthermore, we found that LAMP2A overexpression effectively protected the osteogenesis of mBMSCs from TNF-α, through the PI3K/AKT/GSK3ß/ß-catenin pathway. Additionally, LAMP2A overexpression significantly inhibited osteoclast hyperactivity induced by TNF-α. Finally, in a murine bone defect model, we demonstrated that controlled release of LAMP2A overexpression adenovirus by alginate sodium capsule efficiently protected bone healing from inflammation, as confirmed by imaging and histological analyses. Collectively, our findings suggest that enhancing CMA has the potential to safeguard bone formation while mitigating hyperactivity in bone absorption.

miR-709 exerts an angiogenic effect through a FGF2 upregulation induced by a GSK3B downregulation.

The aim of this study was to identify angiogenic microRNAs (miRNAs) that could be used in the treatment of hindlimb ischemic tissues. miRNAs contained in extracellular vesicles (EVs) deriving from the plasma were analyzed in C57BL/6 mice, which have ischemia tolerance, and in BALB/c mice without ischemia tolerance as part of a hindlimb ischemia model; as a result 43 angiogenic miRNA candidates were identified. An aortic ring assay was employed by using femoral arteries isolated from BALC/c mice and EVs containing miRNA; as a result, the angiogenic miRNA candidates were limited to 14. The blood flow recovery was assessed after injecting EVs containing miRNA into BALB/c mice with hindlimb ischemia, and miR-709 was identified as a promising angiogenic miRNA. miR-709-encapsulating EVs were found to increase the expression levels of the fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) mRNA in the thigh tissues of hindlimb ischemia model BALB/c mice. miR-709 was also found to bind to the 3'UTR of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3B) in three places. GSK3B-knockdown human artery-derived endothelial cells were found to express high levels of FGF2, and were characterized by increased cell proliferation. These findings indicate that miR-709 induces an upregulation of FGF2 through the downregulation of GSK3B.

Sesamolin serves as an MYH14 inhibitor to sensitize endometrial cancer to chemotherapy and endocrine therapy via suppressing MYH9/GSK3ß/ß-catenin signaling.

BACKGROUND: Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common gynecological cancers. Herein, we aimed to define the role of specific myosin family members in EC because this protein family is involved in the progression of various cancers. METHODS: Bioinformatics analyses were performed to reveal EC patients' prognosis-associated genes in patients with EC. Furthermore, colony formation, immunofluorescence, cell counting kit 8, wound healing, and transwell assays as well as coimmunoprecipitation, cycloheximide chase, luciferase reporter, and cellular thermal shift assays were performed to functionally and mechanistically analyze human EC samples, cell lines, and a mouse model, respectively. RESULTS: Machine learning techniques identified MYH14, a member of the myosin family, as the prognosis-associated gene in patients with EC. Furthermore, bioinformatics analyses based on public databases showed that MYH14 was associated with EC chemoresistance. Moreover, immunohistochemistry validated MYH14 upregulation in EC cases compared with that in normal controls and confirmed that MYH14 was an independent and unfavorable prognostic indicator of EC. MYH14 impaired cell sensitivity to carboplatin, paclitaxel, and progesterone, and increased cell proliferation and metastasis in EC. The mechanistic study showed that MYH14 interacted with MYH9 and impaired GSK3ß-mediated ß-catenin ubiquitination and degradation, thus facilitating the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Sesamolin, a natural compound extracted from Sesamum indicum (L.), directly targeted MYH14 and attenuated EC progression. Additionally, the compound disrupted the interplay between MYH14 and MYH9 and repressed MYH9-regulated Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. The in vivo study further verified sesamolin as a therapeutic drug without side effects. CONCLUSIONS: Herein, we identified that EC prognosis-associated MYH14 was independently responsible for poor overall survival time of patients, and it augmented EC progression by activating Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. Targeting MYH14 by sesamolin, a cytotoxicity-based approach, can be applied synergistically with chemotherapy and endocrine therapy to eventually mitigate EC development. This study emphasizes MYH14 as a potential target and sesamolin as a valuable natural drug for EC therapy.

Proton pump inhibitors stabilize the expression of PD-L1 on cell membrane depending on the phosphorylation of GSK3ß.

BACKGROUND: Preclinical and clinical evidence indicates that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may indirectly diminish the microbiome diversity, thereby reducing the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Conversely, recent publications have shown that PPIs could potentially enhance the response to ICIs. The precise mechanism through which PPIs modulate the ICIs remains unclear. In this study, we discovered a novel molecular function of PPIs in regulating immune invasion, specifically through inducing PD-L1 translocation in various tumor cells. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice subcutaneous transplantation model is used to verify the potential efficacy of PPIs and PD-L1 antibody. Western blotting analysis and phosphorylated chip are used to verify the alteration of PD-L1-related pathways after being treated with PPIs. The related gene expression is performed by qRT-PCR and luciferase reporter analysis. We also collected 60 clinical patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer or reflux esophagitis and then detected the expression of PD-L1 in the tissue samples by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: We observed that the IC50 of tumor cells in response to PPIs was significantly higher than that of normal epithelial cells. PPIs significantly increased the expression of PD-L1 on cell membrane at clinically relevant concentrations. Furthermore, pre-treatment with PPIs appeared to synergize the efficiency of anti-PD-L1 antibodies in mouse models. However, PPI administration did not alter the transcription or total protein level of PD-L1 in multiple tumor cells. Using a phosphorylated protein chip, we identified that PPIs enhanced the phosphorylation of GSK3ß, then leading to PD-L1 protein translocation to the cell membranes. The capacity of PPIs to upregulate PD-L1 was negated following GSK3ß knockout. Furthermore, our clinical data showed that the PPIs use resulted in increased PD-L1 expression in esophageal cancer patients. CONCLUSION: We mainly address a significant and novel mechanism that the usage of PPIs could directly induce the expression of PD-L1 by inducing GSK3ß phosphorylation and facilitate primary tumor progression and metastasis.

Proximal tubular FHL2, a novel downstream target of hypoxia inducible factor 1, is a protector against ischemic acute kidney injury.

Four-and-a-half LIM domains protein 2 (FHL2) is an adaptor protein that may interact with hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) or ß-catenin, two pivotal protective signaling in acute kidney injury (AKI). However, little is known about the regulation and function of FHL2 during AKI. We found that FHL2 was induced in renal tubular cells in patients with acute tubular necrosis and mice model of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). In cultured renal proximal tubular cells (PTCs), hypoxia induced FHL2 expression and promoted the binding of HIF-1 to FHL2 promoter. Compared with control littermates, mice with PTC-specific deletion of FHL2 gene displayed worse renal function, more severe morphologic lesion, more tubular cell death and less cell proliferation, accompanying by downregulation of AQP1 and Na, K-ATPase after IRI. Consistently, loss of FHL2 in PTCs restricted activation of HIF-1 and ß-catenin signaling simultaneously, leading to attenuation of glycolysis, upregulation of apoptosis-related proteins and downregulation of proliferation-related proteins during IRI. In vitro, knockdown of FHL2 suppressed hypoxia-induced activation of HIF-1α and ß-catenin signaling pathways. Overexpression of FHL2 induced physical interactions between FHL2 and HIF-1α, ß-catenin, GSK-3ß or p300, and the combination of these interactions favored the stabilization and nuclear translocation of HIF-1α and ß-catenin, enhancing their mediated gene transcription. Collectively, these findings identify FHL2 as a direct downstream target gene of HIF-1 signaling and demonstrate that FHL2 could play a critical role in protecting against ischemic AKI by promoting the activation of HIF-1 and ß-catenin signaling through the interactions with its multiple protein partners.

Multistate Method to Efficiently Account for Tautomerism and Protonation in Alchemical Free-Energy Calculations.

The majority of drug-like molecules contain at least one ionizable group, and many common drug scaffolds are subject to tautomeric equilibria. Thus, these compounds are found in a mixture of protonation and/or tautomeric states at physiological pH. Intrinsically, standard classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations cannot describe such equilibria between states, which negatively impacts the prediction of key molecular properties in silico. Following the formalism described by de Oliveira and co-workers (J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2019, 15, 424-435) to consider the influence of all states on the binding process based on alchemical free-energy calculations, we demonstrate in this work that the multistate method replica-exchange enveloping distribution sampling (RE-EDS) is well suited to describe molecules with multiple protonation and/or tautomeric states in a single simulation. We apply our methodology to a series of eight inhibitors of factor Xa with two protonation states and a series of eight inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase 3ß (GSK3ß) with two tautomeric states. In particular, we show that given a sufficient phase-space overlap between the states, RE-EDS is computationally more efficient than standard pairwise free-energy methods.

Sevoflurane postconditioning ameliorates cerebral hypoxia/reoxygenation injury in zebrafish involving the Akt/GSK-3ß pathway activation and the microtubule-associated protein 2 promotion.

Sevoflurane postconditioning has been shown to provide neuroprotection against cerebral hypoxia-ischemia injury, but the mechanisms remain elusive. Microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) is implicated in early neuronal hypoxia-ischemia injury. This study aimed to investigate whether the neuroprotective effects of sevoflurane postconditioning are related to the Akt/GSK-3ß pathway and its downstream target MAP2 in zebrafish hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) model. Sevoflurane postconditioning or GSK-3ß inhibitor TDZD-8 were used to treat H/R zebrafish. The cerebral infarction, neuronal apoptosis, and mitochondrial changes were evaluated using TTC staining, TUNEL staining, and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The distribution of MAP2 in the brain was determined by immunofluorescence imaging. The levels of Akt, p-Akt, GSK-3ß, p-GSK-3ß, and MAP2 proteins were evaluated by Western blotting. The neurobehavioral recovery of zebrafish was assessed based on optokinetic response behavior. Our results indicated that sevoflurane postconditioning and TDZD-8 significantly reduced the cerebral infarction area, suppressed cell apoptosis, and improved mitochondrial integrity in zebrafish subjected to H/R. Furthermore, sevoflurane postconditioning and TDZD-8 elevated the ratios of p-Akt/Akt and p-GSK-3ß/GSK-3ß. However, the neuroprotective effect of sevoflurane postconditioning was effectively abolished upon suppression of MAP2 expression. In conclusion, sevoflurane postconditioning ameliorated cerebral H/R injury and facilitated the restoration of neurobehavioral function through the activation of Akt/GSK-3ß pathway and promotion of MAP2 expression.

Combined in vivo effect of N-acylethanolamine-hydrolyzing acid amidase and glycogen synthase kinase-3ß inhibition to treat multiple sclerosis.

The current pharmacological approaches to multiple sclerosis (MS) target its inflammatory and autoimmune components, but effective treatments to foster remyelination and axonal repair are still lacking. We therefore selected two targets known to be involved in MS pathogenesis: N-acylethanolamine-hydrolyzing acid amidase (NAAA) and glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (GSK-3ß). We tested whether inhibiting these targets exerted a therapeutic effect against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS. The combined inhibition of NAAA and GSK-3ß by two selected small-molecule compounds, ARN16186 (an NAAA inhibitor) and AF3581 (a GSK-3ß inhibitor), effectively mitigated disease progression, rescuing the animals from paralysis and preventing a worsening of the pathology. The complementary activity of the two inhibitors reduced the infiltration of immune cells into the spinal cord and led to the formation of thin myelin sheaths around the axons post-demyelination. Specifically, the inhibition of NAAA and GSK-3ß modulated the over-activation of NF-kB and STAT3 transcription factors in the EAE-affected mice and induced the nuclear translocation of ß-catenin, reducing the inflammatory insult and promoting the remyelination process. Overall, this work demonstrates that the dual-targeting of key aspects responsible for MS progression could be an innovative pharmacological approach to tackle the pathology.

Recombinant fibroblast growth factor 4 ameliorates axonal regeneration and functional recovery in acute spinal cord injury through altering microglia/macrophage phenotype.

Neuroinflammation is one of the extensive secondary injury processes that aggravate metabolic and cellular dysfunction and tissue loss following spinal cord injury (SCI). Thus, an anti-inflammatory strategy is crucial for modulating structural and functional restoration during the stage of acute and chronic SCI. Recombinant fibroblast growth factor 4 (rFGF4) has eliminated its mitogenic activity and demonstrated a metabolic regulator for alleviating hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes and liver injury in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. However, it remains to be explored whether or not rFGF4 has a neuroprotective effect for restoring neurological disorders, such as SCI. Here, we identified that rFGF4 could polarize microglia/macrophages into the restorative M2 subtype, thus exerting an anti-inflammatory effect to promote neurological functional recovery and nerve fiber regeneration after SCI. Importantly, these effects by rFGF4 were related to triggering PI3K/AKT/GSK3ß and attenuating TLR4/NF-κB signaling axes. Conversely, gene silencing of the PI3K/AKT/GSK3ß signaling or pharmacological reactivation of the TLR4/NF-κB axis aggravated inflammatory reaction. Thus, our findings highlight rFGF4 as a potentially therapeutic regulator for repairing SCI, and its outstanding effect is associated with regulating macrophage/microglial polarization.

Mitochondrial translation failure represses cholesterol gene expression via Pyk2-Gsk3ß-Srebp2 axis.

Neurodegenerative diseases and other age-related disorders are closely associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. We previously showed that mice with neuron-specific deficiency of mitochondrial translation exhibit leukoencephalopathy because of demyelination. Reduced cholesterol metabolism has been associated with demyelinating diseases of the brain such as Alzheimer's disease. However, the molecular mechanisms involved and relevance to the pathogenesis remained unknown. In this study, we show that inhibition of mitochondrial translation significantly reduced expression of the cholesterol synthase genes and degraded their sterol-regulated transcription factor, sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (Srebp2). Furthermore, the phosphorylation of Pyk2 and Gsk3ß was increased in the white matter of p32cKO mice. We observed that Pyk2 inhibitors reduced the phosphorylation of Gsk3ß and that GSK3ß inhibitors suppressed degradation of the transcription factor Srebp2. The Pyk2-Gsk3ß axis is involved in the ubiquitination of Srebp2 and reduced expression of cholesterol gene. These results suggest that inhibition of mitochondrial translation may be a causative mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases of aging. Improving the mitochondrial translation or effectiveness of Gsk3ß inhibitors is a potential therapeutic strategy for leukoencephalopathy.

Tumor microenvironment-modulating oncolytic adenovirus combined with GSK-3ß inhibitor enhances antitumor immune response against bladder cancer.

Bladder cancer is a common type of cancer around the world, and the majority of patients are diagnosed with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Although low-risk NMIBC has a good prognosis, the disease recurrence rate and development of treatment-refractory disease remain high in intermediate- to high-risk NMIBC patients. To address these challenges for the treatment of NMIBC, a novel combination therapy composed of an oncolytic adenovirus (oAd) co-expressing interleukin (IL)-12, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and relaxin (RLX; HY-oAd) and a clinical-stage glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3ß inhibitor (9-ING-41; elraglusib) was investigated in the present report. Our findings demonstrate that HY-oAd and 9-ING-41 combination therapy (HY-oAd+9-ING-41) exerted superior inhibition of tumor growth compared with respective monotherapy in a syngeneic NMIBC tumor model. HY-oAd+9-ING-41 induced high-level tumor extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and a more potent antitumor immune response than the respective monotherapy. In detail, HY-oAd+9-ING-41 induced superior accumulation of intratumoral T cells, prevention of immune cell exhaustion, and induction of tumor-specific adaptive immune response compared to either monotherapy. Collectively, these results demonstrate that the combination of HY-oAd and 9-ING-41 may be a promising approach to elicit a potent antitumor immune response against bladder cancer.

[Effect of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction on TREM2/Akt/GSK3ß pathway in cerebral cortex of APP/PS1 transgenic mice].

The Chinese medical mechanism of Huanglian Jieduo Decoction on treating Alzheimer's disease(AD) characterized by "toxin damaging brain collateral" is still unclear. This study aims to explore the mechanism of Huanglian Jieduo Decoction on regulating triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2(TREM2)/protein kinase B(Akt)/glycogen synthase kinase 3ß(GSK3ß) pathway to improve the cognitive deficit in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. APP/PS1 mice of approximately nine months old were randomly divided into the model group, the low, medium, and high(2.5, 5, and 10 g·kg~(-1)) groups of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction, and 0.75 mg·kg~(-1) donepezil hydrochloride group, and the C57BL/6J mice with the same age were taken as the normal group. After one month of continuous oral administration, a Morris water maze was performed to detect the learning and memory ability of mice. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was applied to observe the morphology of neuronal cells in the cortical area of mice. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the protein expressions of ß-amyloid(Aß_(1-42)), CD86, and arginase 1(Arg1). The mRNA levels of interleukin(IL)-1ß, IL-6, and IL-10 in the cortex of mice were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR). The protein expressions of TREM2, phosphoinositide-3 kinase(PI3K), Akt, GSK3ß, and beta-catenin(ß-catenin) in mouse cortex were determined by Western blot. The results indicated that the escape latency of the model group was significantly prolonged, and the residence time in the target quadrant and the number of crossing the platform were significantly reduced compared with the normal group. Mice in the model group had a significantly lower number of neurons in the cortex and showed nuclear pyknosis and a significant increase in the expressions of Aß_(1-42) and CD86. The mRNA levels of IL-1ß and IL-6 in tissue were significantly increased, IL-10 were increased, while Arg1 were significantly decreased. The expression of TREM2, p-PI3K(Y607), p-Akt(T308), p-GSK3ß(Ser9), and ß-catenin in the cortex were significantly down-regulated. Compared with the model group, the escape latency of the mice in the administration group was significantly shortened, and the number of crossing the platform and the residence time in the target quadrant were significantly increased. Furthermore, the number of neurons in the cortex of mice was increased, and nuclear pyknosis was improved. Aß_(1-42) deposition was decreased significantly. The mRNA levels of IL-1ß, IL-6 and CD86 were significantly decreased, while IL-10 and Arg1 levels were significantly increased. The expression of TREM2, p-PI3K(Y607), p-Akt(T308), p-GSK3ß(Ser9), and ß-catenin protein in the cortex of each administration group was significantly up-regulated compared with the model group. In conclusion, Huanglian Jiedu Decoction reduced the expression of Aß_(1-42) and neuroinflammation to a neuro-protective effect, thereby improving the learning and memory ability in APP/PS1 mice, which may be related to the TREM2/Akt/GSK3ß signaling pathway.

Apigenin alleviates doxorubicin-induced myocardial pyroptosis by inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase-3ß in vitro and in vivo.

Apigenin, a natural flavonoid compound found in chamomile (Matricaia chamomilla L.) from the Asteraceae family, has been shown in our previous study to possess antimyocardial hypertrophy and anti-cardiac fibrosis effects. However, its effects and mechanisms on the pyroptosis of cardiomyocytes induced by doxorubicin (DOX) are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of GSK-3ß and the effects of apigenin in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. H9c2 cells stimulated with DOX were treated with SB216763 and apigenin. Additionally, a mouse model of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity was prepared and further treated with apigenin and SB216763 for 30 days. The findings revealed that treatment with SB216763 or apigenin resulted in a significant reduction in the levels of pyroptosis-related factors. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of GSK-3ß was enhanced while the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kB (NF-κB) p65 was reduced following treatment with either SB216763 or apigenin. Conversely, the effects of apigenin treatment were nullified in siRNA-GSK-3ß-transfected cells. Results from computer simulation and molecular docking analysis supported that apigenin could directly target the regulation of GSK-3ß. Therefore, our study confirmed that the inhibition of GSK-3ß and treatment with apigenin effectively suppressed the pyroptosis of cardiomyocytes in both DOX-stimulated H9c2 cells and mice. These benefits may be attributed in part to the decrease in GSK-3ß expression and subsequent reduction in NF-κB p65 activation. Overall, our findings revealed that the pharmacological targeting of GSK-3ß may offer a promising therapeutic approach for alleviating DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.

Pentamethylquercetin attenuates angiotensin II-induced abdominal aortic aneurysm formation by blocking nuclear translocation of C/EBPß at Lys253.

BACKGROUND: Pentamethylquercetin (PMQ) is a natural polymethyl flavonoid that possesses anti-apoptotic and other biological properties. Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a fatal vascular disease with a high risk of rupture, is associated with phenotypic switching and apoptosis of medial vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of PMQ on the development of AAA and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: ApoE-/- mice were continuously infused with angiotensin II (Ang II) for 4 weeks to develop the AAA model. Intragastric administration of PMQ was initiated 5 days before Ang II infusion and continued for 4 weeks. In vitro, VSMCs were cultured and pretreated with PMQ, stimulated with Ang II. Real-time PCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining were used to examine the roles and mechanisms of PMQ on the phenotypic switching and apoptosis of VSMCs. RESULTS: PMQ dose-dependently reduced the incidence of Ang II-induced AAA, aneurysm diameter enlargement, elastin degradation, VSMCs phenotypic switching and apoptosis. Furthermore, PMQ also inhibited phenotypic switching and apoptosis in Ang II-stimulated VSMCs. PMQ exerted protective effects by regulating the C/EBPß/PTEN/AKT/GSK-3ß axis. AAV-mediated overexpression of PTEN reduced the therapeutic effects of PMQ in the AAA model mice, suggesting that the effects of PMQ on Ang II-mediated AAA formation were related to the PTEN/AKT/GSK-3ß axis. PMQ inhibited VSMCs phenotypic switching and apoptosis by bounding to C/EBPß at Lys253 with hydrogen bond to regulate C/EBPß nuclear translocation and PTEN/AKT/GSK-3ß axis, thereby inhibiting Ang II-induced AAA formation. CONCLUSIONS: Pentamethylquercetin inhibits angiotensin II-induced abdominal aortic aneurysm formation by bounding to C/EBPß at Lys253. Therefore, PMQ prevents the formation of AAA and reduces the incidence of AAA.

Ac2-26 activated the AKT1/GSK3ß pathway to reduce cerebral neurons pyroptosis and improve cerebral function in rats after cardiopulmonary bypass.

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) results in brain injury, which is primarily caused by inflammation. Ac2-26 protects against ischemic or hemorrhage brain injury. The present study was to explore the effect and mechanism of Ac2-26 on brain injury in CPB rats. METHODS: Forty-eight rats were randomized into sham, CPB, Ac, Ac/AKT1, Ac/GSK3ßi and Ac/AKT1/GSK3ßa groups. Rats in sham group only received anesthesia and in the other groups received standard CPB surgery. Rats in the sham and CPB groups received saline, and rats in the Ac, Ac/AKT1, Ac/GSK3ßi and Ac/AKT1/GSK3ßa groups received Ac2-26 immediately after CPB. Rats in the Ac/AKT1, Ac/GSK3ßi and Ac/AKT1/GSK3ßa groups were injected with shRNA, inhibitor and agonist of GSK3ß respectively. The neurological function score, brain edema and histological score were evaluated. The neuronal survival and hippocampal pyroptosis were assessed. The cytokines, activity of NF-κB, S100 calcium-binding protein ß(S100ß) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and oxidative were tested. The NLRP3, cleaved-caspase-1 and cleaved-gadermin D (GSDMD) in the brain were also detected. RESULTS: Compared to the sham group, all indicators were aggravated in rats that underwent CPB. Compared to the CPB group, Ac2-26 significantly improved neurological scores and brain edema and ameliorated pathological injury. Ac2-26 reduced the local and systemic inflammation, oxidative stress response and promoted neuronal survival. Ac2-26 reduced hippocampal pyroptosis and decreased pyroptotic proteins in brain tissue. The protection of Ac2-26 was notably lessened by shRNA and inhibitor of GSK3ß. The agonist of GSK3ß recovered the protection of Ac2-26 in presence of shRNA. CONCLUSIONS: Ac2-26 significantly improved neurological function, reduced brain injury via regulating inflammation, oxidative stress response and pyroptosis after CPB. The protective effect of Ac2-26 primarily depended on AKT1/ GSK3ß pathway.

Hair growth-promoting effects of Enz_MoriL on human dermal papilla cells through modulation of the Wnt/ß-Catenin and JAK-STAT signaling pathways.

Enz_MoriL is a naturally occurring substance extracted from the leaves of Morus alba L. through enzymatic conversion. Historically, M. alba L. has been recognized for its potential to promote hair regrowth. However, the precise mechanism by which Enz_MoriL affects human hair follicle dermal papilla cells (hDPCs) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular basis of Enz_MoriL's effect on hair growth in hDPCs. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) was used to examine the effects of Enz_MoriL on hDPCs during the anagen and catagen phases, as well as under conditions mimicking alopecia areata (AA). Enz_MoriL demonstrated the ability to promote cell proliferation in both anagen and catagen stages. It increased the levels of active ß-catenin in the catagen stage induced by IFN-γ, leading to its nuclear translocation. This effect was achieved by increasing the phosphorylation of GSK3ß and decreasing the expression of DKK-1. This stimulation induced proliferation in hDPCs and upregulated the expression of the Wnt family members 3a, 5a, and 7a at the transcript level. Additionally, Enz_MoriL suppressed JAK1 and STAT3 phosphorylation, contrasting with IFN-γ, which induced them in the catagen stage. In conclusion, Enz_MoriL directly induced signals for anagen re-entry into hDPCs by affecting the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway and enhancing the production of growth factors. Furthermore, Enz_MoriL attenuated and reversed the interferon-induced AA-like environment by blocking the JAK-STAT pathway in hDPCs.