N-acetylcysteine improves autism-like behavior by recovering autophagic deficiency and decreasing Notch-1/Hes-1 pathway activity.

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been reported to improve social interaction behavior, irritability, self-injury, and anxiety-like behavior in autism. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the therapeutic roles of NAC in autism remains unknown. This study mainly aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of NAC on valproic acid (VPA)-induced autism model and the underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that NAC ameliorated the deficits in sociability and the anxiety- and repetitive-like behaviors displayed by VPA-exposed rats. In addition, VPA exposure induced autophagic deficiency and enhanced Notch-1/Hes-1 pathway activity based on lowered Beclin-1 and LC3B levels, while increased expression of p62, Notch-1, and Hes-1 expression at the protein level. However, NAC recovered VPA-induced autophagic deficiency and reduced Notch-1/Hes-1 pathway activity in a VPA-exposed autism rat model and SH-SY5Y neural cells. The present results demonstrated that NAC improves autism-like behavioral abnormalities by inactivating Notch-1/Hes-1 signaling pathway and recovering autophagic deficiency. Taken together, this study helps to elucidate a novel molecular mechanism that underlies the therapeutic actions of NAC in autism and suggests its potential to ameliorate behavioral abnormalities in neurodevelopmental disorders.

Single-cell RNA sequencing deciphers the mechanism of sepsis-induced liver injury and the therapeutic effects of artesunate.

Liver, as an immune and detoxification organ, represents an important line of defense against bacteria and infection and a vulnerable organ that is easily injured during sepsis. Artesunate (ART) is an anti-malaria agent, that also exhibits broad pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, immune-regulation and liver protection. In this study, we investigated the cellular responses in liver to sepsis infection and ART hepatic-protective mechanisms against sepsis. Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis model was established in mice. The mice were administered ART (10 mg/kg, i.p.) at 4 h, and sacrificed at 12 h after the surgery. Liver samples were collected for preparing single-cell RNA transcriptome sequencing (scRNA-seq). The scRNA-seq analysis revealed that sepsis-induced a dramatic reduction of hepatic endothelial cells, especially the subtypes characterized with proliferation and differentiation. Macrophages were recruited during sepsis and released inflammatory cytokines (Tnf, Il1b, Il6), chemokines (Ccl6, Cd14), and transcription factor (Nfkb1), resulting in liver inflammatory responses. Massive apoptosis of lymphocytes and abnormal recruitment of neutrophils caused immune dysfunction. ART treatment significantly improved the survival of CLP mice within 96 h, and partially relieved or reversed the above-mentioned pathological features, mitigating the impact of sepsis on liver injury, inflammation, and dysfunction. This study provides comprehensive fundamental proof for the liver protective efficacy of ART against sepsis infection, which would potentially contribute to its clinical translation for sepsis therapy. Single cell transcriptome reveals the changes of various hepatocyte subtypes of CLP-induced liver injury and the potential pharmacological effects of artesunate on sepsis.

[Screening of the Optimum Medium for Rat Mesenchymal Stem Cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of three different cell culture mediums, DMEM-LG, α-MEM and DMEM/F12, on the growth of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in vitro, and so that to screen out the most suitable medium for in vitro culturing the rat BMSCs. METHODS: BMSCS were isolated from the femur and tibia of SD rats by whole bone marrow differential adherence method. The isolated cells were then cultured with three culture mediums, DMEM-LG, α-MEM and DMEM/F12. The rat BMSCs morphology, adhesion, proliferation, the time of passage and the number the colony at day 14 in three mediums respectively were observed with inverted phase contrast microscopy and compared. Flow cytometry was used to identify and observe the effects of different mediums on the surface antigen expression of rats BMSCs. RESULTS: Compared with the other two groups of media, BMSCs cultured in DMEM-LG had shorter colony formation time, shorter first passage time, more clone formation (14±2) and showed uniform morphology and the highest attachment efficiency (47.0±2.8)%. Meanwhile, BMSCs cultured with DMEM-LG entered logarithmic growth phase after only 4 days of culturing and showed the highest average specific growth rate and the largest average number of propagations per unit time. The total number of cells reached about (2.2-2.7)×105 mL-1 within three days. The cells cultured with 3 mediums were all identified as rat BMSCs, and the expression of surface antigen in BMSCs was not significantly affected by different media. CONCLUSION: DMEM-LG is more suitable for proliferation of rat BMSCs in vitro.

[Effects of MSP on Cell Cycle and EMT of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer PC14].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of macrophage stimulating protein (MSP) on the cell cycle of non-small cell lung cancer PC14 cells without expression of recepteur d'originenanta (RON) and MSP,and analyse its effect on PC14's epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) capacity. METHODS: Vitro culture PC14 (blank control),PC14-Mst1-pEGFP-N1 (stablely expressed MSP) and PC14-pEGFP-N1. Cell cycles were detected by flow cytometry and the gaps between cells during growth were measured by transmission electron microscope (TEM); RT-PCR and Western blot were used to figure out the shifts of EMT related gene expression in PC14-Mst1-pEGFP-N1 cells. RESULTS: Compared with the PC14 group and PC14-pEGFP-N1 group,PC14-Mst1-pEGFP-N1 population of G1/G0 phase were significantly increased while S and G2/M phase were significantly reduced;The gaps between PC14-Mst1-pEGFP-N1 cells decreased; RT-PCR and Western blot showed that mRNA and protein levels of E-cadherin of PC14-Mst1-pEGFP-N1 were significantly higher than that of PC14,but mRNA and protein levels of Vimentin were significantly lower. CONCLUSION: MSP may affect the cell cycle of PC14 and inhibit its EMT procedure by regulating the expression of related proteins including E-cadherin and Vimentin when RON was not expressed.

[The Correlation Between MicroRNAs in Serum and the Extent of Liver Injury].

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the correlation between the absolute quantification of the microRNAs (miR-122, miR-451, miR-92a, miR-192) in serum during acute liver injury and the extent of liver injury on rat models of CCl4 induced acute liver injury and mice models of acetaminophen (APAP) induced acute liver injury. Furthermore, to investigate the correlation between the absolute quantification of microRNAs in serum and the drug induced liver injury pathological scoring system (DILI-PSS). METHODS: The acute liver injury model in rat by CCl4 (1.5 mL/kg), and the acute liver injury model in mice by APAP (160 mg/kg) were established. The serum at different time points on both models were collected respectively. The absolute quantification of microRNAs in serum were detected by using MiRbayTM SV miRNA Assay kit. Meanwhile, the pathological sections of liver tissue of the mice at each time point were collected to analyze the correlation between microRNAs and the degree of liver injury. RESULTS: In CCl4-induced rat acute liver injury model and APAP induced mouse acute liver injury, miR-122 and miR-192 appeared to be rising significantly, which remained the highest level at 24 h after treatment, and declined to the normal level after 72 h. In CCl4-induced rat acute liver injury model, the change of miR-92a was fluctuated and had no apparent rules, miR-451 declined gradually, but not obviously. In mice acute liver injury model induced by APAP, miR-92a and miR-451 in the progress of liver injury declined gradually, reached the lowest point at 48 h, and then recovered. The result of correlation analysis indicated that miR-122 and miR-192 presented a good positive correlation with the DILI-PSS ( r=0.741 3, P<0.05; r=0.788 3, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The absolute quantification of miR-122 and miR-192 in serum has the highest level in 24 h, then decrease in 72 h, in both drug-induced and chemical liver injury. In addition, both the two microRNAs have good correlation with DILI-PSS in APAP-induced liver injury models.

[Effects of Msp on the Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of Human Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Cells].

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of macrophage stimulating protein (Msp) on the proliferation, migration and invasion of human non-small cell lung cancer cells PC14. METHODS: The eukaryotic expression vector for st1was constructed and transfected into Msp(-)and RON(-)human non-small cell lung cancer cells PC14. The expression of st1mRNA in PC14 cells was observed by RT-PCR. The expression levels of Msp protein in PC14, PC14-st1-pEGFP-N1 and PC14-pEGFP-N1 groups as well as the expression of RON in PC14 and SKBR-3 cells were detected by Western blot. RAW264.7 (mouse monocyte macrophage) and SKBR-3 cells were cultured in the supernatant of cells(PC14, PC14-st1-pEGFP-N1and PC14-pEGFP-N1 groups)and tested with Transwell microporous membrane, through which the biologic activity of Msp was evaluated by calculating the cell number migrated. The proliferation of PC14 was measured by MTT assay. The capabilities of PC14 to migrate and invade were measured by Transwell chamber and Matrigel invasion tests, respectively. RESULTS: The expressions of mRNA and protein of Mst1 in PC14 were stable after transfection with Mst1. Msp (PC14-st1 -pEGFP-N1 group) promoted the migration of RON (+) cells (SKBR-3 and RAW264.7). Compared with PC14 and PC14-pEGFP-N1 groups, the proliferation, migration and invasion of PC14 cells in PC14-st1 -pEGFP-N1 group were inhibited significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Msp can promote the migration of RON (+) cancer cells in paracrine secretion manner and inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of human non-small cell lung cancer cells PC14 in an unknown way.

Oxytocin in hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus is transferred to the caudate nucleus to influence pain modulation.

Oxytocin (OXT), which is synthesized and secreted in the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus (SON), is the most important bioactive substance in SON regulating pain process. Our previous study has pointed that OXT in the caudate nucleus (CdN) plays a role in pain modulation. The communication was designed to investigate the source of OXT in the rat CdN during pain process using the methods of push-pull perfusion and radioimmunoassay. The results showed that (1) pain stimulation increased the OXT concentration in the CdN perfusion liquid; (2) SON cauterization inhibited the increase of OXT concentration in CdN perfusion liquid induced by the pain stimulation, which role in both sides of SON cauterization was stronger than that in one side of SON cauterization; and (3) SON microinjection of l-glutamate sodium, which excited the SON neurons, increased OXT concentration in the CdN perfusion liquid. The data suggested that OXT in the CdN was influenced by SON during pain process, i.e., OXT in the SON might be transferred to the CdN to influence pain modulation.

A multiple-dose pharmacokinetics of polyethylene glycol recombinant human interleukin-6 (PEG-rhIL-6) in rats.

Radiation therapy has been widely applied in cancer treatment. However, it often causes thrombocytopenia (deficiency of white blood cells) as an adverse effect. Recombinant human interleukin-6 (rhIL-6) has been found to be a very effective way against this thrombocytopenia, but IL-6 has low stability in blood, which reduces its efficacy. To increases the stability and half-life of rhIL-6, it was modified by polyethylene glycol (PEG). The pharmacokinetics and the tissue distribution of PEG-rhIL-6 labeled with (125)I were examined after subcutaneous injection in rats. The pharmacokinetic pattern of PEG-rhIL-6 was defined with linear-kinetics, and we fitted a one-compartment model with half-lives of 10.44-11.37 h (absorption, t(1/2Ka)) and 19.77-21.53 h (elimination, t(1/2Ke)), and peak concentrations at 20.51-21.96 h (t(peak)) in rats. Half-lives and t(peak) of PEG-rhIL-6 were longer than those of rhIL-6 previously reported. In the present study, for deposition of PEG-rhIL-6 in rats, the tissue distribution examination showed that blood was the major organ involved, rather than liver. However, as to the elimination of PEG-rhIL-6, the major organ was the kidney. The excretion fraction of the injection dose recovered from urine was 23.32% at 192 h after subcutaneous administration. Less than 6% of PEG-rhIL-6 was eliminated via the feces at 192 h. These results indicate that PEG-rhIL-6 is a good candidate drug formulation for patients with cancer.

[1H-NMR-based metabonomics analysis of plasma from osteoporotic rats induced by ovariectomy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the application of metabonomics in research of osteoporosis, through detecting change of the endogenous metabolites in plasma from osteoporotic rats by ovariectomy. METHODS: Six old-months female SD rats were randomly divided into sham and OVX group. Fifth month after ovariectomy, plasma were collected from both groups, respectively. The metabolic profiles were investigated using 1H-NMR spectroscopy of plsama combined with pattern recognition techniques, including principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). RESULTS: The PCA PLS-DA plots of the plasma samples presented marked clustering between sham group and OVX group. Compared to sham group, the level of low molecular metabolites such as lactate, acetone and ethonal were higer, glucose, choline/phosphatidylcholine (Cho/PC), alanine (Ala), high density lipoprotein/low density lipoprotein (HDL/LDL), very low density lipoprotein/low density lipoprotein, fatty acid and glucose were lower. CONCLUSION: Obvious changes in metabonomics of plasma from osteoporotic rats were observed.

[Pharmacokinetics of PEG recombinant human interleukin-6 in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of PEG-rhIL-6 in rats after a single dose administration. METHODS: Pharmacokinetics and distribution of PEG-rhIL-6 in rats were studied by 125I isotope tracing method. Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed using 3P97 computer software. RESULTS: PEG-rhIL-6 declined in one-compartment model with half-lives of 10.44-11.37 h for t1/2 Ka, 19.77-21.53 h for t1/2 Ke and 20.51-21.96 h for T(pcak), respectively. PEG-rhIL-6 was mainly distributed in blood and excreted via urine. CONCLUSION: The half-lives of PEG-rhIL-6 are prolonged after being modified by PEG.