LncRNA PVT1 Promotes Neuronal Cell Apoptosis and Neuroinflammation by Regulating miR-488-3p/FOXD3/SCN2A Axis in Epilepsy.

It is vital to understand the mechanism of epilepsy onset and development. Dysregulated lncRNAs are closely associated with epilepsy. Our work probed the role of lncRNA PVT1/miR-488-3p/FOXD3/SCN2A axis in epilepsy. The mRNA and protein expressions were assessed using qRT-PCR and western blot. MTT assay and TUNEL staining were conducted to assess cell viability and apoptosis, respectively. TNFα, IL-1ß and IL-6 levels were analyzed using ELISA. LDH level was tested by Assay Kit. The binding relationship between PVT1, miR-488-3p and FOXD3 were verified using dual luciferase reporter gene assay. The epilepsy model of rats was established by lithium-pilocarpine injection. Nissl staining was performed to evaluate neuronal damage. PVT1 was markedly upregulated in epilepsy model cells. Knockdown of PVT1 increased the viability, while repressed the apoptosis and inflammatory cytokines secretion as well as LDH level in epilepsy cell model. MiR-488-3p alleviated neuronal injury and neuroinflammation in model cells. MiR-488-3p functioned as the direct target of PVT1, and its inhibition neutralized the effects of PVT1 silencing on neuronal cell injury and neuroinflammation in model cells. Furthermore, miR-488-3p inhibited neuronal cell injury and neuroinflammation in model cells by regulating FOXD3/SCN2A pathway. Finally, animal experiments proved that PVT1 promoted epilepsy-induced neuronal cell injury and neuroinflammation by regulating miR-488-3p-mediated FOXD3/SCN2A pathway. PVT1 promoted neuronal cell injury and inflammatory response in epilepsy via inhibiting miR-488-3p and further regulating FOXD3/SCN2A pathway.

MiR-424 functions as a tumor suppressor in glioma cells and is down-regulated by DNA methylation.

Glioma is one of the most lethal malignancies, and increasing reports revealed that microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs, play a critical role in the development and pathology of human gliomas. MiR-424 has been found to be dysregulated in many different types of human cancers. However, the clinical significance and function of miR-424 in glioma remains unclear. Here, based on RTq-PCR analysis in 148 clinical specimens, we found miR-424 expression was significantly decreased in glioma tumor tissues than in adjacent non-neoplastic brain tissues, and decreased miR-424 expression was associated with glioma KPS (P = 0.009) and high grades (P = 0.029). In vitro cellular function assays further revealed that miR-424 inhibited cell invasion and migration, and promoted cell apoptosis. In addition, based on DNA methylation analysis on clinical specimens and cell lines, we found miR-424 promoter CpG island was frequently methylated and correlated with glioma high grades (P = 0.035) and IDH mutation status (P = 0.042). Moreover, the promoter CpG island was demethylated by 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine treatment in a time-dependent manner and the expression levels of miR-424 were gradually induced and increased. Taken together, our data suggest that the promoter region CpG island methylation is associated with tumor suppressive miR-424 silencing and the pathology of human gliomas.

MicroRNA-195a-5p inhibits mouse medullary thymic epithelial cells proliferation by directly targeting Smad7.

MiR-195 has been implicated in inhibiting cell proliferation in different types of tumors. Whether it contributes to the process of thymic epithelial cells (TECs) proliferation remains unclear. In this study, we found that miR-195a-5p was highly up-regulated in the TECs isolated from the aging mice. Further experiments showed that miR-195a-5p mimic transfection inhibited the proliferation of mouse medullary thymic epithelial cell line 1 (MTEC1), whereas the transfection of miR-195a-5p inhibitor in MTEC1 had the opposite effect. In addition, miR-195a-5p had no obvious effect on MTEC1 apoptosis. Furthermore, Smad7, a negative regulator of transforming growth factor ß pathway, was confirmed as a direct target of miR-195a-5p by luciferase assays. Taken together, our results indicate that miR-195a-5p inhibits MTEC1 proliferation, at least in part, via down-regulation of Smad7.

Effects of N-acetyl-L-cysteine-capped CdTe quantum dots on bovine serum albumin and bovine hemoglobin: isothermal titration calorimetry and spectroscopic investigations.

The interactions of N-acetyl-L-cysteine-capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and bovine hemoglobin (BHb) were investigated by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence, fluorescence lifetime, ultraviolet-visible absorption, and circular dichroism techniques. Fluorescence data of BSA-QDs and BHb-QDs revealed that the quenching was static in every system. While CdTe QDs changed the microenvironment of tryptophan in BHb, the microenvironment of BSA kept unchanged. Adding CdTe QDs affected the skeleton and secondary structure of the protein (BSA and BHb). The ITC results indicated that the interaction between the protein (BSA and BHb) and QDs-612 was spontaneous and the predominant force was hydrophobic interaction. In addition, the binding constants were determined to be 1.19 × 10(5) L mol(-1) (BSA-QDs) and 2.19 × 10(5) L mol(-1) (BHb-QDs) at 298 K. From these results, we conclude that CdTe QDs have a larger impact on the structure of BHb than BSA.

Molecular mechanism analyses of post-traumatic epilepsy and hereditary epilepsy based on 10× single-cell transcriptome sequencing technology.

BACKGROUND: Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis has been usually conducted on post-traumatic epilepsy (PET) and hereditary epilepsy (HE) patients; however, the transcriptome of patients with traumatic temporal lobe epilepsy has rarely been studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hippocampus tissues isolated from one patient with PTE and one patient with HE were used in the present study. Single cell isolates were prepared and captured using a 10× Genomics Chromium Single-Cell 3' kit (V3) according to the manufacturer's instructions. The libraries were sequenced on an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 sequencing system. Raw data were processed, and the cells were filtered and classified using the Seurat R package. Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection was used for visualization. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified based on a p-value ≤0.01 and log fold change (FC) ≥0.25. Gene Ontology (GO, http://geneontology.org/) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, www.genome.jp/kegg) analyses were performed on the DEGs for enrichment analysis. RESULTS: The reads obtained from the 10× genomic platform for PTE and HE were 39.56 M and 30.08 M, respectively. The Q30 score of the RNA reads was >91.6%. After filtering, 7479 PTE cells and 9357 HE cells remained for further study. More than 96.4% of the reads were mapped to GRCh38/GRCm38. The cells were differentially distributed in two groups, with higher numbers of oligodendrocytes (6522 vs. 2532) and astrocytes (133 vs. 52), and lower numbers of microglial cells (2242 vs. 3811), and neurons (3 vs. 203) present in the HE group than in the PTE group. The DEGs in four cell clusters were identified, with 25 being in oligodendrocytes (13 upregulated and 12 downregulated), 87 in microglia cells (42 upregulated and 45 downregulated), 222 in astrocytes (115 upregulated and 107 downregulated), and 393 in neurons (305 upregulated and 88 downregulated). The genes MTND1P23 (downregulated), XIST (downregulated), and RPS4Y1 (upregulated) were commonly expressed in all four cell clusters. The DEGs in microglial cells and astrocytes were enriched in the IL-17 signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: Our study explored differences in cells found in a patient with PE compared to a patient with HE, and the transcriptome in the different cells was analyzed for the first time. Studying inflammatory and immune functions might be the best approach for investigating traumatic temporal lobe epilepsy in neurons.

Comparative impact of bacitracin and select feed additives in the feeding program of Lohmann LSL-Lite pullets at the onset of lay through to 31 weeks of age.

There are limited investigations on the role of feed additives in easing transition of pullets to egg production phase. We investigated the effects of supplementation of bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD) and select feed additives (myristic acid [MA], benzoic acid [BA], and Aspergillus niger probiotic [PRO]) in feeding program for pullets from the onset of lay through to 31 weeks of age (woa). Parameters measured included hen-day egg production (HDEP), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), egg quality characteristics, ceca microbial activity, apparent retention of components, and plasma metabolites. A total of 1,200 Lohmann LSL Lite pullets were procured at 18 woa and placed in enriched cages (30 birds/cage) based on body weight (BW) and allocated to five diets. The diets were a basal diet formulated to meet specifications or basal mixed with either BMD, MA, BA, or PRO. Birds had free access to feed and water throughout the experiment. Between 18 and 20 woa, birds fed BMD ate a similar (P > 0.05) amount of feed to BA birds, but more (P = 0.0003) than birds fed basal, MA, or PRO diets. Basal birds had lower HDEP (P = 0.001) and lighter eggs (P < 0.0001) than birds fed any of the feed additives between 21 and 31 woa. The basal hens had a higher (P = 0.009) abundance of Escherichia coli than birds fed BMD, BA, and PRO diets. Consequently, BMD, BA, and PRO birds had a higher (P = 0.011) Lactobacilli: E. coli ratio (LER) than hens fed the basal diet. Specifically, relative to basal-fed hens, the LER of the BMD, MA, BA, and PRO hens was higher by 37%, 21%, 26%, and 45%, respectively. Moreover, birds fed PRO tended to have a higher concentration of ceca digesta acetic acid (P = 0.072) and a lower concentration of isobutyric acid (P = 0.096). In conclusion, supplementing pullet diets with broad-spectrum antibiotics or feed additives (MA, BA, and PRO) had a positive impact on FI, and egg production linked to modulation of indices of gut health. The results suggested supplementing feed additives in feeding programs for pullets at the onset of lay can bolster productivity outcomes.

Artificial Intelligence Analysis of Outdoor Sports Risk Self-Assessment on Insurance Psychology.

The development potential of China's medical insurance market is huge, and the research on medical insurance demand has always been the focus of academic discussions. As a result, the discipline of behavioral economics is derived, which aims to explain the decision-making behavior of individual insurance consumption. Among them, the focus of this study was to investigate the influence of individual psychological characteristics and cognitive level on insurance behavior under the difference of reference points. This paper combined behavioral insurance, actuarial mathematics and the econometrics knowledge system, comprehensive theoretical analysis, and empirical tests and analyzed the impact mechanism of individual frame effect on medical insurance demand under different reference points at multiple levels. At the same time, based on the risk self-assessment of outdoor sports, the artificial intelligence of insurance psychology was analyzed. Based on the correlation vector machine algorithm and the theoretical basis combined with the dual perspective of insurance products, the expected utility model was established under the "guarantee framework", and the prospect theoretical model was established under the "profit and loss framework". The framing effect was used to measure the relative size of "guarantee utility" and "profit and loss utility", and a high-insurance-rate model and a low-insurance-rate model were established. The theoretical model analysis found that under the high insurance rate, because the "profit and loss utility" is positive, the size of the individual frame effect is positively correlated with the willingness to insure. Under the low insurance rate, because the "profit and loss utility" is negative, the size of the individual frame effect is negatively correlated with the willingness to insure. The research results of this paper show that insurance is an important beginning of insurance consumption behavior, which includes the complex mentality and emotion of consumers on insurance activities. The insurance demand of policyholders is formed by the joint action of external and internal incentives. Many factors such as income level and education level play an important role in insurance consumption decision making.

Evaluation of protected benzoic acid on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and gut health indices in starter pigs.

Benzoic acid is a common alternative for antibiotic and zinc oxide use in nursery diets. Free benzoic acid (BZA) is often supplied, but this form is absorbed before it can exert any effect on distal segments of the gut. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of protected benzoic acid on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, plasma metabolites, and gut health indices in starter pigs. A total of 192 pigs were weaned at 28 ± 1 d age (initial body weight, 8.72 ± 1.13 kg). Pens were assigned to one of four treatment diets (n = 8 pens per treatment): (1) no additive (NC), (2) free benzoic acid (BZA; 0.6%), (3) protected benzoic acid (BC50; 0.2%, supplied at a ratio of one to three equivalents of BZA), and (4) antibiotic growth promoter (AGP; Carbadox, 50 ppm). Diets were fed for three weeks over two periods (period 1, 7 d; period 2, 14 d). Body weight and feed intake were measured for each period. Feces were collected at the end of each period to determine apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of organic matter (OM), gross energy (GE), and crude protein (CP). One pig per pen was euthanized per period to determine plasma metabolites; jejunum and ileum morphology; jejunum, ileum, and colon cytokine abundance; and jejunum, ileum, and colon tight junction protein expression. The AGP group had increased average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) compared to other groups in period 1 and overall (P < 0.05); however, ADG and ADFI of the BC50 group was intermediate between the NC and BZA groups and the AGP group in period 2. The ATTD of OM, GE, and CP were greater in the AGP group compared to the NC and BC50 groups (P < 0.05), whereas the BZA group was intermediate. Jejunum and ileum villus height and crypt depth increased from period 1 to period 2 (P < 0.01) but were similar across groups. Ileum and colon tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) abundances were greater, whereas colon interleukin (IL)-1ß and colon and ileum IL-8 abundances were less, in the AGP group compared to the BZA group (P < 0.05); the NC and BC50 groups exhibited intermediate TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-8 abundance in the ileum and colon. Jejunum cytokine abundance did not vary among groups but declined from period 1 to period 2 (P < 0.05). Tight junction protein expression also did not vary among groups. In summary, protected BZA supported a slight increase in growth performance in starter pigs, suggesting its potential as an alternative feed additive in nursery diets.

Cu-Zn SOD suppresses epilepsy in pilocarpine-treated rats and alters SCN2A/Nrf2/HO-1 expression

Objective: Copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn SOD) is downregulated in epilepsy, however, the role of Cu-Zn SOD in epilepsy remains unclear. Methods: Based on the pilocarpine hydrochloride-induced rat model of epilepsy, cortical-striatum brain slices of rats were examined based on field excitatory post-synaptic potentials. Pathological changes were observed by transmission electron microscope. Also using SH-SY5Y cells, flow cytometry and TUNEL staining were applied to investigate cell apoptosis, and ELISA was applied to detect SOD activity. In addition, qRT-PCR and western blot were performed to detect SCN2A/Nrf2/HO-1 gene and protein expression levels, respectively. Results: Cu-Zn SOD over-expression suppressed epilepsy in vivo. In addition, Cu-Zn SOD knockdown notably decreased SOD activity and induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, Cu-Zn SOD silencing decreased the levels of SCN2A, Nrf2 and HO-1. Lastly, Cu-Zn SOD was shown to modulate the NaV1.2/Nrf2/HO-1 axis in rats. Significance: In this model, Cu-Zn SOD attenuated epilepsy and was shown to alter the expression level of proteins of the NaV1.2 /Nrf2/HO-1 signalling pathway, indicating that Cu-Zn SOD might be a target for the treatment of epilepsy.

Bone Marrow Stem Cell-Exo-Derived TSG-6 Attenuates 1-Methyl-4-Phenylpyridinium+-Induced Neurotoxicity via the STAT3/miR-7/NEDD4/LRRK2 Axis.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosome (BMSCs-Exo)-derived TNF-stimulated gene-6 (TSG-6) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidative stress-related properties that may be beneficial in the treatment of Parkinson disease (PD) patients. To elucidate the mechanisms involved, we analyzed the effects of BMSCs-Exo-derived TSG-6 on in vitro models of PD induced with 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+). TSG-6 was abundant in BMSCs-Exo and it attenuated MPP+-induced neurotoxicity. Moreover, BMSCs-Exo reversed the MPP+-induced toxicity accelerated by neural precursor cells expressed developmentally downregulated 4 (NEDD4) knockdown or miR-7 mimics. Further analysis indicated that NEDD4 combined with leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) to accelerate ubiquitin degradation of LRRK2. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) bound to the miR-7 promoter and miR-7 targeted NEDD4. These data indicate that BMSCs-Exo-derived TSG-6 attenuated neurotoxicity via the STAT3-miR-7-NEDD4 axis. Our results define the specific mechanisms for BMSCs-Exo-derived TSG-6 regulation of MPP+-induced neurotoxicity that are relevant to understanding PD pathogenesis and developing therapies for PD patients.

lncRNA UCA1 induces autophagic gene expression via epigenetic regulation mediated by ATG16L1 and miR-132-3p in SH-SY5Y cells treated with retinoic acid

Objective: Epilepsy is a chronic brain disease with recurrent seizures. Autophagy plays a crucial role in the progression of epilepsy. This study aimed to explore the function and intrinsic mechanism of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) UCA1/miR-132-3p/ATG16L1 axis in epilepsy via regulation of autophagy. Methods: The expression of lncRNA UCA1, miR-132-3p and ATG16L1 was measured in serum from epileptic patients by quantitative RT-PCR. A SH-SY5Y cell model was further constructed using retinoic acid to investigate the UCA1/ miR-132-3p/ATG16L1 axis by quantitative RT-PCR, western blotting, fluorescence in situ hybridisation, RNA immunoprecipitation, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Results: In the serum of epileptic patients, the level of lncRNA UCA1 and ATG16L1 was reduced and miR-132-3p elevated, compared to controls. Similarly, in the SH-SY5Y cell model, the level of lncRNA UCA1 and ATG16L1 was reduced and miR-132-3p elevated in retinoic acid-treated cells; lncRNA UCA1 was mainly located in the cytoplasm. lncRNA UCA1 overexpression was shown to promote autophagic gene expression, which was reversed by miR-132-3p overexpression. Moreover, autophagic gene expression induced by miR-132-3p knockdown was reversed by ATG16L1 knockdown. Based on precipitation assays, lncRNA UCA1 and miR-132-3p were shown to form a complex with the transcription factor, EZH2, and miR-132-3p was shown to interact with ATG16L1 based on a luciferase assay. Finally, lncRNA UCA1 was shown to negatively regulate miR-132-3p expression, and miR-132-3p was shown to negatively regulate ATG16L1. Significance: In this cell model, lncRNA UCA1 promotes autophagic gene expression via epigenetic regulation mediated by ATG16L1 and miR-132-3p.

Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Containing Gli1 Alleviate Microglial Activation and Neuronal Apoptosis In Vitro and in a Mouse Parkinson Disease Model by Direct Inhibition of Sp1 Signaling.

This study investigated possible therapeutic effect mechanisms of exosomes from bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) in neuronal and microglial cells and in a Parkinson disease (PD) model. Neuronal SH-SY5Y cells and microglial HMC3 cells were subjected to 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) or LPS, respectively. The mRNA and protein expression was assessed using qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Cell viability and apoptosis of SH-SY5Y cells were examined using the MTT assay and flow cytometry. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were performed to assess the binding relationship between glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (Gli1) and the Sp1 transcription factor promoter. BMSC-derived exosomes promoted cell proliferation and inhibited apoptosis in MPP+-treated SH-SY5Y cells and suppressed inflammatory markers in LPS-treated HMC3 cells. Sp1 knockdown decreased SH-SY5Y cell damage and HMC3 immune activation. Gli1 carried by BMSC exosomes directly bound with Sp1 to inhibit Sp1-mediated LRRK2 activation whereas exosomes secreted by Gli1-knockdown in BMSC did not. In a PD mouse model induced with MPTP, BMSC exosomes decreased neuron loss injury and the inflammatory response by inhibiting Sp1 signaling. Thus, BMSC-derived exosomal Gli1 alleviates inflammatory damage and neuronal apoptosis by inhibiting Sp1 in vitro and in vivo. These findings provide the basis for the potential clinical use of BMSC-derived exosomes in PD.

Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Probiotic Aspergillus niger on Performance and Cecal Microbiota in Hy-Line W-36 Laying Hens.

This study aimed to investigate the role of the probiotic Aspergillus niger on the production performance, egg quality, and cecal microbial load of Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli in Hy-Line W-36 laying hens. A total of 72, 45-week-old Hy-Line W-36 laying hens were randomly allocated to one of the three dietary treatments with six replicates, and each replicate had four individually caged laying hens (n = 6 and 4 hens/replicate). The hens in each treatment group were fed a corn and soybean meal diet (Control), a diet supplemented with bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD) at a rate of 495 mg/kg of feed (Positive Control), or a diet supplemented with Aspergillus niger (Probioist®) at a rate of 220 mg/kg of feed (Probiotic). Supplementing probiotics in the laying hen diet significantly increased egg production at weeks 3 and 6 compared with the Positive Control. Haugh unit, a measure of egg quality, was significantly higher in laying hens fed the probiotic diet compared with the Control or Positive Control at week 10. Furthermore, the Probiotic group had numerically lower cecal microbial loads of pathogenic bacteria (Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli) compared with the Control and Positive Control groups. The results suggest that Aspergillus niger could be used as a probiotic to improve laying hen performance and egg quality.

Differential Expression Profile of lncRNA in Glioma Cells and the Effect of lncRNA NKX3-1 on Glioma Cells Through Fem1b/SPDEF Pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differential expression of lncRNA in glioma cells, as well as the effect of lncRNA NKX3-1 on glioma cells. METHODS: Glioma-related data were first downloaded from the TCGA database and analyzed using bioinformatics, after which the lncRNA NKX3-1 was chosen for further experiments. The expression of the lncRNA NKX3-1 in glioma tumor samples was detected using qRT-PCR. The subcellular localization of lncRNA NKX3-1 was determined using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). CCK-8, flow cytometry, cell scratch, and transwell assays were used to detect cell proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion. The downstream pathway of lncRNA NKX3-1 was investigated using luciferase assays and detected using western blot, transwell, and cell scratch assays. RESULTS: The differential expression profile of lncRNA in glioma was obtained. NKX3-1 lncRNA was found to be significantly increased in glioma tumor tissues. LncRNA NKX3-1 was found in the nucleus. Proliferation, invasion, and migration of glioma cells were significantly increased (P <0.05) in the lncRNA NKX3-1 overexpression group, while apoptosis ability was significantly decreased (P <0.05). Tumor volume and weight were significantly increased in the lncRNA NKX3-1 overexpression group in nude mice (P <0.05). LncRNA NKX3-1 significantly increased the luciferase activity of Fem1b 3'-UTR-WT reporter genes (P <0.05) as well as the levels of SPDEF protein (P <0.05). The protein level of FEM1B was significantly reduced. Cell invasion and migration were significantly increased (P <0.05) in the lncRNA NKX3-1 overexpression group plus SPDEF group. CONCLUSION: We investigated the differential expression profile of lncRNAs in glioma and discovered that the lncRNA NKX3-1 plays an important role in cancer promotion via the Fem1b/SPDEF pathway.

Transcriptional factor FoxM1-activated microRNA-335-3p maintains the self-renewal of neural stem cells by inhibiting p53 signaling pathway via Fmr1.

BACKGROUND: New mechanistic insights into the self-renewal ability and multipotent properties of neural stem cells (NSCs) are currently under active investigation for potential use in the treatment of neurological diseases. In this study, NSCs were isolated from the forebrain of fetal rats and cultured to induce NSC differentiation, which was associated with low expression of the non-coding RNA microRNA-335-3p (miR-335-3p). METHODS: Loss- and gain-of-function experiments were performed in NSCs after induction of differentiation. RESULTS: Overexpression of miR-335-3p or FoxM1 and inhibition of the Fmr1 or p53 signaling pathways facilitated neurosphere formation, enhanced proliferation and cell cycle entry of NSCs, but restricted NSC differentiation. Mechanistically, FoxM1 positively regulated miR-335-3p by binding to its promoter region, while miR-335-3p targeted and negatively regulated Fmr1. Additionally, the promotive effect of miR-335-3p on NSC self-renewal occurred via p53 signaling pathway inactivation. CONCLUSION: Taken together, miR-335-3p activated by FoxM1 could suppress NSC differentiation and promote NSC self-renewal by inactivating the p53 signaling pathway via Fmr1.

MiR-421 Binds to PINK1 and Enhances Neural Stem Cell Self-Renewal via HDAC3-Dependent FOXO3 Activation.

Dysfunctions of neural stem cells (NSCs) often lead to a variety of neurological diseases. Thus, therapies based on NSCs have gained increasing attention recently. It has been documented that microRNA (miR)-421 represses the autophagy and apoptosis of mouse hippocampal neurons and confers a role in the repair of ischemic brain injury (IBI). Herein, we aimed to illustrate the effects of miR-421 on NSC self-renewal. The downstream factors of miR-421 were predicted initially, followed by gain- and loss-of-function assays to examine their effects on NSC self-renewal. Immunoprecipitation and dual luciferase assays were conducted to validate the interaction among miR-421, PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1), HDAC3, and forkhead box O3 (FOXO3). A mouse model with IBI was developed to substantiate the impact of the miR-421/PINK1/HDAC3/FOXO3 axis on NSC self-renewal. The expression of miR-421 was downregulated during differentiation of human embryonic NSCs, and miR-421 overexpression accelerated NSC self-renewal. Besides, miR-421 targeted PINK1 and restricted its expression in NSCs and further suppressed HDAC3 phosphorylation and enhanced FOXO3 acetylation. In conclusion, our data elucidated that miR-421 overexpression may facilitate NSC self-renewal through the PINK1/HDAC3/FOXO3 axis, which may provide potential therapeutic targets for the development of novel therapies for IBI.

LncRNA XIST sponges miR-199a-3p to modulate the Sp1/LRRK2 signal pathway to accelerate Parkinson's disease progression.

In vitro and in vivo models of Parkinson's disease were established to investigate the effects of the lncRNA XIST/miR-199a-3p/Sp1/LRRK2 axis. The binding between XIST and miR-199a-3p as well as miR-199a-3p and Sp1 were examined by luciferase reporter assay and confirmed by RNA immunoprecipitation analysis. Following the Parkinson's disease animal behavioural assessment by suspension and swim tests, the brain tissue injuries were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin, TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labelling, and tyrosine hydroxylase stainings. The results indicated that miR-199a-3p expression was downregulated, whereas that of XIST, Sp1 and LRRK2 were upregulated in Parkinson's disease. Moreover, miR-199a-3p overexpression or XIST knockdown inhibited the cell apoptosis induced by MPP+ treatment and promoted cell proliferation. The neurodegenerative defects were significantly recovered by treating the cells with shXIST or shSp1, whereas miR-199a-3p inhibition or Sp1 and LRRK2 overexpression abrogated these beneficial effects. Furthermore, the results of our in vivo experiments confirmed the neuroprotective effects of shXIST and miR-199a-3p against MPTP-induced brain injuries, and the Parkinson's disease behavioural symptoms were effectively alleviated upon shXIST or miR-199a-3p treatment. In summary, the results of the present study showed that lncRNA XIST sponges miR-199a-3p to modulate Sp1 expression and further accelerates Parkinson's disease progression by targeting LRRK2.

MicroRNA-579-3p Exerts Neuroprotective Effects Against Ischemic Stroke via Anti-Inflammation and Anti-Apoptosis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Multiple studies have found that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the development of cerebral ischemia. MiR-579-3p can inhibit inflammatory responses and apoptosis, leading to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) damage. However, the mechanism of how miR-579-3p actions in brain I/R injury remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of the role of miR-579-3p in brain I/R injury. METHODS: A rat model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury was established by suture method. The effects of miR-579-3p on cerebral infarction size, brain water content, and neurological symptoms were evaluated. Flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis. ELISA was used to detect the level of inflammatory factors. Western blot was used to detect the expression of P65, NCOA1, Bcl-2 and Bax. The relationship between miR-579-3p and NCOA1 was analyzed by bioinformatics analysis and luciferase assay. RESULTS: Overexpression of miR-579-3p reduced infarct volume, brain water content and neurological deficits. Overexpression of miR-579-3p inhibited the expression level of the inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-6, COX-2 and iNOS, and increased the expression level of IL-10. MiR-579-3p overexpression inhibited NF-кB activity by reducing NRIP1. In addition, miR-579-3p could reduce the apoptotic rate of cortical neurons. Overexpression of miR-579-3p inhibited the activity of caspase-3, increased the expression level of anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 in neurons, and decreased the expression level of apoptotic gene Bax. CONCLUSION: miR-579-3p can be used to treat brain I/R injury, and its neuroprotective effect may be ascribed to the reduction of inflammation and apoptosis.

A comparative study of the effectiveness and safety of combined procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine as a therapeutic method for recurrent high-grade glioma: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Systematic evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of combined procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine for treating recurrent high-grade glioma. METHODS: Electronic databases including PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library Central Register of Controlled Trials, WanFang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were used to search for studies related to the utilization of combined procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine as a therapeutic method for recurrent high-grade glioma. Literature screening, extraction of data, and evaluation of high standard studies were conducted by 2 independent researchers. The robustness and strength of the effectiveness and safety of combined procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine as a therapeutic methodology for recurrent high-grade glioma was assessed based on the odds ratio (OR), mean differences (MDs), and 95% confidence interval (CI). RevMan 5.3 software was used for carrying out the statistical analysis. RESULTS: These results obtained in this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSION: Evidently, the conclusion of this study will provide an assessment on whether combined procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine provides an effective and safe form of treatment for recurrent high-grade glioma. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202080078.