1
|
Jia ZC, Liu SJ, Chen TF, Shi ZZ, Li XL, Gao ZW, Zhang Q, Zhong CF. Chlorogenic acid can improve spermatogenic dysfunction in rats with varicocele by regulating mitochondrial homeostasis and inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes by oxidative mitochondrial DNA and cGAS/STING pathway. Bioorg Chem 2024; 150:107571. [PMID: 38936048 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, Varicocele (VC) has been recognized as a common cause of male infertility that can be treated by surgery or drugs. How to reduce the damage of VC to testicular spermatogenic function has attracted extensive attention in recent years. Among them, overexpressed ROS and high levels of inflammation may play a key role in VC-induced testicular damage. As the key mediated innate immune pathways, cGAS-STING shaft under pathological conditions, such as in cell and tissue damage stress can be cytoplasmic DNA activation, induce the activation of NLRP3 inflammatory corpuscle, triggering downstream of the inflammatory cascade reaction. Chlorogenic acid (CGA), as a natural compound from a wide range of sources, has strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, and is a potential effective drug for the treatment of varicocele infertility. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of CGA in the spermatogenic dysfunction of the rat testis induced by VC and the potential mechanisms. The results of this study have shown that CGA gavage treatment ameliorated the pathological damage of seminiferous tubules, increased the number of sperm in the lumen, and increased the expression levels of Occludin and ZO-1, which indicated the therapeutic effect of CGA on spermatogenic dysfunction in the testis of VC rats. Meanwhile, the damage of mitochondrial structure was alleviated and the expression levels of ROS, NLRP3 and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18) were significantly reduced in the testicular tissues of model rats after CGA treatment. In addition, we demonstrated for the first time the high expression status of cGAS and STING in testicular tissues of VC model rats, and this was ameliorated to varying degrees after CGA treatment. In conclusion, this study suggests that CGA can improve the spermatogenic function of the testis by reducing mitochondrial damage and inhibiting the activation of the cGAS-STING axis, inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, and improving the inflammatory damage of the testis, highlighting the potential of CGA as a therapeutic agent for varicocele infertility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Chao Jia
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong, Jinan 250000, China
| | - Sheng-Jing Liu
- Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Teng-Fei Chen
- Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong, Jinan 250000, China
| | - Zhuo-Zhuo Shi
- Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong, Jinan 250000, China
| | - Xiao-Lin Li
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong, Jinan 250000, China
| | - Zhao-Wang Gao
- Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong, Jinan 250000, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong, Jinan 250000, China.
| | - Chong-Fu Zhong
- Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong, Jinan 250000, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Yi Zhang, Feng R, Li H, Wu W, Ma W, Chen X, Chen J, Liang C. CXCR4 influences PUFA desaturation and oxidative stress injury in experimental prostatitis mice by activating Fads2 via PPARγ. Free Radic Biol Med 2024; 223:237-249. [PMID: 39094710 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2024.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Chronic prostatitis-induced excessive inflammation and oxidative stress (OS) damage substantially affect men's quality of life. However, its treatment remains a major clinical challenge. Therefore, the identification of drugs that can decrease chronic prostatitis and oxidative stress targets is urgent and essential. CXCR4 is a classic chemokine receptor that is crucially associated with the occurrence and development of inflammation. This investigation aimed to elucidate how CXCR4 affects prostatitis regression and progression. The effect of CXCR4 on chronic prostatitis was evaluated by HE staining, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, PCR, and TUNEL analyses. Furthermore, CXCR4 influence on metabolism was also evaluated by monitoring body weight, body temperature, food intake, and LC/MS. Additionally, chromatin immunoprecipitation, Western blot, and double luciferase reporter gene assays were carried out to elucidate the mechanism by which CXCR4 modulates Fads2 transcription by PPARγ. Lastly, ROS, DHE, mito-tracker, and ATP were utilized to validate the α-linolenic acid's protective effect against OS in prostate epithelial cells. It was revealed that the inhibition of CXCR4 can effectively alleviate prostatitis in mice. Furthermore, downregulating CXCR4 expression can markedly reduce the inflammatory cell infiltration in mouse prostates, decrease the elevated levels of DNA damage markers,MDA and 4-HNE, and mitigate apoptosis of prostatic epithelial cells. Moreover, treatment of CXCR4 knockdown mice with a PPARγ inhibitor revealed different degrees of changes in the above phenotypes. Mechanistically, the PPARγ protein translocates to the nucleus and serves as a transcription factor to regulate Fads2 expression, thereby altering PUFA metabolism. Additionally, in vitro experiments indicated that α-linolenic acid can effectively alleviate OS damage and RWPE-1 cell apoptosis by protecting mitochondrial function and enhancing the antioxidant capacity of prostatic epithelial cells. In conclusion, reducing the levels of CXCR4 can alleviate inflammation and OS damage in chronic prostatitis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China; Institute of Urology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Urological and Andrological Diseases Research and Medical Transformation, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
| | - Rui Feng
- Department of Urology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, PR China
| | - Haolin Li
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China; Institute of Urology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Urological and Andrological Diseases Research and Medical Transformation, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
| | - Weikang Wu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China; Institute of Urology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Urological and Andrological Diseases Research and Medical Transformation, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
| | - Wenming Ma
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China; Institute of Urology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Urological and Andrological Diseases Research and Medical Transformation, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
| | - Xianguo Chen
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China; Institute of Urology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Urological and Andrological Diseases Research and Medical Transformation, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China.
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China; Institute of Urology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Urological and Andrological Diseases Research and Medical Transformation, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China.
| | - Chaozhao Liang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China; Institute of Urology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Urological and Andrological Diseases Research and Medical Transformation, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Han T, Sun Z, Zhang H, Zhao Y, Jiao A, Gao Q. Ursolic acid alleviates meiotic abnormalities induced by 3-nitropropionic acid in mouse oocytes. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2024; 485:116910. [PMID: 38521372 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2024.116910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA), a toxic metabolite produced by mold, is mainly found in moldy sugarcane. 3-NPA inhibits the activity of succinate dehydrogenase that can induce oxidative stress injury in cells, reduce ATP production and induce oxidative stress in mouse ovaries to cause reproductive disorders. Ursolic acid (UA) has a variety of biological activities and is a pentacyclic triterpene compound found in many plants. This experiment aimed to investigate the cytotoxicity of 3-NPA during mouse oocyte in vitro maturation and the protective effects of UA on oocytes challenged with 3-NPA. The results showed that UA could alleviate 3-NPA-induced oocyte meiotic maturation failure. Specifically, 3-NPA induced a decrease in the first polar body extrusion rate of oocytes, abnormal distribution of cortical granules, and an increase in the proportion of spindle abnormalities. In addition, 3-NPA caused mitochondrial dysfunction and induced oxidative stress, including decreases in the GSH, mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP levels, and increases in the ROS levels, and these effects led to apoptosis and autophagy. The addition of UA could significantly improve the adverse effects caused by 3-NPA. In general, our data show that 3-NPA affects the normal development of oocytes during the in vitro culture, and the addition of UA can effectively repair the damage caused by 3-NPA to oocytes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tiancang Han
- Engineering Research Center of North-East Cold Region Beef Cattle Science & Technology Innovation, Ministry of Education, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China; Jilin Engineering Research Center of Yanbian Yellow Cattle Resources Reservation, China; Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China
| | - Zhaoyang Sun
- Engineering Research Center of North-East Cold Region Beef Cattle Science & Technology Innovation, Ministry of Education, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China; Jilin Engineering Research Center of Yanbian Yellow Cattle Resources Reservation, China; Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China
| | - Hongbo Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of North-East Cold Region Beef Cattle Science & Technology Innovation, Ministry of Education, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China; Jilin Engineering Research Center of Yanbian Yellow Cattle Resources Reservation, China; Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China
| | - Yuhan Zhao
- Engineering Research Center of North-East Cold Region Beef Cattle Science & Technology Innovation, Ministry of Education, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China; Jilin Engineering Research Center of Yanbian Yellow Cattle Resources Reservation, China; Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China
| | - Anhui Jiao
- Engineering Research Center of North-East Cold Region Beef Cattle Science & Technology Innovation, Ministry of Education, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China; Jilin Engineering Research Center of Yanbian Yellow Cattle Resources Reservation, China; Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China
| | - Qingshan Gao
- Engineering Research Center of North-East Cold Region Beef Cattle Science & Technology Innovation, Ministry of Education, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China; Jilin Engineering Research Center of Yanbian Yellow Cattle Resources Reservation, China; Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sun D, Xing D, Wang D, Liu Y, Cai B, Deng W, Hu Q, Ma W, Jin B. The Protective Effects of Bushen Daozhuo Granule on Chronic Non-bacterial Prostatitis. Front Pharmacol 2024; 14:1281002. [PMID: 38239203 PMCID: PMC10794918 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1281002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis (CNP), one of the most common chronic diseases in urology, leads to pain in the prostate and dysuria, critically affecting the physical or mental health of patients. However, there are no standard treatment approaches for the treatment of CNP in the clinic. Although the clinical application of Bushen Daozhuo granule (BSDZG) offers hope to CNP patients in China, the mechanisms of BSDZG in treating CNP are still not entirely clear. Hence, we aimed to investigate the novel therapeutic mechanisms of BSDZG on CNP. Methods: In this study, we first assayed the prostate index of rats and then determined the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of BSDZG on CNP in vivo and in vitro by employing ELISA kits and TUNEL staining. Next, we investigated whether the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic mechanisms of BSDZG on prostate protein-induced rats and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced RWPE-1 cells were related to the AKT, p38 MAPK, and NF-κB pathways with the help of Western blot. Finally, the influence of BSDZG on the interaction between the p38 MAPK and NF-κB pathway in LPS-induced RWPE-1 cells was explored by adopting dehydrocorydaline (DHC, p38 MAPK activator) with the help of ELISA kits and Western blot. Results: In vivo, BSDZG effectively reduced the prostate index. In vivo and in vitro, BSDZG dramatically declined the level of two pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-1β, as well as the apoptosis rate. Moreover, in vivo and in vitro, BSDZG memorably upregulated the expression level of p-AKT, and substantially downregulated the expression level of p-p38 MAPK and NF-κB2. The activation of p38 MAPK significantly reversed the moderation effects of BSDZG on the level of TNF-α and IL-1β, as well as the expression level of p-p38 MAPK and NF-κB2 in vitro. Conclusion: To sum up, the in vivo and in vitro therapeutic mechanisms of BSDZG on CNP were reflected as the anti-inflammation and anti-apoptosis that was formed by inhibiting the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-1β, to regulate the AKT, p38 MAPK, and NF-κB pathways, and the anti-inflammatory effect of BSDZG was realized by suppressing the p38 MAPK pathway to inhibit the downstream NF-κB pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dalin Sun
- Andrology Department of Integrative Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Dong Xing
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Dandan Wang
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bin Cai
- Andrology Department of Integrative Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Weimin Deng
- Andrology Department of Integrative Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qinglin Hu
- Department of Urology, Chuzhou Integrated Hospital of Chinese and Western Medicine, Affiliated to Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chuzhou, China
| | - Wenjun Ma
- Department of Urology, Chuzhou Integrated Hospital of Chinese and Western Medicine, Affiliated to Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chuzhou, China
| | - Baofang Jin
- Andrology Department of Integrative Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| |
Collapse
|