Ginsenoside Rg1 suppresses paraquat-induced epithelial cell senescence by enhancing autophagy in an ATG12-dependent manner

Mesenchymal stem cell-based therapy for paraquat-induced lung injury

Paraquat poisoning results in significant pulmonary damage, but current treatments are only minimally effective in repairing the injured lung tissues. Recent research has highlighted the promise of using stem cell therapy, namely mesenchymal stem cells, as a new method for treating paraquat toxicity. These cells have shown effectiveness in decreasing inflammation, apoptosis, and fibrosis in the mice lungs subjected to paraquat. The therapeutic implications of mesenchymal stem cells are believed to arise from their release of bioactive proteins and their capacity to regulate inflammatory responses. However, additional clinical study is required to validate these therapies' efficacy. This review thoroughly explores the pathophysiology of paraquat poisoning and the properties of mesenchymal stem cells. Additionally, it critically assesses the long-term safety and effectiveness of mesenchymal stem cell therapies, which is crucial for developing more dependable and effective treatment protocols. In summary, although mesenchymal stem cells offer promising prospects for treating lung injuries, more investigations are required to optimize their therapeutic promise and ensure their safe clinical application in the context of paraquat poisoning.

Exosomes from senescent epithelial cells activate pulmonary fibroblasts via the miR-217-5p/Sirt1 axis in paraquat-induced pulmonary fibrosis

BACKGROUND

Paraquat (PQ) is a widely used and highly toxic herbicide that poses a significant risk to human health. The main consequence of PQ poisoning is pulmonary fibrosis, which can result in respiratory failure and potentially death. Our research aims to uncover a crucial mechanism in which PQ poisoning induces senescence in epithelial cells, ultimately regulating the activation of pulmonary fibroblasts through the exosomal pathway.

METHODS

Cellular senescence was determined by immunohistochemistry and SA-β-Gal staining. The expression of miRNAs was measured by qPCR. Pulmonary fibroblasts treated with specific siRNA of SIRT1 or LV-SIRT1 were used to analysis senescent exosomes-mediated fibroblasts activation. Luciferase reporter assay and western blot were performed to elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms. The effects of miR-217-5p antagomir on pulmonary fibrosis were assessed in PQ-poisoned mice models.

RESULTS

Impairing the secretion of exosomes effectively mitigates the harmful effects of senescent epithelial cells on pulmonary fibroblasts, offering protection against PQ-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Additionally, we have identified a remarkable elevation of miR-217-5p expression in the exosomes of PQ-treated epithelial cells, which specifically contributes to fibroblasts activation via targeted inhibition of SIRT1, a protein involved in cellular stress response. Remarkably, suppression of miR-217-5p effectively impaired senescent epithelial cells-induced fibroblasts activation. Further investigation has revealed that miR-217-5p attenuated SIRT1 expression and subsequently resulted in enhanced acetylation of β-catenin and Wnt signaling activation.

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight a potential strategy for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis induced by PQ poisoning. Disrupting the communication between senescent epithelial cells and pulmonary fibroblasts, particularly by targeting the miR-217-5p/SIRT1/β-catenin axis, may be able to alleviate the effects of PQ poisoning on the lungs.

Ferulic acid grafted into β-cyclodextrin nanosponges ameliorates Paraquat-induced human MRC-5 fibroblast injury

Paraquat (PQ) is a commercially important and effective herbicide in the world. Nevertheless, it has higher toxicity causing acute organ damage and different complications, mainly in the lungs and kidneys. Ferulic acid (FA), 4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid imposes multiple pharmacological impacts. No protective effect of FA on PQ poisoning-caused human embryonic lung fibroblast damage has not been reported. Despite their many beneficial effects, FA is characterized by poor water solubility, low bioavailability, and phytochemical instability. To solve the problem, β-cyclodextrin nanosponge (β-CD NSs) was utilized to increase the solubility of FA so that it was grafted into β-CD NSs to establish β-CD@FA NSs. The purpose of this work was to examine for the first time the protective effect of β-CD@FA NS on MRC-5 human lung cells damages induced by PQ poisoning. MTS assay was performed to investigate the viability of MRC-5 cells at different concentrations of FA/β-CD@FA NSs when cells were co-cultured with 0.2 μg/mL PQ. The flow cytometry study was carried out to determine apoptosis. Malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) levels were detected using appropriate biochemistry kits. Compared with the PQ group, the cell activity, CAT, and SOD levels were significantly increased in the FA and chiefly in β-CD@FA NSs intervention groups, whereas apoptosis and MDA levels were markedly decreased. The inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and interleukin 22 (IL-22) were detected. The results demonstrate that β-CD@FA NSs can inhibit PQ-induced cell damage by enhancing antioxidant stress capacity and regulation of inflammatory responses.

Traditional herbs: mechanisms to combat cellular senescence

Cellular senescence plays a very important role in the ageing of organisms and age-related diseases that increase with age, a process that involves physiological, structural, biochemical and molecular changes in cells. In recent years, it has been found that the active ingredients of herbs and their natural products can prevent and control cellular senescence by affecting telomerase activity, oxidative stress response, autophagy, mitochondrial disorders, DNA damage, inflammatory response, metabolism, intestinal flora, and other factors. In this paper, we review the research information on the prevention and control of cellular senescence in Chinese herbal medicine through computer searches of PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct and CNKI databases.

Cellular Senescence: A Troy Horse in Pulmonary Fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic interstitial lung disease characterized by myofibroblast abnormal activation and extracellular matrix deposition. However, the pathogenesis of PF remains unclear, and treatment options are limited. Epidemiological studies have shown that the average age of PF patients is estimated to be over 65 years, and the incidence of the disease increases with age. Therefore, PF is considered an age-related disease. A preliminary study on PF patients demonstrated that the combination therapy of the anti-senescence drugs dasatinib and quercetin improved physical functional indicators. Given the global aging population and the role of cellular senescence in tissue and organ aging, understanding the impact of cellular senescence on PF is of growing interest. This article systematically summarizes the causes and signaling pathways of cellular senescence in PF. It also objectively analyzes the impact of senescence in AECs and fibroblasts on PF development. Furthermore, potential intervention methods targeting cellular senescence in PF treatment are discussed. This review not only provides a strong theoretical foundation for understanding and manipulating cellular senescence, developing new therapies to improve age-related diseases, and extending a healthy lifespan but also offers hope for reversing the toxicity caused by the massive accumulation of senescence cells in humans.

The Ethanolic Extract of Lycium ruthenicum Ameliorates Age-Related Physiological Damage in Mice

Aging and age-related diseases are important study topics due to their associations with progressive physiological damage to genes, cells, tissues, and the entire organism, which ultimately affects the functional efficiency of organs. Lycium ruthenicum Murr. is a functional food that is known for its high contents of anthocyanins and spermidines, both of which have been demonstrated to have positive effects on anti-aging activity and anti-oxidation. In this study, we used HPLC-MS to analyze the constituents of L. ruthenicum Murr. Extract (LRM) and investigated their potential mechanism for exerting antioxidative effects in D-galactose (D-Gal) aging model mice. LRM (25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, and 100 mg/kg) improved cognitive function in D-Gal-treated mice, as shown by reduced escape latencies and increased platform crossings in behavioral tests. We measured the contents of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and the enzyme activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in mice serum and brain after 6 weeks of D-Gal treatment. LRM decreased the contents of LPO and MDA and increased the enzyme activities of SOD and GSH-Px, indicating the protection effect of LRM against D-Gal-induced oxidative stress. Additionally, LRM can inhibit oxidative stress in cells by reducing intracellular ROS levels and restoring mitochondrial membrane potential, thereby inhibiting paraquat (PQ)-induced cellular senescence and delaying cell aging. Therefore, LRM has the potential to be a healthcare product for the treatment of age-related diseases.

The anti-aging mechanism of ginsenosides with medicine and food homology

With the acceleration of global aging and the rise in living standards, the achievement of healthy aging is becoming an imperative issue globally. Ginseng, a medicinal plant that has a long history of dietary intake and remarkable medicinal value, has become a research hotspot in the field of food and medicine. Ginsenosides, especially protopanaxadiol-type saponins and protopanaxatriol-type saponins, are among the most important active ingredients in ginseng. Ginsenosides have been found to exhibit powerful and diverse pharmacological activities, such as antiaging, antitumor, antifatigue and immunity enhancement activities. Their effects in antiaging mainly include (1) promotion of metabolism and stem cell proliferation, (2) protection of skin and nerves, (3) modulation of intestinal flora, (4) maintenance of mitochondrial function, and (5) enhancement of telomerase activity. The underlying mechanisms are primarily associated with the intervention of the signaling pathways in apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress. In this review, the mechanism of action of ginsenosides in antiaging as well as the potential values of developing ginsenoside-based functional foods and antiaging drugs are discussed.

TMT proteomics analysis reveals the mechanism of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis and effects of Ginseng honeysuckle superfine powdered tea

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic and potentially fatal lung disease and disorder. Although the active ingredients of ginseng honeysuckle superfine powdered tea (GHSPT) have been proven to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, the mechanism of GHSPT on PF remains unclear. The present study was to explore the underlying mechanism of GHSPT in treating PF based on proteomics and network pharmacology analysis and to confirm it in vivo.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We used intratracheal instillation of bleomycin to induce the PF mouse model and GHSPT (640 mg/kg) intragastrically administrated to PF mice for 21 days. The lung tissues were harvested for TMT-based proteomics. The UPLC-Q-Exactive MS/MS analyze the serum migrant compounds of GHSPT in the PF mice. Moreover, components of GHSPT were harvested from the pharmacology database of the TCMSP system. PF-related targets were retrieved using NCBI and GeneCards databases.

RESULTS

Our results showed that GHSPT significantly alleviated PF mice. Proteomics analysis showed that 525 proteins had significantly changed in the lung of untreated PF mice. Among them, 19 differential proteins were back-regulated to normal levels after GHSPT therapy. Moreover, 25 compounds originating from GHSPT were identified in the serum sample. Network analysis showed 159 active ingredients and 92 drug targets against PF. The signaling pathways include apoptosis, ferroptosis, cytokine-cytokine receptor, P53, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

The evidence suggests that GHSPT might play an effective role in the treatment of PF by multi-target interventions against multiple signaling pathways.

Ginsenoside Rg1 Ameliorates Pancreatic Injuries via the AMPK/mTOR Pathway in vivo and in vitro

BACKGROUND

The main propanaxatriol-type saponin found in ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Mey), ginsenoside Rg1 (G-Rg1), has bioactivities that include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-diabetic properties. This study aimed to investigate the effects of G-Rg1 on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced Type 1 Diabetes mellitus (T1DM) mice and the insulin-secreting cell line in RIN-m5F cells with high-glucose (HG) treatment.

METHODS

The STZ-induced DM mice model was treated with G-Rg1 alone or combined with 3-Methyladenine (3-MA, an autophagy inhibitor)/rapamycin (RAPA, an autophagy activator) for 8 weeks, and levels of glucose and lipid metabolism, histopathological changes, as well as autophagy and apoptosis of relevant markers were estimated. In vitro, the HG-induced RIN-m5F cells were treated with G-Rg1, 3-MA, and Compound C (CC), an AMPK inhibitor, or their combinations to estimate the influences on cell apoptosis, autophagy, and AMPK/mTOR pathway-associated target gene levels.

RESULTS

G-Rg1 treatment attenuated glucose and lipid metabolism disorder and pancreatic fibrosis in diabetic mice. In addition, subdued autophagy and p-AMPK protein expression, and enhanced p-mTOR protein expression and apoptosis levels in TIDM mice and HG-induced RIN-m5F cells were ameliorated by G-Rg1 treatment. Furthermore, these anti-apoptosis effects of G-Rg1 were partially abolished by 3-MA and CC.

CONCLUSION

Our findings revealed that G-Rg1 exhibits strong anti-apoptosis ability in pancreatic tissues of type 1 diabetic mice and HG-induced RIN-m5F cells, and the mechanisms involved in activating AMPK and inhibiting mTOR-mediated autophagy, indicating that G-Rg1 may have the therapeutic and preventive potential for treating pancreatic injury in diabetic patients.

Potential therapeutic effects of natural compounds targeting autophagy to alleviate podocyte injury in glomerular diseases

Podocyte injury is a common cause of proteinuric kidney diseases. Uncontrollable progressive podocyte loss accelerates glomerulosclerosis and increases the risk of end-stage renal disease. To date, owing to the complex pathological mechanism, effective therapies for podocyte injury have been limited. Accumulating evidence supports the indispensable role of autophagy in the maintenance of podocyte homeostasis. A variety of natural compounds and their derivatives have been found to regulate autophagy through multiple targets, including promotes nuclear transfer of transcription factor EB and lysosomal repair. Here, we reviewed the recent studies on the use of natural compounds and their derivatives as autophagy regulators and discussed their potential applications in ameliorating podocyte injury. Several known natural compounds with autophagy-regulatory properties, such as quercetin, silibinin, kaempferol, and artemisinin, and their medical uses were also discussed. This review will help in improving the understanding of the podocyte protective mechanism of natural compounds and promote their development for clinical use.