Pentoxifylline ameliorates chronic stress/high-fat diet-induced vascular wall disease: the role of circulating endothelial progenitor cells

Amitriptyline and cholecalciferol amend hippocampal histological structure and myelination during stress in Wistar rats via regulating miR200/BMP4/Olig-2 signaling

Chronic stress is a universal condition commonly associated with many psychiatric diseases. An extensive body of evidence discussed hippocampal affection upon chronic stress exposure, however, the underlying molecular pathways still need to be identified. We investigated the impact of chronic stress on miR200/BMP/Olig-2 signaling and hippocampal myelination. We also compared the effects of chronic administration of amitriptyline and cholecalciferol on chronically stressed hippocampi. Both amitriptyline and cholecalciferol significantly decreased serum cortisol levels, reduced immobility time in the forced swim test, increased the number of crossed squares in open field test, decreased the hippocampal expression of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) and its messenger RNA (mRNA) levels, reduced miR200 expression as compared to untreated chronically stressed rats. Also, both drugs amended the hippocampal neuronal damage, enhanced the surviving cell count, and increased the pyramidal layer thickness of Cornu Ammonis subregion 1 (CA1) and granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus. Cholecalciferol was more effective in increasing the area percentage of myelin basic protein (MBP) and Olig-2 positive cells count in hippocampi of chronic stress-exposed rats than amitriptyline, thus enhancing myelination. We also found a negative correlation between the expression of BMP4, its mRNA, miR200, and the immunoexpression of MBP and Olig-2 proteins. This work underscores the amelioration of the stress-induced behavioral changes, inhibition of miR200/BMP4 signaling, and enhancement of hippocampal myelination following chronic administration of either amitriptyline or cholecalciferol, though cholecalciferol seemed more effective in brain remyelination.

A neuroprotective effect of pentoxifylline in rats with diabetic neuropathy: Mitigation of inflammatory and vascular alterations

BACKGROUND

Treatment of diabetic neuropathic pain does not change the natural history of neuropathy. Improved glycemic control is the recommended treatment in these cases, given that no specific treatment for the underlying nerve damage is available, so far. In the present study, the potential neuroprotective effect of pentoxifylline in streptozotocin (50 mg/kg) induced diabetic neuropathy in rats was investigated.

METHODS

Pentoxifylline was administered at doses equivalent to 50, 100 & 200 mg/kg, in drinking water, starting one week after streptozotocin injection and for 7 weeks. Mechanical allodynia, body weight and blood glucose level were assessed weekly. Epidermal thickness of the footpad skin, and neuroinflammation and vascular alterations markers were assessed.

RESULTS

Tactile allodynia was less in rats that received pentoxifylline at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg (60 % mechanical threshold increased by 48 % and 60 %, respectively). The decrease in epidermal thickness of footpad skin was almost completely prevented by the same doses. This was associated with a decrease in spinal tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and nuclear factor kappa B levels and a decrease in microglial ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 immunoreactivity, compared to the control diabetic group. In sciatic nerve, there was decrease in TNF-α and vascular endothelial growth factor levels and intercellular adhesion molecule immunoreactivity.

CONCLUSION

Pentoxifylline showed a neuroprotective effect in streptozotocin-induced diabetic neuropathy, which was associated with a suppression of both the inflammatory and vascular pathogenic pathways that was not associated with a hypoglycemic effect. Thus, it may represent a potential neuroprotective drug for diabetics.

Vitamin D and lactoferrin attenuate stress-induced colitis in Wistar rats via enhancing AMPK expression with inhibiting mTOR-STAT3 signaling and modulating autophagy

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a global gastrointestinal disorder closely related to psychological stress exposure and local colonic inflammation. Herein, we investigated the effect of wrap-restraint stress (WRS) on rat behavior, on adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase-mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (AMPK-mTOR-STAT3) signaling, and autophagy in colonic mucosa. The impact of chronic administration of vitamin D₃ and lactoferrin was compared. Twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups. Chronic WRS protocol was applied as a rodent model of IBS. Group I: naïve animals, Group II: WRS animals, Group III: WRS-exposed and treated with vitamin D₃ (500 IU/kg/day), and Group IV: WRS-exposed and treated with lactoferrin (300 mg/kg/day). In this study, we found that chronic administration of each of vitamin D₃ and lactoferrin resulted in a significant increase in social interaction test, interleukin-10, AMPK, optical density of LC3B, goblet cell count and marked decrease in serum cortisol level, STAT3, inflammatory cell count, and optical density of mTOR in comparison to the WRS rats. Our findings suggest that both vitamin D₃ and Lactoferrin could augment colonic autophagy through enhanced AMPK expression and inhibition of mTOR-STAT3 signaling, which offers practical insights into their clinical use in the prevention and therapy of IBS. However, lactoferrin intake as a nutritional supplement could be more helpful for stress-induced colitis treatment than vitamin D_3.

Pentoxifylline attenuates nonalcoholic fatty liver by inhibiting hepatic macrophage polarization to the M1 phenotype

BACKGROUND

Nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), recognized as one of the most common causes of chronic liver diseases, is increasingly prevalent worldwide. Pentoxifylline, a derivative of theobromine extracted from Theobroma cacao and tea, has been studied for effects on blood viscosity, tissue oxygenation and inflammation. However, its effects on hepatic lipid accumulation and the potential mechanisms remain unclear.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of pentoxifylline on high-fat diet-induced NAFL and to explore the corresponding molecular mechanisms.

METHODS

NAFL mice were injected with or without 25, 50 or 100 mg/kg pentoxifylline for 2 weeks. Hepatic steatosis was observed by haematoxylin-eosin staining and Oil Red O staining, the levels of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride were detected by biochemical kits, and insulin resistance was evaluated by glucose and insulin tolerance tests. In addition, we measured the frequencies of macrophage and its polarization subsets in the liver using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. The expressions of proteins associated with macrophage polarization signaling pathways were assessed by Western blotting and flow cytometry histograms. Molecular docking and cellular thermal shift assay were conducted to identify and verify the target protein of pentoxifylline in macrophage.

RESULTS

Pentoxifylline significantly alleviated hepatic lipid accumulation, reduced blood lipid levels and improved insulin resistance. Strikingly, the excessive M1 macrophages in NAFL development was abolished by pentoxifylline. And pentoxifylline was further evidenced it failed to reduce hepatocyte lipid accumulation in the absence of macrophages in vitro. Mechanistically, pentoxifylline competed with LPS for binding to toll-like receptor 4, dramatically inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

Pentoxifylline attenuated NAFL by inhibiting hepatic macrophage M1 polarization, indicating that pentoxifylline could be a therapeutic candidate for NAFL. This study first observed that M1 macrophages were increased in NAFL mice and then revealed the molecule targeted by pentoxifylline. In addition, we provided evidence that macrophage targeting may be an emerging strategy for NAFL treatment.

Off-Target Effects of Antidepressants on Vascular Function and Structure

Depression emerges as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and it is thought that successful antidepressant treatment may reduce such a risk. Therefore, antidepressant treatment embodies a potential preventive measure to reduce cardiovascular events in patients with depression. Accumulating evidence indicates that antidepressants have off-target effects on vascular dysfunction and in the early stages of atherosclerosis, which form the basis for cardiovascular disease (CVD) pathogenesis. In this context, we performed a thorough review of the evidence pertaining to the effects of different classes of antidepressant medications on hemodynamic and early atherosclerosis markers. The preclinical and clinical evidence reviewed revealed a preponderance of studies assessing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), whereas other classes of antidepressants are less well-studied. Sufficient evidence supports a beneficial effect of SSRIs on vascular inflammation, endothelial function, arterial stiffening, and possibly delaying carotid atherosclerosis. In clinical studies, dissecting the hypothesized direct beneficial antidepressant effect of SSRIs on endothelial health from the global improvement upon remission of depression has proven to be difficult. However, preclinical studies armed with appropriate control groups provide evidence of molecular mechanisms linked to endothelial function that are indeed modulated by antidepressants. This suggests at least a partial direct action on vascular integrity. Further research on endothelial markers should focus on the effect of antidepressants on treatment responders versus non-responders in order to better ascertain the possible beneficial vascular effects of antidepressants, irrespective of the underlying course of depression.

Advances of Endothelial Progenitor Cells in the Development of Depression

Depression is a major psychological disease of human beings. With the severity of depression, it elevates the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), especially acute coronary syndrome (ACS), resulting in serious harm to human health. The number of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) is closely related to the development of depression. It has been reported that the number of peripheral blood EPCs in patients with depression was reduced. However, effects on the function of EPCs in depression are still unclear. This paper aims to analyze and summarize the research of EPCs in depression, and we envision that EPCs might act as a new target for evaluating the severity of depression and its complications.

Validation of prenatal versus postnatal valproic acid rat models of autism: A behavioral and neurobiological study

Despite the increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is still a deficiency in understanding its exact pathophysiology and treatment, therefore validation of translational ASD animal model is warranted. Although strong evidences support the valproic acid (VPA) model of autism, yet a controversy exists regarding the best timing of exposure whether prenatal or postnatal. Accordingly, this study was designed to compare the time dependent effects of VPA exposure as regard its ability to induce autistic like changes in male Wistar rats. In this study, two different protocols of VPA exposure (prenatal and postnatal) were compared at different levels (behavioral, neurochemical and histopathological). Results of this study revealed that both prenatal and postnatal VPA exposures induced autistic-like behaviors manifested by reduced social interaction, increased repetitive stereotyped behavior and anxiety, cognitive dysfunction, lowered sensitivity to pain, and neurodevelopmental delay. Furthermore, inflammatory cytokines and oxidative/nitrosative stress markers were elevated in prefrontal cortex and hippocampal homogenates. Likewise, histopathological and immunohistochemical assessment confirmed the neurodegenerative and the apoptotic changes in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum exhibited by decreased viable cells number and Nissl's granules optical density, and increased caspase-3 immunoreactivity respectively. Interestingly, ASD core symptoms and histopathological changes were significantly (P < 0.05) altered in prenatal VPA model compared to postnatal VPA model. Additionally, postnatal mortality in prenatal model (4.3%) was much lower compared to the postnatal model (22.7%). In conclusion, our study overweighs the ability of prenatal VPA model over postnatal VPA model to induce behavioral and neuropathological alterations that simulate those observed in autistic individuals with a lower postnatal animal mortality, highlighting the privilege of prenatal over postnatal VPA exposure as a translational model for understanding pathophysiology and developing novel targets for management of ASD.

Cognitive effects of the GSK-3 inhibitor "lithium" in LPS/chronic mild stress rat model of depression: Hippocampal and cortical neuroinflammation and tauopathy

Low-dose repeated lipopolysaccharide pre-challenge followed by chronic mild stress (LPS/CMS) protocol has been introduced as a rodent model of depression combining the roles of immune activation and chronic psychological stress. However, the impact of this paradigm on cognitive functioning has not been investigated hitherto.

METHODS

This study evaluated LPS/CMS-induced cognitive effects and the role of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) activation with subsequent neuroinflammation and pathological tau deposition in the pathogenesis of these effects using lithium (Li) as a tool for GSK-3 inhibition.

RESULTS

LPS pre-challenge reduced CMS-induced neuroinflammation, depressive-like behavior and cognitive inflexibility. It also improved spatial learning but increased GSK-3β expression and exaggerated hyperphosphorylated tau accumulation in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Li ameliorated CMS and LPS/CMS-induced depressive and cognitive deficits, reduced GSK-3β over-expression and tau hyperphosphorylation, impeded neuroinflammation and enhanced neuronal survival.

CONCLUSION

This study draws attention to LPS/CMS-triggered cognitive changes and highlights how prior low-dose immune challenge could develop an adaptive capacity to buffer inflammatory damage and maintain the cognitive abilities necessary to withstand threats. This work also underscores the favorable effect of Li (as a GSK-3β inhibitor) in impeding exaggerated tauopathy and neuroinflammation, rescuing neuronal survival and preserving cognitive functions. Yet, further in-depth studies utilizing different low-dose LPS challenge schedules are needed to elucidate the complex interactions between immune activation and chronic stress exposure.