Neutrophil extracellular traps in intracerebral hemorrhage: implications for pathogenesis and therapeutic targets

Yi-Qi-Huo-Xue decoction alleviates intracerebral hemorrhage injury through inhibiting neuronal autophagy of ipsilateral cortex via BDNF/TrkB pathway

BACKGROUND

Yi-Qi-Huo-Xue Decoction (YQHXD), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has demonstrated efficacy in the clinical treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) for over a decade. Nevertheless, the precise pharmacotherapeutic compounds of YQHXD capable of penetrating into cerebral tissue and the pharmacological underpinnings of YQHXD remain ambiguous.

METHODS

The active components of YQHXD in rat brains was analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The potential targets, pathways and biological progresses of YQHXD ameliorating ICH induced injury was predicted by network pharmacology. Moreover, collagenase-induced ICH rat model, primary cortex neurons exposed to hemin and molecular docking were applied to validate the molecular mechanisms of YQHXD.

RESULTS

Eleven active components of YQHXD were identified within the brains. Employing the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases, our investigation concentrated on the roles of autophagy and the BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway in the pharmacological context. The pharmacological results revealed that YQHXD alleviated neurological dysfunction, brain water content, brain swelling, and pathological injury caused by ICH. Meanwhile, YQHXD inhibited autophagy influx and autophagosome in vivo, and regulated cortex neuronal autophagy and TrkB/BDNF pathway both in vivo and in vitro. Subsequently, N-acetyl serotonin (NAS), a selective TrkB agonist, was employed to corroborate the significance of the BDNF/TrkB pathway in this process. The combination of NAS and YQHXD did not further enhance the protective efficacy of YQHXD in ICH rats. Additionally, outcomes of molecular docking analysis revealed that nine compounds of YQHXD exhibited potential regulatory effects on TrkB.

CONCLUSIONS

Ipsilateral neuronal autophagy and BDNF/TrkB pathway were activated 72 h after ICH. YQHXD effectively resisted injury induced by ICH, which was related with suppression of ipsilateral neuronal autophagy via BDNF/TrkB pathway. This study provides novel insights into the therapeutic mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine in the context of ICH treatment.

Identification of mitophagy and ferroptosis-related hub genes associated with intracerebral haemorrhage through bioinformatics analysis

BACKGROUND

Mitophagy and ferroptosis occur in intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) but our understanding of mitophagy and ferroptosis-related genes remains incomplete.

AIM

This study aims to identify shared ICH genes for both processes.

METHODS

ICH differentially expressed mitophagy and ferroptosis-related genes (DEMFRGs) were sourced from the GEO database and literature. Enrichment analysis elucidated functions. Hub genes were selected via STRING, MCODE, and MCC algorithms in Cytoscape. miRNAs targeting hubs were predicted using miRWalk 3.0, forming a miRNA-hub gene network. Immune microenvironment variances were assessed with MCP and TIMER. Potential small molecules for ICH were forecasted via CMap database.

RESULTS

64 DEMFRGs and ten hub genes potentially involved in various processes like ferroptosis, TNF signalling pathway, MAPK signalling pathway, and NF-kappa B signalling pathway were discovered. Several miRNAs were identified as shared targets of hub genes. The ICH group showed increased infiltration of monocytic lineage and myeloid dendritic cells compared to the Healthy group. Ten potential small molecule drugs (e.g. Zebularine, TWS-119, CG-930) were predicted via CMap.

CONCLUSION

Several shared genes between mitophagy and ferroptosis potentially drive ICH progression via TNF, MAPK, and NF-kappa B pathways. These results offer valuable insights for further exploring the connection between mitophagy, ferroptosis, and ICH.

Neutrophil extracellular traps and their implications in airway inflammatory diseases

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are essential for immune defense and have been increasingly recognized for their role in infection and inflammation. In the context of airway inflammatory diseases, there is growing evidence suggesting the involvement and significance of NETs. This review aims to provide an overview of the formation mechanisms and components of NETs and their impact on various airway inflammatory diseases, including acute lung injury/ARDS, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis. By understanding the role of NETs in airway inflammation, we can gain valuable insights into the underlying pathogenesis of these diseases and identify potential targets for future therapeutic strategies that either target NETs formation or modulate their harmful effects. Further research is warranted to elucidate the complex interactions between NETs and airway inflammation and to develop targeted therapies that can effectively mitigate their detrimental effects while preserving their beneficial functions in host defense.