Mitochondrial proteomic analysis of isopsoralen protection against oxidative damage in human lens epithelial cells

Isopsoralen promotes osteogenic differentiation of human jawbone marrow mesenchymal cells through Notch signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of isopsoralen on osteogenic differentiation of human jawbone marrow mesenchymal cells and its possible mechanism.

METHOD

The cytotoxicity and proliferation of cells were measured by a cell counting kit 8. Alkaline phosphatase activity analysis was then used to determine the optimal concentration of isopsoralen to promote the differentiation. Western blot, qRT-PCR and Alizarin Red S staining were used to evaluate the role of Notch signaling pathway in isopsoralen-induced osteogenic differentiation. This study also investigated the anti-osteoporotic effects of ISO using in vivo osteoporosis models.

RESULTS

Our results showed that 1 × 10-6 mol / L isopsoralen can effectively promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of cells. Moreover, we found that activation of notch signaling pathway inhibited isopsoralen-induced osteogenesis and inhibition of Notch signal promoted the differentiation of osteoblasts induced by isopsoralen. In vivo experiments revealed that ISO significantly inhibited OVX-induced bone mineral density loss and restored the impaired bone structural properties in osteoporosis model mice.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrated that isopsoralen induced osteogenic differentiation by inhibiting Notch signaling and it might be a potential therapeutic agent for treating or preventing osteoporosis.

Serum carbohydrate antigen 72-4 concentrations decrease with age in females but not in males in Beijing, China

OBJECTIVE

Carbohydrate antigen 72-4 (CA72-4) is widely used in the diagnosis and monitoring of many cancers. However, there are few studies on the differences of CA72-4 concentrations in terms of age and gender.

METHODS

A total of 10,957 healthy subjects were divided into two groups according to gender and three age groups. The serum CA72-4 were detected. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS.

RESULTS

The CA72-4 concentration in female group was significantly higher than that in male group. The concentration of CA72-4 gradually decreased with age. Compared with the age >60 group, the CA72-4 concentrations were increased in the age 46-60 group and 16-45 group (P >0.05, respectively). To better observe the age difference, the age 16-45 and 46-60 groups were combined into the age 16-60 group. In comparison to the age >60 group, the CA72-4 concentration of age 16-60 group was significantly increased (P = 0.000). In the age >60 group, there was no difference between genders. Nevertheless, the difference between the sexes in the age 16-60 group was significant (P = 0.023).

CONCLUSIONS

The reference interval of CA72-4 for local healthy population was established. CA72-4 concentrations gradually decreased with the increase of age, and CA72-4 concentration in females aged 16-60 years (0-18.0 U/mL) was higher than in males (0-14.5 U/mL); however, there was no gender difference in the age group above 60 years old (0-14.5 U/mL). Moreover, in male CA72-4 there was no significant difference among all age groups, while the potential mechanism of female changes with age needs further study.

Isopsoralen ameliorates H2O2-induced damage in osteoblasts via activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Osteoporosis is a disease with a worldwide prevalence that involves a severe loss of bone mineral density and decreased microarchitecture, which increases the risk of bone fracture. The present study evaluated the effects of isopsoralen on osteoblastic OB-6 cells following hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced damage and investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in this process. For in vitro experiments, OB-6 osteoblasts were treated with H₂O₂ or H₂O₂ + isopsoralen then the cell viability, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and calcium accumulation were determined. Results demonstrated that treatment with H₂O₂ reduced cell viability, runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) and osteocalcin (OCN) expression levels, and calcium deposition, whilst markedly increasing cell apoptosis and ROS production. However, isopsoralen (1 µM) provided significant protection against H₂O₂-induced alterations in osteoblasts. In addition, isopsoralen effectively upregulated protein expression of tankyrase and β-catenin which are the main transductors of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Of note, the protective effects of isopsoralen against H₂O₂-induced damage were attenuated in OB-6 cells treated with tankyrase inhibitor XAV-939. In conclusion, the present findings provided evidence that isopsoralen attenuated oxidative stress-induced injury in osteoblasts via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Isopsoralen regulates PPAR‑γ/WNT to inhibit oxidative stress in osteoporosis

The present study aimed to examine the effects of isopsoralen against postmenopausal osteoporosis in an ovariectomized rat model. The ovariectomized rats were treated with three days 10 mg/kg isopsoralen or with three days 20 mg/kg isopsoralen. Alkaline phosphatase, the oxidative stress indicators and caspase‑3/9 were measured using ELISA assay kits. Reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to measure collagen type I (Col I), osteocalcin and osteoprotegerin mRNA levels. Wnt, β‑catenin and peroxisome proliferators‑activated receptor γ (PPAR‑γ) were analyzed using western blot analysis. Isopsoralen suppressed mature adipocyte differentiation of C2C12 cells, inhibited serum calcium and urinary calcium levels, and reduced the structural scores of articular cartilage and cancellous bone in the proximal tibia metaphysis of mice with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Isopsoralen also promoted the activity of alkaline phosphatase and the mRNA expression levels of Col 1, osterix and osteopontin in mice with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Oxidative stress and activities of caspase‑3/9 in the mice with postmenopausal osteoporosis were effectively suppressed by isopsoralen treatment, which upregulated the protein expression of Wnt/β‑catenin and downregulated the protein expression of PPAR‑γ. These findings demonstrated that isopsoralen prevented osteoporosis through the regulation of PPAR‑γ/WNT, inhibiting oxidative stress by targeting the PPAR‑γ/WNT pathway. These results provide evidence of the potential targeted therapy for isopsoralen in the clinical treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Recent Advance in Applications of Proteomics Technologies on Traditional Chinese Medicine Research

Proteomics technology, a major component of system biology, has gained comprehensive attention in the area of medical diagnosis, drug development, and mechanism research. On the holistic and systemic theory, proteomics has a convergence with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In this review, we discussed the applications of proteomic technologies in diseases-TCM syndrome combination researches. We also introduced the proteomic studies on the in vivo and in vitro effects and underlying mechanisms of TCM treatments using Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), Chinese herbal formula (CHF), and acupuncture. Furthermore, the combined studies of proteomics with other “-omics” technologies in TCM were also discussed. In summary, this report presents an overview of the recent advances in the application of proteomic technologies in TCM studies and sheds a light on the future global and further research on TCM.