Upregulation of SIRT1 Contributes to dmPGE2-dependent Radioprotection of Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Hypothalamic circuits and aging: keeping the circadian clock updated

Over the past century, age-related diseases, such as cancer, type-2 diabetes, obesity, and mental illness, have shown a significant increase, negatively impacting overall quality of life. Studies on aged animal models have unveiled a progressive discoordination at multiple regulatory levels, including transcriptional, translational, and post-translational processes, resulting from cellular stress and circadian derangements. The circadian clock emerges as a key regulator, sustaining physiological homeostasis and promoting healthy aging through timely molecular coordination of pivotal cellular processes, such as stem-cell function, cellular stress responses, and inter-tissue communication, which become disrupted during aging. Given the crucial role of hypothalamic circuits in regulating organismal physiology, metabolic control, sleep homeostasis, and circadian rhythms, and their dependence on these processes, strategies aimed at enhancing hypothalamic and circadian function, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches, offer systemic benefits for healthy aging. Intranasal brain-directed drug administration represents a promising avenue for effectively targeting specific brain regions, like the hypothalamus, while reducing side effects associated with systemic drug delivery, thereby presenting new therapeutic possibilities for diverse age-related conditions.

Prolonged exposure of environmental concentration benzo[a]pyrene promoted cancer stemness through AhR/PKA/SOX2 dependent pathway in small cell lung cancer

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is commonly found in the environment as a result of incomplete combustion of organic materials and cigarette smoke. Epidemiological studies have consistently suggested that elderly smokers are at higher risk for small cell lung cancer (SCLC), with risks and clinical stages increasing with the intensity and duration of smoking. However, the underlying mechanism remains insufficiently investigated. Here, we established a positive correlation between smoking and BaP metabolite 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene (3OH-BaP) in urine. The pooled standardized mean difference of urinary 3OH-BaP concentration for smokers versus nonsmokers was 5.18 (95 % CI 2.86-7.50). Clinical data suggested that smoking led to more lymph node metastasis, higher pathological N-stage, and worse overall survival in SCLC patients. We identified 75 genes that participate in BaP-associated cancer stemness of SCLC from Comparative Toxicogenomics Database and validated the expression of these candidate genes in SCLC patient samples. Protein kinase cAMP-activated catalytic subunit alpha (PRKACA) was found to be most upregulated in SCLC patients and in vitro experiments indicated that long-term exposure of SCLC cells to BaP, at the concentration equivalent to those detected in blood, increased PKA protein level. Further investigation revealed that PKA could directly interact with SOX2 and protect SOX2 from COP1-mediated ubiquitination and degradation. Upregulated SOX2 then contributed to the stemness and metastasis of SCLC cells while inhibition of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling pathway abolished BaP induced PKA expression and downstream PKA/SOX2 axis. Our findings firstly pinpoint BaP exposure as a high-risk factor for SCLC and worse outcomes in patients, with the underlying mechanism being the activation of cancer stemness of SCLC via the AhR/PKA/SOX2 axis.

Further Characterization of Multi-Organ DEARE and Protection by 16,16 Dimethyl Prostaglandin E2 in a Mouse Model of the Hematopoietic Acute Radiation Syndrome

Survivors of acute radiation exposure suffer from the delayed effects of acute radiation exposure (DEARE), a chronic condition affecting multiple organs, including lung, kidney, heart, gastrointestinal tract, eyes, and brain, and often causing cancer. While effective medical countermeasures (MCM) for the hematopoietic-acute radiation syndrome (H-ARS) have been identified and approved by the FDA, development of MCM for DEARE has not yet been successful. We previously documented residual bone marrow damage (RBMD) and progressive renal and cardiovascular DEARE in murine survivors of H-ARS, and significant survival efficacy of 16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2 (dmPGE2) given as a radioprotectant or radiomitigator for H-ARS. We now describe additional DEARE (physiological and neural function, progressive fur graying, ocular inflammation, and malignancy) developing after sub-threshold doses in our H-ARS model, and detailed analysis of the effects of dmPGE2 administered before (PGE-pre) or after (PGE-post) lethal total-body irradiation (TBI) on these DEARE. Administration of PGE-pre normalized the twofold reduction of white blood cells (WBC) and lymphocytes seen in vehicle-treated survivors (Veh), and increased the number of bone marrow (BM) cells, splenocytes, thymocytes, and phenotypically defined hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) and hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) to levels equivalent to those in non-irradiated age-matched controls. PGE-pre significantly protected HPC colony formation ex vivo by >twofold, long term-HSC in vivo engraftment potential up to ninefold, and significantly blunted TBI-induced myeloid skewing. Secondary transplantation documented continued production of LT-HSC with normal lineage differentiation. PGE-pre reduced development of DEARE cardiovascular pathologies and renal damage; prevented coronary artery rarefication, blunted progressive loss of coronary artery endothelia, reduced inflammation and coronary early senescence, and blunted radiation-induced increase in blood urea nitrogen (BUN). Ocular monocytes were significantly lower in PGE-pre mice, as was TBI-induced fur graying. Increased body weight and decreased frailty in male mice, and reduced incidence of thymic lymphoma were documented in PGE-pre mice. In assays measuring behavioral and cognitive functions, PGE-pre reduced anxiety in females, significantly blunted shock flinch response, and increased exploratory behavior in males. No effect of TBI was observed on memory in any group. PGE-post, despite significantly increasing 30-day survival in H-ARS and WBC and hematopoietic recovery, was not effective in reducing TBI-induced RBMD or any other DEARE. In summary, dmPGE2 administered as an H-ARS MCM before lethal TBI significantly increased 30-day survival and ameliorated RBMD and multi-organ and cognitive/behavioral DEARE to at least 12 months after TBI, whereas given after TBI, dmPGE2 enhances survival from H-ARS but has little impact on RBMD or other DEARE.

Protection of the hematopoietic system against radiation-induced damage: drugs, mechanisms, and developments

Sometimes, people can be exposed to moderate or high doses of radiation accidentally or through the environment. Radiation can cause great harm to several systems within organisms, especially the hematopoietic system. Several types of drugs protect the hematopoietic system against radiation damage in different ways. They can be classified as "synthetic drugs" and "natural compounds." Their cellular mechanisms to protect organisms from radiation damage include free radical-scavenging, anti-oxidation, reducing genotoxicity and apoptosis, and alleviating suppression of the bone marrow. These topics have been reviewed to provide new ideas for the development and research of drugs alleviating radiation-induced damage to the hematopoietic system.