Biomarker and Drug Target Discovery Using Quantitative Proteomics Post-Intracerebral Hemorrhage Stroke in the Rat Brain

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells regulate glutathione metabolism depending on the ERK-Nrf2-HO-1 signal pathway to repair phosphoramide mustard-induced ovarian cancer cells

The aim of this study was to study the effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUC-MSCs) on glutathione (GSH) metabolism in human ovarian cancer cells induced by phosphoramide mustard (PM). The experiment was divided into five groups, namely, the blank group (ovarian cancer cells), the control group (ovarian cancer cells + HUC-MSCs), the model group (ovarian cancer cells + PM), the treatment group (ovarian cancer cells + PM + HUC-MSCs), and the inhibitor group (ovarian cancer cells + PM + HUC-MSCs + extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase inhibitor PD98059). The apoptosis rate of ovarian cancer cells was detected by flow cytometry. Intracellular levels of oxidized glutathione (GSSG), GSH, γ-glutamyl cysteine synthetase (γ-GCS), and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Protein imprinting and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR were used to detect extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK), p-ERK heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) protein levels. First, the apoptosis rate in the model group was increased compared with that of the blank group. The levels of γ-GCS, p-ERK, HO-1, and Nrf-2 decreased, while the levels of malondialdehyde, GSSG, and ROS increased. Second, compared with the model group, the apoptosis rate in the treatment group decreased. GSH, γ-GCS, p-ERK, HO-1, and Nrf2 levels increased. Malondialdehyde, GSSG, and ROS levels decreased. Third, after the administration of ERK inhibitor, the apoptosis rate of cells increased. GSH, p-ERK, and HO-1 levels decreased. GSSG and ROS levels increased (P < 0.05), and γ-GCS level had a downward trend compared with the treatment group. To conclude, HUC-MSCs may regulate the ERK-Nrf2-HO-1 pathway to increase γ-GCS expression and GSH production, reduce ROS level and apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells, and improve antioxidant capacity.

Acute albumin administration as therapy for intracerebral hemorrhage: A literature review

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a subtype of stroke with high mortality. Secondary brain injury after surviving the initial ictus leads to severe neurological deficits, and has emerged as an attractive therapeutic target. Human serum albumin (HSA), a pluripotent protein synthesized mainly in the liver, has shown remarkable efficacy by targeting secondary brain injury pathways in rodent models of ICH, while results from relevant clinical research on albumin therapy remain unclear. Preclinical studies have shown albumin-mediated neuroprotection may stem from its biological functions, including its major antioxidation activity, anti-inflammatory responses, and anti-apoptosis. HSA treatment provides neuroprotective and recovery enhancement effects via improving short and long-term neurologic function, maintaining blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity and reducing neuronal oxidative stress and apoptosis. Retrospective clinical studies have shown that admission hypoalbuminemia is a prognostic factor for poor outcomes in patients with ICH. However, clinical trial was terminated due to poor enrollment and its potential adverse effects. This review provides an overview of the physiological properties of albumin, as well as its potential neuroprotective and prognostic value and the resulting clinical implications.

TMT and PRM Based Quantitative Proteomics to Explore the Protective Role and Mechanism of Iristectorin B in Stroke

Stroke is a serious disease caused by the rupture or blockage of the cerebrovascular system. Its pathogenesis is complex and involves multiple mechanisms. Iristectorin B is a natural isoflavone that has certain anti stroke effects. In this study, an in vitro stroke injury model of glyoxylate deprivation was established using PC12 cells, which was used to evaluate the anti-stroke activity of Iristectorin B in ejecta stem. The results showed that Iristectorin B, a natural isoflavone derived from Dried Shoot, significantly reduced the damage to PC12 cells caused by oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation, decreased apoptosis, enhanced cell survival and reduced Ca2+, LDH and ROS levels. The results showed that Iristectorin B had a significant protective effect on Na2S2O4-injured PC12 cells, and the mechanism may be related to the protective effect of neurons in the brain. After protein extraction and various analyses were performed, a series of cutting-edge technologies were organically combined to study the quantitative proteome of each group. Differential proteins were then analyzed. According to the protein screening principle, ferroptosis-related proteins were most closely associated with stroke. The differential proteins associated with ferroptosis screened were SLC3A2, TFR1 and HMOX1, with HMOX1 being the most significantly elevated and reduced via dosing. Iristectorin B may act as a protective agent against stroke by regulating ferroptosis, and SLC3A2, TFR1 and HMOX1 may serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers for stroke, providing additional evidence to support the importance of ferroptosis in stroke.

Intracranial hemorrhage management in the multi-omics era

Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating disorder. Neuroprotective strategies that prevent tissue injury and improve functional outcomes have been identified in multiple animal models of ICH. However, these potential interventions in clinical trials produced generally disappointing results. With progress in omics, studies of omics data, including genomics, transcriptomics, epigenetics, proteomics, metabolomics, and the gut microbiome, may help promote precision medicine. In this review, we focused on introducing the applications of all omics in ICH and shed light on all of the considerable advantages to systematically analyze the necessity and importance of multiple omics technology in ICH.

Animal models for the study of intracranial hematomas (Review)

Intracranial hematomas (ICH) are a frequent condition in neurosurgical and neurological practices, with several mechanisms of primary and secondary injury. Experimental research has been fundamental for the understanding of the pathophysiology implicated with ICH and the development of therapeutic interventions. To date, a variety of different animal approaches have been described that consider, for example, the ICH evolutive phase, molecular implications and hemodynamic changes. Therefore, choosing a test protocol should consider the scope of each particular study. The present review summarized investigational protocols in experimental research on the subject of ICH. With this subject, injection of autologous blood or bacterial collagenase, inflation of intracranial balloon and avulsion of cerebral vessels were the models identified. Rodents (mice) and swine were the most frequent species used. These different models allowed improvements on the understanding of intracranial hypertension establishment, neuroinflammation, immunology, brain hemodynamics and served to the development of therapeutic strategies.

CRMP2 derived from cancer associated fibroblasts facilitates progression of ovarian cancer via HIF-1α-glycolysis signaling pathway

As the predominant stroma cells of tumor microenvironment (TME), cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are robust tumor player of different malignancies. However, less is known about the regulatory mechanism of CAFs on promoting progression of ovarian cancer (OvCA). In the present study, the conditioned medium of primary CAFs (CAF-CM) from OvCA was used to culture cell lines of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), and showed a potent role in promoting proliferation, migration and invasion of cancer cells. Mass spectrum (MS) analysis identified that Collapsin response mediator protein-2 (CRMP2), a microtubule-associated protein involved in diverse malignancies, derived from CAFs was a key regulator responsible for mediating these cell events of OvCA. In vitro study using recombinant CRMP2 (r-CRMP2) revealed that the protein promoted proliferation, invasion, and migration of OvCA cells through activation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α-glycolysis signaling pathway. The CRMP2 was abundantly expressed in OvCA, with a well correlation with metastasis and poor prognosis, as analyzed from 118 patients' samples. Inhibition of the CRMP2 derived from CAFs by neutralizing antibodies significantly attenuated the tumor size, weights, and metastatic foci numbers of mice in vivo. Our finding has provided a novel therapeutic clue for OvCA based on TME.

Stroke Proteomics: From Discovery to Diagnostic and Therapeutic Applications

Stroke remains a leading cause of death and disability, with limited therapeutic options and suboptimal tools for diagnosis and prognosis. High throughput technologies such as proteomics generate large volumes of experimental data at once, thus providing an advanced opportunity to improve the status quo by facilitating identification of novel therapeutic targets and molecular biomarkers. Proteomics studies in animals are largely designed to decipher molecular pathways and targets altered in brain tissue after stroke, whereas studies in human patients primarily focus on biomarker discovery in biofluids and, more recently, in thrombi and extracellular vesicles. Here, we offer a comprehensive review of stroke proteomics studies conducted in both animal and human specimen and present our view on limitations, challenges, and future perspectives in the field. In addition, as a unique resource for the scientific community, we provide extensive lists of all proteins identified in proteomic studies as altered by stroke and perform postanalysis of animal data to reveal stroke-related cellular processes and pathways.

Butein Inhibits Oxidative Stress Injury in Rats with Chronic Heart Failure via ERK/Nrf2 Signaling

Background

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a serious heart disease resulting from cardiac dysfunction. Oxidative stress is an important factor in aging and disease. Butein, however, has antioxidant properties. To determine the effect of butein on oxidative stress injury in rats, a CHF rat model was established.

Methods

The CHF rat model was induced by abdominal aortic coarctation (AAC). Rats in CHF+butein and sham+butein group were given 100 mg/kg butein via gavage every day to detect the effect of butein on oxidative stress injury and myocardial dysfunction. The cardiac structural and functional parameters, including the left ventricular end-systolic dimension (LVESD), the left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD), the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and the left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS), were measured. Oxidative stress was measured through the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA). Cardiac injury markers like creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were evaluated. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was used to observe the myocardial cell morphology. The effect of butein on the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/nuclear factor-E2 p45-related factor (Nrf2) signaling was confirmed by Western blot analysis.

Results

Butein had a significant effect on CHF in animal models. In detail, butein inhibited oxidative stress, relieved cardiac injury, and alleviated myocardial dysfunction. Importantly, butein activated the ERK1/2 pathway, which contributed to Nrf2 activation and subsequent heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and glutathione cysteine ligase regulatory subunit (GCLC) induction.

Conclusions

In this study, butein inhibits oxidative stress injury in CHF rat model via ERK/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Curcumin Nanoparticles Inhibiting Ferroptosis for the Enhanced Treatment of Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Succinylation profiles of brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage

Protein posttranslational modifications (PTMs) regulate the biological processes of human diseases by genetic code expansion and cellular pathophysiology regulation; however, system-wide changes in PTM levels in the intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) brain remain poorly understood. Succinylation refers to a major PTM during the regulation of multiple biological processes. In this study, according to the methods of quantitative succinyllysine proteomics based on high-resolution mass spectrometry, we investigated ICH-associated brain protein succinyllysine modifications and obtained 3,680 succinylated sites and quantified around 3,530 sites. Among them, 25 succinyllysine sites on 23 proteins were upregulated (hypersuccinylated), whereas 13 succinyllysine sites on 12 proteins were downregulated (hyposuccinylated) following ICH. The cell component enrichment analysis of these succinylproteins with significant changes showed that 58.3% of the hyposuccinylated proteins were observed in the mitochondria, while the hyper-succinylproteins located in mitochondria decreased in the percentage to about 35% in ICH brains with a concomitant increase in the percentage of cytoplasm to 30.4%. Further bioinformatic analysis showed that the succinylproteins were mostly mitochondria and synapse-related subcellular located and involved in many pathophysiological processes, like metabolism, synapse working, and ferroptosis. Moreover, the integrative analysis of our succinylproteomics data and previously published transcriptome data showed that the mRNAs matched by most differentially succinylated proteins were especially highly expressed in neurons, endothelial cells, and astrocytes. Our study uncovers some succinylation-affected processes and pathways in response to ICH brains and gives us novel insights into understanding pathophysiological processes of brain injury caused by ICH.

Distinct brain regional proteome changes in the rTg-DI rat model of cerebral amyloid angiopathy

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), a prevalent cerebral small vessel disease in the elderly and a common comorbidity of Alzheimer's disease, is characterized by cerebral vascular amyloid accumulation, cerebral infarction, microbleeds, and intracerebral hemorrhages and is a prominent contributor to vascular cognitive impairment and dementia. Here, we investigate proteome changes associated with specific pathological features in several brain regions of rTg-DI rats, a preclinical model of CAA. Whereas varying degrees of microvascular amyloid and associated neuroinflammation are found in several brain regions, the presence of microbleeds and occluded small vessels is largely restricted to the thalamic region of rTg-DI rats, indicating different levels of CAA and associated pathologies occur in distinct brain regions in this model. Here, using SWATHLC-MS/MS, we report specific proteomic analysis of isolated brain regions and employ pathway analysis to correlate regionally specific proteomic changes with uniquely implicated molecular pathways. Pathway analysis suggested common activation of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), abnormal nervous system morphology, and neutrophil degranulation in all three regions. Activation of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) was common to the hippocampus and thalamus, which share high CAA loads, while the thalamus, which uniquely exhibits thrombotic events, additionally displayed activation of thrombin and aggregation of blood cells. Thus, we present significant and new insight into the cerebral proteome changes found in distinct brain regions with differential CAA-related pathologies of rTg-DI rats and provide new information on potential pathogenic mechanisms associated with these regional disease processes.

Albumin Reduces Oxidative Stress and Neuronal Apoptosis via the ERK/Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway after Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Rats

BACKGROUND

Albumin has been regarded as a potent antioxidant with free radical scavenging activities. Oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis are responsible for its highly damaging effects on brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Here, the present study investigated the neuroprotective effect of albumin against early brain injury after ICH and the potential underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to intrastriatal injection of autologous blood to induce ICH. Human serum albumin was given by intravenous injection 1 h after ICH. U0126, an inhibitor of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), and ML385, an inhibitor of nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), were intraperitoneally administered 1 h before ICH induction. Short- and long-term neurobehavioral tests, western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, oxidative stress evaluations, and apoptosis measurements were performed.

RESULTS

Endogenous expression of albumin (peaked at 5 days) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1, peaked at 24 h) was increased after ICH compared with the sham group. Albumin and HO-1 were colocalized with neurons. Compared with vehicle, albumin treatment significantly improved short- and long-term neurobehavioral deficits and reduced oxidative stress and neuronal death at 72 h after ICH. Moreover, albumin treatment significantly promoted the phosphorylation of ERK1/2; increased the expression of Nrf2, HO-1, and Bcl-2; and downregulated the expression of Romo1 and Bax. U0126 and ML385 abolished the treatment effects of albumin on behavior and protein levels after ICH.

CONCLUSIONS

Albumin attenuated oxidative stress-related neuronal death may in part via the ERK/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway after ICH in rats. Our study suggests that albumin may be a novel therapeutic method to ameliorate brain injury after ICH.

Temporal metabolomic alteration in rat brains of experimental intracerebral hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is the top lethal and disabling form of stroke. The pathophysiology of ICH is not fully understood yet. Metabolites are indicators and regulators of cellular processes. However, the overall brain metabolic pattern and the temporal alterations after ICH remain unknown.

METHODS

A total of 40 male rats were randomly assigned to sham group and ICH group. ICH was induced by collagenase Ⅶ. Body weight was assessed. Neurological deficits were evaluated by modified neurological severity score. Then, the perihematomal brain tissues were collected for metabolites detection using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). The metabolic profiles were displayed by principal component analysis (PCA), partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and cluster analysis. The significant differential metabolites were screened by fold change > 2.0, the false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05 and Variable Importance of Projection (VIP) > 1. Next, the relevant metabolic pathways were discerned by MetaboAnalyst website. A metabolite-protein interaction network was subsequentially constructed to further annotate the function of differential metabolites.

RESULTS

Rats suffered from compromised body weight increasement and impaired neurological function. The metabolomics profiles of brain tissues in the post-ICH rats were markedly different from those in the sham group on days 3 and 14. Thirty-four metabolites (bilirubin, uric acid, 6-Methylnicotinamide et al.) were abnormally upregulated in the acute stage, while 27 metabolites were disturbed in the recovery stage, including bilirubin, uric acid, and histamine et al. Seven and three metabolic pathways altered in the acute and recovery stage, respectively. Metabolite-protein interaction analysis revealed that the disturbed metabolites may participate in ICH pathophysiology by altering amino acid metabolism, peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor signaling pathway, fatty acid metabolism and urea cycle in the acute stage, while influencing amino acid metabolism, urea cycle and peroxisome in the recovery stage.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study mapped the pathological metabolomics profiles of the post-ICH rat brains in the acute and recovery phases. This work will assist in discovering novel therapeutic targets and treatments for ICH.

Proteomics and metabolomics of raw rhubarb and wine-processed rhubarb in the treatment of rats with intracerebral hemorrhage

Background

To explore the mechanisms of raw rhubarb and wine-processed rhubarb treatment in a rat model of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

Methods

After adapting to their environment, 30 male Wistar rats were divided into 5 treatment groups: blank control group (CK) (normal saline), sham operation group (SICH) (normal saline), ICH model group (ICH) (normal saline), ICH + raw rhubarb enema group (RO) (raw rhubarb 3.60 g/kg), and ICH + wine-processed rhubarb enema group (WRO) (wine-processed rhubarb 3.60 g/kg). The rhubarb enema (once a day) was given since 3 days before ICH treatment, and was consistently given until 12 hours, 24 hours, 3 days, and 7 days post operation. Serum oxidative stress and inflammatory markers were detected by ELISA, and differences between raw rhubarb and wine-processed rhubarb treatment in ICH rats were screened by proteomics and metabolomics.

Results

Both rhubarb treatments effectively improved oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. After ICH, the proteins and metabolites in the brain tissue were significantly altered. Compared with raw rhubarb, wine-processed rhubarb had a better protective effect by dysregulating amino acid metabolism in the ICH model.

Conclusions

Our study provides a basis for further research into the mechanisms of rhubarb treatment from different processing technologies, and promotes the application of rhubarb as a therapeutic approach to ICH.

Gegen Qinlian Decoction abates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis associated liver injuries via anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory response involved inhibition of toll-like receptor 4 signaling pathways

Gegen Qilian Decoction (GGQLD) is a well-established classic Chinese medicine prescription in treating nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, the molecular mechanism of GGQLD action on NASH is still not clear. This study aimed to assess the anti-NASH effect of GGQLD, and to explore its molecular mechanisms in vivo and in vitro. In HFD-fed rats, GGQLD decreased significantly serum triglyceride (TG), cholesterol (CHO), total bile acid (TBA), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), free fatty acid (FFA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels, increased levels of differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) Ahcy, Gpx1, Mat1a, GNMT, and reduced the expression of ALDOB. In RAW264.7 macrophages, GGQLD reduced the expression levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA, and diminished NASH by increasing differentially expressed genes (DEGs) CBS, Mat1a, Hnf4α and Pparα to reduce oxidative stress or lipid metabolism. The results of DEGs verification also showed that GGQLD up-regulated expressions of Hnf4α, Pparα and Cbs genes. In HepG2 cells, GGQLD decreased IL-6 levels and intracellular TG content, and inhibited FFA-induced expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). In summary, GGQLD abates NASH associated liver injuries via anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory response involved inhibition of TLR4 signal pathways. These findings provide new insights into the anti-NASH therapy by GGQLD.

Dynamic protein changes in the perihaemorrhagic zone of Surgically Treated Intracerebral Haemorrhage Patients

The secondary injury cascades exacerbating the initial brain injury following intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) are incompletely understood. We used dual microdialysis (MD) catheters placed in the perihaemorrhagic zone (PHZ) and in seemingly normal cortex (SNX) at time of surgical ICH evacuation in ten patients (range 26–70 years). Routine interstitial MD markers (including glucose and the lactate/pyruvate ratio) were analysed and remaining microdialysate was analysed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and nano-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (nLC-MS/MS). Two time intervals were analysed; median 2–10 hours post-surgery (time A) and median 68–76 hours post-ICH onset (time B). Using 2-DE, we quantified 232 ± 31 different protein spots. Two proteins differed between the MD catheters at time A, and 12 proteins at time B (p < 0.05). Thirteen proteins were significantly altered between time A and time B in the SNX and seven proteins in the PHZ, respectively. Using nLC-MS/MS ca 800 proteins were identified out of which 76 were present in all samples. At time A one protein was upregulated and two downregulated, and at time B, seven proteins were upregulated, and four downregulated in the PHZ compared to the SNX. Microdialysis-based proteomics is feasible for study of secondary injury mechanisms and discovery of biomarkers after ICH.