The calcimimetic R-568 attenuates subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced vasospasm through PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway in the rat model

Calcium-sensing receptor regulates the angiogenic differentiation of LPS-treated human dental pulp cells via the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathway in vitro

AIM

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) in the angiogenic differentiation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated human dental pulp cells (hDPCs).

METHODOLOGY

The LPS-induced hDPCs were cultured in the medium with different combinations of CaSR agonist R568 and antagonist Calhex231. The cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenic capacity were measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), scratch wound healing, and tube formation assays, respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and western blot were conducted to determine the gene/protein expression of CaSR, inflammatory mediators, and angiogenic-associated markers. The activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (Akt) was assessed by western blot analysis.

RESULTS

The cell proliferation was elevated in response to R568 or Calhex231 exposure, but an enhanced cell migration was only found in cultures supplemented with Calhex231. Furthermore, R568 was found to potentiate the formation of vessel-like structure, up-regulated the protein expression of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1; comparable influences were also observed in R568-stimulated cells in the presence of PI3K inhibitor LY294002. In contrast, Calhex231 obviously inhibited the tube formation and VEGF protein level, whereas promoted the production of IL-6, TNF-α, and eNOS; however, in the presence of LY294002, Calhex231 showed a significant promotion on the protein expression of CaSR, VEGF, and SDF-1. In addition, R568 exhibited a promotive action on the Akt phosphorylation, which can be reversed by LY294002.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrated that CaSR can regulate the angiogenic differentiation of LPS-treated hDPCs with an involvement of the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway.

Poor expression of miR-195-5p can assist the diagnosis of cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage and predict adverse outcomes

OBJECTIVE

Patients with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) may develop refractory arterial cerebral vasospasm (CVS), which is the leading cause of death in SAH patients. This study explored the clinical diagnostic value of serum miR-195-5p levels in CVS after SAH (SAH + CVS) and its relationship with the prognosis of SAH + CVS.

METHODS

A total of 110 patients with spontaneous SAH were divided into the SAH group (N = 62) and SAH + CVS group (N = 58), with 60 healthy subjects as controls. The clinical data of blood glucose, blood sodium fluctuation, and serum lactic acid were recorded. miR-195-5p serum level was detected by RT-qPCR and its diagnostic value on SAH + CVS was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve. Serum levels of PDGF/IL-6/ET-1 and their correlation with miR-195-5p were analyzed using RT-qPCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and Pearson's method. The patient prognosis was evaluated by Glasgow Outcome Scale. The effect of miR-195-5p levels on adverse prognosis was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS

miR-195-5p was lowly expressed in the serum of SAH patients and lower in SAH + CVS patients. Serum miR-195-5p level assisted the diagnosis of SAH and SAH + CVS and was negatively correlated with PDGF/IL-6/ET-1 levels and was an independent risk factor together with ET-1 and blood glucose for SAH + CVS. miR-195-5p low expression predicted a higher cumulative incidence of adverse outcomes and was an independent predictor of adverse outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Poor expression of miR-195-5p can assist the diagnosis of SAH + CVS and predict higher adverse outcomes.

Alantolactone reduced neuron injury via activating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway after subarachnoid hemorrhage in rats

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a common disease with high morbidity and mortality, which can cause pathological, physiological, and biological reactions. SAH causes a series of responses such as neuronal and cerebral cortex damage, which in turn leads to inflammation and apoptosis. Traditional Chinese medicine has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, such as Alantolactone (ATL). However, studies on ATL therapy for SAH have not been reported. We observed the neurological scores, brain water content, Evans blue (EB) extravasation, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis via performing an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, and other methods after SAH. In this study, we found that ATL treatment attenuated the neurologic deficits, inhibited neuronal apoptosis and inflammatory reaction, promoted polarization of microglia toward the M2 phenotype, and activated the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. ATL can reduce the neurons and cerebral cortex damage of SAH rats through activating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.