Cell death induced by α-terthienyl via reactive oxygen species-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in the midgut of Aedes aegypti larvae

A novel dual-responsive colorimetric/fluorescent probe for the detection of N2H4 and ClO- and its application in environmental analysis and bioimaging

Hydrazine (N2H4) and hypochlorite (ClO-) are both reactive chemical substances extensively utilized across various industrial domains. Excessive hydrazine (N2H4) and hypochlorite (ClO-) can pose significant risks to the environment, ecosystems, and human health. In order to assess and control the environmental hazard caused by N2H4 and ClO-, there is an imperative need for efficient methods capable of rapid and precise detection of these contaminants. This paper introduces a novel dual-responsive colorimetric/fluorescent probe (MDT) for the detection of N2H4 and ClO- in environmental and biological samples. The probe exhibits turn-on fluorescent responses to N2H4 or ClO- with low detection limits (N2H4: 8 nM; ClO-: 15 nM), large Stokes shifts (N2H4: 175 nm; ClO-: 203 nm), short response time (N2H4: 4 min; ClO-: 5 s) and broad pH range (5-10). In practical applications, MDT has been successfully employed in detecting N2H4 and ClO- in water and soil samples from diverse locations. Test strips loaded with MDT offer a visual and convenient means to track N2H4 vapor and quantify N2H4 and ClO- concentrations in solutions. Finally, MDT has been utilized for sensing N2H4 and ClO- in Arabidopsis thaliana roots and living zebrafish. This study presents a promising tool for monitoring N2H4 and ClO- in the environment and living organisms.

Photoactivated 9-methylacridine destroys midgut tissues of Aedes aegypti larvae by targeting ROS-mediated apoptosis in the mitochondrial pathway of midgut cells

An aromatic ring-containing compound with a wide range of biological activities, 9-methylacridine (AD-9-Me) is a precursor for the synthesis of various drugs. However, its photoactivation properties and mechanism of damage as a photo activator against Aedes aegypti are unknown. The toxic effects of AD-9-Me on Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were determined under light and non-light conditions. The results showed that the toxicity of AD-9-Me to mosquito larvae was significantly higher than that of the dark treatment after 24 h of light exposure; AD-9-Me was mainly distributed in the midgut of larvae, after 24 h of treatment, it can cause an increase in calcium ion concentration, reactive oxygen species (ROS) eruption and ROS accumulation by blocking the ROS elimination pathway in midgut cells. This in turn caused an increase in protein carbonyl and malondialdehyde (MDA) content, a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), a disruption of the barrier function of midgut tissues, a significant decrease in midgut weight and chitin content, which induced the up-regulation of AeDronc, AeCaspase8 and AeCaspase7 genes, leading to apoptotic cell death. In this study, we confirmed that AD-9-Me has photoactivation activity and mainly acts on the midgut of mosquito larvae, which can generate a large amount of ROS in the cells of the midgut and induce apoptosis to occur, resulting in the disruption of the function of the tissues of mosquito larvae, accelerating the death and delaying the development of the mosquito larvae.

Essential oil and fenchone extracted from Tetradenia riparia (Hochstetter.) Codd (Lamiaceae) induce oxidative stress in Culex quinquefasciatus larvae (Diptera: Culicidae) without causing lethal effects on non-target animals

We investigated the larvicidal activity of the essential oil (EO) from Tetradenia riparia and its majority compound fenchone for controlling Culex quinquefasciatus larvae, focusing on reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities, and total thiol content as oxidative stress indicators. Moreover, the lethal effect of EO and fenchone was evaluated against Anisops bouvieri, Diplonychus indicus, Danio rerio, and Paracheirodon axelrodi. The EO and fenchone (5 to 25 µg/mL) showed larvicidal activity (LC50 from 16.05 to 18.94 µg/mL), followed by an overproduction of RONS, and changes in the activity of CAT, GST, AChE, and total thiol content. The Kaplan-Meier followed by Log-rank (Mantel-Cox) analyses showed a 100% survival rate for A. bouvieri, D. indicus, D. rerio, and P. axelrodi when exposed to EO and fenchone (262.6 and 302.60 µg/mL), while α-cypermethrin (0.25 µg/mL) was extremely toxic to these non-target animals, causing 100% of death. These findings emphasize that the EO from T. riparia and fenchone serve as suitable larvicides for controlling C. quinquefasciatus larvae, without imposing lethal effects on the non-target animals investigated.

Biological mechanism of ZnO nanomaterials

Modern nanotechnology has made zinc oxide nanomaterials (ZnO NMts) multifunctional, stable, and low cost, enabling them to be widely used in commercial and biomedical fields. With its wide application, the risk of human direct contact and their release into the environment also increases. This review aims to summarize the toxicity studies of ZnO NMts in vivo, including neurotoxicity, inhalation toxicity, and reproductive toxicity. The antibacterial and antiviral mechanisms of ZnO NMts in vitro and the toxicity to eukaryotic cells were summarized. The summary found that it was mainly related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by oxidative stress. It also discusses the potential harm to body and the favorable prospects of the widespread use of antibacterial and antiviral in the future medical field. The review also emphasizes that the dosage and use method of ZnO NMts will be the focus of future biomedical research.

Sulforaphane ameliorated podocyte injury according to regulation of the Nrf2/PINK1 pathway for mitophagy in diabetic kidney disease

Mitophagy, a mechanism of self-protection against oxidative stress, plays a critical role in podocyte injury caused by diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Sulforaphane (SFN), an isothiocyanate compound, is a potent antioxidant that affords protection against diabetes mellitus-mediated podocyte injury. However, its role and underlying mechanism in DKD especially in diabetic podocytopathy is not clearly defined. In the current study, we demonstrated SFN remarkably activated mitophagy in podocytes, restored urine albumin to creatinine ration, and prevented the glomerular hypertrophy and extensive foot process fusion in diabetic mice. Simultaneously, nephroprotective effects of SFN on kidney injury were abolished in podocyte-specific Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) conditional knockout mouse (cKO), indicating that SFN alleviating DM-induced podocyte injury dependent on Nrf2. In vitro study, supplement with SFN augmented the expression of PTEN induced kinase 1(PINK1) and mediated the activation of mitophagy in podocytes treated with high glucose. Further study revealed that SFN treatment enabled Nrf2 translocate into nuclear and bind to the specific site of PINK1 promoter, ultimately reinforcing the transcription of PINK1. Moreover, SFN failed to confer protection to podocytes treated with high glucose in presence of PINK1 knockdown. On the contrary, exogenous overexpression of PINK1 reversed mitochondrial abnormalities in Nrf2 cKO diabetic mice. In conclusion, SFN alleviated podocyte injury in DKD through activating Nrf2/PINK1 signaling pathway and balancing mitophagy, thus maintaining the mitochondrial homeostasis.

Cytomodulatory characteristics of Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) against cypermethrin on skin fibroblast cells (HFF-1)

The hematopoietic factor granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) has been identified via its capacity to promote bone marrow progenitors' development and differentiation into granulocytes and macrophages. Extensive pre-clinical research has established its promise as a critical therapeutic target in an assortment of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. Despite the broad literature on GM-CSF as hematopoietic of stem cells, the cyto/geno protective aspects remain unknown. This study aimed to assess the cyto/geno protective possessions of GM-CSF on cypermethrin-induced cellular toxicity on HFF-1 cells as an in vitro model. In pre-treatment culture, cells were exposed to various GM-CSF concentrations (5, 10, 20, and 40 ng/mL) with cypermethrin at IC50 (5.13 ng/mL). Cytotoxicity, apoptotic rates, and genotoxicity were measured using the MTT, Annexin V-FITC/PI staining via flow-cytometry, and the comet assay. Cypermethrin at 5.13 ng/mL revealed cytotoxicity, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and genotoxicity while highlighting GM-CSF's protective properties on HFF-1. GM-CSF markedly attenuated cypermethrin-induced apoptotic cell death (early and late apoptotic rates). GM-CSF considerably regulated oxidative stress and genotoxicity by reducing the ROS and LPO levels, maintaining the status of GSH and activity of SOD, and suppressing genotoxicity in the comet assay parameters. Therefore, GM-CSF could be promising as an antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, genoprotective and cytomodulating agent.

Preparation and Characterization of an Oyster Peptide-Zinc Complex and Its Antiproliferative Activity on HepG2 Cells

It is evident that zinc supplementation is essential for maintaining good health and preventing disease. In this study, a novel oyster peptide-zinc complex with an average molecular weight of 500 Da was prepared from oyster meat and purified using ultrafiltration, ultrasound, a programmed cooling procedure, chelating, and dialysis. The optimal chelating process parameters obtained through a response surface methodology optimization design are a peptide/zinc ratio of 15, pH of 6.53, reaction time of 80 min, and peptide concentration of 0.06 g/mL. Then, the structure of a peptide-zinc complex (named COP2-Zn) was investigated using the UV and infrared spectrums. The results showed that the maximum absorption peak was redshifted from 224.5 nm to 228.3 nm and the main difference of the absorption peaks was 1396.4 cm-1. The cytotoxicity and antiproliferative effects of COP2-Zn were evaluated. The results showed that COP2-Zn had a better antiproliferative effect than the unchelated peptide against HepG2 cells. A DNA flow cytometric analysis showed that COP2-Zn induced S-phase arrest in HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, the flow cytometer indicated that COP2-Zn significantly induced HepG2 cell apoptosis.

Deacetylation of ACO2 Is Essential for Inhibiting Bombyx mori Nucleopolyhedrovirus Propagation

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a specific pathogen of Bombyx mori that can significantly impede agricultural development. Accumulating evidence indicates that the viral proliferation in the host requires an ample supply of energy. However, the correlative reports of baculovirus are deficient, especially on the acetylation modification of tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) metabolic enzymes. Our recent quantitative analysis of protein acetylome revealed that mitochondrial aconitase (ACO2) could be modified by (de)acetylation at lysine 56 (K56) during the BmNPV infection; however, the underlying mechanism is yet unknown. In order to understand this regulatory mechanism, the modification site K56 was mutated to arginine (Lys56Arg; K56R) to mimic deacetylated lysine. The results showed that mimic deacetylated mitochondrial ACO2 restricted enzymatic activity. Although the ATP production was enhanced after viral infection, K56 deacetylation of ACO2 suppressed BmN cellular ATP levels and mitochondrial membrane potential by affecting citrate synthase and isocitrate dehydrogenase activities compared with wild-type ACO2. Furthermore, the deacetylation of exogenous ACO2 lowered BmNPV replication and generation of progeny viruses. In summary, our study on ACO2 revealed the potential mechanism underlying WT ACO2 promotes the proliferation of BmNPV and K56 deacetylation of ACO2 eliminates this promotional effect, which might provide novel insights for developing antiviral strategies.

Transcriptome analysis of emamectin benzoate caused midgut damage by inducing oxidative stress, energy metabolism disorder and apoptosis in gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar)

BACKGROUND

Emamectin benzoate (EMB) is a semisynthetic bioinsecticide, which has been widely used in the control of forestry and agricultural pests. However, the mechanism of its toxic effects on the non-neural tissues has been rarely reported. Here, we explored the mechanism of the midgut damage induced by EMB in gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) in order to better understand the toxicological mechanism of EMB.

RESULTS

Our results confirmed that EMB caused damage to the midgut of gypsy moth by inducing apoptosis. Transcriptome showed that 1469, 650 and 950 genes were significantly differentially expressed in the midgut of gypsy moth after 24, 48 and 72 h of EMB exposure, and oxidative stress, energy metabolism disorder and apoptosis may be related to the toxic effects of EMB. The indicators related to oxidative stress, energy metabolism and apoptosis were further examined. The results showed that EMB could cause oxidative stress by increasing ROS level and inhibiting antioxidant enzymes (P < 0.05), such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), which in turn causes mitochondria injury. Subsequently, energy metabolism was inhibited by downregulating the activities and mRNA level of energy metabolism enzymes. Furthermore, the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway was activated, triggering apoptosis, and eventually causing midgut injury in gypsy moth.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicated that EMB caused damage to midgut by inducing oxidative stress, energy metabolism disorder and apoptosis in gypsy moth. Our findings shed new light on the toxicological mechanism of EMB on non-neural tissues from oxidative stress, energy metabolism and apoptosis perspectives. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Discovery of Niphimycin C from Streptomyces yongxingensis sp. nov. as a Promising Agrochemical Fungicide for Controlling Banana Fusarium Wilt by Destroying the Mitochondrial Structure and Function

Banana Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) is the most destructive soil-borne fungal disease. Tropical race 4 (Foc TR4), one of the strains of Foc, can infect many commercial cultivars, which represents a threat to global banana production. Currently, there are hardly any effective chemical fungicides to control the disease. To search for natural product-based fungicides for controlling banana Fusarium wilt, we identified a novel strain Streptomyces yongxingensis sp. nov. (JCM 34965) from a marine soft coral, from which a bioactive compound, niphimycin C, was isolated using an activity-guided method. Niphimycin C exhibited a strong antifungal activity against Foc TR4 with a value of 1.20 μg/mL for EC₅₀ and obviously inhibited the mycelial growth and spore germination of Foc TR4. It caused the functional loss of mitochondria and the disorder of metabolism of Foc TR4 cells. Further study showed that niphimycin C reduced key enzyme activities of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and the electron transport chain (ETC). It displayed broad-spectrum antifungal activities against the selected 12 phytopathogenic fungi. In pot experiments, niphimycin C reduced the disease indexes in banana plantlets and inhibited the infection of Foc TR4 in roots. Hence, niphimycin C could be a promising agrochemical fungicide for the management of fungal diseases.

Impact of sublethal chlorantraniliprole on epidermis of Bombyx mori during prepupal-pupal transition

The silkworm Bombyx mori, an economically important insect with a long domestication history, exhibits high sensitivity to chemical pesticides. Extensive application of chlorantraniliprole (CAP) in control of pests of agricultural crops and mulberry plants causes residue toxicity to silkworm. We have demonstrated that sublethal concentration of CAP exposure causes defects in the formation of new epidermis and incomplete shedding of old epidermis during prepupal-pupal transition of B. mori. However, the underlying mechanism still remains unclear. Here, we investigated the transcriptional responses of the epidermis of B. mori on day 2 at prepupal stage to sublethal CAP exposure using digital gene expression (DGE) profiling sequencing. We identified 5823 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with 4830 genes up-regulated and 993 genes down-regulated. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis showed that CAP exposure induced disruption of energy homeostasis, oxidative stress, autophagy and apoptosis in the epidermis of B. mori. Meanwhile, trehalose content was increased while most of the genes involved in trehalose metabolism were down-regulated. In addition, chitin contents in CAP-exposed silkworms were decreased. Taken together, these results reveal that sublethal concentration of CAP probably targets trehalose metabolism to impair chitin synthesis, leading to perturbation of pupation metamorphosis in B. mori.

Ac2-26 attenuates hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice via regulating IL-22/IL-22R1/STAT3 signaling

Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI) is one of the major sources of mortality and morbidity associated with hepatic surgery. Ac2-26, a short peptide of Annexin A1 protein, has been proved to have a protective effect against IRI. However, whether it exerts a protective effect on HIRI has not been reported. The HIRI mice model and the oxidative damage model of H₂O₂-induced AML12 cells were established to investigate whether Ac2-26 could alleviate HIRI by regulating the activation of IL-22/IL-22R1/STAT3 signaling. The protective effect of Ac2-26 was measured by various biochemical parameters related to liver function, apoptosis, inflammatory reaction, mitochondrial function and the expressions of IL-22, IL-22R1, p-STAT3^Tyr705. We discovered that Ac2-26 reduced the Suzuki score and cell death rate, and increased the cell viability after HIRI. Moreover, we unraveled that Ac2-26 significantly decreased the number of apoptotic hepatocytes, and the expressions of cleaved-caspase-3 and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Furthermore, HIRI increased the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), NADP⁺/NADPH ratio and reactive oxygen species (ROS), whereas Ac2-26 decreased them significantly. Additionally, Ac2-26 remarkably alleviated mitochondria dysfunction, which was represented by an increase in the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content and mitochondrial membrane potential, a decrease in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage. Finally, we revealed that Ac2-26 pretreatment could significantly inhibit the activation of IL-22/IL22R1/STAT3 signaling. In conclusion, this work demonstrated that Ac2-26 ameliorated HIRI by reducing oxidative stress and inhibiting the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway, which might be closely related to the inhibition of the IL-22/IL22R1/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Rotenoids from Clitoria fairchildiana R. Howard (Fabaceae) seeds affect the cellular metabolism of larvae of Aedes aegypti L. (Culicidae)

Non-domesticated species may represent a treasure chest of defensive molecules which must be investigated and rescued. Clitoria fairchildiana R. Howard is a non-domesticated Fabacea, native from the Amazonian Forest whose seeds are exquisitely refractory to insect predation. Secondary metabolites from these seeds were fractionated by different organic solvents and the CH₂Cl₂ fraction (CFD - Clitoria fairchildiana dichloromethane fraction), as the most toxic to 3rd instar Aedes aegypti larvae (LC₅₀ 180 PPM), was subjected to silica gel chromatography, eluted with a gradient of CH₂Cl₂: MeOH and sub fractioned in nine fractions (CFD1 - CFD9). All obtained fractions were tested in their toxicity to the insect larvae. Two rotenoids, a 11α-O-β-D-glucopyranosylrotenoid and a 6-deoxyclitoriacetal 11-O-n-glucopyranoside, were identified in the mixture of CFD 7.4 and CFD 7.5, and they were toxic (LC₅₀ 120 PPM) to 3rd instar Ae. aegypti larvae, leading to exoskeleton changes, cuticular detachment and perforations in larval thorax and abdomen. These C. fairchildiana rotenoids interfered with the acidification process of cell vesicles in larvae midgut and caused inhibition of 55% of V-ATPases activity of larvae treated with 80 PPM of the compounds, when compared to control larvae. The rotenoids also led to a significant increase in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in treated larvae, especially in the hindgut region of larvae intestines, indicating a triggering of an oxidative stress process to these insects.

α-Terthienyl induces prostate cancer cell death through inhibiting androgen receptor expression

Prostate cancer is a disease that often occurs in elderly men. Androgen receptor signaling pathway runs through the occurrence and development of prostate cancer. Thereby, targeting androgen receptor is a crucial strategy for the treatment of prostate cancer. α-Terthienyl, which has been used as photosensitive activator and insecticide, is a natural compound rich in marigold. In the present study, we found α- terthienyl could inhibit the cell viability of four prostate cancer cell lines, especially on LNCaP and 22Rv1 cells which endogenously express androgen receptor. Then we proved that it could inhibit the proliferation of prostate cancer cells and induce apoptosis of prostate cancer cells by plate clone formation assay and flow cytometry respectively. Furthermore, we found α-terthienyl could inhibit androgen receptor nuclear translocation, reduce androgen receptor expression, reduce the mRNA and protein expression of androgen receptor target genes (KLK3, TMPRSS2, PCA3) and nuclear proliferation antigen Ki67 and PCNA. In addition, it inhibited the expression and phosphorylation of Akt protein while increasing the expression of tumor suppressor p27. Besides, we constructed a mouse xenograft prostate cancer model and confirmed that α-terthienyl also inhibited the growth of prostate cancer in vivo. In conclusively, α-terthienyl played an anti-prostate cancer role by inhibiting both the expression of androgen receptor and the transduction of its signal pathway, suggesting that it is a promising natural small molecule for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Eugenia uniflora, Melaleuca armillaris, and Schinus molle essential oils to manage larvae of the filarial vector Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae)

Populations of Culex quinquefasciatus Say, 1823 (Diptera: Culicidae) have shown resistance to insecticides of the carbamate and organophosphate classes. The objective of this study was to assess the susceptibility of C. quinquefasciatus larvae to essential oils from leaves of Eugenia uniflora L., Melaleuca armillaris (Sol. ex Gaertn.) Sm., and Schinus molle L and C. quinquefasciatus larvae's biochemical responses after their exposure to these leaves. The essential oils were chemically analyzed by GC and GC/MS. First, the lethal concentration for 50% (LC₅₀) values was estimated using different concentrations of essential oils and probit analysis. The larvae were exposed for 1 h at the LC₅₀ estimated for each essential oil. The susceptibility of the larvae to essential oils was evaluated using the following biochemical parameters: concentrations of total protein and reduced glutathione; levels of production of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation; and the activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The main chemical constituents in E. uniflora were E-β-ocimene, curzerene, germacrene B, and germacrone; in M. armillaris were 1,8-cineole and terpinolene; and in S. molle were sabinene, myrcene, and sylvestrene. The essential oils had LC₅₀ values between 31.52 and 60.08 mg/L, all of which were considered effective. All of them also promoted changes in biochemical parameters when compared to the control treatment. The essential oils of S. molle and E. uniflora inhibited the activity of the AChE enzyme, and the essential oil of M. armillaris increased it. All essential oils had larvicidal activity against C. quinquefasciatus, but the essential oil of E. uniflora was the most efficient. Thus, the findings of the present study suggest that the essential oil of E. uniflora can be considered promising for the development of botanical larvicides.

Oxidative stress induction by crude extract of Xylaria sp. triggers lethality in the larvae of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

Background:

Aedes aegypti is currently controlled with synthetic larvicides; however, mosquitoes have become highly resistant to these larvicides and difficult to eradicate. Studies have shown that insecticides derived from fungal extracts have various mechanisms of action that reduce the risk of resistance in these mosquitoes. One possible mechanism is uncontrolled production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the larvae, which can cause changes at the cellular level. Thus, the crude extract of Xylaria sp. was evaluated to investigate the oxidative effect of this extract in A. aegypti larvae by quantifying the oxidative damage to proteins and lipids.

Methods:

The larvicidal potential of the crude extract of Xylaria sp. Was evaluated, and the extract was subsequently tested in human lung fibroblasts for cytotoxicity and ROS production. ROS level was quantified in the larvae that were killed following exposure to the extract in the larvicide test.

Results:

The crude extract of Xylaria sp. Caused cytotoxicity and induced ROS production in human lung fibroblasts and A. aegypti larvae, respectively. In the larvicide trial, the extract showed an LC₅₀ of 264.456 ppm and an LC90 of 364.307 ppm, and was thus considered active. The extract showed greater oxidative damage to lipids and proteins, with LC₉₀ values of 24.7 µmol MDA/L and 14.6278 ×10^-3 nmol carbonyl/ mg protein, respectively.

Conclusions:

Crude extracts of Xylaria sp. induced oxidative stress that may have caused the mortality of A. aegypti larvae.

The Wheat Gene TaVQ14 Confers Salt and Drought Tolerance in Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana Plants

Wheat is one of the most widely cultivated food crops worldwide, and the safe production of wheat is essential to ensure food security. Soil salinization and drought have severely affected the yield and quality of wheat. Valine-glutamine genes play important roles in abiotic stress response. This study assessed the effect of the gene TaVQ14 on drought and salt stresses resistance. Sequence analysis showed that TaVQ14 encoded a basic unstable hydrophobic protein with 262 amino acids. Subcellular localization showed that TaVQ14 was localized in the nucleus. TaVQ14 was upregulated in wheat seeds under drought and salt stress. Under NaCl and mannitol treatments, the percentage of seed germination was higher in Arabidopsis lines overexpressing TaVQ14 than in wild-type lines, whereas the germination rate was significantly lower in plants with a mutation in the atvq15 gene (a TaVQ14 homolog) than in WT controls, suggesting that TaVQ14 increases resistance to salt and drought stress in Arabidopsis seeds. Moreover, under salt and drought stress, Arabidopsis lines overexpressing TaVQ14 had higher catalase, superoxide dismutase, and proline levels and lower malondialdehyde concentrations than WT controls, suggesting that TaVQ14 improves salt and drought resistance in Arabidopsis by scavenging reactive oxygen species. Expression analysis showed that several genes responsive to salt and drought stress were upregulated in Arabidopsis plants overexpressing TaVQ14. Particularly, salt treatment increased the expression of AtCDPK2 in these plants. Moreover, salt treatment increased Ca²⁺ concentrations in plants overexpressing TaVQ14, suggesting that TaVQ14 enhances salt resistance in Arabidopsis seeds through calcium signaling. In summary, this study demonstrated that the heterologous expression of TaVQ14 increases the resistance of Arabidopsis seeds to salt and drought stress.

Aberrant ROS Mediate Cell Cycle and Motility in Colorectal Cancer Cells Through an Oncogenic CXCL14 Signaling Pathway

Background: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) act as signal mediators to induce tumorigenesis.

Objective: This study aims to explore whether chemokine CXCL14 is involved in the proliferation and migration of ROS-induced colorectal cancer (CRC) cells.

Methods: The proliferative and migratory capacities of CRC cells treated with or without H₂O₂ were measured by various methods, including the CKK-8 assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, wounding healing assay, and migration assay.

Results: The results revealed that H₂O₂ promoted the proliferation and migration of CRC cells by regulating the cell cycle progression and the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. Furthermore, we noted that the expression level of CXCL14 was elevated in both HCT116 cells and SW620 cells treated with H₂O₂. An antioxidant N-Acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) pretreatment could partially suppress the CXCL14 expression in CRC cells treated with H₂O₂. Next, we constructed CRC cell lines stably expressing CXCL14 (HCT116/CXCL14 and SW620/CXCL14) and CRC cell lines with empty plasmid vectors (HCT116/Control and SW620/Control) separately. We noted that both H₂O₂ treatment and CXCL14 over-expression could up-regulate the expression levels of cell cycle-related and EMT-related proteins. Moreover, the level of phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK) was markedly higher in HCT116/CXCL14 cells when compared with that in HCT116/Control cells. CXCL14-deficiency significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of ERK compared with control (i.e., scrambled shNCs). H₂O₂ treatment could partially restore the expression levels of CXCL14 and p-ERK in HCT116/shCXCL14 cells.

Conclusion: Our studies thus suggest that aberrant ROS may promote colorectal cancer cell proliferation and migration through an oncogenic CXCL14 signaling pathway.

Thiophene-Based Trimers and Their Bioapplications: An Overview

Certainly, the success of polythiophenes is due in the first place to their outstanding electronic properties and superior processability. Nevertheless, there are additional reasons that contribute to arouse the scientific interest around these materials. Among these, the large variety of chemical modifications that is possible to perform on the thiophene ring is a precious aspect. In particular, a turning point was marked by the diffusion of synthetic strategies for the preparation of terthiophenes: the vast richness of approaches today available for the easy customization of these structures allows the finetuning of their chemical, physical, and optical properties. Therefore, terthiophene derivatives have become an extremely versatile class of compounds both for direct application or for the preparation of electronic functional polymers. Moreover, their biocompatibility and ease of functionalization make them appealing for biology and medical research, as it testifies to the blossoming of studies in these fields in which they are involved. It is thus with the willingness to guide the reader through all the possibilities offered by these structures that this review elucidates the synthetic methods and describes the full chemical variety of terthiophenes and their derivatives. In the final part, an in-depth presentation of their numerous bioapplications intends to provide a complete picture of the state of the art.

Synthesis and Photoactivated Toxicity of 2-Thiophenylfuranocoumarin Induce Midgut Damage and Apoptosis in Aedes aegypti Larvae

Furanocoumarins are photoactive compounds derived from secondary plant metabolites. They possess many bioactivities, including antioxidative, anticancer, insecticidal, and bactericidal activities. Here, we designed a new scheme for synthesizing 2-arylfuranocoumarin derivatives by condensation, esterification, bromination, and Wittig reaction. We found that 2-thiophenylfuranocoumarin (Iy) had excellent photosensitive activity. Three Iy concentrations (LC₂₅, LC₅₀, and LC₇₅) were used to treat the fourth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti (A. aegypti). The photoactivated toxicity, sublethal dose, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress level, intestinal barrier dysfunction, and apoptosis were studied. The results showed that Iy induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in midgut cells under ultraviolet light. Ultrastructural analysis demonstrated that mitochondria were damaged, and the activities of related enzymes were inhibited. Ultimately, Iy exposure led to excessive ROS production followed by the inhibition of antioxidant enzymes, including SOD, CAT, GPx, and GR, which diminished ROS elimination and escalated oxidative stress in midgut cells, aggravating the degree of oxidative damage in these cells. Histopathological changes were observed in the midgut, which led to intestinal barrier dysfunction. When the elimination of ROS was blocked and it accumulated in cells, apoptosis-related genes, including AeDronc, AeCaspase7, and AeCaspase8, were induced and activated. In addition, Iy affected the growth and development of A. aegypti at sublethal concentrations, and there was an obvious post-lethal effect. Thus, we found that Iy caused midgut damage and apoptosis in A. aegypti larvae under ultraviolet light, which preliminarily revealed the mode of action of Iy in A. aegypti.

Echinacoside reverses myocardial remodeling and improves heart function via regulating SIRT1/FOXO3a/MnSOD axis in HF rats induced by isoproterenol

Myocardial remodelling is important pathological basis of HF, mitochondrial oxidative stress is a promoter to myocardial hypertrophy, fibrosis and apoptosis. ECH is the major active component of a traditional Chinese medicine Cistanches Herba, plenty of studies indicate it possesses a strong antioxidant capacity in nerve cells and tumour, it inhibits mitochondrial oxidative stress, protects mitochondrial function, but the specific mechanism is unclear. SIRT1/FOXO3a/MnSOD is an important antioxidant axis, study finds that ECH binds covalently to SIRT1 as a ligand and up-regulates the expression of SIRT1 in brain cells. We hypothesizes that ECH may reverse myocardial remodelling and improve heart function of HF via regulating SIRT1/FOXO3a/MnSOD signalling axis and inhibit mitochondrial oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes. Here, we firstly induce cellular model of oxidative stress by ISO with AC-16 cells and pre-treat with ECH, the level of mitochondrial ROS, mtDNA oxidative injury, MMP, carbonylated protein, lipid peroxidation, intracellular ROS and apoptosis are detected, confirm the effect of ECH in mitochondrial oxidative stress and function in vitro. Then, we establish a HF rat model induced by ISO and pre-treat with ECH. Indexes of heart function, myocardial remodelling, mitochondrial oxidative stress and function, expression of SIRT1/FOXO3a/MnSOD signalling axis are measured, the data indicate that ECH improves heart function, inhibits myocardial hypertrophy, fibrosis and apoptosis, increases the expression of SIRT1/FOXO3a/MnSOD signalling axis, reduces the mitochondrial oxidative damages, protects mitochondrial function. We conclude that ECH reverses myocardial remodelling and improves cardiac function via up-regulating SIRT1/FOXO3a/MnSOD axis and inhibiting mitochondrial oxidative stress in HF rats.

Mitochondrial respiratory chain damage and mitochondrial fusion disorder are involved in liver dysfunction of fluoride-induced mice

Our previous study showed that excessive fluoride (F) intake can induce liver dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of F-induced mitochondrial damage resulting in liver dysfunction. Damaged mitochondrial ultrastructure and state of liver cells were estimated by TEM, TUNEL staining and BrdU measurement. The ROS level and ATP content in the liver tissue were measured by ELISA kit. Meanwhile, optic atrophy (OPA1), mitofusin-1 (Mfn1), NDUFV2, SDHA, CYC1, and COX Ⅳ expression levels were measured through real-time PCR and Western-blot. Results showed that the ROS level increased, thereby resulting in mitochondrial ultrastructure damage and abundant liver cells presented evident apoptotic characteristics after F treatment. Decreased ATP content and the abnormal expression of OPA1, Mfn1, NDUFV2, SDHA, CYC1, and COX Ⅳ of the liver tissue were observed. In conclusion, excessive F-induced mitochondrial respiratory chain damaged and mitochondrial fusion disorder resulted in liver dysfunction.

Neuroprotective effect of salvianolate on cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rats by inhibiting the Caspase-3 signal pathway

Salvianolate has been widely used for the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases. However, the detailed molecular mechanism of how it alleviates cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion injury is not well understood. In the present study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of salvianolate in acute cerebral infarction using the PC12 cell oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) model in vitro and the rat transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model in vivo. The results showed that the salvianolate significantly reduced the level of reactive oxygen species and inhibited the Caspase-3 signalling pathway in vitro; at the same time, in vivo experiments showed that salvianolate obviously reduced the infarct area (12.9%) and repaired cognitive function compared with the model group (28.28%). In conclusion, our data demonstrated that the salvianolate effectively alleviated cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion injury via suppressing the Caspase-3 signalling pathway.