Breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) protection in altered gene expression and neurodevelopmental disorders due to physiological and ethanol-enhanced reactive oxygen species formation

Construction of diallyltrisulfide nanoparticles for alleviation of ethanol-induced acute gastric injury

Gastric ulcer, a significant health issue characterized by the degradation of the gastric mucosa, often arises from excessive gastric acid secretion and poses a challenge in current medical treatments due to the limited efficacy and side effects of first-line drugs. Addressing this, our study develops a novel therapeutic strategy leveraging gas therapy, specifically targeting the release of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the treatment of gastric ulcers. We successfully developed a composite nanoparticle, named BSA·SH-DATS, through a two-step process. Initially, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was sulfhydrated to generate BSA·SH nanoparticles via a mercaptosylation method. Subsequently, these nanoparticles were further functionalized by incorporating diallyltrisulfide (DATS) through a precise Michael addition reaction. This sequential modification resulted in the creation of BSA·SH-DATS nanoparticles. Our comprehensive in vitro and in vivo investigations demonstrate that these nanoparticles possess an exceptional ability for site-specific action on gastric mucosal cells under the controlled release of H2S in response to endogenous glutathione (GSH), markedly diminishing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, thereby alleviating inflammation and apoptosis. Moreover, the BSA·SH-DATS nanoparticles effectively regulate critical inflammatory proteins, including NF-κB and Caspase-3. Our study underscores their potential as a transformative approach for gastric ulcer treatment.

BRCA1 protein dose-dependent risk for embryonic oxidative DNA damage, embryopathies and neurodevelopmental disorders with and without ethanol exposure

Although widely known as a tumor suppressor, the breast cancer 1 susceptibility protein (BRCA1) is also important in development, where it regulates fetal DNA repair pathways that protect against DNA damage caused by physiological and drug-enhanced levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We previously showed that conditional heterozygous (+/-) knockout (cKO) mouse embryos with a minor 28% BRCA1 deficiency developed normally in culture, but when exposed to the ROS-initiating drug, alcohol (ethanol, EtOH), exhibited embryopathies not evident in wild-type (+/+) littermates. Herein, we characterized a directBrca1 +/- knockout (KO) model with a 2-fold greater (58%) reduction in BRCA1 protein vs. the cKO model. We also characterized and compared learning & memory deficits in both the cKO and KO models. Even saline-exposed Brca1 +/- vs. +/+ KO progeny exhibited enhanced oxidative DNA damage and embryopathies in embryo culture and learning & memory deficits in females in vivo, which were not observed in the cKO model, revealing the potential pathogenicity of physiological ROS levels. The embryopathic EtOH concentration for cultured direct KO embryos was half that for cKO embryos, and EtOH affected Brca1 +/+ embryos only in the direct KO model. The spectrum and severity of EtOH embryopathies in culture were greater in both Brca1 +/- vs. +/+ embryos, and direct KO vs. cKO +/- embryos. Motor coordination deficits were evident in both male and female Brca1 +/- KO progeny exposed in utero to EtOH. The results in our direct KO model with a greater BRCA1 deficiency vs. cKO mice provide the first evidence for BRCA1 protein dose-dependent susceptibility to developmental disorders caused by physiological and drug-enhanced oxidative stress.