The needle in the haystack: Identifying and validating common genes of depression, insomnia, and inflammation

Analyzing gene-based apoptotic biomarkers in insomnia using bioinformatics

Insomnia is increasingly common and poses significant health risks. The aims of this study are to identify apoptosis-related genes and potential biomarkers for insomnia and to find new therapeutic targets. Insomnia gene expression profiles were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, and differentially expressed genes in normal and insomnia samples were identified by limma rapid differential analysis, and then the major modular genes with clinical relevance to insomnia were analyzed using the Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis, and intersections were obtained with the differentially expressed genes as well as with apoptotic gene databases. We validated apoptosis-related differentially expressed genes, enriched and analyzed the specific biological process of insomnia and related signaling pathways. In addition, we constructed a protein-protein interaction network and obtained Top10 hub genes using Cytoscape. We selected 3 of them as hub genes and compared their expression in normal hippocampal neuronal cells and hippocampal neuronal cells of the model group exposed to corticosterone induction by Western Blot and qRT-PCR experiments. A total of 190 differentially expressed apoptosis-related genes were identified in insomnia, and BCL2, SOCS3, and IL7R were identified as important hub genes. Enrichment analysis showed that the occurrence of apoptosis in insomnia was mainly related to "PI3K-Akt signaling pathway," "JAK-STAT signaling pathway," "P53 signaling pathway" and so on. GO analysis showed that apoptosis in insomnia was mainly related to "immune response," "T cell differentiation in thymus," and "positive regulation of MAPK cascade." Western Blot and qRT-PCR experiments showed that BCL2, SOCS3, IL7R antiapoptotic indexes were under-expressed in modeled hippocampal neuronal cells compared to normal hippocampal neuronal cells. This study emphasizes the role of apoptosis-related genes in insomnia and preliminarily predicts that the occurrence of insomnia is closely related to apoptosis. Compared to the normal group, the antiapoptotic ability of hippocampal neurons in the model group is reduced. Although BCL2 has been studied in the context of sleep deprivation, SOCS3 and IL7R have not yet been explored in insomnia. Insomnia and sleep deprivation involve similar pathways, but due to different mechanisms and types of insomnia, gene expression may vary.

Hyperactivity in the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis: An Invisible Killer for Anxiety and/or Depression in Coronary Artherosclerotic Heart Disease

The coexistence of anxiety or depression with coronary heart disease (CHD) is a significant clinical challenge in cardiovascular medicine. Recent studies have indicated that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity could be a promising focus in understanding and addressing the development of treatments for comorbid CHD and anxiety or depression. The HPA axis helps to regulate the levels of inflammatory factors, thereby reducing oxidative stress damage, promoting platelet activation, and stabilizing gut microbiota, which enhance the survival and regeneration of neurons, endothelial cells, and other cell types, leading to neuroprotective and cardioprotective benefits. This review addresses the relevance of the HPA axis to the cardiovascular and nervous systems, as well as the latest research advancements regarding its mechanisms of action. The discussion includes a detailed function of the HPA axis in regulating the processes mentioned. Above all, it summarizes the therapeutic potential of HPA axis function as a biomarker for coronary atherosclerotic heart disease combined with anxiety or depression.

Mechanism of action of the Banxia-Xiakucao herb pair in sleep deprivation: New comprehensive evidence from network pharmacology, transcriptomics and molecular biology experiments

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Chinese herb pairs are the most basic and compressed examples of Chinese herbal combinations and can be used to effectively explain the fundamental concepts of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions. These pairings have gained significant interest due to their subtle therapeutic benefits, minimal side effects, and efficacy in treating complicated chronic conditions. The Banxia-Xiakucao Chinese herb pair (BXHP) consists of Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit. (Banxia) and Prunella vulgaris L. (Xiakucao). This formula was documented in The Medical Classic of the Yellow Emperor approximately 2000 years ago，and clinical research has demonstrated that BXHP effectively treats insomnia.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and therapeutic mechanism of the BXHP through a comprehensive strategy involving network pharmacology, molecular docking, transcriptomics, and molecular biology experimental validation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The composition of BXHP was characterized using the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. The active compounds were screened to find drug-likeness compounds by analyzing the ADME data. To predict the molecular mechanism of BXHP in sleep deprivation (SD) by network pharmacology and molecular docking. We established a rat model of SD and the in vivo efficacy of BXHP was verified through the pentobarbital sodium righting reflex test, behavioral assays, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, transmission electron microscopy, HE staining, and Nissl staining, and the underlying molecular mechanism of BXHP in SD was revealed through transcriptomic and bioinformatic analyses in conjunction with quantitative real-time PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence staining.

RESULTS

In the present study, we showed for the first time that BXHP reduced sleep latency, prolongs sleep duration, and improves anxiety; lowered serum CORT, IL6, TNF-α and MDA levels; decreased hypothalamic Glu levels; and elevated hypothalamic GABA and 5-HT levels in SD rats. We found 16 active compounds that acted on 583 targets, 145 of which are related to SD. By modularly dissecting the PPI network, we discovered three critical targets, Akt1, CREB1, and PRKACA, all of which play important roles in the effects of BXHP on SD. Molecular docking resulted in the identification of 16 active compounds that strongly bind to key targets. The results of GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of network pharmacology and transcriptomics focused on both the regulation of circadian rhythm and the cAMP signaling pathway, which strongly demonstrated that BXHP affects SD via the cAMP-PKA-CREB-Circadian rhythm pathway. Molecular biology experiments verified this hypothesis. Following BXHP administration, PKA and CREB phosphorylation levels were elevated in SD rats, the cAMP-PKA-CREB signaling pathway was activated, the expression levels of the biological clock genes CLOCK, p-BMAL1/BMAL1, and PER3 were increased, and the rhythmicity of the biological clock was improved.

CONCLUSIONS

The active compounds in BXHP can activate the cAMP-PKA-CREB-Circadian rhythm pathway, improve the rhythmicity of the biological clock, promote sleep and ameliorate anxiety, which suggests that BXHP improves SD through a multicomponent, multitarget, multipathway mechanism. This study is important for the development of herbal medicines and clinical therapies for improving sleep deprivation.

Follicle-stimulating hormone induces depression-like phenotype by affecting synaptic function

Depression is one of the most common affective disorders in people's life. Women are susceptibility to depression during puberty, peripartum and menopause transition, when they are suffering from sex hormone fluctuation. A lot of studies have demonstrated the neuroprotective effect of estrogen on depression in women, however, the effect of FSH on depression is unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of FSH on depression in mice. Our study demonstrated that FSH induced depression-like behaviors in mice in a dose-dependent manner. This induction was associated with elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in both serum and hippocampal tissues. Additionally, FSH treatment resulted in impaired synaptic plasticity and a reduction in the expression of key synaptic proteins. It is noteworthy that the depression-like behaviors, inflammatory cytokines expression and synaptic plasticity impairment induced by FSH could be alleviated by knocking down the expression of FSH receptor (FSHR) in the hippocampus of the mice. Therefore, our findings reveal that FSH may play an important role in the pathogenesis of depression and targeting FSH may be a potential therapeutic strategy for depression during hormone fluctuation in women.

PI3K/AKT signaling pathway: Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential in depression

Depression is a serious global mental disorder. Numerous studies have found that depression may be closely related to decreased neurogenesis, neuroinflammation, neurotransmitter imbalance, and synaptic plasticity dysfunction. The pathogenesis of depression is complex and involves multiple signal transduction pathways and molecular changes. The PI3K/AKT pathway is an essential signaling pathways in neurons, which is widely expressed in emotion-related regions of the brain. Therefore, the PI3K/AKT pathway may play a moderating role in mood disorders. However, the role and mechanism of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in depression have not been fully described. This review systematically summarized the role of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of depression and discussed its potential in the treatment of depression. This will help in the treatment of depression and the development of antidepressants.