Silencing of Tenascin-C Inhibited Inflammation and Apoptosis Via PI3K/Akt/NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Cell Model

Profiling Phosphoproteome Landscape in Circulating Extracellular Vesicles from Microliters of Biofluids through Functionally Tunable Paramagnetic Separation

Many biological processes are regulated through dynamic protein phosphorylation. Monitoring disease-relevant phosphorylation events in circulating biofluids is highly appealing but also technically challenging. We introduce here a functionally tunable material and a strategy, extracellular vesicles to phosphoproteins (EVTOP), which achieves one-pot extracellular vesicles (EVs) isolation, extraction, and digestion of EV proteins, and enrichment of phosphopeptides, with only a trace amount of starting biofluids. EVs are efficiently isolated by magnetic beads functionalized with TiIV ions and a membrane-penetrating peptide, octa-arginine R8 + , which also provides the hydrophilic surface to retain EV proteins during lysis. Subsequent on-bead digestion concurrently converts EVTOP to TiIV ion-only surface for efficient enrichment of phosphopeptides for phosphoproteomic analyses. The streamlined, ultra-sensitive platform enabled us to quantify 500 unique EV phosphopeptides with only a few μL of plasma and over 1200 phosphopeptides with 100 μL of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We explored its clinical application of monitoring the outcome of chemotherapy of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) patients with a small volume of CSF, presenting a powerful tool for broad clinical applications.

Neuroprotective methylsuccinic acid and enoic acid derivatives from the fungus Xylaria longipes

Three undescribed methylsuccinic acid derivatives, xylaril acids A-C, and two undescribed enoic acid derivatives, xylaril acids D-E, were isolated from the fungus Xylaria longipes. The structures of the undescribed compounds were deduced by spectroscopic means, including HRESIMS and 1D/2D NMR spectroscopy, as well as ECD calculations. The absolute configuration of xylaril acids A was further determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. All the isolated compounds displayed neuroprotective activities against oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion injury in PC12 cells by enhancing cell viability and inhibiting cell apoptosis.

Astrocytic Neuroimmunological Roles Interacting with Microglial Cells in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Both astrocytic and microglial functions have been extensively investigated in healthy subjects and neurodegenerative diseases. For astrocytes, not only various sub-types were identified but phagocytic activity was also clarified recently and is making dramatic progress. In this review paper, we mostly focus on the functional role of astrocytes in the extracellular matrix and on interactions between reactive astrocytes and reactive microglia in normal states and in neurodegenerative diseases, because the authors feel it is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms among activated glial cells in the pathology of neurological diseases in order to pave the way for drug discovery. Finally, we will review cyclic phosphatidic acid (cPA), a naturally occurring phospholipid mediator that induces a variety of biological activities in the brain both in vivo and in vitro. We propose that cPA may serve as a novel therapeutic molecule for the treatment of brain injury and neuroinflammation.

The mechanism and relevant mediators associated with neuronal apoptosis and potential therapeutic targets in subarachnoid hemorrhage

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a dominant cause of death and disability worldwide. A sharp increase in intracranial pressure after SAH leads to a reduction in cerebral perfusion and insufficient blood supply for neurons, which subsequently promotes a series of pathophysiological responses leading to neuronal death. Many previous experimental studies have reported that excitotoxicity, mitochondrial death pathways, the release of free radicals, protein misfolding, apoptosis, necrosis, autophagy, and inflammation are involved solely or in combination in this disorder. Among them, irreversible neuronal apoptosis plays a key role in both short- and long-term prognoses after SAH. Neuronal apoptosis occurs through multiple pathways including extrinsic, mitochondrial, endoplasmic reticulum, p53 and oxidative stress. Meanwhile, a large number of blood contents enter the subarachnoid space after SAH, and the secondary metabolites, including oxygenated hemoglobin and heme, further aggravate the destruction of the blood-brain barrier and vasogenic and cytotoxic brain edema, causing early brain injury and delayed cerebral ischemia, and ultimately increasing neuronal apoptosis. Even there is no clear and effective therapeutic strategy for SAH thus far, but by understanding apoptosis, we might excavate new ideas and approaches, as targeting the upstream and downstream molecules of apoptosis-related pathways shows promise in the treatment of SAH. In this review, we summarize the existing evidence on molecules and related drugs or molecules involved in the apoptotic pathway after SAH, which provides a possible target or new strategy for the treatment of SAH.

BMI1 fine-tunes gene repression and activation to safeguard undifferentiated spermatogonia fate

Introduction: Spermatogenesis is sustained by the homeostasis of self-renewal and differentiation of undifferentiated spermatogonia throughout life, which is regulated by transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms. B cell-specific Moloney murine leukemia virus integration site 1 (BMI1), one of spermatogonial stem cell markers, is a member of Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) and important to spermatogenesis. However, the mechanistic underpinnings of how BMI1 regulates spermatogonia fate remain elusive. Methods: We knocked down BMI1 by siRNA to investigate the role of BMI1 in undifferentiated spermatogonia. Differentially expressed genes were identified by RNA-seq and used for KEGG pathway analysis. We performed ChIP-seq analysis in wild type and BMI1 knockdown cells to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms exerted by BMI1. BMI1-associated alterations in repressive histone modifications were detected via Western blotting and ChIP-seq. Furthermore, we performed mass spectrometry and Co-immunoprecipitation assays to investigate BMI1 co-factors. Finally, we demonstrated the genomic regions occupied by both BMI1 and its co-factor. Results: BMI1 is required for undifferentiated spermatogonia maintenance by both repressing and activating target genes. BMI1 preserves PI3K-Akt signaling pathway for spermatogonia proliferation. Decrease of BMI1 affects the deposition of repressive histone modifications H2AK119ub1 and H3K27me3. BMI also positively regulates H3K27ac deposited genes which are associated with proliferation. Moreover, we demonstrate that BMI1 interacts with Sal-like 4 (SALL4), the transcription factor critical for spermatogonia function, to co-regulate gene expression. Discussion: Overall, our study reveals that BMI1 safeguards undifferentiated spermatogonia fate through multi-functional roles in regulating gene expression programs of undifferentiated spermatogonia.

MiR-495-3p depletion contributes to myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in cardiomyocytes by targeting TNC

Background

Tenascin-C (TNC) has been found to abnormally express in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI), but its effect on cardiomyocytes apoptosis is unknown and is worthy of investigation.

Methods

H9C2 cells were given hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) treatment to obtain the replica of MI/RI in vitro. The effect of H/R on viability, apoptosis and inflammation was studied by CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and Ca²⁺ measurements as well as enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. We applied bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay to screened and validated TNC-targeting miR-495-3p which was then mechanistically investigated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot. With the assistance of cell transfection, rescue assays were conducted.

Results

H9C2 cells showed diminished viability, accelerated apoptosis, elevated tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), and TNC overexpression in response to H/R induction, while silencing of TNC partially reversed the effect of H/R treatment on the H9C2 cells. TNC silencing reduced Ca²⁺ level and enhanced MMP level in the H/R-stimulated cells. MiR-495-3p targeted TNC and showed a low expression in the H/R-stimulated cells. The expression of TNC was negatively regulated by miR-495-3p. Inhibition of miR-495-3p repressed viability and MMP level, and facilitated apoptosis and levels of Ca²⁺, TNF-α and IL-1β in the H/R-stimulated cells. The effect of TNC silencing and miR-495-3p depletion on H/R-induced cardiomyocyte injury was mutually reversed in vitro.

Conclusion

MiR-495-3p targeted TNC to regulate the apoptosis and inflammation of cardiomyocytes in H/R induction, which was associated with Ca²⁺ overload.

Combination of paeoniflorin and calycosin-7-glucoside alleviates ischaemic stroke injury via the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway

CONTEXT

Paeoniflorin (PF) and calycosin-7-glucoside (CG, Paeonia lactiflora Pall. extract) have demonstrated protective effects in ischaemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the synergistic effects of PF + CG on ischaemia/reperfusion injury in vivo and in vitro.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to the middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R). After MCAO/R for 24 h, rats were randomly subdivided into 5 groups: sham, model (MCAO/R), study treatment (PF + CG, 40 + 20 mg/kg), LY294002 (20 mg/kg), and study treatment + LY294002. Males were given via intragastric administration; the duration of the in vivo experiment was 8 days. Neurologic deficits, cerebral infarction, brain edoema, and protein levels were assessed in vivo. Hippocampal neurons (HT22) were refreshed with glucose-free DMEM and placed in an anaerobic chamber for 8 h. Subsequently, HT22 cells were reoxygenated in a 37 °C incubator with 5% CO₂ for 6 h. SOD, MDA, ROS, LDH and protein levels were measured in vitro.

RESULTS

PF + CG significantly reduced neurobehavioral outcomes (21%), cerebral infarct volume (44%), brain edoema (1.6%) compared with the MCAO/R group. Moreover, PF + CG increased p-PI3K/PI3K (4.69%, 7.4%), p-AKT/AKT (6.25%, 60.6%) and Bcl-2/BAX (33%, 49%) expression in vivo and in vitro, and reduced GSK-3β (10.5%, 9.6%) expression. In vitro, PF + CG suppressed apoptosis in HT22 cells and decreased ROS and MDA levels (20%, 50%, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

PF + CG showed a synergistic protective effect against ischaemic brain injury, potentially being a future treatment for ischaemic stroke.

Inflammation and immune cell abnormalities in intracranial aneurysm subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH): Relevant signaling pathways and therapeutic strategies

Intracranial aneurysm subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a cerebrovascular disorder associated with high overall mortality. Currently, the underlying mechanisms of pathological reaction after aneurysm rupture are still unclear, especially in the immune microenvironment, inflammation, and relevant signaling pathways. SAH-induced immune cell population alteration, immune inflammatory signaling pathway activation, and active substance generation are associated with pro-inflammatory cytokines, immunosuppression, and brain injury. Crosstalk between immune disorders and hyperactivation of inflammatory signals aggravated the devastating consequences of brain injury and cerebral vasospasm and increased the risk of infection. In this review, we discussed the role of inflammation and immune cell responses in the occurrence and development of aneurysm SAH, as well as the most relevant immune inflammatory signaling pathways [PI3K/Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), STAT, SIRT, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), NLRP3, TLR4/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and Keap1/nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2)/ARE cascades] and biomarkers in aneurysm SAH. In addition, we also summarized potential therapeutic drugs targeting the aneurysm SAH immune inflammatory responses, such as nimodipine, dexmedetomidine (DEX), fingolimod, and genomic variation-related aneurysm prophylactic agent sunitinib. The intervention of immune inflammatory responses and immune microenvironment significantly reduces the secondary brain injury, thereby improving the prognosis of patients admitted to SAH. Future studies should focus on exploring potential immune inflammatory mechanisms and developing additional therapeutic strategies for precise aneurysm SAH immune inflammatory regulation and genomic variants associated with aneurysm formation.

PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling inhibitor chrysophanol ameliorates neurobehavioural and neurochemical defects in propionic acid-induced experimental model of autism in adult rats

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder marked by social and communication deficits as well as repetitive behaviour. Several studies have found that overactivation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathways during brain development plays a significant role in autism pathogenesis. Overexpression of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway causes neurological disorders by increasing cell death, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress. Chrysophanol, also known as chrysophanic acid, is a naturally occurring chemical obtained from the plant Rheum palmatum. This study aimed to examine the neuroprotective effect of CPH on neurobehavioral, molecular, neurochemical, and gross pathological alterations in ICV-PPA induced experimental model of autism in adult rats. The effects of ICV-PPA on PI3K/AKT/mTOR downregulation in the brain were studied in autism-like rats. Furthermore, we investigated how CPH affected myelin basic protein (MBP) levels in rat brain homogenate and apoptotic biomarkers such as caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2 levels in rat brain homogenate and blood plasma samples. Rats were tested for behavioural abnormalities such as neuromuscular dysfunction using an actophotometer, motor coordination using a beam crossing task (BCT), depressive behaviour using a forced swim test (FST), cognitive deficiency, and memory consolidation using a Morris water maze (MWM) task. In PPA-treated rats, prolonged oral CPH administration from day 12 to day 44 of the experimental schedule reduces autistic-like symptoms. Furthermore, in rat brain homogenates, blood plasma, and CSF samples, cellular, molecular, and cell death markers, neuroinflammatory cytokines, neurotransmitter levels, and oxidative stress indicators were investigated. The recent findings imply that CPH also restores abnormal neurochemical levels and may prevent autism-like gross pathological alterations, such as demyelination volume, in the rat brain.

Gabapentin Alleviates Brain Injury in Intracerebral Hemorrhage Through Suppressing Neuroinflammation and Apoptosis

Neuroinflammation plays an important role in brain tissue injury during intracerebral hemorrhage. Gabapentin can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress through inhibiting nuclear factor κB (NFκB) signals. Here, we showed that gabapentin reduced brain tissue injury in ICH through suppressing NFκB-mediated neuroinflammation. ICH was induced by injecting collagenase IV into the right striatum of Sprague-Dawley rats. PC12 and BV2 cells injury induced by Hemin were used to simulate ICH in vitro. Inflammation and apoptosis were assessed in rat brain tissue and in vitro cells. The neurobehavioral scores were significantly decreased in ICH rats compared with sham rats. Phosphorylated IκB-α and cleaved caspase3, and apoptosis rate were significantly higher in tissue surrounding the hematoma than in brain tissues from rats subjected to sham surgery. Furthermore, serum IL-6 levels in ICH rats were higher than in sham rats. Gabapentin treatment significantly improved the behavioral scores, decreased levels of phosphorylated IκB-α and cleaved caspase3, apoptosis rate, and serum IL-6 level in ICH rats. Hemin-treated BV2 cells displayed higher levels of phosphorylated IκB-α, cleaved caspase3, and IL-6 in the supernatant compared with vehicle-treated cells. Hemin treatment induced a significantly lower level of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) in BV2 cells. BV2-PC12 co-culture cells treated by hemin displayed higher levels of cleaved caspase3 in PC12 cells. Furthermore, gabapentin treatment could reduce these effects induced by hemin and the protective effects of gabapentin were significantly attenuated by PPARγ inhibitor. Therefore, gabapentin may reduce inflammation and apoptosis induced by the ICH through PPARγ-NFκB pathway.

Global PIEZO1 Gain-of-Function Mutation Causes Cardiac Hypertrophy and Fibrosis in Mice

PIEZO1 is a subunit of mechanically-activated, nonselective cation channels. Gain-of-function PIEZO1 mutations are associated with dehydrated hereditary stomatocytosis (DHS), a type of anaemia, due to abnormal red blood cell function. Here, we hypothesised additional effects on the heart. Consistent with this hypothesis, mice engineered to contain the M2241R mutation in PIEZO1 to mimic a DHS mutation had increased cardiac mass and interventricular septum thickness at 8–12 weeks of age, without altered cardiac contractility. Myocyte size was greater and there was increased expression of genes associated with cardiac hypertrophy (Anp, Acta1 and β-MHC). There was also cardiac fibrosis, increased expression of Col3a1 (a gene associated with fibrosis) and increased responses of isolated cardiac fibroblasts to PIEZO1 agonism. The data suggest detrimental effects of excess PIEZO1 activity on the heart, mediated in part by amplified PIEZO1 function in cardiac fibroblasts.

Effects of cilostazol treatment for patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: A meta-analysis of 14 studies

OBJECTIVE

To perform an updated meta-analysis to comprehensively assess the efficacy and safety of cilostazol in preventing aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)-related secondary complications.

METHODS

Electronic databases of PubMed, the Cochrane library, CNKI and Wanfang were searched on August 2021. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and standardized mean difference (SMD) were calculated for dichotomous and continuous outcomes, respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 14 studies [comprising 18,726 aneurysmal SAH patients (6654 in the cilostazol group and 12,072 in the control group)] performed in Japan or China were included. Compared with the control group, cilostazol treatment significantly reduced the median cerebral artery (SMD = -0.49; p < 0.001), improved the therapeutic efficacy (OR = 2.37; p = 0.009), decreased the incidence of symptomatic vasospasm/delayed cerebral ischemia (OR = 0.42; p < 0.001), severe angiographic vasospasm (OR = 0.54; p < 0.001), new cerebral infarction (OR = 0.33; p < 0.001), poor outcomes (OR = 0.86; p = 0.001), mortality (OR = 0.62; p < 0.001) and increased the incidence of no or mild angiographic vasospasm (OR = 1.94; p = 0.004), but did not induce more adverse events (OR = 1.08; p = 0.871). The mechanism of cilostazol treatment was to inhibit the production of tenascin-C (SMD = -1.46; p < 0.001). These results were hardly changed by subgroup analysis.

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis indicates cilostazol may be an effective and safe drug for aneurysmal SAH patients. However, further trials involving other world populations are required to demonstrate the generalization of treatment effects of cilostazol.

The neuroprotective function of 2-carba-cyclic phosphatidic acid: Implications for tenascin-C via astrocytes in traumatic brain injury

We examined the mechanism how 2-carba-cyclic phosphatidic acid (2ccPA), a lipid mediator, regulates neuronal apoptosis in traumatic brain injury (TBI). First, we found 2ccPA suppressed neuronal apoptosis after the injury, and increased the immunoreactivity of tenascin-C (TN-C), an extracellular matrix protein by 2ccPA in the vicinity of the wound region. 2ccPA increased the mRNA expression levels of Tnc in primary cultured astrocytes, and the conditioned medium of 2ccPA-treated astrocytes suppressed the apoptosis of cortical neurons. The neuroprotective effect of TN-C was abolished by knockdown of TN-C. These results indicate that 2ccPA contributes to neuroprotection via TN-C from astrocytes in TBI.

Converging purinergic and immune signaling pathways drive IL-6 secretion by Fragile X cortical astrocytes via STAT3

The symptoms of Fragile X syndrome (FXS) are driven in part by abnormal glial-mediated function. FXS astrocytes release elevated levels of immune-related factors interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tenascin C (TNC), and also demonstrate increased purinergic signaling, a pathway linked to signaling factor release. Here, in cortical astrocytes from the Fmr1 knockout (KO) FXS mouse model, purinergic agonism enhanced TNC secretion and STAT3 phosphorylation, two processes linked to elevated IL-6 secretion in FXS, while STAT3 knockdown and TLR4 antagonism normalized Fmr1 KO IL-6 release. We therefore suggest that purinergic signaling and immune regulatory pathways converge to drive FXS cortical pro-inflammatory responses.

Clinical significance of platelet to neutrophil ratio and platelet to lymphocyte ratio in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

The aim of study was aimed to investigate associations of platelet-to-neutrophil ratio (PNR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) on admission with clinical outcomes of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who were treated for aSAH. Unfavorable clinical outcome was defined as Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 3-6 at 90-days. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to detect optimal cutoff values of PNR and PLR for predicting clinical outcomes. Logistic regression was used to explore associations of PNR and PLR with clinical outcomes. A total of 544 patients with aSAH were enrolled. Of them, 152 (29.9%) had unfavorable clinical outcome. Optimal cutoff values of PNR and PLR to predict clinical outcomes at 90 days after aSAH were 25 and 130, respectively (P < 0.001 and <0.001, respectively). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, PNR <25 and PLR ≥ 130 were associated with unfavorable clinical outcome at 90 days after aSAH (odds ratio [OR]: 1.81; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23-3.69; P = 0.018 and OR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.18-2.62; P = 0.031, respectively). PNR and PLR as novel inflammatory biomarkers could predict the clinical outcome after aSAH. PNR <22 and PLR ≥ 130 were associated with unfavorable clinical outcome at 90 days after aSAH.

Tenascin-C Participates Pulmonary Injury Induced by Paraquat Through Regulating TLR4 and TGF-β Signaling Pathways

This study was conducted to investigate the role of Tenascin-C (TNC) in paraquat (PQ)-induced lung injury in vivo and in vitro and explore its related mechanism during this process. Six- to eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were injected with 30 mg/kg PQ by intraperitoneal injection and sacrificed on 2 days, 7 days, 14 days, and 28 days after PQ administration. In vivo, we detected the expression of TNC at all time points of lung tissues in mice by reverse transcription-quantitative-polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. Expression of TLR4, NF-κB p65, TGF-β1, and α-SMA in lung tissues have also been tested. In vitro, siRNA was used to knock down TNC expression in A549 cells and TLR4, NF-κB p65, and TGF-β1 expressions were examined after PQ exposure. TNC expression increased in both lung tissues of mice model and A549 cells after PQ administration. In vivo, TNC mostly located at the extracellular matrix of thickened alveolar septum, especially at sites of injury, together with the increasing of TLR4, NF-κB p65, TGF-β1, and α-SMA. In vitro, PQ exposure also increased the expressions of TLR4, NF-κB p65, and TGF-β1 in A549 cells, but knocking down TNC gene expression obviously down-regulated the expressions of TLR4, NF-κB p65, NF-κB Pp65, and TGF-β1. The results of this study demonstrate, for the first time, that TNC participates in the development of lung injury induced by PQ poisoning. The role of TNC in this process is closely related to TLR4 and TGF-β signaling pathways.

Xylarinaps A-E, five pairs of naphthalenone derivatives with neuroprotective activities from Xylaria nigripes

Five pairs of undescribed naphthalenone derivative enantiomers, xylarinaps A-E, including one pair of indole naphthalenones and four pairs of naphthalene-naphthalenone dimers, were isolated from the ethyl acetate extracts of the solid fermentation of Xylaria nigripes, which has been used as a traditional Chinese medicinal fungus for the treatment of insomnia, trauma, and depression. The structures of these enantiomers were elucidated based on comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, including NMR and HRESIMS. Their absolute configurations were assigned by the experimental and calculated ECD data. The neuroprotective effects of all the compounds against damage to PC12 cells by oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) were evaluated by an in vitro bioassay. The results revealed that xylarinaps A, B, D, and E significantly enhanced cell viability, decreased the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), increased the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), as well as further markedly inhibiting apoptosis, which indicated that these results could be the mode of action of their neuroprotective effect.

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

Cerebral vasospasm (CVS) causes mortality and morbidity in patients after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The mechanism and adequate treatment of CVS are still elusive. R-568 is a calcimimetic agent known to exert a vasodilating effect. However, there is no report on its vasodilator effect against SAH-induced vasospasm. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic effect of R-568 on the SAH-induced CVS model in rats. Seventy-two adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 8 groups: sham surgery; SAH only; SAH + Vehicle, SAH + R-568; SAH + R-568 + Wortmannin (the PI3K inhibitor); SAH + Wortmannin; SAH + R-568 + Calhex-231 (a calcilytic agent); SAH + Calhex-231. SAH was induced by blood (0.3 mL) given by intracisternal injection. R-568 (20 µM) was administered intracisternal immediately prior to experimental SAH. Basilar arteries (BAs) were obtained to evaluate PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway (immunoblotting) and morphological changes 48 h after SAH. Perimeters of BAs were decreased by 24.1% in the SAH group compared to the control group and the wall thickness was increased by 75.3%. With R-568 treatment, those percentages were 9.6% and 29.6%, respectively, indicating that vasospasm was considerably improved when compared with the SAH group (P < 0.001 in both). While p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt ratio and eNOS protein expression were markedly decreased in the SAH rats, treatment with R-568 resulted in a significant increase in these levels. The beneficial effects of R-568 were partially blocked in the presence of Calhex-231 and completely blocked in the presence of Wortmannin. Herein, we found that treatment with R-568 would attenuate SAH-induced CVS through the PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway and demonstrate therapeutic promise in CVS treatment following SAH.

Ex vivo and in vivo chemoprotective activity and potential mechanism of Martynoside against 5-fluorouracil-induced bone marrow cytotoxicity

Martynoside (MAR) is a bioactive glycoside of Rehmannia glutinosa, a traditional Chinese herb frequently prescribed for treating chemotherapy-induced pancytopenia. Despite its clinical usage in China for thousands of years, the mechanism of MAR's hematopoietic activity and its impact on chemotherapy-induced antitumor activity are still unclear. Here, we showed that MAR protected ex vivo bone marrow cells from 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced cell death and inflammation response by down-regulating the TNF signaling pathway, in which II1b was the most regulatory gene. Besides, using mouse models with melanoma and colon cancer, we further demonstrated that MAR had protective effects against 5-FU-induced myelosuppression in mice without compromising its antitumor activity. Our results showed that MAR increased the number of bone marrow nucleated cells (BMNCs) and the percentage of leukocyte and granulocytic populations in 5-FU-induced myelosuppressive mice, accompanied by an increase in numbers of circulating white blood cells and platelets. The transcriptome profile of BMNCs further showed that the mode of action of MAR might be associated with the increased survival of BMNCs and the improvement of the bone marrow microenvironment. In summary, we revealed the potential molecular mechanism of MAR to counteract 5-FU-induced bone marrow cytotoxicity both ex vivo and in vivo, and highlighted its potential clinical usage in cancer patients experiencing chemotherapy-induced multi-lineage myelosuppression.

Four new resorcinol derivatives with neuroprotective activities from Xylaria nigripes

Four new resorcinol derivatives, namely (-)/(+)-xylarinig A (1), as well as xylarinigs B (2) and C (3), were isolated from the ethyl acetate extracts of the solid fermentation of Xylaria nigripes. Their structures were established by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis combined with electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Compound 1 is an optical mixture, and was resoluted into optical pure enatiomers (+)-1 and (-)-1 by chiral HPLC. The neuroprotective effects of 1-3 against the damage of PC12 cells induced by oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) were evaluated.

Molecular mechanism of the anti-inflammatory effects of Sophorae Flavescentis Aiton identified by network pharmacology

Inflammation, a protective response against infection and injury, involves a variety of biological processes. Sophorae Flavescentis (Kushen) is a promising Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for treating inflammation, but the pharmacological mechanism of Kushen’s anti-inflammatory effect has not been fully elucidated. The bioactive compounds, predicted targets, and inflammation-related targets of Kushen were obtained from open source databases. The “Component-Target” network and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network were constructed, and hub genes were screened out by topological analysis. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed on genes in the PPI network. Furthermore, nitric oxide (NO) production analysis, RT-PCR, and western blot were performed to detect the mRNA and protein expression of hub genes in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. An immunofluorescence assay found that NF-κB p65 is translocated. A total of 24 bioactive compounds, 465 predicted targets, and 433 inflammation-related targets were identified and used to construct “Component-Targets” and PPI networks. Then, the five hub genes with the highest values-IL-6, IL-1β, VEGFA, TNF-α, and PTGS2 (COX-2)- were screened out. Enrichment analysis results suggested mainly involved in the NF-κB signaling pathway. Moreover, experiments were performed to verify the predicted results. Kushen may mediate inflammation mainly through the IL-6, IL-1β, VEGFA, TNF-α, and PTGS2 (COX-2), and the NF-κB signaling pathways. This finding will provide clinical guidance for further research on the use of Kushen to treat inflammation.

SOCS1/JAK2/STAT3 axis regulates early brain injury induced by subarachnoid hemorrhage via inflammatory responses

The SOCS1/JAK2/STAT3 axis is strongly associated with tumor growth and progression, and participates in cytokine secretion in many diseases. However, the effects of the SOCS1/JAK2/STAT3 axis in experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage remain to be studied. A subarachnoid hemorrhage model was established in rats by infusing autologous blood into the optic chiasm pool. Some rats were first treated with JAK2/STAT3 small interfering RNA (Si-JAK2/Si-STAT3) or overexpression plasmids of JAK2/STAT3. In the brains of subarachnoid hemorrhage model rats, the expression levels of both JAK2 and STAT3 were upregulated and the expression of SOCS1 was downregulated, reaching a peak at 48 hours after injury. Simultaneously, the interactions between JAK2 and SOCS1 were reduced. In contrast, the interactions between JAK2 and STAT3 were markedly enhanced. Si-JAK2 and Si-STAT3 treatment alleviated cortical neuronal cell apoptosis and necrosis, destruction of the blood-brain barrier, brain edema, and cognitive functional impairment after subarachnoid hemorrhage. This was accompanied by decreased phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3 protein, decreased total levels of JAK2 and STAT3 protein, and increased SOCS1 protein expression. However, overexpression of JAK2 and STAT3 exerted opposite effects, aggravating subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced early brain injury. Si-JAK2 and Si-STAT3 inhibited M1-type microglial conversion and the release of pro-inflammatory factors (inducible nitric oxide synthase, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α) and increased the release of anti-inflammatory factors (arginase-1, interleukin-10, and interleukin-4). Furthermore, primary neurons stimulated with oxyhemoglobin were used to simulate subarachnoid hemorrhage in vitro, and the JAK2 inhibitor AG490 was used as an intervention. The in vitro results also suggested that neuronal protection is mediated by the inhibition of JAK2 and STAT3 expression. Together, our findings indicate that the SOCS1/JAK2/STAT3 axis contributes to early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage both in vitro and in vivo by inducing inflammatory responses. This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Anhui Medical University and the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (approval No. LLSC-20180202) on March 1, 2018.