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Lipiec-Borowicz A, Pałasz A, Suszka-Świtek A, Filipczyk Ł, Della Vecchia A, Worthington JJ, Piwowarczyk-Nowak A. Neuropeptides in the rat claustrum - An immunohistochemical detection. Acta Histochem 2024; 126:152156. [PMID: 38518508 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2024.152156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Neuropeptides are involved in numerous brain activities and are responsible for a wide spectrum of higher mental functions. The main purpose of this outline structural qualitative study was to identify the possible immunoreactivity of classical neuropeptides, as well as novel ones such as nesfatin-1, phoenixin (PNX), spexin (SPX), neuromedin U (NMU) and respective receptors within the rat claustrum for the first time. The study shows the novel identification of peptidergic neurotransmission in the rat claustrum which potentially implicates a contribution of this neuropeptide to numerous central neurosecretory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lipiec-Borowicz
- Department of Histology, School of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, ul. Medyków 18, Katowice 40-752, Poland.
| | - Artur Pałasz
- Department of Histology, School of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, ul. Medyków 18, Katowice 40-752, Poland.
| | - Aleksandra Suszka-Świtek
- Department of Histology, School of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, ul. Medyków 18, Katowice 40-752, Poland
| | - Łukasz Filipczyk
- Department of Histology, School of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, ul. Medyków 18, Katowice 40-752, Poland
| | - Alessandra Della Vecchia
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, 67, Via Roma, Pisa 56100, Italy
| | - John J Worthington
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Aneta Piwowarczyk-Nowak
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, ul. Medyków 18, Katowice 40-752, Poland
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Cichoń L, Pałasz A, Wilczyński KM, Suszka-Świtek A, Żmijowska A, Jelonek I, Janas-Kozik M. Evaluation of Peripheral Blood Concentrations of Phoenixin, Spexin, Nesfatin-1 and Kisspeptin as Potential Biomarkers of Bipolar Disorder in the Pediatric Population. Biomedicines 2023; 12:84. [PMID: 38255190 PMCID: PMC10813295 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12010084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
There are some initial suggestions in the literature that phoenixin, spexin, nesfatin-1 and kisspeptin may play a role in the pathogenesis of affective disorders. Therefore, they may also be cautiously considered as potential diagnostic or predictive biomarkers of BD. This study aimed to evaluate the levels of the aforementioned neuropeptides in the peripheral blood of children and adolescents with bipolar. This study included 122 individuals: 67 persons with diagnosed bipolar disorder types I and II constituted the study group, and 55 healthy persons were included in the control group. Statistically significant differences in the concentrations of neuropeptides between the control and study groups were noted in relation to nesfatin-1 and spexin (although spexin lost statistical significance after introducing the Bonferroni correction). In a logistic regression analysis, an increased risk of bipolar disorder was noted for a decrease in nesfatin-1 concentration. Lower levels of nesfatin-1 seemed to be a significant risk factor for the development of bipolar disorder types I and II. Furthermore, the occurrence of bipolar disorder was associated with significantly elevated levels of spexin. None of the analyzed neuropeptides was significantly correlated with the number of symptoms of bipolar disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Cichoń
- Department of Developmental Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, John Paul II Pediatric Centre in Sosnowiec, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. Zapolskiej 3, 41-218 Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Artur Pałasz
- Department of Histology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. Medyków 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
| | - Krzysztof M. Wilczyński
- Department of Developmental Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, John Paul II Pediatric Centre in Sosnowiec, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. Zapolskiej 3, 41-218 Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Suszka-Świtek
- Department of Histology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. Medyków 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
| | - Anna Żmijowska
- Department of Developmental Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, John Paul II Pediatric Centre in Sosnowiec, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. Zapolskiej 3, 41-218 Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Ireneusz Jelonek
- Department of Developmental Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, John Paul II Pediatric Centre in Sosnowiec, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. Zapolskiej 3, 41-218 Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Janas-Kozik
- Department of Developmental Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, John Paul II Pediatric Centre in Sosnowiec, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. Zapolskiej 3, 41-218 Sosnowiec, Poland
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Kulinska KI, Białas P, Dera-Szymanowska A, Billert M, Kotwicka M, Szymanowski K, Wołun-Cholewa M. The role of phoenixin in the proliferation and migration of ectopic epithelial cells in vitro. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 646:44-49. [PMID: 36706704 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.01.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
AIM Endometriosis is one of the most common gynecologic diseases in women of reproductive age. The pathophysiology of endometriosis is still not fully understood. Phoenixin (PNX-14) is a newly discovered neuropeptide that regulates the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and reproductive functions. Recently, we reported that PNX-14, its precursor protein and receptor were expressed in human endometrium. Moreover, PNX-14 serum levels in endometriosis were reduced. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro biological functions of physiological PNX-14 concentrations on the ectopic endometrium Z12 cells. METHODS The proliferation and migration of Z12 cells were assessed using the xCELLigence® RTCA DP system following 72 h of stimulation with 0.05 and 0.2 nM of PNX-14. GPR173 and small integral membrane protein 20 (SMIM20) gene expression was evaluated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and the protein levels of GPR173 were analyzed using Western blot analysis. RESULTS PNX-14 at the concentration observed in the serum of patients with endometriosis (0.05 nM) reduced GPR173 and increased SMIM20 expression, while protein levels of GPR173 remained unchanged. Cell proliferation was increased by the 0.02 nM PNX-14- the concentration found in healthy subjects. The 0.2 nM of PNX-14 decreased SMIM20 expression with no change to GPR173 expression and reduced ectopic epithelial cell proliferation during the first 5 h after stimulation. However, at 72 h, the proliferation increased. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that PNX-14 at endometriosis specific concentration desensitized ectopic epithelium to PNX-14, and increased the expression of SMIM20 to restore the physiological levels of PNX-14.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Iwona Kulinska
- Chair and Department of Cell Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806, Poznan, Poland.
| | - Piotr Białas
- Chair and Department of Cell Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806, Poznan, Poland; Division of Urological Cancers, Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Scheelevägen 2, 223 81, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anna Dera-Szymanowska
- Clinic of Perinatology and Gynaecology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-535, Poznan, Poland
| | - Maria Billert
- Department of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Biostructure, Poznan University of Life Sciences, 60-637, Poznan, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Kotwicka
- Chair and Department of Cell Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806, Poznan, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Szymanowski
- Clinic of Perinatology and Gynaecology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-535, Poznan, Poland
| | - Maria Wołun-Cholewa
- Chair and Department of Cell Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806, Poznan, Poland.
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Friedrich T, Stengel A. Current state of phoenixin-the implications of the pleiotropic peptide in stress and its potential as a therapeutic target. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1076800. [PMID: 36860304 PMCID: PMC9968724 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1076800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Phoenixin is a pleiotropic peptide, whose known functions have broadened significantly over the last decade. Initially first described as a reproductive peptide in 2013, phoenixin is now recognized as being implicated in hypertension, neuroinflammation, pruritus, food intake, anxiety as well as stress. Due to its wide field of involvement, an interaction with physiological as well as psychological control loops has been speculated. It has shown to be both able to actively reduce anxiety as well as being influenced by external stressors. Initial rodent models have shown that central administration of phoenixin alters the behavior of the subjects when confronted with stress-inducing situations, proposing an interaction with the perception and processing of stress and anxiety. Although the research on phoenixin is still in its infancy, there are several promising insights into its functionality, which might prove to be of value in the pharmacological treatment of several psychiatric and psychosomatic illnesses such as anorexia nervosa, post-traumatic stress disorder as well as the increasingly prevalent stress-related illnesses of burnout and depression. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge of phoenixin, its interactions with physiological processes as well as focus on the recent developments in stress response and the possible novel treatment options this might entail.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. Friedrich
- Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Department for Psychosomatic Medicine, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - A. Stengel
- Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Department for Psychosomatic Medicine, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany,Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany,*Correspondence: A. Stengel,
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Liang H, Zhao Q, Lv S, Ji X. Regulation and physiological functions of phoenixin. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:956500. [PMID: 36090042 PMCID: PMC9456248 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.956500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Phoenixin is a newly discovered neuropeptide generated from small integral membrane protein 20. Phoenixin is a ligand for the G protein-coupled receptor 173 (GPR173) and has been detected in central and peripheral tissues of human, rats, mice, bovine, and zebrafish. It was initially involved in regulating reproductive function by stimulating the luteinizing hormone release from pituitary cells by increasing the level of gonadotropin-releasing hormone. Recently, many functions of phoenixin have been generalized, including regulation of food intake, memory, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, inflammation, neuronal and microglial activity, energy metabolism and body fluid balance, cardiovascular function, and endocrine activity. In addition, the interaction between phoenixin and nesfatin-1 have been revealed. The present article summarized the latest research progress on physiological function of phoenixin, suggesting that it is a potential target for novel drug development and clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Liang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Qian Zhao
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Shuangyu Lv
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
- *Correspondence: Shuangyu Lv, ; Xinying Ji,
| | - Xinying Ji
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
- *Correspondence: Shuangyu Lv, ; Xinying Ji,
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Abstract
Neuropeptides are a diverse class of signaling molecules in metazoans. They occur in all animals with a nervous system and also in neuron-less placozoans. However, their origin has remained unclear because no neuropeptide shows deep homology across lineages, and none have been found in sponges. Here, we identify two neuropeptide precursors, phoenixin (PNX) and nesfatin, with broad evolutionary conservation. By database searches, sequence alignments, and gene-structure comparisons, we show that both precursors are present in bilaterians, cnidarians, ctenophores, and sponges. We also found PNX and a secreted nesfatin precursor homolog in the choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta. PNX, in particular, is highly conserved, including its cleavage sites, suggesting that prohormone processing occurs also in choanoflagellates. In addition, based on phyletic patterns and negative pharmacological assays, we question the originally proposed GPR-173 (SREB3) as a PNX receptor. Our findings revealed that secreted neuropeptide homologs derived from longer precursors have premetazoan origins and thus evolved before neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Thiel
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, UK
| | - Gáspár Jékely
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, UK
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McIlwraith EK, Zhang N, Belsham DD. The Regulation of Phoenixin: A Fascinating Multidimensional Peptide. J Endocr Soc 2021; 6:bvab192. [PMID: 35059547 PMCID: PMC8763610 DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvab192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The phoenixin (PNX) peptide is linked to the control of reproduction, food intake, stress, and inflammation. However, little is known about what regulates its gene and protein expression, information that is critical to understand the physiological role of PNX. In this review, we summarize what is known about the transcriptional control of Pnx and its receptor Gpr173. A main function of PNX is as a positive regulator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, but there is a lack of research on its control by reproductive hormones and peptides. PNX is also associated with food intake, and its expression is linked to feeding status, fatty acids, and glucose. It is influenced by environmental and hormonal-induced stress. The regulation of Pnx in most contexts remains an enigma, in part due to conflicting and negative results. An extensive analysis of the response of the Pnx gene to factors related to reproduction, metabolism, stress, and inflammation is required. Analysis of the Pnx promoter and epigenetic regulation must be considered to understand how this level of control contributes to its pleiotropic effects. PNX is now linked to a broad range of functions, but more research on its gene regulation is required to understand its place in overall physiology and therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ningtong Zhang
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Denise D Belsham
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
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Mukherjee K, Unniappan S. Mouse gastric mucosal endocrine cells are sources and sites of action of Phoenixin-20. Peptides 2021; 141:170551. [PMID: 33862165 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2021.170551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Energy homeostasis is is determined by food intake and energy expenditure, which are partly regulated by the cross-talk between central and peripheral hormonal signals. Phoenixin (PNX) is a recently discovered pleiotropic neuropeptide with isoforms of 14 (PNX-14) and 20 (PNX-20) amino acids. It is a potent reproductive peptide in vertebrates, regulating the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG). It has been identified as a regulator of food intake during light phase when injected intracerebroventricularly in rats. In addition, plasma levels of PNX also increased after food intake in rats, suggesting that it might have possible roles in energy homeostasis. We hypothesized that gut is a source and site of action of PNX in mice. Immunoreactivity for PNX and its putative receptor, super-conserved receptor expressed in brain (SREB3; also known as the G-protein coupled receptor 173/GPR 173) was found in the stomach and intestine of male C57/BL6 J mice, and in MGN3-1 (mouse stomach endocrine) cells and STC-1 (mouse enteroendocrine) cells. In MGN3-1 cells, PNX-20 significantly upregulated ghrelin (10 nM) and ghrelin-O-acyl transferase (GOAT) mRNAs (1000 nM) at 6 h. In STC-1 cells, it significantly suppressed CCK (100 nM) at 2 h. No effects were found on other intestinal hormones tested (glucagon like peptide-1, glucose dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, and peptide YY). Together, these results indicate that PNX-20 is produced in the gut, and it could act directly on gut cells to regulate metabolic hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kundanika Mukherjee
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroendocrinology, Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
| | - Suraj Unniappan
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroendocrinology, Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
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Gu Z, Xie D, Ding R, Huang C, Qiu Y. GPR173 agonist phoenixin 20 promotes osteoblastic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 13:4976-4985. [PMID: 33196456 PMCID: PMC7950309 DOI: 10.18632/aging.103717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Osteogenic differentiation is critical to bone homeostasis, and its imbalance plays a key role in the progression of osteoporosis. Osteoblast cells are responsible for synthesizing new bone tissue, and understanding how to control osteoblastic differentiation is vital to the treatment of osteoporosis. Herein, we show that GPR173 signaling is involved in the regulation of osteoblastic differentiation in MC3T3-E1 cells. Our data reveals that GPR173 is abundantly expressed in MC3T3-E1 cells, and its expression is inducible upon the introduction of osteogenic media. The activation of GPR173 by its selective agonist phoenixin 20 induces the expression of several osteoblast signature genes including collagen type 1 alpha 1 (Col-I), osteocalcin (OCN), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) as well as increased matrix mineralization and ALP activity, suggesting that the activation of GPR173 promotes osteoblastic differentiation. Moreover, we show that the effect of phoenixin 20 is mediated by its induction on the key regulator runt-Related Transcription Factor 2 (Runx2). Mechanistically, we display that the action of phoenixin 20 requires the activation of MAPK kinase p38, and deactivation of p38 by its inhibitor SB203580 weakens the phoenixin 20-mediated induction of RUNX-2, ALP, and matrix mineralization. Silencing of GPR173 attenuates phoenixin 20-mediated osteoblastic differentiation, indicating its dependence on the receptor. Collectively, our study reveals a new role of GPR173 and its agonist phoenixin 20 in osteoblastic differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengtao Gu
- Department of Treatment Center for Traumatic Injuries, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Joint Degeneration Diseases, Academy of Orthopedics of Guangdong Province, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Denghui Xie
- Division of Joint Surgery, Department of Orthopedics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Joint Degeneration Diseases, Academy of Orthopedics of Guangdong Province, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Rui Ding
- Division of Spine Surgery, Section II, Department of Orthopedics, Academy of Orthopedics of Guangdong Province, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Caiqiang Huang
- Division of Spine Surgery, Section II, Department of Orthopedics, Academy of Orthopedics of Guangdong Province, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yiyan Qiu
- Division of Spine Surgery, Section II, Department of Orthopedics, Academy of Orthopedics of Guangdong Province, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
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Yang F, Huang P, Shi L, Liu F, Tang A, Xu S. Phoenixin 14 Inhibits High-Fat Diet-Induced Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Experimental Mice. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2020; 14:3865-3874. [PMID: 33061293 PMCID: PMC7519838 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s258857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases. The development of NAFLD is closely associated with hepatic lipotoxicity, inflammation, and oxidative stress. The new concept of NAFLD treatment is to seek molecular control of lipid metabolism and hepatic redox hemostasis. Phoenixin is a newly identified neuropeptide with pleiotropic effects. This study investigated the effects of phoenixin 14 against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD in mice. Materials and Methods For this study, we used HFD-induced NAFLD mice models to analyze the effect of phonenixin14. The mice were fed on HFD and normal diet and also given phoenixin 14 (100 ng/g body weight) by gastrogavage for 10 weeks. The peripheral blood samples were collected for biochemical assays. The liver tissues were examined for HFD-induced tissue fibrosis, lipid deposition and oxidative activity including SOD, GSH, and MDA. The liver tissues were analyzed for the inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress pathway genes. Results The results indicate that phoenixin 14 significantly ameliorated HFD-induced obesity and fatty liver. The biochemical analysis of blood samples revealed that phoenixin 14 ameliorated HFD-induced elevated circulating alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, suggesting that phoenixin 14 has a protective role in liver function and lipid metabolism. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Oil Red O staining of the liver showed that phoenixin 14 alleviated HFD-induced tissue damage and lipid deposition in the liver. Furthermore, the mice administered with phoenixin 14 had increased hepatic SOD activity, increased production of GSH and reduced MDA activity, as well as reduced production of TNF-α and IL-6 suggesting that phoenixin 14 exerts beneficial effects against inflammation and ROS. The findings suggest an explanation of how mechanistically phoenixin 14 ameliorated HFD-induced reduced activation of the SIRT1/AMPK and NRF2/HO-1 pathways. Conclusion Collectively, this study revealed that phoenixin 14 exerts a protective effect in experimental NAFLD mice. Phoenixin could be of the interest in preventive modulation of NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- Department of Endocrinology, Guilin People's Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi 541002, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping Huang
- Department of Endocrinology, Guilin People's Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi 541002, People's Republic of China
| | - Liandong Shi
- Department of Ultrasonography, Guilin People's Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi 541002, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Liu
- Department of Ministry of Health Care, Guilin People's Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi 541002, People's Republic of China
| | - Aimei Tang
- Department of Ministry of Health Care, Guilin People's Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi 541002, People's Republic of China
| | - Shaohui Xu
- Department of Endocrinology, Guilin People's Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi 541002, People's Republic of China
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11
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Friedrich T, Schalla MA, Lommel R, Goebel-Stengel M, Kobelt P, Rose M, Stengel A. Restraint stress increases the expression of phoenixin immunoreactivity in rat brain nuclei. Brain Res 2020; 1743:146904. [PMID: 32474019 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.146904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Phoenixin is a recently discovered peptide, which has been associated with reproduction, anxiety and food intake. Based on a considerable co-localization it has been linked to nesfatin-1, with a possible antagonistic mode of action. Since nesfatin-1 is known to play a role in anxiety and the response to stress, this study aims to investigate the effects of a well-established psychological stress model, restraint stress, on phoenixin-expressing brain nuclei and phoenixin expression in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to restraint stress (n = 8) or left undisturbed (control, n = 6) and the brains processed for c-Fos- and phoenixin immunohistochemistry. The number of c-Fos expressing cells was counted and phoenixin expression assessed semiquantitatively. Restraint stress significantly increased c-Fos expression in the dorsal motor nucleus of vagus nerve (DMN, 52-fold, p < 0.001), raphe pallidus (RPa, 15-fold, p < 0.001), medial part of the nucleus of the solitary tract (mNTS, 16-fold, p < 0.001), central amygdaloid nucleus, medial division (CeM, 9-fold, p = 0.01), supraoptic nucleus (SON, 9-fold, p < 0.001) and the arcuate nucleus (Arc, 2.5-fold, p < 0.03) compared to control animals. Also phoenixin expression significantly increased in the DMN (17-fold, p < 0.001), RPa (2-fold, p < 0.001) and mNTS (1.6-fold, p < 0.001) with positive correlations between c-Fos and phoenixin (r = 0.74-0.85; p < 0.01) in these nuclei. This pattern of activation suggests an involvement of phoenixin in response to restraint stress. Whether phoenixin mediates stress effects or is activated in a counterbalancing fashion will have to be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Friedrich
- Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Department for Psychosomatic Medicine, Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - M A Schalla
- Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Department for Psychosomatic Medicine, Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - R Lommel
- Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Department for Psychosomatic Medicine, Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - M Goebel-Stengel
- Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Department for Psychosomatic Medicine, Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany; Department of Internal Medicine, Helios Kliniken GmbH, Rottweil, Germany; Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - P Kobelt
- Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Department for Psychosomatic Medicine, Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - M Rose
- Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Department for Psychosomatic Medicine, Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - A Stengel
- Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Department for Psychosomatic Medicine, Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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Wei P, Keller C, Li L. Neuropeptides in gut-brain axis and their influence on host immunity and stress. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:843-851. [PMID: 32322366 PMCID: PMC7160382 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, neuropeptides have been found to play a major role in communication along the gut-brain axis. Various neuropeptides are expressed in the central and peripheral nervous systems, where they facilitate the crosstalk between the nervous systems and other major body systems. In addition to being critical to communication from the brain in the nervous systems, neuropeptides actively regulate immune functions in the gut in both direct and indirect ways, allowing for communication between the immune and nervous systems. In this mini review, we discuss the role of several neuropeptides, including calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and phoenixin (PNX), in the gut-brain axis and summarize their functions in immunity and stress. We choose these neuropeptides to highlight the diversity of peptide communication in the gut-brain axis.
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Key Words
- ACTH, adrenocorticotrophic hormone
- Antimicrobial peptides
- CGRP, calcitonin gene-related peptide
- CNS, central nervous system
- CRH, corticotropin-releasing hormone
- CRLR, calcitonin receptor like receptor
- Gut-brain axis
- HPA axis, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis
- Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis
- Immunity
- LPS, lipopolysaccharides
- NPY, neuropeptide Y
- Neuropeptide
- PACAP, pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide
- PNX, phoenixin
- RAMP1, receptor activity-modifying protein1
- SP, substance P
- Stress
- TRPV1, transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor-1
- VIP, vasoactive intestinal peptide
- α-MSH, α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingli Wei
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Caitlin Keller
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Lingjun Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Corresponding author at: School of Pharmacy & Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 777 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
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Phoenixin-20 suppresses lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in dental pulp cells. Chem Biol Interact 2020; 318:108971. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2020.108971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Accarie A, Vanuytsel T. Animal Models for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:509681. [PMID: 33262709 PMCID: PMC7685985 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.509681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID), such as functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are characterized by chronic abdominal symptoms in the absence of an organic, metabolic or systemic cause that readily explains these complaints. Their pathophysiology is still not fully elucidated and animal models have been of great value to improve the understanding of the complex biological mechanisms. Over the last decades, many animal models have been developed to further unravel FGID pathophysiology and test drug efficacy. In the first part of this review, we focus on stress-related models, starting with the different perinatal stress models, including the stress of the dam, followed by a discussion on neonatal stress such as the maternal separation model. We also describe the most commonly used stress models in adult animals which brought valuable insights on the brain-gut axis in stress-related disorders. In the second part, we focus more on models studying peripheral, i.e., gastrointestinal, mechanisms, either induced by an infection or another inflammatory trigger. In this section, we also introduce more recent models developed around food-related metabolic disorders or food hypersensitivity and allergy. Finally, we introduce models mimicking FGID as a secondary effect of medical interventions and spontaneous models sharing characteristics of GI and anxiety-related disorders. The latter are powerful models for brain-gut axis dysfunction and bring new insights about FGID and their comorbidities such as anxiety and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Accarie
- Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing (ChroMetA), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tim Vanuytsel
- Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing (ChroMetA), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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