β-Elemene Attenuates Fibrosis after Esophageal Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection via Modulating the HIF-1α/HK2/p38-MAPK Signaling Axis

β-elemene alleviates esophageal fibrosis after endoscopic submucosal dissection via the FAP-mediated PTEN-PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Esophageal stricture caused by fibrosis is a serious complication after esophageal Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Myofibroblasts play a crucial role in esophageal fibrosis, so inhibiting activated myofibroblasts is a promising approach for treating esophageal fibrosis. β-Elemene, a natural product with anti-tumor and anti-fibrotic properties, has not been thoroughly examined in esophageal fibrosis. Additionally, fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and PTEN-PI3K/AKT signaling pathway are both notably linked to fibrotic diseases. Therefore, we investigated the potential mechanisms of β-elemene in esophageal fibrosis by treating primary human esophageal granulation fibroblasts (PHEGFs) with gradient concentrations of β-elemene. Our findings demonstrated that β-elemene inhibited the activity of PHEGFs in a dose-dependent manner, accompanied by downregulation of FAP, p-PI3K, and p-AKT protein expression, along with upregulation of p-PTEN protein expression. In addition, we substantiated the potential correlation between FAP and the PTEN-PI3K/AKT signaling pathway by establishing models of FAP overexpression and silencing. These results provide a new perspective on the potential mechanism of β-elemene in relieving esophageal fibrosis and offer novel therapeutic strategies for managing post-esophageal ESD stricture in clinical practice.

PDLIM1 interacts with HK2 to promote gastric cancer progression through enhancing the Warburg effect via Wnt/β-catenin signaling

PDZ and LIM domain protein 1 (PDLIM1) is a cytoskeletal protein and is associated with the malignant pathological features of several tumors. However, the prognostic value of PDLIM1 and the molecular mechanisms by which it is involved in the metabolism and progression in gastric cancer (GC) are still unclear. The GEPIA database was used to predict the expression and prognosis of PDLIM1 in GC. qRT-PCR and western blot assays were applied to detect the mRNA and protein expression in GC tissues and cells. Loss- and gain-of-function experiments were performed to evaluate the biological role of PDLIM1 in GC cells. The Warburg effect was detected by a battery of glycolytic indicators. The interaction of PDLIM1 and hexokinase 2 (HK2) was determined by a co-immunoprecipitation assay. Furthermore, the modulatory effects of PDLIM1 and HK2 on Wnt/β-catenin signaling were assessed. The results showed that PDLIM1 expression was upregulated in GC tissues and cells and was associated with a poor prognosis for GC patients. PDLIM1 inhibition reduced GC cell proliferation, migration and invasion and promoted cell apoptosis. In the glucose deprivation (GLU-D) condition, the PDLIM1 level was reduced and PDLIM1 overexpression led to an increase in glycolysis. Besides, mechanistic investigation showed that PDLIM1 interacted with HK2 to mediate biological behaviors and the glycolysis of GC through Wnt/β-catenin signaling under glucose deprivation. In conclusion, PDLIM1 interacts with HK2 to promote gastric cancer progression by enhancing the Warburg effect via Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Combined transcriptome and proteome analysis of yak PASMCs under hypoxic and normoxic conditions

Background

Yaks are animals that have lived in plateau environments for generations. Yaks can adapt to the hypoxic plateau environment and also pass this adaptability on to the next generation. The lungs are the most important respiratory organs for mammals to adapt to their environment. Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells play an important role in vascular remodeling under hypoxia, but the genetic mechanism underpinning the yak's ability to adapt to challenging plateau conditions is still unknown.

Methods

A tandem mass tag (TMT) proteomics study together with an RNA-seq transcriptome analysis were carried out on pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) that had been grown for 72 hours in both normoxic (20% O2) and hypoxic (1% O2) environments. RNA and TP (total protein) were collected from the hypoxic and normoxic groups for RNA-seq transcriptome sequencing and TMT marker protein quantification, and RT-qPCR validation was performed.

Results

A total of 17,711 genes and 6,859 proteins were identified. Further, 5,969 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 531 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified in the comparison group, including 2,924 and 186 upregulated genes and proteins and 3,045 and 345 down-regulated genes and proteins, respectively. The transcriptomic and proteomic analyses revealed that 109 DEGs and DEPs were highly positively correlated, with 77 genes showing the same expression trend. Nine overlapping genes were identified in the HIF-1 signaling pathway, glycolysis / gluconeogenesis, central carbon metabolism in cancer, PPAR signaling pathway, AMPK signaling pathway, and cholesterol metabolism (PGAM1, PGK1, TPI1, HMOX1, IGF1R, OLR1, SCD, FABP4 and LDLR), suggesting that these differentially expressed genes and protein functional classifications are related to the hypoxia-adaptive pathways. Overall, our study offers abundant data for further analysis of the molecular mechanisms in yak PASMCs and their adaptability to different oxygen concentrations.

β-Elemene Attenuates Renal Fibrosis in the Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction Model by Inhibition of STAT3 and Smad3 Signaling via Suppressing MyD88 Expression

Renal fibrosis is a chronic pathological process that seriously endangers human health. However, the current therapeutic options for this disease are extremely limited. Previous studies have shown that signaling factors such as JAK2/STAT3, Smad3, and Myd88 play a regulatory role in renal fibrosis, and β-elemene is a plant-derived sesquiterpenoid organic compound that has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and immunomodulatory effects. In the present study, the anti-fibrotic effect of β-elemene was demonstrated by in vivo and in vitro experiments. It was shown that β-elemene inhibited the synthesis of extracellular matrix-related proteins in unilateral ureteral obstruction mice, and TGF-β stimulated rat interstitial fibroblast cells, including α-smooth muscle actin, vimentin, and connective tissue growth factor, etc. Further experiments showed that β-elemene reduced the expression levels of the above-mentioned fibrosis-related proteins by blocking the phosphorylation of JAK2/STAT3, Smad3, and the expression or up-regulation of MyD88. Notably, knockdown of MyD88 attenuated the phosphorylation levels of STAT3 and Smad3 in TGF-β stimulated NRK49F cell, which may be a novel molecular mechanism by which β-elemene affects renal interstitial fibrosis. In conclusion, this study elucidated the anti-interstitial fibrosis effect of β-elemene, which provides a new direction for future research and development of drugs related to chronic kidney disease.