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Yang Y, Gao L, Niu Y, Li X, Liu W, Jiang X, Liu Y, Zhao Q. Kukoamine A Protects against NMDA-Induced Neurotoxicity Accompanied with Down-Regulation of GluN2B-Containing NMDA Receptors and Phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β Signaling Pathway in Cultured Primary Cortical Neurons. Neurochem Res 2020; 45:2703-2711. [PMID: 32892226 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-020-03114-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Kukoamine (KuA) is a spermine alkaloid present in traditional Chinese medicine Cortex Lycii radices, which possesses various pharmacological properties. Our previous studies have demonstrated that KuA exerts neuroprotective effects against H2O2-induced oxidative stress, radiation-induced neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis, as well as neurotoxin-induced Parkinson's disease through apoptosis inhibition and autophagy enhancement. The present study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of KuA against NMDA-induced neuronal injury in cultured primary cortical neurons and explore the underlying mechanism. Incubation with 200 μM NMDA for 30 min induced excitotoxicity in primary cultured cortical neurons. The results demonstrated that pretreatment with KuA attenuated NMDA induced cell injury, LDH leakage and neuronal apoptosis. KuA also regulated apoptosis-related proteins. Thus, incubation with the alkaloid decreased the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, and inhibited the release of cytochrome C, the expression of p53 and the cleavage of caspase-3. Moreover, KuA prevented the upregulation of GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors (NMDAR). Additionally, pretreatment with KuA reversed NMDA-induced dephosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3β and the protective effect of KuA on NMDA-induced cytotoxicity was abolished by wortmannin, a PI3K inhibitor. Taken together, these results indicated that KuA exerted neuroprotective effects against NMDA-induced neurotoxicity in cultural primary cortical neurons and caused the down-regulation of GluN2B-containing NMDARs as well as the phosphorylation of proteins belonging to the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Yang
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, People's Republic of China.,Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Northern Military Area, 83 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Lingyue Gao
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Yixuan Niu
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang Li
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, People's Republic of China.,Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Northern Military Area, 83 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenwu Liu
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, People's Republic of China.,Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Northern Military Area, 83 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaowen Jiang
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, People's Republic of China.,Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Northern Military Area, 83 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaqian Liu
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, People's Republic of China.,Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Northern Military Area, 83 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingchun Zhao
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, People's Republic of China. .,Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Northern Military Area, 83 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, People's Republic of China.
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Kumar R, Singh P, Parsons S, Tewari AK. Experimental and Theoretical Study for the Assessment of the Conformational Analysis of Pyrazolone Derivatives: Employing Quantitative Analysis for Intermolecular Interactions. ChemistrySelect 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.201700764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ranjeet Kumar
- Department of Chemistry (Center of Advanced Studies); Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University; Varanasi 221005 India
| | - Praveen Singh
- Department of Chemistry (Center of Advanced Studies); Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University; Varanasi 221005 India
| | - Simon Parsons
- School of Chemistry and Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions; The University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings; West Mains Road Edinburgh EH9 3JJ Scotland, UK
| | - Ashish K. Tewari
- Department of Chemistry (Center of Advanced Studies); Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University; Varanasi 221005 India
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Wang J, He C, Zhou T, Huang Z, Zhou L, Liu X. NGF increases VEGF expression and promotes cell proliferation via ERK1/2 and AKT signaling in Müller cells. Mol Vis 2016; 22:254-63. [PMID: 27081296 PMCID: PMC4812506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a classic neuroprotective factor that contributes to angiogenesis under pathological conditions, which might be mediated by the upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Retinal Müller cells are a critical source of growth factors, including NGF and VEGF, and express the receptor for NGF, indicating the functional significance of NGF signaling in Müller cells. The aim of this study is to explore the effect of NGF on the production of other growth factors and cellular proliferation in Müller cells and to further detect the potential mechanism of these effects. METHODS Primary Müller cells from C57BL/6J mice were isolated and identified with glutamine synthetase (GS) immunofluorescence (IF), a specific marker for Müller cells. TrkA, a high affinity receptor for NGF, was detected with IF staining in the primary Müller cells. Then, the cultured cells were stimulated with recombinant mouse NGF, and the supernatants and the cellular lysate were collected at different time points. VEGF secretion in the supernatant was detected with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The signaling activation in the Müller cells was accessed by western blot using specific phosphorylated antibodies. In addition, cell proliferation was analyzed with 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Furthermore, K252a, U0126, and LY294002, the inhibitors for TrkA, extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2), and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT, respectively, were used in combination with NGF in the assays analyzing VEGF expression and cell proliferation. RESULTS Primary mouse Müller cells were successfully cultured and confirmed with GS positive staining. The IF results showed that the TrkA receptor was abundantly expressed on Müller cells. The ELISA results revealed that NGF significantly promoted the production and secretion of VEGF in Müller cells after 12 or 24 h of stimulation, with more elevation after 24 h. Furthermore, NGF activated ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT signaling, which was shown by the marked upregulation of phosphorylation in the western blot. As expected, K252a, the inhibitor of TrkA, a high-affinity NGF receptor, suppressed the activation, showing little phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT signaling. Importantly, the VEGF levels were decreased after the inhibitors for TrkA, ERK1/2, and PI3K/AKT were used compared with NGF alone. In addition, the MTT assay showed that NGF promoted the proliferation of the Müller cells, which was also blocked by the TrkA, ERK1/2, and PI3K/AKT inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS The results showed that NGF enhanced the secretion of VEGF and promoted cell proliferation via the ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT pathways in Müller cells, indicating that NGF is involved in angiogenesis-related factor generation and gliosis in Müller cells.
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Xiong XX, Liu JM, Qiu XY, Pan F, Yu SB, Chen XQ. Piperlongumine induces apoptotic and autophagic death of the primary myeloid leukemia cells from patients via activation of ROS-p38/JNK pathways. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2015; 36:362-74. [PMID: 25619389 PMCID: PMC4349924 DOI: 10.1038/aps.2014.141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2014] [Accepted: 11/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM To investigate the effects of piperlongumine (PL), an anticancer alkaloid from long pepper plants, on the primary myeloid leukemia cells from patients and the mechanisms of action. METHODS Human BM samples were obtained from 9 patients with acute or chronic myeloid leukemias and 2 patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) were isolated and cultured. Cell viability was determined using MTT assay, and apoptosis was examined with PI staining or flow cytometry. ROS levels in the cells were determined using DCFH-DA staining and flow cytometry. Expression of apoptotic and autophagic signaling proteins was analyzed using Western blotting. RESULTS PL inhibited the viability of BMMNCs from the patients with myeloid leukemias (with IC50 less than 20 μmol/L), but not that of BMMNCs from a patient with MDS. Furthermore, PL (10 and 20 μmol/L) induced apoptosis of BMMNCs from the patients with myeloid leukemias in a dose-dependent manner. PL markedly increased ROS levels in BMMNCs from the patients with myeloid leukemias, whereas pretreatment with the antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine abolished PL-induced ROS accumulation and effectively reduced PL-induced cytotoxicity. Moreover, PL markedly increased the expression of the apoptotic proteins (Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3) and autophagic proteins (Beclin-1 and LC3B), and phosphorylation of p38 and JNK in BMMNCs from the patients with myeloid leukemias, whereas pretreatment with the specific p38 inhibitor SB203580 or the specific JNK inhibitor SP600125 partially reversed PL-induced ROS production, apoptotic/autophagic signaling activation and cytotoxicity. CONCLUSION Piperlongumine induces apoptotic and autophagic death of the primary myeloid leukemia cells from patients via activation of ROS-p38/JNK pathways.
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MESH Headings
- Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology
- Antioxidants/pharmacology
- Apoptosis/drug effects
- Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins/metabolism
- Autophagy/drug effects
- Cell Survival/drug effects
- Dioxolanes/pharmacology
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Enzyme Activation
- Humans
- Inhibitory Concentration 50
- JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/antagonists & inhibitors
- JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/enzymology
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/pathology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/enzymology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- Oxidative Stress/drug effects
- Phosphorylation
- Primary Cell Culture
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
- p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/antagonists & inhibitors
- p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-xin Xiong
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine; Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases, Ministry of Education; Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Ju-mei Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine; Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases, Ministry of Education; Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xin-yao Qiu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine; Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases, Ministry of Education; Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Feng Pan
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine; Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases, Ministry of Education; Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
- Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Shang-bin Yu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine; Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases, Ministry of Education; Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xiao-qian Chen
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine; Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases, Ministry of Education; Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
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