Down-regulation of lncRNA GAS5 attenuates neuronal cell injury through regulating miR-9/FOXO3 axis in cerebral ischemic stroke

Effects of Cluster Nursing Strategy on Neurological and Motor Functions in Patients with Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

This study aimed to explore the effects of the cluster nursing strategy applied to traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. Ninety-eight TBI patients admitted to the hospital were selected as the study subjects. They were randomized into two groups, the control group and the cluster group, with 49 cases in each group. The control group received routine nursing methods, while the cluster group received cluster nursing strategy. The intervention effects were compared between the two groups. After 3 months, the total occurrence of complications in the cluster group was significantly lower than that in the control group. Postintervention, the cluster group had a significantly lower National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score and significantly higher Fugl-Meyer score and Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment score compared with the control group. The serum level of glial fibrillary acidic protein in the control group was significantly higher than that in the cluster group, while the serum level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor was significantly lower. The application of the cluster nursing strategy in the care of patients with TBI could effectively reduce the risk of complications and improve neurological, motor, and cognitive functions.

CEBPA facilitates LOXL2 and LOXL3 transcription to promote BCL-2 stability and thus enhances the growth and metastasis of lung carcinoma cells in vitro

Lung carcinoma (LC) is a complicated and highly heterogeneous disease with high morbidity and mortality. Both lysyl oxidase-like (LOXL) 2 and 3 act in cancer progression. This work endeavors to illustrate the influence of LOXL2/LOXL3 on LC progression and the underlying mechanisms. LOXL family genes and CCAAT enhancer binding protein A (CEBPA) were analyzed in the TCGA database for their expression patterns in LC patients and their correlations with the patient's prognosis. CEBPA, LOXL2, and LOXL3 expression levels were determined in LC cells. Gain- and loss-of-function assays were conducted, followed by assays for cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), apoptosis, invasion, and migration. The binding of CEBPA or B cell lymphoma protein (BCL)-2 to LOXL2/LOXL3 was verified. The ubiquitination level of BCL-2 and histone acetylation level of LOXL2/LOXL3 in LC cells were analyzed. Database analyses revealed that LC patients had high CEBPA, LOXL2, and LOXL3 expression, which were related to poor prognosis. LC cells also exhibited high CEBPA, LOXL2, and LOXL3 levels. LOXL2/LOXL3 knockdown subdued EMT, proliferation, migration, and invasion while enhancing the apoptosis of LC cells. LOXL2/LOXL3 could bind to CEBPA and BCL-2. LOXL2/LOXL3 knockdown upregulated BCL-2 ubiquitination level and diminished BCL-2 expression in LC cells. CEBPA recruited Tip60 to enhance histone acetylation and transcription of LOXL2/LOXL3 in LC cells. BCL-2 overexpression abolished the impacts of LOXL2/LOXL3 knockdown on LC cells. In conclusion, CEBPA boosts LOXL2 and LOXL3 transcription to facilitate BCL-2 stability by recruiting Tip60 and thus contributes to LC cell growth and metastasis.

The forkhead box O3 (FOXO3): a key player in the regulation of ischemia and reperfusion injury

Forkhead box O3 is a protein encoded by the FOXO3 gene expressed throughout the body. FOXO3 could play a crucial role in longevity and many other pathologies, such as Alzheimer's disease, glioblastoma, and stroke. This study is a comprehensive review of the expression of FOXO3 under ischemia and reperfusion (IR) and the molecular mechanisms of its regulation and function. We found that the expression level of FOXO3 under ischemia and IR is tissue-specific. Specifically, the expression level of FOXO3 is increased in the lung and intestinal epithelial cells after IR. However, FOXO3 is downregulated in the kidney after IR and in the skeletal muscles following ischemia. Interestingly, both increased and decreased FOXO3 expression have been reported in the brain, liver, and heart following IR. Nevertheless, these contribute to stimulating ischemia and reperfusion injury via the induction of inflammatory response, apoptosis, autophagy, mitophagy, pyroptosis, and oxidative damage. These results suggest that FOXO3 could play protective effects in some organs and detrimental effects in others against IR injury. Most importantly, these findings indicate that controlling FOXO3 expression, genetically or pharmacologically, could contribute to preventing or treating ischemia and reperfusion damage.

FoxO3 and oxidative stress: a multifaceted role in cellular adaptation

Oxidative stress is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in human health and disease. In this review, we focus on the Forkhead Box (Fox) subclass O3 (FoxO3), an extensively studied transcription factor that plays a pleiotropic role in a wide range of physiological and pathological processes by regulating multiple gene regulatory networks involved in the modulation of numerous aspects of cellular metabolism, including fuel metabolism, cell death, and stress resistance. This review will also focus on regulatory mechanisms of FoxO3 expression and activity, such as crucial post-translational modifications and non-coding RNAs. Moreover, this work discusses and evidences some pathways to how this transcription factor and reactive oxygen species regulate each other, which may lead to the pathogenesis of various types of diseases. Therefore, in addition to being a promising therapeutic target, the FoxO3-regulated signaling pathways can also be used as reliable diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and indicators for drug responsiveness.

The Mitochondrial mitoNEET Ligand NL-1 Is Protective in a Murine Model of Transient Cerebral Ischemic Stroke

PURPOSE

Therapeutic strategies to treat ischemic stroke are limited due to the heterogeneity of cerebral ischemic injury and the mechanisms that contribute to the cell death. Since oxidative stress is one of the primary mechanisms that cause brain injury post-stroke, we hypothesized that therapeutic targets that modulate mitochondrial function could protect against reperfusion-injury after cerebral ischemia, with the focus here on a mitochondrial protein, mitoNEET, that modulates cellular bioenergetics.

METHOD

In this study, we evaluated the pharmacology of the mitoNEET ligand NL-1 in an in vivo therapeutic role for NL-1 in a C57Bl/6 murine model of ischemic stroke.

RESULTS

NL-1 decreased hydrogen peroxide production with an IC50 of 5.95 μM in neuronal cells (N2A). The in vivo activity of NL-1 was evaluated in a murine 1 h transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (t-MCAO) model of ischemic stroke. We found that mice treated with NL-1 (10 mg/kg, i.p.) at time of reperfusion and allowed to recover for 24 h showed a 43% reduction in infarct volume and 68% reduction in edema compared to sham-injured mice. Additionally, we found that when NL-1 was administered 15 min post-t-MCAO, the ischemia volume was reduced by 41%, and stroke-associated edema by 63%.

CONCLUSION

As support of our hypothesis, as expected, NL-1 failed to reduce stroke infarct in a permanent photothrombotic occlusion model of stroke. This report demonstrates the potential therapeutic benefits of using mitoNEET ligands like NL-1 as novel mitoceuticals for treating reperfusion-injury with cerebral stroke.

Long noncoding RNA SNHG1 protects brain microvascular endothelial cells against oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation-induced injury by sponging miR-298 and upregulating SIK1 expression

OBJECTIVES

Growing evidence shows that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are widely involved in the progression of multiple diseases, including ischemic stroke. The aim of this study was to explore the function and underlying mechanism of lncRNAs small nucleolar RNA host gene 1 (SNHG1) in ischemic stroke.

RESULTS

SNHG1 and salt-induced kinase 1 (SIK1) were upregulated in oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R)-induced bEnd3 cells. SNHG1 downregulation promoted OGD/R-induced injury through decreasing cell proliferation and increasing apoptosis, which was reversed by upregulating SIK1 or downregulating miR-298. Moreover, SIK1 interference had similar functions with SNHG1 knockdown in OGD/R-treated bEnd3 cells. In addition, miR-298 was a direct target of SNHG1 and could specifically bind to SIK1. Furthermore, SNHG1 functioned as a molecular sponge of miR-298 to regulate SIK1 expression.

CONCLUSION

SNHG1 knockdown enhanced OGD/R-induced injury in bEnd3 cells by regulating miR-298/SIK1 axis, which might provide promising therapeutic target for treatment of ischemic stroke.

Nanoparticle formulation and in vitro efficacy testing of the mitoNEET ligand NL-1 for drug delivery in a brain endothelial model of ischemic reperfusion-injury

Ischemic reperfusion injury after a stroke is a leading cause of mortality and disability due to neuronal loss and tissue damage. Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a major role in the reperfusion-injury sequelae, and offers an attractive drug target. Mitochondrial derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) and resultant apoptotic cascade are among the primary mechanisms of neuronal death following ischemia and reperfusion injury. Here we optimized a nanoparticle formulation for the mitoNEET ligand NL-1, to target mitochondrial dysfunction post ischemic reperfusion (IR) injury. NL-1, a hydrophobic drug, was formulated using PLGA polymers with a particle size and entrapment efficiency of 123.9 ± 17.1 nm and 59.7 ± 10.1%, respectively. The formulation was characterized for physical state of NL-1, in vitro release, uptake and nanoparticle localization. A near complete uptake of nanoparticles was found to occur by three hours, with the process being energy-dependent and occurring via caveolar mediated endocytosis. The fluorescent nanoparticles were found to localize in the cytoplasm of the endothelial cells. An in vitro oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) model to mimic IR was employed for in vitro efficacy testing in murine brain vascular endothelium cells (bEND.3 cells). Efficacy studies showed that both NL-1 and the nanoparticles loaded with NL-1 had a protective activity against peroxide generation, and displayed improved cellular viability, as seen via reduction in cellular apoptosis. Finally, PLGA nanoparticles were found to have a non-toxic profile in vitro, and were found to be safe for intravenous administration. This study lays the preliminary work for potential use of mitoNEET as a target and NL-1 as a therapeutic for the treatment of cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury.

Long non-coding RNAs as the critical factors during tumor progressions among Iranian population: an overview

BACKGROUND

Cancer is associated with various genetic and environmental risk factors. Beside the mutations or aberrant expression of protein-coding genes, the genetic deregulation of non-coding RNAs has also an important role during tumor progression and metastasis. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of ncRNAs larger than 200 nucleotides that may function as tumor-suppressor or oncogene.

MAIN BODY

There is a raising trend of cancer incidence among Iranian population during the last decades. Therefore, it is required to prepare a general population specific panel of genetic markers for the early detection of cancer in this population. The tissue-specific expression characteristics and high stability in body fluids highlight the lncRNAs as efficient diagnostic and prognostic noninvasive biomarkers in cancer. In present review we summarized all of the lncRNAs which have been reported until now in different tumors among Iranian patients.

CONCLUSIONS

This review paves the way of introducing a population based noninvasive diagnostic panel of lncRNAs for the early detection of tumor cells among Iranian population.