MAPKs and Hsc70 are critical to the protective effect of molecular hydrogen during the early phase of acute pancreatitis

Gas Therapy: Generating, Delivery, and Biomedical Applications

Oxygen (O2 ), nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen sulfide (H2 S), and hydrogen (H2 ) with direct effects, and carbon dioxide (CO2 ) with complementary effects on the condition of various diseases are known as therapeutic gases. The targeted delivery and in situ generation of these therapeutic gases with controllable release at the site of disease has attracted attention to avoid the risk of gas poisoning and improve their performance in treating various diseases such as cancer therapy, cardiovascular therapy, bone tissue engineering, and wound healing. Stimuli-responsive gas-generating sources and delivery systems based on biomaterials that enable on-demand and controllable release are promising approaches for precise gas therapy. This work highlights current advances in the design and development of new approaches and systems to generate and deliver therapeutic gases at the site of disease with on-demand release behavior. The performance of the delivered gases in various biomedical applications is then discussed.

The role of proteomics in acute pancreatitis: new and old knowledge

INTRODUCTION

Around 20% of individuals diagnosed with acute pancreatitis (AP) may develop severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), possibly resulting in a mortality rate ranging from 15% to 35%. There is an urgent need to thoroughly understand the molecular phenotypes of SAP resulting from diverse etiologies. The field of translational research on AP has seen the use of several innovative proteomic methodologies via the ongoing improvement of isolation, tagging, and quantification methods.

AREAS COVERED

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) identified in AP by searching the PubMed/MEDLINE database (2003-2023) and adds significantly to the current theoretical framework.

EXPERT OPINION

DAPs for potentially diagnosing AP based on proteomic identification need to be confirmed by multi-center studies that include larger samples. The discovery of DAPs in various organs at different AP stages via proteomic technologies is essential better to understand the pathophysiology of AP-related multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. Regarding the translational research of AP, novel approaches like single-cell proteomics and imaging using mass spectrometry may be used as soon as they become available.

Mechanisms and Application of Gas-Based Anticancer Therapies

Cancer is still one of the major factors threatening public health, with morbidity and mortality rates at the forefront of the world. Clinical drawbacks, such as high toxicity and side effects of drug therapy, and easy recurrence after surgery affect its therapeutic effect. Gas signaling molecules are essential in maintaining biological homeostasis and physiological functions as specific chemical substances for biological information transfer. In recent years, the physiological regulatory functions of gas molecules in the cancer process have been gradually revealed and have shown broad application prospects in tumor therapy. In this paper, standard gas therapies are classified and introduced. Taking H2, CO2, NO, CO, H2S, and SO2 gases as examples, the research progress and application of gas therapies in malignant tumors are mainly introduced in terms of biological characteristics, anticancer mechanisms, and treatment strategies. Finally, the problems and prospects for developing gases as anticancer drugs are outlined.

Mechanism of Magnolia Volatile Oil in the Treatment of Acute Pancreatitis Based on GC-MS, Network Pharmacology, and Molecular Docking

Objective

Magnoliae officinalis cortex (MOC) is one of the most frequently used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of acute pancreatitis (AP). Magnolia volatile oil (MVO) is considered to be one of the main active ingredients in MOC for AP treatment. However, the underlying mechanism of MVO in AP therapy is unknown.

Methods

An integrated strategy of gas chromatography-mass spectrum (GC-MS), network pharmacology, and molecular docking simulation was employed to predict underlying mechanism of MVO in AP treatment. First, the compounds of MVO were identified by GC-MS, and the targets of the identified characteristic compounds were collected from several databases, as well as AP-related targets. Next, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were carried out to obtain the mechanism. Moreover, the binding activity between core therapeutic targets and their corresponding compounds was evaluated by molecular docking simulation.

Results

GC-MS results showed a total of 35 compounds that appeared in at least 18 out of 20 chromatograms were considered as characteristic compounds of MVO, and 33 compounds of those were identified. Network analysis demonstrated that 33 compounds regulated 142 AP-related targets. Of those, 8 compounds (α-eudesmol, γ-eudesmol, (-)-terpinen-4-ol, terpineol, hinesol, linalool, borneol, and β-eudesmol) and 8 targets (TNF, IL-1β, PPARγ, PPARα, PTGS2, NCOA1, CNR1, and ESR1) have a close relationship with AP treatment and were recognized as the key active compounds and the core therapeutic targets, respectively. The 142 targets were involved in both inflammation and calcium overload-related biological pathways, such as neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, estrogen, MAPK, and calcium signaling pathway. Moreover, molecular docking simulation indicated that the 8 core therapeutic targets strongly interacted with their corresponding compounds.

Conclusions

In summary, the present study elucidated that the efficacy of MVO in AP treatment might be attributed to anti-inflammation and inhibition of calcium overload through multicomponents and multitargets.

Proteomic analysis of early phosphorylated proteins in acute pancreatitis model

Background and Objective:

The exact mechanism of acute pancreatitis (AP), which is an inflammation of the pancreas, still remains unclear. In this study, we examined the protein phosphorylation changes during the early stage of AP in mice using proteomic analysis.

Methods:

AP model in mice was constructed using an intraperitoneal injection of cerulein. Blood samples and pancreas were collected at 1, 3, 6, 9h after the final injection (n=3 at each time point). Samples collected 3h after the final injection were separately mixed and named S (saline group) and C1 (cerulein group); samples collected 6h after the final injection from the cerulein group were mixed and named C2. Proteins from S, C1, and C2 were extracted, digested by trypsin, and subjected to LC-MS/MS analysis, bioinformatics analysis, and Western blotting.

Results:

A total of 549 sites (426 proteins) were upregulated, and 501 sites (367 proteins) were downregulated in C1 compared to S; while 491 phosphorylation sites (377 proteins) were upregulated and 367 sites (274 proteins) were downregulated in C2 compared to S. Motif analysis showed that proline-directed kinase and basophilic kinase had a key role during early AP. During an early AP stage, the cellular distributions of proteins slightly changed. The types of domains changed with the development of AP. Phosphorylation proteins associated with calcium signaling, especially IP3R mediated calcium release, lysosome and autophagosome pathway, pancreatic digestive activation, and secretion, were found to be involved in the development of early AP independent of NF-kB activation. Moreover, the MAPK family was found to have a greater impact at the early stage of AP. We also found differentially expressed phosphorylations of amylase and trypsinogen and increased phosphorylation of MAPK6 S189 in early AP.

Conclusion:

IP3R mediated calcium release and activation of MAPK family are key events promoting the development of early AP.

Lnc-PFAR facilitates autophagy and exacerbates pancreatic fibrosis by reducing pre-miR-141 maturation in chronic pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is described as progressive inflammatory fibrosis of pancreas, accompanied with irreversible impaired endocrine and exocrine insufficiency. Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) are widely distributed in the stroma of the pancreas and PSCs activation has been shown as one of the leading causes for pancreatic fibrosis. Our previous study has revealed that autophagy is dramatically activated in CP tissues, which facilitates PSCs activation and pancreatic fibrosis. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) have been recognized as crucial regulators for fibrosis-related diseases. LncRNAs interact with RNA binding protein or construct competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) hypothesis which elicited the fibrotic processes. Until now, the effects of lncRNAs on PSCs activation and pancreatic fibrosis have not been clearly explored. In this study, a novel lncRNA named Lnc-PFAR was found highly expressed in mouse and human CP tissues. Our data revealed that Lnc-PFAR facilitates PSCs activation and pancreatic fibrosis via RB1CC1-induced autophagy. Lnc-PFAR reduces miR-141 expression by suppressing pre-miR-141 maturation, which eventually upregulates the RB1CC1 and fibrosis-related indicators expression. Meanwhile, Lnc-PFAR enhanced PSCs activation and pancreatic fibrosis through trigging autophagy. Our study interrogates a novel lncRNA-induced mechanism in promoting the development of pancreatic fibrosis, and Lnc-PFAR is suggested to be a prospective therapeutic target in clinical scenarios.

Oxidative Stress and Pathways of Molecular Hydrogen Effects in Medicine

There are many situations of excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as radiation, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), and inflammation. ROS contribute to and arises from numerous cellular pathologies, diseases, and aging. ROS can cause direct deleterious effects by damaging proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids as well as exert detrimental effects on several cell signaling pathways. However, ROS are important in many cellular functions. The injurious effect of excessive ROS can hypothetically be mitigated by exogenous antioxidants, but clinically this intervention is often not favorable. In contrast, molecular hydrogen provides a variety of advantages for mitigating oxidative stress due to its unique physical and chemical properties. H₂ may be superior to conventional antioxidants, since it can selectively reduce ●OH radicals while preserving important ROS that are otherwise used for normal cellular signaling. Additionally, H₂ exerts many biological effects, including antioxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-apoptosis, and anti-shock. H₂ accomplishes these effects by indirectly regulating signal transduction and gene expression, each of which involves multiple signaling pathways and crosstalk. The Keap1-Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway, which can be activated by H₂, plays a critical role in regulating cellular redox balance, metabolism, and inducing adaptive responses against cellular stress. H₂ also influences the crosstalk among the regulatory mechanisms of autophagy and apoptosis, which involve MAPKs, p53, Nrf2, NF-κB, p38 MAPK, mTOR, etc. The pleiotropic effects of molecular hydrogen on various proteins, molecules and signaling pathways can at least partly explain its almost universal pluripotent therapeutic potential.

Pre-inhalation of hydrogen-rich gases protect against caerulein-induced mouse acute pancreatitis while enhance the pancreatic Hsp60 protein expression

Background

Acute pancreatitis (AP) lacks targeted prevention and treatment measures. Some key points in the pathogenesis of AP remain unclear, such as early activation of pancreatic enzymes. Several recent reports have shown the protective effect of hydrogen on several AP animal models, and the mechanism is related to antioxidant activity. Heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60) is known to accompany pancreatic enzymes synthesis and secretion pathway of in pancreatic acinar cells, while role of hsp60 in AP remains a topic. Aim of this study was to investigate effect of hydrogen pretreatment on AP and the mechanisms, focusing on pancreatic oxidative stress and Hsp60 expression.

Methods

80 mice were randomly assigned into four groups: HAP group, AP group, HNS group, and NS group and each group were set 3 observation time point as 1 h, 3 h and 5 h (n = 6–8). Mouse AP model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 50 μg/kg caerulein per hour for 6 injections both in AP and HAP groups, and mice in NS group and HNS group given normal saline (NS) injections at the same way as control respectively. Mice in HAP group and HNS group were treated with hydrogen-rich gases inhalation for 3 days before the first injection of caerulein or saline, while mice in AP group and NS group in normal air condition. Histopathology of pancreatic tissue, plasma amylase and lipase, plasma IL-1 and IL-6, pancreatic glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA), and Hsp60 mRNA and protein expression were investigated. Comparisons were made by one-way analysis of variance.

Results

The pancreatic pathological changes, plasma amylase and lipase activity, and the increase of plasma IL-1 and IL-6 levels in AP mice were significantly improved by the hydrogen-rich gases pretreatment, Meanwhile, the pancreatic GSH content increased and the pancreatic MDA content decreased. And, the hydrogen-rich gases pretreatment improved the Hsp60 protein expression in pancreatic tissues of AP mice at 1 h and 5 h.

Conclusions

Pre-inhalation of hydrogen-rich gases have a good protective effect on AP mice, and the possible mechanisms of reduced oxidative stress and the early increased pancreatic Hsp60 protein deserve attention.

Direct Targets and Subsequent Pathways for Molecular Hydrogen to Exert Multiple Functions: Focusing on Interventions in Radical Reactions

Molecular hydrogen (H₂) was long regarded as non-functional in mammalian cells. We overturned the concept by demonstrating that H₂ exhibits antioxidant effects and protects cells against oxidative stress. Subsequently, it has been revealed that H₂ has multiple functions in addition to antioxidant effects, including antiinflammatory, anti-allergic functions, and as cell death and autophagy regulation. Additionally, H₂ stimulates energy metabolism. As H₂ does not readily react with most biomolecules without a catalyst, it is essential to identify the primary targets with which H₂ reacts or interacts directly. As a first event, H₂ may react directly with strong oxidants, such as hydroxyl radicals (•OH) in vivo. This review addresses the key issues related to this in vivo reaction. •OH may have a physiological role because it triggers a free radical chain reaction and may be involved in the regulation of Ca2+- or mitochondrial ATP-dependent K+-channeling. In the subsequent pathway, H₂ suppressed a free radical chain reaction, leading to decreases in lipid peroxide and its end products. Derived from the peroxides, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal functions as a mediator that up-regulates multiple functional PGC-1α. As the other direct target in vitro and in vivo, H₂ intervenes in the free radical chain reaction to modify oxidized phospholipids, which may act as an antagonist of Ca2+-channels. The resulting suppression of Ca2+-signaling inactivates multiple functional NFAT and CREB transcription factors, which may explain H₂ multi-functionality. This review also addresses the involvement of NFAT in the beneficial role of H₂ in COVID-19, Alzheimer's disease and advanced cancer. We discuss some unsolved issues of H₂ action on lipopolysaccharide signaling, MAPK and NF-κB pathways and the Nrf2 paradox. Finally, as a novel idea for the direct targeting of H2, this review introduces the possibility that H₂ causes structural changes in proteins via hydrate water changes.

Redox Effects of Molecular Hydrogen and Its Therapeutic Efficacy in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Oxidative stress (OS) and neuroinflammatory stress affect many neurological disorders. Despite the clinical significance of oxidative damage in neurological disorders, still, no effective and safe treatment methods for neuro diseases are available. With this, molecular hydrogen (H2) has been recently reported as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent to treat several oxidative stress-related diseases. In animal and human clinical trials, the routes for H2 administration are mainly categorized into three types: H2 gas inhalation, H2 water dissolving, and H2-dissolved saline injection. This review explores some significant progress in research on H2 use in neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, neonatal disorders of the brain, and other NDs (retinal ischemia and traumatic brain injury). Even though most neurological problems are not currently curable, these studies have shown the therapeutic potential for prevention, treatment, and mitigation of H2 administration. Several possible H2-effectors, including cell signaling molecules and hormones, which prevent OS and inflammation, will also be addressed. However, more clinical and other related studies are required to evaluate the direct H2 target molecule.

Recent advances in studies of molecular hydrogen in the treatment of pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease of the pancreas characterized by acinar cell injury and is associated with the abnormal release of trypsin, which results in high mortality due to systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). The inflammatory response, impaired autophagic flux, endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and their interactions are involved in the development of pancreatitis. Molecular hydrogen (H₂) is a novel antioxidant that possesses the features of selective scavenging of oxygen free radicals and nontoxic metabolites and has been shown to be efficacious for treating infection, injury, tumors, ischemia-reperfusion organ injury, metabolic disease and several other diseases. Recent studies have found that H₂ is also useful in the treatment of pancreatitis, which may be related to the mechanism of antioxidative stress, anti-inflammation, anti-apoptosis, regulation of immunity and regulation of molecular pathways. This review focuses on the pathogenesis of pancreatitis and the research progress and potential mechanisms of H₂ against pancreatitis to provide theoretical bases for future research and clinical application of H₂ therapy for pancreatitis.

Recent progress in nanotechnology based ferroptotic therapies for clinical applications

Ferroptosis is a new iron and reactive oxygen species dependent programmed cell death process which is different from apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy. It is closely related to a number of disease progression including cancers, neurodegenerative disease, cerebral hemorrhage, liver disease, and renal failure. The development of different ferroptotic inducers has been proved as an efficient therapeutic strategy for a variety of chemoradiotherapy-resistant cancer cells and cancer stem cells. In addition, the development of ferroptotic inhibitors is also becoming an emerging research hotspot for the treatment of many non-cancerous diseases. Furthermore, the combination of nanotechnology with ferroptotic therapies has exhibited additional advantages such as enhanced targeting and/or stimuli-responsive ability to tumor microenvironment, ameliorated drug solubility, ease of preparation and the integration of multifunctional theranostic platforms to develop synergetic combined therapies of great clinical importance. This paper reviews the latest advances of using tailored ferroptotic nanoparticles and ferroptotic molecular probes to be relevant for the accurate diagnosis and treatment of different diseases. Finally, the opportunities and challenges of this burgeoning field were spotlighted to promote the rational design of nano-ferroptotic drugs or theranostic probes in the near future.

Small Molecule Inhibitor C188-9 Synergistically Enhances the Demethylated Activity of Low-Dose 5-Aza-2'-Deoxycytidine Against Pancreatic Cancer

Aberrant DNA methylation, especially hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes, has been associated with many cancers' progression. 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine (DAC) can reverse hypermethylation-induced gene silencing via regulating DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) activity, In addition, low-dose of DAC was proved to exert durable antitumor effects against solid tumor cells. Nevertheless, no clinical effect of DAC has been made when fighting against pancreatic cancer. Hence, it is necessary to raise a novel therapeutic strategy that further enhance the efficacy of DAC but not increase side effect, which impede the utilization of DAC. In the present study, we have discovered that C188-9, a novel signal transduction activator of transcription (STAT) inhibitor, could improve the antitumor effects of low-dose DAC in vivo and in vitro. Further study demonstrated that such improvement was attributed to re-expression of Ras association domain family member 1A (RASSF1A), a well-known tumor suppressor gene. Bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) assay showed that C188-9 combined with DAC treatment could significantly reverse the hypermethylation status of RASSF1A promoter, which indicated that C188-9 could enhance the demethylation efficacy of DAC. Our data demonstrated that DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) was the underlying mechanism that C188-9 regulates the demethylation efficacy of DAC. Overall, these findings provide a novel therapeutic strategy combining low-dose DAC and C188-9 to improve therapeutic efficacy by inhibiting DNMT1-inducing promoter methylation.

Molecular hydrogen: current knowledge on mechanism in alleviating free radical damage and diseases

Ever since molecular hydrogen was first reported as a hydroxyl radical scavenger in 2007, the beneficial effect of hydrogen was documented in more than 170 disease models and human diseases including ischemia/reperfusion injury, metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and cancer. All these pathological damages are concomitant with overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) where molecular hydrogen has been widely demonstrated as a selective antioxidant. Although it is difficult to construe the molecular mechanism of hydrogen's biomedical effect, an increasing number of studies have been helping us draw the picture clearer with days passing by. In this review, we summarized the current knowledge on systemic and cellular modulation by hydrogen treatment. We discussed the antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptosis effects of hydrogen, as well as its protection on mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum, regulation of intracellular signaling pathways, and balancing of the immune cell subtypes. We hope that this review will provide organized information that prompts further investigation for in-depth studies of hydrogen effect.

Hydrogen Gas from Inflammation Treatment to Cancer Therapy

Hydrogen (H₂) therapy is a highly promising strategy against several diseases due to its inherent biosafety. However, the current H₂ treatment modalities rely predominantly on the systemic administration of the gas, resulting in poor targeting and utilization. Furthermore, although H₂ has significant anti-tumor effects, the underlying mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. Due to their ultrasmall size, nanomaterials are highly suitable drug-delivery systems with a myriad of biomedical applications. Nanocarrier-mediated H₂ delivery, as well as in situ production of H₂ by nanogenerators, can significantly improve targeted accumulation of the gas and accelerate the therapeutic effects. In addition, nanomaterials can be further modified to enhance passive or active accumulation at the target site. In this Perspective, we summarize the mechanism of H₂ therapy and describe possibilities for combining H₂ therapy with nanomaterials. We also discuss the current challenges of H₂ therapy and provide some insights into this burgeoning field.

Inhibition of RIPK1-dependent regulated acinar cell necrosis provides protection against acute pancreatitis via the RIPK1/NF-κB/AQP8 pathway

Currently, preliminary results have confirmed the existence of receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3) and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL)-dependent necroptosis of pancreatic acinar cells during early acute pancreatitis (AP), which might be a potential target for the effective regulation of necroinflammatory injury. However, the exact effect of receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1)-dependent regulated acinar cell necrosis on AP is still uncertain. In our study, we first explored the changes in the degree of local and systemic inflammation in AP rats when the activation of acinar cell RIPK1 was inhibited. The RIPK1 inhibitor Nec-1 was used to treat rats, and the levels of related inflammatory markers, necrosis indicators and apoptotic indicators were measured. Changes in pancreatic nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and aquaporin 8 (AQP8) expression were noted. Next, the expression of AQP8 in AR42J cells was inhibited, and the degree of cell necrosis and inflammatory damage was found to be significantly reduced. Most importantly, we demonstrated that the RIPK1/NF-ĸB/AQP8 axis might be a potential regulatory pathway mediating RIPK1-dependent regulated acinar cell necrosis in early AP. Finally, we used the NF-κB inhibitor PDTC and Nec-1 to treat rats in different groups and measured the degree of pathological pancreatic injury, the activation of RIPK1, and the expression of NF-κB and AQP8. In summary, we hypothesized that there might be a RIPK1/NF-ĸB/AQP8 pathway controlling RIPK1-dependent regulated necrosis of acinar cells in AP, which might be a promising therapeutic target against AP-related injury.

The role of hydrogen in Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly. It is often manifested as learning and memory impairment, cognitive function decline, normal social and emotional disorders. However, for this high-risk common disease, there is currently no effective treatment, which has plagued many clinicians. As a new type of medical therapeutic gas, hydrogen has attracted much attention recently. As a recognized reducing gas, hydrogen has shown great anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory effect in many cerebral disease models. It can ameliorate neuronal damage, maintain the number of neurons, prolong the lifespan of neurons, and ultimately inhibit disease progression. Therefore, the role and mechanism of hydrogen in the pathological process of Alzheimer’s disease will be discussed in this paper.

RB1CC1-enhanced autophagy facilitates PSCs activation and pancreatic fibrogenesis in chronic pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is described as a progressive fibro-inflammatory disorder of the exocrine disease, which eventually leads to damage of the gland. Excessive activation of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) is a critical participant in the initiation of CP. Autophagy is involved in multiple degeneration and inflammation in acute pancreatitis and CP. In our study, we report that retinoblastoma coiled coil protein 1 (RB1CC1) expression and the autophagic level are elevated in activated PSCs. RB1CC1 is positively correlated with pancreatic fibrogenesis in tissues and plasma of CP patients. Knockdown of RB1CC1 restrains alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen expressions, and autophagy in activated PSCs in vitro. Furthermore, we show that RB1CC1 induces PSC activation via binding to ULK1 promoter and the direct interaction with ULK1 protein. These suppress ULK1 expression and its kinase activity. In mice, knockdown of RB1CC1 blocks autophagy and then inhibits the pancreatic duct ligation-induced pancreatic fibrosis. Consequently, our study highlights that RB1CC1-mediated autophagy is a key event for the activation of PSCs. Inhibition of RB1CC1 alleviates autophagy, which plays a critical role in anti-fibrotic activation in PSCs and CP progression. RB1CC1 could be a novel strategy for the treatment of pancreatic fibrosis.

Plasma and tumor levels of Linc-pint are diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for pancreatic cancer

Long intergenic non-protein coding RNA, p53 induced transcript (Linc-pint) is a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) that regulates tumor cell viability and proliferation. We used qRT-PCR and RNA FISH analysis to evaluate Linc-pint levels in the plasma and tumor tissues of pancreatic cancer (PCa) patients. Our data demonstrate that Linc-pint expression is lower in plasma samples from PCa patients than from healthy individuals, and indicate that plasma Linc-pint levels are more sensitive than CA19-9 for detecting PCa. Our data also show that Linc-pint levels are lower in PCa tumors than in adjacent tissues, carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater (CAV) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), and suggest that Linc-pint could be used for distinguishing the cause of malignant obstructive jaundice. Low plasma Linc-pint levels correlate with tumor recurrence, while low tumor Linc-pint levels correlate with poor prognosis for PCa patients after pancreatectomy. These results thus indicate that low plasma Linc-pint expression could serve as a minimally invasive biomarker for early PCa detection, and that low Linc-pint levels in PCa tumors could be used for predicting patient prognosis.

The transfer of hydrogen from inert gas to therapeutic gas

Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element in the universe, and has been used as an inert gas for a long time. More recent studies have shown that molecular hydrogen as a kind of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptosis, gene expression and signal modulation molecule, can be used for the treatment of many diseases. This review mainly focuses on the research progresses of hydrogen in various medical fields and the possible action mechanisms.

Hydrogen-Rich Saline Alleviates Kidney Fibrosis Following AKI and Retains Klotho Expression

Purpose: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a prominent risk factor for the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). To date, the related mechanism and effective therapy have not been rigorously explored. The present study aims to investigate the reno-protection of hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) against ischemia/reperfusion (IR)-induced AKI.

Methods: Adult male C57 mice were randomly allocated into three groups: Sham, IR, IR+HRS. Renal IR injury model was generated via 35 min occlusion of bilateral kidney pedicles, and then, mice were administered with different treatments intraperitoneally in various groups. After 14- or 28-day treatment, mice were perfused and the kidneys were collected following reperfusion. Many proteins were detected by western blots, including renal fibrotic proteins [a-smooth muscle actin (a-SMA), collagen I (Col I)], Klotho, the methylation of Klotho, damage-regulated autophagy modulator (Beclin-1), and microtubule-associated protein light 3-II (LC3-II). Finally, the levels of serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) were measured to investigate the renal function.

Results: Histological data showed that the HRS treatment significantly decreased the fibrosis in renal tissues when compared with the IR group, and both of BUN and Cr were lower in the HRS group than IR group (8.9 ± 0.6 vs. 9.9 ± 0.1 mmol/l, 51 ± 6.5 vs. 60 ± 5.8 μmol/l) (P < 0.05). The expression of fibrotic markers, a-SMA and Col I, showed a robust increase in IR injury models than the Sham group, which was consistent with the result of Trichrome staining. However, the levels of a-SMA and Col I expression were sharply decreased in the IR+HRS group (P < 0.05). IR injury also enhanced LC3-II and Beclin-1 expression, but decreased Klotho level. The Klotho level was alleviated by HRS, but LC3-II and Beclin-1 were starkly enhanced in HRS group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: HRS showed a protective effect in the prevention of renal injury and could inhibit renal fibrosis after IR injury in mice. This role of HRS might be exerted via retaining Klotho expression and activating autophagy in the kidney.

CARD9 gene silencing with siRNA protects rats against severe acute pancreatitis: CARD9-dependent NF-κB and P38MAPKs pathway

We previously reported the up‐regulation of caspase recruitment domain 9 (CARD9) expressions in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) patients, but little is known about its regulation. In this study, small interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to reduce the levels of CARD9 expression in sodium taurocholate‐stimulated SAP rats. CARD9 was overexpressed in SAP rats, which correlated with the severity of pancreatitis. When compared to the untreated group, the cohort that received the siRNA treatment demonstrated a significant reduction in pancreatic injury, neutrophil infiltration, myeloperoxidase activity and pro‐inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, siRNAs showed that the reduction of CARD9 in SAP rats down‐regulated the expression of NF‐κBp65 and P38MAPK which are involved in the transcription and release of a wide variety of inflammatory cytokines. These findings provide evidence that CARD9 is up‐regulated in SAP rats and acts as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment thereof. Blocking the activation of NF‐κB and P38MAPK via siRNA‐mediated gene knock‐down of CARD9 appears to reduce the inflammatory response in pancreatic tissue.

Hydrogen-Rich Saline Promotes the Recovery of Renal Function after Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats via Anti-apoptosis and Anti-inflammation

Purpose: Hydrogen is a proven novel antioxidant that selectively reduces hydroxyl radicals. In this study, we investigated the effects of hydrogen-rich saline solution on the prevention of renal injury induced by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) and on renal function recovery.

Methods: A rat model of renal I/R injury was induced by 45 min occlusion of the left renal pedicle, followed by 108 h reperfusion. The right kidney was surgically removed. Then, 0.9% NaCl solution (1 ml/kg) or hydrogen-rich saline solution (HRSS; 1 ml/kg) was injected into the abdominal cavity at 4 h intervals. We assessed the influence of HRSS or control saline solution on the recovery of renal function after I/R injury. Kidney tissues were taken at different time points (24, 36, 48, 72, and 108 h after reperfusion) and frozen (-80°C). Kidney cell apoptosis was evaluated using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive staining. Additionally, the apoptotic factors (Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3, caspase-9, and caspase-8) and the pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) were measured in the kidney tissues. Finally, serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) levels were measured.

Results: Histological analyses revealed a marked reduction of interstitial congestion, edema and hemorrhage in renal tissue after HRSS treatment compared to saline treatment. After I/R injury, BUN, Cr, Bcl-2, caspase-3, caspase-9, caspase-8, IL-6, and TNF-α were all significantly increased, while Bax expression was decreased. HRSS remarkably reversed these changes. Moreover, BUN and Cr decreased more rapidly in the rats treated with HRSS compared to the rats treated with control saline solution.

Conclusions: HRSS showed a protective effect in the prevention of renal injury and could promote renal function recovery after I/R injury in rats. HRSS might partially exert its role through an anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory action in kidney cells.