Oral Administration of Artemisia argyi Polysaccharide Increases Estrogen Level and Maintains Blood Lipid Homeostasis in Ovariectomized Rats

Lipopolysaccharide-induced DNA damage response activates DNA-PKcs to drive actin cytoskeleton disruption and cardiac microvascular dysfunction in endotoxemia

Rationale: Sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy is characterized by microvascular injury, which is linked to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced DNA damage response (DDR). This study investigates the role of DNA-PKcs, a key enzyme in the DDR pathway, in driving actin disruption and microvascular dysfunction following LPS exposure. Methods: We analyzed diverse transcriptomic datasets from septic human and murine models using bioinformatics tools to assess DDR pathway activation, correlations, and prognosis. In vivo, LPS-challenged mice were treated with inhibitors of DNA-PKcs or mitochondrial fission, and we evaluated cardiac function, microvascular integrity, mitochondrial status, and actin polymerization. Results: Bioinformatic analyses consistently revealed significant activation of the DDR pathway and upregulation of key genes across diverse septic models. Notably, elevated DDR pathway activity was significantly correlated with poor 28-day survival in human sepsis patients. Single-cell analysis localized this DDR gene upregulation predominantly to cardiac endothelial cells (ECs), fibroblasts, and macrophages during sepsis. Within septic capillary ECs, DDR pathway activity scores strongly correlated spatially and functionally with heightened mitochondrial fission and cytoskeletal remodeling pathway activities. In vivo experiments confirmed that LPS induced severe systolic and diastolic dysfunction, microvascular damage, and mitochondrial fragmentation, as well as significant actin depolymerization. Inhibition of DNA-PKcs with NU7441 markedly attenuated all these LPS-induced pathologies, improving cardiac function, preserving microvascular structure, preventing mitochondrial fragmentation, and normalizing related gene expression and actin cytoskeleton stability. Additionally, inhibiting mitochondrial fission with Mdivi-1 significantly ameliorated LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction and microvascular injury. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that LPS triggers a DNA-PKcs-dependent DDR that promotes mitochondrial fragmentation and actin disruption, particularly in cardiac ECs, contributing to sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy. Targeting DNA-PKcs or mitochondrial fission may hold therapeutic potential for the treatment of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy.

Nuclear damage-induced DNA damage response coupled with IFI16-driven ECM remodeling underlies dilated cardiomyopathy

Rationale: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a severe cardiac condition characterized by ventricular dilation and systolic dysfunction, often leading to heart failure. While the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway is increasingly implicated in DCM pathogenesis, the precise mechanisms linking DDR activation to specific pathological features like adverse extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and fibrosis remain poorly understood. Interferon-inducible protein 16 (IFI16), a known DNA sensor involved in DDR and inflammatory signaling, emerges as a potential mediator in this process. This study aimed to investigate the role of the DDR-IFI16 axis in DCM, specifically exploring its connection to ECM dysregulation and cardiac dysfunction, and to evaluate its potential as a therapeutic target. Methods: W This study integrated bioinformatics analyses of human cardiac transcriptomic datasets with experimental validation in a doxorubicin-induced murine DCM model. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography. Key molecular pathways were investigated using qPCR, ELISA, and enrichment analyses. Mechanistic roles were tested via pharmacological DDR inhibition in vivo and targeted IFI16 siRNA knockdown in vitro, followed by analysis of fibrosis, cell viability, and cytotoxicity markers. Results: Bioinformatic analyses consistently revealed activation of DDR and cytosolic DNA sensing pathways across human iPSC-CM models and ex vivo DCM heart tissue. WGCNA identified a key gene module strongly associated with DCM, co-enriched for DDR, DNA replication, and ECM/TGF-β signaling pathways. Single-cell RNA-seq analysis confirmed significant IFI16 upregulation in human DCM samples. High IFI16 expression strongly correlated with pathways governing 'Extracellular matrix organization' and key fibrotic genes. Experimental validation in the doxorubicin mouse model confirmed DDR activation. Crucially, in vivo treatment with the DDR inhibitor NU7441 significantly attenuated IFI16 upregulation, ameliorated cardiac dysfunction, and decreased cardiac fibrosis markers. Complementarily, in vitro knockdown of IFI16 significantly reduced pro-fibrotic markers, increased cell viability, and decreased cell injury. Conclusions: Our findings delineate a novel pathogenic axis in DCM where nuclear stress-induced DDR activation drives the upregulation of the DNA sensor IFI16. IFI16 acts as a critical mediator linking DDR signaling to pathological ECM remodeling and fibrosis. Pharmacological inhibition of the upstream DDR pathway effectively mitigates IFI16 induction, attenuates cardiac fibrosis, and improves cardiac function. This study identifies the DDR-IFI16-ECM remodeling axis as a crucial contributor to DCM pathogenesis and highlights its potential as a therapeutic target for mitigating adverse cardiac remodeling and dysfunction.

Recent advances in Artemisia argyi Levl. et Vant. polysaccharides: Extractions, purifications, structural characteristics, pharmacological activities, and existing and potential applications

Artemisia argyi Levl. et Vant. (A. argyi) is an important member of Asteraceae (Compositae) family, which has good medicinal potential and edible value. Phytochemical studies have shown that the A. argyi has a variety of bioactive components, mainly including polysaccharides, flavonoids, alkaloids, and volatile oil. More and more evidences show that A. argyi polysaccharide is a kind of representative pharmacological and biological active macromolecules, which has a variety of pharmacological activities in vitro and in vivo, such as estrogen-like effect, anti-bacterial, anti-tumor, anti-oxidant and immune regulation effect. As far as we know, there are few comprehensively reviews on A. argyi polysaccharide. This review aims to comprehensively and systematically review the research progress on the extractions and purifications, structural characteristics, pharmacological activities, structure-activity relationships, existing and potential applications of A. argyi polysaccharides in the past 12 years, in order to support their therapeutic potential and health functions. Finally, prospects were made for the further development and utilization of A. argyi polysaccharides in four fields: food, medicine, packaging materials, and daily chemicals.

Effects of kinect-based virtual reality training on bone mineral density and fracture risk in postmenopausal women with osteopenia: a randomized controlled trial

Osteopenia is a condition characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD) that increases fracture risk, particularly among postmenopausal women (PMW). This study aimed to determine the effects of Kinect-based VRT on BMD and fracture risk in PMW with osteopenia. The study was a prospective, two-arm, parallel-design, randomized controlled trial. The study enrolled 52 participants, 26 randomly assigned to each group. In the experimental group, Kinect-based VRT was provided thrice weekly for 24 weeks for 45 min/session. Both groups were instructed to engage in a daily 30-min walk outdoors. The fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX) was used to calculate fracture risk, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure lumbar spine and femur neck BMD. Both variables were assessed at baseline and 24 weeks afterwards. After 24 weeks of Kinect-based VRT, the experimental group showed significant BMD increases in the right and left femoral necks and lumbar spine (p value < 0.001). In the control group, the BMD at the right and left femoral necks showed fewer significant changes (p value < 0.022 and 0.004, respectively). In the control group, lumbar spine BMD did not change (p = 0.57). The experimental group showed significantly lower FRAX scores for hip fracture prediction (HFP) and hip prediction of major osteoporotic (HPMO) at both femoral necks (p value < 0.001) than the control group (p = 0.05 and p = 0.01, respectively), but no significant change at the left femoral neck for HFP (p = 0.66) or HPMO (p = 0.26). These findings indicate that a Kinect-based VRT intervention resulted in significantly increased BMD and a reduced fracture risk, as predicted by HFP and HPMO measurements. These improvements were more pronounced in the experimental group than in the control group. Thus, Kinect-based VRT may be utilized as an effective intervention to improve BMD and reduce fracture risk in postmenopausal women with osteopenia.