Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells improve thymus and spleen function of aging rats through affecting P21/PCNA and suppressing oxidative stress

Bazi Bushen attenuates osteoporosis in SAMP6 mice by regulating PI3K-AKT and apoptosis pathways

Osteoporosis (OP), a systemic skeletal disease, is characterized by low bone mass, bone tissue degradation and bone microarchitecture disturbance. Bazi Bushen, a Chinese patented medicine, has been demonstrated to be effective in attenuating OP, but the pharmacological mechanism remains predominantly unclear. In this study, the senescence-accelerated mouse prone 6 (SAMP6) model was used to explore bone homeostasis and treated intragastrically for 9 weeks with Bazi Bushen. In vivo experiments showed that Bazi Bushen treatment not only upregulated the levels of bone mineral density and bone mineral content but also increased the content of RUNX2 and OSX. Furthermore, the primary culture of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in SAMP6 mice was used to verify the effects of Bazi Bushen on the balance of differentiation between osteoblasts and adipocytes, as well as ROS and aging levels. Finally, the pharmacological mechanism of Bazi Bushen in attenuating OP was investigated through network pharmacology and experimental verification, and we found that Bazi Bushen could significantly orchestrate bone homeostasis and attenuate the progression of OP by stimulating PI3K-Akt and inhibiting apoptosis. In summary, our work sheds light on the first evidence that Bazi Bushen attenuates OP by regulating PI3K-AKT and apoptosis pathways to orchestrate bone homeostasis.

The role of p21 in cellular senescence and aging-related diseases

During the aging process or disease progression, normal cells and tissues in the body undergo various stresses, leading to cell damage and the need for repair, adaptation, apoptosis, or defense responses. Cellular senescence is a key player in this process, influencing the rate of aging and disease progression. It can be triggered by different stress factors, resulting in irreversible cell cycle arrest and functional decline. Senescent cells often show high expression of cell cycle factors such as p21 and p16, which are involved in cell cycle arrest. p16 has long been recognized as a significant marker of aging. Recent evidence suggests that p21high cells and p16high cells represent distinct cell populations in terms of cell type, tissue location, accumulation kinetics, and physiological functions. This article focuses on recent advancements in understanding p21-dependent cellular senescence. It starts by providing an overview of the role of p21 in 3 primary cellular senescence phenotypes where it plays a crucial role. It then delves into the pathogenesis of diseases closely linked to p21-dependent cellular senescence, particularly metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases. The article also discusses progress in p21-related animal models and outlines strategies for utilizing p21 to intervene in cellular senescence by delaying aging, eliminating senescent cells, and rejuvenating senescent cells. This review systematically examines the pathogenesis of p21-dependent cellular senescence, emphasizing its importance in studying aging heterogeneity and developing new senolytic therapies. It aims to stimulate future research on leveraging p21 to enhance the characteristics of senescent cells, allowing more precise methods for eliminating harmful senescent cells at the right time, thereby delaying aging and potentially achieving rejuvenation.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells: A Promising Treatment for Thymic Involution

The thymus is the main immune organ in the body. However, the thymus gradually degenerates in early life, leading to a reduction in T-cell production and a decrease in immune function. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising alternative for the treatment of thymus senescence due to their homing ability to the site of inflammation and their paracrine, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. However, the heterogeneity, difficulty of survival in vivo, short residence time, and low homing efficiency of the injected MSCs affect the clinical therapeutic effect. This article reviews strategies to improve the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell therapy, including the selection of appropriate cell doses, transplantation frequency, and interval cycles. The survival rate of MSCs can be improved to some extent by improving the infusion mode of MSCs, such as simulating the in vivo environment, applying the biological technology of hydrogels and microgels, and iron oxide labeling technology, which can improve the curative effect and homing of MSCs, promote the regeneration of thymic epithelial cells, and restore the function of the thymus.

Probiotic-fermented Qushi decoction alleviates reserpine-induced spleen deficiency syndrome by regulating spleen function and gut microbiota dysbiosis

BACKGROUND

Spleen deficiency syndrome (SDS) is associated with elevated inflammatory factors and dysregulation of gastrointestinal motility hormones and intestinal microbiota. Qushi decoction (QD), a traditional formula, has not been reported using modern scientific research methods for changes in its probiotic fermented QD (FQD) composition and its potential mechanisms to alleviate SDS. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the splenic protection of FQD in SDS rats by modulating gastrointestinal motility hormones and intestinal microbiota.

RESULTS

The results showed that FQD increased total polysaccharides, total protein, total flavonoids and the other active ingredients compared to QD, effectively improved splenic inflammation and apoptosis in SDS rats, and modulated gastrointestinal motility hormones to alleviate diarrhea and other symptoms. In addition, the dysregulation of the gut microbiota was reversed by increasing the levels of Bifidobacterium and decreasing the levels of Escherichia-Shigella and Proteobacteria, which may be related to the regulation of bacterial metabolites to alleviate SDS.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that FQD is an effective formula for improving SDS. Our findings show that FQD beneficial to the implications for the treatment of SDS. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Application of response surface methodology (RSM) for optimization of the supercritical CO2 extract of oil from Zanthoxylum bungeanum pericarp: Yield, composition and gastric protective effect

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Supercritical carbon-dioxide (SC-CO₂) extract is an effective technology for flavor components of Z. bungeanum pericarp.

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About 11.07 % oil yield can be obtained under the optimized parameters of 30 MPa, 43 °C, and 75 min.

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Limonene, linalool, hydroxy-α-sanshool and hydroxy-β-sanshool are the major flavor components of SZB.

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SZB supplementation could be employed as a gastric protective agent/additive for human health.

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Nineteen potential biomarkers were identified as the potential biomarkers contributed to the gastric protective effect of SZB.

Supercritical carbon-dioxide (SC-CO₂) is a promising two-phase technology for flavor components (volatile oil and alkylamides) extract from Zanthoxylum bungeanum pericarp. However, the gastric protective effect of SC-CO₂ extract from Z. bungeanum (SZB) have not been systematically investigated. In this study, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the yield of SZB, and the average yield of 11.07 % were obtained under optimal parameters (30 MPa, 43 °C and time 75 min). Here, limonene, linalool and hydroxy-α-sanshool were identified as the main compounds of SZB by GC–MS and UPLC-Q-Extractive Orbitrap/MS analysis. When the gastric protective effect of SZB (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg, p.o.) were evaluated, significant increase in body weight and organ indexes of rat, and decreased gastric lesion were observed. Furthermore, nineteen serum metabolites were regarded as the potential biomarkers for the gastric protective effect of SZB. Collectively, this study provides a comprehensive perspective into the chemical composition analysis and gastric protective effect of Z. bungeanum SC-CO₂ extract.

Bone-Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Their Conditioned Media, and Olive Leaf Extract Protect against Cisplatin-Induced Toxicity by Alleviating Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Apoptosis in Rats

BACKGROUND

Hepatic and renal damage is a cisplatin (Cis)-induced deleterious effect that is a major limiting factor in clinical chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVES

The current study was designed to investigate the influence of pretreatment with olive leaf extract (OLE), bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC), and their conditioned media (CM-MSC) against genotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and immunotoxicity induced by cisplatin in rats.

METHODS

The rats were randomly divided into six groups (six rats each) as follows: Control; OLE group, treated with OLE; Cis group, treated with a single intraperitoneal dose of Cis (7 mg/kg bw); Cis + OLE group, treated with OLE and cisplatin; Cis + CM-MSC group, treated with BM-MSC conditioned media and Cis; and Cis + MSC group, treated with BM-MSC in addition to Cis.

RESULTS

Cis resulted in a significant deterioration in hepatic and renal functions and histological structures. Furthermore, it increased inflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and decreased glutathione (GSH) content, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in hepatic and renal tissues. Furthermore, apoptosis was evident in rat tissues. A significant increase in serum 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), nitric oxide (NO) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and a decrease in lysozyme activity were detected in Cis-treated rats. OLE, CM-MSC, and BM-MSC have significantly ameliorated Cis-induced deterioration in hepatic and renal structure and function and improved oxidative stress and inflammatory markers, with preference to BM-MSC. Moreover, apoptosis was significantly inhibited, evident from the decreased expression of Bax and caspase-3 genes and upregulation of Bcl-2 proteins in protective groups as compared to Cis group.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that BM-MSC, CM-MSC, and OLE have beneficial effects in ameliorating cisplatin-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in the hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and genotoxicity in a rat model.

Tocopherol attenuates the oxidative stress of BMSCs by inhibiting ferroptosis through the PI3k/AKT/mTOR pathway

Oxidative stress can induce bone tissue damage and the occurrence of multiple diseases. As a type of traditional medicine, tocopherol has been reported to have a strong antioxidant effect and contributes to osteogenic differentiation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of tocopherol on the oxidative stress of rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and the underlying mechanisms. By establishing an oxidative stress model in vitro, the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), reactive oxygen species (ROS) analysis, Western blot (WB), real-time PCR (RT-PCR), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining, and Alizarin Red staining (ARS) evaluated the effects of tocopherol on the cell viability, intracellular ROS levels, and osteogenic differentiation in BMSCs. In addition, ferroptosis-related markers were examined via Western blot, RT-PCR, and Mito-FerroGreen. Eventually, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway was explored. We found that tocopherol significantly maintained the cell viability, reduced intracellular ROS levels, upregulated the levels of anti-oxidative genes, promoted the levels of osteogenic-related proteins, and the mRNA of BMSCs stimulated by H₂O₂. More importantly, tocopherol inhibited ferroptosis and upregulated the phosphorylation levels of PI3K, AKT, and mTOR of BMSCs upon H₂O₂ stimulation. In summary, tocopherol protected BMSCs from oxidative stress damage via the inhibition of ferroptosis through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Regenerative capacity of bone marrow stem cells on aged albino rat's parotid excretory duct

OBJECTIVE

To appraise structural features of parotid excretory duct during senility and probable effect of bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs).

DESIGN

A total of 14 healthy male albino rats were used. Seven adult rats (24-34-week-old) represented the control group (Group I). Seven senile rats (72-80-week-old) were utilized in which the left parotid gland served as "Old" (Group II) and were injected by 0.2 ml phosphate buffered saline; the right side represented "Old treated" (Group III) and got local injection of 1-1.5 million allogeneic BM-MSCs. One month later, glands were dissected and assessed structurally, ultra-structurally and statistically.

RESULT

Histologically, Group I showed normal duct histology. In Group II duct lining lost its pseudostratification which was recovered in Group III. PCNA immunolocalization showed moderate reactivity in Group I, negative to mild reaction in Group II, and strong reaction in some of Group III cells. Ultra-structural features of Group I were ordinary in which basal cell had a large flat nucleus, and dark and light cells showed electron-dense cytoplasm and electron-lucent cytoplasm respectively. Tuft cell displayed long microvilli. Mucous droplets filled goblet cell. Group II revealed an apparent reduction in cells size, organelles and absence of tuft cell. In Group III all cell types were detected and they recovered their organelles, cell and nucleus shape. The highest mean area% of PCNA immunoreactivity was in Group I followed by Group III then Group II.

CONCLUSIONS

Aging has a deteriorating effect on structure and ultra-structure of parotid gland excretory duct that could be amended by BM-MSCs.

Exosomes from Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells with Overexpressed Nrf2 Inhibit Cardiac Fibrosis in Rats with Atrial Fibrillation

Background

Even though nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling has been associated with the pathogenesis of multiple heart conditions, data on roles of Nrf2 within atrial fibrillation (AF) still remain scant. The present investigation had the aim of analyzing Nrf2-overexpressing role/s upon bone mesenchymal stem cell- (BMSC-) derived exosomes in rats with AF.

Methods

Exosomes were collected from control or Nrf2 lentivirus-transduced BMSCs and then injected into rats with AF through the tail vein. AF duration was observed using electrocardiography. Immunohistochemical staining was then employed for assessing Nrf2, HO-1, α-SMA, collagen I, or TGF-β1 expression profiles within atrial myocardium tissues. Conversely, Masson staining was utilized to evaluate atrial fibrosis whereas apoptosis within myocardia was evaluated through TUNEL assays. In addition, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-4, or IL-10 serum expression was assessed through ELISA.

Results

Results of the current study showed significant downregulation of Nrf2/HO-1 within AF rat myocardia. It was found that injection of the control or Lv-Nrf2 exosomes significantly alleviated and lowered AF timespans together with reducing cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Moreover, injection of Lv-Nrf2 exosomes essentially lowered AF-driven atrial fibrosis and also inhibited inflammatory responses in the rats with AF.

Conclusion

Delivery of BMSC-derived exosomes using overexpressed Nrf2 inhibited AF-induced arrhythmias, myocardial fibrosis, apoptosis, and inflammation via Nrf2/HO-1 pathway triggering.

Early differential responses elicited by BRAFV600E in adult mouse models

The BRAF gene is frequently mutated in cancer. The most common genetic mutation is a single nucleotide transition which gives rise to a constitutively active BRAF kinase (BRAF^V600E) which in turn sustains continuous cell proliferation. The study of BRAF^V600E murine models has been mainly focused on the role of BRAF^V600E in tumor development but little is known on the early molecular impact of BRAF^V600E expression in vivo. Here, we study the immediate effects of acute ubiquitous BRAF^V600E activation in vivo. We find that BRAF^V600E elicits a rapid DNA damage response in the liver, spleen, lungs but not in thyroids. This DNA damage response does not occur at telomeres and is accompanied by activation of the senescence marker p21^CIP1 only in lungs but not in liver or spleen. Moreover, in lungs, BRAF^V600E provokes an acute inflammatory state with a tissue-specific recruitment of neutrophils in the alveolar parenchyma and macrophages in bronchi/bronchioles, as well as bronchial/bronchiolar epithelium transdifferentiation and development of adenomas. Furthermore, whereas in non-tumor alveolar type II (ATIIs) pneumocytes, acute BRAF^V600E induction elicits rapid p53-independent p21^CIP1 activation, adenoma ATIIs express p53 without resulting in p21^CIP1 gene activation. Conversely, albeit in Club cells BRAF^V600E-mediated proliferative cue is more exacerbated compared to that occurring in ATIIs, such oncogenic stimulus culminates with p21^CIP1-mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Our findings indicate that acute BRAF^V600E expression drives an immediate induction of DNA damage response in vivo. More importantly, it also results in rapid differential responses of cell cycle and senescence-associated proteins in lung epithelia, thus revealing the early molecular changes emerging in BRAF^V600E-challenged cells during tumorigenesis in vivo.

Characterization of transcriptional landscape in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells treated with aspirin by RNA-seq

INTRODUCTION

Aspirin is a common antipyretic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory drug, which has been reported to extend life in animal models and application in the treatment of aging-related diseases. However, it remains unclear about the effects of aspirin on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs). Here, we aimed to analyze the influence of aspirin on senescence and young BM-MSCs.

METHODS

BM-MSCs were serially passaged to construct a replicative senescence model. SA-β-gal staining, PCR, western blot, and RNA-sequencing were performed on BM-MSCs with or without aspirin treatment, to examine aspirin's impact on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

RESULTS

SA-β-gal staining, PCR, and western blot revealed that aspirin could alleviate the cellular expression of senescence-related indicators of BM-MSCs, including a decrease of SA-β-gal-positive cells and staining intensity, and downregulation of p16, p21, and p53 expression after aspirin treatment. RNA-sequencing results shown in the biological processes related to aging, aspirin could influence cellular immune response and lipid metabolism.

CONCLUSION

The efficacy of aspirin for retarding senescence of BM-MSCs was demonstrated. Our study indicated that the mechanisms of this delay might involve influencing immune response and lipid metabolism.

Therapeutic role of adipose tissue-derived stem cells versus microvesicles in a rat model of cerebellar injury

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a controversial food additive reported to cause negative effects on public health. Adipose stem cells (ASCs) and their derived vesicles (MVs) represent a promising cure for human diseases. This work was planned to compare the therapeutic effects of adipose stem cells and microvesicles in MSG-induced cerebellar damage. Forty adult healthy male Wister rats were equally divided into four groups: Group I (control group), group II (MSG-treated), group III (MSG/ASCs-treated), and group IV (MSG/MVs-treated). Motor behaviour of rats was assessed. Characterization of ASCs and MVs was done by flow cytometry. The cerebellum was processed for light and electron microscopic studies, and immunohistochemical localization of PCNA and GFAP. Morphometry was done for the number of Purkinje cells in H&E-stained sections, area per cent of GFAP immune reactivity and number of positive PCNA cells. Our results showed MSG-induced deterioration in the motor part. Moreover, MSG increases oxidant and apoptotic with decreases of antioxidant biomarkers. Structural changes in the cerebellar cortex as degeneration of nerve cells and gliosis were detected. There were also a decrease in the number of Purkinje cells, an increase in the area per cent of GFAP immune reactivity and a decrease in the number of positive PCNA cells, as compared to the control. Rats treated with ASCs showed marked functional and structural improvement in comparison with MV-treated rats. Thus, both ASCs and MVs had therapeutic potential for MSG-induced cerebellar damage with better results in case of ASCs.

Peanut meal extract fermented with Bacillus natto attenuates physiological and behavioral deficits in a D-galactose-induced aging rat model

Our previous studies have shown that the nutritional properties of peanut meal after fermentation are markedly improved. In this study, in order to facilitate the further utilization of peanut meal, we investigated the effects of its fermentation extract by Bacillus natto (FE) on cognitive ability, antioxidant activity of brain, and protein expression of hippocampus of aging rats induced by D-galactose. Seventy-two female SD rats aged 4-5 months were randomly divided into six groups: normal control group (N), aging model group (M), FE low-dose group (FL), FE medium-dose group (FM), FE high-dose group (FH) and vitamin E positive control group (Y). Morris water maze (MWM) test was performed to evaluate their effects on learning and memory ability in aging rats. SOD activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content of brain, HE staining and the expression of γ-aminobutyric acid receptor 1 (GABABR1) and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid 2B receptor (NMDAR2B) in the hippocampus of rats were measured. The results show that FE supplementation can effectively alleviate the decrease of thymus index induced by aging, decrease the escape latency of MWM by 66.06%, brain MDA by 28.04%, hippocampus GABABR1 expression by 7.98%, and increase brain SOD by 63.54% in aging model rats. This study provides evidence for its anti-aging effects and is a research basis for potential nutritional benefits of underutilized food by-products.

The potential role of mesenchymal stem cells in modulating antiageing process

Ageing and age-related diseases share some basic origin that largely converges on inflammation. Precisely, it boils down to a common pathway characterised by the appearance of a fair amount of proinflammatory cytokines known as inflammageing. Among the proposed treatment for antiageing, MSCs gained attention in recent years. Since mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate itself into a myriad of terminal cells, previously it was believed that these cells migrate to the site of injury and perform their therapeutic effect. However, with the more recent discovery of huge amounts of paracrine factors secreted by MSCs, it is now widely accepted that these cells do not engraft upon transplantation but rather unveil their benefits through excretion of bioactive molecules namely those involved in inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. Conversely, the true function of these paracrine changes has not been thoroughly investigated all these years. Hence, this review will describe in detail on ways MSCs may capitalize its paracrine properties in modulating antiageing process. Through a comprehensive literature search various elements in the antiageing process, we aim to provide a novel treatment perspective of MSCs in antiageing related clinical conditions.

Telomerase activator-65 and pomegranate peel improved the health status of the liver in aged rats; multi-targets involved

OBJECTIVES

This study was undertaken to investigate the efficacy of telomerase activator-65 (Ta-65) and pomegranate peel against aging-induced deteriorations in the liver.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The rats were divided into four groups: control, aged, aged rats treated with Ta-65, and pomegranate orally for two months.

RESULTS

Aging significantly increased the serum levels of total protein, globulins, and protein carbonyl and reduced the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). It also elevated the hepatic malondialdehyde and decreased the hepatic glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity. Aging elevated the expression of thioredoxin reductase1, telomerase reverse transcriptase, and cytochrome 3a1 in the liver; it increased the p53 protein level and elevated the activity of caspase-3 in the liver indicating the occurrence of apoptosis. The architecture of the liver deteriorated in the aged rats, as shown by both light and electron microscopy examinations. The liver of the aged rats had many apoptotic hepatocytes with shrunken nuclei. Many hepatocytes had dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum, many lysosomes, and many fat droplets. Administration of Ta-65 and pomegranate to the aged rats normalized most of the previous biochemical parameters and improved the liver architecture.

CONCLUSION

Ta-65 and pomegranate have anti-aging activity through targeting multiple cellular pathways. It is also noteworthy that Ta-65 was superior to pomegranate in its alleviative effects.

Caffeine promotes the expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase to regulate cellular senescence and aging

Telomere shortening is one of the main causes of cellular senescence. Caffeine is a natural stimulant most commonly found in coffee and tea. In this study, caffeine was found to promote the expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) at both mRNA and protein levels, and consequently extended the telomere length and prevented cellular senescence. Knockdown of TERT eliminated the effect of caffeine on telomere elongation. Moreover, animal studies indicated that caffeine promoted the expression of TERT and extended the telomere length in the thymus and spleen of mice treated with caffeine for a long period of eight months. In addition, caffeine restored the decline of organ index and improved the histological structural change of the thymus, spleen and liver of mice due to aging. These results suggest that caffeine promotes the expression of TERT to delay cellular senescence and aging, which help to understand the mechanism for the beneficial effects of caffeine containing foods on health.