Mechanism Study of the Protective Effects of Sodium Tanshinone IIA Sulfonate Against Atorvastatin-Induced Cerebral Hemorrhage in Zebrafish: Transcriptome Analysis

Qiangxinyin formula protects against isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy

Heart failure is a life-threatening cardiovascular disease and characterized by cardiac hypertrophy, inflammation and fibrosis. The traditional Chinese medicine formula Qiangxinyin (QXY) is effective for the treatment of heart failure while the underlying mechanism is not clear. This study aims to identify the active ingredients of QXY and explore its mechanisms protecting against cardiac hypertrophy. We found that QXY significantly protected against isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction in zebrafish. Eight compounds, including benzoylmesaconine (BMA), atractylenolide I (ATL I), icariin (ICA), quercitrin (QUE), psoralen (PRN), kaempferol (KMP), ferulic acid (FA) and protocatechuic acid (PCA) were identified from QXY. PRN, KMP and icaritin (ICT), an active pharmaceutical ingredient of ICA, prevented ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction in zebrafish. In H9c2 cardiomyocyte treated with ISO, QXY significantly blocked the calcium influx, reduced intracellular lipid peroxidative product MDA, stimulated ATP production and increased mitochondrial membrane potential. QXY also inhibited ISO-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and cytoskeleton reorganization. Mechanistically, QXY enhanced the phosphorylation of Smad family member 2 (SMAD2) and myosin phosphatase target subunit-1 (MYPT1), and suppressed the phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC). In conclusion, PRN, KMP and ICA are the main active ingredients of QXY that protect against ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction largely via the blockage of calcium influx and inhibition of mitochondrial dysfunction as well as cytoskeleton reorganization.

Application of natural products in regulating ferroptosis in human diseases

BACKGROUND

Ferroptosis is a type of cell death caused by excessive iron-induced peroxidation. It has been found to be involved in a variety of diseases, and natural products can be used to target ferroptosis in treatments. Natural products are biologically active compounds extracted or synthesized from nature. It is an important resource for the discovery of skeletons with a high degree of structural diversity and a wide range of bioactivities, which can be developed directly or used as a starting point for the optimization of new drugs.

PURPOSE

In this review, we aim to discuss the interactions between natural products and ferroptosis in the treatment of human diseases.

METHODS

Literature was searched in Pubmed, Science Direct, and Web of Science databases for the 11-year period from 2012 to 2023 using the search terms "natural products", "ferroptosis", "human disease", "neurodegenerative disease", "cardiovascular disease", and "cancer".

RESULTS

In this research, the roles of natural products and ferroptosis were investigated. We suggest that natural products, such as terpenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, alkaloids, and saponins, can be used in therapeutic applications for human diseases, as well as in ferroptosis. Additionally, the main mechanisms of ferroptosis were summarized and discussed. Furthermore, we propose that natural products can be utilized to enhance the sensitivity of cancer cells to ferroptosis, thus helping to overcome drug resistance and inhibit metastasis. Moreover, natural products have the potential to modulate the expression levels of ferroptosis-related factors. Finally, the future directions of this field were highlighted.

CONCLUSION

The potential of natural products which focus on ferroptosis to treat human illnesses, particularly cancer, is very encouraging for human wellbeing.

Identification of necroptosis-related genes in Parkinson's disease by integrated bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation

Background

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegeneration disease worldwide. Necroptosis, which is a new form of programmed cell death with high relationship with inflammation, plays a vital role in the progression of PD. However, the key necroptosis related genes in PD are not fully elucidated.

Purpose

Identification of key necroptosis-related genes in PD.

Method

The PD associated datasets and necroptosis related genes were downloaded from the GEO Database and GeneCards platform, respectively. The DEGs associated with necroptosis in PD were obtained by gap analysis, and followed by cluster analysis, enrichment analysis and WGCNA analysis. Moreover, the key necroptosis related genes were generated by PPI network analysis and their relationship by spearman correlation analysis. Immune infiltration analysis was used for explore the immune state of PD brain accompanied with the expression levels of these genes in various types of immune cells. Finally, the gene expression levels of these key necroptosis related genes were validated by an external dataset, blood samples from PD patients and toxin-induced PD cell model using real-time PCR analysis.

Result

Twelve key necroptosis-related genes including ASGR2, CCNA1, FGF10, FGF19, HJURP, NTF3, OIP5, RRM2, SLC22A1, SLC28A3, WNT1 and WNT10B were identified by integrated bioinformatics analysis of PD related dataset GSE7621. According to the correlation analysis of these genes, RRM2 and WNT1 were positively and negatively correlated with SLC22A1 respectively, while WNT10B was positively correlated with both OIF5 and FGF19. As the results from immune infiltration analysis, M2 macrophage was the highest population of immune cell in analyzed PD brain samples. Moreover, we found that 3 genes (CCNA1, OIP5 and WNT10B) and 9 genes (ASGR2, FGF10, FGF19, HJURP, NTF3, RRM2, SLC22A1, SLC28A3 and WNT1) were down- and up- regulated in an external dataset GSE20141, respectively. All the mRNA expression levels of these 12 genes were obviously upregulated in 6-OHDA-induced SH-SY5Y cell PD model while CCNA1 and OIP5 were up- and down- regulated, respectively, in peripheral blood lymphocytes of PD patients.

Conclusion

Necroptosis and its associated inflammation play fundamental roles in the progression of PD and these identified 12 key genes might be served as new diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for PD.

Tanshinone IIA regulates expression of glucose transporter 1 via activation of the HIF‑1α signaling pathway

Tanshinone IIA (Tan 2A) is a lipid‑soluble compound extracted from the Chinese herb Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge). It protects neuron and microvascular endothelial cells against hypoxia/ischemia both in vitro and in vivo however the mechanism is not fully known. Glucose transporter 1 (GLUT‑1) is ubiquitously expressed in all types of tissue in the human body and serves important physiological functions due to its glucose uptake ability. The present study evaluated the role of Tan 2A in regulating GLUT‑1 expression and its potential mechanism. RT‑PCR and western Blot were used to detect the expression of GLUT‑1. Si RNA mediated knockdown and CHIP assay were used to explore the mechanism of Tan 2A on GLUT‑1expression. Tan 2A treatment induced expression of GLUT‑1 and subsequently increased glucose uptake in endothelial cells (ECs). Furthermore, mRNA expression levels of vascular endothelial cell growth factor, BCL2 interacting protein 3 and enolase 2, which are target genes for hypoxia‑inducible factor‑1α (HIF‑1α), were significantly upregulated by Tan 2A. Co‑immunoprecipitation demonstrated that Tan 2A markedly increased the association of HIF‑1α with recombination signal‑binding protein for immunoglobulin κJ region (RBPJκ). Moreover, knockdown of HIF‑1α and RBPJκ significantly reversed the regulatory effect of Tan 2A on mRNA expression levels of these genes in ECs. The results of the present study suggested that HIF‑1α partially mediated the regulatory effect of Tan 2A on GLUT‑1 expression in ECs. Therefore, GLUT‑1 may be a potential therapeutic target for Tan 2A.

The PI3K/AKT Pathway-The Potential Key Mechanisms of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Stroke

Stroke is associated with a high disability and fatality rate, and adversely affects the quality of life of patients and their families. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been used effectively in the treatment of stroke for more than 2000 years in China and surrounding countries and regions, and over the years, this field has gleaned extensive clinical treatment experience. The Phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway is important for regulation of cell migration, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, and plays a vital role in vascularization and oxidative stress in stroke. Current Western medicine treatment protocols for stroke include mainly pharmacologic or mechanical thrombectomy to restore blood flow. This review collates recent advances in the past 5 years in the TCM treatment of stroke involving the PI3K/AKT pathway. TCM treatment significantly reduces neuronal damage, inhibits cell apoptosis, and delays progression of stroke via various PI3K/AKT-mediated downstream pathways. In the future, TCM can provide new perspectives and directions for exploring the key factors, and effective activators or inhibitors that affect occurrence and progression of stroke, thereby facilitating treatment.

Zebrafish for modeling stroke and their applicability for drug discovery and development

INTRODUCTION

The global health burden of stroke is significant and few therapeutic treatment options currently exist for patients. Pre-clinical research relies heavily on rodent stroke models but the limitations associated with using these systems alone has meant translation of drug compounds to the clinic has not been greatly successful to date. Zebrafish disease modeling offers a potentially complementary platform for pre-clinical compound screening to aid the drug discovery process for translational stroke research.

AREAS COVERED

In this review, the authors introduce stroke and describe the issues associated with the current pre-clinical drug development pipeline and the advantages that zebrafish disease modeling can offer. Existing zebrafish models of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke are reviewed. Examples of how zebrafish models have been utilized for drug discovery in other disease disciplines are also discussed.

EXPERT OPINION

Zebrafish disease modeling holds the capacity and potential to significantly enhance the stroke drug development pipeline. However, for this system to be more widely accepted and incorporated into translational stroke research, continued improvement of the existing zebrafish stroke models, as well as focussed collaboration between zebrafish and stroke researchers, is essential.

Isosteviol Sodium Exerts Anti-Colitic Effects on BALB/c Mice with Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Colitis Through Metabolic Reprogramming and Immune Response Modulation

PURPOSE

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are global health problems that are associated with immune regulation, but clinical IBDs treatment is currently inadequate. Effective preventive or therapeutic methods for immune disorders rely on controlling the function of immune cells. Isosteviol sodium (STV-Na) has antioxidant activity, but the therapeutic effect of STV-Na against IBD remain undocumented. Herein, we investigated the therapeutic effect of STV-Na in mice models with IBDs.

METHODS

Mice received 3.5% DSS for 7 days to establish IBD models. Intraperitoneal STV-Na was given 2 days before DSS and lasted for 9 days. Commercially available drugs used in treating IBDs (5-aminosalicylic acid, dexamethasone, and infliximab) were used as positive controls. Samples were collected 7 days after colitis induction. Histopathological score, biochemical parameters, molecular biology methods, and metabolomics were used for evaluating the therapeutic effect of STV-Na.

RESULTS

Our data revealed that STV-Na could significantly alleviate colon inflammation in mice with colitis. Specifically, STV-Na treatment improved body weight loss, increased colon length, decreased histology scores, and restored the hematological parameters of mice with colitis. The untargeted metabolomics analysis revealed that metabolic profiles were restored by STV-Na treatment. Furthermore, STV-Na therapy suppressed the number of CD68 macrophages and F4/80 cell infiltration. And STV-Na suppressed M1 and M2 macrophage numbers along with the mRNA expressions of proinflammatory cytokines. Moreover, STV-Na administration increased the number of regulatory T (Treg) cells while decreasing Th1/Th2/Th17 cell counts in the spleen. Additionally, STV-Na treatment restored intestinal barrier disruption in DSS-triggered colitis tissues by ameliorating the TJ proteins, increasing goblet cell proportions, and mucin protein production, and decreasing the permeability to FITC-dextran, which was accompanied by decreased plasma LPS and DAO contents.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that STV-Na can ameliorate colitis by modulating immune responses along with metabolic reprogramming, and could therefore be a promising therapeutic strategy for IBDs.

Application and advantages of zebrafish model in the study of neurovascular unit

The concept of "Neurovascular Unit" (NVU) was put forward, so that the research goal of Central Nervous System (CNS) diseases gradually transitioned from a single neuron to the structural and functional integrity of the NVU. Zebrafish has the advantages of high homology with human genes, strong reproductive capacity and visualization of neural circuits, so it has become an emerging model organism for NVU research and has been applied to a variety of CNS diseases. Based on CNKI (https://www.cnki.net/) and PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/about/) databases, the author of this article sorted out the relevant literature, analyzed the construction of a zebrafish model of various CNS diseases，and the use of diagrams showed the application of zebrafish in the NVU, revealed its relationship, which would provide new methods and references for the treatment and research of CNS diseases.

Luteolin Prevents Cardiac Dysfunction and Improves the Chemotherapeutic Efficacy of Doxorubicin in Breast Cancer

Background: Doxorubicin (Dox) is one of the most effective chemotherapy agents used in the treatment of solid tumors and hematological malignancies. However, it causes dose-related cardiotoxicity that may lead to heart failure in patients. Luteolin (Lut) is a common flavonoid that exists in many types of plants. It has been studied for treating various diseases such as hypertension, inflammatory disorders, and cancer. In this study, we evaluated the cardioprotective and anticancer effects of Lut on Dox-induced cardiomyopathy in vitro and in vivo to explore related mechanisms in alleviating dynamin-related protein (Drp1)-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis.

Methods: MTT and LDH assay were used to determine the viability and toxicity of cardiomyocytes treated with Dox and Lut. Flow cytometry was used to examine ROS levels, and electron and confocal microscopy was employed to assess the mitochondrial morphology. The level of apoptosis was examined by Hoechst 33258 staining. The protein levels of myocardial fission protein and apoptosis-related protein were examined using Western blot. Transcriptome analysis of the protective effect of Lut against Dox-induced cardiac toxicity in myocardial cells was performed using RNA sequencing technology. The protective effects of Lut against cardiotoxicity mediated by Dox in zebrafish were quantified. The effect of Lut increase the antitumor activity of Dox in breast cancer both in vitro and in vivo were further employed.

Results: Lut ameliorated Dox-induced toxicity in H9c2 and AC16 cells. The level of oxidative stress was downregulated by Lut after Dox treatment of myocardial cells. Lut effectively reduced the increased mitochondrial fission post Dox stimulation in cardiomyocytes. Apoptosis, fission protein Drp1, and Ser616 phosphorylation were also increased post Dox and reduced by Lut. In the zebrafish model, Lut significantly preserved the ventricular function of zebrafish after Dox treatment. Moreover, in the mouse model, Lut prevented Dox-induced cardiotoxicity and enhanced the cytotoxicity in triple-negative breast cancer by inhibiting proliferation and metastasis and inducing apoptosis.

Zebrafish as a Model for In-Depth Mechanistic Study for Stroke

Stroke is one of the world's leading causes of death and disability, posing enormous burden to the society. However, the pathogenesis and mechanisms that underlie brain injury and brain repair remain largely unknown. There's an unmet need of in-depth mechanistic research in this field. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a powerful tool in brain science research mainly due to its small size and transparent body, high genome synteny with human, and similar nervous system structures. It can be used to establish both hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke models easily and effectively through different ways. After the establishment of stroke model, research methods including behavioral test, in vivo imaging, and drug screening are available to explore mechanisms that underlie the brain injury and brain repair after stroke. This review focuses on the advantages and the feasibility of zebrafish stroke model, and will also introduce the key methods available for stroke studies in zebrafish, which may drive future mechanistic studies in the pursuit of discovering novel therapeutic targets for stroke patients.

Tanshinone IIA: A phytochemical as a promising drug candidate for neurodegenerative diseases

Tanshinones, lipophilic diterpenes isolated from the rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza, have diverse pharmacological activities against human ailments including neurological diseases. In fact, tanshinones have been used to treat heart diseases, stroke, and vascular diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. During the last decade, tanshinones have been the most widely studied phytochemicals for their neuroprotective effects against experimental models of cerebral ischemia and Alzheimer's diseases. Importantly, tanshinone IIA, mostly studied tanshinone for biological activities, is recently reported to attenuate blood-brain barrier permeability among stroke patients, suggesting tanshinone IIA as an appealing therapeutic candidate for neurological diseases. Tanshinone I and IIA are also effective in experimental models of Parkinson's disease, Multiple sclerosis, and other neuroinflammatory diseases. In addition, several experimental studies suggested the pleiotropic neuroprotective effects of tanshinones such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and BBB protectant further value aiding to tanshinone as an appealing therapeutic strategy in neurological diseases. Therefore, in this review, we aimed to compile the recent updates and cellular and molecular mechanisms of neuroprotection of tanshinone IIA in diverse neurological diseases.

Ferroptosis: An emerging therapeutic target in stroke

Stroke is a disastrous neurological disease with high morbidity and mortality. The mechanism of the pathological process is extremely complicated and unclear. Although many basic studies have confirmed molecular mechanism of brain injury after stroke, these studies have not yet translated into treatment and clinical application. Ferroptosis is a form of cell death that is distinct from necrosis, apoptosis, and autophagy morphologically and biochemically and is characterized by iron-dependent accumulation of lipid peroxides. Despite ferroptosis being first identified in cancer cells, it was recently revealed to also be a significant factor in the pathological process of stroke. A better understanding of ferroptosis in stroke may provide us with better therapeutic targets to treat this devastating disease. Here, we systematically summarized the current mechanism of ferroptosis and reviewed the current studies regarding the relationship between ferroptosis and stroke.