Number 2 Feibi Recipe Inhibits H2O2-Mediated Oxidative Stress Damage of Alveolar Epithelial Cells by Regulating the Balance of Mitophagy/Apoptosis

Qiju Dihuang Pill protects the lens epithelial cells via alleviating cuproptosis in diabetic cataract

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Qiju Dihuang Pill (QDP) is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription for the treatment of eye diseases. Novel literature reports that copper-induced cell death, called as cuproptosis, is a copper-dependent and differs distinctly from other types of cell death.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The present study aims to investigate whether QDP could protect lens epithelial cells via alleviating copper-induced death in diabetic cataract.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The different concentration of QDP medicated serum was administrated on high glucose (HG)-induced human lens epithelial cells (HLECs). The copper concentration was tested using Elabscience Copper Assay kit. The proliferation was detected using CCK-8 and EdU assays. The molecular binding was identified using RIP-PCR and luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

Results indicated that HG culture condition triggered the copper concentration and repressed the proliferation of HLECs. Then, the elesclomol-Cu (Es-Cu) administration up-regulated the copper concentration and inhibited the proliferation, and cuproptosis inhibitor tetrathiomolybdate (TTM) could specifically reverse the consequence. QDP treatment reduced the copper concentration and cuproptosis-related genes (SLC31A1, FDX1). MeRIP-Seq and RIP-PCR confirmed that QDP reduced the stability of SLC31A1 mRNA through m6A modified site, and copper actually synergized the molecular binding efficiency. Rescue assay verified the role of QDP and SLC31A1 on HLECs' cuproptosis characteristic.

CONCLUSION

This research identified the protective role of QDP on HG-induced HLECs in DC through decreasing m6A/SLC31A1-mediated cuproptosis in DC. This finding provides novel insights into mechanisms for QDP and sheds light on the multifaceted role of traditional prescription on DC.

Mitophagy in fibrotic diseases: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic applications

Mitophagy is a highly precise process of selective autophagy, primarily aimed at eliminating excess or damaged mitochondria to maintain the stability of both mitochondrial and cellular homeostasis. In recent years, with in-depth research into the association between mitophagy and fibrotic diseases, it has been discovered that this process may interact with crucial cellular biological processes such as oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, cellular dynamics regulation, and energy metabolism, thereby influencing the occurrence and progression of fibrotic diseases. Consequently, modulating mitophagy holds promise as a therapeutic approach for fibrosis. Currently, various methods have been identified to regulate mitophagy to prevent fibrosis, categorized into three types: natural drug therapy, biological therapy, and physical therapy. This review comprehensively summarizes the current understanding of the mechanisms of mitophagy, delves into its biological roles in fibrotic diseases, and introduces mitophagy modulators effective in fibrosis, aiming to provide new targets and theoretical basis for the investigation of fibrosis-related mechanisms and disease prevention.

Anshen Shumai Decoction inhibits post-infarction inflammation and myocardial remodeling through suppression of the p38 MAPK/c-FOS/EGR1 pathway

Anshen Shumai Decoction (ASSMD) is traditionally employed to manage coronary artery disease arrhythmias. Its protective efficacy against myocardial infarction remains to be elucidated. This investigation employed a rat model of myocardial infarction, achieved through the ligation of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery, followed by a 28-day administration of ASSMD. The study observed the decoction's mitigative impact on myocardial injury, with gene regulation effects discerned through transcriptomic analysis. Furthermore, ASSMD's influence on cardiomyocyte apoptosis and fibrotic protein secretion was assessed using an embryonic rat cardiomyocyte cell line (H9c2) under hypoxic conditions and rat cardiac fibroblasts subjected to normoxic culture conditions with TGF-β. A functional rescue assay involving overexpression of FOS and Early Growth Response Factor 1 (EGR1), combined with inhibition of the p38 Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) pathway, was conducted. Results indicated that ASSMD significantly curtailed cardiomyocyte apoptosis and myocardial fibrosis in infarcted rats, primarily by downregulating FOS and EGR1 gene expression and inhibiting the upstream p38 MAPK pathway. These actions of ASSMD culminated in reduced expression of pro-apoptotic, collagen, and fibrosis-associated proteins, conferring myocardial protection and anti-fibrotic effects on cardiac fibroblasts.

circGRHPR inhibits aberrant epithelial-mesenchymal transformation progression of lung epithelial cells associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Air pollution has greatly increased the risk of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been found to play a significant role in the advancement of IPF, but there is limited evidence of correlation between circRNAs and lung epithelial cells (LECs) in IPF. This research aimed to explore the influence of circRNAs on the regulation of EMT progression in LECs, with the objective of elucidating its mechanism and establishing its association with IPF. Our results suggested that the downregulation of circGRHPR in peripheral blood of clinical cases was associated with the diagnosis of IPF. Meanwhile, we found that circGRHPR was downregulated in transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1)-induced A549 and Beas-2b cells. It is a valid model to study the abnormal EMT progression of IPF-associated LECs in vitro. The overexpression of circGRHPR inhibited the abnormal EMT progression of TGF-β1-induced LECs. Furthermore, as the sponge of miR-665, circGRHPR released the expression of E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase NEDD4-like (NEDD4L), thus promoting its downstream transforming growth factor beta receptor 2 (TGFBR2) ubiquitination. It is helpful to reduce the response of LECs to TGF-β1 signaling. In summary, circGRHPR/miR-665/NEDD4L axis inhibited the abnormal EMT progression of TGF-β1-induced LECs by promoting TGFBR2 ubiquitination, which provides new ideas and potential targets for the treatment of IPF.

Anti-apoptotic effect of HeidihuangWan in renal tubular epithelial cells via PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Heidihuang Wan (HDHW) is a classic Chinese herbal formula, which was first recorded in the "Suwen Bingji Qiyi Baoming Collection" written by Liu Wansu during the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234 AD). It is commonly used clinically for the treatment of kidney diseases and its curative effect is stable. Previous animal experiments have confirmed that HDHW can effectively improve renal fibrosis. However, the underlying pharmacological mechanism remains unclear.

AIMS OF THIS STUDY

Renal tubular epithelial cell (RTEC) apoptosis is one of the main pathological features of renal fibrosis. This study aimed to observe the effect and underlying mechanism of HDHW on the apoptosis of RTECs to further explore the pathological mechanism of HDHW against renal fibrosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We examined the HDHW composition in rat serum. In vitro, we first screened out the optimal intervention concentration of HDHW on RTECs using the MTT assay. Hypoxia/reoxygenation was then used to induce apoptosis of RTECs (H/R-RTECs), which were divided into H/R-RTEC, astragaloside IV (positive control), HDHW, and RTECs groups. After 48 h of drug intervention, apoptosis of RTECs was detected using flow cytometry and protein expression was detected by western blotting. The 5/6 nephrectomy rat model was constructed and divided into the normal control, 5/6 nephrectomy, HDHW, and astragaloside IV groups. After 8 weeks of treatment, TUNEL staining was used to detect cell apoptosis, and western blotting was used to detect protein expression.

RESULTS

HDHW downregulated the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Caspase3, up-regulated the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, activated the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, and reversed the early apoptosis of RTECs, thereby resisting the apoptosis of RTECs.

CONCLUSION

HDHW inhibits apoptosis of RTECs by modulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. This study provides experimental evidence for the anti-fibrotic effect of HDHW on the kidneys and partially elucidates its pharmacological mechanism of action.

Calycosin Ameliorates Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis via Suppressing Oxidative Stress, Apoptosis, and Enhancing Autophagy

Calycosin (CA) is a flavonoid extracted from the root of Astragalus membranaceus and has antioxidant, anti-inflammation, and antiapoptosis properties. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of CA in protecting against pulmonary fibrosis. CA (14 mg/kg) and SB216763 (20 mg/kg) were administrated to bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis mice for 3 weeks. The results concluded that CA alleviated the inflammation and collagen deposition in pulmonary fibrosis. In addition, CA reduced MDA level, enhanced SOD and TAC activities, and increased the activity of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. CA also regulated the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins. Moreover, CA enhanced autophagy via upregulating LC3, beclin1, PINK1, and reducing p62. CA also increased expression of LAMP1 and TFEB, and inhibited the release of lysosome enzymes from ruptured lysosomes. These results provide new evidence that CA protects against pulmonary fibrosis through inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptosis. In addition, autophagy abnormality and lysosome dysfunction are restored by CA.

Number 2 Feibi Recipe Ameliorates Pulmonary Fibrosis by Inducing Autophagy Through the GSK-3β/mTOR Pathway

Number 2 Feibi Recipe (N2FBR) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula for treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. N2FBR inhibits H₂O₂-mediated oxidative stress damage in alveolar epithelial cells by increasing autophagy, as we previously demonstrated. However, it is unknown if similar mechanisms occur in vivo. We established a pulmonary fibrosis model by instilling bleomycin (BLM) from the airway to examine the effects of N2FBR on pulmonary fibrosis and investigate its probable mechanism in this work. We discovered that N2FBR treatment effectively alleviated interstitial fibrosis as well as collagen deposition, primarily in upregulating SOD, GSH-Px, T-AOC and downregulating MDA content. N2FBR also increased the expression of LC3B, Beclin-1, LAMP1, TFEB and downregulated the expression of p62, legumain. N2FBR treatment boosted the production of autophagosomes, according to the results of the TEM observation. Furthermore, we explored that N2FBR exerted its anti-oxidative stress and pro-autophagy effects via GSK-3β/mTOR signalling pathway. Therefore, these results provide further evidence for the protective effect of N2FBR in pulmonary fibrosis. Our findings could have ramifications for the development of antifibrosis therapies.