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Zhang NX, Guan C, Li CY, Xu LY, Xin YL, Song Z, Li TY, Yang CY, Zhao L, Che L, Wang YF, Man XF, Xu Y. Formononetin Alleviates Ischemic Acute Kidney Injury by Regulating Macrophage Polarization through KLF6/STAT3 Pathway. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE 2024; 52:1487-1505. [PMID: 39169449 DOI: 10.1142/s0192415x24500587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Recent research has indicated that formononetin demonstrates a potent anti-inflammatory effect in various diseases. However, its impact on sterile inflammation kidney injury, specifically acute kidney injury (AKI), remains unclear. In this study, we utilized an ischemia/reperfusion-induced AKI (IRI-AKI) mouse model and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) to investigate the effects of formononetin on sterile inflammation of AKI and to explore the underlying mechanism. The administration of formononetin significantly preserved kidney function from injury, as evidenced by lower serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels compared to IRI-AKI mice without treatment. This was further confirmed by less pathological changes in renal tubules and low expression of tubular injury markers such as KIM-1 and NGAL in the formononetin-treated IRI-AKI group. Furthermore, formononetin effectively suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (MCP-1, TNF-α, and IL-1β) and macrophage infiltration into the kidneys of AKI mice. In vitro studies showed that formononetin led to less macrophage polarization towards a pro-inflammatory phenotype in BMDMs stimulated by LPS and IFN-[Formula: see text]. The mechanism involved the KLF6 and p-STAT3 pathway, as overexpression of KLF6 restored pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and pro-inflammatory polarization. Our findings demonstrate that formononetin can significantly improve renal function and reduce inflammation in IRI-AKI, which may be attributed to the inhibition of KLF6/STAT3-mediated macrophage pro-inflammatory polarization. This discovery presents a new promising therapeutic option for the treatment of IRI-AKI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning-Xin Zhang
- Department of Nephrology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Chen Guan
- Department of Nephrology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Chen-Yu Li
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität, LMU München, München, Germany
| | - Ling-Yu Xu
- Department of Nephrology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yan-Lu Xin
- Department of Nephrology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhuo Song
- Department of Nephrology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Tian-Yang Li
- Department of Nephrology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Cheng-Yu Yang
- Department of Nephrology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Long Zhao
- Department of Nephrology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Lin Che
- Department of Nephrology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yan-Fei Wang
- Department of Nephrology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiao-Fei Man
- Department of Nephrology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yan Xu
- Department of Nephrology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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Wang Y, Shen Z, Mo S, Zhang H, Chen J, Zhu C, Lv S, Zhang D, Huang X, Gu Y, Yu X, Ding X, Zhang X. Crosstalk among proximal tubular cells, macrophages, and fibroblasts in acute kidney injury: single-cell profiling from the perspective of ferroptosis. Hum Cell 2024; 37:1039-1055. [PMID: 38753279 PMCID: PMC11194220 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-024-01072-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
The link between ferroptosis, a form of cell death mediated by iron and acute kidney injury (AKI) is recently gaining widespread attention. However, the mechanism of the crosstalk between cells in the pathogenesis and progression of acute kidney injury remains unexplored. In our research, we performed a non-negative matrix decomposition (NMF) algorithm on acute kidney injury single-cell RNA sequencing data based specifically focusing in ferroptosis-associated genes. Through a combination with pseudo-time analysis, cell-cell interaction analysis and SCENIC analysis, we discovered that proximal tubular cells, macrophages, and fibroblasts all showed associations with ferroptosis in different pathways and at various time. This involvement influenced cellular functions, enhancing cellular communication and activating multiple transcription factors. In addition, analyzing bulk expression profiles and marker genes of newly defined ferroptosis subtypes of cells, we have identified crucial cell subtypes, including Egr1 + PTC-C1, Jun + PTC-C3, Cxcl2 + Mac-C1 and Egr1 + Fib-C1. All these subtypes which were found in AKI mice kidneys and played significantly distinct roles from those of normal mice. Moreover, we verified the differential expression of Egr1, Jun, and Cxcl2 in the IRI mouse model and acute kidney injury human samples. Finally, our research presented a novel analysis of the crosstalk of proximal tubular cells, macrophages and fibroblasts in acute kidney injury targeting ferroptosis, therefore, contributing to better understanding the acute kidney injury pathogenesis, self-repairment and acute kidney injury-chronic kidney disease (AKI-CKD) progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulin Wang
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Medical Center of Kidney Disease, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Kidney and Blood Purification, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ziyan Shen
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Medical Center of Kidney Disease, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Institute of Kidney and Dialysis, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Shaocong Mo
- Department of Digestive Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Han Zhang
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Medical Center of Kidney Disease, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Digestive Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Medical Center of Kidney Disease, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Digestive Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Cheng Zhu
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Medical Center of Kidney Disease, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Digestive Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Shiqi Lv
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Medical Center of Kidney Disease, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Kidney and Blood Purification, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Di Zhang
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Medical Center of Kidney Disease, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Kidney and Blood Purification, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xinhui Huang
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Medical Center of Kidney Disease, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Kidney and Blood Purification, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yulu Gu
- Division of Nephrology, The Affiliated Changzhou No.2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, 213100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xixi Yu
- Department of Nephrology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Ding
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Shanghai Medical Center of Kidney Disease, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Kidney and Blood Purification, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Shanghai Institute of Kidney and Dialysis, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Shanghai Medical Center of Kidney Disease, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Kidney and Blood Purification, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Shanghai Institute of Kidney and Dialysis, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Chen H, Wu Y, Wang J, Li Y, Chen Y, Wang X, Lv H, Liu X. Tilianin enhances the antitumor effect of sufentanil on non-small cell lung cancer. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 2024; 38:e23761. [PMID: 38952040 DOI: 10.1002/jbt.23761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Non-small cell cancer (NSCLC) is the most common cancer in the world, but its effective therapeutic methods are limited. Tilianin and sufentanil alleviate various human tumors. This research aimed to clarify the functions and mechanisms of Tilianin and sufentanil in NSCLC. The functions of Tilianin and sufentanil on NSCLC cell viability, apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, and immunity in vitro were examined using Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, flow cytometry, reactive oxygen species level analysis, CD8+ T cell percentage analysis, Western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The molecular mechanism regulated by Tilianin and sufentanil in NSCLC was assessed using Western blot, and immunofluorescence assays. Meanwhile, the roles of Tilianin and sufentanil in NSCLC tumor growth, apoptosis, and immunity in vivo were determined by establishing a tumor xenograft mouse model, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot assays. When sufentanil concentration was proximity 2 nM, the inhibition rate of NSCLC cell viability was 50%. The IC50 for A549 cells was 2.36 nM, and the IC50 for H1299 cells was 2.18 nM. The IC50 of Tilianin for A549 cells was 38.7 μM, and the IC50 of Tilianin for H1299 cells was 44.6 μM. Functionally, 0.5 nM sufentanil and 10 μM Tilianin reduced NSCLC cell (A549 and H1299) viability in a dose-dependent manner. Also, 0.5 nM sufentanil and 10 μM Tilianin enhanced NSCLC cell apoptosis, yet this impact was strengthened after a combination of Tilianin and Sufentanil. Furthermore, 0.5 nM sufentanil and 10 μM Tilianin repressed NSCLC cell mitochondrial dysfunction and immunity, and these impacts were enhanced after a combination of Tilianin and Sufentanil. Mechanistically, 0.5 nM sufentanil and 10 μM Tilianin repressed the NF-κB pathway in NSCLC cells, while this repression was strengthened after a combination of Tilianin and Sufentanil. In vivo experimental data further clarified that 1 µg/kg sufentanil and 10 mg/kg Tilianin reduced NSCLC growth, immunity, and NF-κB pathway-related protein levels, yet these trends were enhanced after a combination of Tilianin and Sufentanil. Tilianin strengthened the antitumor effect of sufentanil in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huixia Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Handan Central Hospital, Handan, China
| | - Yulin Wu
- Department of Anesthesia Operation Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Jiazheng Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Handan Central Hospital, Handan, China
| | - Yike Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Handan Central Hospital, Handan, China
| | - Yongxue Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Handan Central Hospital, Handan, China
| | - Xinbo Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Handan Central Hospital, Handan, China
| | - Hangyu Lv
- Department of Anesthesiology, Handan Central Hospital, Handan, China
| | - Xinyan Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Handan Central Hospital, Handan, China
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Dagar N, Jadhav HR, Gaikwad AB. Network pharmacology combined with molecular docking and dynamics to assess the synergism of esculetin and phloretin against acute kidney injury-diabetes comorbidity. Mol Divers 2024:10.1007/s11030-024-10829-5. [PMID: 38578376 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-024-10829-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a global health concern with high incidence and mortality, where diabetes further worsens the condition. The available treatment options are not uniformly effective against the complex pathogenesis of AKI-diabetes comorbidity. Hence, combination therapies based on the multicomponent, multitarget approach can tackle more than one pathomechanism and can aid in AKI-diabetes comorbidity management. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of esculetin and phloretin combination against AKI-diabetes comorbidity by network pharmacology followed by validation by molecular docking and dynamics. The curative targets for diabetes, AKI, esculetin, and phloretin were obtained from DisGeNET, GeneCards, SwissTargetPrediction database. Further, the protein-protein interaction of the potential targets of esculetin and phloretin against AKI-diabetes comorbidity was investigated using the STRING database. Gene ontology and pathway enrichment analysis were performed with the help of the DAVID and KEGG databases, followed by network construction and analysis via Cytoscape. Molecular docking and dynamic simulations were performed to validate the targets of esculetin and phloretin against AKI-diabetes comorbidity. We obtained 6341 targets for AKI-diabetes comorbidity. Further, a total of 54 and 44 targets of esculetin and phloretin against AKI-diabetes comorbidity were retrieved. The top 10 targets for esculetin selected based on the degree value were AKR1B1, DAO, ESR1, PLK1, CA3, CA2, CCNE1, PRKN, HDAC2, and MAOA. Similarly, phloretin's 10 key targets were ACHE, CDK1, MAPK14, APP, CDK5R1, CCNE1, MAOA, MAOB, HDAC6, and PRKN. These targets were enriched in 58 pathways involved in the pathophysiology of AKI-diabetes comorbidity. Further, esculetin and phloretin showed an excellent binding affinity for these critical targets. The findings of this study suggest that esculetin and phloretin combination as a multicomponent multitarget therapy has the potential to prevent AKI-diabetes comorbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Dagar
- Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani Campus, Pilani, 333031, Rajasthan, India
| | - Hemant R Jadhav
- Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani Campus, Pilani, 333031, Rajasthan, India
| | - Anil Bhanudas Gaikwad
- Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani Campus, Pilani, 333031, Rajasthan, India.
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Guan C, Li C, Shen X, Yang C, Liu Z, Zhang N, Xu L, Zhao L, Zhou B, Man X, Luo C, Luan H, Che L, Wang Y, Xu Y. Hexarelin alleviates apoptosis on ischemic acute kidney injury via MDM2/p53 pathway. Eur J Med Res 2023; 28:344. [PMID: 37710348 PMCID: PMC10500723 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-023-01318-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hexarelin exhibits significant protection against organ injury in models of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced injury (IRI). Nevertheless, the impact of Hexarelin on acute kidney injury (AKI) and its underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of Hexarelin in I/R-induced AKI and elucidated its molecular mechanisms. METHODS We assessed the protective effects of Hexarelin through both in vivo and in vitro experiments. In the I/R-induced AKI model, rats were pretreated with Hexarelin at 100 μg/kg/d for 7 days before being sacrificed 24 h post-IRI. Subsequently, kidney function, histology, and apoptosis were assessed. In vitro, hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced HK-2 cell model was used to investigate the impact of Hexarelin on apoptosis in HK-2 cells. Then, we employed molecular docking using a pharmmapper server and autodock software to identify potential target proteins of Hexarelin. RESULTS In this study, rats subjected to I/R developed severe kidney injury characterized by tubular necrosis, tubular dilatation, increased serum creatinine levels, and cell apoptosis. However, pretreatment with Hexarelin exhibited a protective effect by mitigating post-ischemic kidney pathological changes, improving renal function, and inhibiting apoptosis. This was achieved through the downregulation of conventional apoptosis-related genes, such as Caspase-3, Bax and Bad, and the upregulation of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. Consistent with the in vivo results, Hexarelin also reduced cell apoptosis in post-H/R HK-2 cells. Furthermore, our analysis using GSEA confirmed the essential role of the apoptosis pathway in I/R-induced AKI. Molecular docking revealed a strong binding affinity between Hexarelin and MDM2, suggesting the potential mechanism of Hexarelin's anti-apoptosis effect at least partially through its interaction with MDM2, a well-known negative regulator of apoptosis-related protein that of p53. To validate these findings, we evaluated the relative expression of MDM2 and p53 in I/R-induced AKI with or without Hexarelin pre-administration and observed a significant suppression of MDM2 and p53 by Hexarelin in both in vivo and in vitro experiments. CONCLUSION Collectively, Hexarelin was identified as a promising medication in protecting apoptosis against I/R-induced AKI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Guan
- Department of Nephrology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Chenyu Li
- Medizinische Klinik Und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum Der Universität, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Xuefei Shen
- Department of Nephrology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Chengyu Yang
- Department of Nephrology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Zengying Liu
- Department of Nephrology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Ningxin Zhang
- Department of Nephrology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Lingyu Xu
- Department of Nephrology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Long Zhao
- Department of Nephrology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Bin Zhou
- Department of Nephrology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Xiaofei Man
- Department of Nephrology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Congjuan Luo
- Department of Nephrology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Hong Luan
- Department of Nephrology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Lin Che
- Department of Nephrology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Yanfei Wang
- Department of Nephrology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Yan Xu
- Department of Nephrology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao, 266003, China.
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Liu X, Pan B, Wang X, Xu J, Wang X, Song Z, Zhang E, Wang F, Wang W. Ischemia/reperfusion-activated ferroptosis in the early stage triggers excessive inflammation to aggregate lung injury in rats. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1181286. [PMID: 37425328 PMCID: PMC10327590 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1181286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Lung ischemia/reperfusion injury (LIRI) is a clinical syndrome of acute lung injury that occurs after lung transplantation or remote organ ischemia. Ferroptosis and inflammation are involved in the pathogenesis of LIRI according to the results of several studies on animal models. However, the interactive mechanisms between ferroptosis and inflammation contributing to LIRI remain unclear. Methods HE staining and indicators of oxidative stress were used to evaluated the lung injury. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was examined by DHE staining. The quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot analysis were employed to detect the level of inflammation and ferroptosis, and deferoxamine (DFO) was used to assess the importance of ferroptosis in LIRI and its effect on inflammation. Results In the present study, the link of ferroptosis with inflammation was evaluated at reperfusion 30-, 60- and 180-minute time points, respectively. As the results at reperfusion 30-minute point shown, the pro-ferroptotic indicators, especially cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4), were upregulated while the anti-ferroptotic factors glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), cystine-glumate antiporter (XCT) and ferritin heavy chain (FTH1) were downregulated. Meanwhile, the increased level of interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and IL-1β were observed beginning at reperfusion 60-minute point but mostly activated at reperfusion 180-minute point. Furthermore, deferoxamine (DFO) was employed to block ferroptosis, which can alleviate lung injury. Expectedly, the survival rate of rats was increased and the lung injury was mitigated containing the improvement of type II alveolar cells ultrastructure and ROS production. In addition, at the reperfusion 180-minute point, the inflammation was observed to be dramatically inhibited after DFO administration as verified by IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β detection. Conclusion These findings suggest that ischemia/reperfusion-activated ferroptosis plays an important role as the trigger for inflammation to further deteriorate lung damages. Inhibiting ferroptosis may have therapeutic potential for LIRI in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiujie Liu
- School of Basic Medical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Institute of Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Binhui Pan
- Nephrology Department, Wenzhou Central Hospital, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xiaoting Wang
- School of Basic Medical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Institute of Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Junpeng Xu
- School of Basic Medical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Institute of Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xinyu Wang
- School of Basic Medical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Institute of Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhengyang Song
- School of Basic Medical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Institute of Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Eryao Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Fangyan Wang
- School of Basic Medical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Institute of Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Wantie Wang
- School of Basic Medical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Institute of Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
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Zhou X, Xiang Y, Li D, Zhong M, Hong X, Gui Y, Min W, Chen Y, Zeng X, Zhu H, Liu Y, Liu S, Yang P, Hou F, Zhou D, Fu H. Limonin, a natural ERK2 agonist, protects against ischemic acute kidney injury. Int J Biol Sci 2023; 19:2860-2878. [PMID: 37324945 PMCID: PMC10266085 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.82417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a refractory clinical syndrome with limited effective treatments. Amid AKI, activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) cascade plays a critical role in promoting kidney repair and regeneration. However, a mature ERK agonist in treating kidney disease remains lacking. This study identified limonin, a member of the class of compounds known as furanolactones, as a natural ERK2 activator. Employing a multidisciplinary approach, we systemically dissected how limonin mitigates AKI. Compared to vehicles, pretreatment of limonin significantly preserved kidney functions after ischemic AKI. We revealed that ERK2 is a significant protein linked to the limonin's active binding sites through structural analysis. The molecular docking study showed a high binding affinity between limonin and ERK2, which was confirmed by the cellular thermal shift assay and microscale thermophoresis. Mechanistically, we further validated that limonin promoted tubular cell proliferation and reduced cell apoptosis after AKI by activating ERK signaling pathway in vivo. In vitro and ex vivo, blockade of ERK abolished limonin's capacity of preventing tubular cell death under hypoxia stress. Our results indicated that limonin is a novel ERK2 activator with strong translational potential in preventing or mitigating AKI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianke Zhou
- Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University; State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research; National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease; Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Renal Failure Research, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yadie Xiang
- Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University; State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research; National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease; Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Renal Failure Research, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Dier Li
- Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University; State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research; National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease; Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Renal Failure Research, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Menghua Zhong
- Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University; State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research; National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease; Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Renal Failure Research, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Xue Hong
- Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University; State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research; National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease; Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Renal Failure Research, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yuan Gui
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA
| | - Wenjian Min
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yudan Chen
- Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University; State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research; National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease; Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Renal Failure Research, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Xi Zeng
- Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University; State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research; National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease; Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Renal Failure Research, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Haili Zhu
- Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University; State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research; National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease; Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Renal Failure Research, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Youhua Liu
- Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University; State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research; National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease; Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Renal Failure Research, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Shijia Liu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Peng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Fanfan Hou
- Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University; State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research; National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease; Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Renal Failure Research, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Dong Zhou
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA
| | - Haiyan Fu
- Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University; State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research; National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease; Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Renal Failure Research, Guangzhou, 510515, China
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Wu F, Zhang P, Zhou G. The involvement of EGR1 in neuron apoptosis in the in vitro model of spinal cord injury via BTG2 up-regulation. Neurol Res 2023; 45:646-654. [PMID: 36759943 DOI: 10.1080/01616412.2023.2176633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE EGR1 has been implicated in the progression of spinal cord injury (SCI). Nevertheless, its specific mechanism in SCI remains to be investigated. Hence, this study explored the potential mechanism of EGR1 in SCI by focusing on neuron apoptosis. METHODS H2O2 was utilized to treat rat neurons-dorsal spinal cord (RN-dsc) for the construction of an in vitro model of SCI. Afterwards, cell survival, apoptosis, and LDH leakage were detected to evaluate the injury degree of H2O2-treated RN-dsc. The expression of apoptosis-related proteins was also measured. Additionally, EGR1 was silenced and/or BTG2 was overexpressed in RN-dsc before H2O2 treatment to assess the impacts of EGR1 and BTG2 on H2O2-induced RN-dsc. Jasper online website was utilized to predict binding sites of EGR1 on BTG2, and dual-luciferase reporter gene and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were utilized to verify the binding between EGR1 and BTG2. RESULTS H2O2 treatment suppressed survival and promoted apoptosis in RN-dsc, accompanied by upregulated LDH, Bax, and cleaved-caspase-3 and down-regulated Bcl-2. Moreover, EGR1 and BTG2 were up-regulated in H2O2-induced RN-dsc. Mechanistically, EGR1 was bound to the promoter of BTG2 to transcriptionally activate BTG2. EGR1 knockdown diminished apoptosis and LDH, Bax, and cleaved-caspase-3 levels while elevating survival and Bcl-2 levels in H2O2-induced RN-dsc. These effects of EGR1 knockdown were abrogated by further BTG2 overexpression. DISCUSSION Conclusively, EGR1 promotes H2O2-induced apoptosis in RN-dsc by activating BTG2 transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangqian Wu
- Department of Orthopedics (Spine Surgery), Jiangxi Fuzhou First People's Hospital, Fuzhou, Jiangxi, P.R. China
| | - Ping Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College), Nanchang, Jiangxi, P.R. China
| | - Guohui Zhou
- Department of Orthopedics (Spine Surgery), Jiangxi Fuzhou First People's Hospital, Fuzhou, Jiangxi, P.R. China
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Wang M, Wang G, Pang X, Ma J, Yuan J, Pan Y, Fu Y, Laher I, Li S. MOTS-c repairs myocardial damage by inhibiting the CCN1/ERK1/2/EGR1 pathway in diabetic rats. Front Nutr 2023; 9:1060684. [PMID: 36687680 PMCID: PMC9846618 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1060684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiac structure remodeling and dysfunction are common complications of diabetes, often leading to serious cardiovascular events. MOTS-c, a mitochondria-derived peptide, regulates metabolic homeostasis by accelerating glucose uptake and improving insulin sensitivity. Plasma levels of MOTS-c are decreased in patients with diabetes. MOTS-c can improve vascular endothelial function, making it a novel therapeutic target for the cardiovascular complications of diabetes. We investigated the effects of MOTS-c on cardiac structure and function and analyzed transcriptomic characteristics in diabetic rats. Our results indicate that treatment with MOTS-c for 8-week repaired myocardial mitochondrial damage and preserved cardiac systolic and diastolic function. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that MOTS-c altered 47 disease causing genes. Functional enrichment analysis indicated MOTS-c attenuated diabetic heart disease involved apoptosis, immunoregulation, angiogenesis and fatty acid metabolism. Moreover, MOTS-c reduced myocardial apoptosis by downregulating CCN1 genes and thereby inhibiting the activation of ERK1/2 and the expression of its downstream EGR1 gene. Our findings identify potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of T2D and diabetic cardiomyopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manda Wang
- Institute of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, China
| | - Gangqiang Wang
- Physical Education Section, Chengdu Textile College, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoli Pang
- Institute of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiacheng Ma
- Institute of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jinghan Yuan
- Institute of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanrong Pan
- Institute of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yu Fu
- Institute of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ismail Laher
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Shunchang Li
- Institute of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, China,*Correspondence: Shunchang Li,
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Hameed Ali RA, Altimimi M, Hadi NR. THE POTENTIAL RENOPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF TILIANIN IN RENAL ISCHEMIA REPERFUSION INJURY IN MALE RAT MODEL. WIADOMOSCI LEKARSKIE (WARSAW, POLAND : 1960) 2023; 76:2657-2667. [PMID: 38290030 DOI: 10.36740/wlek202312115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim: To determine whether Tilianin (TIL) may have Nephroprotective effects on bilateral renal IRI in rats by analyzing kidney function biomarkers U and Cr, inflammatory cytokines like TNF α and IL-1β, antioxidant marker total anti-oxidant Capacity (TAC), anti-apoptotic markers caspase-3, and histopathological scores. PATIENTS AND METHODS Materials and methods: 20 rats divided into even 4 groups as: Sham group: Rats underwent median laparotomies without having their ischemia induced. Control group: Rats had bilateral renal ischemia for 30 minutes, followed by 2 hours of reperfusion. Vehicle group: 30 minutes prior to the onset of ischemia, rats were given a pretreatment of corn oil and DMSO. Tilianin treated group: Rats administered Tilianin 5 mg/kg for 30 min prior to ischemia induction, then IRI. RESULTS Results: The study found that the serum levels of TNF, IL-1, caspase-3, urea and creatinine, as well as TNF and creatinine in the Tilianin group were significantly lower than those of the control and vehicle groups. On the other hand, it revealed that TAC levels are remarkably higher in the Tilianin group than they are in the control and vehicle groups. CONCLUSION Conclusions: This study concluded that Tilianin have a Nephroprotective effect via multiple impacts as anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and anti-oxidant agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghad Abdul Hameed Ali
- PHARMACY, PHARMACOLOGY AND THERAPEUTICS DEPARTMENT, FACULTY OF PHARMACY, UNIVERSITY OF KUFA, KUFA, IRAQ
| | - Murooj Altimimi
- DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF KUFA, IRAQ
| | - Najah Rayish Hadi
- DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF KUFA, IRAQ
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Sun T, Tan L, Liu M, Zeng L, Zhao K, Cai Z, Sun S, Li Z, Liu R. Tilianin improves cognition in a vascular dementia rodent model by targeting miR-193b-3p/CaM- and miR-152-3p/CaMKIIα-mediated inflammatory and apoptotic pathways. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1118808. [PMID: 37153565 PMCID: PMC10155197 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1118808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Although vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most prevalent form of dementia, there is currently a lack of effective treatments. Tilianin, isolated from the traditional drug Dracocephalum moldavica L., may protect against ischemic injury by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation via the CaMKII-related pathways but with weak affinity with the CaMKII molecule. microRNAs (miRNAs), functioning in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression, may play a role in the pathological process of VaD via cognitive impairment, neuroinflammatory response, and neuronal dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate the role of tilianin in VaD therapy and the underlying mechanism through which tilianin regulates CaMKII signaling pathways based on miRNA-associated transcriptional action. Methods Rats with 2-vessel occlusion (2VO), a standard model of VaD, were treated with tilianin, vehicle control, and target overexpression or downregulation. High-throughput sequencing, qRT-PCR, and western blot analyses were utilized to identify the downstream target genes and signaling pathways of tilianin involved in VaD. Results Our results showed that tilianin ameliorated cognitive deficits, neurodegeneration, and microglial and astrocytic activation in rats with 2VO. Subsequent high-throughput sequencing and qRT-PCR analyses revealed that tilianin increased the downregulated miR-193b-3p and miR-152-3p levels in the cortex and hippocampus of 2VO rats. Mechanistically, miR-193b-3p targeting CaM and miR-152-3p targeting CaMKIIα were identified to play a role in VaD-associated pathology, inhibiting the p38 MAPK/NF--κB p65 pathway and decreasing TNF-α and IL-6 levels. Further gain- and loss-of-function experiments for these key genes showed that tilianin-exerted cognitive improvement by activating the p38 MAPK/NF--κB p65 and Bcl-2/Bax/caspase-3/PARP pathways in the brain of 2VO rats was abolished by miR-193b-3p and miR-152-3p inhibition. Moreover, CaM and CaMKIIα overexpression eliminated the elevated effects of miR-193b-3p and miR-152-3p on tilianin's protection against ischemic injury through increased inflammatory reactions and apoptotic signaling. Discussion Together, these findings indicate that tilianin improves cognition by regulating the miR-193b-3p/CaM- and miR-152-3p/CaMKIIα-mediated inflammatory and apoptotic pathways, suggesting a potential small-molecule regulator of miRNA associated with inflammatory signaling for VaD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Rui Liu
- *Correspondence: Rui Liu, ; Zhuorong Li,
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