Erythrocytes of Little Ground Squirrels Undergo Reversible Oxidative Stress During Arousal From Hibernation

Ginseng total saponin improves red blood cell oxidative stress injury by regulating tyrosine phosphorylation and glycolysis in red blood cells

BACKGROUND

Oxidative stress is the main cause of many diseases, but because of its complex pathogenic factors, there is no clear method for treating it. Ginseng total saponin (GTS) an important active ingredients in Panax ginseng C.A. Mey (PG) and has potential therapeutic ability for oxidative stress due to various causes. However, the molecular mechanism of GTS in the treating oxidative stress damage in red blood cells (RBCs) is still unclear.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to examine the protective effect of GTS on RBCs under oxidative stress damage and to determine its potential mechanism.

METHODS

The oxidative stress models of rat RBCs induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and exhaustive swimming in vivo and in vitro was used. We determined the cell morphology, oxygen carrying capacity, apoptosis, antioxidant capacity, and energy metabolism of RBCs. The effect of tyrosine phosphorylation (pTyr) of Band 3 protein on RBCs glycolysis was also examined.

RESULTS

GTS reduced the hemolysis of RBCs induced by H2O2 at the lowest concentration. Moreover, GTS effectively improved the morphology, enhanced the oxygen carrying capacity, and increased antioxidant enzyme activity, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, and adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity in RBCs. GTS also promoted the expression of membrane proteins in RBCs, inhibited pTyr of Band 3 protein, and further improved glycolysis, restoring the morphological structure and physiological function of RBCs.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows, that GTS can protect RBCs from oxidative stress damage by improving RBCs morphology and physiological function. Changes in pTyr expression and its related pTyr regulatory enzymes before and after GTS treatment suggest that Band 3 protein is the main target of GTS in the treating endogenous and exogenous oxidative stress. Moreover, GTS can enhance the glycolytic ability of RBCs by inhibiting pTyr of Band 3 protein, thereby restoring the function of RBCs.

Hibernation-Induced microRNA Expression Promotes Signaling Pathways and Cell Cycle Dysregulation in Ictidomys tridecemlineatus Cardiac Tissue

The thirteen-lined ground squirrel Ictidomys tridecemlineatus is a rodent that lives throughout the United States and Canada and uses metabolic rate depression to facilitate circannual hibernation which helps it survive the winter. Metabolic rate depression is the reorganization of cellular physiology and molecular biology to facilitate a global downregulation of nonessential genes and processes, which conserves endogenous fuel resources and prevents the buildup of waste byproducts. Facilitating metabolic rate depression requires a complex interplay of regulatory approaches, including post-transcriptional modes such as microRNA. MicroRNA are short, single-stranded RNA species that bind to mRNA transcripts and target them for degradation or translational suppression. Using next-generation sequencing, we analyzed euthermic vs. hibernating cardiac tissue in I. tridecemlineatus to predict seven miRNAs (let-7e-5p, miR-122-5p, miR-2355-3p, miR-6715b-3p, miR-378i, miR-9851-3p, and miR-454-3p) that may be differentially regulated during hibernation. Gene ontology and KEGG pathway analysis suggested that these miRNAs cause a strong activation of ErbB2 signaling which causes downstream effects, including the activation of MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling and concurrent decreases in p53 signaling and cell cycle-related processes. Taken together, these results predict critical miRNAs that may change during hibernation in the hearts of I. tridecemlineatus and identify key signaling pathways that warrant further study in this species.

Mitochondrial Metabolism in Hibernation: Regulation and Implications

Hibernators rapidly and reversibly suppress mitochondrial respiration and whole animal metabolism. Posttranslational modifications likely regulate these mitochondrial changes, which may help conserve energy in winter. These modifications are affected by reactive oxygen species (ROS), so suppressing mitochondrial ROS production may also be important for hibernators, just as it is important for surviving ischemia-reperfusion injury.