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Yuen GKW, Lin S, Dong TTX, Tsim KWK. Sophoricoside, a genistein glycoside from Fructus Sophorae, promotes hair growth via activation of M4 muscarinic AChR in dermal papilla cells. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 334:118585. [PMID: 39019417 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Alopecia, or hair loss, refers to ongoing decline of mature hair on the scalp or any other region of the body. Fructus Sophorae, a fruit from Sophora japonica L., contains various phytochemicals, e.g., sophoricoside, that exhibit a broad range of pharmacological effects. The potential functions of herbal extracts deriving from Fructus Sophorae and/or its major phytochemical, sophoricoside, in treating alopecia are probed here. AIM OF STUDY The objective was to determine the ability of Fructus Sophorae extract and sophoricoside in promoting hair growth and it signalling mechanism. METHODS Molecular docking studies were conducted to measure the binding affinities between sophoricoside and M4 mAChR in the allosteric binding site. The mechanism of Fructus Sophorae and sophoricoside in activating the signalling involving Wnt/β-catenin and muscarinic AChR was evaluated by using immortalized human dermal papilla cell line (DPC), as well as their roles in promoting hair growth. The activity of pTOPflash-luciferase in transfected DPCs was used to examine the transcriptional regulation of Wnt/β-catenin-mediated genes. RT-PCR was applied to quantify mRNA expressions of the biomarkers in DPCs responsible for hair growth. The phosphorylated protein levels of Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/AKT in DPC were revealed by using Western blot analysis. The culture of ex vivo mouse vibrissae hair follicle was used to evaluate the hair growth after the treatments. RESULTS The ethanol extract of Fructus Sophorae and sophoricoside activated Wnt/β-catenin signalling. The result of molecular docking showed a high binding affinity between sophoricoside and M4 mAChR. The effect of sophoricoside was blocked by specific inhibitor of M4 mAChR, but not by other inhibitors of mAChRs. Sophoricoside promoted hair growth in cultured ex vivo mouse vibrissae hair follicle by acting through M4 mAChR. CONCLUSION The ethanol extract of Fructus Sophorae and sophoricoside activated Wnt/β-catenin signalling via activation of M4 mAChR. The results suggested beneficial functions of Fructus Sophorae and sophoricoside as a potential candidate in treating alopecia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Ka-Wing Yuen
- Division of Life Science, Centre for Chinese Medicine, and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Edible and Medicinal Bioresources, HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
| | - Shengying Lin
- Division of Life Science, Centre for Chinese Medicine, and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Edible and Medicinal Bioresources, HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
| | - Tina Ting-Xia Dong
- Division of Life Science, Centre for Chinese Medicine, and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Edible and Medicinal Bioresources, HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
| | - Karl Wah-Keung Tsim
- Division of Life Science, Centre for Chinese Medicine, and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Edible and Medicinal Bioresources, HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
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Kanatsu-Shinohara M, Yamamoto T, Morimoto H, Liu T, Shinohara T. Spermatogonial stem cells in the 129 inbred strain exhibit unique requirements for self-renewal. Development 2024; 151:dev202553. [PMID: 38934417 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202553] [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: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) undergo self-renewal division to sustain spermatogenesis. Although it is possible to derive SSC cultures in most mouse strains, SSCs from a 129 background never proliferate under the same culture conditions, suggesting they have distinct self-renewal requirements. Here, we established long-term culture conditions for SSCs from mice of the 129 background (129 mice). An analysis of 129 testes showed significant reduction of GDNF and CXCL12, whereas FGF2, INHBA and INHBB were higher than in testes of C57BL/6 mice. An analysis of undifferentiated spermatogonia in 129 mice showed higher expression of Chrna4, which encodes an acetylcholine (Ach) receptor component. By supplementing medium with INHBA and Ach, SSC cultures were derived from 129 mice. Following lentivirus transduction for marking donor cells, transplanted cells re-initiated spermatogenesis in infertile mouse testes and produced transgenic offspring. These results suggest that the requirements of SSC self-renewal in mice are diverse, which has important implications for understanding self-renewal mechanisms in various animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mito Kanatsu-Shinohara
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- AMED-CREST, AMED 1-7-1 Otemachi, Chiyodaku, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan
| | - Takuya Yamamoto
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Hiroko Morimoto
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tianjiao Liu
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Takashi Shinohara
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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Petsakou A, Liu Y, Liu Y, Comjean A, Hu Y, Perrimon N. Epithelial Ca 2+ waves triggered by enteric neurons heal the gut. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.14.553227. [PMID: 37645990 PMCID: PMC10461974 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.14.553227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
A fundamental and unresolved question in regenerative biology is how tissues return to homeostasis after injury. Answering this question is essential for understanding the etiology of chronic disorders such as inflammatory bowel diseases and cancer. We used the Drosophila midgut to investigate this question and discovered that during regeneration a subpopulation of cholinergic enteric neurons triggers Ca2+ currents among enterocytes to promote return of the epithelium to homeostasis. Specifically, we found that down-regulation of the cholinergic enzyme Acetylcholinesterase in the epithelium enables acetylcholine from defined enteric neurons, referred as ARCENs, to activate nicotinic receptors in enterocytes found near ARCEN-innervations. This activation triggers high Ca2+ influx that spreads in the epithelium through Inx2/Inx7 gap junctions promoting enterocyte maturation followed by reduction of proliferation and inflammation. Disrupting this process causes chronic injury consisting of ion imbalance, Yki activation and increase of inflammatory cytokines together with hyperplasia, reminiscent of inflammatory bowel diseases. Altogether, we found that during gut regeneration the conserved cholinergic pathway facilitates epithelial Ca2+ waves that heal the intestinal epithelium. Our findings demonstrate nerve- and bioelectric-dependent intestinal regeneration which advance the current understanding of how a tissue returns to its homeostatic state after injury and could ultimately help existing therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yifang Liu
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Aram Comjean
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Yanhui Hu
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Norbert Perrimon
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, USA
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Neurotransmitters: Potential Targets in Glioblastoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14163970. [PMID: 36010960 PMCID: PMC9406056 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14163970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Aiming to discover potential treatments for GBM, this review connects emerging research on the roles of neurotransmitters in the normal neural and the GBM microenvironments and sheds light on the prospects of their application in the neuropharmacology of GBM. Conventional therapy is blamed for its poor effect, especially in inhibiting tumor recurrence and invasion. Facing this dilemma, we focus on neurotransmitters that modulate GBM initiation, progression and invasion, hoping to provide novel therapy targeting GBM. By analyzing research concerning GBM therapy systematically and scientifically, we discover increasing insights into the regulatory effects of neurotransmitters, some of which have already shown great potential in research in vivo or in vitro. After that, we further summarize the potential drugs in correlation with previously published research. In summary, it is worth expecting that targeting neurotransmitters could be a promising novel pharmacological approach for GBM treatment. Abstract For decades, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a type of the most lethal brain tumor, has remained a formidable challenge in terms of its treatment. Recently, many novel discoveries have underlined the regulatory roles of neurotransmitters in the microenvironment both physiologically and pathologically. By targeting the receptors synaptically or non-synaptically, neurotransmitters activate multiple signaling pathways. Significantly, many ligands acting on neurotransmitter receptors have shown great potential for inhibiting GBM growth and development, requiring further research. Here, we provide an overview of the most novel advances concerning the role of neurotransmitters in the normal neural and the GBM microenvironments, and discuss potential targeted drugs used for GBM treatment.
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Zhang X, Zhang S, Wang T. How the mechanical microenvironment of stem cell growth affects their differentiation: a review. Stem Cell Res Ther 2022; 13:415. [PMID: 35964140 PMCID: PMC9375355 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-022-03070-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cell differentiation is of great interest in medical research; however, specifically and effectively regulating stem cell differentiation is still a challenge. In addition to chemical factors, physical signals are an important component of the stem cell ecotone. The mechanical microenvironment of stem cells has a huge role in stem cell differentiation. Herein, we describe the knowledge accumulated to date on the mechanical environment in which stem cells exist, which consists of various factors, including the extracellular matrix and topology, substrate stiffness, shear stress, hydrostatic pressure, tension, and microgravity. We then detail the currently known signalling pathways that stem cells use to perceive the mechanical environment, including those involving nuclear factor-kB, the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, the piezoelectric mechanosensitive ion channel, and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α. Using this information in clinical settings to treat diseases is the goal of this research, and we describe the progress that has been made. In this review, we examined the effects of mechanical factors in the stem cell growth microenvironment on stem cell differentiation, how mechanical signals are transmitted to and function within the cell, and the influence of mechanical factors on the use of stem cells in clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofang Zhang
- Department of Radiotherapy, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang, China
| | - Sibo Zhang
- China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Tianlu Wang
- Department of Radiotherapy, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang, China.
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Inclan-Rico JM, Rossi HL, Herbert DR. "Every cell is an immune cell; contributions of non-hematopoietic cells to anti-helminth immunity". Mucosal Immunol 2022; 15:1199-1211. [PMID: 35538230 PMCID: PMC9646929 DOI: 10.1038/s41385-022-00518-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Helminths are remarkably successful parasites that can invade various mammalian hosts and establish chronic infections that can go unnoticed for years despite causing severe tissue damage. To complete their life cycles, helminths migrate through multiple barrier sites that are densely populated by a complex array of hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic cells. While it is clear that type 2 cytokine responses elicited by immune cells promote worm clearance and tissue healing, the actions of non-hematopoietic cells are increasingly recognized as initiators, effectors and regulators of anti-helminth immunity. This review will highlight the collective actions of specialized epithelial cells, stromal niches, stem, muscle and neuroendocrine cells as well as peripheral neurons in the detection and elimination of helminths at mucosal sites. Studies dissecting the interactions between immune and non-hematopoietic cells will truly provide a better understanding of the mechanisms that ensure homeostasis in the context of helminth infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan M Inclan-Rico
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Heather L Rossi
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - De'Broski R Herbert
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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A network pharmacology-based approach to explore mechanism of action of medicinal herbs for alopecia treatment. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2852. [PMID: 35181715 PMCID: PMC8857194 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06811-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Hair loss is one of the most common skin problems experienced by more than half of the world's population. In East Asia, medicinal herbs have been used widely in clinical practice to treat hair loss. Recent studies, including systematic literature reviews, indicate that medicinal herbs may demonstrate potential effects for hair loss treatment. In a previous study, we identified medical herbs used frequently for alopecia treatment. Herein, we explored the potential novel therapeutic mechanisms of 20 vital medicinal herbs for alopecia treatment that could distinguish them from known mechanisms of conventional drugs using network pharmacology analysis methods. We determined the herb-ingredient–target protein networks and ingredient-associated protein (gene)-associated pathway networks and calculated the weighted degree centrality to define the strength of the connections. Data showed that 20 vital medicinal herbs could exert therapeutic effects on alopecia mainly mediated via regulation of various target genes and proteins, including acetylcholinesterase (AChE), phospholipase A2 (PLA2) subtypes, ecto-5-nucleotidase (NTE5), folate receptor (FR), nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), and quinolinate phosphoribosyltransferase (QPRT). Findings regarding target genes/proteins and pathways of medicinal herbs associated with alopecia treatment offer insights for further research to better understand the pathogenesis and therapeutic mechanism of medicinal herbs for alopecia treatment with traditional herbal medicine.
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