Bamboo Stems (Phyllostachys nigra variety henosis) Containing Polyphenol Mixtures Activate Nrf2 and Attenuate Phenylhydrazine-Induced Oxidative Stress and Liver Injury

chi-miR-130b-3p regulates the ZEA-induced oxidative stress damage through the KEAP1/NRF2 signaling pathway by targeting SESN2 in goat GCs

As a dominant mycotoxin, zearalenone (ZEA) has attracted extensive attention due to its estrogen-like effect and oxidative stress damage in cells. In order to find a way to relieve cell oxidative stress damage caused by ZEA, we treated goat granulosa cells (GCs) with ZEA and did a whole transcriptome sequencing. The results showed that the expression level of Sesterin2 (SESN2) was promoted extremely significantly in the ZEA group (p < .01). In addition, our research demonstrated that SESN2 could regulate oxidative stress level in GCs through Recombinant Kelch Like ECH Associated Protein 1 (KEAP1)/Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) signaling pathway. The overexpression of SESN2 could reduce the oxidative damage, whereas knockdown of SESN2 would aggravate the oxidative damage caused by ZEA. What's more, microRNA (miRNA) chi-miR-130b-3p can bind to SESN2 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) to regulate the expression of SESN2. The mimics/inhibition of chi-miR-130b-3p would have an effect on oxidative damage triggered by ZEA in GCs as well. In summary, these results elucidate a new pathway by which chi-miR-130b-3p affects the KEAP1/NRF2 pathway in GCs by modulating SESN2 expression in response to ZEA-induced oxidative stress damage.

The Crucial Role of Diet Therapy and Selenium on the Evolution of Clinical and Paraclinical Parameters in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

Oxidative stress (OS) is associated with metabolic syndrome (MS) and represents a complex disease association that has become a major challenge in the field of public health. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of introducing selenium in the management of OS, while considering a balanced diet based on a healthy lifestyle and dietary therapy. A total of 206 individuals participated voluntarily in the study, divided into three groups: the control group with 35 individuals (17.0%) designated as control lot (LC), the group undergoing diet therapy with 119 individuals (57.8%) designated as diet therapy lot (LD), and the group undergoing diet therapy supplemented with selenium consisting of 52 individuals (25.2%) designated as diet therapy with selenium lot (LD + Se). The study assessed various clinical parameters (such as body mass index (BMI), body weight status, fat mass, visceral fat, and sarcopenic index), paraclinical parameters (including HOMA index, cholesterol, triglycerides, C-reactive protein, and glycosylated haemoglobin (HGS)), as well as OS parameters (measured using the FORD test, FORT test, and MIXED test). The LD + Se group demonstrated the most favourable results in terms of BMI reduction, decreased fat and visceral mass, reduced levels of C-reactive protein, and improved glycosylated haemoglobin levels. By implementing a balanced diet therapy and supplementing the diet with selenium, it was possible to achieve a reduction in adipose tissue and glycosylated haemoglobin levels, ultimately contributing to the reduction of OS in the body.

UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS Analysis of Phenolic Compounds from the Fruit of Cephalostachyum fuchsianum Gamble and Their Antioxidant and Cytoprotective Activities

Bamboo is a widely distributed graminaceous plant in China and is a potential source of bioactive substances. Incidentally, bamboo’s fruit is rich in phytochemicals such as polyphenols and flavonoids, which are significant to human health. In this study, we identified the phenolic compounds of the fruit and investigated the antioxidant activities of Cephalostachyum fuchsianum Gamble (CFG) fruit polyphenols with in vitro and in vivo tests for the first time. UPLC–Q–TOF–MS/MS analysis results showed that the fruit contained 43 phenolic compounds, including 7 hydroxybenzoic acids, 12 flavonoids, 7 coumarins, 10 hydroxycinnamic acids, 1 terpenoid, and 5 lignans. The TPC of SP extracts was higher than that of IBPs extracts in FP and FF. The SP extracts in FP showed better antioxidant activities in vitro compared to those in FF. In addition, polyphenols from CFG fruits protected against H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage in HepG2 cells, and the protective effect of polyphenols in FP was superior to that in FF. The analysis results showed that CFG fruit has great potential in exploiting natural chemical substances, which can provide valuable pieces of information for the further development and utilization of CFG.

Comparison Between Hesperidin, Coumarin, and Deferoxamine Iron Chelation and Antioxidant Activity Against Excessive Iron in the Iron Overloaded Mice

OBJECTIVE

Iron accumulation in the brain leads to the development of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Nowadays, iron chelation therapy is the best way to decrease the side effects of iron and amyloid plaques accumulation. Iron chelators are commonly used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Previous studies have shown that natural products such as phenol and flavonoid compounds could chelate heavy metals. In the current study, we examined the iron chelation activity of hesperidin and coumarin on the brain tissue of iron-overloaded mice.

METHODS

48 NMRI male mice were divided into eight groups (n = 6). Six groups were treated with iron dextran (100 mg/kg/day) four times a week for 6 weeks. After stopping the injections for a month, five groups of iron-overloaded mice were treated with hesperidin, coumarin, and desferal four times a week subsequent for four subsequent weeks. Finally, the mice were anesthetized, and blood samples were collected from the ventricle of the heart for subsequent examination. The brain tissues were isolated and fixed in the 4% paraformaldehyde solution for Perl's staining.

RESULTS

The results show that hesperidin and coumarin could strongly chelate excessive iron from the serum and deposit iron from the brain tissue compared to desferal group. Catalase and super oxidase activity were decreased in the iron-overloaded group, but in the treated group by hesperidin and coumarin, the enzyme's activity was increased significantly.

CONCLUSION

Hesperidin and coumarin, as natural products, are powerful options to chelate iron ions and increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes.

Role of Flavonoids in the Treatment of Iron Overload

Iron overload, a high risk factor for many diseases, is seen in almost all human chronic and common diseases. Iron chelating agents are often used for treatment but, at present, most of these have a narrow scope of application, obvious side effects, and other disadvantages. Recent studies have shown that flavonoids can affect iron status, reduce iron deposition, and inhibit the lipid peroxidation process caused by iron overload. Therefore, flavonoids with iron chelating and antioxidant activities may become potential complementary therapies. In this study, we not only reviewed the research progress of iron overload and the regulation mechanism of flavonoids, but also studied the structural basis and potential mechanism of their function. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of flavonoids as plant iron chelating agents are discussed to provide a foundation for the prevention and treatment of iron homeostasis disorders using flavonoids.

Sestrin2 as a gatekeeper of cellular homeostasis: Physiological effects for the regulation of hypoxia-related diseases

Sestrin2 (SESN2) is a conserved stress‐inducible protein (also known as hypoxia‐inducible gene 95 (HI95)) that is induced under hypoxic conditions. SESN2 represses the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and provides cytoprotection against various noxious stimuli, including hypoxia, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and DNA damage. In recent years, the determination of the regulation and signalling mechanisms of SESN2 has increased our understanding of its role in the hypoxic response. SESN2 has well‐documented roles in hypoxia‐related diseases, making it a potential target for diagnosis and treatment. This review discusses the regulatory mechanisms of SESN2 and highlights the significance of SESN2 as a biomarker and therapeutic target in hypoxia‐related diseases, such as cancer, respiratory‐related diseases, cardiovascular diseases and cerebrovascular diseases.

Liver, Oxidative Stress and Metabolic Syndromes

Today, talking about metabolic syndrome (MetS) and oxidative stress, can be risky [...].

Protective effects of black bamboo leaves on the glucose-induced toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans

Introduction: Previous studies have suggested that high glucose (HG) condition shortens the lifespan of worms by increasing glycolytic flux followed by accelerating reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, termed glucose toxicity. This study was designed to investigate the protective effects of the leaves of black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra var. henosis) on the HG-induced toxicity using Caenorhabditis elegans model system. Methods: To determine the effect of black bamboo leaf extract (BLE) against HG-induced toxicity, lifespan assay was carried out with wild-type and daf-16 null mutant worms under 2% glucose condition. The involvement of DAF-16 was further confirmed by observing fluorescence signal of transgenic mutant carrying DAF-16::GFP transgene. ROS levels and glucose concentration of worms were analyzed using fluorescent probe H2DCF-DA and glucose meter, respectively. Nile-red staining was carried out to evaluate the lipid storage of worms. Intercellular lipid accumulation was measured using Oil-Red O staining method. Results: BLE strongly extended the lifespan of worms under not only normal culture condition but also HG condition. Our additional studies suggested that DAF-16 activation was responsible for BLE-mediated longevity and protective action against glucose toxicity. In addition, HG-fed worms showed increased ROS generation, and it was completely normalized by BLE treatment. Moreover, BLE reduced body glucose concentration and lipid accumulation in HG-fed worms. We further confirmed the inhibitory effect of BLE on lipid storage under HG condition using 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Conclusion: These therapeutic values of BLE on glucose toxicity raise the possibility that BLE might have beneficial effects on the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus.

Antioxidant and Compositional HPLC Analysis of Three Common Bamboo Leaves

Bamboo leaves of Phyllostachys nigra (PN), Lophatherum gracile (LG), and Pleioblastus amarus (PA) are three common herbs in China. In this work, a new high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the simultaneous determination of seven compounds in bamboo leaves has been developed; and PN, LG, and PA leaves were analyzed. PN showed four times as much chlorogenic acid (CA) than the other two, and contained the most isoorientin (iso-ORI) and isovitexin (iso-VIT) as well. The PA presented the most orientin (ORI) and LG covered a majority of cynaroside (CYN). We measured the antioxidant activity by scavenging the stable 2,2-diphenyl-1-pyridinohydrazinyl (DPPH) free radicals, and found that Luteolin (inhibitory concentration (IC)₅₀ = 0.42 µM, LUT) and CYN (IC₅₀ = 0.43 µM) showed 2–3 times higher antioxidant activity than iso-ORI (IC₅₀ = 0.81 µM), ORI (IC₅₀ = 0.84 µM), and other related antioxidant standards such as trolox (IC₅₀ = 0.97 µM) and ascorbic acid (IC₅₀ = 0.93 µM, VC). Among extracts, PN and PA showed considerable antioxidant activity, which was related well with the contents of CA, iso-ORI, and iso-VIT (p < 0.05). This study firstly provides evidence for functional antioxidant compounds of bamboo leaves based on statistical analysis of the HPLC analysis and DPPH assay, and it lays a foundation for its further development or utilization.

Protective effect of sestrin2 against iron overload and ferroptosis-induced liver injury

Ferroptosis is the non-apoptotic form of cell death caused by small molecules or conditions that inhibit glutathione biosynthesis or resulting in iron-dependent accumulation of lipid peroxidation by lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS). Sestrin2 (Sesn2), a conserved antioxidant protein, is responsive to various stresses including genotoxic, metabolic, and oxidative stresses and acts to restore homeostatic balance. Sesn2 expression was reported to be regulated via stress-responsive transcription factors including p53, Nrf2, and HIF-1α. However, the role of Sesn2 in regulating ferroptosis is not known. In the current study, we investigated whether ferroptosis inducing compounds including erastin, sorafenib, and buthionine sulfoximine affect Sesn2 expression and the role of Sesn2 in cytoprotection against ferroptosis-mediated cell death. Our data demonstrate that ferroptosis inducers significantly increased Sesn2 in hepatocytes in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Treatment with erastin upregulated Sesn2 mRNA levels and luciferase reporter gene activity, and erastin-mediated Sesn2 induction was transcriptionally regulated by NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Furthermore, deletion of the antioxidant response element (ARE) in the Sesn2 promoter or Nrf2 knockout or knockdown abolished erastin-induced Sesn2 expression. In cells expressing Sesn2, erastin-induced cell death, ROS formation, and glutathione depletion were almost completely inhibited compared to that in control cells. Treatment with phenylhydrazine in mice, well-reported iron overload liver injury model, increased ALT and AST levels and altered histological features, which were almost completely inhibited by adenoviral Sesn2 infection. Collectively, our results suggest that ferroptosis-mediated Sesn2 induction is dependent on Nrf2 and plays a protective role against iron overload and ferroptosis-induced liver injury.