Curcumin‑loaded PEG‑PDLLA nanoparticles for attenuating palmitate‑induced oxidative stress and cardiomyocyte apoptosis through AMPK pathway

Elucidating the evolving role of cuproptosis in breast cancer progression

Breast cancer (BC) persists as a highly prevalent malignancy in females, characterized by diverse molecular signatures and necessitating personalized therapeutic approaches. The equilibrium of copper within the organism is meticulously maintained through regulated absorption, distribution, and elimination, underpinning not only cellular equilibrium but also various essential biological functions. The process of cuproptosis is initiated by copper's interaction with lipoylases within the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, which triggers the conglomeration of lipoylated proteins and diminishes the integrity of Fe-S clusters, culminating in cell demise through proteotoxic stress. In BC, aberrations in cuproptosis are prominent and represent a crucial molecular incident that contributes to the disease progression. It influences BC cell metabolism and affects critical traits such as proliferation, invasiveness, and resistance to chemotherapy. Therapeutic strategies that target cuproptosis have shown promising antitumor efficacy. Moreover, a plethora of cuproptosis-centric genes, including cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs), CRG-associated non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), and cuproptosis-associated regulators, have been identified, offering potential for the development of risk assessment models or diagnostic signatures. In this review, we provide a comprehensive exposition of the fundamental principles of cuproptosis, its influence on the malignant phenotypes of BC, the prognostic implications of cuproptosis-based markers, and the substantial prospects of exploiting cuproptosis for BC therapy, thereby laying a theoretical foundation for targeted interventions in this domain.

Advancements and Challenges of Nanostructured Lipid Carriers for Wound Healing Applications

The current treatments for wound healing still exhibit drawbacks due to limited availability at the action sites, susceptibility to degradation, and immediate drug release, all of which are detrimental in chronic conditions. Nano-modification strategies, offering various advantages that can enhance the physicochemical properties of drugs, have been employed in efforts to maximize the efficacy of wound healing medications. Nowadays, nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) provide drug delivery capabilities that can safeguard active compounds from environmental influences and enable controlled release profiles. Consequently, NLCs are considered an alternative therapy to address the challenges encountered in wound treatment. This review delves into the application of NLCs in drug delivery for wound healing, encompassing discussions on their composition, preparation methods, and their impact on treatment effectiveness. The modification of drugs into the NLC model can be facilitated using relatively straightforward technologies such as pressure-based processes, emulsification techniques, solvent utilization methods, or phase inversion. Moreover, NLC production with minimal material compositions can accommodate both single and combination drug delivery. Through in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies, it has been substantiated that NLCs can enhance the therapeutic potential of various drug types in wound healing treatments. NLCs enhance efficacy by reducing the active substance particle size, increasing solubility and bioavailability, and prolonging drug release, ensuring sustained dosage at the wound site for chronic wounds. In summary, NLCs represent an effective nanocarrier system for optimizing the bioavailability of active pharmacological ingredients in the context of wound healing.

Citronellal improves endothelial dysfunction by affecting the stability of the GCH1 protein

Endothelial dysfunction (ED) serves as the pathological basis for various cardiovascular diseases. Guanosine triphosphate cyclopyrrolone 1 (GCH1) emerges as a pivotal protein in sustaining nitric oxide (NO) production within endothelial cells, yet it undergoes degradation under oxidative stress, contributing to endothelial cell dysfunction. Citronellal (CT), a monoterpenoid, has been shown to ameliorate endothelial dysfunction induced by in atherosclerosis rats. However, whether CT can inhibit the degradation of GCH1 protein is not clear. It has been reported that ubiquitination may play a crucial role in regulating GCH1 protein levels and activities. However, the specific E3 ligase for GCH1 and the molecular mechanism of GCH1 ubiquitination remain unclear. Using data-base exploration analysis, we find that the levels of the E3 ligase Smad-ubiquitination regulatory factor 2 (Smurf2) negatively correlate with those of GCH1 in vascular tissues and HUVECs. We observe that Smurf2 interacts with GCH1 and promotes its degradation via the proteasome pathway. Interestingly, ectopic Smurf2 expression not only decreases GCH1 levels but also reduces cell proliferation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, mostly because of increased GCH1 accumulation. Furthermore, we identify BH 4/eNOS as downstream of GCH1. Taken together, our results indicate that CT can obviously improve vascular endothelial injury in Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) rats and reverse the expressions of GCH1 and Smurf2 proteins in aorta of T1DM rats. Smurf2 promotes ubiquitination and degradation of GCH1 through proteasome pathway in HUVECs. We conclude that the Smurf2-GCH1 interaction might represent a potential target for improving endothelial injury.

Role and regulation of FOXO3a: new insights into breast cancer therapy

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in the world, particularly affecting female cancer patients. Enhancing the therapeutic strategies for breast cancer necessitates identifying molecular drug targets that effectively eliminate tumor cells. One of these prominent targets is the forkhead and O3a class (FOXO3a), a member of the forkhead transcription factor subfamily. FOXO3a plays a pivotal role in various cellular processes, including apoptosis, proliferation, cell cycle regulation, and drug resistance. It acts as a tumor suppressor in multiple cancer types, although its specific role in cancer remains unclear. Moreover, FOXO3a shows promise as a potential marker for tumor diagnosis and prognosis in breast cancer patients. In addition, it is actively influenced by common anti-breast cancer drugs like paclitaxel, simvastatin, and gefitinib. In breast cancer, the regulation of FOXO3a involves intricate networks, encompassing post-translational modification post-translational regulation by non-coding RNA (ncRNA) and protein-protein interaction. The specific mechanism of FOXO3a in breast cancer urgently requires further investigation. This review aims to systematically elucidate the role of FOXO3a in breast cancer. Additionally, it reviews the interaction of FOXO3a and its upstream and downstream signaling pathway-related molecules to uncover potential therapeutic drugs and related regulatory factors for breast cancer treatment by regulating FOXO3a.

Molecular mechanism of lycorine in the treatment of glioblastoma based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

Lycorine is a naturally active alkaloid that has been shown to have inhibitory effects on a variety of cancers. However, the underlying mechanism of lycorine in the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM) is unclear. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of lycorine in the treatment of GBM based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. Lycorine-related targets overlapped with GBM-related targets to obtain intersections that represent potential anti-GBM targets for lycorine. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the STRING online database and analyzed by Cytoscape software, and 10 key target genes (AKT1, SRC, HSP90AA1, HRAS, MMP9, BCL2L1, IGF1, MAPK14, STAT1, and KDR) were obtained, which played an important role in the therapeutic effect of lycorine on GBM. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that lycorine acts on GBM by multiple pathways, including inducing apoptosis and reactive oxygen species production. The molecular docking results showed that lycorine had strong binding efficiency with the 10 key genes. In addition, we found that the use of lycorine-induced apoptosis in U-87 MG glioblastoma cells. Here, the mechanism of action of lycorine against GBM was elucidated and verified by experiments, which provided evidence support for its clinical application.

Puerarin inhibits NHE1 activity by interfering with the p38 pathway and attenuates mitochondrial damage induced by myocardial calcium overload in heart failure rats

Previous studies have shown that puerarin plays a key role in protecting humans and animals from cardiovascular diseases. The exact mechanism of the therapeutic effect of puerarin on various cardiovascular diseases (protective effect on cardiomyocytes) is still unclear. In the present study, we identify the role of puerarin in an animal model of experimental heart failure (HF) and explore its underlying mechanisms. The HF rat model is induced by intraperitoneal injection of adriamycin (ADR), and puerarin is administered intragastrically at low, medium, and high concentrations. We demonstrate that puerarin significantly improves myocardial fibrosis and inflammatory infiltration and, as a result, improves cardiac function in ADR-induced HF rats. Mechanistically, we find for the first time that puerarin inhibits overactivated Na +/H + exchange isoform 1 (NHE1) in HF, which may improve HF by decreasing Na + and Ca 2+ ion concentrations and attenuating mitochondrial damage caused by calcium overload; on the other hand, puerarin inhibits the activation of the p38 pathway in HF, reduces the expressions of TGF-β and proinflammatory cytokines, and suppresses myocardial fibrosis. In conclusion, our results suggest that Puerarin is an effective drug against HF and may play a protective role in the myocardium by inhibiting the activation of p38 and its downstream NHE1.

A Mechanistic Review on Therapeutic Potential of Medicinal Plants and their Pharmacologically Active Molecules for Targeting Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) therapy with phytochemicals is an emerging field of study with therapeutic potential. Obesity, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and abnormal lipid profiles are all components of metabolic syndrome, which is a major public health concern across the world. New research highlights the promise of phytochemicals found in foods, including fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices, as a sustainable and innovative method of treating this illness. Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and insulin-sensitizing qualities are just a few of the many positive impacts shown by bioactive substances. Collectively, they alleviate the hallmark symptoms of metabolic syndrome by modulating critical metabolic pathways, boosting insulin sensitivity, decreasing oxidative stress, and calming chronic low-grade inflammation. In addition, phytochemicals provide a multimodal strategy by targeting not only adipose tissue but also the liver, skeletal muscle, and vascular endothelium, all of which have a role in the pathogenesis of MetS. Increasing evidence suggests that these natural chemicals may be useful in controlling metabolic syndrome as a complementary treatment to standard medication or lifestyle changes. This review article emphasizes the therapeutic potential of phytochemicals, illuminating their varied modes of action and their ability to alleviate the interconnected causes of metabolic syndrome. Phytochemical-based interventions show promise as a novel and sustainable approach to combating the rising global burden of metabolic syndrome, with the ultimate goal of bettering public health and quality of life.

Study of FOXO1-interacting proteins using TurboID-based proximity labeling technology

BACKGROUND

Protein‒protein interactions (PPIs) are the foundation of the life activities of cells. TurboID is a biotin ligase with higher catalytic efficiency than BioID or APEX that reduces the required labeling time from 18 h to 10 min. Since many proteins participate in binding and catalytic events that are very short-lived, it is theoretically possible to find relatively novel binding proteins using the TurboID technique. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, oxidative stress and metabolic disorders underlie many diseases, and forkhead box transcription factor 1 (FOXO1) plays a key role in these physiological and pathological processes.

RESULTS

The FOXO1-TurboID fusion gene was transfected into U251 astrocytes, and a cell line stably expressing FOXO1 was constructed. While constructing the FOXO1 overexpression plasmid, we also added the gene sequence of TurboID to perform biotin labeling experiments in the successfully fabricated cell line to look for FOXO1 reciprocal proteins. Label-free mass spectrometry analysis was performed, and 325 interacting proteins were found. A total of 176 proteins were identified in the FOXO1 overexpression group, and 227 proteins were identified in the Lipopolysaccharide -treated group (Lipopolysaccharide, LPS). Wild-type U251 cells were used to exclude interference from nonspecific binding. The FOXO1-interacting proteins hnRNPK and RBM14 were selected for immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence verification.

CONCLUSION

The TurboID technique was used to select the FOXO1-interacting proteins, and after removing the proteins identified in the blank group, a large number of interacting proteins were found in both positive groups. This study lays a foundation for further study of the function of FOXO1 and the regulatory network in which it is involved.

Role of polyphenolic compounds and their nanoformulations: a comprehensive review on cross-talk between chronic kidney and cardiovascular diseases

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects a huge portion of the world's population and frequently leads to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). It might be because of common risk factors between chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular diseases. Renal dysfunction caused by chronic kidney disease creates oxidative stress which in turn leads to cardiovascular diseases. Oxidative stress causes endothelial dysfunction and inflammation in heart which results in atherosclerosis. It ends in clogging of veins and arteries that causes cardiac stroke and myocardial infarction. To develop an innovative therapeutic approach and new drugs to treat these diseases, it is important to understand the pathophysiological mechanism behind the CKD and CVDs and their interrelationship. Natural phytoconstituents of plants such as polyphenolic compounds are well known for their medicinal value. Polyphenols are plant secondary metabolites with immense antioxidant properties, which can protect from free radical damage. Nowadays, polyphenols are generating a lot of buzz in the scientific community because of their potential health benefits especially in the case of heart and kidney diseases. This review provides a detailed account of the pathophysiological link between CKD and CVDs and the pharmacological potential of polyphenols and their nanoformulations in promoting cardiovascular and renal health.

Emodin alleviates arthritis pain through reducing spinal inflammation and oxidative stress

Chronic pain is the predominant problem for rheumatoid arthritis patients, and negatively affects quality of life. Arthritis pain management remains largely inadequate, and developing new treatment strategies are urgently needed. Spinal inflammation and oxidative stress contribute to arthritis pain and represent ideal targets for the treatment of arthritis pain. In the present study, collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse model was established by intradermally injection of type II collagen (CII) in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) solution, and exhibited as paw and ankle swelling, pain hypersensitivity and motor disability. In spinal cord, CIA inducement triggered spinal inflammatory reaction presenting with inflammatory cells infiltration, increased Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) expression, and up-regulated NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) and cleaved caspase-1 levels, elevated spinal oxidative level presenting as decreased nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression and Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. To explore potential therapeutic options for arthritis pain, emodin was intraperitoneally injected for 3 days on CIA mice. Emodin treatment statistically elevated mechanical pain sensitivity, suppressed spontaneous pain, recovered motor coordination, decreased spinal inflammation score and IL-1β expression, increased spinal Nrf2 expression and SOD activity. Further, AutoDock data showed that emodin bind to Adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) through two electrovalent bonds. And emodin treatment increased the phosphorylated AMPK at threonine 172. In summary, emodin treatment activates AMPK, suppresses NLRP3 inflammasome response, elevates antioxidant response, inhibits spinal inflammatory reaction and alleviates arthritis pain.

Mitochondrial ROS-Mediated Metabolic and Cytotoxic Effects of Isoproterenol on Cardiomyocytes Are p53-Dependent and Reversed by Curcumin

Acute β-adrenergic stimulation contributes to heart failure. Here, we investigated the role of p53 in isoproterenol (ISO)-mediated metabolic and oxidative stress effects on cardiomyocytes and explored the direct protective effects offered by the antioxidant nutraceutical curcumin. Differentiated H9C2 rat cardiomyocytes treated with ISO were assayed for glucose uptake, lactate release, and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Survival was assessed by sulforhodamine B assays. Cardiomyocytes showed significantly decreased glucose uptake and lactate release, as well as increased cellular toxicity by ISO treatment. This was accompanied by marked dose-dependent increases of mitochondria-derived ROS. Scavenging with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) effectively lowered ROS levels, which completely recovered glycolytic metabolism and survival suppressed by ISO. Mechanistically, ISO reduced extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation, whereas it upregulated p53 expression in an ROS-dependent manner. Silencing of p53 with siRNA blocked the ability of ISO to stimulate mitochondrial ROS and suppress glucose uptake, and partially recovered cell survival. Finally, curcumin completely reversed the metabolic and ROS-stimulating effects of ISO. Furthermore, curcumin improved survival of cardiomyocytes exposed to ISO. Thus, ISO suppresses cardiomyocyte glycolytic metabolism and survival by stimulating mitochondrial ROS in a p53-dependent manner. Furthermore, curcumin can efficiently rescue cardiomyocytes from these adverse effects.

Natural AMPK Activators in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), as a life-threatening global disease, is receiving worldwide attention. Seeking novel therapeutic strategies and agents is of utmost importance to curb CVD. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activators derived from natural products are promising agents for cardiovascular drug development owning to regulatory effects on physiological processes and diverse cardiometabolic disorders. In the past decade, different therapeutic agents from natural products and herbal medicines have been explored as good templates of AMPK activators. Hereby, we overviewed the role of AMPK signaling in the cardiovascular system, as well as evidence implicating AMPK activators as potential therapeutic tools. In the present review, efforts have been made to compile and update relevant information from both preclinical and clinical studies, which investigated the role of natural products as AMPK activators in cardiovascular therapeutics.

Curcumin Conjugated Gold Nanoclusters as Perspective Therapeutics for Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

Accumulation of lipids in the myocardium contributes to the development of cardiac dysfunctions and various chronic diseases, such as diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Curcumin (Cur) can relieve lipid accumulation problems, but its efficiency is limited by poor water solubility and biocompatibility. Herein, gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) were used to improve the efficiency of Cur, and the conjugates Curcumin-AuNCs (AuCur) were developed. In the treatment of high-fat-induced myocardial cell damage, we found that AuCur could effectively reduce intracellular lipid accumulation, the increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the increase of mitochondrial division, and the increase of apoptosis compared with Cur. AuCur decreased the expression of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors-α subtype (PPARα), and the therapeutic effect of AuCur was canceled when the expression of PPARα was enhanced. For the above reasons, AuCur treated the toxic effect of high lipid on cardiomyocytes by regulating PPARα, providing a new idea and method for the treatment of DCM.

Current Advances in the Use of Nanophytomedicine Therapies for Human Cardiovascular Diseases

Considering the high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the primary cause of death during the last several decades, it is necessary to develop proper strategies for the prevention and treatment of CVDs. Given the excessive side effects of current therapies, alternative therapeutic approaches like medicinal plants and natural products are preferred. Lower toxicity, chemical diversity, cost-effectiveness, and proven therapeutic potentials make natural products superior compared to other products. Nanoformulation methods improve the solubility, bioavailability, circulation time, surface area-to-volume ratio, systemic adverse side effects, and drug delivery efficiency of these medications. This study intended to review the functionality of the most recent nanoformulated medicinal plants and/or natural products against various cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and myocardial infarction. Literature review revealed that curcumin, quercetin, and resveratrol were the most applied natural products, respectively. Combination therapy, conjugation, or fabrication of nanoparticles and nanocarriers improved the applications and therapeutic efficacy of herbal- or natural-based nanoformulations. In the context of CVDs prevention and/or treatment, available data suggest that natural-based nanoformulations are considerably efficient, alone or in blend with other herbal/synthetic medicines. However, clinical trials are mandatory to elucidate the safety, cardioprotective effect, and mechanism of actions of nanophytomedicines.

Inhibition of TLR4/MAPKs Pathway Contributes to the Protection of Salvianolic Acid A Against Lipotoxicity-Induced Myocardial Damage in Cardiomyocytes and Obese Mice

The occurrence of lipotoxicity during obesity-associated cardiomyopathy is detrimental to health. Salvianolic acid A (SAA), a natural polyphenol extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen in China), is known to be cardioprotective. However, its clinical benefits against obesity-associated cardiomyocyte injuries are unclear. This study aimed at evaluating the protective effects of SAA against lipotoxicity-induced myocardial injury and its underlying mechanisms in high fat diet (HFD)-fed mice and in palmitate-treated cardiomyocyte cells (H9c2). Our analysis of aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB (CM-KB) levels revealed that SAA significantly reversed HFD-induced myocardium morphological changes and improved myocardial damage. Salvianolic acid A pretreatment ameliorated palmitic acid-induced myocardial cell death and was accompanied by mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular reactive oxygen species improvement. Analysis of the underlying mechanisms showed that SAA reversed myocardial TLR4 induction in HFD-fed mice and H9c2 cells. Palmitic acid-induced cell death was significantly reversed by CLI-95, a specific TLR4 inhibitor. TLR4 activation by LPS significantly suppressed SAA-mediated lipotoxicity protection. Additionally, SAA inhibited lipotoxicity-mediated expression of TLR4 target genes, including MyD88 and p-JNK/MAPK in HFD-fed mice and H9c2 cells. However, SAA did not exert any effect on palmitic acid-induced SIRT1 suppression and p-AMPK induction. In conclusion, our data shows that SAA protects against lipotoxicity-induced myocardial damage through a TLR4/MAPKs mediated mechanism.

Therapeutic Potential of Polyphenols-Loaded Polymeric Nanoparticles in Cardiovascular System

Numerous studies document an increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with a subsequent decrease in nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability in different cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and heart failure. Many natural polyphenols have been demonstrated to decrease ROS generation and/or to induce the endogenous antioxidant enzymatic defense system. Moreover, different polyphenolic compounds have the ability to increase the activity/expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) with a subsequent enhancement of NO generation. However, as a result of low absorption and bioavailability of natural polyphenols, the beneficial effects of these substances are very limited. Recent progress in delivering polyphenols to the targeted tissues revealed new possibilities for the use of polymeric nanoparticles in increasing the efficiency and reducing the degradability of natural polyphenols. This review focuses on the effects of different natural polyphenolic substances, especially resveratrol, quercetin, curcumin, and cherry extracts, and their ability to bind to polymeric nanoparticles, and summarizes the effects of polyphenol-loaded nanoparticles, mainly in the cardiovascular system.

Therapeutic Applications of Curcumin Nanomedicine Formulations in Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) compromises a group of heart and blood vessels disorders with high impact on human health and wellbeing. Curcumin (CUR) have demonstrated beneficial effects on these group of diseases that represent a global burden with a prevalence that continues increasing progressively. Pre- and clinical studies have demonstrated the CUR effects in CVD through its anti-hypercholesterolemic and anti-atherosclerotic effects and its protective properties against cardiac ischemia and reperfusion. However, the CUR therapeutic limitation is its bioavailability. New CUR nanomedicine formulations are developed to solve this problem. The present article aims to discuss different studies and approaches looking into the promising role of nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems to deliver CUR and its derivatives in CVD treatment, with an emphasis on their formulation properties, experimental evidence, bioactivity, as well as challenges and opportunities in developing these systems.