Hydrogen-rich saline alleviates inflammation and apoptosis in myocardial I/R injury via PINK-mediated autophagy

Effects of perioperative hydrogen inhalation on brain edema and prognosis in patients with glioma: a single-center, randomized controlled study

Introduction

Brain edema is a life-threatening complication that occurs after glioma surgery. There are no noninvasive and specific treatment methods for brain edema. Hydrogen is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant gas that has demonstrated therapeutic and preventative effects on several diseases, particularly in the nervous system. This study aimed to determine the therapeutic effects of hydrogen administration on brain edema following glioma surgery and elucidate its mechanism.

Methods

A single-center, randomized controlled clinical trial of hydrogen inhalation was conducted (China Clinical Trial Registry [ChiCTR-2300074362]). Participants in hydrogen (H) group that inhaled hydrogen experienced quicker alleviation of postoperative brain edema compared with participants in control (C) group that inhaled oxygen.

Results

The volume of brain edema before discharge was significantly lower in the H group (p < 0.05). Additionally, the regression rate of brain edema was higher in the H group than in the C group, which was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Furthermore, 3 days after surgery, the H group had longer total sleep duration, improved sleep efficiency, shorter sleep latency, and lower numerical rating scale (NRS) scores (p < 0.05).

Discussion

In conclusion, hydrogen/oxygen inhalation effectively reduced postoperative brain edema in glioma patients. Further research is necessary to understand the underlying mechanisms of hydrogen's therapeutic effects. Hydrogen is expected to become a new target for future adjuvant therapy for brain edema.

The Molecular Biological Mechanism of Hydrogen Therapy and Its Application in Spinal Cord Injury

Hydrogen, which is a novel biomedical molecule, is currently the subject of extensive research involving animal experiments and in vitro cell experiments, and it is gradually being applied in clinical settings. Hydrogen has been proven to possess anti-inflammatory, selective antioxidant, and antiapoptotic effects, thus exhibiting considerable protective effects in various diseases. In recent years, several studies have provided preliminary evidence for the protective effects of hydrogen on spinal cord injury (SCI). This paper provides a comprehensive review of the potential molecular biology mechanisms of hydrogen therapy and its application in treating SCI, with an aim to better explore the medical value of hydrogen and provide new avenues for the adjuvant treatment of SCI.

Engineered bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes loaded with miR302 through the cardiomyocyte specific peptide can reduce myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury

BACKGROUND

MicroRNA (miRNA)-based therapies have shown great potential in myocardial repair following myocardial infarction (MI). MicroRNA-302 (miR302) has been reported to exert a protective effect on MI. However, miRNAs are easily degraded and ineffective in penetrating cells, which limit their clinical applications. Exosomes, which are small bioactive molecules, have been considered as an ideal vehicle for miRNAs delivery due to their cell penetration, low immunogenicity and excellent stability potential. Herein, we explored cardiomyocyte-targeting exosomes as vehicles for delivery of miR302 into cardiomyocyte to potentially treat MI.

METHODS

To generate an efficient exosomal delivery system that can target cardiomyocytes, we engineered exosomes with cardiomyocyte specific peptide (CMP, WLSEAGPVVTVRALRGTGSW). Afterwards, the engineered exosomes were characterized and identified using transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA). Later on, the miR302 mimics were loaded into the engineered exosomes via electroporation technique. Subsequently, the effect of the engineered exosomes on myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury was evaluated in vitro and in vivo, including MTT, ELISA, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), western blot, TUNNEL staining, echocardiogram and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining.

RESULTS

Results of in vitro experimentation showed that DSPE-PEG-CMP-EXO could be more efficiently internalized by H9C2 cells than unmodified exosomes (blank-exosomes). Importantly, compared with the DSPE-PEG-CMP-EXO group, DSPE-PEG-CMP-miR302-EXO significantly upregulated the expression of miR302, while exosomes loaded with miR302 could enhance proliferation of H9C2 cells. Western blot results showed that the DSPE-PEG-CMP-miR302-EXO significantly increased the protein level of Ki67 and Yap, which suggests that DSPE-PEG-CMP-miR302-EXO enhanced the activity of Yap, the principal downstream effector of Hippo pathway. In vivo, DSPE-PEG-CMP-miR302-EXO improved cardiac function, attenuated myocardial apoptosis and inflammatory response, as well as reduced infarct size significantly.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, our findings suggest that CMP-engineered exosomes loaded with miR302 was internalized by H9C2 cells, an in vitro model for cardiomyocytes coupled with potential enhancement of the therapeutic effects on myocardial I/R injury.

Exercise Attenuates Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury by Regulating Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Mitophagy Through M2 Acetylcholine Receptor

Aims: Adaptive changes in the heart by exercise have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and M2 Acetylcholine receptor (M2AChR), a receptor abundantly present on cardiac parasympathetic nerves, is closely associated with the development of cardiovascular disease. The present study intends to investigate whether exercise can regulate endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and mitophagy through M2AChR to resist myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and to elucidate its mechanism of action. Results: Exercise enhanced parasympathetic nerve function and increased myocardial M2AChR protein expression in I/R rats. In addition, it promoted the protein expression of MFN2 and inhibited the expression of Drp1, Chop, PINK1/Parkin, and PERK/eIF2α/ATF4 signaling pathways, effectively reducing mitophagy, ERS, and apoptosis. At the cellular level, 5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR) reduced hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced ERS through the downregulated expression of PERK/eIF2α/ATF4 pathway proteins in H9C2 cardiomyocytes. When intervened with M2AChR inhibitors, the levels of ERS and phosphorylation levels of the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4 pathway were increased in H/R cells. Innovation and Conclusion: Exercise intervention activated the parasympathetic state in rats. It inhibited myocardial mitophagy and ERS levels, and reduced myocardial apoptosis through M2AChR, thereby resisting I/R-induced myocardial injury and improving cardiac function. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 40, 209-221.

FUNDC1-induced mitophagy protects spinal cord neurons against ischemic injury

Local ischemia and hypoxia are the most important pathological processes in the early phase of secondary spinal cord injury (SCI), in which mitochondria are the main target of ischemic injury. Mitochondrial autophagy, also known as mitophagy, acts as a selective autophagy that specifically identifies and degrades damaged mitochondria, thereby reducing mitochondria-dependent apoptosis. Accumulating evidence shows that the mitophagy receptor, FUN14 domain-containing 1 (FUNDC1), plays an important role in ischemic injury, but the role of FUNDC1 in SCI has not been reported. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether FUNDC1 can enhance mitophagy and inhibit neuronal apoptosis in the early stage of SCI. In a rat SCI model, we found that FUNDC1 overexpression enhanced neuronal autophagy and decreased neuronal apoptosis in the early stage of injury, thereby reducing spinal cord damage. In vitro studies showed that the neuroprotective effects of FUNDC1 were achieved by inhibiting mitochondria-dependent apoptosis and improving mitochondrial function. In addition, FUNDC1 enhanced mitophagy. The protective effects of FUNDC1 against apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction were reversed by 3-methyladenine (3-MA), an autophagy inhibitor. Taken together, our results confirm that FUNDC1 can protect against neuronal loss after SCI by inducing mitophagy, inhibiting mitochondria-dependent apoptosis, and improving mitochondrial function.

Breviscapine attenuates lead‑induced myocardial injury by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway

The present study investigated the therapeutic potential of breviscapine (Bre) in mitigating lead (Pb)-induced myocardial injury through activation of the nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway. Rat cardiomyocytes (H9C2 cells) were exposed to Pb to model Pb poisoning, and various parameters, including cell viability, apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, were assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8, flow cytometry and 2',7'-dichlorfluoresceindiacetate assays, respectively. Additionally, a rat model of Pb poisoning was established in which blood Pb levels were measured using a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer, and alterations in myocardial tissue, oxidative stress markers, inflammatory indicators, protein expression related to apoptosis and the Nrf2 pathway were evaluated via histopathology, ELISA and western blotting. The results showed that Bre treatment enhanced cell viability, decreased apoptosis, and reduced ROS production in Pb-exposed H9C2 cells. Moreover, Bre modulated oxidative stress markers and inflammatory factors while enhancing the expression of proteins in the Nrf2 pathway. In a rat model, Bre mitigated the lead-induced increase in blood Pb levels and myocardial injury biomarkers, and reversed the downregulation of Nrf2 pathway proteins. In conclusion, the current findings suggested that Bre mitigates Pb-induced myocardial injury by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic agent for protecting the heart from the harmful effects of Pb exposure. Further research is required to elucidate the exact mechanisms and explore the clinical applicability of Bre in mitigating Pb-induced myocardial damage.

Pachymic acid (PA) inhibits ferroptosis of cardiomyocytes via activation of the AMPK in mice with ischemia/reperfusion-induced myocardial injury

Pachymic acid (PA) is a lanostane-type triterpenoid with various pharmacological effects. However, little is known about the effect of PA on myocardial infarction (MI) induced by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). In this study, we aimed to investigate the protective effect of PA and its underlying mechanism. A cellular MI model was established by oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion (OGD/R) treatment in HL-1 cardiomyocytes, and we found that OGD/R treatment decreased cell viability and glutathione peroxide (GSH-Px) activity, increased Fe2+ concentration and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, promoted malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and inhibited the expression of ferroptosis marker proteins SLC7A11 and GPX4 in a time-dependent manner. OGD/R-induced HL-1 cells were pretreated with different concentrations of PA (0, 20, 40, 60 μg/mL) for 24 h, and toxicological experiments showed that 150 μg/mL PA decreased cell viability, while low concentrations of PA had no toxic effect on cells. 20 μg/mL PA reversed the inhibitory effect of OGD/R on cell viability, reduced MDA and ROS production, and Fe2+ accumulation, increased GSH-Px activity and the expression of SLC7A11 and GPX4, and decreased LDH activity, especially at 60 μg/mL PA. Meanwhile, PA promoted the phosphorylation of IRS-1, AKT, and AMPK proteins in a dose-dependent manner. AICAR, an AMPK activator, inhibited ferroptosis, while STO-609, an AMPK inhibitor, largely abolished the effect of PA on OGD/R-induced ferroptosis of HL-1 cells. In addition, PA inhibited ferroptosis and myocardial I/R injury in wild-type mice and AMPK knockout (AMPK-/- ) mice. Collectively, PA inhibited ferroptosis of cardiomyocytes through activating of the AMPK pathway, thereby alleviating myocardial I/R injury in mice.

METTL3-deficiency Suppresses Neural Apoptosis to Induce Protective Effects in Cerebral I/R Injury via Inhibiting RNA m6A Modifications: A Pre-clinical and Pilot Study

N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation involves in regulating the initiation, progression and aggravation of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, however, the detailed functions and mechanisms by which m6A drives cerebral I/R injury are not fully understood. This study found that methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) m6A-dependently regulated cerebral I/R injury trough regulating a novel LncRNA ABHD11-AS1/miR-1301-3p/HIF1AN/HIF-1α axis. Specifically, the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)/reperfusion mice models and glucose deprivation (OGD)/reoxygenation (RX) astrocyte cell models were respectively established, and we verified that METTL3, ABHD11-AS1 and HIF1AN were upregulated, whereas miR-1301-3p and HIF-1α were downregulated in both MCAO/reperfusion mice tissues and OGD/RX astrocytes. Mechanical experiments confirmed that METTL3 m6A dependently increased stability and expression levels of ABHD11-AS1, and elevated ABHD11-AS1 sponged miR-1301-3p to upregulate HIF1AN, resulting in the downregulation of HIF-1α. Moreover, silencing of METTL3 rescued MCAO/reperfusion and OGD/RX-induced oxidative stress-associated cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in both mice brain tissues in vivo and the mouse primary astrocytes in vitro, which were abrogated by overexpressing ABHD11-AS1 and downregulating miR-1301-3p. Taken together, our study firstly reported a novel METTL3/m6A/ ABHD11-AS1/miR-1301-3p/HIF1AN/HIF-1α signaling cascade in regulating the progression of cerebral I/R injury, and future work will focus on investigating whether the above genes can be used as biomarkers for the treatment of cerebral I/R injury by performing clinical studies.

Oxidative Mechanisms and Cardiovascular Abnormalities of Cirrhosis and Portal Hypertension

In patients with portal hypertension, there are many complications including cardiovascular abnormalities, hepatorenal syndrome, ascites, variceal bleeding, and hepatic encephalopathy. The underlying mechanisms are not yet completely clarified. It is well known that portal hypertension causes mesenteric congestion which produces reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS has been associated with intestinal mucosal injury, increased intestinal permeability, enhanced gut bacterial overgrowth, and translocation; all these changes result in increased endotoxin and inflammation. Portal hypertension also results in the development of collateral circulation and reduces liver mass resulting in an overall increase in endotoxin/bacteria bypassing detoxication and immune clearance in the liver. Endotoxemia can in turn aggravate oxidative stress and inflammation, leading to a cycle of gut barrier dysfunction → endotoxemia → organ injury. The phenotype of cardiovascular abnormalities includes hyperdynamic circulation and cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. Oxidative stress is often accompanied by inflammation; thus, blocking oxidative stress can minimize the systemic inflammatory response and alleviate the severity of cardiovascular diseases. The present review aims to elucidate the role of oxidative stress in cirrhosis-associated cardiovascular abnormalities and discusses possible therapeutic effects of antioxidants on cardiovascular complications of cirrhosis including hyperdynamic circulation, cirrhotic cardiomyopathy, and hepatorenal syndrome.

Hydrogen-rich saline alleviates cardiomyocyte apoptosis by reducing expression of calpain1 via miR-124-3p

AIMS

Molecular hydrogen has been exhibited a protective function in heart diseases. Our previous study demonstrated that hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) could scavenge free radicals selectively and alleviate the inflammatory response in the myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, but the underlying mechanism has not been fully clarified.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Adult (10 weeks) C57BL/6 male mice and neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were used to establish I/R and hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury models. I/R and H/R models were treated with HRS to classify the mechanisms of cardioproctective function. In this study, we found that miR-124-3p was significantly decreased in both I/R and H/R models, while it was partially ameliorated by HRS pretreatment. HRS treatment also alleviated ischaemia-induced apoptotic cell death and increased cell viability during I/R process, whereas silencing expression of miR-124-3p abolished this protective effect. In addition, we identified calpain1 as a direct target of miR-124-3p, and up-regulation of miR-124-3 produced both activity and expression of calpain1. It was also found that compared with the HRS group, overexpression of calpain1 increased caspase-3 activities, promoted cleaved-caspase3 and Bax protein expressions, and correspondingly decreased Bcl-2, further reducing cell viability. These results illustrated that calpain1 overexpression attenuated protective effect of HRS on cardiomyocytes in H/R model.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study showed a protective effect of HRS on I/R injury, which may be associated with miR-124-3p-calpain1 signalling pathway.

Hydrogen therapy as a potential therapeutic intervention in heart disease: from the past evidence to future application

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Excessive oxidative stress and inflammation play an important role in the development and progression of cardiovascular disease. Molecular hydrogen, a small colorless and odorless molecule, is considered harmless in daily life when its concentration is below 4% at room temperature. Owing to the small size of the hydrogen molecule, it can easily penetrate the cell membrane and can be metabolized without residue. Molecular hydrogen can be administered through inhalation, the drinking of hydrogen-rich water, injection with hydrogen-rich-saline, and bathing of an organ in a preservative solution. The utilization of molecular hydrogen has shown many benefits and can be effective for a wide range of purposes, from prevention to the treatment of diseases. It has been demonstrated that molecular hydrogen exerts antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects, leading to cardioprotective benefits. Nevertheless, the exact intracellular mechanisms of its action are still unclear. In this review, evidence of the potential benefits of hydrogen molecules obtained from in vitro, in vivo, and clinical investigations are comprehensively summarized and discussed with a focus on the cardiovascular aspects. The potential mechanisms involved in the protective effects of molecular hydrogen are also presented. These findings suggest that molecular hydrogen could be used as a novel treatment in various cardiovascular pathologies, including ischemic-reperfusion injury, cardiac injury from radiation, atherosclerosis, chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity, and cardiac hypertrophy.

Mitophagy as a mitochondrial quality control mechanism in myocardial ischemic stress: from bench to bedside

Myocardial ischemia reduces the supply of oxygen and nutrients to cardiomyocytes, leading to an energetic crisis or cell death. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a decisive contributor to the reception, transmission, and modification of cardiac ischemic signals. Cells with damaged mitochondria exhibit impaired mitochondrial metabolism and increased vulnerability to death stimuli due to disrupted mitochondrial respiration, reactive oxygen species overproduction, mitochondrial calcium overload, and mitochondrial genomic damage. Various intracellular and extracellular stress signaling pathways converge on mitochondria, so dysfunctional mitochondria tend to convert from energetic hubs to apoptotic centers. To interrupt the stress signal transduction resulting from lethal mitochondrial damage, cells can activate mitophagy (mitochondria-specific autophagy), which selectively eliminates dysfunctional mitochondria to preserve mitochondrial quality control. Different pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies have been designed to augment the protective properties of mitophagy and have been validated in basic animal experiments and pre-clinical human trials. In this review, we describe the process of mitophagy in cardiomyocytes under ischemic stress, along with its regulatory mechanisms and downstream effects. Then, we discuss promising therapeutic approaches to preserve mitochondrial homeostasis and protect the myocardium against ischemic damage by inducing mitophagy.

Scutellarin ameliorates ischemia/reperfusion injury‑induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiac dysfunction via inhibition of the cGAS‑STING pathway

Ischemic heart disease is a common cardiovascular disease. Scutellarin (SCU) exhibits protective effects in ischemic cardiomyocytes; however, to the best of our knowledge, the protective mechanism of SCU remains unclear. The present study was performed to investigate the protective effect of SCU on cardiomyocytes after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and the underlying mechanism. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with SCU (20 mg/kg) for 7 days before establishing the heart I/R injury model. Cardiac function was detected using small animal echocardiography, apoptotic cells were visualized using TUNEL staining, the myocardial infarct area was assessed by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, and the protein levels of cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), stimulator of interferon genes (STING), Bcl-2, Bax and cleaved Caspase-3 were detected by western blotting. In in vitro experiments, H9c2 cells were pretreated with SCU, RU.521 (cGAS inhibitor) and H-151 (STING inhibitor), before cell hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury. The viability of H9c2 cells was detected using a Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, the rate of apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry, and the protein expression levels of cGAS, STING, Bcl-2, Bax and cleaved Caspase-3 were detected by western blotting. It was revealed that SCU ameliorated cardiac dysfunction and apoptosis, and inhibited the activation of the cGAS-STING and Bcl-2/Bax/Caspase-3 signaling pathways in I/R-injured mice. It was also observed that SCU significantly increased cell viability and decreased apoptosis in H/R-induced H9c2 cells. Furthermore, H/R increased the expression levels of cGAS, STING and cleaved Caspase-3, and decreased the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax, which could be reversed by treatment with SCU, RU.521 and H-151. The present study demonstrated that the cGAS-STING signaling pathway may be involved in the regulation of the activation of the Bcl-2/Bax/Caspase-3 signaling pathway to mediate I/R-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiac dysfunction, which could be ameliorated by SCU treatment.

Exercise improves cardiac function in the aged rats with myocardial infarction

Exercise can improve the cardiovascular health. However, the mechanism contributing to its beneficial effect on elderly patients with myocardial infarction is obscure. 20-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to establish myocardial infarction (MI) model by permanent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) of the heart, followed by 4-week interval exercise training on a motor-driven rodent treadmill. The cardiac function, myocardial fibrosis, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses were determined by using pressure transducer catheter, polygraph physiological data acquisition system, Masson's trichrome staining, and ELISA to evaluate the impact of post-MI exercise training on MI. Western blot were performed to detect the activation of AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1alpha signaling in the hearts of aged rats. Exercise training significantly improved cardiac function and reduced the cardiac fibrosis. In infarcted heart, the apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation were significantly reduced after 4-week exercise training. Mechanistically, AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1alpha pathway was activated in the myocardial infarction area after exercise training, which might participate in the protection of cardiac function. Exercise training improves cardiac function in MI rats through reduction of apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation, which may mediate by the activation of AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1alpha signaling pathway.

Bio-physiological susceptibility of the brain, heart, and lungs to systemic ischemia reperfusion and hyperoxia-induced injury in post-cardiac arrest rats

Cardiac arrest (CA) patients suffer from systemic ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury leading to multiple organ failure; however, few studies have focused on tissue-specific pathophysiological responses to IR-induced oxidative stress. Herein, we investigated biological and physiological parameters of the brain and heart, and we particularly focused on the lung dysfunction that has not been well studied to date. We aimed to understand tissue-specific susceptibility to oxidative stress and tested how oxygen concentrations in the post-resuscitation setting would affect outcomes. Rats were resuscitated from 10 min of asphyxia CA. Mechanical ventilation was initiated at the beginning of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We examined animals with or without CA, and those were further divided into the animals exposed to 100% oxygen (CA_Hypero) or those with 30% oxygen (CA_Normo) for 2 h after resuscitation. Biological and physiological parameters of the brain, heart, and lungs were assessed. The brain and lung functions were decreased after CA and resuscitation indicated by worse modified neurological score as compared to baseline (222 ± 33 vs. 500 ± 0, P < 0.05), and decreased PaO2 (20 min after resuscitation: 113 ± 9 vs. baseline: 128 ± 9 mmHg, P < 0.05) and increased airway pressure (2 h: 10.3 ± 0.3 vs. baseline: 8.1 ± 0.2 mmHg, P < 0.001), whereas the heart function measured by echocardiography did not show significant differences compared before and after CA (ejection fraction, 24 h: 77.9 ± 3.3% vs. baseline: 82.2 ± 1.9%, P = 0.2886; fractional shortening, 24 h: 42.9 ± 3.1% vs. baseline: 45.7 ± 1.9%, P = 0.4658). Likewise, increases of superoxide production in the brain and lungs were remarkable, while those in the heart were moderate. mRNA gene expression analysis revealed that CA_Hypero group had increases in Il1b as compared to CA_Normo group significantly in the brain (P < 0.01) and lungs (P < 0.001) but not the heart (P = 0.4848). Similarly, hyperoxia-induced increases in other inflammatory and apoptotic mRNA gene expression were observed in the brain, whereas no differences were found in the heart. Upon systemic IR injury initiated by asphyxia CA, hyperoxia-induced injury exacerbated inflammation/apoptosis signals in the brain and lungs but might not affect the heart. Hyperoxia following asphyxia CA is more damaging to the brain and lungs but not the heart.

PINK1 regulates apoptosis of osteosarcoma as the target gene of cisplatin

BACKGROUND

Osteosarcoma is a common primary bone malignancy prevalent among adolescents and young adults. PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) regulates Parkinson's disease, but its role in cancers is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to analyze the mechanism by which PINK1 affects osteosarcoma using bioinformatics and cell experiments.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The gene expression profiles were downloaded from the TARGET database. Several online databases were used to analyze the expression and protein‒protein interaction networks. CCK-8 cell viability assays and cisplatin treatment were used to assess cell activity with or without cisplatin treatment. Acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) fluorescence staining was used to calculate the percentage of apoptotic cells.

RESULTS

Through bioinformatics analysis, we found that high expression of PINK1 was associated with poor prognosis in patients with osteosarcoma, and PINK1 inhibited apoptosis and promoted proliferation pathways. Next, we found that both PINK1 mRNA and protein levels were upregulated in osteosarcoma tissues. Additionally, we found that PTEN was reduced, while FOXO3a was markedly increased in osteosarcoma, suggesting that FOXO3a and not PTEN induced the overexpression of PINK1. CCK-8 and clonogenic assays showed that the knockdown of PINK1 decreased the growth of U2OS osteosarcoma cells. Ki67 immunofluorescence staining revealed that reduced cell proliferation in U2OS cells resulted in the depletion of PINK1. In addition, our AO/EB staining results indicated that the knockdown of PINK1 resulted in an increase in apoptotic cells and increased the levels of cleaved caspase-3. Furthermore, our experiments revealed that cisplatin promotes OS cell apoptosis by downregulating PINK1.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, our findings demonstrate that PINK1 is crucially involved in osteosarcoma and suggests that it can promote the apoptosis of OS cells as the downstream target gene of cisplatin.

Compound Kushen injection attenuates angiotensin II‑mediated heart failure by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt pathway

Compound Kushen injection (CKI) is a type of traditional Chinese medicine that has previously been studied for the treatment of various types of cancer. Previous studies have reported that CKI regulates cell apoptosis by downregulating the PI3K/Akt pathway. The present study aimed to determine whether CKI alleviates heart failure (HF) by attenuating cardiomyocyte apoptosis via the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway. Angiotensin II (Ang II) was used to elicit HF, and osmotic minipumps with either Ang II (2 µg/kg/day) or phosphate‑buffered saline (PBS; 200 µl) were subcutaneously implanted into 6‑week‑old male C57BL/6 mice for 3 weeks. In addition, PBS or CKI (25 mg/kg/day) were subcutaneously infused once a day for 3 weeks. Echocardiography was used to examine hemodynamics. The myocardial injury biomarkers, cardiac troponin I and N‑terminal (NT)‑pro hormone B‑type natriuretic peptide, were assessed using enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assay. Transmission electron microscopy was used to determine the morphology of the myocardium. The rate of apoptosis was detected using TUNEL staining and flow cytometry (FCM), and the expression levels of apoptosis‑related proteins were measured using western blot (WB) analysis. Moreover, H9C2 cells were treated with CKI (2 mg/ml) or LY294002 (an inhibitor of the PI3K/Akt pathway; 25 µmol/l) in combination with Ang II (1 µmol/l) for 48 h. Cell Counting Kit‑8 assay, FCM and WB analysis were performed in the H9C2 cells to examine cell viability, cell cycle distribution and representative signaling proteins. It was found that CKI promoted healthy cardiac function, reduced myocardial structural damage and reduced the rate of cardiomyocyte apoptosis. CKI markedly attenuated the expression of apoptosis‑related proteins in the PI3K/Akt pathway. The results of the in vitro experiments indicated that CKI promoted cardiomyocyte proliferation and inhibited apoptosis, similar to LY294002. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that CKI reduces cardiomyocyte apoptosis, promotes healthy cardiac function and attenuates Ang II‑mediated HF. These ameliorative effects may be associated with the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Hydrogen Promotes the Effectiveness of Bone Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation in Rats with Spinal Cord Injury

Although bone mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) transplantation has been applied to the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI), the effect is unsatisfactory due to the specific microenvironment (inflammation and oxidative stress) in the SCI area, which leads to the low survival rate of transplanted cells. Thus, additional strategies are required to improve the efficacy of transplanted cells in the treatment of SCI. Hydrogen possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, whether hydrogen can enhance the effect of BMSC transplantation in the treatment of SCI has not yet been reported. This study was aimed at investigating whether hydrogen promotes the therapeutic effect of BMSC transplantation in the treatment of SCI in rats. In vitro, BMSCs were cultured in a normal medium and a hydrogen-rich medium to study the effect of hydrogen on the proliferation and migration of BMSCs. BMSCs were treated with a serum-deprived medium (SDM), and the effects of hydrogen on the apoptosis of BMSCs were studied. In vivo, BMSCs were injected into the rat model of SCI. Hydrogen-rich saline (5 ml/kg) and saline (5 ml/kg) were given once a day via intraperitoneal injection. Neurological function was evaluated using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) and CatWalk gait analyses. Histopathological analysis, oxidative stress, inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6), and transplanted cell viability were detected at 3 and 28 days after SCI. Hydrogen can significantly enhance BMSC proliferation and migration and tolerance to SDM. Hydrogen and BMSC codelivery can significantly enhance neurological function recovery by improving the transplant cell survival rate and migration. Hydrogen can enhance the migration and proliferation capacity of BMSCs to repair SCI by reducing the inflammatory response and oxidative stress in the injured area. Hydrogen and BMSC codelivery is an effective method to improve BMSC transplantation in the treatment of SCI.

Robust intervention for oxidative stress-induced injury in periodontitis via controllably released nanoparticles that regulate the ROS-PINK1-Parkin pathway

Oxidative stress in periodontitis has emerged as one of the greatest barriers to periodontal tissue restoration. In this study, we synthesized controlled drug release nanoparticles (MitoQ@PssL NPs) by encasing mitoquinone (MitoQ; an autophagy enhancer) into tailor-made reactive oxygen species (ROS)-cleavable amphiphilic polymer nanoparticles (PssL NPs) to regulate the periodontitis microenvironment. Once exposed to reactive oxygen species, which were substantially overproduced under oxidative stress conditions, the ROS-cleavable PssL was disintegrated, promoting the release of the encapsulated MitoQ. The released mitoquinone efficiently induced mitophagy through the PINK1-Parkin pathway and successfully reduced oxidative stress by decreasing the amount of reactive oxygen species. With the gradual decrease in the reactive oxygen species level, which was insufficient to disintegrate PssL, the release of mitoquinone was reduced and eventually eliminated, which contributed to a redox homeostasis condition and facilitated the regeneration of periodontal tissue. MitoQ@PssL NPs have great potential in the treatment of periodontitis via microenvironment-controlled drug release, which will provide a new avenue for periodontal regeneration and diseases related to imbalanced redox metabolism.

Didymin, a natural flavonoid, relieves the progression of myocardial infarction via inhibiting the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 inflammasome

CONTEXT

Globally, the morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases remain high. Didymin, a flavonoid glycoside, has long been used as a dietary antioxidant.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the role of didymin in myocardial infarction (MI), and its possible myocardial protective mechanism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

C57/BL6 mice (aged 6-8 weeks, n = 40) were divided into five groups: sham group, ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R) group, I/R + didymin (1 mg/kg) group, I/R + didymin (2 mg/kg) group and I/R + didymin (4 mg/kg) group. Didymin was administered intragastrically daily before I/R for 5 consecutive days. H9C2 cells were divided into five groups: control group, H/R group, H/R + didymin (3 μM) group, H/R + didymin (10 μM) group and H/R + didymin (30 μM) group. H9C2 cells were treated with didymin for 24 h before hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R).

RESULTS

In vivo, didymin reduced the pathological damage and fibrosis of myocardial tissues, decreased the levels of lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, connective tissue growth factor, collagen I and collagen III. Moreover, didymin reduced myocardial apoptosis, inhibited NLRP3, ASC and caspase-1 expression, and alleviated the inflammatory response. In vitro, didymin reduced MI, apoptosis, inflammation and the levels of NLRP3, ASC and caspase-1 in H9C2.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Didymin prevented the deterioration of MI by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome in vivo and in vitro, and may be a potential natural drug for the treatment of MI. Our study provides the scientific basis for further research of didymin.

Effects of hydrogen-rich saline in neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction in rat model of sepsis-associated encephalopathy

Background

Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is one of the most common types of sepsis-related organ dysfunction without overt central nervous system (CNS) infection. It is associated with higher mortality, low quality of life, and long-term neurological sequelae in suspected patients. At present there is no specific treatment for SAE rather than supportive therapy and judicious use of antibiotics, which are sometimes associated with adverse effects. Molecular hydrogen (H2) has been reported to play crucial role in regulating inflammatory responses, neuronal injury, apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction in adult models of SAE. Here we report the protective effect of hydrogen-rich saline in juvenile SAE rat model and its possible underling mechanism(s).

Materials and methods

Rats were challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at a dose of 8 mg/kg injected intraperitoneally to induce sepsis and hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) administered 1 h following LPS induction at a dose of 5 ml/kg. Rats were divided into: sham, sham + HRS, LPS and LPS + HRS. At 48 h, rats were sacrificed and Nissl staining for neuronal injury, TUNEL assay for apoptotic cells detection, immunohistochemistry, and ELISA protocol for inflammatory cytokines determination, mitochondrial dysfunction parameters, electron microscopy and western blot analysis were studied to examine the effect of HRS in LPS-induced septic rats.

Results

Rats treated with HRS improved neuronal injury, improvement in rats’ survival rate. ELISA analysis showed decreased TNF-α and IL-1β and increased IL-10 expression levels in the HRS-treated group. Apoptotic cells were decreased after HRS administration in septic rats. The numbers of GFAP and IBA-1positive cells were attenuated in the HRS-treated group when compared to the LPS group. Subsequently, GFAP and IBA-1 immunoreactivity were decreased after HRS treatment. Mitochondrial membrane potential detected by JC-1 dye and ATP content were decreased in septic rats, which were improved after HRS treatment, while release of ROS was increased in the LPS group reverted by HRS treatment, ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction. Further analysis by transmission electron microscopy showed decreased number of mitochondria and synapses, and disrupted mitochondrial membrane ultrastructure in the LPS group, while HRS administration increased mitochondria and synapses number.

Conclusion

These data demonstrated that HRS can improve survival rate, attenuate neuroinflammation, astrocyte and microglial activation, neuronal injury and mitochondrial dysfunction in juvenile SAE rat model, making it a potential therapeutic candidate in treating paediatric SAE.

Protective effect of hydroxysafflor yellow A on renal ischemia‑-reperfusion injury by targeting the Akt‑Nrf2 axis in mice

Ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury is the primary cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), a natural compound isolated from Carthamus tinctorius L., has been found to possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, the protective effects and potential mechanism of HSYA on I/R-induced AKI remains unclear. In the present study, the in vitro hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) and in vivo renal I/R models were employed to investigate the renal protective effects and molecular mechanisms of HSYA on I/R-induced AKI. The present results indicated that HSYA pretreatment significantly ameliorated renal damage and dysfunction in the I/R injury mice via enhancing the antioxidant capacity and suppressing the oxidative stress injury, inflammatory response, and apoptosis. Mechanistic studies showed that HSYA could upregulate Akt/GSK-3β/Fyn-Nrf2 axis-mediated antioxidant gene expression both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, HSYA-mediated improvement in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects in H/R-treated HK-2 cells was abrogated by Akt inhibitor LY294002 supplementation. In summary, the present results demonstrated that HSYA attenuated kidney oxidative stress, inflammation response, and apoptosis induced by I/R, at least in part, via activating the Akt/GSK-3β/Fyn-Nrf2 axis pathway. These findings provided evidence that HSYA may be applied as a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of I/R induced AKI.

QishenYiqi dripping pill protects against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury via suppressing excessive autophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome based on network pharmacology and experimental pharmacology

Background: Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is associated with multiple serious clinical manifestations. Autophagy is upregulated in a short period of ischemia and further enhanced during reperfusion phase, which was considered as a “double-edged sword” in the pathological process of myocardial I/R injury. In addition, NLRP3 inflammasome triggers myocardial inflammatory response, which leads to cardiomyocyte death via pyroptosis and promotes subsequent myocardial remodelling. Qishen Yiqi Dripping Pill (QSYQ) has been recognized as a potential protective agent of cardiovascular diseases.

Objective: We predicted the bioactive compounds, targets and pathways of OSYQ intervening on myocardial I/R injury by network pharmacology. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of QSYQ on myocardial I/R injury and explored its underlying mechanism via autophagy and NLRP3 Inflammasome.

Methods: Bioactive compounds, targets of QSYQ and relevant targets of myocardial I/R injury were collected from public databases. The protein-protein interaction network, Gene ontology and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were carried out to screen the key compounds, target genes, functional annotation and pivotal pathways. Molecular docking was used to validate the binding association between target genes and key bioactive ingredients. Furthermore, sixty SD rats were randomized into four groups: 1) sham, 2) model, 3) captopril and 4) QSYQ pretreatment (14 days before and after surgery). Each arm was subjected to ischemia/reperfusion surgery except sham arm (30 min coronary ligation, then reperfusion). Left ventricular (LV) function were evaluated and the hearts were used to evaluate size of myocardial infarction, cardiomyocyte fibrosis, and myocardial autophagosomes.

Results: The network pharmacology revealed the mechanism of QSYQ intervening on myocardial I/R injury might be related to NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, autophagy-animal, etc., Molecular-docking suggested the core target proteins had good binding association with bioactive compounds of QSYQ. The experiment confirmed that QSYQ attenuated myocardial infarct size, decreased inflammatory infiltration and collagen fiber deposition and alleviated the autophagosome and myocardium ultrastructure injury, leading to LV systolic function improvement. The possible mechanism of cardioprotection was due to regulating autophagy-related proteins, activating PI3K/Akt-mTOR signaling pathway, and inhibiting activation and assembly of NLRP3 inflammasome.

Conclusion: QSYQ ameliorated myocardial I/R injury via suppressing excessive autophagy and NLRP3 Inflammasome.

Antioxidation activity of molecular hydrogen via protoheme catalysis in vivo: an insight from ab initio calculations

Recently, molecular hydrogen has been found to exhibit antioxidation activity through many clinical experiments, but the mechanism has not been fully understandable at atomic level. In this work, we perform systematic ab initio calculations of protoheme-hydrogen complexes to clarify the antioxidation mechanism of molecular hydrogen. We make molecular modeling of iron-protoporphyrin coordinated by imidazole, FeP(Im), and its hydrogen as well as dihydrogen complexes, together with reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (RONS). We carry out structural optimization and Mulliken charge analysis, revealing the two kinds of bonding characteristics between FeP(Im) and H[Formula: see text]: dihydrogen bonding in the end-on asymmetric configuration and Kubas bonding in the side-on symmetric configuration of H[Formula: see text] molecule. The activation barriers for adsorption and dissociation of H[Formula: see text] on and further desorption of H atom from FeP(Im) are found to be below 2.78 eV at most, which is remarkably lower than the H-H bond breaking energy of 4.64 eV in free H[Formula: see text] molecule. We find that the hydrogen bond dissociation energies of FeP(Im)-H[Formula: see text] and -H complexes are lower than those of RONS-H complexes, indicating the decisive role of protoheme as an effective catalyst in RONS antioxidation by molecular hydrogen in vivo.

The underlying pathological mechanism of ferroptosis in the development of cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have been attracting the attention of academic society for decades. Numerous researchers contributed to figuring out the core mechanisms underlying CVDs. Among those, pathological decompensated cellular loss posed by cell death in different kinds, namely necrosis, apoptosis and necroptosis, was widely regarded to accelerate the pathological development of most heart diseases and deteriorate cardiac function. Recently, apart from programmed cell death revealed previously, ferroptosis, a brand-new cellular death identified by its ferrous-iron-dependent manner, has been demonstrated to govern the occurrence and development of different cardiovascular disorders in many types of research as well. Therefore, clarifying the regulatory function of ferroptosis is conducive to finding out strategies for cardio-protection in different conditions and improving the prognosis of CVDs. Here, molecular mechanisms concerned are summarized systematically and categorized to depict the regulatory network of ferroptosis and point out potential therapeutic targets for diverse cardiovascular disorders.

The Beneficial Effects of Hydrogen-Rich Saline Irrigation on Chronic Rhinitis: A Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial

Purpose

Chronic rhinitis (CR) is a common chronic inflammation of the nasal mucosa. Nasal saline irrigation has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for CR. In this study, we investigated the beneficial effects of hydrogen-rich saline irrigation as an anti-inflammatory irrigation therapy for CR and compared its effectiveness over saline irrigation. Hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) was investigated due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Methods

A total of 120 patients with CR were randomly divided into two groups, patients irrigated with HR (HRS group) and the control group irrigated with saline (NS group). A randomized, double-blind control study was performed. The main observation index in this study was the total score of nasal symptoms (TNSS). In addition, eosinophilic protein (ECP) of the nasal secretions, nasal nitric oxide (nNO) levels, and levels of regulatory T cells (Treg) and regulatory B cells (Breg) were also compared between the two groups. Furthermore, patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) were also evaluated based on serum-specific IgE positivity.

Results

After treatment, TNSS and nasal ECP in the two groups decreased significantly (P<0.05), with patients in the HRS group showing significantly lower levels compared to the NS group (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in Treg and Breg levels between the two groups. Subgroup analysis showed that TNSS in the AR-HRS group showed a more significant reduction compared to the AR-NS group (P<0.05); however, there were no significant differences for the other inflammatory biomarkers (P>0.05). ECP levels were reduced significantly in the NAR subgroup compared to NS irrigation (P<0.05). There were no obvious adverse events observed in patients during the entire treatment period.

Conclusion

Compared to saline irrigation, HRS nasal irrigation was found to improve CR clinical symptoms, especially in patients with AR. HRS could effectively be used for the clinical treatment of patients with CR.

Point your SmartPhone at the code above. If you have a QR code reader the video abstract will appear. Or use:

https://youtu.be/8YpkEFCYNzI

Resveratrol mediates the miR-149/HMGB1 axis and regulates the ferroptosis pathway to protect myocardium in endotoxemia mice

Endotoxemia is a common complication often used to model the acute inflammatory response associated with endotoxemia. Resveratrol has been shown to exert a wide range of therapeutic effects due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This study explored the effect of resveratrol on endotoxemia. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endotoxemia mouse model and endotoxemia myocardial injury cell model were established and treated with resveratrol. Cardiomyocyte activity, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) content in cell supernatant, glutathione (GSH) consumption, lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and iron accumulation were detected. Cardiac function indexes [left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD), ejection fraction (EF)%, and fractional shortening (FS)%] were measured using echocardiography. The creatine kinase muscle/brain isoenzyme (CK-MB) and CK levels in the serum were detected using an automatic biochemical analyzer. The downstream target of miR-149 was predicted, and the binding relationship between miR-149 and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) was verified using a dual-luciferase assay. miR-149 and HMGB1 expressions were detected using RT-qPCR and Western blot. After resveratrol treatment, cardiomyocyte viability and GSH were increased, and LDH secretion, lipid ROS production, lipid peroxidation, and iron accumulation were decreased, and cardiac function and cardiomyocyte injury were improved. Resveratrol improved LPS-induced endotoxemia cardiomyocyte injury by upregulating miR-149 and inhibiting ferroptosis. Resveratrol inhibited HMGB1 expression by upregulating miR-149. HMGB1 upregulation reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-149 on LPS-induced ferroptosis in cardiomyocytes. Resveratrol upregulated miR-149 and downregulated HMGB1 to inhibit ferroptosis and improve myocardial injury in mice with LPS-induced endotoxemia. Collectively, resveratrol upregulated miR-149, downregulated HMGB1, and inhibited the ferroptosis pathway, thus improving cardiomyocyte injury in LPS-induced endotoxemia.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Sepsis is an unusual systemic reaction. Resveratrol is involved in sepsis treatment. This study explored the mechanism of resveratrol in sepsis by regulating the miR-149/HMGB1 axis.

L-Borneol 7-O-[β-D-Apiofuranosyl-(1 → 6)]-β-D-Glucopyranoside Alleviates Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rats and Hypoxic/Reoxygenated Injured Myocardial Cells via Regulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) is a primary cause of morbidity and mortality in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). L-Borneol 7-O-[β-D-apiofuranosyl-(1→6)]-β-D-glucopyranoside (LBAG), extracted from the Radix Ophiopogonis, is the main bioactive component that may be exerting cardiovascular protection in AMI. The purpose was to examine the effects of LBAG on myocardial I/R injury (MIRI) in rats and H9c2 cells treated with hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). MIRI was induced through the combination of ischemia with reperfusion for 30 min and 24 h, respectively. LBAG was administered 7 days before vascular ligation. Myocardial function was detected by an electrocardiograph, histological, TTC, and TUNEL staining analyses. The influences of LBAG on the content concentration of cardiac enzymes in the serum were measured by ELISA. Moreover, H9c2 cells were exposed to LBAG or combined with AKT inhibitor (perifosine) and then exposed to H/R for simulating the cardiac injury process. Afterward, cell viability, LDH, CD-KM release, apoptosis, and autophagy were evaluated by CCK-8 and ELISA assays, flow cytometry, TUNEL, and immunofluorescence staining, respectively. Additionally, the proteins of apoptosis, autophagy, and PI3K/mTOR pathway were determined by western blotting. In I/R rats, LBAG pretreatment significantly ameliorated cardiac function, as illustrated by reducing the infarct size, myocardial autophagy, and apoptosis levels. In H/R-induced H9c2 cells, LBAG pretreatment significantly decreased cell apoptosis, LC3 II/I, and Beclin 1 levels, elevated the Bcl-2 levels, attenuated LDH, and CD-KM production. Moreover, LBAG pretreatment markedly increased the PI3K/mTOR pathway activation, and the protective influences of LBAG were partly abolished with the AKT inhibitor perifosine treatment. These findings demonstrated the protective functions of LBAG on I/R by regulating apoptosis and autophagy in vitro and in vivo by activating the PI3K/mTOR pathway.

Role of Molecular Hydrogen in Ageing and Ageing-Related Diseases

Ageing is a physiological process of progressive decline in the organism function over time. It affects every organ in the body and is a significant risk for chronic diseases. Molecular hydrogen has therapeutic and preventive effects on various organs. It has antioxidative properties as it directly neutralizes hydroxyl radicals and reduces peroxynitrite level. It also activates Nrf2 and HO-1, which regulate many antioxidant enzymes and proteasomes. Through its antioxidative effect, hydrogen maintains genomic stability, mitigates cellular senescence, and takes part in histone modification, telomere maintenance, and proteostasis. In addition, hydrogen may prevent inflammation and regulate the nutrient-sensing mTOR system, autophagy, apoptosis, and mitochondria, which are all factors related to ageing. Hydrogen can also be used for prevention and treatment of various ageing-related diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, diabetes, and cancer. This paper reviews the basic research and recent application of hydrogen in order to support hydrogen use in medicine for ageing prevention and ageing-related disease therapy.

LncRNA LINC00461 exacerbates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury via microRNA-185-3p/Myd88

OBJECTIVE

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critically in the pathogenesis of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Thus, it was proposed to investigate the mechanism of LINC00461 in the disease through mediating microRNA-185-3p (miR-185-3p)/myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (Myd88) axis.

METHODS

miR-185-3p, LINC00461 and Myd88 expression in mice with I/R injury was measured. Mice with I/R injury were injected with the gene expression-modified vectors, after which cardiac function, hemodynamics, myocardial enzyme, oxidative stress, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis were analyzed.

RESULTS

I/R mice showed LINC00461 and Myd88 up-regulation and miR-185-3p down-regulation. Down-regulating LINC00461 or up-regulating miR-185-3p recovered cardiac function, reduced myocardial enzyme levels, and attenuated oxidative stress and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in mice with I/R. miR-185-3p overexpression rescued the promoting effect of LINC00461 upregulation on myocardial injury in I/R mice.

CONCLUSION

LINC00461 knockdown attenuates myocardial I/R injury via elevating miR-185-3p expression to suppress Myd88 expression.

Molecular hydrogen is a potential protective agent in the management of acute lung injury

Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome, which is a more severe form of ALI, are life-threatening clinical syndromes observed in critically ill patients. Treatment methods to alleviate the pathogenesis of ALI have improved to a great extent at present. Although the efficacy of these therapies is limited, their relevance has increased remarkably with the ongoing pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which causes severe respiratory distress syndrome. Several studies have demonstrated the preventive and therapeutic effects of molecular hydrogen in the various diseases. The biological effects of molecular hydrogen mainly involve anti-inflammation, antioxidation, and autophagy and cell death modulation. This review focuses on the potential therapeutic effects of molecular hydrogen on ALI and its underlying mechanisms and aims to provide a theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of ALI and COVID-19.

Molecular hydrogen is a promising therapeutic agent for pulmonary disease

Molecular hydrogen exerts biological effects on nearly all organs. It has anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging effects and contributes to the regulation of autophagy and cell death. As the primary organ for gas exchange, the lungs are constantly exposed to various harmful environmental irritants. Short- or long-term exposure to these harmful substances often results in lung injury, causing respiratory and lung diseases. Acute and chronic respiratory diseases have high rates of morbidity and mortality and have become a major public health concern worldwide. For example, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a global pandemic. An increasing number of studies have revealed that hydrogen may protect the lungs from diverse diseases, including acute lung injury, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, lung cancer, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and pulmonary fibrosis. In this review, we highlight the multiple functions of hydrogen and the mechanisms underlying its protective effects in various lung diseases, with a focus on its roles in disease pathogenesis and clinical significance.

Mitophagy Regulation Following Myocardial Infarction

Mitophagy, which mediates the selective elimination of dysfunctional mitochondria, is essential for cardiac homeostasis. Mitophagy is regulated mainly by PTEN-induced putative kinase protein-1 (PINK1)/parkin pathway but also by FUN14 domain-containing 1 (FUNDC1) or Bcl2 interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) and BNIP3-like (BNIP3L/NIX) pathways. Several studies have shown that dysregulated mitophagy is involved in cardiac dysfunction induced by aging, aortic stenosis, myocardial infarction or diabetes. The cardioprotective role of mitophagy is well described, whereas excessive mitophagy could contribute to cell death and cardiac dysfunction. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms involved in the regulation of cardiac mitophagy and its role in physiological condition. We focused on cardiac mitophagy during and following myocardial infarction by highlighting the role and the regulation of PI NK1/parkin-; FUNDC1-; BNIP3- and BNIP3L/NIX-induced mitophagy during ischemia and reperfusion.

Hydrogen, a Novel Therapeutic Molecule, Regulates Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Apoptosis

Molecular hydrogen (H₂) is a colorless and odorless gas. Studies have shown that H₂ inhalation has the therapeutic effects in many animal studies and clinical trials, and its application is recommended in the novel coronavirus pneumonia treatment guidelines in China recently. H₂ has a relatively small molecular mass, which helps it quickly spread and penetrate cell membranes to exert a wide range of biological effects. It may play a role in the treatment and prevention of a variety of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, such as acute pancreatitis, sepsis, respiratory disease, ischemia reperfusion injury diseases, autoimmunity diseases, etc.. H₂ is primarily administered via inhalation, drinking H₂-rich water, or injection of H₂ saline. It may participate in the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity (mitochondrial energy metabolism), immune system regulation, and cell death (apoptosis, autophagy, and pyroptosis) through annihilating excess reactive oxygen species production and modulating nuclear transcription factor. However, the underlying mechanism of H₂ has not yet been fully revealed. Owing to its safety and potential efficacy, H₂ has a promising potential for clinical use against many diseases. This review will demonstrate the role of H₂ in antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects and its underlying mechanism, particularly in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), providing strategies for the medical application of H₂ for various diseases.

Artemisinin relieves myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury via modulating miR-29b-3p and hemicentin 1

Objective: To explore the impact of artemisinin (ARS) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and the underlying mechanism. Methods: Myocardial I/R rat model and cell model were used in this study. The cell viability, morphological changes, apoptosis, and oxidative stress were evaluated in cardiomyocytes H9c2 cells in vitro by using cell counting kit-8, microscope, flow cytometry, and commercial kits. High throughput sequencing is used to identify molecular targets of ARS on myocardial I/R injury, and then the gene-gene interaction network was constructed. MiR-29b-3p, hemicentin 1 (HMCN1), and apoptosis-related genes were tested by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. In the myocardial I/R rat model, echocardiography, (Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride) TTC staining, Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, Masson Trichrome staining, and TUNEL staining are applied to evaluate the protective effect of ARS on the myocardial injury. Results: In vitro, we demonstrated that ARS alleviated H₂O₂-induced myocardial I/R injury, manifested by increased H9c2 viability, decreased pathological changes, apoptosis, and oxidative stress biomarker ROS, LDH, and CK-MB. Then, sequencing analysis revealed that miR-29b-3p/HMCN1 was the target of ARS for myocardial I/R injury. Notably, rescue experiments indicated that ARS inhibited myocardial I/R injury through targeted regulation miR-29b-3p/HMCN1. In vivo, we confirmed that ARS reduced myocardial injury, fibrosis, and apoptosis via modulation of miR-29b-3p/HMCN1. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the functional role of the ARS/miR-29b-3p/HMCN1 axis in alleviating myocardial I/R injury, which provided a new direction for myocardial I/R injury therapy.

Hydrogen-rich saline alleviates early brain injury through regulating of ER stress and autophagy after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage

PURPOSE

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a common complication of cerebral vascular disease. Hydrogen has been reported to alleviate early brain injury (EBI) through oxidative stress injury, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and autophagy. Autophagy is a programmed cell death mechanism that plays a vital role in neuronal cell death after SAH. However, the precise role of autophagy in hydrogen-mediated neuroprotection following SAH has not been confirmed.

METHODS

In the present study, the objective was to investigate the neuroprotective effects and potential molecular mechanisms of hydrogen-rich saline in SAH-induced EBI by regulating neural autophagy in the C57BL/6 mice model. Mortality, neurological score, brain water content, ROS, malondialdehyde (MDA), and neuronal death were evaluated.

RESULTS

The results show that hydrogen-rich saline treatment markedly increased the survival rate and neurological score, increased neuron survival, downregulated the autophagy protein expression of Beclin-1 and LC3, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. That indicates that hydrogen-rich saline-mediated inhibition of autophagy and ER stress ameliorate neuronal death after SAH. The neuroprotective capacity of hydrogen-rich saline is partly dependent on the ROS/Nrf2/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study demonstrate that hydrogen-rich saline improves neurological outcomes in mice and reduces neuronal death by protecting against neural autophagy and ER stress.

Propofol protects H9C2 cells against hypoxia/reoxygenation injury through miR-449a and NR4A2

Propofol has been revealed to protect cardiomyocytes against myocardial ischemia injury, although the underlying mechanism remains incompletely understood. H9C2 cells were used to generate a hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) in vitro model for the present study. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting were performed to measure the expression levels of microRNA (miR)-449a and nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 2 (NR4A2). The CCK-8, BrdU, EdU, and caspase-3 activity assays and western blot analysis were employed to detect cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis. The target relationship between miR-449a and NR4A2 was verified through dual-luciferase reporter assays. The results confirmed that exposure of the cells to H/R resulted in severe cell injury. However, the presence of propofol improved cell activity by promoting cell viability and proliferation and inhibiting cell apoptosis. The beneficial effect of propofol on H/R-mediated injury could be abrogated by the inhibition of NR4A2 mediated by miR-449a. Thus, the present study demonstrated that propofol counteracted cardiomyocyte H/R injury by inhibiting miR-449a to upregulate NR4A2.

CircUBXN7 mitigates H/R-induced cell apoptosis and inflammatory response through the miR-622-MCL1 axis

BACKGROUND

Hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-mediated apoptosis and inflammation are major causes of tissue injury in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Exploring the underlying mechanisms of cardiomyocyte injury induced by H/R is important for AMI treatment. Circular RNAs have been demonstrated to paly vital roles in the pathogenesis of AMI. Our study aimed to explore the function of circular RNA UBXN7 (circUBXN7) in regulating H/R-induced cardiomyocyte injury.

METHODS

H/R-treated H9c2 cells and a mouse model of AMI were used to investigate the function of circUBXN7 in H/R damage and AMI. The expressions of circUNXN7, miR-622 and MCL1 were analyzed by RT-qPCR. CCK-8 was used for examining cell viability. Cell apoptosis was evaluated with caspase 3 activity and Annexin V/PI staining. MCL1, Bax, Bcl-2 and cleaved-caspase 3 were examined with western blot. ELISA was used to examine the secretion of IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β.

RESULTS

CircUBXN7 was downregulated in patients and mice with AMI, as well as in H/R-treated cells. Overexpression of circUBXN7 mitigated H/R-mediated apoptosis and secretion of inflammatory factors including IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β. CircUBXN7 suppressed cell apoptosis and inflammatory reaction induced by H/R via targeting miR-622. MiR-622 targeted MCL1 to restrain its expression in H9c2 cells. Knockdown of MCL1 abrogated circUBXN7-mediated alleviation of apoptosis and inflammation after H/R treatment.

CONCLUSION

CircUBXN7 mitigates cardiomyocyte apoptosis and inflammatory reaction in H/R injury by targeting miR-622 and maintaining MCL1 expression. Our study provides novel potential therapeutic targets for AMI treatment.

Genetic Imaging of Neuroinflammation in Parkinson's Disease: Recent Advancements

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative aging disorders characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms due to the selective loss of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons. The decreased viability of DA neurons slowly results in the appearance of motor symptoms such as rigidity, bradykinesia, resting tremor, and postural instability. These symptoms largely depend on DA nigrostriatal denervation. Pharmacological and surgical interventions are the main treatment for improving clinical symptoms, but it has not been possible to cure PD. Furthermore, the cause of neurodegeneration remains unclear. One of the possible neurodegeneration mechanisms is a chronic inflammation of the central nervous system, which is mediated by microglial cells. Impaired or dead DA neurons can directly lead to microglia activation, producing a large number of reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory cytokines. These cytotoxic factors contribute to the apoptosis and death of DA neurons, and the pathological process of neuroinflammation aggravates the primary morbid process and exacerbates ongoing neurodegeneration. Therefore, anti-inflammatory treatment exerts a robust neuroprotective effect in a mouse model of PD. Since discovering the first mutation in the α-synuclein gene (SNCA), which can cause disease-causing, PD has involved many genes and loci such as LRRK2, Parkin, SNCA, and PINK1. In this article, we summarize the critical descriptions of the genetic factors involved in PD's occurrence and development (such as LRRK2, SNCA, Parkin, PINK1, and inflammasome), and these factors play a crucial role in neuroinflammation. Regulation of these signaling pathways and molecular factors related to these genetic factors can vastly improve the neuroinflammation of PD.

Molecular Perspectives of Mitophagy in Myocardial Stress: Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Targets

A variety of complex risk factors and pathological mechanisms contribute to myocardial stress, which ultimately promotes the development of cardiovascular diseases, including acute cardiac insufficiency, myocardial ischemia, myocardial infarction, high-glycemic myocardial injury, and acute alcoholic cardiotoxicity. Myocardial stress is characterized by abnormal metabolism, excessive reactive oxygen species production, an insufficient energy supply, endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial damage, and apoptosis. Mitochondria, the main organelles contributing to the energy supply of cardiomyocytes, are key determinants of cell survival and death. Mitophagy is important for cardiomyocyte function and metabolism because it removes damaged and aged mitochondria in a timely manner, thereby maintaining the proper number of normal mitochondria. In this review, we first introduce the general characteristics and regulatory mechanisms of mitophagy. We then describe the three classic mitophagy regulatory pathways and their involvement in myocardial stress. Finally, we discuss the two completely opposite effects of mitophagy on the fate of cardiomyocytes. Our summary of the molecular pathways underlying mitophagy in myocardial stress may provide therapeutic targets for myocardial protection interventions.

Advances in the mechanism and treatment of mitochondrial quality control involved in myocardial infarction

Mitochondria are important organelles in eukaryotic cells. Normal mitochondrial homeostasis is subject to a strict mitochondrial quality control system, including the strict regulation of mitochondrial production, fission/fusion and mitophagy. The strict and accurate modulation of the mitochondrial quality control system, comprising the mitochondrial fission/fusion, mitophagy and other processes, can ameliorate the myocardial injury of myocardial ischaemia and ischaemia-reperfusion after myocardial infarction, which plays an important role in myocardial protection after myocardial infarction. Further research into the mechanism will help identify new therapeutic targets and drugs for the treatment of myocardial infarction. This article aims to summarize the recent research regarding the mitochondrial quality control system and its molecular mechanism involved in myocardial infarction, as well as the potential therapeutic targets in the future.

Mitophagy in Cerebral Ischemia and Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Ischemic stroke is a severe cerebrovascular disease with high mortality and morbidity. In recent years, reperfusion treatments based on thrombolytic and thrombectomy are major managements for ischemic stroke patients, and the recanalization time window has been extended to over 24 h. However, with the extension of the time window, the risk of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury following reperfusion therapy becomes a big challenge for patient outcomes. I/R injury leads to neuronal death due to the imbalance in metabolic supply and demand, which is usually related to mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitophagy is a type of selective autophagy referring to the process of specific autophagic elimination of damaged or dysfunctional mitochondria to prevent the generation of excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the subsequent cell death. Recent advances have implicated the protective role of mitophagy in cerebral ischemia is mainly associated with its neuroprotective effects in I/R injury. This review discusses the involvement of mitochondria dynamics and mitophagy in the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke and I/R injury in particular, focusing on the therapeutic potential of mitophagy regulation and the possibility of using mitophagy-related interventions as an adjunctive approach for neuroprotective time window extension after ischemic stroke.

Hydrogen gas post-conditioning attenuates early neuronal pyroptosis in a rat model of subarachnoid hemorrhage through the mitoKATP signaling pathway

Neuronal pyroptosis serves an important role in the progress of neurologic dysfunction following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), which is predominantly caused by a ruptured aneurysm. Hydrogen gas has been previously reported to be an effective anti-inflammatory agent against ischemia-associated diseases by regulating mitochondrial function. The objective of the present study was to investigate the potential neuroprotective effects of hydrogen gas post-conditioning against neuronal pyroptosis after SAH, with specific focus on the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K⁺ (mitoK_ATP) channels. Following SAH induction by endovascular perforation, rats were treated with inhalation of 2.9% hydrogen gas for 2 h post-perforation. Neurologic deficits, brain water content, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, neuronal pyroptosis, phosphorylation of ERK1/2, p38 MAPK and pyroptosis-associated proteins IL-1β and IL-18 were evaluated 24 h after perforation by a modified Garcia method, ratio of wet/dry weight, 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate, immunofluorescence and western blot assays, respectively. An inhibitor of the mitoK_ATP channel, 5-hydroxydecanoate sodium (5-HD), was used to assess the potential role of the mitoK_ATP-ERK1/2-p38 MAPK signal pathway. Hydrogen gas post-conditioning significantly alleviated brain edema and improved neurologic function, reduced ROS production and neuronal pyroptosis, suppressed the expression of IL-1β and IL-18 whilst upregulating ERK1/2 phosphorylation, but downregulated p38 MAPK activation 24 h post-SAH. These aforementioned effects neuroprotective were partially reversed by 5-HD treatment. Therefore, these observations suggest that post-conditioning with hydrogen gas ameliorated SAH-induced neuronal pyroptosis at least in part through the mitoK_ATP/ERK1/2/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

Perspective of Molecular Hydrogen in the Treatment of Sepsis

Sepsis is the main cause of death in critically ill patients with no effective treatment. Sepsis is lifethreatening organ dysfunction due to a dysregulated host response to infection. As a novel medical gas, molecular hydrogen (H₂) has a therapeutic effect on many diseases, such as sepsis. H₂ treatment exerts multiple biological effects, which can effectively improve multiple organ injuries caused by sepsis. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of hydrogen involved in the treatment of sepsis remain elusive, which are likely related to anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, anti-apoptosis, regulation of autophagy and multiple signaling pathways. This review can help better understand the progress of hydrogen in the treatment of sepsis, and provide a theoretical basis for the clinical application of hydrogen therapy in sepsis in the future.

C-X-C motif chemokine 16, modulated by microRNA-545, aggravates myocardial damage and affects the inflammatory responses in myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

Myocardial infarction (MI), a common type of coronary heart disease, is the major cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. Chemokine-mediated inflammatory cell infiltration and local inflammatory damage response are recent research hotspots. Hence, we attempted to examine the role of C-X-C motif chemokine 16 (CXCL16) as a potential candidate in MI.

METHODS

Human cardiomyocytes were treated with hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) to establish an in vitro cell model. GEO database provided the clinical data of MI patients and GSEA verified the relationship of chemokine and MI. CCK-8 and flow cytometry analyses were used to measure cell viability and apoptosis. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay were conducted to determine the correlation between CXCL16 and miR-545. qRT-PCR and western blot assays were performed to investigate the expression level of the indicated genes. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-10 were explored using ELISA assay.

RESULTS

CXCL16 was increased in MI. CXCL16 knockdown can reverse the inhibitory effect of H/R treatment on cell viability, while overexpression of CXCL16 showed the opposite trend. MiR-545 directly targeted CXCL16 and negatively regulated CXCL16 levels. MiR-545 promoted cell proliferation and inhibited apoptosis in the MI cell model, which attenuated the CXCL16-induced injury on cardiomyocytes.

CONCLUSION

These findings demonstrated that CXCL16 aggravated MI damage through being directly targeted by miR-545 and mediating inflammatory responses, thereby providing potential therapeutic targets for MI therapy.

High uric acid promotes mitophagy through the ROS/CaMKIIδ/Parkin pathway in cardiomyocytes in vitro and in vivo

BACKGROUND

Increasing evidence has suggested that high uric acid (HUA) is closely related to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Mitophagy abnormalities have been reported to participate in multiple pathogenic processes of CVD. However, the potential molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we investigated the effect of HUA-induced mitophagy and its potential molecular mechanism in cardiomyocytes.

METHODS

We established a model of cardiomyocytes induced by HUA in vitro and in vivo. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content were measured. The mitophagy-related protein expression of LC3B-II, Parkin, Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II δ (CaMKIIδ) and P62 was measured by Western blot. Based on the colocalization of lysosomes and mitochondria, a confocal microscope was used to detect mitophagy. Additionally, we established a mitophagy inhibitor group (3-MA) and CaMKIIδ inhibitor group (KN-93) to verify the pathway.

RESULTS

In the HUA stimulation model, ROS production was increased, and mitochondrial injury indexes (MMP and ATP contents) were decreased. Moreover, these indicators were reversed by 3-MA and KN-93. Under HUA stimulation, the expression of LC3B-II, Parkin, CaMKIIδ and P62 increased significantly. Furthermore, these protein levels were reduced by 3-MA and KN-93.

CONCLUSION

HUA can promote cardiomyocyte mitophagy activation through the ROS/CaMKIIδ/parkin pathway axis. This study may provide a new target and theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of HUA-related metabolic heart disease in the future.

The Role of Mitophagy in Ischemic Stroke

Mitochondria are important places for eukaryotes to carry out energy metabolism and participate in the processes of cell differentiation, cell information transmission, and cell apoptosis. Autophagy is a programmed intracellular degradation process. Mitophagy, as a selective autophagy, is an evolutionarily conserved cellular process to eliminate dysfunctional or redundant mitochondria, thereby fine-tuning the number of mitochondria and maintaining energy metabolism. Many stimuli could activate mitophagy to regulate related physiological processes, which could ultimately reduce or aggravate the damage caused by stimulation. Stroke is a common disease that seriously affects the health and lives of people around the world, and ischemic stroke, which is caused by cerebral vascular stenosis or obstruction, accounts for the vast majority of stroke. Abnormal mitophagy is closely related to the occurrence, development and pathological mechanism of ischemic stroke. However, the exact mechanism of mitophagy involved in ischemic stroke has not been fully elucidated. In this review, we discuss the process and signal pathways of mitophagy, the potential role of mitophagy in ischemic stroke and the possible signal transduction pathways. It will help deepen the understanding of mitophagy and provide new ideas for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Associated with Effects of Molecular Hydrogen in Cardiovascular and Central Nervous Systems

The increased production of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress are important factors contributing to the development of diseases of the cardiovascular and central nervous systems. Molecular hydrogen is recognized as an emerging therapeutic, and its positive effects in the treatment of pathologies have been documented in both experimental and clinical studies. The therapeutic potential of hydrogen is attributed to several major molecular mechanisms. This review focuses on the effects of hydrogen on the cardiovascular and central nervous systems, and summarizes current knowledge about its actions, including the regulation of redox and intracellular signaling, alterations in gene expressions, and modulation of cellular responses (e.g., autophagy, apoptosis, and tissue remodeling). We summarize the functions of hydrogen as a regulator of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-mediated redox signaling and the association of hydrogen with mitochondria as an important target of its therapeutic action. The antioxidant functions of hydrogen are closely associated with protein kinase signaling pathways, and we discuss possible roles of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) and Wnt/β-catenin pathways, which are mediated through glycogen synthase kinase 3β and its involvement in the regulation of cellular apoptosis. Additionally, current knowledge about the role of molecular hydrogen in the modulation of autophagy and matrix metalloproteinases-mediated tissue remodeling, which are other responses to cellular stress, is summarized in this review.

Vitamin D Attenuates Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Cardiac Injury by Reducing Mitochondrial Fission and Mitophagy

Myocardial infarction is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although myocardial reperfusion after ischemia (I/R) is an effective method to save ischemic myocardium, it can cause adverse reactions, including increased oxidative stress and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Mitochondrial fission and mitophagy are essential factors for mitochondrial quality control, but whether they play key roles in cardiac I/R injury remains unknown. New pharmacological or molecular interventions to alleviate reperfusion injury are currently considered desirable therapies. Vitamin D₃ (Vit D₃) regulates cardiovascular function, but its physiological role in I/R-exposed hearts, especially its effects on mitochondrial homeostasis, remains unclear. An in vitro hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) model was established in H9c2 cells to simulate myocardial I/R injury. H/R treatment significantly reduced H9c2 cell viability, increased apoptosis, and activated caspase 3. In addition, H/R treatment increased mitochondrial fission, as manifested by increased expression of phosphorylated dynein-related protein 1 (p-Drp1) and mitochondrial fission factor (Mff) as well as increased mitochondrial translocation of Drp1. Treatment with the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species scavenger MitoTEMPO increased cell viability and decreased mitochondrial fission. H/R conditions elicited excessive mitophagy, as indicated by increased expression of BCL2-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) and light chain (LC3BII/I) and increased formation of autolysosomes. In contrast, Vit D₃ reversed these effects. In a mouse model of I/R, apoptosis, mitochondrial fission, and mitophagy were induced. Vit D₃ treatment mitigated apoptosis, mitochondrial fission, mitophagy, and myocardial ultrastructural abnormalities. The results indicate that Vit D₃ exerts cardioprotective effects against I/R cardiac injury by protecting mitochondrial structural and functional integrity and reducing mitophagy.

Long non-coding RNA BANCR promotes interferon-β-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis by targeting signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 in vitro

Myocardium functions as an immune organ, and myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) is known to initiate myocardial innate immune response to induce myocardial injury. However, the mechanisms underlying interferon-β (IFN-β)-mediated myocardial injury during I/R and whether long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in IFN-β-mediated myocardial injury remain unknown. This study identified that I/R significantly induced IFN-β expression in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, and IFN-β further enhanced I/R-induced myocardial apoptosis. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the lncRNA BRAF-activated non-coding RNA (BANCR) was highly expressed in cardiomyocytes, and BANCR-knockdown suppressed signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) phosphorylation and IFN-β-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Furthermore, it was identified that BANCR specifically interacted with STAT1 to promote IFN-β-STAT1 signaling and enhanced the expression of pro-apoptotic interferon stimulated genes. Overall, the present study reports that lncRNA BANCR promotes IFN-β-mediated cardiomyocyte apoptosis following I/R injury by interacting with STAT1, suggesting lncRNA BANCR is involved in IFN-β-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis.