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Liu T, Wang R, Qi W, Jia L, Ma K, Si J, Yin J, Zhao Y, Dai Z, Yin J. Methyl Ferulic Acid Alleviates Neuropathic Pain by Inhibiting Nox4-induced Ferroptosis in Dorsal Root Ganglia Neurons in Rats. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:3175-3189. [PMID: 36813954 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03270-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is a disease that has become one of the major public health problems and a global burden. Nox4-induced oxidative stress can lead to ferroptosis and neuropathic pain. Methyl ferulic acid (MFA) can inhibit the Nox4-induced oxidative stress. This study aimed to estimate whether methyl ferulic acid alleviates neuropathic pain by inhibiting the expression of Nox4 and its induction of ferroptosis. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to spared nerve injury (SNI) model to induce neuropathic pain. After the establishment of the model, methyl ferulic acid was given 14 days by gavage. Nox4 overexpression was induced by microinjection of the AAV-Nox4 vector. All groups measured paw mechanical withdrawal threshold (PMWT), paw thermal withdrawal latency (PTWL), and paw withdrawal cold duration (PWCD). The expression of Nox4, ACSL4, GPX4, and ROS was investigated by Western blot and immunofluorescence staining. The changes in iron content were detected by a tissue iron kit. The morphological changes in mitochondria were observed by transmission electron microscopy. In the SNI group, the paw mechanical withdrawal threshold, the paw withdrawal cold duration decreased, the paw thermal withdrawal latency did not change, the Nox4, ACSL4, ROS, and iron content increased, the GPX4 decreased, and the number of abnormal mitochondria increased. Methyl ferulic acid can increase PMWT and PWCD but does not affect PTWL. Methyl ferulic acid can inhibit Nox4 protein expression. Meanwhile, ferroptosis-related protein ACSL4 expression was decreased, GPX4 expression was increased, ROS, iron content and abnormal mitochondrial number were decreased. By overexpressing Nox4, the PMWT, PWCD, and ferroptosis of rats were more severe than those of the SNI group, but they could be reversed after treatment with methyl ferulic acid. In conclusion, methyl ferulic acid can alleviate neuropathic pain, which is related to Nox4-induced ferroptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tielong Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Ruixue Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Wenqiang Qi
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Lei Jia
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Ketao Ma
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Junqiang Si
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Jieting Yin
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Yujia Zhao
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Zhigang Dai
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Jiangwen Yin
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China. .,NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China.
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Sun X, Ma L, Li X, Wang J, Li Y, Huang Z. Ferulic acid alleviates retinal neovascularization by modulating microglia/macrophage polarization through the ROS/NF-κB axis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:976729. [PMID: 36119027 PMCID: PMC9478033 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.976729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammation plays a pivotal role in ischemia-induced retinal neovascularization. Targeting microglia/macrophage-based neuroinflammation presents a promising therapeutic strategy. Ferulic acid (FA), a natural and active ingredient in plants, exerts favorable anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of FA against hypoxia-induced retinal angiogenesis using cultured retinal vascular endothelial cells and an oxygen-induced retinopathy mouse (OIR) model. The immunoregulatory effect of FA on microglia/macrophage polarization was evaluated by detecting the expression of specific markers for both pro-inflammatory “M1” and anti-inflammatory “M2” phenotypes using co-immunostaining and polymerase chain reaction assays. The underlying molecular mechanism upon FA treatment was also explored. The results showed that FA supplement markedly inhibited retinal pathological angiogenesis both in vivo and in vitro. In addition, FA switched microglia/macrophage polarization from “M1” towards “M2” phenotype and alleviated the inflammatory response. Mechanically, the anti-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory properties of FA were mainly due to blockade of the ROS/NF-κB pathway. Our data demonstrated an anti-angiogenic effect of FA through regulating M1-to-M2 microglia/macrophage polarization, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for retinal neovascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, Yantai, China
| | - Lusheng Ma
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, Yantai, China
| | - Xiao Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jiao Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, Yantai, China
| | - Yuanbin Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, Yantai, China
| | - Zijing Huang
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou, China
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Ma D, Xu B, Feng J, Hu H, Tang J, Yin G, Xie Y, Wang C. Dynamic Metabolomics and Transcriptomics Analyses for Characterization of Phenolic Compounds and Their Biosynthetic Characteristics in Wheat Grain. Front Nutr 2022; 9:844337. [PMID: 35252312 PMCID: PMC8888538 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.844337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenolic compounds are important bioactive phytochemicals with potential health benefits. In this study, integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis was used to analyze the metabolites and differentially expressed genes in grains of two wheat cultivars (HPm512 with high antioxidant activity, and ZM22 with low antioxidant activity) during grain development. A total of 188 differentially expressed phenolic components, including 82 phenolic acids, 81 flavonoids, 10 lignans, and 15 other phenolics, were identified in the developing wheat grains, of which apigenin glycosides were identified as the primary flavonoid component. The relative abundance of identified phenolics showed a decreasing trend with grain development. Additionally, 51 differentially expressed phenolic components were identified between HPm512 and ZM22, of which 41 components, including 23 flavonoids, were up-regulated in HPm512. In developing grain, most of the identified differentially expressed genes involved in phenolic accumulation followed a similar trend. Integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis revealed that certain genes encoding structural proteins, glycosyltransferase, and transcription factors were closely related to metabolite accumulation. The relatively higher accumulation of phenolics in HPm512 could be due to up-regulated structural and regulatory genes. A sketch map was drawn to depict the synthetic pathway of identified phenolics and their corresponding genes. This study enhanced the current understanding of the accumulation of phenolics in wheat grains. Besides, active components and their related genes were also identified, providing crucial information for the improvement of wheat's nutritional quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongyun Ma
- College of Agronomy/National Engineering Research Center for Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- The National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Technology Innovation Center of Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Dongyun Ma
| | - Beiming Xu
- College of Agronomy/National Engineering Research Center for Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Technology Innovation Center of Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jianchao Feng
- College of Agronomy/National Engineering Research Center for Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Technology Innovation Center of Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Haizhou Hu
- College of Agronomy/National Engineering Research Center for Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Technology Innovation Center of Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jianwei Tang
- College of Agronomy/National Engineering Research Center for Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Guihong Yin
- College of Agronomy/National Engineering Research Center for Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yingxin Xie
- College of Agronomy/National Engineering Research Center for Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Technology Innovation Center of Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chenyang Wang
- College of Agronomy/National Engineering Research Center for Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- The National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Technology Innovation Center of Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- Chenyang Wang
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Liao R, Qi Z, Tang R, Wang R, Wang Y. Methyl Ferulic Acid Attenuates Human Cardiac Fibroblasts Differentiation and Myocardial Fibrosis by Suppressing pRB-E2F1/CCNE2 and RhoA/ROCK2 Pathway. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:714390. [PMID: 34483923 PMCID: PMC8416034 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.714390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Myocardial fibrosis is a key pathological process after myocardial infarction, which leads to poor outcomes in patients at the end stage. Effective treatments for improving prognosis of myocardial fibrosis are needed to be further developed. Methyl ferulic acid (MFA), a biologically active monomer extracted and purified from the Chinese herbal medicine, is reported as an attenuator in many diseases. In this study, we aim to reveal the role it plays in myocardial fibrosis after myocardial infarction and its possible mechanism. Results: Firstly, we found that MFA attenuated the expression of fibrosis-related proteins and the ability of migration and proliferation in TGF-β1-induced human cardiac fibroblasts (HCFs). Then, myocardial fibrosis after myocardial infarction models on mouse was built to reveal the in vivo affection of MFA. After 28 days of treatments, fibrosis areas, cardiac function, and expression of fibrosis-related proteins were all improved in the MFA-treated group than the myocardial infarction group. Finally, to elucidate the mechanism of phenomenon we observed, we found that MFA attenuated HCF differentiation after myocardial infarction by suppressing the migration and proliferation in HCFs, which was by suppressing the pRB-E2F1/CCNE2 and the RhoA/ROCK2 pathway. Conclusion: Our findings showed that MFA attenuated the expression of fibrosis-related proteins, and the ability of migration and proliferation in HCFs improved the cardiac function of myocardial infarction mice; meanwhile, the mechanism of that was by suppressing the pRB-E2F1/CCNE2 and the RhoA/ROCK2 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongheng Liao
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen Qi
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ri Tang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Renrong Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Wuxi No. 2 Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Yongyi Wang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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Li YY, Zhong YJ, Cheng Q, Wang YZ, Fan YY, Yang CF, Ma Z, Li YW, Li L. miR-378b Regulates Insulin Sensitivity by Targeting Insulin Receptor and p110α in Alcohol-Induced Hepatic Steatosis. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:717. [PMID: 32508647 PMCID: PMC7251170 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Insulin resistance has been implicated in alcoholic liver disease. A previous study has shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a major role in the production, secretion, and function of insulin. MiRNAs are capable of repressing multiple target genes that in turn negatively regulate various physiological and pathological activities. However, current information on the biological function of miRNAs in insulin resistance is limited. The goal of the present study was to elucidate the role of miR-378b in alcohol-induced hepatic insulin resistance and its underlying mechanism. This study has observed that miR-378b is up-regulated in National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) alcoholic mouse models as well as in ethanol-induced L-02 cells in vitro. Furthermore, miR-378b overexpression impaired the insulin signaling pathway, and inhibition of miR-378b improved insulin sensitivity in vivo and in vitro. A mechanistic study revealed that IR and p110α are direct targets of miR-378b. Together, these results suggest that miR-378b controls insulin sensitivity by targeting the insulin receptor (IR) as well as p110α and possibly play an inhibitory role in the development of insulin resistance, thereby providing insights into the development of novel diagnostic and treatment methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-yuan Li
- College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Yu-juan Zhong
- College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Qi Cheng
- College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Ying-zhao Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Yuan-yuan Fan
- College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Cheng-fang Yang
- College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Zuheng Ma
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yong-wen Li
- College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
- Center for Diabetic Systems Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Excellence, Guilin, China
| | - Li Li
- College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
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Kamm A, Przychodzeń P, Kuban–Jankowska A, Marino Gammazza A, Cappello F, Daca A, Żmijewski MA, Woźniak M, Górska–Ponikowska M. 2-Methoxyestradiol and Its Combination with a Natural Compound, Ferulic Acid, Induces Melanoma Cell Death via Downregulation of Hsp60 and Hsp90. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2019; 2019:9293416. [PMID: 32082378 PMCID: PMC7012217 DOI: 10.1155/2019/9293416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Melanoma is an aggressive type of skin cancer with one of the highest mortality rates. Notably, its incidence in the last few decades has increased faster than any other cancer. Therefore, searching for novel anticancer therapies is of great clinical importance. In the present study, we investigated the anticancer potential of 2-methoxyestradiol, potent chemotherapeutic, in the A375 melanoma cellular model. In order to furthermore evaluate the anticancer efficacy of 2-methoxyestradiol, we have additionally combined the treatment with a naturally occurring polyphenol, ferulic acid. The results were obtained using the melanoma A375 cellular model. In the study, we used MTT assay, flow cytometry, and western blot techniques. Herein, we have evidenced that the molecular mechanism of action of 2-methoxyestradiol and ferulic acid is partly related to the reduction of Hsp60 and Hsp90 levels and the induction of nitric oxide in the A375 melanoma cell model, while no changes were observed in Hsp70 expression after 2-methoxyestradiol and ferulic acid treatment separately or in combination. This is especially important in case of chemoresistance mechanisms because the accumulation of Hsp70 reduces induction of cancer cell death, thus decreasing antitumour efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kamm
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk 80-211, Poland
| | - Paulina Przychodzeń
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk 80-211, Poland
| | | | - Antonella Marino Gammazza
- Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesco Cappello
- Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Agnieszka Daca
- Department of Pathology and Rheumatology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk 80-211, Poland
| | - Michał A. Żmijewski
- Department of Histology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk 80-211, Poland
| | - Michał Woźniak
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk 80-211, Poland
| | - Magdalena Górska–Ponikowska
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk 80-211, Poland
- Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomolecular Systems, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
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Cheng Q, Li YW, Yang CF, Zhong YJ, Li L. Ethanol-Induced Hepatic Insulin Resistance is Ameliorated by Methyl Ferulic Acid Through the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:949. [PMID: 31555134 PMCID: PMC6726842 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the key events during the development of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is that alcohol inhibits the insulin signaling pathway in liver and leads to disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism. Methyl ferulic acid (MFA) is a biologically active monomer isolated from the root of Securidaca inappendiculata Hasskarl. It has been reported that MFA has a hepatoprotective effect against alcohol-induced liver injury in vivo and in vitro. However, the effect of MFA on ethanol-induced insulin resistance in ALD remains unclear. In this study, we investigated whether MFA could exert protective effects against hepatic insulin resistance in ethanol-induced L-02 cells and ALD rats. ALD was induced in vivo by feeding Lieber-DeCarli diet containing 5% (w/v) alcohol for 16 weeks to Sprague-Dawley rats. Insulin resistance was induced in vitro in human hepatocyte L-02 cells with 200 mM ethanol for 24 h followed by 10-7 nM insulin for 30 min. MFA exhibited the effects of inhibited insulin resistance, reduced enzymatic capacity for hepatic gluconeogenesis, and increased hepatic glycogen synthesis both in vivo and in vitro. In addition, the results of transcriptome sequencing of liver tissues in the ethanol- and MFA-treated groups indicated that "pyruvate metabolism," "glycolysis/gluconeogenesis," and "fatty acid metabolism" were significantly different between ethanol- and MFA-treated groups. Further studies suggested that MFA activated the hepatic phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway in vivo and in vitro. Taken together, these findings suggested that MFA effectively ameliorated hepatic insulin resistance in ALD at least partially by acting on the PI3K/AKT pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Cheng
- College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Yong Wen Li
- College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Cheng Fang Yang
- College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Yu Juan Zhong
- College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Li Li
- College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
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