Shuxuetong injection protects cerebral microvascular endothelial cells against oxygen-glucose deprivation reperfusion

Buqi-Huoxue-Tongnao decoction drives gut microbiota-derived indole lactic acid to attenuate ischemic stroke via the gut-brain axis

BACKGROUND

Ischemic stroke belongs to "apoplexy" and its pathogenesis is characterized by qi deficiency and blood stasis combining with phlegm-damp clouding orifices. Buqi-Huoxue-Tongnao decoction (BHTD) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula for qi deficiency, blood stasis and phlegm obstruction syndrome. However, its efficacy and potential mechanism on ischemic stroke are still unclear. This study aims to investigate the protective effect and potential mechanism of BHTD against ischemic stroke.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) surgery was carried out to establish an ischemic stroke model in rats. Subsequently, the rats were gavaged with different doses of BHTD (2.59, 5.175, 10.35 g/kg) for 14 days. The protective effects of BHTD on the brain and gut were evaluated by neurological function scores, cerebral infarction area, levels of brain injury markers (S-100B, NGB), indicators of gut permeability (FD-4) and bacterial translocation (DAO, LPS, D-lactate), and tight junction proteins (Occludin, Claudin-1, ZO-1) in brain and colon. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metabolomic analysis were utilized to analyze the effects on gut microecology and screen for marker metabolites to explore potential mechanisms of BHTD protection against ischemic stroke.

RESULTS

BHTD could effectively mitigate brain impairment, including reducing neurological damage, decreasing cerebral infarction and repairing the blood-brain barrier, and BHTD showed the best effect at the dose of 10.35 g/kg. Moreover, BHTD reversed gut injury induced by ischemic stroke, as evidenced by decreased intestinal permeability, reduced intestinal bacterial translocation, and enhanced intestinal barrier integrity. In addition, BHTD rescued gut microbiota dysbiosis by increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria, including Turicibacter and Faecalibaculum. Transplantation of the gut microbiota remodeled by BHTD into ischemic stroke rats recapitulated the protective effects of BHTD. Especially, BHTD upregulated tryptophan metabolism, which promoted gut microbiota to produce more indole lactic acid (ILA). Notably, supplementation with ILA by gavage could alleviate stroke injury, which suggested that driving the production of ILA in the gut might be a novel treatment for ischemic stroke.

CONCLUSION

BHTD could increase gut microbiota-derived indole lactic acid to attenuate ischemic stroke via the gut-brain axis. Our current finding provides evidence that traditional Chinese medicine can ameliorate central diseases through regulating the gut microbiology.

Oxidative stress in acute pulmonary embolism: emerging roles and therapeutic implications

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the body's reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defense mechanisms. Oxidative stress is involved in the development of several cardiovascular diseases, such as pulmonary hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetes mellitus. A growing number of studies have suggested the potential role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of pulmonary embolism. Biomarkers of oxidative stress in pulmonary embolism have also been explored, such as matrix metalloproteinases, asymmetric dimethylarginine, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio. Here, we comprehensively summarize some oxidative stress mechanisms and biomarkers in the development of acute pulmonary embolism and summarize related treatments based on antioxidant stress to explore effective treatment strategies for acute pulmonary embolism.

Xinmaikang-mediated mitophagy attenuates atherosclerosis via the PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

The Chinese herbal compound Xinmaikang (XMK) is effective in treating atherosclerosis (AS), although the associated mechanisms of action remain unclear. We hypothesize that XMK increases mitophagy via the PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway and decreases reactive oxygen species (ROS), thus treating AS.

PURPOSE

To explore the above-mentioned mechanisms of action of XMK in AS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography assay was performed to clarify the composition of XMK. A 16-week high-fat diet was fed to APOE-/- mice to form an AS model. Next, mice were given XMK(0.95 g/kg/d, 1.99 g/kg/d, 3.98 g/kg/d, i.g.) or Atorvastatin(3 mg/kg/d, i.g.) or Rapamycin(4 mg/kg/d, i.p.) or XMK with Mdivi-1(40 mg/kg/d, i.p.) or an equivalent amount of normal saline for 4 weeks. Then mice were examined for AS plaque area, lesion area, collagen fiber, pro-inflammatory cytokines, lipid level, ROS level and mitophagy level. We assessed AS using Oil Red O, hematoxylin and eosin, and Sirius red staining, as well as ROS measurements. Mitophagy was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), Western blot, single-cell Western blot, and immunofluorescence staining. In vitro, by oxidizing low-density lipoprotein, formation of RAW264.7 macrophage-derived foam cells induced. we induced foam cell formation in RAW264.7 macrophages. Then cells were incubated with XMK-medicated serum with or without Mdivi-1. We examined foam cell formation, ROS level, mitophagy level in cells. Finally, we knocked down the PINK1, and examined foam cell formation and PINK1/Parkin level in RAW264.7 macrophages.

RESULTS

UPLC analysis revealed 102 main ingredients in XMK. In vivo, XMK at medium-dose or high-dose significantly reduced AS plaques, lipids, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and ROS and increased mitophagy. In further study, Single-cell western blot showed that mitophagy level in macrophages sorted from AS mice was lower than the control mice. While XMK improved mitophagy level. In vitro, XMK reduced foam cell formation and ROS and increased mitophagy. When PINK1 was knocked down, XMK's effects on foam cell formation and PINK1/Parkin pathway activation were reduced.

CONCLUSION

The study shows that XMK is effective against AS by mediating macrophage mitophagy via the PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway. For the treatment of AS and drug discovery, it provides an experimental basis and target.

The role of traditional herbal medicine for ischemic stroke: from bench to clinic-A critical review

BACKGROUND

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a leading cause of death and severe long-term disability worldwide. Over the past few decades, considerable progress has been made in anti-ischemic therapies. However, IS remains a tremendous challenge, with favourable clinical outcomes being generally difficult to achieve from candidate drugs in preclinical phase testing. Traditional herbal medicine (THM) has been used to treat stroke for over 2,000 years in China. In modern times, THM as an alternative and complementary therapy have been prescribed in other Asian countries and have gained increasing attention for their therapeutic effects. These millennia of clinical experience allow THM to be a promising avenue for improving clinical efficacy and accelerating drug discovery.

PURPOSE

To summarise the clinical evidence and potential mechanisms of THMs in IS.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was conducted in seven electronic databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, the VIP Information Database, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and the Wanfang Database, from inception to 17 June 2022 to examine the efficacy and safety of THM for IS, and to investigate experimental studies regarding potential mechanisms.

RESULTS

THM is widely prescribed for IS alone or as adjuvant therapy. In clinical trials, THM is generally administered within 72 h of stroke onset and are continuously prescribed for over 3 months. Compared with Western medicine (WM), THM combined with routine WM can significantly improve neurological function defect scores, promote clinical total effective rate, and accelerate the recovery time of stroke with fewer adverse effects (AEs). These effects can be attributed to multiple mechanisms, mainly anti-inflammation, antioxidative stress, anti-apoptosis, brain blood barrier (BBB) modulation, inhibition of platelet activation and thrombus formation, and promotion of neurogenesis and angiogenesis.

CONCLUSIONS

THM may be a promising candidate for IS management to guide clinical applications and as a reference for drug development.

Traditional Chinese medicine in treating ischemic stroke by modulating mitochondria: A comprehensive overview of experimental studies

Ischemic stroke has been a prominent focus of scientific investigation owing to its high prevalence, complex pathogenesis, and difficulties in treatment. Mitochondria play an important role in cellular energy homeostasis and are involved in neuronal death following ischemic stroke. Hence, maintaining mitochondrial function is critical for neuronal survival and neurological improvement in ischemic stroke, and mitochondria are key therapeutic targets in cerebral stroke research. With the benefits of high efficacy, low cost, and high safety, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has great advantages in preventing and treating ischemic stroke. Accumulating studies have explored the effect of TCM in preventing and treating ischemic stroke from the perspective of regulating mitochondrial structure and function. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms by which mitochondria are involved in ischemic stroke. Furthermore, we summarized the current advances in TCM in preventing and treating ischemic stroke by modulating mitochondria. We aimed to provide a new perspective and enlightenment for TCM in the prevention and treatment of ischemic stroke by modulating mitochondria.

Research progress of mechanisms for tight junction damage on blood-brain barrier inflammation

Inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS) contributes to disease pathologies by disrupting the integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Tight junctions (TJ) are a key component of the BBB. Following hypoxic-ischaemic or mechanical injury to the brain, inflammatory mediators are released such as cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. Simultaneously, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are released which can degrade TJ proteins. Subsequently, the function and morphology of the BBB are disrupted, which allows immune cells an opportunity to enter into the brain parenchyma. This review summarises the information on the role of TJ protein families in the BBB and provides a comprehensive summary of the mechanisms whereby inflammation breaks down the BBB by increasing degradation of TJ proteins.

A New Therapeutic Trend: Natural Medicine for Ameliorating Ischemic Stroke via PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway

Ischemic stroke (IS) is an acute cerebrovascular disease caused by sudden arterial occlusion, which is characterized by a high morbidity, mortality, and disability rate. It is one of the most important causes of nervous system morbidity and mortality in the world. In recent years, the search for new medicine for the treatment of IS has become an attractive research focus. Due to the extremely limited time window of traditional medicine treatment, some side effects may occur, and accompanied by the occurrence of adverse reactions, the frequency of exploration with natural medicine is significantly increased. Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/Protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway is a classical pathway for cell metabolism, growth, apoptosis, and other physiological activities. There is considerable research on medicine that treats various diseases through this pathway. This review focuses on how natural medicines (including herbs and insects) regulate important pathophysiological processes such as inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autophagy through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and the role it plays in improving IS. We found that many kinds of herbal medicine and insect medicine can alleviate the damage caused by IS through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Moreover, the prescription after their combination can also achieve certain results. Therefore, this review provides a new candidate category for medicine development in the treatment of IS.

New opportunities and challenges of natural products research: When target identification meets single-cell multiomics

Natural products, and especially the active ingredients found in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), have a thousand-year-long history of clinical use and a strong theoretical basis in TCM. As such, traditional remedies provide shortcuts for the development of original new drugs in China, and increasing numbers of natural products are showing great therapeutic potential in various diseases. This paper reviews the molecular mechanisms of action of natural products from different sources used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer, introduces the methods and newly emerging technologies used to identify and validate the targets of natural active ingredients, enumerates the expansive list of TCM used to treat inflammatory diseases and cancer, and summarizes the patterns of action of emerging technologies such as single-cell multiomics, network pharmacology, and artificial intelligence in the pharmacological studies of natural products to provide insights for the development of innovative natural product-based drugs. Our hope is that we can make use of advances in target identification and single-cell multiomics to obtain a deeper understanding of actions of mechanisms of natural products that will allow innovation and revitalization of TCM and its swift industrialization and internationalization.

A Review of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Buyang Huanwu Decoction for the Treatment of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is often referred to as “collaterals disease” in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and commonly includes ischemic and hemorrhagic CSVD. TCM has a long history of treating CSVD and has demonstrated unique efficacy. Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BHD) is a classical TCM formula that has been used for the prevention and treatment of stroke for hundreds of years. BHD exerts its therapeutic effects on CSVD through a variety of mechanisms. In this review, the clinical and animal studies on BHD and CSVD were systematically introduced. In addition, the pharmacological mechanisms, active components, and clinical applications of BHD in the treatment of CSVD were reviewed. We believe that an in-depth understanding of BHD, its pharmacological mechanism, disease-drug interaction, and other aspects will help in laying the foundation for its development as a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of CSVD.

The Differences of Metabolites in Different Parts of the Brain Induced by Shuxuetong Injection against Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion and Its Corresponding Mechanism

Ischemic stroke is often associated with a large disease burden. The existence of ischemia-reperfusion injury brings great challenges to the treatment of ischemic stroke. The purpose of this study was to explore the differences of metabolites in different parts of the brain induced by Shuxuetong injection against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion and to extend the corresponding mechanism. The rats were modeled by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (t-MCAO) operation, and the success of modeling was determined by neurological function score and TTC staining. UPLC-Q/TOF-MS metabolomics technique and multivariate statistical analysis were used to analyze the changes and differences of metabolites in the cortex and hippocampus of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats. Compared with the model group, the neurological function score and cerebral infarction volume of the Shuxuetong treatment group were significantly different. There were differences and changes in the metabolic distribution of the cortex and hippocampus in each group, the distribution within the group was relatively concentrated. The separation trend between the groups was obvious, and the distribution of the Shuxuetong treatment group was similar to that of the sham operation group. We identified 13 metabolites that were differentially expressed in the cortex, including glutamine, dihydroorotic acid, and glyceric acid. We also found five differentially expressed metabolites in the hippocampus, including glutamic acid and fumaric acid. The common metabolic pathways of Shuxuetong on the cortex and hippocampus were D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism and nitrogen metabolism, which showed inhibition of cortical glutamine and promotion of hippocampal glutamic acid. Specific pathways of Shuxuetong enriched in the cortex included glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism and pyrimidine metabolism, which showed inhibition of glyceric acid and dihydroorotic acid. Specific pathways of Shuxuetong enriched in the hippocampus include arginine biosynthesis and citrate cycle (TCA cycle), which promotes fumaric acid. Shuxuetong injection can restore and adjust the metabolic disorder of the cortex and hippocampus in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats. The expression of Shuxuetong in different parts of the brain is different and correlated.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Shen-Yuan-Dan (SYD) Improves Hypoxia-Induced Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis in Neonatal Rats by Upregulating miR-24/Bim Pathway

Background: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the leading cause of malignant arrhythmia, heart failure, and sudden death. However, safe and effective drugs for the treatment of AMI are unavailable to date. The present study aimed to investigate the role of traditional Chinese medicine shen-yuan-dan (SYD) in hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis in neonatal rats. In addition, the study explored the possible mechanism through which SYD could reduce myocardial ischemia apoptosis and regulate the expression of the miR-24/Bim pathway. Methods: Hypoxia-induced neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were used for the experiments. These cardiomyocytes were transfected with an miR-24 mimic and an miR-24 inhibitor and then cocultured with SYD-containing serum. MTT and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays, AnnexinV/PI double staining, flow cytometry, and TUNEL staining were used to determine the cell viability and apoptosis under hypoxic conditions. Furthermore, the expression level of Bim in the hypoxia-induced cardiomyocytes was determined through western blotting and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: After 48 h of hypoxia, LDH and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) activities increased, cell viability decreased, and miR-24 expression upregulated in the cardiomyocytes. SYD alleviated hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte injury, decreased LDH and CPK activities, increased cell viability, and reduced apoptosis in the neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Moreover, SYD could upregulate miR-24 expression and downregulate Bim expression. Upregulation of miR-24 expression significantly enhanced the effect of SYD, thereby improving myocardial cell apoptosis. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and western blot analysis confirmed that Bim was a direct target of miR-24. Conclusion: SYD treatment reduces hypoxia-induced myocardial apoptosis by upregulating miR-24 expression. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanism underlying the therapeutic potential of SYD in promoting the recovery of myocardial function and delaying the incidence of heart failure.

A strategy based on gene sequencing and molecular docking for analysis and prediction of bioactive peptides in Shuxuetong injection

Peptides are a class of protein fragments with relatively high biological activity and intense specificity, which play crucial role in the treatment of Shuxuetong injection (SXT). However, the extraordinary complexity of Chinese medicinal formulates and the lack of systematic identification methods are primary challenges for study of pharmacodynamic peptides. In addition, infinitesimal peptides contents further hinder the identification and structural characterization of polypeptide by traditional means. In this paper, we described a strategy that LC-MS combined with molecular docking to systematically illustrate the peptide components of SXT. The key to this research was used of gene sequencing to establish a SXT protein database to further achieve the separation and enrichment of chemical methods. Moreover, the ADRA2A, PAR4 and DRD3 were precisely docked with the identified peptides. The result indicated that 12 compounds had stable binding ability and were speculated to be the latent bioactive monomers for the treatment of stroke. Additionally, 12 peptides were verified by cell-based experiment. The results showed that only YLKTT could indeed protect astrocytes from oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R). The YLKTT showed higher activity than the others in vitro. It might be a completely new compound that has never been reported before, providing the basis for further research and a new paradigm for stroke.

Shuxuetong injection simultaneously ameliorates dexamethasone-driven vascular calcification and osteoporosis

Osteoporosis (OP) and vascular calcification (VC) share a number of common risk factors, pathophysiological mechanisms and etiology, which are known as bone-vascular axis. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of Shuxuetong (SXT) injection on VC and osteoporosis. A rat model of VC and osteoporosis was induced by dexamethasone (DEX; 1 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks, intramuscularly). Simultaneously, 0.6 ml/kg/day SXT was intraperitoneally injected. Compared with control rats, DEX induced significantly more VC and OP, as determined by increased calcium deposition and alkaline phosphatase activity in the aorta, disturbed structure, decreased levels of cortical bone thickness and trabecular bone area, and increased apoptosis in the bone. SXT injection ameliorated DEX-induced VC and osteoporosis; furthermore, the osteoblastic differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells and the activation of endoplasmic reticulum stress in the DEX group was also prevented by SXT injection. Compared with control rats, protein expression levels of sclerostin, a crucial crosslink of the bone-vascular axis, were significantly increased in the aorta and bone of rats with DEX, which was also attenuated by SXT injection. Thus, the present study suggested that SXT injection could ameliorate both VC and OP, and may be mediated by the regulation of sclerostin. The present study may provide the basis a novel strategy for the prevention and treatment of VC and OP, which emerge as side-effects of glucocorticoids.

Effects of shuxuetong injection for cerebral infarction: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Cerebral infarction (CI) is a common disease with high morbidity and disability. Shuxuetong (SXT) injection is a Chinese Materia Medica standardized product used in the treatment of CI. Currently, there is a lack of high-quality evidence to support the effectiveness and safety of SXT on patients with CI. This systematic review protocol aims at describing a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of SXT for the treatment of CI.

METHODS

We will search the databases of PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library Central Register of Controlled Trials, China national knowledge infrastructure database (CNKI), Wan fang database, Chongqing VIP information, and SinoMed from their inception to Jun 2020. Two reviewers will independently screen Randomized controlled trials of SXT for the treatment of CI. The meta-analysis will be conducted using RevMan V.5.3 software.

RESULTS

The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

CONCLUSION

The conclusion of our systematic review will provide evidence to judge whether SXT is an effective intervention for patients with CI.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

10.17605/OSF.IO/3F6ZH.

Long non‑coding RNA SNHG16 inhibits the oxygen‑glucose deprivation and reoxygenation‑induced apoptosis in human brain microvascular endothelial cells by regulating miR‑15a‑5p/bcl‑2

MicroRNA (miR) 15a-5p can promote ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced apoptosis of cerebral vascular endothelial cells, which is inhibited by long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). The present study investigated the potential of lncRNAs targeting miR-15a-5p to regulate oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD-R)-induced apoptosis of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hBMECs). hBMECs were transfected with or without miR-15a-5p or its mutant, together with p-small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16) or its mutant. Following OGD-R, proliferation, apoptosis and miR-15a-5p, SNHG16 and Bcl-2 expression levels were determined using MTT, flow cytometry, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR or western blotting. The potential interaction of SNHG16 with miR-15a-5p was analyzed by pull-down, luciferase and immunoprecipitation assays. OGD-R induced apoptosis of hBMECs and increased miR-15a-5p expression levels in a time-dependent manner. miR-15a-5p overexpression decreased the proliferation of hBMECs and promoted apoptosis by decreasing Bcl-2 expression levels. SNHG16 was pulled-down by miR-15a-5p and anti-Ago2. miR-15a-5p overexpression significantly decreased SNHG16-regulated luciferase activity and hBMEC survival by increasing apoptosis. SNHG16 overexpression decreased miR-15a-5p expression levels in hBMECs. SNHG16 gradually decreased following OGD-R and its overexpression decreased miR-15a-5p expression levels and promoted the proliferation of hBMECs by decreasing apoptosis. SNHG16 enhanced Bcl-2 expression levels in hBMECs, which was abrogated by miR-15a-5p. Bioinformatics suggest that SNHG16 may antagonize the binding of miR-15a-5p to the 3′UTR of Bcl-2 mRNA. These findings suggest that SNHG16 may protect hBMECs from OGD-R-induced apoptosis by antagonizing the miR-15a-5p/bcl-2 axis. Thus, targeting SNHG16-based mechanisms may provide novel therapeutic strategies for treatment of ischemic stroke.

Purification and characterization of a novel fibrinolytic enzyme from Whitmania pigra Whitman

Developing an effective fibrinolytic drug for treating thrombolysis with minimal undesirable side effects is of great importance. In the current study, an optimum solvent was selected for the extraction of fibrinolytic active components. Furthermore, a strong fibrinolytic enzyme named WPI01 was purified from Whitmania pigra Whitman through various chromatographic steps. WPI01 has a molecular mass of 27044.297 Da, and the N-terminal 8 amino acid sequence was determined as VVGGVEAR. WPI01 was stable within the pH range of 6.0-10.0 and with maximum fibrinolytic activity at 40 °C and a pH of 8.0. At 500 U/mL, WPI01 induced 50.59% blood clot reduction in vitro within 6 h, which was higher than that induced by urokinase at 1000 U/mL. In an analysis of the plasminogen activator activity, WPI01 produced obvious halos on heated and unheated fibrin plates, suggesting that WPI01 may not only act as a plasminogen activator but also degrade fibrin clots directly, and more study is needed to support this. In conclusion, WPI01 is obviously different from known fibrinolytic enzymes in terms of substrate specificity and fibrinolytic mode of action, suggesting that it is a novel fibrinolytic enzyme with potential applications in the treatment and prevention of thrombosis.

In-depth transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of the hippocampus and cortex in a rat model after cerebral ischemic injury and repair by Shuxuetong (SXT) injection

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of systematic descriptions and characterization of strokes and their effects in both the cerebral hippocampus and cortex. Shuxuetong (SXT) injection was reported to have good therapeutic effects in the clinic; therefore, it was selected as a drug intervention method for cerebral ischemia repair in rat models. The aim of this study was to understand the features of molecules and pathways and to reveal key processes of SXT repair.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Evaluation of neurological deficit and infarct volume measurement was used to estimate the pharmacological effects of SXT injection on Ischemia-reperfusion(I/R) model rats. LC-MS/MS and RNA-Seq analysis were used to analyze the proteins and mRNA expression in the cerebral hippocampus and cortex 6 h and 24 h after ischemic injury and repair. A label-free approach (IBAQ) for proteomics analysis and FPKM based on gene read count for transcriptomics analysis were used to quantify the differences among the three experimental groups (Sham, Model and SXT-treated groups). Transcriptomics and proteomics analyses were verified by RT-qPCR and western blotting.

RESULTS

By combining LC-MS/MS and RNA-Seq, eight larger datasets (two time points and two tissues) were confidently identified in more than three biological replicates. An average of 4500 unique proteins and 8200 protein-coding genes were confidently identified. By combining the subcellular localization, hierarchical clustering, pathway enrichment analysis in the injury and repair phase, six core proteins and related genes that were significantly expressed were verified as candidates for cerebral ischemic injury by western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR. Meanwhile, the results indicated that there was better expression in the 6 h group by significant proteomics analysis during the development and progression of cerebral ischemia. Two primary co-enriched pathways, the PI3K-AKT and MAPK signaling pathways, and six related core candidates may play key roles in molecular mechanisms related to cerebral ischemic injury and repair by SXT injection.

CONCLUSION

Our data not only identified six core candidates and two key signaling pathways for cerebral ischemic injury and verification but also provided evidence for the explanation, prevention and treatment of cerebral ischemia by SXT injection. The results of the present study provide evidence for the explanation, prevention and treatment of cerebral ischemia by SXT injection.

The impact of endothelial cell death in the brain and its role after stroke: A systematic review

The supply of oxygen and nutrients to the brain is vital for its function and requires a complex vascular network that, when disturbed, results in profound neurological dysfunction. As part of the pathology in stroke, endothelial cells die. As endothelial cell death affects the surrounding cellular environment and is a potential target for the treatment and prevention of neurological disorders, we have systematically reviewed important aspects of endothelial cell death with a particular focus on stroke. After screening 2876 publications published between January 1, 2010 and August 7, 2019, we identified 154 records to be included. We found that endothelial cell death occurs rapidly as well as later after the onset of stroke conditions. Among the different cell death mechanisms, apoptosis was the most widely investigated (92 records), followed by autophagy (20 records), while other, more recently defined mechanisms received less attention, such as lysosome-dependent cell death (2 records) and necroptosis (2 records). We also discuss the differential vulnerability of brain cells to injury after stroke and the role of endothelial cell death in the no-reflow phenomenon with a special focus on the microvasculature. Further investigation of the different cell death mechanisms using novel tools and biomarkers will greatly enhance our understanding of endothelial cell death. For this task, at least two markers/criteria are desirable to determine cell death subroutines according to the recommendations of the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death.