P11 Loss-of-Function is Associated with Decreased Cell Proliferation and Neurobehavioral Disorders in Mice

Clarification of the molecular mechanisms underlying glyphosate-induced major depressive disorder: a network toxicology approach

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is predicted to become the second most common cause of disability in the near future. Exposure to glyphosate (Gly)-based herbicides has been linked to the onset of MDD. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential molecular mechanisms of MDD induced by Gly using network toxicology approach. The MDD dataset GSE76826 from the Gene Expression Omnibus database was referenced to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in peripheral blood leukocytes of MDD patients and controls. The potential intersection targets of Gly-induced MDD were screened by network toxicology. The intersection targets were used for Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis and to construct protein-protein interaction networks. The binding potentials of hub targets with Gly were validated by molecular docking. In total, 1216 DEGs associated with Gly-induced MDD were identified. Subsequent network pharmacology further refined the search to 43 targets. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed multiple signaling pathways involved in GLY-induced MDD. Six potential core targets (CD40, FOXO3, FOS, IL6, TP53, and VEGFA) were identified. Finally, molecular docking demonstrated that Gly exhibited strong binding affinity to the core targets. The results of this study identified potential molecular mechanisms underlying Gly induced MDD and provided new insights for prevention and treatment.

Role of P11 through serotonergic and glutamatergic pathways in LID

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. This leads to the pathogenesis of multiple basal ganglia-thalamomotor loops and diverse neurotransmission alterations. Dopamine replacement therapy, and on top of that, levodopa and l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), is the gold standard treatment, while it develops numerous complications. Levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) is well-known as the most prominent side effect. Several studies have been devoted to tackling this problem. Studies showed that metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) antagonists and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1B (5HT1B) agonists significantly reduced LID when considering the glutamatergic overactivity and compensatory mechanisms of serotonergic neurons after L-DOPA therapy. Moreover, it is documented that these receptors act through an adaptor protein called P11 (S100A10). This protein has been thought to play a crucial role in LID due to its interactions with numerous ion channels and receptors. Lately, experiments have shown successful evidence of the effects of P11 blockade on alleviating LID greater than 5HT1B and mGluR5 manipulations. In contrast, there is a trace of ambiguity in the exact mechanism of action. P11 has shown the potential to be a promising target to diminish LID and prolong L-DOPA therapy in parkinsonian patients owing to further studies and experiments.

Animal Models of Depression: What Can They Teach Us about the Human Disease?

Depression is apparently the most common psychiatric disease among the mood disorders affecting about 10% of the adult population. The etiology and pathogenesis of depression are still poorly understood. Hence, as for most human diseases, animal models can help us understand the pathogenesis of depression and, more importantly, may facilitate the search for therapy. In this review we first describe the more common tests used for the evaluation of depressive-like symptoms in rodents. Then we describe different models of depression and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. These models can be divided into several categories: genetic models, models induced by mental acute and chronic stressful situations caused by environmental manipulations (i.e., learned helplessness in rats/mice), models induced by changes in brain neuro-transmitters or by specific brain injuries and models induced by pharmacological tools. In spite of the fact that none of the models completely resembles human depression, most animal models are relevant since they mimic many of the features observed in the human situation and may serve as a powerful tool for the study of the etiology, pathogenesis and treatment of depression, especially since only few patients respond to acute treatment. Relevance increases by the fact that human depression also has different facets and many possible etiologies and therapies.

A hybrid systems biology and systems pharmacology investigation of Zingerone's effects on reconstructed human epidermal tissues

Background

As individuals live longer, elderly populations can be expected to face issues. This pattern urges researchers to investigate the aging concept further to produce successful anti-aging agents. In the current study, the effects of Zingerone (a natural compound) on epidermal tissues were analyzed using a bioinformatics approach.

Methods

For this purpose, we chose the GEO dataset GSE133338 to carry out the systems biology and systems pharmacology approaches, ranging from identifying the differentially expressed genes to analyzing the gene ontology, determining similar structures of Zingerone and their features (i.e., anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and skin disorders), constructing the gene-chemicals network, analyzing gene-disease relationships, and validating significant genes through the evidence presented in the literature.

Results

The post-processing of the microarray dataset identified thirteen essential genes among control and Zingerone-treated samples. The procedure revealed various structurally similar chemical and herbal compounds with possible skin-related effects. Additionally, we studied the relationships of differentially expressed genes with skin-related diseases and validated their direct connections with skin disorders the evidence available in the literature. Also, the analysis of the microarray profiling dataset revealed the critical role of interleukins as a part of the cytokines family on skin aging progress.

Conclusions

Zingerone, and potentially any constituents of Zingerone (e.g., their similar compound scan functionality), can be used as therapeutic agents in managing skin disorders such as skin aging. However, the beneficial effects of Zingerone should be assessed in other models (i.e., human or animal) in future studies.

The Nucleus Accumbens: A Common Target in the Comorbidity of Depression and Addiction

The comorbidity of depression and addiction has become a serious public health issue, and the relationship between these two disorders and their potential mechanisms has attracted extensive attention. Numerous studies have suggested that depression and addiction share common mechanisms and anatomical pathways. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) has long been considered a key brain region for regulating many behaviors, especially those related to depression and addiction. In this review article, we focus on the association between addiction and depression, highlighting the potential mediating role of the NAc in this comorbidity via the regulation of changes in the neural circuits and molecular signaling. To clarify the mechanisms underlying this association, we summarize evidence from overlapping reward neurocircuitry, the resemblance of cellular and molecular mechanisms, and common treatments. Understanding the interplay between these disorders should help guide clinical comorbidity prevention and the search for a new target for comorbidity treatment.

Improvement of cognitive and motor performance with mitotherapy in aged mice

Changes in mitochondrial structure and function are mostly responsible for aging and age-related features. Whether healthy mitochondria could prevent aging is, however, unclear. Here we intravenously injected the mitochondria isolated from young mice into aged mice and investigated the mitotherapy on biochemistry metabolism and animal behaviors. The results showed that heterozygous mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of both aged and young mouse coexisted in tissues of aged mice after mitochondrial administration, and meanwhile, ATP content in tissues increased while reactive oxygen species (ROS) level reduced. Besides, the mitotherapy significantly improved cognitive and motor performance of aged mice. Our study, at the first report in aged animals, not only provides a useful approach to study mitochondrial function associated with aging, but also a new insight into anti-aging through mitotherapy.

DNA Methyltransferases in Depression: An Update

Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders affecting public health. Studies over the past years suggest that the methylations of some specific genes such as BDNF, SLC6A4, and NR3C1 play an important role in the development of depression. Recently, epigenetic evidences suggest that the expression levels of DNA methyltransferases differ in several brain areas including the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens in depression patients and animal models, but the potential link between the expression levels of DNA methylatransferases and the methylations of specific genes needs further investigation to clarify the pathogenesis of depression.