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Wolff AW, Peine J, Höfler J, Zurek G, Hemker C, Lingor P. SAFE-ROCK: A Phase I Trial of an Oral Application of the ROCK Inhibitor Fasudil to Assess Bioavailability, Safety, and Tolerability in Healthy Participants. CNS Drugs 2024; 38:291-302. [PMID: 38416402 PMCID: PMC10980656 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-024-01070-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The intravenous (IV) formulation of Rho-kinase (ROCK) inhibitor fasudil has been approved for the treatment of subarachnoid haemorrhage since 1995. Additionally, fasudil has shown promising preclinical results for various chronic diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and dementia, in which long-term intravenous (IV) administration might not be suitable. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to assess the absolute bioavailability of oral, in comparison to IV, application of the approved formulation of fasudil (ERIL®) and to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the oral application of fasudil. METHODS This was a phase I, single-center, open-label, randomized, two period cross-over clinical trial in healthy women and men. By applying a cross-over design, each subject served as their own control. Two treatments were investigated, separated by a wash out phase of at least 3 days. Oral fasudil was administered once on day 1 to assess pharmacokinetics and three times on day 2, at an interval of 8 ± 1 h, to assess safety and gastrointestinal tolerability. For pharmacometrics of IV fasudil, it was administered once on day 1. Plasma profiles of fasudil and its active metabolite hydroxyfasudil after oral or IV administration were measured by liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Tolerability was assessed as proportion of subjects without significant drug intolerance, and safety was assessed by the proportion of subjects without clinical or laboratory treatment-associated serious adverse events. Gastrointestinal safety was assessed by applying the gastrointestinal symptom rating scale (GSRS). RESULTS Fourteen subjects aged 30-70 years were included in this trial. After oral administration, fasudil concentrations in blood were mostly very low [1.4 g/L; coefficient of variation (CV) 41.0%]. After IV application, the peak concentration was 100.6 µg/L (CV 74.2%); however, a high variance in peak concentrations were assessed for both treatments. The maximal concentrations of hydroxyfasudil in blood were similar after oral and IV treatment [111.6 µg/L (CV 24.1%) and 108.4 µg/L (CV 19.7%), respectively]. Exposure of hydroxyfasudil (assessed as AUC0-tz) differed between both treatments, with 449 µg × h/L after IV treatment and 309 µg × h/L after oral treatment. Therefore, the absolute bioavailability of hydroxyfasudil after the oral treatment was approximately 69% of the IV treatment. No serious adverse events (SAEs) occurred during this trial, and good tolerability of oral fasudil (90 mg/day) was documented. CONCLUSIONS Oral fasudil was generally well tolerated in the studied population, and no safety concerns were identified. However, systemic bioavailability of oral hydroxyfasudil corresponded to 69%, and dose adjustments need to considered. The results presented here lay grounds for future trials of fasudil in chronic diseases, which require an oral long-term application. This trial was registered with EudraCT (no. 2019-001805-26).
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas W Wolff
- Clinical Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Jörg Peine
- Institute for Clinical Research, AtoZ-CRO GmbH, Overath, Germany
| | | | | | - Claus Hemker
- CTC North GmbH & Co. KG at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Paul Lingor
- Clinical Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.
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许 光, 高 安, 丛 斌. [Restraint stress induces blood-brain barrier injury in rat amygdala by activating the Rho/ROCK signaling pathway]. Nan Fang Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao 2024; 44:411-419. [PMID: 38597431 PMCID: PMC11006700 DOI: 10.12122/j.issn.1673-4254.2024.03.01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the role of Rho/ROCK signaling pathway in mediating restraint stress-induced blood-brain barrier (BBB) injury in the amygdala of rats. METHODS Sixty male SD rats were randomized equally into control group (with food and water deprivation for 6 h per day), restraint stress group (with restraint for 6 h per day), stress + fasudil treatment (administered by intraperitoneal injection at 1 mg/100 g 30 min before the 6-h restraint) group, and fasudil treatment alone group. The elevated plus-maze test was used to detect behavioral changes of the rats, serum corticosterone and S100B levels were determined with ELISA, and Evans Blue leakage in the brain tissue was examined to evaluate the changes in BBB permeability. The changes in expression levels of tight junction proteins in the amygdala were detected using immunofluorescence assay and Western blotting, and Rho/ROCK pathway activation was detected by Pull-down test and Western blotting. Ultrastructural changes of the cerebral microvascular endothelial cells were observed using transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS Compared with those in the control group, the rats in restrain stress group and stress+fasudil group showed obvious anxiety-like behavior with significantly increased serum corticosterone level (P<0.001). Compared with those in the control group and stress+fasudil group, the rat models of restrain stress showed more obvious Evans Blue leakage and higher S100B expression (P<0.01) but lower expressions of tight junction proteins in the amygdala. Pull-down test and Western blotting confirmed that the expression levels of RhoA-GTP, ROCK2 and P-MLC 2 were significantly higher in stress group than in the control group and stress + fasudil group (P<0.05). Transmission electron microscopy revealed obvious ultrastructural changes in the cerebral microvascular endothelial cells in the rat models of restrain stress. CONCLUSION Restraint stress induces BBB injury in the amygdala of rats by activating the Rho/ROCK signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- 光明 许
- 中央司法警官学院法医学教研室,河北 保定 071000Department of Forensic Medicine, National Police University for Criminal Justice, Baoding 071000, China
| | - 安迪 高
- 中央司法警官学院法医学教研室,河北 保定 071000Department of Forensic Medicine, National Police University for Criminal Justice, Baoding 071000, China
| | - 斌 丛
- 河北医科大学法医学院//河北省法医学重点实验室,河北 石家庄 050017College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
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Mochizuki T, Ryu B, Shima S, Kamijyo E, Ito K, Ando T, Kushi K, Sato S, Inoue T, Kawashima A, Kawamata T, Okada Y, Niimi Y. Comparison of efficacy between clazosentan and fasudil hydrochloride-based management of vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage focusing on older and WFNS grade V patients: a single-center experience in Japan. Neurosurg Rev 2024; 47:113. [PMID: 38472507 DOI: 10.1007/s10143-024-02345-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Subarachnoid hemorrhage often leads to poor outcomes owing to vasospasm, even after successful aneurysm treatment. Clazosentan, an endothelin receptor inhibitor, has been proven to be an effective treatment for vasospasms in a Japanese randomized controlled trial. However, its efficacy in older patients (≥ 75 years old) and those with World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) grade V has not been demonstrated. We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy of clazosentan in older patients and those with WFNS grade V, using real-world data. Patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage treated before and after the introduction of clazosentan were retrospectively evaluated. The patients were categorized into two groups (clazosentan era versus pre-clazosentan era), in which vasospasm management and outcomes were compared. Vasospasms were managed with fasudil hydrochloride-based (pre-clazosentan era) or clazosentan-based treatment (clazosentan era). Seventy-eight patients were included in this study: the clazosentan era (n = 32) and pre-clazosentan era (n = 46). Overall, clazosentan significantly reduced clinical vasospasms (clazosentan era: 31.3% versus pre-clazosentan era: 60.9%, p = 0.01), delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) (9.4% versus 39.1%, p = 0.004), and vasospasm-related morbidity and mortality (M/M) (3.1% versus 19.6%, p = 0.03). In subgroup analysis of older patients or those with WFNS grade V, no significant difference was observed in clinical outcomes, although both DCI and vasospasm-related M/M were lower in the clazosentan era. Clazosentan was more effective than fasudil-based management in preventing DCI and reducing vasospasm-related M/M. Clazosentan could be used safely in older patients and those with WFNS grade V, although clinical outcomes in these patients were comparable to those of conventional treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuki Mochizuki
- Department of Neurosurgery, St. Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104- 8560, Japan
| | - Bikei Ryu
- Department of Neurosurgery, St. Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104- 8560, Japan.
- Department of Neuroendovascular Therapy, St. Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-8560, Japan.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan.
| | - Shogo Shima
- Department of Neurosurgery, St. Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104- 8560, Japan
| | - Eriko Kamijyo
- Department of Neurosurgery, St. Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104- 8560, Japan
| | - Koki Ito
- Department of Neurosurgery, St. Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104- 8560, Japan
| | - Tamon Ando
- Department of Neurosurgery, St. Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104- 8560, Japan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan
| | - Kazuki Kushi
- Department of Neurosurgery, St. Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104- 8560, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Sato
- Department of Neurosurgery, St. Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104- 8560, Japan
- Department of Neuroendovascular Therapy, St. Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-8560, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Inoue
- Department of Neurosurgery, St. Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104- 8560, Japan
| | - Akitsugu Kawashima
- Department of Neurosurgery, St. Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104- 8560, Japan
| | - Takakazu Kawamata
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Okada
- Department of Neurosurgery, St. Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104- 8560, Japan
| | - Yasunari Niimi
- Department of Neuroendovascular Therapy, St. Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-8560, Japan
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López-Hidalgo R, Ballestín R, Lorenzo L, Sánchez-Martí S, Blasco-Ibáñez JM, Crespo C, Nacher J, Varea E. Early chronic fasudil treatment rescues hippocampal alterations in the Ts65Dn model for down syndrome. Neurochem Int 2024; 174:105679. [PMID: 38309665 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2024.105679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic disorder associated with intellectual disability. To study this syndrome, several mouse models have been developed. Among the most common is the Ts65Dn model, which mimics most of the alterations observed in DS. Ts65Dn mice, as humans with DS, show defects in the structure, density, and distribution of dendritic spines in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Fasudil is a potent inhibitor of the RhoA kinase pathway, which is involved in the formation and stabilization of dendritic spines. Our study analysed the effect of early chronic fasudil treatment on the alterations observed in the hippocampus of the Ts65Dn model. We observed that treating Ts65Dn mice with fasudil induced an increase in neural plasticity in the hippocampus: there was an increment in the expression of PSA-NCAM and BDNF, in the dendritic branching and spine density of granule neurons, as well as in cell proliferation and neurogenesis in the subgranular zone. Finally, the treatment reduced the unbalance between excitation and inhibition present in this model. Overall, early chronic treatment with fasudil increases cell plasticity and eliminates differences with euploid animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa López-Hidalgo
- Neurobiology Unit, Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Spain
| | - Raúl Ballestín
- Neurobiology Unit, Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Spain
| | - Lorena Lorenzo
- Neurobiology Unit, Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Spain
| | - Sandra Sánchez-Martí
- Neurobiology Unit, Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Spain
| | - José Miguel Blasco-Ibáñez
- Neurobiology Unit, Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Spain
| | - Carlos Crespo
- Neurobiology Unit, Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Spain
| | - Juan Nacher
- Neurobiology Unit, Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Spain; CIBERSAM, Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, Madrid, Spain; Institute of research of the Clinic Hospital from Valencia (INCLIVA), Valencia, Spain
| | - Emilio Varea
- Neurobiology Unit, Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Spain.
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Xunzhong Q, Miao G, Guangtao S, Huiying Z, Chenglong H, Xiaogang Z, Shunjie B, Xinyan H, Chengji W, Zuoyi H, Xiaofeng Z. Inhibition of the Rho/ROCK pathway promotes the expression of developmental and migration-related genes in astrocytes exposed to alcohol. Alcohol 2024; 115:5-12. [PMID: 37481044 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2023.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes are an important regulator of alcohol dependence. Furthermore, the downregulation of Rho-associated coiled coil-containing protein kinase 2 (ROCK2) attenuates alcohol-induced inflammation and oxidative stress in astrocytes. On the basis of these findings, we examined the effects of alcohol and a Rho/RACK kinases inhibitor on astrocyte function and investigated their effects on mRNA expression to further explore the protective mechanisms of a Rho/RACK kinases inhibitor in astrocytes after alcohol exposure. CTX TNA2 astrocytes were cultured with alcohol and Rho/RACK kinases inhibitor intervention before undergoing transcriptome sequencing, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and wound healing assays. Alcohol exposure modulated cell morphology and inhibited astrocyte migration, whereas Fasudil improved cell morphology and promoted astrocyte migration after alcohol exposure. Transcriptome sequencing results indicated that alcohol exposure modulates the expression of genes involved in astrocyte development. Fasudil reversed the effects of alcohol exposure on the astrocyte developmental process. Four genes related to the developmental process and migration - Ccl2, Postn, Itga8, and Serpine1 - with the highest protein-protein interaction correlations (node degree >7) were selected for verification by qRT-PCR, and the results were consistent with those of the sequencing and wound healing assays. Our results suggest that the Rho/ROCK pathway is essential for alcohol to be able to interfere with astrocyte development and migration gene expression. The Rho/ROCK pathway inhibitor Fasudil reversed the adverse effects of alcohol exposure on astrocytes and may have clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Xunzhong
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, People's Republic of China
| | - Guo Miao
- Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, People's Republic of China
| | - Sun Guangtao
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhao Huiying
- Department of Neurology, Yichun Forestry Administration Central Hospital, Yichun, People's Republic of China
| | - Huang Chenglong
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, University-Town Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhong Xiaogang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China; College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Bai Shunjie
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Huang Xinyan
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, People's Republic of China
| | - Wu Chengji
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, People's Republic of China
| | - Huang Zuoyi
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhu Xiaofeng
- Mudanjiang Medical College, Mudanjiang, People's Republic of China.
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Orimoto A, Kitamura C, Ono K. Lipopolysaccharide-mediated ATP signaling regulates interleukin-6 mRNA expression via the P2-purinoceptor in human dental pulp cells. Cell Biol Int 2024; 48:369-377. [PMID: 38225667 DOI: 10.1002/cbin.12120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Dental pulp cells play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of the pulp tissue. They actively respond to bacterial inflammation by producing proinflammatory cytokines, particularly interleukin-6 (IL-6). While many cell types release adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in response to various stimuli, the mechanisms and significance of ATP release in dental pulp cells under inflammatory conditions are not well understood. This study aimed to investigate ATP release and its relationship with IL-6 during the inflammatory response in immortalized human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSC-K4DT) following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. We found that hDPSC-K4DT cells released ATP extracellularly when exposed to LPS concentrations above 10 μg/mL. ATP release was exclusively attenuated by N-ethylmaleimide, whereas other inhibitors, including clodronic acid (a vesicular nucleotide transporter inhibitor), probenecid (a selective pannexin-1 channel inhibitor), meclofenamic acid (a selective connexin 43 inhibitor), suramin (a nonspecific P2 receptor inhibitor), and KN-62 (a specific P2X7 antagonist), did not exhibit any effect. Additionally, LPS increased IL-6 mRNA expression, which was mitigated by the ATPase apyrase enzyme, N-ethylmaleimide, and suramin, but not by KN-62. Moreover, exogenous ATP induced IL-6 mRNA expression, whereas ATPase apyrase, N-ethylmaleimide, and suramin, but not KN-62, diminished ATP-induced IL-6 mRNA expression. Overall, our findings suggest that LPS-induced ATP release stimulates the IL-6 pathway through P2-purinoceptor, indicating that ATP may function as an anti-inflammatory signal, contributing to the maintenance of dental pulp homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai Orimoto
- Division of Endodontics and Restorative Dentistry, Kyushu Dental University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Chiaki Kitamura
- Division of Endodontics and Restorative Dentistry, Kyushu Dental University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kentaro Ono
- Division of Physiology, Kyushu Dental University, Fukuoka, Japan
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Huang Y, Wang S, Zhang X, Yang C, Wang S, Cheng H, Ke A, Gao C, Guo K. Identification of Fasudil as a collaborator to promote the anti-tumor effect of lenvatinib in hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting GLI2-mediated hedgehog signaling pathway. Pharmacol Res 2024; 200:107082. [PMID: 38280440 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Lenvatinib is a frontline tyrosine kinase inhibitor for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, just 25% of patients benefit from the treatment, and acquired resistance always develops. To date, there are neither effective medications to combat lenvatinib resistance nor accurate markers that might predict how well a patient would respond to the lenvatinib treatment. Thus, novel strategies to recognize and deal with lenvatinib resistance are desperately needed. In the current study, a robust Lenvatinib Resistance index (LRi) model to predict lenvatinib response status in HCC was first established. Subsequently, five candidate drugs (Mercaptopurine, AACOCF3, NU1025, Fasudil, and Exisulind) that were capable of reversing lenvatinib resistance signature were initially selected by performing the connectivity map (CMap) analysis, and fasudil finally stood out by conducting a series of cellular functional assays in vitro and xenograft mouse model. Transcriptomics revealed that the co-administration of lenvatinib and fasudil overcame lenvatinib resistance by remodeling the hedgehog signaling pathway. Mechanistically, the feedback activation of EGFR by lenvatinib led to the activation of the GLI2-ABCC1 pathway, which supported the HCC cell's survival and proliferation. Notably, co-administration of lenvatinib and fasudil significantly inhibited IHH, the upstream switch of the hedgehog pathway, to counteract GLI2 activation and finally enhance the effectiveness of lenvatinib. These findings elucidated a novel EGFR-mediated mechanism of lenvatinib resistance and provided a practical approach to overcoming drug resistance in HCC through meaningful drug repurposing strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilan Huang
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Siwei Wang
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China; Department of Radiation Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaojun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Sikai Wang
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongxia Cheng
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Aiwu Ke
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.
| | - Chao Gao
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.
| | - Kun Guo
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.
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Futterknecht S, Chatzimichail E, Gugleta K, Panos GD, Gatzioufas Z. The Role of Rho Kinase Inhibitors in Corneal Diseases. Drug Des Devel Ther 2024; 18:97-108. [PMID: 38264539 PMCID: PMC10804875 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s435522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The cornea, as the outermost layer of the eye, plays a crucial role in vision by focusing light onto the retina. Various diseases and injuries can compromise its clarity, leading to impaired vision. This review aims to provide a thorough overview of the pharmacological properties, therapeutic potential and associated risks of Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitors in the management of corneal diseases. The article focuses on four key ROCK inhibitors: Y-27632, fasudil, ripasudil, and netarsudil, providing a comparative examination. Studies supporting the use of ROCK inhibitors highlight their efficacy across diverse corneal conditions. In Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy, studies on the application of Y-27632, ripasudil, and netarsudil demonstrated noteworthy enhancements in corneal clarity, endothelial cell density, and visual acuity. In pseudophakic bullous keratopathy, the injection of Y-27632 together with cultured corneal endothelial cells into the anterior chamber lead to enhanced corneal endothelial cell density and improved visual acuity. Animal models simulating chemical injury to the cornea showed a reduction of neovascularization and epithelial defects after application of fasudil and in a case of iridocorneal endothelial syndrome netarsudil improved corneal edema. Addressing safety considerations, netarsudil and ripasudil, both clinically approved, exhibit adverse events such as conjunctival hyperemia, conjunctival hemorrhage, cornea verticillata, conjunctivitis, and blepharitis. Monitoring patients during treatment becomes crucial to balancing the potential therapeutic benefits with these associated risks. In conclusion, ROCK inhibitors, particularly netarsudil and ripasudil, offer promise in managing corneal diseases. The comparative analysis of their pharmacological properties and studies supporting their efficacy underscore their potential therapeutic significance. However, ongoing research is paramount to comprehensively understand their safety profiles and long-term outcomes in diverse corneal conditions, guiding their optimal application in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Futterknecht
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Konstantin Gugleta
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Georgios D Panos
- Department of Ophthalmology, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals, Nottingham, UK
- Division of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Zisis Gatzioufas
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Liu E, Pang K, Liu M, Tan X, Hang Z, Mu S, Han W, Yue Q, Comai S, Sun J. Activation of Kv7 channels normalizes hyperactivity of the VTA-NAcLat circuit and attenuates methamphetamine-induced conditioned place preference and sensitization in mice. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:5183-5194. [PMID: 37604975 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02218-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
The brain circuit projecting from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens lateral shell (NAcLat) has a key role in methamphetamine (MA) addiction. As different dopamine (DA) neuron subpopulations in the VTA participate in different neuronal circuits, it is a challenge to isolate these DA neuron subtypes. Using retrograde tracing and Patch-seq, we isolated DA neurons in the VTA-NAcLat circuit in MA-treated mice and performed gene expression profiling. Among the differentially expressed genes, KCNQ genes were dramatically downregulated. KCNQ genes encode Kv7 channel proteins, which modulate neuronal excitability. Injection of both the Kv7.2/3 agonist ICA069673 and the Kv7.4 agonist fasudil into the VTA attenuated MA-induced conditioned place preference and locomotor sensitization and decreased neuronal excitability. Increasing Kv7.2/3 activity decreased neural oscillations, synaptic plasticity and DA release in the VTA-NacLat circuit in MA-treated mice. Furthermore, overexpression of only Kv7.3 channels in the VTA-NacLat circuit was sufficient to attenuate MA-induced reward behavior and decrease VTA neuron excitability. Activation of Kv7 channels in the VTA may become a novel treatment strategy for MA abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Liu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong University School of Basic Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Kunkun Pang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong University School of Basic Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Department of Ultrasound, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Min Liu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong University School of Basic Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xu Tan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong University School of Basic Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Zhaofang Hang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong University School of Basic Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Shouhong Mu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong University School of Basic Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Weikai Han
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong University School of Basic Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Qingwei Yue
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong University School of Basic Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Stefano Comai
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Jinhao Sun
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong University School of Basic Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China.
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Xie J, Wang YY, Li JX, Gao FM. [Effect and mechanism of Poria cocos polysaccharides on myocardial cell apoptosis in rats with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by regulating Rho-ROCK signaling pathway]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi 2023; 48:6434-6441. [PMID: 38212001 DOI: 10.19540/j.cnki.cjcmm.20230816.401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of Poria cocos polysaccharides(PCP) on myocardial cell apoptosis in the rat model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury(MI/RI). Male SPF-grade SD rats were randomly divided into a sham group(saline), a model group(saline), low-and high-dose PCP groups(100 and 200 mg·kg~(-1)), and a fasudil group(10 mg·kg~(-1)), with 16 rats in each group. Except for the sham group, the other four groups underwent left anterior descending coronary artery ligation for 30 min followed by reperfusion for 2 h to establish the MI/RI model. The myocardial infarct area was assessed by TTC staining. Histological changes were observed through HE staining. Myocardial cell apoptosis was evaluated using TUNEL staining. Serum lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), creatine kinase MB(CK-MB), interleukin-1β(IL-1β) and IL-18 levels, myocardial superoxide dismutase(SOD) activity and malondialdehyde(MDA) levels were detected by ELISA. Protein expression of B-cell lymphoma 2(Bcl-2), Bcl-2 associated X protein(Bax), cleaved caspase-3, Ras homolog gene A(RhoA), myosin phosphatase target subunit 1(MYPT-1), phosphorylated MYPT-1(p-MYPT-1), and Rho-associated coiled-coil forming kinase 1(ROCK 1) were measured by Western blot. Pathological staining of myocardial tissue revealed that in the model group, there was focal necrosis of myocardial tissue, myocardial cell swelling, unclear boundaries, and neutrophil infiltration. These pathological changes were alleviated in the low-and high-dose PCP groups and the fasudil group. Compared with the model group, the low-and high-dose PCP groups and the fasudil group showed significantly reduced myocardial infarct area and myocardial cell apoptosis rate. Compared with the sham group, the model group exhibited elevated serum LDH, CK-MB, IL-1β and IL-18 levels, increased MDA levels, relative protein expression of Bax, cleaved caspase-3, RhoA, ROCK1 and p-MYPT-1, and decreased myocardial SOD levels and Bcl-2 protein expression. Compared with the model group, the PCP groups and the fasudil group showed lowered serum LDH, CK-MB, IL-1β and IL-18 levels, decreased MDA levels, relative protein expression of Bax, cleaved caspase-3, RhoA, ROCK1 and p-MYPT-1, and increased myocardial SOD levels and Bcl-2 protein expression. PCP exhibited a certain preventive effect on myocardial tissue pathological damage and myocardial cell apoptosis in MI/RI rats, possibly related to the inhibition of the Rho-ROCK signaling pathway activation, thereby reducing oxidative stress and inflammatory responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Xie
- Department of Cardiology, Hongqi Hospital Affiliated to Mudanjiang Medical College Mudanjiang 157011, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Hongqi Hospital Affiliated to Mudanjiang Medical College Mudanjiang 157011, China
| | - Ju-Xin Li
- Mudanjiang Medical College Mudanjiang 157011, China
| | - Feng-Min Gao
- Department of Cardiology, Hongqi Hospital Affiliated to Mudanjiang Medical College Mudanjiang 157011, China
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Zhang Y, Ranaei Pirmardan E, Barakat A, Naseri M, Hafezi-Moghadam A. Nanoarchitectonics for Photo-Controlled Intracellular Drug Release in Immune Modulation. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2022; 14:42976-42987. [PMID: 36103264 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c12440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Local stimuli differentiate monocytes into M2-like macrophages that mechanistically drive the pathologies in cancer and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A photo-controlled nanodrug that halts macrophage polarization through Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) inhibition was developed. A small-molecule ROCK inhibitor, fasudil, was conjugated to a photo-responsive group and a short poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain. This resulted in the novel amphiphilic prodrug, PEG-2-(4'-(di(prop-2-yn-1-yl)amino)-4-nitro-[1,1'-biphenyl]-yl)propan-1-ol (PANBP)-Fasudil, that spontaneously formed micelles. Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation of PEG-PANBP-Fasudil nanoparticles rapidly released fasudil. For visualization of linker degradation, a reporter nanoprobe was synthesized, in which 2-Me-4-OMe TokyoGreen (TG), a fluorophore that does not fluoresce in conjugation, was incorporated. Irradiation of nanoprobe-laden monocytes activated the reporter fluorophore. Cytokine stimulation differentiated monocytes into macrophages, while UV irradiation prevented polarization of PEG-PANBP-Fasudil nanoparticle-laden monocytes. Nanoarchitectonics-based design opens new possibilities for intracellular drug delivery and precise spatiotemporal immune cell modulation toward the development of new therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanlin Zhang
- Molecular Biomarkers Nano-Imaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St., Thorn Research Building, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Ehsan Ranaei Pirmardan
- Molecular Biomarkers Nano-Imaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St., Thorn Research Building, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Aliaa Barakat
- Molecular Biomarkers Nano-Imaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St., Thorn Research Building, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Marzieh Naseri
- Molecular Biomarkers Nano-Imaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St., Thorn Research Building, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Department of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, United States
| | - Ali Hafezi-Moghadam
- Molecular Biomarkers Nano-Imaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St., Thorn Research Building, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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Hao X, Shi B, Li W, Wu Y, Ai N, Zhu L, Wu Z, Li Z. Fasudil inhibits hepatic artery spasm by repressing the YAP/ERK/ ET A/ET B signaling pathway via inhibiting ROCK activation. Aging (Albany NY) 2022; 14:7378-7389. [PMID: 36126209 PMCID: PMC9550242 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of Fasudil on HA spasm and its underlying mechanism. METHODS Rabbits were divided into Sham, Fasudil, and Model groups for experiments. Fasudil was injected into the left medial lobe of the rabbit liver using a 16G lumbar puncture needle through the laparotomic route. The spasm model was established by inserting the catheter sheath into the femoral arteries of rabbits, followed by celiac artery angiography and left HA catheterization with a micro-catheter. Next, the GSE60887 and GSE37924 datasets concerning Fasudil treatment were analyzed. Moreover, immunofluorescence staining was conducted for YAP1 and α-SMA. Finally, Western blotting was performed to examine the expressions of YAP1, ROCK, ERK1/2, ETA, and ETB. RESULTS Fasudil could relieve HA spasm. The Go and KEGG pathway analyses revealed that the MAPK signaling pathway and the Hippo signaling pathway were enriched in vasospasm. Besides, GSEA revealed that ROCK was functionally enriched in the MAPK and Hippo signaling pathways. Co-expression analysis revealed that MAPK1 was significantly correlated with YAP1 and MYC, and YAP1 was significantly correlated with ETA and ETB. It was manifested in the results of immunofluorescence staining that the YAP1-positive fluorescence area was significantly decreased after Fasudil treatment. Moreover, Western blotting results showed that Fasudil decreased the expressions of YAP1, RhoA, ROCK, ETA, ETB, and p-ERK1/2. In addition, in-vitro Western blotting revealed that Fasudil suppressed the YAP/ERK/ETA/ETB signaling pathway in the case of HA spasm by inhibiting ROCK activation. CONCLUSIONS Fasudil ameliorates HA spasm through suppressing the YAP/ERK/ETA/ETB signaling pathway and the ROCK activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoguang Hao
- Department of Radiology, The 4th Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei, China
| | - Bo Shi
- Department of Radiology, The 4th Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei, China
| | - Weijing Li
- Department of Radiology, The 4th Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei, China
| | - Yongchao Wu
- Department of Radiology, The 4th Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei, China
| | - Ning Ai
- Department of Radiology, The 4th Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei, China
| | - Lina Zhu
- Department of Radiology, The 4th Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei, China
| | - Zhonglin Wu
- Department of Radiology, The 4th Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei, China
| | - Zhigang Li
- Department of Radiology, The 4th Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei, China
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Shingarova LN, Petrovskaya LE, Kryukova EA, Gapizov SS, Boldyreva EF, Dolgikh DA, Kirpichnikov MP. Deletion Variants of Autotransporter from Psychrobacter cryohalolentis Increase Efficiency of 10FN3 Exposure on the Surface of Escherichia coli Cells. Biochemistry (Mosc) 2022; 87:932-939. [PMID: 36180989 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297922090061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The autotransporter AT877 from Psychrobacter cryohalolentis belongs to the family of outer membrane proteins containing N-terminal passenger and C-terminal translocator domains that form the basis for the design of display systems on the surface of bacterial cells. It was shown in our previous study that the passenger domain of AT877 can be replaced by the cold-active esterase EstPc or the tenth domain of fibronectin type III (10Fn3). In order to increase efficiency of the 10Fn3 surface display in Escherichia coli cells, four deletion variants of the Fn877 hybrid autotransporter were obtained. It was demonstrated that all variants are present in the membrane of bacterial cells and facilitate binding of the antibodies specific against 10Fn3 on the cell surface. The highest level of binding is provided by the variants Δ239 and Δ310, containing four and seven beta-strands out of twelve that comprise the structure of the translocator domain. Using electrophoresis under semi-native conditions, presence of heat modifiability in the full-size Fn877 and its deletion variants was demonstrated, which indicated preservation of beta structure in their molecules. The obtained results could be used to optimize the bacterial display systems of 10Fn3, as well as of other heterologous passenger domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyudmila N Shingarova
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia.
| | - Lada E Petrovskaya
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Elena A Kryukova
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Sultan S Gapizov
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Elena F Boldyreva
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Dmitriy A Dolgikh
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Mikhail P Kirpichnikov
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
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Guo M, Zhang H, Yu J, Zhang P, Wang Y, Wei W, Song L, Chai Z, Yu J, Ma C. [Fasudil reduces apoptosis of SH-SY5Y cells induced by H 2O 2 and promotes synaptic plasticity by inhibiting neurite outgrowth inhibitor A and its receptor (NogoA/NgR) signaling pathway]. Xi Bao Yu Fen Zi Mian Yi Xue Za Zhi 2022; 38:625-631. [PMID: 35786457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Objective To investigate the effect of Fasudil on H2O2-induced apoptosis and synaptic plasticity in human neuroblastoma SY5Y cells and its mechanism. Methods The cells were divided into three groups: PBS control group, H2O2 model group (250 μmol/L H2O2 treatment) and Fasudil intervention group (250 μmol/L H2O2 combined with 15 μg/mL Fasudil treatment). MTT assay was applied to detect cell activity and TUNEL was performed to detect cell apoptosis respectively. Immunofluorescence cytochemical staining was used to determine the expression of neurite outgrowth inhibitor A (NogoA), Nogo receptor (NgR) and synaptophysin (Syn). Western blotting was then conducted to detect the expression of NogoA, NgR, p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR), leucine-rich repeat Ig domain-containing Nogo-interacting protein 1 (LINGO-1), Syn and postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95). Results Compared with the PBS group, the H2O2 group showed decreased cell viability and increased apoptosis rate while Fasudil treatment significantly increased the cell viability and reduced the apoptosis rate. Compared with the H2O2 model group, Fasudil intervention increased expressions of Syn and PSD-95. Compared with the PBS group, the expression of NogoA and its receptor complex NgR/p75NTR/LINGO-1 grew significantly in the H2O2 group, suggesting Fasudil treatment could inhibit the expression of NogoA and its receptor complex NgR/p75NTR/LINGO-1. Conclusion Fasudil may inhibit the activation of the NogoA/NgR signaling pathway, therefore reducing the apoptosis induced by H2O2 in SH-SY5Y cells and enhancing the plasticity of the synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minfang Guo
- Institute of Brain Science/Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Shanxi Datong University, Datong 037009, China
| | - Huiyu Zhang
- Institute of Brain Science/Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Shanxi Datong University, Datong 037009, China
| | - Jingwen Yu
- Institute of Brain Science/Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Shanxi Datong University, Datong 037009, China
| | - Peijun Zhang
- Institute of Brain Science/Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Shanxi Datong University, Datong 037009, China
| | - Yuyin Wang
- Institute of Brain Science/Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Shanxi Datong University, Datong 037009; The Key Research Laboratory of Benefiting Qi for Acting Blood Circulation Method to Treat Multiple Sclerosis of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine/Research Center for Neurobiology, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong 030619, China
| | - Wenyue Wei
- Institute of Brain Science/Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Shanxi Datong University, Datong 037009; Dept. of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Lijuan Song
- The Key Research Laboratory of Benefiting Qi for Acting Blood Circulation Method to Treat Multiple Sclerosis of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine/Research Center for Neurobiology, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong 030619; Dept. of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Zhi Chai
- The Key Research Laboratory of Benefiting Qi for Acting Blood Circulation Method to Treat Multiple Sclerosis of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine/Research Center for Neurobiology, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong 030619, China
| | - Jiezhong Yu
- Institute of Brain Science/Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Shanxi Datong University, Datong 037009; Dept. of Neurology, Datong Fourth People's Hospital, Datong 037009, China. *Corresponding authors, E-mail:
| | - Cungen Ma
- Institute of Brain Science/Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Shanxi Datong University, Datong 037009; The Key Research Laboratory of Benefiting Qi for Acting Blood Circulation Method to Treat Multiple Sclerosis of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine/Research Center for Neurobiology, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong 030619; Dept. of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China. *Corresponding authors, E-mail:
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Esposito D, Pant I, Shen Y, Qiao RF, Yang X, Bai Y, Jin J, Poulikakos PI, Aaronson SA. ROCK1 mechano-signaling dependency of human malignancies driven by TEAD/YAP activation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:703. [PMID: 35121738 PMCID: PMC8817028 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28319-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Rho family mechano-signaling through the actin cytoskeleton positively regulates physiological TEAD/YAP transcription, while the evolutionarily conserved Hippo tumor suppressor pathway antagonizes this transcription through YAP cytoplasmic localization/degradation. The mechanisms responsible for oncogenic dysregulation of these pathways, their prevalence in tumors, as well as how such dysregulation can be therapeutically targeted are not resolved. We demonstrate that p53 DNA contact mutants in human tumors, indirectly hyperactivate RhoA/ROCK1/actomyosin signaling, which is both necessary and sufficient to drive oncogenic TEAD/YAP transcription. Moreover, we demonstrate that recurrent lesions in the Hippo pathway depend on physiological levels of ROCK1/actomyosin signaling for oncogenic TEAD/YAP transcription. Finally, we show that ROCK inhibitors selectively antagonize proliferation and motility of human tumors with either mechanism. Thus, we identify a cancer driver paradigm and a precision medicine approach for selective targeting of human malignancies driven by TEAD/YAP transcription through mechanisms that either upregulate or depend on homeostatic RhoA mechano-signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Esposito
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Ila Pant
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Yao Shen
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Rui F Qiao
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Xiaobao Yang
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Yiyang Bai
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Jian Jin
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Poulikos I Poulikakos
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Dermatology, The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Stuart A Aaronson
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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Khallaf AM, El-Moslemany RM, Ahmed MF, Morsi MH, Khalafallah NM. Exploring a Novel Fasudil-Phospholipid Complex Formulated as Liposomal Thermosensitive in situ Gel for Glaucoma. Int J Nanomedicine 2022; 17:163-181. [PMID: 35046652 PMCID: PMC8760977 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s342975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Methods Results Conclusion
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Affiliation(s)
- Aya M Khallaf
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Riham M El-Moslemany
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
- Correspondence: Riham M El-Moslemany Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, 1, Khartoum Square, Azarita, Alexandria, 21521, EgyptTel +20 1006020405 Email
| | - Mahmoud F Ahmed
- Managing Director at Ultimate Pharma Company, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud H Morsi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Nawal M Khalafallah
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
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Abstract
Fasudil has the potential to prevent liver fibrosis by activating natural killer cells and inhibiting the proliferation of hepatic stellate cells. Fasudil may be a promising clinical therapeutic drug for the prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Xi
- Center for Pharmacogenetics and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United States
| | - Peng-Fei Xu
- Center for Pharmacogenetics and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United States
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Liang J, Tang M, Wang L, Huang R, Fu A, Zhou J. Design and development of novel fasudil derivatives as potent antibreast cancer agent that improves intestinal flora and intestinal barrier function in rats. Chem Biol Drug Des 2021; 98:1065-1078. [PMID: 34587363 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This study was conducted to develop novel fasudil derivatives after incorporation of substituted thiazoles as potent anti-breast cancer (BC) agents. The compounds were developed using a facile synthetic route in excellent yields. The entire set of developed compounds was tested for inhibitory activity against rho-associated coiled-coil kinase (ROCK; ROCK1 and ROCK2) kinase, where they exhibit potent and selective inhibition of ROCK1 as compared to ROCK2. The most potent ROCK2 inhibitor, compound 6h significantly inhibited the viability of BC cells (MCF-7). It also causes inhibition of migration and invasion of MCF-7 cells. Moreover, the anti-BC activity of compound 6h was studied in 7,12 dimethyl Benz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced BC in female Sprague Dawley rats. Results suggest that it causes significant improvement in the bodyweight of the animals with a reduction in oxidative stress in the liver and mammary tissues of rats. It showed improvement in the intestinal barrier function of rats by restoring the level of Diamine oxidase, d-lactate, and endotoxin. In western blot analysis, it showed improvement in (ZO-1), occludin, and claudin-1 in the colon tissue of the rat as compared to the DMBA group. Our study demonstrated the development of the novel class of fasudil derivatives potent anti-BC agent that improves intestinal flora and intestinal barrier function in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghui Liang
- Oncology Radiotherapy Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Mu Tang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Jiangxi Provincial Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Lieliang Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Jiangxi Provincial Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Rui Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jiangxi Provincial Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Ailong Fu
- Department of Pathology, Jiangxi Provincial Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Juying Zhou
- Oncology Radiotherapy Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
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Kinoshita S, Colby KA, Kruse FE. A Close Look at the Clinical Efficacy of Rho-Associated Protein Kinase Inhibitor Eye Drops for Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy. Cornea 2021; 40:1225-1228. [PMID: 34481406 PMCID: PMC8423139 DOI: 10.1097/ico.0000000000002642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The current understanding on the clinical efficacy of Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor for treating Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy is summarized to clarify whether the "off-label" ROCK-inhibitor eye-drop application are appropriate. ROCK-inhibitor eye drops may eventually be deemed a cutting-edge therapy for Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy patients with acute corneal endothelial defect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeru Kinoshita
- Department of Frontier Medical Science and Technology for Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kathryn A. Colby
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University (NYU), New York, NY; and
| | - Friedrich E. Kruse
- Department for Ophthalmology, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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20
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Han QJ, Mu YL, Zhao HJ, Zhao RR, Guo QJ, Su YH, Zhang J. Fasudil prevents liver fibrosis via activating natural killer cells and suppressing hepatic stellate cells. World J Gastroenterol 2021; 27:3581-3594. [PMID: 34239271 PMCID: PMC8240055 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v27.i24.3581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fasudil, as a Ras homology family member A (RhoA) kinase inhibitor, is used to improve brain microcirculation and promote nerve regeneration clinically. Increasing evidence shows that Rho-kinase inhibition could improve liver fibrosis.
AIM To evaluate the anti-fibrotic effects of Fasudil in a mouse model of liver fibrosis induced by thioacetamide (TAA).
METHODS C57BL/6 mice were administered TAA once every 3 d for 12 times. At 1 wk after induction with TAA, Fasudil was intraperitoneally injected once a day for 3 wk, followed by hematoxylin and eosin staining, sirius red staining, western blotting, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and immune cell activation was assayed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Furthermore, the effects of Fasudil on hepatic stellate cells and natural killer (NK) cells were assayed in vitro.
RESULTS First, we found that TAA-induced liver injury was protected, and the positive area of sirius red staining and type I collagen deposition were significantly decreased by Fasudil treatment. Furthermore, western blot and qPCR assays showed that the levels of alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), MMP-9, and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) were inhibited by Fasudil. Moreover, flow cytometry analysis revealed that NK cells were activated by Fasudil treatment in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, Fasudil directly promoted the apoptosis and inhibited the proliferation of hepatic stellate cells by decreasing α-SMA and TGF-β1.
CONCLUSION Fasudil inhibits liver fibrosis by activating NK cells and blocking hepatic stellate cell activation, thereby providing a feasible solution for the clinical treatment of liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiu-Ju Han
- Institute of Immunopharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yong-Liang Mu
- Institute of Immunopharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Hua-Jun Zhao
- Institute of Immunopharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Rong-Rong Zhao
- Institute of Immunopharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Quan-Juan Guo
- Institute of Immunopharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yu-Hang Su
- Department of Emergency Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Institute of Immunopharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong Province, China
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21
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Biesaga M, Frigolé-Vivas M, Salvatella X. Intrinsically disordered proteins and biomolecular condensates as drug targets. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2021; 62:90-100. [PMID: 33812316 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered domains represent attractive therapeutic targets because they play key roles in cancer, as well as in neurodegenerative and infectious diseases. They are, however, considered undruggable because they do not form stable binding pockets for small molecules and, therefore, have not been prioritized in drug discovery. Under physiological solution conditions many biomedically relevant intrinsically disordered proteins undergo phase separation processes leading to the formation of mesoscopic highly dynamic assemblies, generally known as biomolecular condensates that define environments that can be quite different from the solutions surrounding them. In what follows, we review key recent findings in this area and show how biomolecular condensation can offer opportunities for modulating the activities of intrinsically disordered targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateusz Biesaga
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain; Joint BSC-IRB Research Programme in Computational Biology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Frigolé-Vivas
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain; Joint BSC-IRB Research Programme in Computational Biology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Salvatella
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain; Joint BSC-IRB Research Programme in Computational Biology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain.
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22
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Zhang J, Zhang S, Shi Q, Allen TD, You F, Yang D. A high-content screen identifies the vulnerability of MYC-overexpressing cells to dimethylfasudil. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248355. [PMID: 33760847 PMCID: PMC7990233 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A synthetic lethal effect arises when a cancer-associated change introduces a unique vulnerability to cancer cells that makes them unusually susceptible to a drug’s inhibitory activity. The synthetic lethal approach is attractive because it enables targeting of cancers harboring specific genomic or epigenomic alterations, the products of which may have proven refractory to direct targeting. An example is cancer driven by overexpression of MYC. Here, we conducted a high-content screen for compounds that are synthetic lethal to elevated MYC using a small-molecule library to identify compounds that are closely related to, or are themselves, regulatory-approved drugs. The screen identified dimethylfasudil, a potent and reversible inhibitor of Rho-associated kinases, ROCK1 and ROCK2. Close analogs of dimethylfasudil are used clinically to treat neurologic and cardiovascular disorders. The synthetic lethal interaction was conserved in rodent and human cell lines and could be observed with activation of either MYC or its paralog MYCN. The synthetic lethality seems specific to MYC overexpressing cells as it could not be substituted by a variety of oncogenic manipulations and synthetic lethality was diminished by RNAi-mediated depletion of MYC in human cancer cell lines. Collectively, these data support investigation of the use of dimethylfasudil as a drug that is synthetic lethal for malignancies that specifically overexpress MYC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- Anticancer Biosciences and the J. Michael Bishop Institute of Cancer Research, Chengdu, China
| | - Shenqiu Zhang
- Anticancer Biosciences and the J. Michael Bishop Institute of Cancer Research, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiong Shi
- Anticancer Biosciences and the J. Michael Bishop Institute of Cancer Research, Chengdu, China
| | - Thaddeus D. Allen
- Anticancer Biosciences and the J. Michael Bishop Institute of Cancer Research, Chengdu, China
- * E-mail: (DY); (TDA)
| | - Fengming You
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Dun Yang
- Anticancer Biosciences and the J. Michael Bishop Institute of Cancer Research, Chengdu, China
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
- * E-mail: (DY); (TDA)
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23
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Wu H, Chen Y, Li B, Li C, Guo J, You J, Hu X, Kuang D, Qi S, Liu P, Li L, Xu C. Targeting ROCK1/2 blocks cell division and induces mitotic catastrophe in hepatocellular carcinoma. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 184:114353. [PMID: 33278350 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2020.114353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rho-Associated kinases ROCK1 and ROCK2 have been extensively investigated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. However, their roles are not fully understood in carcinogenesis. In this study, we investigated whether ROCK1 or ROCK2 is required for the survival and growth of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and underlying mechanism. METHODS ROCKs expression was determined in human HCC tissue and cell lines using qRT-PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Cell growth and proliferation were assayed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and EdU incorporation assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis analysis were performed using flow cytometry. HCC cell division or mitosis was observed using a confocal microscope and a time relapse fluorescence microscope. Inhibitory role of targeting ROCK1/2 on HCC was assayed in both xenograft and primary HCC mouse models. RESULTS Both ROCK1 and ROCK2 are over-expressed in human HCC tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of ROCK1 or ROCK2 inhibited HCC cell growth. Pharmacological inactivation of ROCK1/2 with Fasudil further blocked the growth and survival of HCC both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanically, Fasudil induces cell cycle arrest in HCC cells, but not apoptosis. Instead, Fasudil treatment led to mitotic catastrophe in HCC cells, characterized with the multipolar and asymmetric mitosis, and disassociated stress fibers. Knockdown of cofilin restored the cell morphology and division, and reduced the mitotic catastrophe induced by Fasudil. CONCLUSIONS Both ROCK1 and ROCK2 are required for HCC cell division and growth. Targeting ROCK1 or ROCK2 rather than both can serve as a potential approach for HCC treatment and may reduce the side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yuyuan Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Bin Li
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Chun Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Jun Guo
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Jia You
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xian Hu
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dong Kuang
- Institute of Pathology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Shibo Qi
- Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Benxi Iron and Steel Company, Benxi 117000, China
| | - Pin Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lei Li
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
| | - Chuanrui Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
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Xiang C, Yan Y, Zhang D. Alleviation of the doxorubicin-induced nephrotoxicity by fasudil in vivo and in vitro. J Pharmacol Sci 2021; 145:6-15. [PMID: 33357780 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphs.2020.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Treatment with the chemotherapeutic agent, doxorubicin (DOX), is limited by side effects. We have previously demonstrated that fasudil, a Rho/ROCK inhibitor, has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects in contrast-induced acute kidney injury model. The present study to investigated the possible protective effect of fasudil, on DOX-induced nephrotoxicity. MATERIALS AND METHOD In vivo: Forty male C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: Control group, DOX treatment group (DOX group), DOX + low dose fasudil (DOX + L group), DOX + high dose fasudil (DOX + H group). Mice in 2-4 groups received DOX (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) once a week for 8 weeks. The 3 and 4 group were given 2 mg/kg/d or 10 mg/kg/d fasudil before DOX injection. respectively. Meanwhile, the control group received saline. At the end of week eight, blood samples were collected for biochemical testing. The kidneys were removed for histological, immunohistochemical, Western blot, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and molecular detection. In vitro: NRK-52E cells were treated with 40 uM fasudil for 12 h, then incubated with 1 uM DOX for 24 h. Cells then collected for qRT-PCR and Western blot. RESULTS In vivo, fasudil treatment ameliorated DOX-induced immunofluorescence reaction of DNA damage-related factors (8-OHdG), decreased the expression of Bax, Caspase-3, p16, p21 and p53, and increased the expression of protein of Bcl-2, Bmi-1 and Sirt-1. In the mouse model, administration of fasudil significantly ameliorated DOX-induced kidney damage, suppressed cell apoptosis and senescence, ameliorated redox imbalance and DNA damage. At the same time, DOX produced obvious kidney damage revealed by kidney functions changes: increased serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentrations. In addition, kidney tissue staining in the DOX group showed abnormal structure and fibroproliferative disorders. And DOX could promote the oxidation and senescence of kidney cells, leading to increased expression of 8-OHdG and senescence and apoptosis-related factors. On the contrary, fasudil treatment can effectively inhibit redox imbalance and DNA damage caused by DOX, and inhibit cell senescence and apoptosis. Fasudil can inhibit excessive activation of Rho/ROCK signaling pathway, thereby improving kidney tissue fibrosis and recovery kidney function. CONCLUSION Fasudil has a protective effect on DOX-induced nephrotoxicity in mice and NRK-52E cells, which can inhibit oxidative stress and DNA damage, inhibit apoptosis, and delays cell senescence by inhibiting RhoA/Rho kinase (ROCK) signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengyu Xiang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nangjing, China
| | - Yi Yan
- Department of Cardiology, Jiangyin People's Hospital, Jiangyin, China
| | - Dingguo Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nangjing, China.
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25
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Ren X, Meng T, Ren X, Li X, Lu L. Fasudil alleviates acetaminophen-induced liver injury via targeting Rhoa/ROCK signal pathway. J Toxicol Sci 2021; 46:255-262. [PMID: 34078832 DOI: 10.2131/jts.46.255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Fasudil is an inhibitor of Rhoa/ROCK signaling, which is involved in anti-inflammatory and anti-injury effects. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of Fasudil on acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury and reveal its potential molecular mechanism. In this study, C57BL/6 J mice were divided into different groups and treated with APAP and specified dose of Fasudil. HE staining was used to detect the changes of liver pathological tissues induced by APAP. ELISA assay was performed to detected the level of related factors. Western blot was used to detect the expressions of Rhoa, ROCK1, ROCK2. CD86 and CD6 were determined by RT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining detected the difference in CD86 expression. Rhoa/ROCK expression was increased in APAP-induced liver injury, and Fasudil targeted the expression of Rhoa/ROCK. Fasudil inhibits APAP-induced hepatic pathological changes and liver function injury. Fasudil inhibits the release of APAP-induced systemic inflammatory factors in liver tissue. Fasudil inhibits the activity of antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation and macrophage infiltration induced by APAP in liver tissues. Fasudil alleviates APAP-induced liver injury via targeting Rhoa/ROCK signal pathway, indicating the possibility for clinical use of Fasudil in APAP-induced liver injury.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tong Meng
- Department of Orthodontics, Linyi People's Hospital, China
| | - Xingbin Ren
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Linyi People's Hospital, China
| | - Xiaoyu Li
- Department of gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, China
| | - Lin Lu
- Qingdao University, China
- Department of gastroenterology, Linyi People's Hospital, China
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Feng H, Huang X, Fu W, Dong X, Yang F, Li L, Chu L. A Rho kinase inhibitor (Fasudil) suppresses TGF-β mediated autophagy in urethra fibroblasts to attenuate traumatic urethral stricture (TUS) through re-activating Akt/mTOR pathway: An in vitro study. Life Sci 2020; 267:118960. [PMID: 33373654 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) mediated super-activation of urethra fibroblasts contributes to the progression of traumatic urethral stricture (TUS), and the Rho-associated kinase inhibitors, Fasudil, might be a novel therapeutic agent for TUS, but the underlying mechanisms had not been studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS The primary urethral fibroblasts (PUFs) were isolated from rabbit urethral scar tissues and cultured in vitro, and the PUFs were subsequently treated with TGF-β (10 μg/L) to simulate the realistic conditions of TUS pathogenesis. Next, the PUFs were exposed to Fasudil (50 μM) and autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) treatment. Genes expression was examined by Western Blot and immunofluorescence staining, and cellular functions were determined by MTT assay and Transwell assay. KEY FINDINGS TGF-β promoted cell proliferation, migration, autophagy, and secretion of extracellular matrix (ECM), including collagen I and collagen III, which were reversed by co-treating cells with both Fasudil and 3-MA. In addition, TGF-β treatment decreased the expression levels of phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) and mTOR (p-mTOR) to inactivate the Akt/mTOR pathway in the PUFs, which could be re-activated by Fasudil. Then, the fibroblasts were treated with the Pan-Akt inhibitor (GDC-0068), and we surprisingly found that GDC-0068 abrogated the inhibiting effects of Fasudil on cell autophagy and proliferation in the PUFs treated with TGF-β. SIGNIFICANCE Fasudil regulated Akt/mTOR pathway mediated autophagy to hamper TGF-β-mediated super-activation in PUFs, which supported that Fasudil might be an ideal candidate therapeutic agent for TUS treatment for clinical utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Feng
- Department of Urology Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400037, China
| | - Xiaobing Huang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400037, China
| | - Weihua Fu
- Department of Urology Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400037, China
| | - Xingyou Dong
- Department of Urology Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400037, China
| | - Fengxia Yang
- Department of Urology Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400037, China
| | - Longkun Li
- Department of Urology Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400037, China.
| | - Lingling Chu
- Department of Nursing, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400037, China.
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Zhang J, Wang W, Wang H, Liu J, Zhang Z. Fasudil protects retinal ganglion cells and promotes axonal regeneration. Pak J Pharm Sci 2020; 33:2431-2437. [PMID: 33832886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This study was aimed to investigate whether fasudil can protect retinal ganglion cells and promote axonal regeneration by inhibiting RhoA/Rock pathway. Long Evans rats were used to establish an optic nerve injury model. Apoptosis was detected by TUNEL, and surviving RGCs was detected by Fluoro-Gold retrograde label and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to evaluate pathological changes and western blot was used to measure the expression of protein. After 10 days of optic nerve injury rat model, increased cell apoptosis and decreased FG-positive RGCs in rat eye, but fasudil could reverse these changes. In vitro, fasudil could not only increase the number of RGCs with protuberances, but also increase the length of protuberances. Moreover, fasudil could not only reduce the expression of total-cohoin, Rock, total-cofilin and total-MLC protein induced by optic nerve injury, but also reduce the relative expression of GTP-RhoA, p-cofilin and p-MLC protein. Fasudil protects retinal ganglion cells and promotes axonal regeneration by inhibiting RhoA / Rock pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shijiazhuang Third Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Weichao Wang
- Department of Endocrinology, Shijiazhuang First Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Hong Wang
- Department of Geriatrics, Shijiazhuang First Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Junru Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shijiazhuang Third Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Zhihong Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shijiazhuang Third Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
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Streets AJ, Prosseda PP, Ong AC. Polycystin-1 regulates ARHGAP35-dependent centrosomal RhoA activation and ROCK signaling. JCI Insight 2020; 5:135385. [PMID: 32663194 PMCID: PMC7455122 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.135385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in PKD1 (encoding for polycystin-1 [PC1]) are found in 80%–85% of patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). We tested the hypothesis that changes in actin dynamics result from PKD1 mutations through dysregulation of compartmentalized centrosomal RhoA signaling mediated by specific RhoGAP (ARHGAP) proteins resulting in the complex cellular cystic phenotype. Initial studies revealed that the actin cytoskeleton was highly disorganized in cystic cells derived from patients with PKD1 and was associated with an increase in total and centrosomal active RhoA and ROCK signaling. Using cilia length as a phenotypic readout for centrosomal RhoA activity, we identified ARHGAP5, -29, and -35 as essential regulators of ciliation in normal human renal tubular cells. Importantly, a specific decrease in centrosomal ARHGAP35 was observed in PKD1-null cells using a centrosome-targeted proximity ligation assay and by dual immunofluorescence labeling. Finally, the ROCK inhibitor hydroxyfasudil reduced cyst expansion in both human PKD1 3D cyst assays and an inducible Pkd1 mouse model. In summary, we report a potentially novel interaction between PC1 and ARHGAP35 in the regulation of centrosomal RhoA activation and ROCK signaling. Targeting the RhoA/ROCK pathway inhibited cyst formation in vitro and in vivo, indicating its relevance to ADPKD pathogenesis and for developing new therapies to inhibit cyst initiation. Polycystin-1, the major protein mutated in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, activates centrosomal RhoA activity via interaction with the Rho-GAP protein ARHGAP35, resulting in shorter cilia.
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Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the Western world with limited therapeutic options and dismal long-term survival. The neoplastic epithelium exists within a dense stroma, which is recognized as a critical mediator of disease progression through direct effects on cancer cells and indirect effects on the tumour immune microenvironment. The three dominant entities in the PDAC stroma are extracellular matrix (ECM), vasculature and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). The ECM can function as a barrier to effective drug delivery to PDAC cancer cells, and a multitude of strategies to target the ECM have been attempted in the past decade. The tumour vasculature is a complex system and, although multiple anti-angiogenesis agents have already failed late-stage clinical trials in PDAC, other vasculature-targeting approaches aimed at vessel normalization and tumour immunosensitization have shown promise in preclinical models. Lastly, PDAC CAFs participate in active cross-talk with cancer cells within the tumour microenvironment. The existence of intratumoural CAF heterogeneity represents a paradigm shift in PDAC CAF biology, with myofibroblastic and inflammatory CAF subtypes that likely make distinct contributions to PDAC progression. In this Review, we discuss our current understanding of the three principal constituents of PDAC stroma, their effect on the prevalent immune landscape and promising therapeutic targets within this compartment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdel N Hosein
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology & Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rolf A Brekken
- Department of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research and Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Anirban Maitra
- Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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Wan S, Luo F, Huang C, Liu C, Luo Q, Zhu X. Ursolic acid reverses liver fibrosis by inhibiting interactive NOX4/ROS and RhoA/ROCK1 signalling pathways. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:10614-10632. [PMID: 32496208 PMCID: PMC7346053 DOI: 10.18632/aging.103282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is the reversible deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) and scar formation after liver damage by various stimuli. The interaction between NOX4/ROS and RhoA/ROCK1 in liver fibrosis is not yet clear. Ursolic acid (UA) is a traditional Chinese medicine with anti-fibrotic effects, but the molecular mechanism underlying these effects is still unclear. We investigated the interaction between NOX4/ROS and RhoA/ROCK1 during liver fibrosis and whether these molecules are targets for the anti-fibrotic effects of UA. First, we confirmed that UA reversed CCl4-induced liver fibrosis. In the NOX4 intervention and RhoA intervention groups, related experimental analyses confirmed the decrease in CCl4-induced liver fibrosis. Next, we determined that the expression of NOX4 and RhoA/ROCK1 was decreased in UA-treated liver fibrotic mice. Furthermore, RhoA/ROCK1 expression was decreased in the NOX4 intervention group, but there was no significant change in the expression of NOX4 in the RhoA intervention group. Finally, we found that liver fibrotic mice showed a decline in their microbiota diversity and abundance, a change in their microbiota composition, and a reduction in the number of potential beneficial bacteria. However, in UA-treated liver fibrotic mice, the microbiota dysbiosis was ameliorated. In conclusion, the NOX4/ROS and RhoA/ROCK1 signalling pathways are closely linked to the development of liver fibrosis. UA can reverse liver fibrosis by inhibiting the NOX4/ROS and RhoA/ROCK1 signalling pathways, which may interact with each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sizhe Wan
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Fangyun Luo
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Chenkai Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Qingtian Luo
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xuan Zhu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
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Ostendorf F, Metzdorf J, Gold R, Haghikia A, Tönges L. Propionic Acid and Fasudil as Treatment Against Rotenone Toxicity in an In Vitro Model of Parkinson's Disease. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25112502. [PMID: 32481507 PMCID: PMC7321113 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25112502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease. In recent years, several studies demonstrated that the gastroenteric system and intestinal microbiome influence central nervous system function. The pathological mechanisms triggered thereby change neuronal function in neurodegenerative diseases including dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson´s disease. In this study, we employed a model system for PD of cultured primary mesencephalic cells and used the pesticide rotenone to model dopaminergic cell damage. We examined neuroprotective effects of the Rho kinase inhibitor Fasudil and the short chain fatty acid (SCFA) propionic acid on primary neurons in cell morphological assays, cell survival, gene and protein expression. Fasudil application resulted in significantly enhanced neuritic outgrowth and increased cell survival of dopaminergic cells. The application of propionic acid primarily promoted cell survival of dopaminergic cells against rotenone toxicity and increased neurite outgrowth to a moderate extent. Interestingly, Fasudil augmented gene expression of synaptophysin whereas gene expression levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) were substantially increased by propionic acid. Concerning protein expression propionic acid treatment increased STAT3 levels but did not lead to an increased phosphorylation indicative of pathway activation. Our findings indicate that both Fasudil and propionic acid treatment show beneficial potential in rotenone-lesioned primary mesencephalic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friederike Ostendorf
- Department of Neurology, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44791 Bochum, Germany; (F.O.); (J.M.); (R.G.); (A.H.)
| | - Judith Metzdorf
- Department of Neurology, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44791 Bochum, Germany; (F.O.); (J.M.); (R.G.); (A.H.)
- Neurodegeneration Research, Centre for Protein Diagnostics (ProDi), Ruhr University, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Ralf Gold
- Department of Neurology, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44791 Bochum, Germany; (F.O.); (J.M.); (R.G.); (A.H.)
- Neurodegeneration Research, Centre for Protein Diagnostics (ProDi), Ruhr University, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Aiden Haghikia
- Department of Neurology, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44791 Bochum, Germany; (F.O.); (J.M.); (R.G.); (A.H.)
- Neurodegeneration Research, Centre for Protein Diagnostics (ProDi), Ruhr University, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Lars Tönges
- Department of Neurology, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44791 Bochum, Germany; (F.O.); (J.M.); (R.G.); (A.H.)
- Neurodegeneration Research, Centre for Protein Diagnostics (ProDi), Ruhr University, 44801 Bochum, Germany
- Correspondence:
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So S, Lee Y, Choi J, Kang S, Lee JY, Hwang J, Shin J, Dutton JR, Seo EJ, Lee BH, Kim CJ, Mitalipov S, Oh SJ, Kang E. The Rho-associated kinase inhibitor fasudil can replace Y-27632 for use in human pluripotent stem cell research. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233057. [PMID: 32396545 PMCID: PMC7217428 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Poor survival of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) following freezing, thawing, or passaging hinders the maintenance and differentiation of stem cells. Rho-associated kinases (ROCKs) play a crucial role in hPSC survival. To date, a typical ROCK inhibitor, Y-27632, has been the primary agent used in hPSC research. Here, we report that another ROCK inhibitor, fasudil, can be used as an alternative and is cheaper than Y-27632. It increased hPSC growth following thawing and passaging, like Y-27632, and did not affect pluripotency, differentiation ability, and chromosome integrity. Furthermore, fasudil promoted retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) differentiation and the survival of neural crest cells (NCCs) during differentiation. It was also useful for single-cell passaging of hPSCs and during aggregation. These findings suggest that fasudil can replace Y-27632 for use in stem research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seongjun So
- Stem Cell Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeonmi Lee
- Stem Cell Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwan Choi
- Stem Cell Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seoon Kang
- Stem Cell Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Yoon Lee
- Department of Convergence Medicine, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Julie Hwang
- Stem Cell Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Joosung Shin
- Stem Cell Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - James R. Dutton
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Eul-Ju Seo
- Medical Genetics Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Beom Hee Lee
- Medical Genetics Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Chong Jai Kim
- Department of Pathology, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Shoukhrat Mitalipov
- Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Soo Jin Oh
- Department of Convergence Medicine, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunju Kang
- Stem Cell Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Convergence Medicine, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail:
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Arima M, Nakao S, Yamaguchi M, Feng H, Fujii Y, Shibata K, Wada I, Kaizu Y, Ahmadieh H, Ishibashi T, Stitt AW, Sonoda KH. Claudin-5 Redistribution Induced by Inflammation Leads to Anti-VEGF-Resistant Diabetic Macular Edema. Diabetes 2020; 69:981-999. [PMID: 32139595 DOI: 10.2337/db19-1121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Approximately 40% of patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) are resistant to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy (rDME). Here, we demonstrate that significant correlations between inflammatory cytokines and VEGF, as observed in naive DME, are lost in patients with rDME. VEGF overexpression in the mouse retina caused delayed inflammatory cytokine upregulation, monocyte/macrophage infiltration (CD11b+ Ly6C+ CCR2+ cells), macrophage/microglia activation (CD11b+ CD80+ cells), and blood-retinal barrier disruption due to claudin-5 redistribution, which did not recover with VEGF blockade alone. Phosphorylated protein analysis of VEGF-overexpressed retinas revealed rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase (ROCK) activation. Administration of ripasudil, a selective ROCK inhibitor, attenuated retinal inflammation and claudin-5 redistribution. Ripasudil also contributed to the stability of claudin-5 expression by both transcriptional enhancement and degradation suppression in inflammatory cytokine-stimulated endothelium. Notably, the anti-VEGF agent and the ROCK inhibitor were synergic in suppressing cytokine upregulation, monocyte/macrophage infiltration, macrophage/microglia activation, and claudin-5 redistribution. Furthermore, in vitro analysis confirmed that claudin-5 redistribution depends on ROCK2 but not on ROCK1. This synergistic effect was also confirmed in human rDME cases. Our results suggest that ROCK-mediated claudin-5 redistribution by inflammation is a key mechanism in the anti-VEGF resistance of DME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuru Arima
- Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shintaro Nakao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Muneo Yamaguchi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hao Feng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yuya Fujii
- Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kensuke Shibata
- Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Iori Wada
- Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Kaizu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hamid Ahmadieh
- Ocular Tissue Engineering Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tatsuro Ishibashi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Alan W Stitt
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - Koh-Hei Sonoda
- Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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Xie F, Lei J, Ran M, Li Y, Deng L, Feng J, Zhong Y, Li J. Attenuation of Diabetic Nephropathy in Diabetic Mice by Fasudil through Regulation of Macrophage Polarization. J Diabetes Res 2020; 2020:4126913. [PMID: 32685556 PMCID: PMC7345603 DOI: 10.1155/2020/4126913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammation and fibrosis induced by hyperglycemia are considered to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. As macrophage polarization may determine the severity and progression of inflammation, regulation of macrophage polarization may be an effective method to treat diabetic complications. Fasudil, a potent Rho-kinase inhibitor, reportedly exhibits anti-inflammatory activity. However, whether fasudil reduces hyperglycemia-induced diabetic nephropathy via regulation of macrophage polarization remains unclear. In this study, we investigate the effect of fasudil on diabetic nephropathy in streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic mice. Our data showed that fasudil significantly decreased urinary protein and serum creatinine in diabetic mice, whereas it had no effect on the body weight and blood glucose. We also found increased M1-type macrophages and related proinflammatory cytokines, adverse fibrosis in renal tissue of diabetic mice. Interestingly, treatment of diabetic mice with fasudil increased the number of M2-type macrophages and related anti-inflammatory cytokines, which attenuated renal injury in diabetic mice. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that fasudil could slow the progression of diabetic nephropathy. The possible mechanism might be associated with its induction of M2 macrophage polarization and the reduction of M1 macrophage polarization and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fajiang Xie
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- Department of Cardiology, Dazhou Central Hospital, Dazhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiesen Lei
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Maoxia Ran
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- Department of Cardiology, Dazhou Central Hospital, Dazhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Yan Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Li Deng
- Department of Rheumatology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Jian Feng
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Yi Zhong
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiafu Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
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Vennin C, Rath N, Pajic M, Olson MF, Timpson P. Targeting ROCK activity to disrupt and prime pancreatic cancer for chemotherapy. Small GTPases 2020; 11:45-52. [PMID: 28972449 PMCID: PMC6959285 DOI: 10.1080/21541248.2017.1345712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Revised: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastating disease; the identification of novel targets and development of effective treatment strategies are urgently needed to improve patient outcomes. Remodeling of the pancreatic stroma occurs during PDAC development, which drives disease progression and impairs responses to therapy. The actomyosin regulatory ROCK1 and ROCK2 kinases govern cell motility and contractility, and have been suggested to be potential targets for cancer therapy, particularly to reduce the metastatic spread of tumor cells. However, ROCK inhibitors are not currently used for cancer patient treatment, largely due to the overwhelming challenge faced in the development of anti-metastatic drugs, and a lack of clarity as to the cancer types most likely to benefit from ROCK inhibitor therapy. In 2 recent publications, we discovered that ROCK1 and ROCK2 expression were increased in PDAC, and that increased ROCK activity was associated with reduced survival and PDAC progression by enabling extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and invasive growth of pancreatic cancer cells. We also used intravital imaging to optimize ROCK inhibition using the pharmacological ROCK inhibitor fasudil (HA-1077), and demonstrated that short-term ROCK targeting, or 'priming', improved chemotherapy efficacy, disrupted cancer cell collective movement, and impaired metastasis. This body of work strongly indicates that the use of ROCK inhibitors in pancreatic cancer therapy as 'priming' agents warrants further consideration, and provides insights as to how transient mechanical manipulation, or fine-tuning the ECM, rather than chronic stromal ablation might be beneficial for improving chemotherapeutic efficacy in the treatment of this deadly disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Vennin
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Sydney, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia
| | - Nicola Rath
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Marina Pajic
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Sydney, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia
| | - Michael F. Olson
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Timpson
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Sydney, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia
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Panta CR, Ruisanchez É, Móré D, Dancs PT, Balogh A, Fülöp Á, Kerék M, Proia RL, Offermanns S, Tigyi GJ, Benyó Z. Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Enhances α 1-Adrenergic Vasoconstriction via S1P2-G 12/13-ROCK Mediated Signaling. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20246361. [PMID: 31861195 PMCID: PMC6941080 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20246361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) has been implicated recently in the physiology and pathology of the cardiovascular system including regulation of vascular tone. Pilot experiments showed that the vasoconstrictor effect of S1P was enhanced markedly in the presence of phenylephrine (PE). Based on this observation, we hypothesized that S1P might modulate α1-adrenergic vasoactivity. In murine aortas, a 20-minute exposure to S1P but not to its vehicle increased the Emax and decreased the EC50 of PE-induced contractions indicating a hyperreactivity to α1-adrenergic stimulation. The potentiating effect of S1P disappeared in S1P2 but not in S1P3 receptor-deficient vessels. In addition, smooth muscle specific conditional deletion of G12/13 proteins or pharmacological inhibition of the Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) by Y-27632 or fasudil abolished the effect of S1P on α1-adrenergic vasoconstriction. Unexpectedly, PE-induced contractions remained enhanced markedly as late as three hours after S1P-exposure in wild-type (WT) and S1P3 KO but not in S1P2 KO vessels. In conclusion, the S1P–S1P2–G12/13–ROCK signaling pathway appears to have a major influence on α1-adrenergic vasoactivity. This cooperativity might lead to sustained vasoconstriction when increased sympathetic tone is accompanied by increased S1P production as it occurs during acute coronary syndrome and stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecília R. Panta
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1094 Budapest, Hungary (D.M.); (P.T.D.); (A.B.); (M.K.); (G.J.T.)
- Correspondence: (C.R.P.); (Z.B.)
| | - Éva Ruisanchez
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1094 Budapest, Hungary (D.M.); (P.T.D.); (A.B.); (M.K.); (G.J.T.)
| | - Dorottya Móré
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1094 Budapest, Hungary (D.M.); (P.T.D.); (A.B.); (M.K.); (G.J.T.)
| | - Péter T. Dancs
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1094 Budapest, Hungary (D.M.); (P.T.D.); (A.B.); (M.K.); (G.J.T.)
| | - Andrea Balogh
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1094 Budapest, Hungary (D.M.); (P.T.D.); (A.B.); (M.K.); (G.J.T.)
| | - Ágnes Fülöp
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1094 Budapest, Hungary (D.M.); (P.T.D.); (A.B.); (M.K.); (G.J.T.)
| | - Margit Kerék
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1094 Budapest, Hungary (D.M.); (P.T.D.); (A.B.); (M.K.); (G.J.T.)
| | - Richard L. Proia
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Stefan Offermanns
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany;
| | - Gábor J. Tigyi
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1094 Budapest, Hungary (D.M.); (P.T.D.); (A.B.); (M.K.); (G.J.T.)
- Department of Physiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Zoltán Benyó
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1094 Budapest, Hungary (D.M.); (P.T.D.); (A.B.); (M.K.); (G.J.T.)
- Correspondence: (C.R.P.); (Z.B.)
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Gao Y, Yan Y, Fang Q, Zhang N, Kumar G, Zhang J, Song LJ, Yu J, Zhao L, Zhang HT, Ma CG. The Rho kinase inhibitor fasudil attenuates Aβ 1-42-induced apoptosis via the ASK1/JNK signal pathway in primary cultures of hippocampal neurons. Metab Brain Dis 2019; 34:1787-1801. [PMID: 31482248 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-019-00487-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), a chronic, progressive, neurodegenerative disorder, is the most common type of dementia. Beta amyloid (Aβ) peptide aggregation and phosphorylated tau protein accumulation are considered as one of the causes for AD. Our previous studies have demonstrated the neuroprotective effect of the Rho kinase inhibitor fasudil, but the mechanism remains elucidated. In the present study, we examined the effects of fasudil on Aβ1-42 aggregation and apoptosis and identified the intracellular signaling pathways involved in these actions in primary cultures of mouse hippocampal neurons. The results showed that fasudil increased neurite outgrowth (52.84%), decreased Aβ burden (46.65%), Tau phosphorylation (96.84%), and ROCK-II expression. In addition, fasudil reversed Aβ1-42-induced decreased expression of Bcl-2 and increases in caspase-3, cleaved-PARP, phospho-JNK(Thr183/Tyr185), and phospho-ASK1(Ser966). Further, fasudil decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular calcium overload in the neurons treated with Aβ1-42. These results suggest that inhibition of Rho kinase by fasudil reverses Aβ1-42-induced neuronal apoptosis via the ASK1/JNK signal pathway, calcium ions, and mitochondrial membrane potential. Fasudil could be a drug of choice for treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Gao
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Medical School of Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China
| | - Yuqing Yan
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Medical School of Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China.
| | - Qingli Fang
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Medical School of Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China
| | - Nianping Zhang
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Medical School of Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China
| | - Gajendra Kumar
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong
- Bio-Signal technologies (HK) Limited, 9th Floor, Amtel Building,148 Des Voeux Road Central, Central, Hong Kong
| | - Jihong Zhang
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Medical School of Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China
| | - Li-Juan Song
- The Key Research Laboratory of Benefiting Qi for Acting Blood Circulation Method to Treat Multiple Sclerosis of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine/Research Center of Neurobiology, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan, China
| | - Jiezhong Yu
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Medical School of Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Linhu Zhao
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Medical School of Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China
| | - Han-Ting Zhang
- Departments of Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine & Psychiatry, the Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA.
| | - Cun-Gen Ma
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Medical School of Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China.
- The Key Research Laboratory of Benefiting Qi for Acting Blood Circulation Method to Treat Multiple Sclerosis of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine/Research Center of Neurobiology, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan, China.
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Nakamura K, Akagi S, Ejiri K, Yoshida M, Miyoshi T, Toh N, Nakagawa K, Takaya Y, Matsubara H, Ito H. Current Treatment Strategies and Nanoparticle-Mediated Drug Delivery Systems for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20235885. [PMID: 31771203 PMCID: PMC6928621 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20235885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
There are three critical pathways for the pathogenesis and progression of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH): the prostacyclin (prostaglandin I2) (PGI2), nitric oxide (NO), and endothelin pathways. The current approved drugs targeting these three pathways, including prostacyclin (PGI2), phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE5) inhibitors, and endothelin receptor antagonists (ERAs), have been shown to be effective, however, PAH remains a severe clinical condition and the long-term survival of patients with PAH is still suboptimal. The full therapeutic abilities of available drugs are reduced by medication, patient non-compliance, and side effects. Nanoparticles are expected to address these problems by providing a novel drug delivery approach for the treatment of PAH. Drug-loaded nanoparticles for local delivery can optimize the efficacy and minimize the adverse effects of drugs. Prostacyclin (PGI2) analogue, PDE5 inhibitors, ERA, pitavastatin, imatinib, rapamycin, fasudil, and oligonucleotides-loaded nanoparticles have been reported to be effective in animal PAH models and in vitro studies. However, the efficacy and safety of nanoparticle mediated-drug delivery systems for PAH treatment in humans are unknown and further clinical studies are required to clarify these points.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazufumi Nakamura
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan; (S.A.); (K.E.); (M.Y.); (T.M.); (N.T.); (Y.T.); (H.I.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-86-235-7351; Fax: +81-86-235-7353
| | - Satoshi Akagi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan; (S.A.); (K.E.); (M.Y.); (T.M.); (N.T.); (Y.T.); (H.I.)
| | - Kentaro Ejiri
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan; (S.A.); (K.E.); (M.Y.); (T.M.); (N.T.); (Y.T.); (H.I.)
| | - Masashi Yoshida
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan; (S.A.); (K.E.); (M.Y.); (T.M.); (N.T.); (Y.T.); (H.I.)
| | - Toru Miyoshi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan; (S.A.); (K.E.); (M.Y.); (T.M.); (N.T.); (Y.T.); (H.I.)
| | - Norihisa Toh
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan; (S.A.); (K.E.); (M.Y.); (T.M.); (N.T.); (Y.T.); (H.I.)
| | - Koji Nakagawa
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan; (S.A.); (K.E.); (M.Y.); (T.M.); (N.T.); (Y.T.); (H.I.)
| | - Yoichi Takaya
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan; (S.A.); (K.E.); (M.Y.); (T.M.); (N.T.); (Y.T.); (H.I.)
| | - Hiromi Matsubara
- Division of Cardiology, National Hospital Organization Okayama Medical Center, Okayama 701-1192, Japan;
| | - Hiroshi Ito
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan; (S.A.); (K.E.); (M.Y.); (T.M.); (N.T.); (Y.T.); (H.I.)
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Greathouse KM, Henderson BW, Gentry EG, Herskowitz JH. Fasudil or genetic depletion of ROCK1 or ROCK2 induces anxiety-like behaviors. Behav Brain Res 2019; 373:112083. [PMID: 31302146 PMCID: PMC6693674 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Twenty-nine protein kinase inhibitors have been used to treat human diseases. Out of these, two are Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) 1 and 2 inhibitors. The ROCKs heavily influence neuronal architecture and structural plasticity, and ROCKs are putative drug targets for various brain disorders. While the pan-ROCK inhibitor Fasudil has been clinically approved to treat hypertension, heart failure, glaucoma, spinal cord injury, and stroke, a barrier to progress on this therapeutic avenue is the lack of experimental comparisons between pharmacologic and genetic manipulation of ROCKs. Our study begins to address this question using parallel approaches to study behavior in mice that were treated with Fasudil or were heterozygous for ROCK1 or ROCK2. Adult mice treated with Fasudil for thirty days displayed reduced time spent in the open arms of the elevated plus maze, whereas activity in the open field was more analogous to mock-treated animals. Both male and female adult ROCK1+/- and ROCK2+/- mice exhibited reduced time spent in open arms of the elevated plus maze compared to littermate controls. However, ROCK1 or ROCK2 heterozygosity did not alter performance in the open field or Y-maze. These results indicate that chronic treatment with Fasudil induces anxiety-like behaviors that are likely the consequence of ROCK1 and/or ROCK2 inhibition. Our findings may have implications for several ongoing clinical trials using Fasudil or other ROCK-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey M Greathouse
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics and Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States
| | - Benjamin W Henderson
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics and Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States
| | - Erik G Gentry
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics and Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States
| | - Jeremy H Herskowitz
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics and Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States.
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Zhao Y, Zhang Y, Vazirinejad Mehdiabad M, Zhou K, Chen Y, Li L, Guo J, Xu C. Enhanced anti-tumor effect of liposomal Fasudil on hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223232. [PMID: 31581236 PMCID: PMC6776396 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant cancers and the treatment options for this disease are limited and generally not effective. ROCK has been reported to be highly expressed in many cancer types and its inhibitor Fasudil has shown anti-cancer potential. However, its high toxicity and low solubility restrict its clinical application. Here, we report that Fasudil is effective against HCC and that a liposomal formulation (Lip-Fasudil) can enhance the anti-tumor effects of this drug both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, Fasudil inhibited HCC cell growth with IC50 values of 0.025–0.04 μg/μL, with Lip-Fasudil showing slightly improved cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 0.02–0.025 μg/μL. Cellular mechanistic analysis indicated that Fasudil induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and that Lip-Fasudil enhanced this effect. Intriguingly, no apoptosis was detected in Fasudil- or Lip-Fasudil-treated HCC cells. In vivo, Fasudil inhibited the growth of HCC xenografts by 23% in nude mice. However, Lip-fasudil exerted anti-tumor effects (57% tumor inhibition) that were superior to those of Fasudil and similar to those of Topotecan (66%). In addition, Lip-fasudil resulted in an increased distribution of Fasudil in tumor tissues but a reduced distribution in normal organs. In conclusion, our results proved that Fasudil has the potential to be used for HCC treatment and that a liposomal formulation (Lip-Fasudil) could enhance anti-tumor efficacy and reduce systemic toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhao
- Department of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Milad Vazirinejad Mehdiabad
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ke Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yuyuan Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lei Li
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jun Guo
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- * E-mail: (CX); (JG)
| | - Chuanrui Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- * E-mail: (CX); (JG)
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Keshavarz A, Alobaida A, McMurtry IF, Nozik-Grayck E, Stenmark KR, Ahsan F. CAR, a Homing Peptide, Prolongs Pulmonary Preferential Vasodilation by Increasing Pulmonary Retention and Reducing Systemic Absorption of Liposomal Fasudil. Mol Pharm 2019; 16:3414-3429. [PMID: 31194563 PMCID: PMC7035787 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.9b00208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Here, we sought to elucidate the role of CAR (a cyclic peptide) in the accumulation and distribution of fasudil, a drug for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), in rat lungs and in producing pulmonary specific vasodilation in PAH rats. As such, we prepared liposomes of fasudil and CAR-conjugated liposomal fasudil and assessed the liposomes for CAR conjugation, physical properties, entrapment efficiencies, in vitro release profiles, and stabilities upon incubation in cell culture media, storage, and aerosolization. We also studied the cellular uptake of fasudil in different formulations, quantified heparan sulfate (HS) in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), and investigated the distribution of the liposomes in the lungs of PAH rats. We assessed the drug accumulation in a close and recirculating isolated perfused rat lung model and studied the pharmacokinetics and pharmacological efficacy of the drug and formulations in Sugen/hypoxia-induced PAH rats. The entrapment efficiency of the liposomal fasudil was 95.5 ± 4.5%, and the cumulative release was 93.95 ± 6.22%. The uptake of CAR liposomes by pulmonary arterial cells and their distribution and accumulation in the lungs were much greater than those of no-CAR-liposomes. CAR-induced increase in the cellular uptake was associated with an increase in HS expression by rat PAH-PASMCs. CAR, when conjugated with liposomal fasudil and given via an intratracheal instillation, extended the elimination half-life of the drug by four-fold compared with fasudil-in-no-CAR-liposomes given via the same route. CAR-conjugated liposomal fasudil, as opposed to fasudil-in-no-CAR-liposomes and CAR pretreatment followed by fasudil-in-no-CAR-liposomes, reduced the mean pulmonary arterial pressure by 40-50% for 6 h, without affecting the mean systemic arterial pressure. On the whole, this study suggests that CAR aids in concentrating the drug in the lungs, increasing the cellular uptake, extending the half-life of fasudil, and eliciting a pulmonary-specific vasodilation when the peptide remains conjugated on the liposomal surface, but not when CAR is given as a pretreatment or alone as an admixture with the drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Keshavarz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, Texas 79430, United States
| | - Ahmed Alobaida
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, Texas 79430, United States
| | - Ivan F. McMurtry
- Department of Pharmacology, The Center for Lung Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama 36688, United States
| | - Eva Nozik-Grayck
- Department of Pediatrics and Medicine, Cardiovascular Pulmonary Research Laboratories, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
| | - Kurt R. Stenmark
- Department of Pediatrics and Medicine, Cardiovascular Pulmonary Research Laboratories, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
| | - Fakhrul Ahsan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, Texas 79430, United States
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Wang HY, Song GF, Yang HW, Chang XF, Shen RB, Yang FY. Efficacy of fasudil for the treatment of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: A systematic review protocol of randomized controlled trial. Medicine (Baltimore) 2019; 98:e16885. [PMID: 31464917 PMCID: PMC6736033 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000016885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aims to systematically assess the efficacy and safety of fasudil for the treatment of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (ASH). METHODS This study will include all of randomized controlled trials on the efficacy and safety of fasudil for the treatment of ASH. Ten electronic databases of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Ovid, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure will be searched from inception to the May 1, 2019 without language restrictions. We will also search gray literatures to avoid missing any other potential studies. Two authors will independently perform study selection, data extraction and management, and methodologic quality assessment. The primary outcome is limbs function. The secondary outcomes comprise of muscle strength, muscle tone, quality of life, and adverse events. RESULTS This study will provide a comprehensive literature search on the current evidence of fasudil for the treatment of ASH from primary and secondary outcomes. CONCLUSION The results of this study will present evidence to determine whether fasudil is an effective and safety treatment for patients with ASH. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION PROSPERO CRD42019136215.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Xue-feng Chang
- Department of Ophthalmology, First Affiliated Hospital of Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, China
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Yan Y, Yu J, Gao Y, Kumar G, Guo M, Zhao Y, Fang Q, Zhang H, Yu J, Jiang Y, Zhang HT, Ma CG. Therapeutic potentials of the Rho kinase inhibitor Fasudil in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and the related mechanisms. Metab Brain Dis 2019; 34:377-384. [PMID: 30552558 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-018-0355-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and other neurodegenerative diseases of central nervous system (CNS) disorders are serious human health problems. Rho-kinase (ROCK) is emerging as a potentially important therapeutic target relevant to inflammatory neurodegeneration diseases. This is supported by studies showing the beneficial effects of fasudil, a ROCK inhibitor, in inflammatory neurodegeneration diseases. MS is an autoimmune disease resulting from inflammation and demyelination in the white matter of the CNS. It has been postulated that activation of Rho/ROCK causes neuropathological changes accompanied with related clinical symptoms, which are improved by treatment with ROCK inhibitors. Therefore, inhibition of abnormal activation of the Rho/ROCK signaling pathway appears to be a new mechanism for treating CNS diseases. In this review, we extensively discussed the role of ROCK inhibitors, summarized the efficacy of fasudil in the MS conventional animal model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), both in vivo and in vitro, and highlighted the mechanism involved. Overall, the findings collected in this review support the role of the ROCK signaling pathway in neurodegenerative diseases. Hence, ROCK inhibitors such as fasudil can be novel, and efficacious treatment for inflammatory neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Yan
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China
| | - Jiezhong Yu
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ye Gao
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China
| | - Gajendra Kumar
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong
| | - Minfang Guo
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China
| | - Yijin Zhao
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China
| | - Qingli Fang
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China
| | - Huiyu Zhang
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China
| | - Jingwen Yu
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China
| | - Yuqiang Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Han-Ting Zhang
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China.
- Departments of Behavioral Medicine & Psychiatry, Physiology & Pharmacology, and Neuroscience, the Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA.
| | - Cun-Gen Ma
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China.
- "2011" Collaborative Innovation Center/Research Center of Neurobiology, Taiyuan, China.
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Shapiro LP, Kietzman HW, Guo J, Rainnie DG, Gourley SL. Rho-kinase inhibition has antidepressant-like efficacy and expedites dendritic spine pruning in adolescent mice. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 124:520-530. [PMID: 30593834 PMCID: PMC6365018 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2018.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence represents a critical period of neurodevelopment, defined by structural and synaptic pruning within the prefrontal cortex. While characteristic of typical development, this structural instability may open a window of vulnerability to developing neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression. Thus, therapeutic interventions that support or expedite neural remodeling in adolescence may be advantageous. Here, we inhibited the neuronally-expressed cytoskeletal regulatory factor Rho-kinase (ROCK), focusing primarily on the clinically-viable ROCK inhibitor fasudil. ROCK inhibition had rapid antidepressant-like effects in adolescent mice, and its efficacy was comparable to ketamine and fluoxetine. It also modified levels of the antidepressant-related signaling factors, tropomyosin/tyrosine receptor kinase B and Akt, as well as the postsynaptic marker PSD-95, in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Meanwhile, adolescent-typical dendritic spine pruning on excitatory pyramidal neurons in the vmPFC was expedited. Further, vmPFC-specific shRNA-mediated reduction of ROCK2, the dominant ROCK isoform in the brain, had antidepressant-like consequences. We cautiously suggest that ROCK inhibitors may have therapeutic potential for adolescent-onset depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren P Shapiro
- Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Henry W Kietzman
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jidong Guo
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Donald G Rainnie
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States.
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de Oliveira RG, Guerra FS, Mermelstein CDS, Fernandes PD, Bastos ITDS, Costa FN, Barroso RCR, Ferreira FF, Fraga CAM. Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of novel isoquinoline N-sulphonylhydrazones designed as ROCK inhibitors. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2018; 33:1181-1193. [PMID: 30044647 PMCID: PMC6060383 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2018.1490732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we synthesized a new congener series of N-sulphonylhydrazones designed as candidate ROCK inhibitors using the molecular hybridization of the clinically approved drug fasudil (1) and the IKK-β inhibitor LASSBio-1524 (2). Among the synthesized compounds, the N-methylated derivative 11 (LASSBio-2065) showed the best inhibitory profile for both ROCK isoforms, with IC50 values of 3.1 and 3.8 µM for ROCK1 and ROCK2, respectively. Moreover, these compounds were also active in the scratch assay performed in human breast cancer MDA-MB 231 cells and did not display toxicity in MTT and LDH assays. Molecular modelling studies provided insights into the possible binding modes of these N-sulphonylhydrazones, which present a new molecular architecture capable of being optimized and developed as therapeutically useful ROCK inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramon Guerra de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Avaliação e Síntese de Substâncias Bioativas (LASSBio), Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia e Química Medicinal, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Fabiana Sélos Guerra
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia e Química Medicinal, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratório de Farmacologia da Dor e da Inflamação, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Cláudia dos Santos Mermelstein
- Laboratório de Diferenciação Muscular, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Dias Fernandes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia e Química Medicinal, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratório de Farmacologia da Dor e da Inflamação, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Fanny Nascimento Costa
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH), Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC), São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Fabio Furlan Ferreira
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH), Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos Alberto Manssour Fraga
- Laboratório de Avaliação e Síntese de Substâncias Bioativas (LASSBio), Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia e Química Medicinal, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Yang Q, Wang J, Liu F, Ma W, Hu H, Ran C, Li F, Pan Q. A Novel Rabbit Model for Benign Biliary Stricture Formation and the Effects of Medication Infusions on Stricture Formation. Dig Dis Sci 2018; 63:2653-2661. [PMID: 29767392 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-018-5118-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Benign biliary stricture (BBS) is highly refractory. Currently, there is no effective strategy for prevention of BBS recurrence. The aim of this study is to establish a novel BBS rabbit model and to investigate the efficacy of biliary infusion with anti-proliferative medications for treating BBS. METHOD A BBS model was established via surgical injury and biliary infection. The biliary infusion tube was inserted into the common bile duct via the stump of cystic duct after cholecystectomy. Biliary infusions with Rapamycin, Pirfenidone and Fasudil were performed daily during the 4 weeks following the surgery. The wall thickness and luminal area of the bile duct were assessed. RESULTS All rabbits formed BBS after surgery. The mortality rate was 13% (8/60) and tube withdrawal rate was 4% (2/48). The thickness of the bile duct wall was significantly reduced; whereas the luminal area of the bile duct was dramatically enlarged in the Rapamycin or the Pirfenidone treated group, compared to the saline treated group. Furthermore, the local treatment significantly decreased the levels of proliferation makers, including PCNA, Collagen I and fibrogenic mediators, including ACTA2 and TGF-beta. CONCLUSION We have established a novel animal model for BBS formation. We have further demonstrated that biliary infusion with Rapamycin or Pirfenidone limits the biliary strictures through inhibiting the proliferation of the bile duct wall in this model. This may represent a new avenue for preventing biliary restenosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Postgraduate School Molecular Medicine, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Junke Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Wenjie Ma
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Haijie Hu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Congdun Ran
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Fuyu Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
| | - Qiuwei Pan
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Postgraduate School Molecular Medicine, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Fu J, Chang L. Fabrication of fasudil hydrochloride modified graphene oxide biocomposites and its defensive effect acute renal injury in septicopyemia rats. J Photochem Photobiol B 2018; 186:125-130. [PMID: 30036829 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2018.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
This investigation aspired to the impacts of intraperitoneal injection of suspended graphene oxide-bovine serum albumin (GO-BSA) biocomposite blended in fasudil (FSD)-against intense renal damage in septicopyemia rodent's models. It was picked a model of acute renal injury by an intraperitoneal organization of fasudil. Our outcomes demonstrated that few markers of renal capacity, for example, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (SC), and intratubular waste levels were altogether diminished essentially in fasudil blended GO-BSA intraperitoneally infusion groups during the first week, showing that GO-BSA has an uncommon ability to ensure FSD discharges. Additionally, surprisingly, while rats got GO-BSA intraperitoneally, biomedical examination demonstrated the fruitful decrease of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine blood factors showing that GO-BSA has an uncommon ability alone to repair the acute renal injury. It appears that GO-BSA can adsorb ECM proteins and encourages their exchange to the intense renal damage tissue and expands its repair speed, in addition, GO-BSA ensures the FSD and along these lines the helpful adequacy of the FSD in intense renal damage enhanced by the grip of living cells to GO-BSA biocomposites. It could be inferred that GO-BSA material improves the rate of achievement of FSD conveys in intense renal damage in septicopyemia animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Fu
- Emergency Department, Sichuan Province People's Hospital, Qingyang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Li Chang
- Department of Emergency Intensive Care Unit, Sichuan Province People's Hospital, Qingyang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China..
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Jiang DQ, Xu LC, Jiang LL, Li MX, Wang Y. Fasudil combined with methylcobalamin or lipoic acid can improve the nerve conduction velocity in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy: A meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2018; 97:e11390. [PMID: 29979431 PMCID: PMC6076121 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000011390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fasudil (F) plus methylcobalamin (M) or lipoic acid (L) treatment has been suggested as a therapeutic approach for diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in numerous studies. However, the effect of the combined use still remains dubious. OBJECTIVE The aim of this report was to evaluate the efficacy of F plus M or L (F + M or F + L) for the treatment of DPN compared with that of M or L monotherapy, respectively, in order to provide the basis and reference for clinical rational drug use. METHODS Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of F for DPN published up to September 2017 were searched. Relative risk (RR), mean difference (MD), and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated and heterogeneity was assessed with the I test. Sensitivity analyses were also performed. The outcomes measured were as follows: the clinical efficacy, median motor nerve conduction velocities (NCVs) (MNCVs), median sensory NCV (SNCV), peroneal MNCV, peroneal SNCV, and adverse effects. RESULTS Thirteen RCTs with 1148 participants were included. Clinical efficacy of F + M combination therapy was significantly better than M monotherapy (8 trials; RR 1.26, 95% CI 1.17-1.35, P < .00001, I = 0%), the efficacy of F + L combination therapy was also obviously better than L monotherapy (4 trials; RR 1.27, 95% CI 1.16-1.39, P < .00001, I = 0%). Compared with monotherapy, the pooled effects of combination therapy on NCV were (MD 6.69, 95% CI 4.74-8.64, P < .00001, I = 92%) for median MNCV, (MD 6.71, 95% CI 1.77-11.65, P = .008, I = 99%) for median SNCV, (MD 4.18, 95% CI 2.37-5.99, P < .00001, I = 94%) for peroneal MNCV, (MD 5.89, 95% CI 3.57-8.20, P < .00001, I = 95%) for peroneal SNCV. Furthermore, there were no serious adverse events associated with drug intervention. CONCLUSION Combination therapy with F plus M or L was superior to M or L monotherapy for improvement of neuropathic symptoms and NCVs in DPN patients, respectively. Moreover, no serious adverse events occur in combination therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- De-Qi Jiang
- College of Biology and Pharmacy, Yulin Normal University
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources Chemistry and Biotechnology, Yulin
| | - Lan-Cheng Xu
- College of Biology and Pharmacy, Yulin Normal University
| | - Li-Lin Jiang
- College of Biology and Pharmacy, Yulin Normal University
| | - Ming-Xing Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou
| | - Yong Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Rath N, Munro J, Cutiongco MF, Jagiełło A, Gadegaard N, McGarry L, Unbekandt M, Michalopoulou E, Kamphorst JJ, Sumpton D, Mackay G, Vennin C, Pajic M, Timpson P, Olson MF. Rho Kinase Inhibition by AT13148 Blocks Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Invasion and Tumor Growth. Cancer Res 2018; 78:3321-3336. [PMID: 29669760 PMCID: PMC6005347 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-17-1339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The high mortality of pancreatic cancer demands that new therapeutic avenues be developed. The orally available small-molecule inhibitor AT13148 potently inhibits ROCK1 and ROCK2 kinases that regulate the actomyosin cytoskeleton. We previously reported that ROCK kinase expression increases with human and mouse pancreatic cancer progression and that conditional ROCK activation accelerates mortality in a genetically modified LSL-KrasG12D; LSL-p53R172H; Pdx1-Cre; (KPC) mouse pancreatic cancer model. In this study, we show that treatment of KPC mouse and human TKCC5 patient-derived pancreatic tumor cells with AT13148, as well as the ROCK-selective inhibitors Y27632 and H1152, act comparably in blocking ROCK substrate phosphorylation. AT13148, Y27632, and H1152 induced morphologic changes and reduced cellular contractile force generation, motility on pliable discontinuous substrates, and three-dimensional collagen matrix invasion. AT13148 treatment reduced subcutaneous tumor growth and blocked invasion of healthy pancreatic tissue by KPC tumor cells in vivo without affecting proliferation, suggesting a role for local tissue invasion as a contributor to primary tumor growth. These results suggest that AT13148 has antitumor properties that may be beneficial in combination therapies or in the adjuvant setting to reduce pancreatic cancer cell invasion and slow primary tumor growth. AT13148 might also have the additional benefit of enabling tumor resection by maintaining separation between tumor and healthy tissue boundaries.Significance: Preclinical evaluation of a small-molecule ROCK inhibitor reveals significant effects on PDAC invasion and tumor growth, further validating ROCK kinases as viable therapeutic targets in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Res; 78(12); 3321-36. ©2018 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Rath
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - June Munro
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Marie Francene Cutiongco
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Alicja Jagiełło
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Nikolaj Gadegaard
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Lynn McGarry
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Jurre J Kamphorst
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - David Sumpton
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Gillian Mackay
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Vennin
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research & The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Sydney, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Marina Pajic
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research & The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Sydney, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Paul Timpson
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research & The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Sydney, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Michael F Olson
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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Zhang H, Guo M, Yu J, Li Y, Zhao Y, Zhang J, Chai Z, Yu J, Ma C. [Inhibitory effect of Fasudil on activation and inflammatory response of mouse astrocytes induced by lipopolysaccharide and its mechanism]. Xi Bao Yu Fen Zi Mian Yi Xue Za Zhi 2018; 34:505-510. [PMID: 30236202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Objective To evaluate the influence of Fasudil on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced activation and inflammatory response of astrocytes and TLR4/ NF-κB signaling pathway. Methods Astrocytes were separated from the cerebral cortex of newly-born C57BL/6 mice and cultured in vitro. The cells were divided into PBS control group, 1 μg/mL LPS stimulation group, 1 μg/mL LPS combined with 15 μg/mL Fasudil treatment group. The production of NO in the cell supernatant was detected by Griess reagent. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin -6(IL-6), IL-10 and IL-4 were measured by ELISA. The expressions of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and TLR4 in the astrocytes were detected by immunofluorescence cytochemistry. The protein levels of GFAP, TLR4 and p-NF-κBp65 were assessed by Western blot analysis. Results Compared with the PBS control group, the levels of NO, TNF-α and IL-6 in the LPS group significantly increased, but the levels of IL-10 and IL-4 decreased. Fasudil treatment significantly inhibited LPS-induced the secretion of NO, TNF-α and IL-6 and enhanced the production of IL-10 and IL-4. The expression of GFAP significantly decreased in the Fasudil treatment group, and the protein levels of TLR4 and p-NF-κBp65 also decreased. Conclusion Fasudil can inhibit LPS-induced astrocyte activation and inflammatory response by blocking TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiyu Zhang
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong 037009, China
| | - Minfang Guo
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong 037009, China
| | - Jingwen Yu
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong 037009, China
| | - Yanhua Li
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong 037009, China
| | - Yijing Zhao
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong 037009, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong 037009; Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan 030619, China
| | - Zhi Chai
- Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan 030619, China
| | - Jiezhong Yu
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong 037009, China. *Corresponding authors, E-mail:
| | - Cungen Ma
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong 037009; Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan 030619, China. *Corresponding authors, E-mail:
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