Wuzang Wenyang Huayu decoction regulates differentially expressed transcripts in the rats' hippocampus after cerebral hypoperfusion

Translatomics reveals the role of dietary calcium addition in regulating muscle fat deposition in pigs

Intramuscular fat (IMF) in pork holds significant importance for economic performance within the pig industry and dietary calcium supplementation enhances the accumulation of intramuscular fat. Additionally, calcium ions inhibit translation and reduce protein synthesis. However, the mechanism by which calcium regulates IMF deposition in muscle through translation remains largely unknown. In this study, we compared the ribosome profiles of the longissimus dorsi muscles of Duroc × Landrace × Large white pigs from the normal calcium (NC) group or calcium supplement (HC) group by Ribo-seq, and RNA-seq. By integrating multiple-omics analysis, we further discovered 437 genes that were transcriptionally unchanged but translationally altered and these genes were significantly enriched in the oxidative phosphorylation signaling pathway. Furthermore, experimental data showed that inhibiting the expression of COX10 and mtND4L increased triglyceride accumulation in C2C12 cells, providing new targets for intramuscular fat deposition. Finally, this work links dietary calcium, translation regulation and IMF deposition, providing a new strategy for both meat quality and economic performance within the pig industry.

Tanshinone IIA Regulates Keap1/Nrf2 Signal Pathway by Activating Sestrin2 to Restrain Pulmonary Fibrosis

Tanshinone IIA (Tan-IIA) is a major component extracted from the traditional herbal medicine Danshen, which has shown antipulmonary fibrosis by suppress reactive oxygen species-mediated activation of myofibroblast. However, the exact mechanism of Tan-IIA against pulmonary fibrosis (PF) remains unclear. This work aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of the protective effects of Tan-IIA on PF. By using high-throughput RNA-Seq analysis, we have compared the genome-wide gene expression profiles and pathway enrichment of Tan-IIA-treated NIH-3T3 cells with or without transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-[Formula: see text]1) induction. In normal NIH-3T3 cells, Tan-IIA treatment up-regulated 181 differential expression genes (DEGs) and down-regulated 137 DEGs. In TGF-[Formula: see text]1-induced NIH-3T3 cells, Tan-IIA treatment up-regulated 709 DEGs and down-regulated 1075 DEGs, and these DEGs were enriched in extracellular matrix organization, collagen fibril organization, cell adhesion, ECM-receptor interaction, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and P53 signaling pathway. Moreover, there were 207 co-expressed DEGs between Tan-IIA treatment vs. the Control and TGF-[Formula: see text]1 plus Tan-IIA treatment vs. TGF-[Formula: see text]1 alone treatment, some of which were related to anti-oxidative stress. In both normal and TGF-[Formula: see text]1-induced NIH-3T3 cells, protein-protein interaction network analysis indicated that Tan-IIA can regulate the expression of several common anti-oxidant genes including Heme oxygenase 1 (Ho-1, also known as Homx1), Sestrin2 (Sesn2), GCL modifier subunit (Gclm), GCL catalytic subunit (Gclc) and Sequestosome-1 (Sqstm1). Quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis confirmed some DEGs specifically expressing on Tan-IIA treated cells, which provided new candidates for further functional studies of Tan-IIA. In both in vitro and in vivo PF models, the protein expression of Sesn2 was significantly enhanced by Tan-IIA treatment. Overexpression and knockdown experiments showed that Sesn2 is required for Tan-IIA against TGF-[Formula: see text]1-induced myofibroblast activation by reinforcing nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-mediated anti-oxidant response via downregulation of kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1). These results suggest Tan-IIA inhibits myofibroblast activation by activating Sesn2-Nrf2 signaling pathway, and provide a new insight into the essential role of Sesn2 in PF.

RNA-Seq reveals inflammatory mechanisms of Xiao-Ban-Xia-Tang decoction to ameliorate cisplatin-induced emesis in a rat pica model

OBJECTIVES

Xiao-Ban-Xia-Tang decoction (XBXT), an antiemetic formula in traditional Chinese medicine, has been proved to be a potential treatment for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), but the underlying mechanisms are not adequately understood. This study aimed to investigate changes in the ileum transcriptome after cisplatin and XBXT treatment and to reveal whether the antiemetic mechanisms of XBXT are related to its anti-inflammatory effect.

METHODS

The pica model was established by a single intraperitoneal injection of 6 mg/kg cisplatin in Wistar rats. Tissues from the gastric antrum and ileum were stained with hematoxylin-eosin to observe gastrointestinal tract pathological changes. Based on the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) which were altered by cisplatin and reversed by XBXT, the transcriptome data of rat ileum were analyzed by GO, KEGG, and PPI analyses. Several inflammatory DEGs were validated by RT-PCR.

RESULTS

XBXT could reduce kaolin intake up to 72 h after modeling and alleviate the inflammatory damage of gastric antrum and ileum induced by cisplatin. According to the transcriptome profile, there were 75 DEGs down-regulated by cisplatin and up-regulated by XBXT and 343 DEGs up-regulated by cisplatin and down-regulated by XBXT. XBXT could blunt the overexpression of tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (the rate-limiting enzyme of serotonin synthesis) in ileum. Enrichment analysis showed that inhibiting overexpression of several conventional inflammation pathways and pro-inflammation cytokines were related to the antiemetic effectiveness of XBXT.

CONCLUSIONS

This study implies that inhibiting inflammatory signaling pathways and synthesis of serotonin might be potential mechanisms of XBXT's antiemetic effect against CINV.

Wuzang Wenyang Huayu decoction regulates differentially expressed transcripts in the rats' hippocampus after cerebral hypoperfusion

The modified Wenyang Huayu decoction has been widely used to treat vascular dementia in China for thousands of years. We have previously proved that a modified version, Wuzang Wenyang Huayu decoction has the potential to be a more effective clinical treatment that can attenuate cerebral ischaemic injury. However, the global transcript profile and signalling conduction pathways regulated by this recipe remains unclear. This study established a two‐vessel occlusion rat model by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion. Two groups of rats were intragastrically treated Wuzang Wenyang Huayu 2.5 g/kg vs or Piracetam 0.15 g/kg for 2 weeks. Learning and memory abilities were measured with Morris water maze. Neuronal plasticity was observed by HE staining. Differentially expressed transcripts of rat hippocampus were analysed by transcriptomics with Illumina HiSeq2500 platform. Results showed that Wuzang Wenyang Huayu decoction significantly alleviated learning, memory deficits, coordination dysfunction and prevented hippocampus cellular injury; Results further revealed the increased gene expression in KEGG metabolic pathways (MT‐ND2. MT‐ND3, MT‐ND4, MT‐ND4L, MT‐ND5 and MT‐ATP8) and genes involved in signal transduction, carcinogenesis, immune system, endocrine system, nervous system etc (Results further revealed differential expression of genes involved in various systems, including MT‐ND2) Our discovery is likely to provide new insights to molecular mechanisms of Wuzang Wenyang Huayu regarding hippocampal transcripts in a murine vascular dementia model.