Alpk1 Sensitizes Pancreatic Beta Cells to Cytokine-Induced Apoptosis via Upregulating TNF-α Signaling Pathway

QKL injection ameliorates Alzheimer's disease-like pathology by regulating expression of RAGE

The onset of Alzheimer's disease is related to neuron damage caused by massive deposition of Aβ in the brain. Recent studies suggest that excessive Aβ in the brain mainly comes from peripheral blood, and BBB is the key to regulate Aβ in and out of the brain. In this study, we explored the pathogenesis of AD from the perspective of Aβ transport through the BBB and the effect of QKL injection in AD mice. The results showed that QKL could improve the cognitive dysfunction of AD mice, decrease the level of Aβ and Aβ transporter-RAGE, which was supported by the results of network pharmacology, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. In conclusion, RAGE is a potential target for QKL's therapeutic effect on AD.

Evaluation of the mechanism of Gong Ying San activity on dairy cows mastitis by network pharmacology and metabolomics analysis

OBJECTIVES

The goal of this investigation was to identify the main compounds and the pharmacological mechanism of the traditional Chinese medicine formulation, Gong Ying San (GYS), by infrared spectral absorption characteristics, metabolomics, network pharmacology, and molecular-docking analysis for mastitis. The antibacterial and antioxidant activities were determined in vitro.

METHODS

The chemical constituents of GYS were detected by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography Q-extractive mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QE-MS). Related compounds were screened from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP, http://tcmspw.com/tcmsp.php) and the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ETCM, http://www.tcmip.cn/ETCM/index.php/Home/) databases; genes associated with mastitis were identified in DisGENT. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was generated using STRING. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment screening was conducted using the R module. Molecular-docking analyses were performed with the AutoDockTools V1.5.6.

RESULTS

Fifty-four possible compounds in GYS with forty likely targets were found. The compound-target-network analysis showed that five of the ingredients, quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, beta-sitosterol, and stigmasterol, had degree values >41.6, and the genes TNF, IL-6, IL-1β, ICAM1, CXCL8, CRP, IFNG, TP53, IL-2, and TGFB1 were core targets in the network. Enrichment analysis revealed that pathways associated with cancer, lipids, atherosclerosis, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways may be critical in the pharmacology network. Molecular-docking data supported the hypothesis that quercetin and luteolin interacted well with TNF-α and IL-6.

CONCLUSIONS

An integrative investigation based on a bioinformatics-network topology provided new insights into the synergistic, multicomponent mechanisms of GYS's anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities. It revealed novel possibilities for developing new combination medications for reducing mastitis and its complications.

Muscone inhibits the progression of atherosclerotic plaques in mice aorta by inhibiting the NF-κB/p65 pathway

Atherosclerosis (AS) is considered to be one of the main pathogenic factors of coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction and peripheral vascular disease. Oxidative stress and inflammation run through the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis and related cardiovascular events. Muscone is a natural extract of deer musk and also the main physiological active substance of musk. This study investigated the impact of muscone on atherosclerosis. ApoE-/- mice were used to establised AS model and injected with low-dose (4 mg/kg/day) or high-dose (8 mg/kg/day) of muscone intraperitoneally for 4 weeks. Then aortic tissues were collected, and pathological sections of the aorta were prepared for oil red staining, HE and masson staining. The changes of MDA, SOD, VCAM-1, NF-κB, and TNF-α were observed by Western blotting or immunofluorescence staining. The results showed that high-dose muscone could effectively reduce the plaque area/aortic root area and relative atherosclerotic area, reduce the collagen composition in plaque tissue. In addition, we also found that high-dose muscone can effectively increase MDA level, reduce the level of SOD, and inhibit the expression of VCAM-1, NF-κB/p65, TNF-α in arterial plaques. Our results indicate that the administration of muscone has the benefit of inhibiting atherosclerosis. The potential mechanisms may be associated with antioxidant effect and inhibition of inflammatory reaction in arterial plaques. With the increasing understanding of the relationship between muscone and atherosclerosis, muscone has high potential value as a new drug to treat atherosclerosis.

The relationship of ALPK1, hyaluronic acid and M1 macrophage polarization in the temporomandibular joint synovitis

M1 macrophage polarization and synovitis play an important role in the pathogenesis of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA). Reduced molecular weight of hyaluronic acid (HA) in synovial fluid of patients with TMJOA. In addition, high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HMW-HA) is often used clinically to treat TMJ inflammation. As a pattern recognition receptor of the cytoplasm, ALPK1 was found to be pro-inflammatory in a variety of diseases. However, the relationship of ALPK1, HA and M1 macrophage polarization in TMJ synovitis remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the role of ALPK1 and HA in macrophage polarization and TMJ synovitis and the underlying mechanisms. The results demonstrated that ALPK1 was highly upregulated in the synovial macrophages in the inflamed TMJ synovium of patients. Low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (LMW-HA) promoted the expression of ALPK1 and M1 macrophage-associated genes. Besides, rhALPK1 promoted the expression of M1 macrophage-associated factors and the nuclear translocation of PKM2. Furthermore, ALPK1 knockout mice exhibited limited infiltration of macrophages and decreased expression levels of M1 macrophage-associated genes in CFA-induced TMJ synovitis. While HMW-HA inhibited the expression of ALPK1 and M1 macrophage polarization. Our results elucidated that ALPK1 promoted TMJ synovitis by promoting nuclear PKM2-mediated M1 macrophage polarization, whereas HMW-HA inhibited the expression of ALPK1 as well as M1 macrophage polarization.

SPP1, a potential therapeutic target and biomarker for lung cancer: functional insights through computational studies

NIH reported 128 different types of cancer of which lung cancer is the leading cause of mortality. Globally, it is estimated that on average one in every seventeen hospitalized patients was deceased. There are plenty of studies that have been reported on lung cancer draggability and therapeutics, but yet a protein that plays a central specific to cure the disease remains unclear. So, this study is designed to identify the possible therapeutic targets and biomarkers that can be used for the potential treatment of lung cancers. In order to identify differentially expressed genes, 39 microarray datasets of lung cancer patients were obtained from various demographic regions of the GEO database available at NCBI. After annotating statistically, 6229 up-regulated genes and 10324 down-regulated genes were found. Out of 17 up-regulated genes and significant genes, we selected SPP1 (osteopontin) through virtual screening studies. We found functional interactions with the other cancer-associated genes such as VEGF, FGA, JUN, EGFR, and TGFB1. For the virtual screening studies,198 biological compounds were retrieved from the ACNPD database and docked with SPP1 protein (PDBID: 3DSF). In the results, two highly potential compounds secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (-12.9 kcal/mol), and Hesperidin (-12.0 kcal/mol) showed the highest binding affinity. The stability of the complex was accessed by 100 ns simulation in an SPC water model. From the functional insights obtained through these computational studies, we report that SPP1 could be a potential biomarker and successive therapeutic protein target for lung cancer treatment.

Integrated 16S rRNA sequencing and nontargeted metabolomics analysis to reveal the mechanisms of Yu-Ye Tang on type 2 diabetes mellitus rats

Introduction

Yu-Ye Tang (YYT) is a classical formula widely used in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the specific mechanism of YYT in treating T2DM is not clear.

Methods

The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of YYT on T2DM by establishing a rat model of T2DM. The mechanism of action of YYT was also explored through investigating gut microbiota and serum metabolites.

Results

The results indicated YYT had significant therapeutic effects on T2DM. Moreover, YYT could increase the abundance of Lactobacillus, Candidatus_Saccharimonas, UCG-005, Bacteroides and Blautia while decrease the abundance of and Allobaculum and Desulfovibrio in gut microbiota of T2DM rats. Nontargeted metabolomics analysis showed YYT treatment could regulate arachidonic acid metabolism, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, phenylalanine metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis, terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, tryptophan metabolism, and tyrosine metabolism in T2DM rats.

Discussion

In conclusion, our research showed that YYT has a wide range of therapeutic effects on T2DM rats, including antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. Furthermore, YYT corrected the altered gut microbiota and serum metabolites in T2DM rats. This study suggests that YYT may have a therapeutic impact on T2DM by regulating gut microbiota and modulating tryptophan and glycerophospholipid metabolism, which are potential key pathways in treating T2DM.

Study on the effect and mechanisms of piperine against cervical cancer based on network pharmacology and experimental validation

Piperine has immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties, and its potential in treating cervical cancer needs further exploration. Using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we identified immune-related differentially expressed genes (IRDEGs) in cervical cancer. Predicted targets of piperine were compared with cervical cancer-associated genes from various databases. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, enrichment of GO and KEGG pathways, and molecular docking were performed. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was done to assess prognostic significance. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to confirm findings. We obtained 403 IRDEGs, 125 piperine targets, and 7037 cervical cancer genes. PPI network analysis revealed potential targets and pathways regulated by piperine. Molecular docking showed good binding activity of piperine with specific targets. In vitro, piperine inhibited cervical cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promoted apoptosis. In vivo, piperine suppressed tumor growth and downregulated expression of IL-1β and NLRP3 in tumor cells. Piperine also downregulated expression of IL-17A, IL-21, IL-22, and RORγt, and decreased the number of Th17 cells in tumor tissues. Piperine may inhibit cervical cancer progression through modulation of Th17 cell activation mediated by the NLRP3/IL-1β axis. Further studies are warranted to explore the potential of piperine as an immunomodulatory agent in cervical cancer treatment.

Mechanisms of JinHong Formula on treating sepsis explored by randomized controlled trial combined with network pharmacology

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

JinHong Formula (JHF) was derived from the famous Rhubarb and Moutan Decoction which was prescribed for appendicitis. It was originally recorded in the classic of "Jingui Yaolve" written by Zhang Zhongjing. It is a kind of traditional Chinese medicine, widely used in the treatment of inflammation. However, the clinical effect of JHF for sepsis and its comprehensive mechanism in sepsis remained largely unknown.

RESEARCH PURPOSE

The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical effect of JHF in the treatment of sepsis, and to explore its mechanism from the perspective of network pharmacology.

RESEARCH METHODS

The single-center randomized clinical trial was conducted to assess the effect of JHF in the treatment of sepsis. Additionally, we used the Chinese herbal medicine pharmacology database and analysis platform to identify the active components and therapeutic target of JHF. Numerous well-known disease target databases have been used to screen therapeutic target proteins for sepsis. Furthermore, we have established a Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network and carried out Gene Onotology/Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (GO/KEGG) enrichment analysis. In order to conclude which active compounds from JHF may be responsible for signaling pathway, we performed network analysis.

RESEARCH RESULTS

The study included 114 patients. By comparing participants with and without JHF, the results suggested that JHF significantly reduced all-cause mortality on 28 and 60 days after intervention, and improved Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) on 7th day after intervention as well as. JHF had an effect of anti-inflammatories and antioxidants (SOD). By using network pharmacological analysis, we identified 72 active components and 426 target genes of JHF, and successfully constructed a "JHF-compound target-sepsis" network. 116 mentioned targets revealed by GO/KEGG enrichment analysis played a significant role in the inflammatory reaction and immunoregulation via interleukin-17 (IL-17) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathway. Moreover, the analysis of "pathway target-active component" revealed that Sennidin A, Rheidin A, Rheidin B, Rheidin C, (E)-4-Phenyl-3-Buten-2-One, Osmanthuside H, Esculetin, and Caffeicacid were responsible for IL-17, TNF signaling pathways.

CONCLUSION

JHF contains potential active substance of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. These active compounds may come into play through IL-17 and TNF signaling pathways. For sepsis, JHF may be a promising and effective treatment strategy.

Dual RNA-seq of spleens extracted from channel catfish infected with Aeromonas veronii reveals novel insights into host-pathogen interactions

Interactions between host and pathogen are involving various dynamic changes in transcript expression and critical for understanding host immunity against infections and its associated pathogenesis. Herein, we established a model of channel catfish infected with Aeromonas veronii. The infected fish had prominent body surface bleeding, and the spleen showed hyperemia and swelling. Then, the spleen of channel catfish infected with A. veronii was analyzed by dual RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), and the transcriptome data were compared with uninfected channel catfish spleen or bacteria cultured in vitro. The transcript expression profile of pathogen-host interaction between A. veronii and channel catfish was successfully studied. During infection, the host was enriched for multiple immune-related signaling pathways, such as the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and T cell receptor signaling pathway; and significantly upregulated for many innate immune-related genes, including IL-8. At the same time, we found that A. veronii mainly harmed the host spleen through hemolysin. Our current findings are of great significance in clarifying the pathogenesis of channel catfish induced by A. veronii and provide gene targets for developing preventive measures.

Population structure, genetic diversity and prolificacy in pishan red sheep under an extreme desert environment

Extreme environmental conditions are a major challenge for livestock production. Changes in climate conditions, especially those that lead to extreme weather, can reduce livestock production. The screening of genes and molecular markers is of great significance to explore the genetic mechanism of sheep prolificacy traits in Taklimakan Desert environment. We selected healthy adult Pishan Red Sheep (PRS) and Qira Black Sheep (QR) which live in Taklimakan Desert environment, collected blood from jugular vein, extracted DNA, and prepared Illumina Ovine SNP50 chip. For PRS, linkage disequilibrium (LD) was calculated using the ovine SNP50 Beadchip and the effective population size (Ne) was estimated using SMC++. The genetic characteristics of PRS were analyzed by integrated haplotype score (iHS) and fixation index (F _ST ). The result showed that r ² of PRS was 0.233 ± 0.280 in the range of 0-10 Kb and decreased with increasing distances. SMC++ tested that the Ne of PRS remained at 236.99 in recent generations. 184 genes were screened out under iHS 1% threshold, and 1148 genes were screened out with F _ST under the 5% threshold, and 29 genes were obtained from the intersection of the two gene sets. In this study, the genetic characteristics of PRS and QR were compared by ovine genome chip, and the related excellent genes were searched, providing reference for the protection of sheep germplasm resources and molecular breeding in a desert environment.

ALPK1 Aggravates TMJOA Cartilage Degradation via NF-κB and ERK1/2 Signaling

Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) is a common degenerative joint disease without effective intervention strategies. Previous research implied that alpha-kinase 1 (ALPK1) is involved in the inflammatory responses of gout, a chronic arthritis. Herein, we found the main distribution of ALPK1 in a proliferative layer of condylar cartilage and marrow cavity of subchondral bone, as well as a lining layer of synovial tissues in human temporomandibular joint. Moreover, the expression of ALPK1 was augmented in degraded condylar cartilage of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced TMJOA mice. After MIA induction, ALPK1 knockout mice exhibited attenuated damage of cartilage and subchondral bone, as well as synovitis, as compared with wide type mice. In contrast, intra-articular administration of recombinant human ALPK1 aggravated the pathology of MIA-induced TMJOA. Furthermore, ex vivo study demonstrated that ALPK1 exacerbated chondrocyte catabolism by upregulating matrix metalloproteinase 13 and cyclooxygenase 2 by activating NF-κB (nuclear factor-kappaB) signaling and suppressed anabolism by downregulating aggrecan by inhibiting ERK1/2 (extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2) in articular chondrocytes. Taken together, ALPK1 exacerbates the degradation of condylar cartilage during TMJOA through the NF-κB and ERK1/2 signaling pathway. This study provides a new insight regarding the role of ALPK1 during TMJOA pathology.