Curcumae radix Reduces Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Mice with Chronic Neuroinflammation

Parkinson's Disease: The Neurodegenerative Enigma Under the "Undercurrent" of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

Parkinson's disease (PD), a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, demonstrates the critical involvement of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in its pathogenesis. This review comprehensively examines the role and molecular mechanisms of ERS in PD. ERS represents a cellular stress response triggered by imbalances in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis, induced by factors such as hypoxia and misfolded protein aggregation, which activate the unfolded protein response (UPR) through the inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1), protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) pathways. Clinical, animal model, and cellular studies have consistently demonstrated a strong association between PD and ERS. Abnormal expression of ERS-related molecules in PD patients' brains and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) correlates with disease progression. In animal models (e.g., Drosophila and mice), ERS inhibition alleviates dopaminergic neuronal damage. Cellular experiments reveal that PD-mimicking pathological conditions induce ERS, while interactions between ERS and mitochondrial dysfunction promote neuronal apoptosis. Mechanistically, (1) pathological aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) and ERS mutually reinforce dopaminergic neuron damage; (2) leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene mutations induce ERS through thrombospondin-1 (THBS1)/transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) interactions; (3) molecules such as Parkin and PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) regulate ERS in PD. Furthermore, ERS interacts with mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation to exacerbate neuronal injury. Emerging therapeutic strategies show significant potential, including artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted drug design targeting ERS pathways and precision medicine approaches exploring non-pharmacological interventions such as personalized electroacupuncture. Future research should focus on elucidating ERS-related mechanisms and identifying novel therapeutic targets to develop more effective treatments for PD patients, ultimately improving their quality of life.

Exploring the mechanism of Pujin oral liquid in the treatment of preterm white matter injury using network pharmacology and molecular docking

We aimed to elucidate the pharmacological mechanisms of Pujin oral liquid in treating preterm white matter injury (PWMI). The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform was used to identify Pujin oral liquid's active ingredients and predict their targets. The known targets related to treating PWMI were identified from the GeneCards, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, DisGeNet, PharmGKB, and CTD databases. A drug-disease intersecting protein-protein interaction network using a STRING database was built; gene ontology function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes signaling pathway enrichment analyses were performed on common target genes using the Metascape database. Molecular docking of the active ingredients and key targets was validated using the AutoDock Vina software. In total, 470 Pujin oral liquid targets and 13,290 disease targets were screened from multiple databases, and Venn analysis identified 407 common targets. Protein-protein interaction analysis showed that Pujin oral liquid may impact SRC, MAPK3, MAPK1, TP53, STAT3, AKT1, PIK3R1, JUN, RELA, CTNNB1, and ESR1. Moreover, gene ontology functional analysis revealed processes such as the response to inorganic substances, cellular response to organic cyclic compounds, response to xenobiotic stimuli, regulation of system processes, and protein phosphorylation. The main signaling pathways were neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and the cGMP-PKG, JAK-STAT, and cAMP signaling pathways. Molecular docking showed that the active ingredients' small molecules bond strongly to target proteins. The therapeutic effect of Pujin oral liquid on PWMI is multifaceted, involving multiple targets and pathways. Its clinical application in treating preterm white matter injuries is promising.

Evaluation of Cross-Talk and Alleviate Potential of Cytotoxic Factors Induced by Deoxynivalenol in IPEC-J2 Cells Interference with Curcumin

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium graminearum, and curcumin (CUR) is a natural polyphenolic compound found in turmeric. However, the combined treatment of CUR and DON to explore the mitigating effect of CUR on DON and their combined mechanism of action is not clear. Therefore, in this study, we established four treatment groups (CON, CUR, DON and CUR + DON) to investigate their mechanism in the porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2). In addition, the cross-talk and alleviating potential of CUR interfering with DON-induced cytotoxic factors were evaluated by in vitro experiments; the results showed that CUR could effectively inhibit DON-exposed activated TNF-α/NF-κB pathway, attenuate DON-induced apoptosis, and alleviate DON-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress through PERK/CHOP pathways, which were verified at both mRNA and protein levels. In conclusion, these promising findings may contribute to the future use of CUR as a novel feed additive to protect livestock from the harmful effects of DON.

Progesterone Receptor Membrane Component 1 Regulates Cellular Stress Responses and Inflammatory Pathways in Chronic Neuroinflammatory Conditions

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia and is one of the neurodegenerative diseases that are caused by neuronal death due to various triggers. Neuroinflammation plays a critical role in the development of AD. The neuroinflammatory response is manifested by pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α; various chemokines; nitrous oxide; and reactive oxygen species. In this study, we evaluated the relevance of progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1), which is expressed in the brain cells during the induction of neuroinflammation. A lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced chronic neuroinflammation model and Pgrmc1 knockdown cells were used to assess the inflammatory cytokine levels, AD-related factors, inflammation-related signaling, and cell death. Pgrmc1 knockout (KO) mice had higher IL-1β levels after treatment with LPS compared with those of wild-type (WT) mice. Furthermore, Pgrmc1 KO mice had higher levels of inflammatory factors, endoplasmic reticulum stress indicators, and AD-associated markers compared with those of WT mice who underwent LPS treatment or not. Finally, these indicators were observed in vitro using U373-MG astrocytes. In conclusion, the loss of PGRMC1 may promote neuroinflammation and lead to AD.