Uncovering the mechanism of resveratrol in the treatment of diabetic kidney disease based on network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation

Glucose-modified BSA/procyanidin C1 NPs penetrate the blood-brain barrier and alleviate neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease models

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease with high prevalence, long duration and poor prognosis. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a physiologic barrier in the central nervous system, which hinders the entry of most drugs into the brain from the blood, thus affecting the efficacy of drugs for AD. Natural products are recognized as one of the promising and unique therapeutic approaches to treat AD. To improve the efficiency and therapeutic effect of the drug across the BBB, a natural polyphenolic compound, procyanidin C-1 (C1) was encapsulated in glucose-functionalized bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles to construct Glu-BSA/C1 NPs in our study. Glu-BSA/C1 NPs exhibited good stability, slow release, biocompatibility and antioxidant properties. In addition, Glu-BSA/C1 NPs penetrated the BBB, accumulated in the brain by targeting Glut1, and maintained the BBB integrity both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, Glu-BSA/C1 NPs alleviated memory impairment of 5 × FAD mice by reducing Aβ deposition and Tau phosphorylation and promoting neurogenesis. Mechanistically, Glu-BSA/C1 NPs significantly activated the PI3K/AKT pathway and inhibited the NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β pathway thereby suppressing neuroinflammation. Taken together, Glu-BSA/C1 NPs could penetrate the BBB and mitigate neuroinflammation in AD, providing a new therapeutic approach targeting AD.

Discovery of a novel homoisoflavonoid derivative 5g for anti-osteoclastic bone loss via targeting FGFR1

Several flavonoids have been shown to exert anti-osteoporosis activity. However, the structure-activity relationship and the mechanism of anti-osteoporosis activity of flavonoids remain unknown. In this study, we prepared a series of novel homoisoflavonoid (HIF) derivatives to evaluate their inhibitory effects on osteoclastogenesis using TRAP-activity in vitro assay. Then, the preliminary structure-activity relationship was studied. Among the evaluated novel flavonoids, derivative 5g exerted the most inhibitory bioactivity on primary osteoclast differentiation without interfering with osteogenesis. It was hence selected for further in vitro, in vivo and mechanism of action investigation. Results show that 5g likely directly binds to the fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1), decreasing the activation of ERK1/2 and IκBα/NF-κB signaling pathways, which in turn blocks osteoclastogenesis in vitro and osteoclastic bone loss in vivo. Our study shows that homoisoflavonoid (HIF) derivatives 5g can serve as a potential novel candidate for treating osteoporosis via inhibition of FGFR1.

PPARG and the PTEN-PI3K/AKT Signaling Axis May Cofunction in Promoting Chemosensitivity in Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

It has been demonstrated that PPARG may interact with the PTEN-PI3K/AKT pathway, contributing to its involvement in the chemotherapy treatment of hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC). However, the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. In this study, gene expression profiles of 17 HSCC patients, comprising 8 chemotherapy-sensitive patients (CSP) and 9 chemotherapy-nonsensitive patients (CNSP), were collected and analyzed to investigate expression patterns, correlations, influencing factors of the PPARG-PTEN-PI3K/AKT pathway, and its role in regulating chemosensitivity. The results revealed significantly increased expression (p < 0.04) of AKT1, AKT2, AKT3, PIK3CA, PPARG, and PTEN in the CSP group compared to the CNSP group. Specifically, AKT2 exhibited significant overexpression in tumor tissue (p = 0.01), while AKT2, AKT3, PPARG, and PTEN displayed significant increases in normal tissue (p ≤ 0.04). Positive correlations (R ∈ [0.43, 0.71], p < 0.014) were observed between PIK3CA, AKT1, AKT2, AKT3, and PTEN, with AKT2, AKT3, and PTEN also showing significant correlations with PPARG (R ∈ [0.35, 0.47], p < 0.04). Age, gender, and disease stage had no influence on PPARG, PIK3CA, and PTEN expression, but they may affect AKT expressions. Pathway analysis revealed that PPARG may interact with the PTEN-PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, playing a crucial role in regulating chemosensitivity in the normal tissue microenvironment. Our results suggest that AKT1 and PIK3CA may be associated with chemosensitivity in HSCC tumor cells, while PPARG and PTEN might exhibit a correlation with a specific segment of the PI3K/AKT pathway, potentially influencing chemosensitivity in the normal tissue microenvironment of HSCC patients.

Role of Gut Microbiota, Immune Imbalance, and Allostatic Load in the Occurrence and Development of Diabetic Kidney Disease

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a prevailing complication arising from diabetes mellitus. Unfortunately, there are no trustworthy and efficacious treatment modalities currently available. In recent times, compelling evidence has emerged regarding the intricate correlation between the kidney and the gut microbiota, which is considered the largest immune organ within the human physique. Various investigations have demonstrated that the perturbation of the gut microbiota and its associated metabolites potentially underlie the etiology and progression of DKD. This phenomenon may transpire through perturbation of both the innate and the adaptive immunity, leading to a burdensome allostatic load on the body and ultimately culminating in the development of DKD. Within this literature review, we aim to delve into the intricate interplay between the gut microbiota, its metabolites, and the immune system in the context of DKD. Furthermore, we strive to explore and elucidate potential chemical interventions that could hold promise for the treatment of DKD, thereby offering invaluable insights and directions for future research endeavors.

Shuangshen Ningxin capsule alleviates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in miniature pigs by modulating mitophagy: network pharmacology and experiments in vivo

BACKGROUND

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI) is involved in a variety of pathological states for which there is no effective treatment exists. Shuangshen Ningxin (SSNX) capsule which is developed by Xiyuan Hospital, Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine has been demonstrated to alleviate MI/RI, but its mechanism remains to be further elucidated.

METHODS

The MI/RI miniature pigs model was constructed to assess the pharmacodynamics of SSNX by blocking the proximal blood flow of the left anterior descending branch of the cardiac coronary artery through an interventional balloon. The principal chemical compounds and potential targets of SSNX were screened by HPLC-MS and SwissTargetPrediction. The targets of MI/RI were identified based on Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) and GeneCards. Cytoscape 3.9.0 was applied to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed using metascape. To further validate the mechanism of SSNX, Molecular docking, Transmission electron microscopy, and Western blot analysis were used to test the effectiveness of targets in related pathways.

RESULTS

Our results indicated that SSNX significantly improved cardiac function, attenuated myocardial I/R injury. Through network analysis, a total of 15 active components and 201 targets were obtained from SSNX, 75 of which are potential targets for the treatment of MI/RI. KEGG and MCODE analysis showed that SSNX is involved in the mitophagy signaling pathway, and ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Rb1 and ginsenoside Rb2 are key components associated with the mitophagy. Further experimental results proved that SSNX protected mitochondrial structure and function, and significantly reduced the expression of mitophagy-related proteins PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1), Parkin, FUN14 domain containing 1 (FUNDC1) and Bcl-2/E1B-19 kDa interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) in MI/RI miniature pigs.

CONCLUSION

In our study, the integration of network pharmacology and experiments in vivo demonstrated that SSNX interfered with MI/RI by inhibiting mitophagy.

Hydroquinine Inhibits the Growth of Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa via the Suppression of the Arginine Deiminase Pathway Genes

Hydroquinine has antimicrobial potential with demonstrated activity against several bacteria, including multidrug-resistant (MDR) P. aeruginosa reference strains. Despite this, there is limited evidence confirming the antibacterial activity of hydroquinine against clinical isolates and the underlying mechanism of action. Here, we aimed to investigate the antibacterial effect of hydroquinine in clinical P. aeruginosa strains using phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing and synergistic testing. In addition, we examined the potential inhibitory mechanisms against MDR P. aeruginosa isolates using informatic-driven molecular docking analysis in combination with RT-qPCR. We uncovered that hydroquinine inhibits and kills clinical P. aeruginosa at 2.50 mg/mL (MIC) and 5.00 mg/mL (MBC), respectively. Hydroquinine also showed partial synergistic effects with ceftazidime against clinical MDR P. aeruginosa strains. Using SwissDock, we identified potential interactions between arginine deiminase (ADI)-pathway-related proteins and hydroquinine. Furthermore, using RT-qPCR, we found that hydroquinine directly affects the mRNA expression of arc operon. We demonstrated that the ADI-related genes, including the arginine/ornithine antiporter (arcD) and the three enzymes (arginine deiminase (arcA), ornithine transcarbamylase (arcB), and carbamate kinase (arcC)), were significantly downregulated at a half MIC of hydroquinine. This study is the first report that the ADI-related proteins are potential molecular targets for the inhibitory effect of hydroquinine against clinically isolated MDR P. aeruginosa strains.