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Karachaliou CE, Livaniou E. Neuroprotective Action of Humanin and Humanin Analogues: Research Findings and Perspectives. Biology (Basel) 2023; 12:1534. [PMID: 38132360 PMCID: PMC10740898 DOI: 10.3390/biology12121534] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Humanin is a 24-mer peptide first reported in the early 2000s as a new neuroprotective/cytoprotective factor rescuing neuronal cells from death induced by various Alzheimer's disease-associated insults. Nowadays it is known that humanin belongs to the novel class of the so-called mitochondrial-derived peptides (which are encoded by mitochondrial DNA) and has been shown to exert beneficial cytoprotective effects in a series of in vitro and/or in vivo experimental models of human diseases, including not only neurodegenerative disorders but other human diseases as well (e.g., age-related macular degeneration, cardiovascular diseases, or diabetes mellitus). This review article is focused on the presentation of recent in vitro and in vivo research results associated with the neuroprotective action of humanin as well as of various, mainly synthetic, analogues of the peptide; moreover, the main mode(s)/mechanism(s) through which humanin and humanin analogues may exert in vitro and in vivo regarding neuroprotection have been reported. The prospects of humanin and humanin analogues to be further investigated in the frame of future research endeavors against neurodegenerative/neural diseases have also been briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Evangelia Livaniou
- Immunopeptide Chemistry Lab., Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety, National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, P.O. Box 60037, 153 10 Agia Paraskevi, Greece;
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2
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Zhang L, Zhou T, Su Y, He L, Wang Z. Involvement of histone methylation in the regulation of neuronal death. J Physiol Biochem 2023; 79:685-693. [PMID: 37544979 DOI: 10.1007/s13105-023-00978-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Neuronal death occurs in various physiological and pathological processes, and apoptosis, necrosis, and ferroptosis are three major forms of neuronal death. Neuronal apoptosis, necrosis, and ferroptosis are widely identified to involve the progress of stroke, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. A growing body of evidence has pointed out that neuronal death is tightly associated with expression of related genes and alteration of signaling molecules. In addition, recently, epigenetics has been increasingly focused on as a vital regulatory mechanism for neuronal apoptosis, necrosis, and ferroptosis, providing a new direction for treating nervous system diseases. Moreover, growing researches suggest that histone methylation or demethylation is involved in the processes of neuronal apoptosis, necrosis, and ferroptosis. These researches may imply that studying the potential roles of histone methylation is essential for treating the nervous system diseases. Here, we review potential roles of histone methylation and demethylation in neuronal death, which may give us a new direction in treating the nervous system diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Tai Zhou
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yaxin Su
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Li He
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Zhongcheng Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.
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3
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Meng J, Zhang J, Fang J, Li M, Ding H, Zhang W, Chen C. Dynamic inflammatory changes of the neurovascular units after ischemic stroke. Brain Res Bull 2022; 190:140-151. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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4
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Khalfin B, Lichtenstein A, Albeck A, Nathan I. Targeting Necrosis: Elastase-like Protease Inhibitors Curtail Necrotic Cell Death Both In Vitro and in Three In Vivo Disease Models. J Med Chem 2021; 64:1510-1523. [PMID: 33522230 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01683] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Necrosis is the main mode of cell death, which leads to multiple clinical conditions affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Its molecular mechanisms are poorly understood, hampering therapeutics development. Here, we identify key proteolytic activities essential for necrosis using various biochemical approaches, enzymatic assays, medicinal chemistry, and siRNA library screening. These findings provide strategies to treat and prevent necrosis, including known medicines used for other indications, siRNAs, and establish a platform for the design of new inhibitory molecules. Indeed, inhibitors of these pathways demonstrated protective activity in vitro and in vivo in animal models of traumatic brain injury, acute myocardial infarction, and drug-induced liver toxicity. Consequently, this study may pave the way for the development of novel therapies for the treatment, inhibition, or prevention of a large number of hitherto untreatable diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Khalfin
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Alexandra Lichtenstein
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Amnon Albeck
- The Julius Spokojny Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Ilana Nathan
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410501, Israel
- Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva 8457108, Israel
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Hazafa A, Batool A, Ahmad S, Amjad M, Chaudhry SN, Asad J, Ghuman HF, Khan HM, Naeem M, Ghani U. Humanin: A mitochondrial-derived peptide in the treatment of apoptosis-related diseases. Life Sci 2021; 264:118679. [PMID: 33130077 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [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: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Humanin (HN) is a small mitochondrial-derived cytoprotective polypeptide encoded by mtDNA. HN exhibits protective effects in several cell types, including leukocytes, germ cells, neurons, tissues against cellular stress conditions and apoptosis through regulating various signaling mechanisms, such as JAK/STAT pathway and interaction of BCL-2 family of protein. HN is an essential cytoprotective peptide in the human body that regulates mitochondrial functions under stress conditions. The present review aims to evaluate HN peptide's antiapoptotic activities as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of cancer, diabetes mellitus, male infertility, bone-related diseases, cardiac diseases, and brain diseases. Based on in vitro and in vivo studies, HN significantly suppressed the apoptosis during the treatment of bone osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, and neurodegenerative diseases. According to accumulated data, it is concluded that HN exerts the proapoptotic activity of TNF-α in cancer, which makes HN as a novel therapeutic agent in the treatment of cancer and suggested that along with HN, the development of another mitochondrial-derived peptide could be a viable therapeutic option against different oxidative stress and apoptosis-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abu Hazafa
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan.
| | - Ammara Batool
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Saeed Ahmad
- Centre of Biotechnology & Microbiology, University of Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Amjad
- Centre of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Sundas Nasir Chaudhry
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Jamal Asad
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Health Sciences Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Hasham Feroz Ghuman
- Centre of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | | | - Muhammad Naeem
- College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Usman Ghani
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
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Gilon C, Gitlin-Domagalska A, Lahiani A, Yehoshua-Alshanski S, Shumacher-Klinger A, Gilon D, Taha M, Sekler I, Hoffman A, Lazarovici P. Novel humanin analogs confer neuroprotection and myoprotection to neuronal and myoblast cell cultures exposed to ischemia-like and doxorubicin-induced cell death insults. Peptides 2020; 134:170399. [PMID: 32889021 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2020.170399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Humanin (HN) is a 24-amino acid mitochondrial-derived peptide, best known for its ability to protect neurons from damage caused by ischemic stroke and neurodegenerative insults and cardiomyocytes from myocardial infarction or doxorubicin (Dox)-induced cardiotoxicity. This study examines the neuroprotective and myoprotective effects of HN novel synthetic analogs HUJInin and c(D-Ser14-HN), prepared by solid-phase peptide synthesis. The cellular models employed were oxygen-glucose-deprivation (OGD) followed by reoxygenation (R)-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 and SH-SY5Y neuronal cell cultures and Dox-induced cardiotoxicity in H9c2 and C2C12 myoblast cell cultures, respectively. Necrotic and apoptotic cell death was measured by LDH release and caspase-3 activity. Erk 1/2 and AKT phosphorylations were examined by western blotting. Mitochondrial calcium and mitochondrial membrane potential were measured using the fluorescent dye tetramethylrhodamine-methyl ester. It was found that HUJInin and c(D-Ser14-HN) conferred significant dose-dependent neuroprotection, a phenomenon related to attenuation of OGD insult-induced Erk 1/2 phosphorylation, stimulation of AKT phosphorylation and improvement of mitochondrial functions. These peptides also conferred myoprotective effect towards Dox-induced apo-necrotic cell death insults. HUJInin and c(D-Ser14-HN) synthetic analogs may provide new lead compounds for the development of a potential candidate drug for stroke treatment and/or Dox-induced cardiotoxicity therapy in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaim Gilon
- School of Pharmacy Institute for Drug Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel; Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Agata Gitlin-Domagalska
- School of Pharmacy Institute for Drug Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel; Department of Molecular Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Adi Lahiani
- School of Pharmacy Institute for Drug Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Shiran Yehoshua-Alshanski
- School of Pharmacy Institute for Drug Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Adi Shumacher-Klinger
- School of Pharmacy Institute for Drug Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Dan Gilon
- Echocardiography Unit, Department of Cardiology, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Mahmoud Taha
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Israel Sekler
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Amnon Hoffman
- School of Pharmacy Institute for Drug Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Philip Lazarovici
- School of Pharmacy Institute for Drug Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
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De Matteis V, Rizzello L. Noble Metals and Soft Bio-Inspired Nanoparticles in Retinal Diseases Treatment: A Perspective. Cells 2020; 9:E679. [PMID: 32164376 PMCID: PMC7140625 DOI: 10.3390/cells9030679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [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: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We are witnessing an exponential increase in the use of different nanomaterials in a plethora of biomedical fields. We are all aware of how nanoparticles (NPs) have influenced and revolutionized the way we supply drugs or how to use them as therapeutic agents thanks to their tunable physico-chemical properties. However, there is still a niche of applications where NP have not yet been widely explored. This is the field of ocular delivery and NP-based therapy, which characterizes the topic of the current review. In particular, many efforts are being made to develop nanosystems capable of reaching deeper sections of the eye such as the retina. Particular attention will be given here to noble metal (gold and silver), and to polymeric nanoparticles, systems consisting of lipid bilayers such as liposomes or vesicles based on nonionic surfactant. We will report here the most relevant literature on the use of different types of NPs for an efficient delivery of drugs and bio-macromolecules to the eyes or as active therapeutic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria De Matteis
- Department of Mathematics and Physics “Ennio De Giorgi”, University of Salento, Via Arnesano, 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - Loris Rizzello
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, UK;
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10-12, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, via Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano, Italy
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Solanki A, Smalling R, Parola AH, Nathan I, Kasher R, Pathak Y, Sutariya V. Humanin Nanoparticles for Reducing Pathological Factors Characteristic of Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Curr Drug Deliv 2019; 16:226-232. [PMID: 30381074 DOI: 10.2174/1567201815666181031163111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Humanin is a novel neuronal peptide that has displayed potential in the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease through the suppression of inflammatory IL-6 cytokine receptors. Such receptors are found throughout the body, including the eye, suggesting its other potential applications. Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the developing world. There is no cure for this disease, and current treatments have several negative side effects associated with them, making finding other treatment options desirable. OBJECTIVE In this study, the potential applications in treating AMD for a more potent humanin derivative, AGA-HNG, were studied. METHODS AGA-HNG was synthesized and encapsulated in chitosan Nanoparticles (NPs), which were then characterized for their size, Encapsulation Efficiency (EE), and drug release. Their ability to suppress VEGF secretion and protect against oxidative apoptosis was studied in vitro using ARPE-19 cells. The chitosan NPs exhibited similar anti-VEGF properties and oxidative protection as the free protein while exhibiting superior pharmaceutical characteristics including biocompatibility and drug release. RESULTS Drug-loaded NPs exhibited a radius of 346nm with desirable pharmacokinetic properties including a stable surface charge (19.5 ± 3.7 mV) and steady drug release capacity. AGA-HNG showed great promise in mediating apoptosis in hypoxic cells. They were also able to significantly reduce VEGF expression in vitro with reduced cellular toxicity compared to the free drug. CONCLUSION The ability of this drug delivery system to reduce retinal apoptosis with desirable pharmacokinetic and biocompatible properties makes this a promising therapeutic option for AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aum Solanki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USF College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33647, United States.,USF Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33647, United States
| | - Rudy Smalling
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USF College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33647, United States
| | - Abraham H Parola
- Department of Chemistry, The Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Ilana Nathan
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Roni Kasher
- Department of Desalination and Water Treatment, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, The Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede-Boquer Campus, Beersheba, 8499000, Israel
| | - Yashwant Pathak
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USF College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33647, United States.,Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Vijaykumar Sutariya
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USF College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33647, United States
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Shtreimer Kandiyote N, Avisdris T, Arnusch CJ, Kasher R. Grafted Polymer Coatings Enhance Fouling Inhibition by an Antimicrobial Peptide on Reverse Osmosis Membranes. Langmuir 2019; 35:1935-1943. [PMID: 30576152 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b03851] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial biofilms that are formed on surfaces are highly detrimental to many areas of industry and medicine. Seawater desalination by reverse osmosis (RO) suffers from biofilm growth on the membranes (biofouling), which limits its widespread use because biofouling decreases water permeance and necessitates module cleaning and replacement, leading to increased economic and environmental costs. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) bound covalently to RO membranes inhibit biofilm growth and might delay membrane biofouling. Here we examined how various hydrophilic membrane coatings composed of zwitterionic, neutral, positively charged, and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-grafted polymers affected the biocidal activity and the biofilm inhibition of a covalently bonded AMP on RO membranes. AMP magainin-2 was linked by the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction to a series of RO membranes that were grafted with different methacrylate polymers. Surface characterization by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and water drop contact angle gave evidence of successful RO modifications, and zeta potential analysis reflected the increase in surface charge due to the linked, positively charged peptide. All AMP-modified membranes inhibited Pseudomonas aeruginosa growth compared to unmodified membranes, and the grafted methacrylic polymers did not significantly interfere with the peptide activity. On the other hand, membranes coated with zwitterionic and other acrylate polymers including AMP attachment inhibited biofilm growth more than either the AMP or the polymer coating alone. This enhancement led to ∼20% less biofilm biovolume on the membrane surfaces. The combination of antimicrobial coatings with polymer coatings known to resist fouling might aid future designs of surface coatings susceptible to biofilm growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitzan Shtreimer Kandiyote
- Department of Desalination and Water Treatment , Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Sede-Boqer Campus, 8499000 Midreshet Ben Gurion , Israel
| | - Tehila Avisdris
- Department of Desalination and Water Treatment , Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Sede-Boqer Campus, 8499000 Midreshet Ben Gurion , Israel
| | - Christopher J Arnusch
- Department of Desalination and Water Treatment , Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Sede-Boqer Campus, 8499000 Midreshet Ben Gurion , Israel
| | - Roni Kasher
- Department of Desalination and Water Treatment , Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Sede-Boqer Campus, 8499000 Midreshet Ben Gurion , Israel
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Meridor D, Cohen A, Khalfin B, Uppalapati L, Kasher R, Nathan I, Parola AH. The Protective Effect of Humanin Derivative AGA(C8R)-HNG17 Against Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury in Mice. Int J Pept Res Ther 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-018-9700-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Abstract
In the human the peptide Humanin is produced from the small Humanin gene which is embedded as a gene-within-a-gene in the 16S ribosomal molecule of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The peptide itself appears to be significant in the prevention of cell death in many tissues and improve cognition in animal models. By using simple data mining techniques, it is possible to show that 99.4% of the human Humanin sequences in the GenBank database are unaffected by mutations. However, in other vertebrates, pseudogenization of the Humanin gene is a common feature; occurring apparently randomly in some species and not others. The persistence, or loss, of a functional Humanin gene may be an important factor in laboratory animals, especially if they are being used as animal models in studies of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The exact reason why Humanin underwent pseudogenization in some vertebrate species during their evolution remains to be determined. This study was originally planned to review the available information about Humanin and it was a surprise to be able to show that pseudogenization has occurred in a gene in the mtDNA and is not restricted solely to chromosomal genes.
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Murakami M, Nagahama M, Abe Y, Niikura T. Humanin affects object recognition and gliosis in short-term cuprizone-treated mice. Neuropeptides 2017; 66:90-96. [PMID: 29070438 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2017.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Humanin (HN) is a 24-residue peptide that manipulates cell survival under various stresses. A highly potent HN derivative, HNG, reduced amyloid burden and neuroinflammation and suppressed cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease model mice. Cuprizone (CPZ), a copper chelator, provokes demyelination in the central nervous system of mice. A shorter (one week) exposure to CPZ induces schizophrenia-like behavior and glial activation prior to demyelination. We tested the effect of HNG on these short-term responses to CZP in mice. Intraperitoneal injection of HNG for one week improved object recognition memory but not working memory in CPZ-treated mice. Quantitative PCR analyses showed that HNG significantly suppressed CPZ-induced activation of microglia, but did not alter the reduced level of a myelin-specific transcript. These results suggest that HN can suppress neuroinflammation and the associated cognitive deficit in a wider range of neurological disorders beyond Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minetaka Murakami
- Department of Information and Communication Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sophia University, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Nagahama
- Department of Information and Communication Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sophia University, Japan
| | - Yoichiro Abe
- Department of Pharmacology, Keio University School of Medicine, Japan
| | - Takako Niikura
- Department of Information and Communication Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sophia University, Japan.
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Cui AL, Zhang YH, Li JZ, Song T, Liu XM, Wang H, Zhang C, Ma GL, Zhang H, Li K. Humanin rescues cultured rat cortical neurons from NMDA-induced toxicity through the alleviation of mitochondrial dysfunction. Drug Des Devel Ther 2017; 11:1243-1253. [PMID: 28458518 PMCID: PMC5402890 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s133042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
N-methyl-D-aspartate (NDMA) receptor-mediated excitotoxicity has been implicated in a variety of pathological situations such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease. However, no effective treatments for the same have been developed so far. Humanin (HN) is a 24-amino acid peptide originally cloned from the brain of patients with AD and it prevents stress-induced cell death in many cells/tissues. In our previous study, HN was found to effectively rescue rat cortical neurons. It is still not clear whether HN protects the neurons through the attenuation of mitochondrial dysfunction. In this study, excitatory toxicity was induced by NMDA, which binds the NMDA receptor in primarily cultured rat cortical neurons. We found that NMDA (100 μmol/L) dramatically induced the decrease of cell viability and caused mitochondrial dysfunction. Pretreatment of the neurons with HN (1 μmol/L) led to significant increases of mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity and membrane potential. In addition, HN pretreatment significantly reduced the excessive production of both reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO). Thus, HN could attenuate the excitotoxicity caused by the overactivation of the NMDA receptor through the alleviation of mitochondrial dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai-Ling Cui
- Anatomy Department, Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, Shanxi
| | - Ying-Hua Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tissue Regeneration of Henan Province, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan
| | - Jian-Zhong Li
- Clinical Laboratory of Heji Hospital Affiliated to Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, Shanxi
| | - Tianbin Song
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing
| | - Xue-Min Liu
- Anatomy Department, Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, Shanxi
| | - Hui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tissue Regeneration of Henan Province, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan
| | - Ce Zhang
- Department of Physiology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi
| | - Guo-Lin Ma
- Department of Radiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Radiology, First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Kefeng Li
- School of Medicine, University of California - San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
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15
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Chen X, Lu P, Wang DD, Yang SJ, Wu Y, Shen HY, Zhong SL, Zhao JH, Tang JH. The role of miRNAs in drug resistance and prognosis of breast cancer formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. Gene 2016; 595:221-226. [PMID: 27746365 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2016.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Revised: 09/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Chemoresistance mediated by miRNAs in breast cancer have been already validated by previous studies in vitro, while little is known concerning the expression of them in vivo. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of miR-222, miR-29a, miR-34a, miR-130a, miR-90b, miR-200b, miR-452, miR-197, miR-138, miR-210, miR-423, miR-4298, miR-4644, miR-139, miR-1246, miR-1268a, miR-140, miR-149, miR-3178, miR-3613, miR-4258, miR-574, miR-671, miR-6780b, miR-7107, miR-744 and miR-7847 linked to drug resistance in breast cancer formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues and the association of prognosis with miRNAs, thus providing effective targets in chemotherapy, as well as potential biomarkers for guiding effective treatments of breast cancer. METHODS The relationship between the expression of diverse miRNAs and drug resistance was detected by RT-qPCR using 55 breast cancer FFPE tissues containing 26 paired FFPE specimens. RESULTS MiR-222, miR-29a, miR-34a, miR-423, miR-140, miR-3178, miR-574, miR-6780b and miR-744 exhibited significantly higher expression levels in surgically-resected specimens compared with pre-neoadjuvant chemotherapy biopsies. Evidently high expression of miR-222, miR-29a, miR-140, miR-574, miR-6780b, miR-7107 and miR-744 were found in ineffective group comparing with effective group. Further investigations revealed the significant association between several miRNAs in breast cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the role of numerous miRNAs in prediction of therapeutic responses and suggests that specific miRNAs could serve as valuable sources for biomarker detections and optimal chemotherapeutic choices for breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu Chen
- The Fourth Clinical School of Nanjing Medical University, 210009 Nanjing, China; Department of General Surgery, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Baiziting42, 210009 Nanjing, China; The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Guangzhoulu300, 210029 Nanjing, China
| | - Peng Lu
- School of Public Health Nanjing Medical University, 210009 Nanjing, China
| | - Dan-Dan Wang
- The First Clinical School of Nanjing Medical University, 210009 Nanjing, China
| | - Su-Jin Yang
- The Fourth Clinical School of Nanjing Medical University, 210009 Nanjing, China
| | - Ying Wu
- The First Clinical School of Nanjing Medical University, 210009 Nanjing, China
| | - Hong-Yu Shen
- The Fourth Clinical School of Nanjing Medical University, 210009 Nanjing, China
| | - Shan-Liang Zhong
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Guangzhoulu300, 210029 Nanjing, China
| | - Jian-Hua Zhao
- Center of Clinical Laboratory Science, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Baiziting42, 210009 Nanjing, China.
| | - Jin-Hai Tang
- Department of General Surgery, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Baiziting42, 210009 Nanjing, China; The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Guangzhoulu300, 210029 Nanjing, China.
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Ham PB 3rd, Raju R. Mitochondrial function in hypoxic ischemic injury and influence of aging. Prog Neurobiol 2017; 157:92-116. [PMID: 27321753 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2016.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 227] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Revised: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondria are a major target in hypoxic/ischemic injury. Mitochondrial impairment increases with age leading to dysregulation of molecular pathways linked to mitochondria. The perturbation of mitochondrial homeostasis and cellular energetics worsens outcome following hypoxic-ischemic insults in elderly individuals. In response to acute injury conditions, cellular machinery relies on rapid adaptations by modulating posttranslational modifications. Therefore, post-translational regulation of molecular mediators such as hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator α (PGC-1α), c-MYC, SIRT1 and AMPK play a critical role in the control of the glycolytic-mitochondrial energy axis in response to hypoxic-ischemic conditions. The deficiency of oxygen and nutrients leads to decreased energetic reliance on mitochondria, promoting glycolysis. The combination of pseudohypoxia, declining autophagy, and dysregulation of stress responses with aging adds to impaired host response to hypoxic-ischemic injury. Furthermore, intermitochondrial signal propagation and tissue wide oscillations in mitochondrial metabolism in response to oxidative stress are emerging as vital to cellular energetics. Recently reported intercellular transport of mitochondria through tunneling nanotubes also play a role in the response to and treatments for ischemic injury. In this review we attempt to provide an overview of some of the molecular mechanisms and potential therapies involved in the alteration of cellular energetics with aging and injury with a neurobiological perspective.
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