BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
·
2025
·
IF 5.6
Jia Liu,Senlin Li,Hong Zhou,Mengheng Wang,Chengliang Zhang,Cheng Tian,Yue Xu,Mengxuan Wang,Xin Li,Qing Li,Ming Xiang
Gemcitabine is a widely employed first-line chemotherapeutic drug for pancreatic cancer (PCa). However, the rapid emergence of gemcitabine resistance poses a major clinical hurdle. Here, we identified REG3A as a crucial determinant of poor prognosis in PCa. Notably, REG3A was upregulated in tumor tissues from clinical gemcitabine-resistant PCa patients. Through comprehensive in vitro cellular assays and in vivo studies using Reg3g (the murine homolog of REG3A) knockout mice, we demonstrated that REG3A deficiency sensitized PCa to gemcitabine treatment. Mechanistically, RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) combined with Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) analysis revealed that REG3A functioned as an exocytosis protein binds to the novel membrane receptor GPR54. The interaction increased membrane localization of GPR54, which subsequently engaged ARRB2 as a scaffolding molecule, leading to activation of the ERK1/2 pathway and suppression of gemcitabine-induced apoptosis. Moreover, the GPR54 agonist KP10 synergistically enhanced gemcitabine resistance in conjunction with REG3A, while interference with GPR54 or its antagonist KP234 attenuated REG3A-induced gemcitabine resistance. Targeting REG3A or pharmacologically inhibiting its downstream signaling molecules may represent a promising strategy to overcome gemcitabine resistance. Overall, REG3A could serve as a potential biomarker for gemcitabine resistance in PCa, offering a new avenue for therapeutic intervention and patient stratification.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
·
分子生物学
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癌症药理学
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信号转导
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PubMed
高影响因子
Pharmaceuticals
·
2026
·Vol. 19
·期 6
·928
·
IF 5.7
Haotian Zhang,Haowei Liu,Jiangpeng Xu,Xiaoling Li,Shasha Li,Xuemei Liu,Changhua Hu
Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is among the malignant tumors with the lowest five-year survival rate. Current treatments offer limited efficacy and first-line options are scarce, highlighting the urgent need for novel drugs. Cariprazine can cross the blood–brain barrier and has been reported to inhibit certain tumors; however, its effect on GBM remains unknown. This study aims to elucidate its anti-GBM effects and mechanisms. Methods: Cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed by wound healing, Transwell, colony formation assays, flow cytometry and JC−10 staining. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) examined the effect of cariprazine on D2/D3–ARRB2 interaction. Direct binding of cariprazine to ARRB2 was determined by molecular docking and CETSA. Western blotting and immunofluorescence detected changes in proliferation and apoptosis-related proteins. In vivo anti-GBM activity was evaluated in subcutaneous mouse models. Results: Cariprazine inhibited GBM cell proliferation and migration, promoted apoptosis, and showed low astrocyte toxicity. In mice, it suppressed GBM allograft growth without overt systemic toxicity. These effects were mediated through D2/D3 receptors, as cariprazine disrupted the D2/D3–ARRB2 interaction and thereby inhibited ERK signaling. It also upregulated ARRB2, further inhibiting the growth of GBM. Molecular docking and CETSA confirmed the direct binding of cariprazine to ARRB2 at LEU-245 and PHE-246. Conclusions: This study is the first to repurpose cariprazine for GBM, elucidating a unique ARRB2-centered dual mechanism, thus offering a new therapeutic strategy.
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高影响因子
Hepatology Communications
·
2026
·Vol. 10
·期 5
·e0916
·
IF 6
Xiao-Wen Wang,Wen-Jie Zheng,Hao-Qi Chen,Tao Huang,Yuan Zhang,Xi-Jing Yan,Wen-Chao Li,Long Zou,Jie-Zhong Wu,Wen-Feng Zhu,Qi-Wei Yang,Gen-Shu Wang,Kun-Peng Hu
Background: Hepatic ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) is an important factor affecting the prognosis of liver transplantation patients. The role of Arrb2 in liver injury is unclear. Our study aimed to determine the role of Arrb2 in hepatic IRI and to identify its underlying mechanisms. Methods: An analysis of clinical samples was conducted to assess the association between Arrb2 expression and the prognosis of liver transplantation. A 70% hepatic ischemia/reperfusion model in mice was established to verify the mechanism of Arrb2 in hepatocytes promoting M2 macrophage polarization in attenuating hepatic IRI by regulating 6-ketoLCA. A model of hypoxia/reoxygenation in vitro was established to investigate the molecular mechanism of 6-ketoLCA in promoting M2 macrophage polarization and pharmacological screening. Results: Arrb2 in hepatocytes has been shown to provide significant liver protection against hepatic IRI, primarily through promoting the polarization of liver macrophages to M2. Arrb2 remodels bile acids and upregulates 6-ketoLCA through Cyp7a1 in hepatocytes, promoting M2 polarization of macrophages, thereby alleviating hepatic IRI. Mechanistically, TGR5 plays a crucial role in promoting the induction of M2 polarization in macrophages by 6-ketoLCA. Pharmacological screening indicates that dutasteride enhances the activity of the Arrb2 promoter and upregulates Arrb2 expression in hepatocytes, thereby mitigating hepatic IRI. Conclusions: Arrb2 in hepatocytes attenuates hepatic IRI by promoting macrophages toward the M2 phenotype through bile acid. Moreover, dutasteride, a selective agonist of Arrb2, emerges as a promising targeted therapeutic agent for the clinical management of liver injury.
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BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
·
2026
·
IF 6.5
Cheng Cao,Mubin Sun,Jiabao Li,Zhenyu Yuan,Yuwei Gu,Yufan Shao,Lisheng Wang,Xiaohua Jin,Yijie Cheng,Bo Fan
Urate transporter 1 (URAT1, encoded by SLC22A12 ) is a key mediator of renal urate reabsorption and an important pharmacological target for urate-related disorders. Sodium butyrate (BuNa), a gut microbiota derived short-chain fatty acid, has been implicated in host metabolic regulation, but its role in renal urate transport remains unclear. Here, using molecular docking, cellular thermal shift assays, immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry and multi-omics analyses, we identified free fatty acid receptor 2 (FFAR2) as a direct target of BuNa in renal proximal tubular HK2 cells . BuNa binding upregulated FFAR2 and promoted URAT1 expression and urate uptake via an FFAR2-dependent pathway. Mechanistically, BuNa/FFAR2 signaling acts via GNAQ to activate PLCβ, generating diacylglycerol and engaging a PKC-dependent p38 MAPK/ELK1 cascade that upregulates arrestin beta 2 (ARRB2). ARRB2 directly binds to IκB, preventing its phosphorylation-dependent degradation, thereby stabilizing IκB and inhibiting NF-κB nuclear translocation. Within the SLC22A12 promoter, NF-κB (RELA/p50) and hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 beta (HNF1β) compete for overlapping binding sites. By blocking NF-κB nuclear entry, BuNa relieves this competition, permitting HNF1β-driven SLC22A12 transcription. Thus, BuNa enhances URAT1-mediated urate reabsorption in HK2 cells via an FFAR2/GNAQ/p38 MAPK/ELK1/ARRB2 axis that stabilizes IκB, suppresses NF-κB, and relieves the competitive binding between NF-κB and HNF1β on the SLC22A12 promoter. These findings establish a previously unrecognized gut microbiota–kidney axis linking microbial BuNa to renal urate homeostasis through a novel transcriptional regulatory circuit.
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