ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
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2014
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IF 5.9
Yang Liu,Xin Wang,Chun-Yang Sun,Jun Wang
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant human tumors worldwide, but no effective therapeutic options are currently available. The cancer stem cell (CSC) has proven to play a central role in the development, metastasis, and recurrence of HCC. In this study, we report a dual functional mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor (U0126)-based therapy for treating both bulk HCC and HCC CSCs, using poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(d,l-lactide) (PEG-PLA) nanoparticles as the drug carrier. It is demonstrated that nanoparticle encapsulation enhanced the cell uptake of U0126 in HCC CSCs and that enhanced endocytosis lead to augmented cytotoxicity of U0126 in HCC CSCs. Moreover, the nanoparticle encapsulation increased the inhibition of self-renewal capability, prolonged the circulation time, and increased the tumor accumulation of U0126 when compared with the use of the free inhibitor. The systemic delivery of U0126 remarkably enhanced the suppression of tumor development with decreased CSCs in the HepG2 xenograft simultaneously with reduced systemic toxicity.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
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药理学
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生物医学工程
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine
·
2019
·Vol. 18
·期 3
·1793-1799
·
IF 1.448
Huijuan Zhai,Teng Pan,Haiyan Yang,Haiyu Wang,Yadong Wang
Cadmium (Cd) is an established carcinogen that is involved in the progression of lung cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying this Cd‑induced process have yet to be fully elucidated. The present study explored the potential roles of phosphorylated (p)‑ERK in the Cd‑induced migration and invasion of lung cancer cells. An MTT assay was performed to evaluate cell viability whilst western blot analysis and reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR were used to detect the expression of protein and mRNA, respectively. Migration and invasion assays were performed to assess cell migratory and invasive abilities. The results demonstrated that exposure to Cd increased the expression of p‑ERK in A549 cells. Cd also enhanced the migration and invasion of A549 cells, which could be blocked via U0126 treatment (an inhibitor of mitogen activated protein kinase). In addition, it was identified that Cd‑induced expression of matrix metalloproteinases 2 mRNA was mediated by p‑ERK. In conclusion, the present findings indicated that Cd induced A549 cell migration and invasion by activating ERK, and it was hypothesized that p‑ERK could serve as a target in the clinical treatment of Cd‑induced lung cancer.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
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细胞生物学
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分子生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
PHYTOMEDICINE
·
2022
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IF 6.656
Ying-kun Zhi,Jing Li,Lang Yi,Rui-li Zhu,Jin-fang Luo,Qing-ping Shi,Sha-sha Bai,Yan-wu Li,Qun Du,Jia-zhong Cai,Liang Liu,Pei-xun Wang,Hua Zhou,Yan Dong
Background Sinomenine (SIN) is an anti-inflammatory drug that has been used for decades in China to treat arthritis . In a previous study, SIN acted on α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) to inhibit inflammatory responses in macrophages, which indicates a new anti-inflammatory mechanism of SIN. However, the level of α7nAChR was increased in the inflammatory responses and was downregulated by SIN in vitro, so the underlying mechanisms of SIN acting on α7nAChR remain unclear. Purpose To analyze the role of α7nAChR in inflammation and the effect and mechanism of SIN regulation of α7nAChR. Methods The effects of SIN on α7nAChR in endotoxemic mice and LPS-stimulated macrophages were observed. Nicotine (Nic) was used as a positive control, and berberine (Ber) was used as a negative control targeting α7nAChR. The antagonists of α7nAChR, α-bungarotoxin (BTX) and mecamylamine (Me), were used to block α7nAChR. In RAW264.7 macrophage cells in vitro , α7nAChR short hairpin RNA (shRNA) was used to knock down α7nAChR. Macrophage polarization was analyzed by the detection of TNF-α, IL-6, iNOS, IL-10, Arg-1, and Fizz1. U0126 was used to block ERK phosphorylation. The cytokines α7nAChR, ERK1/2, p-ERK1/2 and Egr-1 were detected. Results SIN decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and the expression of α7nAChR increased by LPS in endotoxemic mice. The above effects of SIN were attenuated by BTX. In the α7nAChR shRNA transfected RAW264.7 cells, compared with the control, α7nAChR was knocked down, and M1 phenotype markers (including TNF-α, IL-6, and iNOS) were significantly downregulated, whereas M2 phenotype markers (including IL-10, Arg-1, and Fizz1) were significantly upregulated when stimulated by LPS. SIN inhibited the expression of p-ERK1/2 and the transcription factor Egr-1 induced by LPS in RAW264.7 cells, and the above effects of SIN were attenuated by BTX. The expression of α7nAChR was suppressed by U0126, which lessened the expression of p-ERK1/2 and Egr-1. Conclusions SIN acts on α7nAChR to inhibit inflammatory responses and downregulates high expression of α7nAChR in vivo and in vitro . The increase of α7nAChR expression is correlated with inflammatory responses and participates in macrophage M1 polarization. SIN downregulates α7nAChR via a feedback pathway of α7nAChR/ERK/Egr-1, which contributes to inhibiting macrophage M1 polarization and inflammatory responses.
研究领域:
免疫学
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药理学
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细胞生物学
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炎症研究
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY
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2015
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IF 2.084
Shimei Qi,Xianjuan Kou,Jun Lv,Zhilin Qi,Liang Yan
Our results showed that ampelopsin significantly inhibited cell viability of hepatoma HepG2 cells using MTT assay. We further investigated the mechanism of anticancer activity by ampelopsin, it showed that ampelopsin induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells using DAPI assay and flow cytometry, which was confirmed by activation of PARP. Next, activation of the caspase cascades were demonstrated, including caspase-8, -9 and -3. We also found that ampelopsin increased the levels of death receptor 4 (DR4), death receptor 5 (DR5) and decreased the expression of Bcl-2 protein, which led to an increase of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Meanwhile, the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria was observed. Ampelopsin decreased the levels of iNOS and COX-2 but had no impact on the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In addition, ampelopsin activated ERK1/2 and P38, but little JNK1/2 activation was detected. Further investigation showed that suppression of P38 activation by SB203580 increased the cell viability and also prevented cleavage of caspase-3 and PARP, inhibition of ERK1/2 with U0126 had the opposite action. In conclusion, our results indicated that ampelopsin mainly elicited apoptosis through extrinsic and intrinsic pathway and that ERK1/2 and P38 had opponent effects on the apoptosis.
研究领域:
癌症生物学
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分子生物学
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细胞生物学
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药理学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Food Bioscience
·
2024
·
IF 4.8
Aonan Xia,Yang Jiang,Yuan-Kun Lee,Dong Liang,Bo Yang,Xiaoming Liu,Jianxin Zhao,Hao Zhang,Wei Chen
Fermented milk has abundant bioactive peptides, and there is a growing interest in seeking osteogenic peptides of dairy origin. This study employed computer-assisted screening to identify potential osteogenic peptides from fermented milk by Lactobacillus helveticus and investigated the effects of these osteogenic peptides on the proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells, along with their underlying mechanisms. Three osteogenic peptides were identified: AF10 (ARHPHPHLSF), AY17 (AAGGPGAPADPGRPTGY), and NE19 (NIPPLTQTPVVVPPFLQPE). Treatment with 0.2 μM of AF10, AY17, and NE19 promoted the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells by increasing the proportion of cells in the S phase and G2/M phase. Further molecular docking revealed significant differences in the interaction of the three osteogenic peptides with the critical domain (Asn12-Lys13-Leu14-Thr15-Gln16-Leu17-Gly18) of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The three peptides exhibited different degrees of promotion on the differentiation and mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells, as well as significant differences in the expression of genes and proteins related to ERK1/2, RUNX2, and BMP2. The AF10 peptide was selected for further validation of the effect of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway on the proliferation and expression of differentiation and mineralization-associated genes in MC3T3-E1 cells by combining MAPK pathway inhibitors. Molecular dynamics simulation revealed the stability of AF10 when binding to EGFR. These findings provide valuable insights into the screening of osteogenic peptides of various origins and the development of functional dairy products accordingly.
研究领域:
食品科学
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生物化学
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分子生物学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
·
2025
·
IF 4
Tianyi Yang,Yan Chen,Maolin Wang,Ren Ren,Fang Yan,Peng Xu,Bin Di
Nitrous oxide use Disorder（NUD）has recently received increasing social concern for its sharp rise among young people. However, the underlying mechanisms of NUD remain largely unexplored, which obstructs treatment strategy development and may exacerbate the epidemic of N2O abuse. Thus, specifying the essential mechanisms and targets in NUD are desperately needed. Here we unveiled a series of molecular adaptations regarding N2O reward memory in Nucleus accumbens (NAc) of mice through multi-omics approaches comprising transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics approaches. Our miRNA transcriptomics and pull-down proteomics analyzes uncovered that miR-7220-5p regulated N2O-induced conditioned-place preference (CPP) and associated increase of dendritic spine density in NAc of male mice. Our pull-down proteomics and metabolomics analyzes revealed that miR-7220-5p modulated ERK signaling pathway by directly binding with NR2B receptor. In summary, our work confirmed that restoring miR-7220-5p expression in NAc protected against synaptic abnormality via the NR2B/ERK/CREB signaling, thereby attenuating CPP behaviors in NUD. Selective inhibition of NR2B or ERK signaling blocked the reward memory of N2O-CPP via NAc microinjection. Our study proposed a potential therapeutic strategy for NUD and provided comprehensive resources of biological data to support future investigations of NUD treatment.Significance Statement Nitrous oxide Use Disorder (NUD) has recently received tremendously increasing social concern for its sharp rise among young people. Although the neurological consequences and their etiologies of consuming N2O have been well elucidated, the underlying mechanisms of NUD remain largely unexplored, which obstructs the development of clinical treatment strategies and may exacerbate the epidemic of N2O abuse. Our work uncovered the role of miR-7220-5p/NR2B/ERK/CREB signaling against synaptic abnormality/CPP behaviors. Selective inhibition of NR2B or ERK signaling blocked the reward memory of N2O-CPP via NAc microinjection. Our study proposed therapeutic targets for overcoming NUD behaviors and the omics data provided comprehensive biological resources to support future investigations of NUD.
研究领域:
神经科学
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分子生物学
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药理学
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生物信息学
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精神病学
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细胞信号传导
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成瘾研究
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
·
2025
·
IF 4.3
Chen Xue,Zhou Xing-Yue,Lan Cai,Fu Hai-Jun,Li Zhi-Chao,Chen Meng-Yi,Wen Yong-Ping,Yu Lu,Qin Da-Lian,Wu An-Guo,Wu Jian-Ming,Zhou Xiao-Gang
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are characterized by pathological protein aggregation and oxidative stress, leading to progressive neurodegeneration. Enhancing autophagy, the primary intracellular pathway for clearing misfolded proteins, represents a promising therapeutic strategy. In this study, we identify Araloside A (ARA), a triterpenoid saponin derived from Aralia elata , as a potent autophagy inducer that alleviates AD- and PD-related pathology. In neuronal cell models, ARA promotes autophagosome formation, increases LC3-II and Beclin-1 levels, and decreases P62, indicating enhanced autophagic activity. Mechanistic investigations reveal that ARA directly binds to Raf, MEK, and ERK proteins and activates autophagy in a Raf/MEK/ERK-dependent manner. This activation facilitates the clearance of APP, total Tau, phosphorylated Tau, and α-synuclein, thereby reducing cytotoxicity. Furthermore, in transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans models of AD and PD, ARA treatment alleviates protein aggregation and behavioral deficits via ERK-dependent autophagy. Together, these findings identify ARA as a natural compound that enhances autophagic clearance of neurotoxic aggregates via Raf/MEK/ERK pathway activation, offering promising therapeutic insights for neurodegenerative proteinopathies.
研究领域:
神经科学
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药理学
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分子生物学
·
神经退行性疾病
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细胞生物学
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天然产物化学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
LIFE SCIENCES
·
2018
·
IF 3.234
Shuli Fan,Xiang Gao,Peng Chen,Xu Li
Myricetin has been reported to promote osteogenic differentiation and inhibit osteoclastogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential effects of myricetin on glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) both in vivo and in vitro . Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were given dexamethasone (DEX, 0.1 mg/kg, s.c.) once daily and myricetin (1 mg/kg or 2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) once every other day for a total of five weeks. Body weight was recorded once a week. Bone mineral density (BMD), the activities or levels of bone turnover markers, and histological changes were assessed. MC3T3-E1 cells were incubated with DEX (1 μM) and myricetin (20 μM). Osteoblast proliferation, differentiation and mineralization were evaluated. U0126 was added to evaluate the involvement of the ERK signaling pathway. The results showed that myricetin increased body weight gain and inhibited DEX-induced reduction in BMD, enhanced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and upregulated osteocalcin (OCN), bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) levels, whereas reduced tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity and C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTx) level. In addition, myricetin ameliorated histological changes in the femurs. In our in vitro studies, myricetin promoted osteoblast differentiation and mineralization in DEX-treated MC3T3-E1 cells, accompanied by increases in BMP2, Runx2, ALP, OCN, collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1) and osteopontin (OPN) levels. The promotion effects of myricetin on osteogenic differentiation and matrix mineralization were reversed by U0126. These results suggest that myricetin may alleviate DEX-induced osteoporosis by promoting osteogenic differentiation and matrix mineralization via the ERK signaling pathway.
研究领域:
药理学
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骨科
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细胞生物学
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分子生物学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
·
2021
·
IF 9.028
Shixuan Cui,Yang Yu,Tingjie Zhan,Yuchen Gao,Jiachen Zhang,Liang Zhang,Zhiwei Ge,Weiping Liu,Chunlong Zhang,Shulin Zhuang
Thousands of contaminants are used worldwide and eventually released into the environment, presenting a challenge of health risk assessment. The identification of key toxic pathways and characterization of interactions with target biomacromolecules are essential for health risk assessments. The adverse outcome pathway (AOP) incorporates toxic mechanisms into health risk assessment by emphasizing the relationship among molecular initiating events (MIEs), key events (KEs), and adverse outcome (AO). Herein, we attempted the use of AOP to decipher the toxic effects of 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol (2,6-DTBP) and its para-quinone metabolite 2,6-di-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone (2,6-DTBQ) based on integrated transcriptomics, molecular modeling, and cell-based assays. Through transcriptomics and quantitative real-time PCR validation, we identified retinoic acid receptor β (RARβ) as the key target biomacromolecule. The epigenetic analysis and molecular modeling revealed RARβ interference as one MIE, including DNA methylation and conformational changes. In vitro assays extended subsequent KEs, including altered protein expression of p-Erk1/2 and COX-2, and promoted cancer cell H4IIE proliferation and metastasis. These toxic effects altogether led to carcinogenic risk as the AO of 2,6-DTBP and 2,6-DTBQ, in line with chemical carcinogenesis identified from transcriptome profiling. Overall, our simplified AOP network of 2,6-DTBP and 2,6-DTBQ facilitates relevant health risk assessment.
研究领域:
毒理学
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分子生物学
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癌症研究
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环境科学
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药理学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
GRAEFES ARCHIVE FOR CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL OPHTHALMOLOGY
·
2022
·Vol. 261
·期 3
·723-734
·
IF 3.535
Zhou Jin,Ding Yuanyuan,Zhang Yongqiang,Zheng Dehui,Yan Lifeng,Guo Mengxiang,Mao Yani,Yang Lihong
Purpose This study was aimed at exploring the function of Exosomes isolated from bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC-Exos) in corneal wound healing and at revealing the underlying mechanisms involving the p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Methods The isolated BMSC-Exos were identified by transmission electron microscopy, Western blot, and nanoparticle tracking analysis. After coculture with BMSC-Exos, the proliferation and migration of human corneal epithelial cells (HCEs) were evaluated. The protein expression of p-MEK/MEK and p44/42 MAPK was detected by Western blot. A mouse model of alkali-burned cornea was established via NaOH exposure. After injection with BMSC-Exos, the pathological changes and expression of α-SMA (a fibrosis marker) and CD31 (a vascularization marker) in corneal tissues were detected. Results BMSC-Exos enhanced the proliferation and migration of HCEs in a dose-dependent manner. The p44/42 MAPK pathway was activated by the treatment of BMSC-Exos, and its blocking using U0126 partially abrogated the effects of BMSC-Exos on promoting the proliferation and migration of HCEs. In vivo , the injection of BMSC-Exos facilitated the remission of the pathological changes (inflammation) and weakened the upregulation of α-SMA (fibrosis) and CD31 (vascularization) in corneal tissues of mice with alkali-burn injury. Conclusion BMSC-Exos promoted the proliferation and migration of HCEs via activating the p44/42 MAPK pathway in vitro and also inhibited alkali burn-induced inflammation, fibrosis, and vascularization in corneal tissues in vivo . BMSC-Exos may be promising resources for promoting corneal wound healing.
研究领域:
眼科学
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干细胞生物学
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分子生物学
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细胞生物学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）