Chemical Biology & Drug Design
·
2024
·Vol. 104
·期 4
·e70003
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IF 3.2
Xiang Yu,Di Zhang,Chengming Hu,Zejun Yu,Yang Li,Cheng Fang,Yinsheng Qiu,Zhinan Mei,Lingyun Xu
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most prevalent malignant tumor. Hepatocellular carcinogenesis is closely linked to apoptosis, autophagy, and inflammation. Diosmetin and chrysin, are two flavonoid compounds, exhibit anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. In this study, the TCGA database was utilized to identify differentially expressed genes between normal subjects and HCC patients. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics analyses were employed to assess the binding affinity of chrysin and diosmetin to key proteins in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR/NF-κB signaling pathway. Western blotting and RT-qPCR were used to measure the protein and gene expression within this pathway. The results indicated that HCC patients had elevated levels of PI3K, AKT, mTOR, and P65 proteins compared to normal subjects, which adversely affected patient survival. Molecular docking and dynamics studies demonstrated that diosmetin and chrysin are effectively bound to these four proteins. In vitro experiments revealed that the combination of diosmetin and chrysin could induce apoptosis, enhance autophagy, reduce inflammatory mediator production, and improve the tumor cell microenvironment by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR/NF-κB signaling pathway. Notably, the synergy score for the combination of diosmetin (25 μM) and chrysin (10 μM) was 16. Thus, the diosmetin–chrysin combination shows promise as an effective therapeutic approach for hepatocellular carcinoma due to its strong synergistic effect.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
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分子生物学
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药理学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR ENDOCRINOLOGY
·
2025
·
IF 3.6
Lei Wei,Zonggang Feng,Qian Dou,Genhong Mao,Hu Zhao,Xinghua Zhao,Bin Hao
Male reproductive disorders are responsible for approximately 50% of infertility cases. Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a common environmental pollutant known for its reproductive toxicity. Oxidative stress is a key mechanism in response to DEHP exposure. Glutathione S-transferase A2 (GSTA2), a member of the glutathione S-transferase family, has the capacity to detoxify environmental toxins. However, its role in regulating DEHP-induced male reproductive disorders remains unexplored. Next, male mice aged 3 weeks were orally administered with DEHP (500 mg/kg/day) for 14 days to induce male reproductive disorders. We observed a decrease in the GSTA2 expression in the testicular tissues of DEHP-treated mice. To investigate the role of GSTA2 in DEHP exposure, lentiviral vectors carrying GSTA2 sequences (1 × 10 7 TU/mL, 20 μL) were given to mice on the first day of DEHP treatment. GSTA2 overexpression was found to alleviate testicular damage induced by DEHP, as well as to inhibit oxidative stress and subsequent cell apoptosis. In addition, the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, which is associated with oxidative stress and DEHP exposure, was activated in DEHP-exposed mice following GSTA2 overexpression. Subsequently, mouse spermatocyte GC-2spd cells with DEHP treatment were used to mimic male reproductive disorders in vitro . Consistently, the GSTA2 expression was decreased in GC-2spd cells with DEHP treatment. GSTA2 overexpression inhibited oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in DEHP-treated GC-2spd cells by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Moreover, we discovered that GSTA2 overexpression significantly altered the metabolic profiles of DEHP-treated GC-2spd cells. Collectively, our results suggest that GSTA2 overexpression alleviates DEHP-induced male reproductive disorders by suppressing oxidative stress-mediated cell apoptosis via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, providing a novel insight into mitigating reproductive toxicity caused by DEHP exposure.
研究领域:
生殖毒理学
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分子生物学
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细胞生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
BIOMATERIALS
·
2024
·
IF 12.8
Haixia Wang,Zheng Liu,Youqiang Fang,Xing Luo,Chunxiong Zheng,Yanteng Xu,Xiangfu Zhou,Qing Yuan,Shixian Lv,Limin Ma,Yeh-Hsing Lao,Yu Tao,Mingqiang Li
Immunotherapy through the activation of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway is increasingly recognized for its robust anti-tumor efficacy. However, the effectiveness of STING activation is often compromised by inadequate anti-tumor immunity and a scarcity of primed immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Herein, we design and fabricate a co-axial 3D-printed scaffold integrating a non-nucleotide STING agonist, SR-717, and an AKT inhibitor, MK-2206, in its respective shell and core layers, to synergistically enhance STING activation, thereby suppressing tumor recurrence and growth. SR-717 initiates the STING activation to enhance the phosphorylation of the factors along the STING pathway, while MK-2206 concurrently inhibits the AKT phosphorylation to facilitate the TBK1 phosphorylation of the STING pathway. The sequential and sustained release of SR-717 and MK-2206 from the scaffold results in a synergistic STING activation, demonstrating substantial anti-tumor efficacy across multiple tumor models. Furthermore, the scaffold promotes the recruitment and enrichment of activated dendritic cells and M1 macrophages, subsequently stimulating anti-tumor T cell activity, thereby amplifying the immunotherapeutic effect. This precise and synergistic activation of STING by the scaffold offers promising potential in tumor immunotherapy.
研究领域:
癌症免疫疗法
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生物材料
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药学
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生物医学工程
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Biology-Basel
·
2025
·Vol. 14
·期 9
·1114
·
IF 3.5
Jin Li,Jiawen Wang,Yaodong Li,Jingyi Guo,Ziliang Jin,Shourong Qiao,Yunxia Zhang,Guoyin Li,Huazhen Liu,Changjing Wu
Simple SummaryAlzheimer’s disease is a severe, gradually worsening brain disorder leading to memory loss and dementia, with no effective treatments currently available. In this study, we investigated a natural compound called mulberroside A, derived from the mulberry plant, to determine its potential protective effects against Alzheimer’s disease. Utilizing a mouse model and human brain cells, we discovered that mulberroside A enhanced memory and decreased brain cell damage. Additionally, it increased the levels of crucial brain chemicals, facilitating better communication between nerve cells. Moreover, it alleviated harmful stress in the brain and reduced the formation of two hallmark pathologies: toxic tau protein tangles and amyloid plaques. The compound significantly decreased phosphorylated tau—a key driver of neuronal degeneration—while simultaneously inhibiting amyloid plaque formation. Mulberroside A operated by activating specific neuroprotective pathways that promote brain health, including those that encourage nerve growth. These findings indicate it could serve as a promising new treatment to slow or prevent Alzheimer’s disease by targeting multiple disease mechanisms.Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of dementia, with current therapies offering only limited symptomatic relief and lacking disease-modifying efficacy. Addressing this critical therapeutic gap, natural multi-target compounds like mulberroside A (MsA)—a bioactive glycoside fromMorus albaL.—present promising alternatives. This study investigated MsA’s neuroprotective potential using scopolamine-induced AD-like mice and N2a/APP695swe cells. In vivo, MsA significantly ameliorated cognitive deficits and neuronal loss, concurrently enhancing cholinergic neurotransmission through increased acetylcholine levels and inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE)/butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activities. MsA also upregulated neurotrophic factors (BDNF, CREB) in critical brain regions. In vitro, MsA restored cholinergic function, mitigated oxidative stress, and crucially reduced amyloid-β (Aβ) production by dual regulation of APP processing: promoting the non-amyloidogenic pathway via ADAM10 upregulation and inhibiting the amyloidogenic pathway via suppression of BACE1 and γ-secretase components. Mechanistically, these multi-target benefits were mediated by MsA’s activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway, which triggered downstream inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK3β—directly reduced tau hyperphosphorylation—and activation of CREB/BDNF signaling. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that MsA confers comprehensive neuroprotection against AD pathology by simultaneously targeting cholinergic dysfunction, oxidative stress, Aβ accumulation, tau phosphorylation, and impaired neurotrophic signaling, highlighting its strong therapeutic candidacy.
研究领域:
神经科学
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药理学
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生物化学
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分子生物学
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药物化学
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神经退行性疾病
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
American Journal of Translational Research
·
2022
·
IF 3.94
Zheng Xu,Luwei Xu,Yuzheng Ge,Hongbin Sun,Jiageng Zhu,Quanliang Dou,Ruipeng Jia
Background: Cabazitaxel has been applied to the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), but the molecular mechanism remained to be fully understood. Methods: After treatment with Cabazitaxel alone or in combination with ionizing radiation (IR), CRPC cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis were determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation, and flow cytometry, respectively. Tumor volume was measured after the establishment of animal xenograft model. Relative expressions of proteins related to apoptosis (B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), and cleaved caspase 3) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway were measured by Western blot, and the phosphorylated-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT ratios were determined as well. Results: Cell viability and proliferation were suppressed, and apoptosis was promoted in CRPC cells after Cabazitaxel treatment alone, accompanied with upregulated expressions of Bax and cleaved caspase 3 and downregulated Bcl-2 expression. Also, a single treatment with Cabazitaxel resulted in suppression of PI3K/AKT pathway activation, along with downregulated expressions of p-PI3K and p-AKT and a reduced ratio of p-PI3K/PI3K to p-AKT/AKT. Meanwhile, Cabazitaxel enhanced the effects of IR on suppressing survival and promoting apoptosis in CRPC cells through downregulating Bcl-2 and upregulating Bax and cleaved caspase 3. However, Cabazitaxel suppressed IR-induced PI3K/AKT pathway activation via downregulating p-PI3K and p-AKT, leading to a reduced ratio of p-PI3K/PI3K to p-AKT/AKT. Furthermore, Cabazitaxel further promoted the effects of IR on suppressing tumor growth in vivo . Conclusion: Cabazitaxel inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis and radiosensitivity of CRPC cells, which is related to the suppression of PI3K/AKT pathway, providing a therapeutic method for CRPC in clinical practice.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
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分子生物学
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药理学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
MOLECULAR MEDICINE
·
2025
·Vol. 31
·期 1
·1-20
·
IF 6.4
Gao Bai,Jing Yuchen,Li Xi,Cong Shuyan
Background Mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal damage are major sign of cytopathology in Huntington’s disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disease. Ubiquitin specific peptidase 11 (USP11) is a deubiquitinating enzyme involved in various physiological processes through regulating protein degradation. However, its specific role in HD is unclear.Methods To interfere with USP11 expression, adeno-associated viruses 2 containing USP11-specific shRNA were injected into the bilateral striatum of 12-week-old R6/1 and WT mice. In vitro, the inducible PC12 cell model of HD was used in which the expression of an N-terminal truncation of huntingtin, with either wild type (Q23) or expanded polyglutamine (Q74) can be induced by the doxycycline. USP11 was knocked down to study its role in HD. The protein expression patterns in Q74 cells were quantified by label-free proteomics to further explore the target protein of USP11. Detecting the association between USP11 and Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog (PTEN) through Co-IP.Results Herein, USP11 was found to be upregulated in the striatum of R6/1 mice (an HD model with gradual development of symptoms) in an age-dependent manner. The spontaneous HD was alleviated by silencing USP11, as evidenced by improved locomotor activity and spatial memory, attenuated striatal atrophy in R6/1 mice, reduced accumulation of mutant huntingtin protein, and restored mitochondrial function in vitro and in vivo. The results of label-free proteomics revealed a significant change in the protein expression profile. Through functional enrichment, we focused on PTEN, known as a negative regulator of the AKT pathway. We demonstrated that USP11 downregulation promoted ubiquitination modification of PTEN and activated the AKT pathway, and PTEN overexpression reversed the effects of USP11 knockdown.Conclusion sCollectively, USP11 knockdown protects R6/1 mouse neurons from oxidative stress by alleviating mitochondrial dysfunction, thereby preventing the HD progression. This is achieved by inhibiting PTEN expression, which in turn activates the AKT pathway. This study suggests that USP11-PTEN-AKT signaling pathway may be a new attractive therapeutic target for HD.
研究领域:
神经退行性疾病
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分子生物学
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神经科学
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细胞生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ACS Omega
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2024
·
IF 3.7
Hong Duan,Han Li,Tianyi Liu,Yuan Chen,Mengmeng Luo,Ying Shi,Jing Zhou,Marwan M. A. Rashed,Kefeng Zhai,Lili Li,Zhaojun Wei
Atherosclerosis (AS) is a common cardiovascular disease that poses a major threat to health. Schisandra chinensis is a medicinal and edible plant that is commonly used to treat cardiovascular diseases. In this paper, HPLC was used to detect and analyze 5 different components in Schisandra chinensis. Network pharmacological predictions highlight the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway as an important pharmacological pathway. The effective ingredient Schisandrin C was screened by the molecular docking technique. ox-LDL-induced HUVECs were used to construct the atherosclerosis model for further experimental verification. The results showed that Schisandrin C interfered with the PI3K/AKT/mTOR autophagy pathway. This study lays a foundation for the further application of Schisandrin C in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis in the future.
研究领域:
心血管疾病
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药理学
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分子生物学
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细胞生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
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2019
·
IF 6.054
Xiaowu Dong,Wenhu Zhan,Mengting Zhao,Jinxin Che,Xiaoyang Dai,Yizhe Wu,Lei Xu,Yubo Zhou,Yanmei Zhao,Tian Tian,Gang Cheng,Zegao Jin,Jia Li,Yanfei Shao,Qiaojun He,Bo Yang,Qinjie Weng,Yongzhou Hu
A series of 3,4-disubstituted piperidine derivatives were obtained based on a conformational restriction strategy and a lead compound, A12, that exhibited potent in vitro and in vivo antitumor efficacies; however, obvious safety issues limited its further development. Thus, systematic exploration of the structure–activity relationship of compound A12, involving the phenyl group, hinge-linkage, and piperidine moiety, led to the discovery of the superior 3,4,6-trisubstituted piperidine derivative E22. E22 showed increased potency in Akt1 and cancer cell inhibition, remarkably reduced human ether-a-go-go-related gene blockage, and significantly improved safety profiles. Compound E22 also exhibited good kinase selectivity, had a good pharmacokinetic profile, and displayed very potent in vivo antitumor efficacy, with over 90% tumor growth inhibition in the SKOV3 xenograft model. Further mechanistic studies were conducted to demonstrate that compound E22 could significantly inhibit the phosphorylation of proteins downstream of Akt kinase in cells and tumor tissue from the xenograft model.
研究领域:
药物化学
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肿瘤学
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药物研发
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分子生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
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2025
·
IF 5.4
Ya-Nan Tang,Yun-Feng Bai,Ai Dong,Qin-Ling Rao,Hong-Hua Wu,Chun-Guo Wang,Yan-Tong Xu
Ethnopharmacological relevance Kai-Xin-San (KXS) is a classic prescription for treating affective disorders in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) over millennium. Although antidepressant effects of KXS have been demonstrated in both clinical and preclinical studies, antidepressant constituents and action mechanisms of KXS remain unclear. Aim of the study To reveal antidepressant constituents and action mechanisms of KXS using the method of “fraction-spectrum-effect-mechanism”. Materials and methods Homologous fractions of KXS were isolated through solvent extraction combined with macroporous resin chromatography methods. The quantification of the fractions was performed using chemical chromogenic methods. Antidepressant effects of the homologous fractions were assessed using tail suspension test (TST), forced swimming test (FST) and open field test (OFT) in mice. Two major fractions of total phenols (TP) and total saponins (TS) were chosen for further studies. The constituents of TP and TS were identified using UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS (UPLC-MS) method, and their antidepressant effects were verified on chronic restraint stress (CRS) model in mice by behavioral evaluations including sucrose preference test (SPT), TST, FST and OFT. Network pharmacology was used to predict antidepressant mechanisms of TP and TS based on the homologous constituents determined in UPLC-MS analysis. Proteomic analyses were undertaken with tissues of hippocampus (HP) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) in CRS mice treated by TP and TS. Western blot (WB) was employed to verify the findings in network pharmacology and proteomic analyses. Results Five homologous fractions of essential oils (EO), TP, TS, oligosaccharides (OL) and polysaccharides (PO) were isolated from KXS with homologous contents exceeding 50 %. Results of TST and FST indicated that all the five fractions significantly decreased the immobility time of mice, while OFT results exhibited that their locomotor activities remained unchanged. A total of 50 constituents and 114 constituents were identified in the TP and TS, respectively. CRS tests demonstrated that both TP and TS significantly increased the percent of sucrose consumption and decreased the immobility time in the TST and FST, without affecting their locomotor activities. Results of both network pharmacology and proteomic analyses primarily pointed to similar contents highly related to depression. GO analysis on TP and TS principally enriched in synaptic structures and functions, as well as neural metabolic and gene expression processes. KEGG analysis on TP and TS principally enriched in pathways of neurodegeneration-multiple diseases, as well as neurotrophin signaling pathway in HP and PFC. Results of WB verified that TP and TS significantly reversed the decrease in signature proteins of synaptic plasticity including presynaptic SYN1, postsynaptic PSD95 and GRIA1, as well as the underlying mechanism of BDNF/TrkB/Akt pathway in the HP and PFC induced by CRS. Conclusion This is the first study on antidepressant constituents and action mechanisms of KXS guided by the method of “fraction-spectrum-effect-mechanism”. Albeit the findings are still preliminary, it provides an example in methodology for unraveling the complicated chemical system and action mechanisms of TCM prescriptions.
研究领域:
药理学
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神经科学
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民族药理学
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中医药学
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精神药理学
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蛋白质组学
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网络药理学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
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2020
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IF 3.263
Hui Zhang,Junfeng Hui,Jing Yang,Jianjun Deng,Daidi Fan
Eurocristatine (ECT) is an alkaloid isolated from Eurotium cristatum , and it has been used in multiple applications. However, its use as a treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has not yet been reported. In this study, we investigated the anti-T2DM effect of ECT and explored its potential molecular mechanism. In vivo , after treatment with ECT (20, 40 mg/kg) for 6 weeks, fasting blood glucose (FBG) was remarkably reduced in db/db mice. Moreover, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and hyperinsulinemia were ameliorated treatment with ECT. The values of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) also showed that ECT could alleviate liver toxicity caused by diabetes in db/db mice. In vitro , ECT (15 and 30 μM) alleviated insulin resistance by increasing glucose consumption, glucose uptake and glycogen content in high glucose-induced HepG2 cells. The Western blotting (WB) results showed that ECT could upregulate the expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), increase the phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) and protein kinase B (AKT) in vivo and in vitro . Besides, ECT improved the glycogen content by inhibiting the expression of glycogen synthase kinase3β (GSK3β) and promoting that of glycogen synthase (GS). Furthermore, administration of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway inhibitor LY294002 abolished the beneficial effects of ECT. These findings are the first to verify that ECT has the potential to improve glucose metabolism and alleviate insulin resistance by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in db/db mice.
研究领域:
药理学
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糖尿病研究
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分子生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY C-TOXICOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY
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2025
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IF 4.3
Qingyan Wang,Yunjie Su,Qian Yang,Trust Beta,Fei Shen,Qin Liu
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a typical endocrine disrupting chemical widely distributed in the environment and in food systems. The adverse effects of BPA on reproductive health have posed major concerns worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the potential of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) to protect against BPA-induced male reproductive toxicity and investigate the underlying protective mechanism. The protective effects of EGCG on BPA-induced reproductive toxicity were investigated using male zebrafish model. The results showed that EGCG alleviated BPA-induced developmental toxicity of F1 generation of zebrafish, reversed testis disorder and combated the blood-testis barrier (BTB) damage caused by BPA in zebrafish. In order to unravel the underlying mechanism, TM4 cell - constructed BTB model was used for further study. The results indicated that EGCG counteracted the damage induced by BPA on the integrity of BTB model and reduced the autophagy caused by BPA. Furthermore, EGCG effectively inhibited the BPA-induced upregulation of the expression level of AMPK (p-AMPKα/AMPKα), significantly restored the BPA-mediated downregulation of the expression levels o。f p-mTOR/mTOR, p-AKT/AKT and Raptor. The results suggested that EGCG mitigated the BPA-induced male reproductive toxicity through maintaining the integrity of BTB by inhibiting the autophagy mediated by AMPK/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. This study provided a strategy for combating the BPA-induced reproductive toxicity using a well-known bioactive component as a potential therapeutic approach.
研究领域:
毒理学
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生殖生物学
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环境健康
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分子生物学
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药理学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Frontiers in Pharmacology
·
2024
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IF 4.4
Huang Yuechang,Zhang Xingmin,Li Qian,Zheng Wende,Wu Panpan,Wu Rihui,Chen Wen-Hua,Li Chen
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is regarded as a chronic metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia. Long-term hyperglycemia may result in oxidative stress, damage pancreatic β-cell function and induce insulin resistance. Herein we explored the anti-hypoglycemic effects and mechanisms of action of N-p-coumaroyloctopamine (N-p-CO) in vitro and in vivo. N-p-CO exhibited high antioxidant activity, as indicated by the increased activity of SOD, GSH and GSH-Px in HL-7702 cells induced by both high glucose (HG) and palmitic acid (PA). N-p-CO treatment significantly augmented glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis in HG/PA-treated HL-7702 cells. Moreover, administration of N-p-CO in diabetic mice induced by both high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ) not only significantly increased the antioxidant levels of GSH-PX, SOD and GSH, but also dramatically alleviated hyperglycemia and hepatic glucose metabolism in a dose-dependent manner. More importantly, N-p-CO upregulated the expressions of PI3K, AKT and GSK3β proteins in both HG/PA-induced HL-7702 cells and HFD/STZ-induced mice. These findings clearly suggest that N-p-CO exerts anti-hypoglycemic and anti-oxidant effects, most probably via the regulation of a PI3K/AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway. Thus, N-p-CO may have high potentials as a new candidate for the prevention and treatment of diabetes.
研究领域:
药理学
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内分泌学
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代谢性疾病
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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）