JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
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2026
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IF 3.5
Ruya Mei,Rong Zhang,Zhengyang Li,Jie Luo,Xinyue Zhang,Tong Zhang,Guanglei Lv,Juhua Zhang,Bingqing Liang,Yuzhong Yan
Background and Aim Mitochondrial dysfunction in macrophages drives pro-inflammatory M1 polarization in ulcerative colitis (UC). We developed a colon-targeted, mitochondria-directed nanoplatform (KSF@SS31@S100Ns) to restore mitochondrial fitness and alleviate UC. Methods Kaempferol-loaded silk fibroin (SF) nanoparticles were conjugated with SS-31 peptide and coated with pH-sensitive Eudragit S100. Physicochemical properties, release profile, and uptake were characterized. Mitochondrial function, macrophage polarization, and SIRT3/FOXO3a signaling were assessed in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Efficacy and mechanisms were evaluated in a DSS-induced colitis mouse model. Results Nanoparticles showed uniform size (~307 nm), high stability, and pH-dependent release. SS-31 enhanced macrophage uptake and mitochondrial localization. In vitro, KSF@SS31Ns restored mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP, reduced ROS, promoted mitophagy, and shifted macrophages toward the M2 phenotype via SIRT3/FOXO3a activation. In vivo, oral KSF@SS31@S100Ns accumulated in inflamed colons, reduced disease severity, suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokines, elevated IL-10, restored tight-junction proteins, and increased M2 macrophages. Conclusions KSF@SS31@S100Ns effectively treats experimental colitis by restoring mitochondrial homeostasis, reprogramming macrophage polarization, and repairing the intestinal barrier, offering a translational nanotherapeutic strategy for UC. Graphical IBD by KSF@SS-31@S100N treatment repair
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JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
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2026
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IF 10.6
Yan Zhang,Fuqing Yi,Ying He,Yidan Ma,Xinyi Mu,Yanqing Geng,Xin Yin,Rufei Gao,Liping Yan,Xuemei Chen,Junlin He
Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), a common environmental endocrine-disrupting chemical, is known to impair female reproduction, yet its specific effects on ovarian reserve and underlying epigenetic mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, using gestational exposure models ( in vivo ) and fetal ovarian culture models ( in vitro ), we show that gestational DBP exposure disrupts the ovarian reserve through a dual assault: impairing primordial follicle formation ("input") and, more critically, driving primordial follicle premature activation ("output"). Mechanistically, DBP induces METTL14-dependent m⁶A hypermethylation, which activates the PI3K-AKT-FOXO3a signaling axis to promote aberrant follicular activation. Knockdown of Mettl14 rescues this pathway activation and the follicular disruption. Long‑term follow‑up revealed that such precocious activation leads to progressive ovarian reserve depletion, culminating in a premature ovarian insufficiency (POI)-like phenotype with hormonal dysfunction, reduced oocyte quality, and compromised fertility in adult offspring. Collectively, these findings indicate that gestational DBP exposure activates the PI3K-AKT-FOXO3a signaling pathway via METTL14-mediated m⁶A modification, causing impaired follicle formation, follicular over-activation, and ultimately ovarian reserve depletion and a POI-like phenotype in offspring. This study reveals a novel m⁶A‑mediated epigenetic mechanism in plasticizer-induced ovarian toxicity, advancing our understanding of POI etiology and highlighting a significant environmental risk to female fertility.
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ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
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2023
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IF 6.8
Wan-He Li,Zheng-Ting-Yan Xiang,An-Xin Lu,Su-Su Wang,Chong-Huai Yan
Manganese (Mn) is an essential trace element that maintains many normal physiological functions. However, multi-system disorders would occur once overexposure to Mn, especially neurotoxicity. Despite evidence demonstrating the critical role of ROS-activated JNK/FOXO3a signaling pathway in neuronal survival, the specific mechanisms by which it contributes to Mn-induced neurotoxicity are still unclear. The objectives of this study was to examine the modulation of the JNK/FOXO3a signaling pathway, which is activated by ROS, in Mn-induced apoptosis, using a rat brain astrocyte cell line (CTX cells). This study found that a dose-dependent decrease in cell viability of CTX cells was observed with 150, 200, 250, 300 μmol/L Mn. The results of apoptosis-related protein assay showed that Mn decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and enhanced the expression of apoptosis-related proteins like Bax and Cleaved-Caspase3. In addition, treatment with Mn resulted in elevated ROS levels and increased phosphorylation levels of JNK. Conversely, phosphorylation of nuclear transcription factors FOXO3a, which regulates expression of transcription factors including Bim and PUMA, was decreased. Depletion of ROS by N-acetyl- L -cysteine (NAC) and inhibition of the JNK pathway by SP600125 prevented Mn-induced JNK/FOXO3a pathway activation and, more importantly, the level of apoptosis was also significantly reduced. Confirmation of Mn-induced apoptosis in CTX cells through ROS generation and activation of the JNK/FOXO3a signaling pathway was the outcome of this study. These findings offer fresh insights into the neurotoxic mechanisms of Mn and therapeutic targets following Mn exposure.
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CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
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2024
·Vol. 70
·期 2
·257-263
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IF 1.5
Qingzhi Wan,Lisha Tang,Kaili Jin,Xuanyi Chen,Yinghuan Li,Xiaofeng Xu
Granulosa cells are somatic cells located inside follicles that play a crucial role in the growth and development of follicles. Quercetin and tanshinone are two key monomers in traditional Chinese medicine that have antioxidant and anti-aging properties. The KGN cell apoptosis model caused by triptolide (TP) was employed in this work to investigate granulosa cell death and medication rescue. Quercetin and tanshinone therapy suppressed KGN cell death and oxidation while also regulating the expression of critical apoptosis and oxidation-related markers such as B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax). Further research revealed that the effects of Quercetin and Tanshinone were accomplished via deacetylation of FOXO3A in the cytoplasm and mitochondria via the SIRT1/SIRT3-FOXO3a axis. In summary, Quercetin and tanshinone protect KGN cells from apoptosis by reducing mitochondrial apoptosis and oxidation via the SIRT1/SIRT3-FOXO3a axis.
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PHYTOMEDICINE
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2024
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IF 6.7
Canchao Jia,Minjuan Yang,Guanlin Xiao,Zhihao Zeng,Lingjie Li,Yangxue Li,Jieyi Jiang,Aili Xu,Jinyan Qiu,Ruiyin Tang,Dongmei Li,Dezheng Jia,Canhui Xie,Guangying Wu,Dake Cai,Xiaoli Bi
Backgrounds Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a persistent and advanced pulmonary ailment. The roles of innate immunity and adaptive immunity are pivotal in the evolution of IPF. An ill-adjusted interaction between epithelial cells and immune cells is responsible for initiating the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) process and sustaining chronic inflammation, thereby fostering fibrosis progression. The intricacy of IPF pathogenesis has hindered the availability of efficacious agents. Elephantopus scaber Linn. (ESL) is a canonical Chinese medicine with significant immunoregulatory effects, and its aqueous extract has been proven to attenuate IPF symptoms in bleomycin (BLM)-induced mice. However, the underlying mechanism through which ESL relieves IPF remains unclear. Aim To validate whether ESL reverses IPF by mediating the immune response and EMT. Methods : Ultra-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) and UPLC were used to identify the components and determine the concentrations of the specific compounds in the ESL. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were applied to predict the potential mechanism underlying the anti-IPF effect of ESL. BLM-induced IPF mice were used to validate the anti-IPF effect of ESL, and lung tissue was collected to test putative pathways involved in inflammation and EMT via immunohistochemistry (ICH), real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT–qPCR) and Western blotting. Results Sixty-one compounds were identified, and thirteen main ingredients were quantified in the ESL. In silico experiments predicted that the IPF-mediated reversal of adverse effects by ESL would be related to interruption of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-k-gene binding (NF- ĸ B) inflammatory pathway and the transforming growth factor-beta l (TGF-β1)/phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/forkhead box O3 (FOXO3a) fibrosis pathway. In vivo experiments showed that ESL alleviates BLM-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis by reducing neutrophil aggregation and fibroblast foci, similar to the effects of the positive control drug pirfenidone (PFD). ESL markedly inhibited the transcription of TNF-α, IL-1 β, and IL-6, which are downstream genes of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Furthermore, the protein levels of TLR4 and p-NF- κ B were correspondingly inhibited in response to ESL treatment. Additionally, ESL reverses BLM-induced changes in the expression of EMT-related biological characteristic indicators (collagen I [COLIA1], E-cadherin, and alpha smooth muscle actin [ α -SMA]) at the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) level and markedly inhibits the expression of EMT-related upstream proteins (TGF- β 1, p-PI3K, p-Akt, and p-FOXO3a). Conclusion Our research suggested that ESL attenuates BLM-induced IPF through mediating the EMT process via the TGF-β1/PI3K/Akt/FOXO3a signaling pathway and inhibiting inflammation through the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway, highlighting that ESL can serve as an immunoregulator for relieving the abnormal immune response and reversing the EMT in IPF.
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JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
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2023
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IF 6.1
Xiaolin Zhang,Zhen Dong,Yuanmiao Yang,Chaolong Liu,Jisheng Li,Wenli Sun,Yikang Zhu,Yang Shen,Zhi Wang,Muhan Lü,Hongjuan Cui
The incidence rate of colorectal cancer (CRC) has been increasing significantly in recent years, and it is urgent to develop novel drugs that have more effects for its treatment. It has been reported that many molecules extracted from the root bark of Morus alba L. (also known as Cortex Mori) have antitumor activities. In our study, we identified morusinol as a promising anticancer agent by selecting from 30 molecules extracted from Morus alba L. We found that morusinol treatment suppressed cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis of CRC cells in vitro. Besides this, we observed that morusinol induced cytoprotective autophagy. The GO analysis of differentially expressed genes from RNA-seq data showed that morusinol affected cholesterol metabolism. Then we found that key enzyme genes in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway as well as the sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 2 (SREBF2) were significantly downregulated. Furthermore, additional cholesterol treatment reversed the anti-CRC effect of morusinol. Interestingly, we also found that morusinol treatment could promote forkhead box O3 (FOXO3a) nuclear accumulation, which subsequently suppressed SREBF2 transcription. Then SREBF2-controlled cholesterol biosynthesis was blocked, resulting in the suppression of cell proliferation, promotion of apoptosis, and production of autophagy. The experiments in animal models also showed that morusinol significantly impeded tumor growth in mice models. Our results suggested that morusinol may be used as a candidate anticancer drug for the treatment of CRC.
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PHYTOMEDICINE
·
2023
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IF 7.9
Yuanyuan Wei,Yimeng Fan,Sijuan Huang,Jianyu Lv,Yannan Zhang,Zhihui Hao
Background Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is a common functional gastrointestinal disease. Besides, baizhu shaoyao decoction (BSD) is an effective treatment for IBS-D; however, its mechanism of action remains unclear. Purpose This study aims to assess the ability of BSD to therapy IBS-D and to elucidate the underlying mechanism. Methods First, comprehensive analyses, including ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) screening, Venn analysis, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, and network construction, were performed to characterize IBS-D-related pathways and explore the synergistic effects of BSD active compounds. Next, an IBS-D model was constructed using a three-factor superposition method of neonatal maternal separation, chronic immobilization stress stimulation, and Sennae folium aqueous extract lavage. Moreover, the impact of BSD was assessed based on the body weight, fecal water content, and abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR), and the results of the open field test, sucrose preference test, intestinal permeability assessment, transmission electron microscopy, and TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) analysis. The factors that regulate the BSD effects on IBS-D were estimated using immunoblotting, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (q-RTPCR), immunohistochemistry, and transcriptome sequencing analyses. Results We found that BSD improved depressive behavior, brain–gut peptide levels, and intestinal permeability induced by IBS-D by increasing the abundance of intestinal tight junctions. In addition, BSD reduced secretory immunoglobulin A levels and the number of intestinal mast cells in IBS-D rats. Network pharmacology and transcriptome sequencing analysis further revealed that the forkhead box O (FoxO) signaling pathway contributed to the BSD-induced alleviation of IBS-D, as BSD regulated the protein and mRNA levels of FoxO1, glycogen synthase kinase 3β, and FoxO3a. Importantly, a FoxO1 inhibitor effectively alleviated IBS-D symptoms in rats, whereas a FoxO3a agonist had the opposite effects. Conclusion These results demonstrate that BSD alleviates depression and intestinal symptoms by regulating brain–gut peptide expression and restoring the intestinal barrier function via the FoxO signaling pathway. Furthermore, our study uses serum pharmacochemistry technology to analyze the in vivo components of TCM formula under effective condition, solving the problem of the discovery of the effective components of TCM to some extent.
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CELLULAR SIGNALLING
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2024
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IF 4.4
Xin Chen,Liming Yu,Shan Meng,Jikai Zhao,Xinyi Huang,Zhishang Wang,Zijun Zhou,Yuting Huang,Tao Hong,Jinfeng Duan,Tong Su,Zijun Cao,Yanbang Chi,Tao Huang,Huishan Wang
Inflammation and infiltration of immune cells are intricately linked to the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1), an enhancer of inflammation, is implicated in various cardiovascular disorders. However, the precise role and potential mechanisms of TREM-1 in the development of AF remain ambiguous. Atrial samples from patients with AF were used to assess the expression levels of TREM-1. An angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced AF mouse model was established to assess the functionality of TREM-1. Cardiac function and AF inducibility were assessed through echocardiography, programmed transvenous cardiac pacing, and atrial electrophysiological mapping. Peripheral blood and atrial inflammatory cells were assessed using flow cytometry. Using histology, bulk RNA sequencing, biochemical analyses, and cell cultures, the mechanistic role of TREM-1 in AF was elucidated. TREM-1 expression was upregulated and co-localized with macrophages in the atria of patients with AF. Pharmacological inhibition of TREM-1 decreased Ang II-induced atrial enlargement and electrical remodeling. TREM-1 inhibition also ameliorated Ang II-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation, inflammatory factor release, atrial fibrosis, and macrophage infiltration. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that TREM-1 modulates Ang II-induced inflammation through the PI3K/AKT/FoxO3a signaling pathway. In vitro studies further supported these findings, demonstrating that TREM-1 activation exacerbates Ang II-induced inflammation, while overexpression of FoxO3a counteracts this effect. This study discovered the critical role of TREM-1 in the pathogenesis of AF and its underlying molecular mechanisms. Inhibition of TREM-1 provides a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of AF.
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