Food & Function
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2025
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IF 5.4
Yujia Zhou,Xuye Lai,Nengzhi Pang,Wenli Li,Qiuyan Li,Jie Pan,Lei Pei,Mingtao Chen,Zhenfeng Zhang,Lili Yang
Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) remains a major global health burden with limited effective nutritional strategies. We previously identified brown adipose tissue-derived extracellular nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (eNAMPT) as a pathogenic factor in ALD, but the underlying mechanisms remained unclear. Here, we explored the role of eNAMPT on liver inflammation and evaluate the therapeutic potential of nicotinamide riboside (NR), a form of vitamin B3, as a potential nutritional intervention. We found that ethanol exposure significantly increased eNAMPT secretion from brown adipocytes (BACs) and elevated circulating eNAMPT levels in mice fed a chronic-plus-binge ethanol diet. RNA-seq analysis and rescue experiments showed that neutralizing eNAMPT reduced hepatic NLRP3 inflammasome activation and proinflammatory cytokine expression. In the co-culture experiment, BACs-derived eNAMPT induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation in hepatocytes and macrophages. However, this effect was abolished when eNAMPT was depleted from the conditioned medium of BACs. Furthermore, recombinant eNAMPT exerts a dose-dependent effect on the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in hepatocytes and macrophages. Importantly, oral supplementation with NR effectively suppressed ethanol-induced eNAMPT secretion and mitigated hepatic NLRP3 activation both in vivo and in vitro. The secretion of eNAMPT was inhibited when NAMPT was knocked down in BACs, thereby attenuating the anti-inflammatory effect of NR, indicating its protective effect is dependent on targeting eNAMPT secretion. Our findings reveal BACs-derived eNAMPT as a key mediator linking adipose–liver inflammation in ALD and support dietary NR as a promising intervention strategy by targeting eNAMPT.
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MICROVASCULAR RESEARCH
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2025
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IF 2.7
Xiao Xu,Xiaohu Ge,Hongbo Ci,Maitiseyiti Abulaihaiti,JianPing Yang,YangYang Li,Feng Zhu
Background Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO, Buerger's disease) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects small and medium-sized vessels in the limbs. Although the pathogenesis of TAO remains incompletely understood, elevated levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) have been associated with cardiovascular diseases. This study investigates the mechanism by which PAI-1 activates the NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammatory pathway in vascular endothelial cells through hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), contributing to the progression of TAO. Methods Proteomic analysis was performed on plasma samples from 5 TAO patients and 5 healthy controls to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). In vitro, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were subjected to 1 % hypoxia to mimic TAO conditions. Interventions included PAI-1 knockdown using lentiviral vectors and treatment with the HIF-1α agonist dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG). Cell viability was assessed using the CCK-8 assay, apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry, and inflammatory factor levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Protein expression was analyzed by Western blotting. In vivo, a TAO rat model was established by sodium laurate injection. The severity of limb ischemia was evaluated using gross lesion grading and infrared thermography, while pathological changes were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and Masson's trichrome staining. Results Elevated levels of PAI-1, HIF-1α, and key molecules in the NLRP3/NF-κB pathway were observed in both TAO rats and hypoxic HUVECs. PAI-1 knockdown significantly improved limb ischemia and suppressed the NLRP3/NF-κB pathway in TAO rats. Compared with the DMOG intervention group, combined treatment with PAI-1 knockdown and DMOG effectively alleviated ischemic symptoms, increased body weight, and reduced the expression of HIF-1α and inflammatory pathway molecules in TAO rats. Conclusion PAI-1 promotes the progression of TAO by activating the NF-κB pathway via HIF-1α. Targeted inhibition of PAI-1 represents a potential therapeutic strategy for TAO.
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AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE
·
2025
·Vol. 53
·期 03
·909-930
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IF 5.5
Ke Li,Ya-Jun Wang,Kun Wei,Wen-Lin Li,Yong-Bo Liu,Jun-Nan Hu,Wen-Guang Chang,Wen-Xuan Zhang,Long Chen,Wei Li
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered to be the most widespread epidemic worldwide, and diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most serious diabetic complications. Its complex pathogenesis makes treatment of DN an ongoing medical challenge. Ginseng ( Panax ginseng . C. A Meyer) is a valuable medicinal herb with a long medicinal and culinary history. Ginsenoside Rg2 (Rg2), an important active component in ginseng, has effective inhibitory effects on lipogenesis and hepatic glucose production. However, the potential effect and mechanism of Rg2 on DN remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of Rg2 on DN in high fat diet/streptozotocin (HFD/STZ)-induced type 2 diabetic mice and high glucose (HG)-induced human kidney 2 (HK-2) cells. The results demonstrated that Rg2 significantly improved the levels of FBG, dyslipidemia and impaired kidney function in DN mice. Additionally, Rg2 decreased the phosphorylation levels of IKKβ, IκBα, and NF-κB p65, inhibited the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes (NLRP3, ASC, and Caspase 1), and restrained release of inflammatory factors (IL-18 and IL-1 β ) . In HG-induced HK-2 cells, Rg2 showed similar inhibitory effects on pyroptosis via NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathways. Moreover, the effect of Rg2 on inhibiting the activation of NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathways may have a relationship to reducing the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which is further supported by the ROS inhibitor N-acetylcysteine (NAC). In conclusion, our findings clearly indicated that Rg2 could prevent the progress of DN by inhibiting the activation of pyroptosis-related NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathways in vivo and in vitro , suggesting that Rg2 may be a novel and promising therapeutic agent in the treatment of DN.
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Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B
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2025
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IF 14.6
Haiyan Wang,Zhichao Sun,Chunlei Dai,Ran Liao,Ran Lin,Liying Wang,Wenjun Fu,Ruhe Zhang,Danwen Zheng,Zhongde Zhang,Jun Wu,Yuntao Liu
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening disease. In the clinical management of ARDS, current treatments such as glucocorticoids and protease inhibitors encounter significant challenges due to their high toxicity, limited administration routes, or poor targeting. These limitations highlight the urgent need for innovative therapeutic strategies. Songorine (Son), a compound derived from the herb Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux, possesses good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, exhibiting great potential for treating ARDS. However, its clinical application is partially constrained by low aqueous solubility and uncertain efficacy for ARDS. In this study, we developed a lung-targeted lipid nanomedicine by encapsulating Son in dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) liposomes (Son@liposome, Son-lipo). In a lipopolysaccharide-induced ARDS mouse model, we demonstrated that Son-lipo effectively targeted inflamed lung tissues with commendable biocompatibility. Further, Son-lipo significantly alleviated multiple ARDS phenotypes such as endothelial barrier damage, lung edema, pulmonary dysfunction, and alveolar lesion, which involved uncontrolled inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell apoptosis. RNA sequencing and Western blotting analyses revealed that Son-lipo inhibited the activation of the TLR4/NF- κ B/NLRP3 pathway responsible for ARDS. In conclusion, our study successfully developed an inhalable lipid-nanomedicine (Son-lipo) as a novel therapeutic strategy for ARDS. It elucidates the compound's ability to mitigate ARDS by repairing the endothelial barrier and reversing the inflammatory microenvironment, thereby providing a promising candidate drug for improving clinical management of ARDS.
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Food Science & Nutrition
·
2024
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IF 3.5
Ruixi Luo,Yudie Hu,La Wang,Zunli Ke,Wenjia Wang,Ping Wang,Weiyi Tian
The primary catalyst for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is widely recognized as the induction of lipotoxicity in hepatocytes by an excess of fatty acids. In China, Penthorum chinense Pursh (PcP) is commonly employed as a functional food due to its known hepatoprotective properties. The present study aimed to investigate the influence of PcP extract on in vivo and in vitro models of NAFLD. We found that PcP extract can attenuate palmitic acid (PA)-induced lipotoxicity in HepG2 cells. PA was observed to trigger pyroptosis, as indicated by the increased expression of NLRP3 and GSDMD/N, activation of Caspase-1, and subsequent release of IL-1β and IL-18. However, these changes were reversed after PcP was administered. Furthermore, the application of an NLRP3 agonist inhibited the protective effects of PcP on lipotoxicity, indicating that PcP decreased lipotoxicity by inhibiting the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pathway. Ultimately, we established a rat model of NAFLD through the administration of a high-fat diet (HFD), followed by the oral delivery of PcP extracts. The results demonstrated that the administration of PcP extract effectively decreased dyslipidemia and hepatic steatosis, which coincided with a decrease in hepatic pyroptosis through modulation of the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pathway in liver tissues. Overall, our findings provide insight into the mechanism by which PcP extracts alleviate hepatic steatosis, highlighting the potential significance of modulating the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pathway in the context of pyroptosis.
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INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
·
2024
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IF 4.8
Xi Ma,YuZheng Yang,Hao Li,ZeHong Luo,QiuYi Wang,XueMing Yao,Fang Tang,Ying Huang,Yi Ling,WuKai Ma
Although the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains unclear, an increasing number of studies have confirmed that pyroptosis of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLS) is an important factor affecting the progression of RA. Periplogenin (PPN) is a natural cardiac glycoside; reportedly, it exerts anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in diseases by inhibiting cell growth and migration. This study aimed to determine the effect of PPN on the growth, migration, and invasion of RA-FLS and the potential mechanism of pyroptosis regulation. We discovered that PPN could inhibit the migration and invasion abilities of RA-FLS and block their growth cycle, down-regulate the secretion and activation of NLRP3, Caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1β, and IL-18, and reduce the number of pyroptosis. In summary, PPN inhibited pyroptosis, reduced the release of inflammatory factors, and improved RA-FLS inflammation by regulating the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway.
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Journal of Inflammation Research
·
2025
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IF 4.1
Qi Shi,Tingting Hu,Lixia Xu,Jiayuanyuan Fu,Yehong Fang,Yu Lan,Weijia Fan,Qiaoli Wu,Xiaoguang Tong,Hua Yan
Background Acute lung injury (ALI) is a serious yet common complication in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), often associated with poor prognosis. The development of TBI-induced ALI is closely associated with excessive oxidative stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Fingolimod, an immunomodulatory agent, has been reported to attenuate inflammatory responses, restore blood-brain barrier integrity, reduce cerebral edema, and mitigate associated neurological deficits.Objective This study aimed to investigate the mechanistic role of NLRP3 inflammasome activation in TBI-induced ALI and to evaluate the therapeutic potential of fingolimod in targeting this inflammatory pathway.Results A rat TBI model was established using the classical free-fall method, and animals were treated with fingolimod (0.5 or 1 mg/kg) daily for three days. The TBI model rats presented with clear signs of histopathological pulmonary damage, an increase in the permeability of capillaries in the lung, and pulmonary edema that coincided with significantly increased NLRP3, caspase-1, and ASC expression in lung tissue samples. This overexpression of NLRP3 inflammasome machinery resulted in the release of IL-1β. Fingolimod treatment, however, reversed all of these effects such that it suppressed NLRP3 activity and normalized levels of IL-1β, leading to the alleviation of inflammation. In line with these results, LPS and nigericin (NLRP3 agonist)-treated NR8383 cells treated using fingolimod exhibited reductions in reactive oxygen species production and NLRP3 inflammasome activation.Conclusion These findings suggest that NLRP3 inflammasome activation and oxidative stress are key mediators of TBI-induced ALI. Fingolimod exerts protective effects against this condition by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic agent for TBI-associated pulmonary complications.
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TOXICOLOGY AND APPLIED PHARMACOLOGY
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2025
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IF 3.4
Xiuhui Chen,Yutong Zheng,Xiaofeng Zhang,Anran Zheng,Junjun Huang,Guoliang Deng,Xuna Wu,Yuying Peng,Xiaoling Zhang,Renshan Chen,Qing Xiao,Weijun Ye
Aberrant activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is critically involved in sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI), with inhibition of this pathway emerging as a promising therapeutic approach. This study identifies Dipyridamole, an FDA-approved drug, as a novel inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Mechanistically, Dipyridamole suppresses mitochondrial ROS release and directly interacts with NEK7, thereby preventing its association with NLRP3 and impeding inflammasome complex assembly. In an LPS-induced sepsis model, Dipyridamole significantly ameliorated ALI, reduced inflammatory responses, and improved survival rates in model mice. Additionally, Dipyridamole effectively inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation in lung tissue. These findings position Dipyridamole as a potent NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor with substantial therapeutic potential for managing sepsis-induced ALI.
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Neuroscience Bulletin
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2025
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IF 5.8
Zhang Haifeng,Su Tiantian,Wu Xiaoke,Shi Mengmeng
There is a vicious cycle between brain metabolism and epileptic seizures that compounds the deleterious consequences of seizures. Human epilepsy samples implicate cholesterol 25-hydroxylase (CH25H) in linking lipid metabolism and immunity. CH25H expression increased in microglia after status epilepticus, with its product 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-HC) accumulating in the hippocampus and blood. Thus, we generated microglia-specific CH25H knockdown mice to study the role of CH25H specifically in epilepsy. CH25H knockdown inhibited the assembly and activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and restrained the loss of neurons in the hippocampal area in epileptic mice. More importantly, CH25H knockdown reduced the number of recurrent seizures and time in seizure by electroencephalogram recording, which was partly reversed after 25-HC treatment. Untargeted metabolomics showed that another lipid metabolite, arachidonic acid, might be a potential biomarker of CH25H-mediated epilepsy. These findings suggest that microglial CH25H regulated the status epilepticus in a hydroxylase-dependent mechanism.
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MOLECULAR BIOLOGY REPORTS
·
2025
·Vol. 53
·期 1
·82
·
IF 2.8
Qi Xue,Hu Yanjun,Yang Jinghan,Jiang Mingxuan,Zhang Junhao,Du Yanting,Hu Changmin
Background The pathogenesis of bovine mastitis involves inflammation and cell death, with pyroptosis being a key factor in its development. Currently, antibiotics remain the primary therapeutic option for bovine mastitis, however, the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance constitutes a major public health threat. Selenium (Se) has been reported to alleviate inflammation primarily through its antioxidant properties, but the mechanism by which Se regulates pyroptosis in bovine mastitis remains unclear. Methods and results In this study, an in vitro mastitis model was established by infecting MAC-T cells with inactivated Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) (MOI = 10, 12 h). The results revealed that the mitochondrial membrane potential of the MAC-T cells in the infection group decreased significantly. Moreover, the accumulation of Reactive oxygen species (ROS) was accompanied by the activation of NOD-like receptor family containing pyrin domain 3 (NLRP3), the expression of the pyroptosis-related genes gasdermin D amino terminal fragment (GSDMD-N), and cysteine aspartate specific protease 1 (cleaved-caspase 1). Pretreatment with Se, the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 and the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) attenuated mitochondrial damage, ROS accumulation, and the inhibition of pyroptosis. An in vivo mastitis model was established in mice fed a high-selenium diet (containing 1.5 mg/kg Se) and intramammarily injected with inactivated S. aureus (1 × 10 8 CFU/mL). Histological analysis revealed intact alveolar structure and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration in mice fed the high-selenium diet. The expression of the inflammasome NLRP3 downregulated, and the expression of GSDMD-N, a direct executor of pyroptosis, upregulated. Conclusion Our in vitro and in vivo results confirmed that Se alleviate mitochondrial damage and pyroptosis by inhibiting the NLRP3 pathway, ultimately alleviating mastitis. Graphical
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FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
·
2019
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IF 5.657
Xiao-Xue Li,Sun-Kai Ling,Ming-Yue Hu,Yu Ma,Yuan Li,Pei-Lin Huang
The cardiovascular efficacy of glucose-lowering drugs is needed due to the cardiovascular complication in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Acarbose is an α-glucosidase inhibitor that suppresses postprandial hyperglycemia , however, the cardiovascular protection of acarbose has still remained controversial. NLRP3 inflammasome activation mediated tight junction disruption, a hallmark event of endothelial barrier dysfunction leading to endothelial hyperpermeability in diabetes. Given the anti-inflammatory property of acarbose, it was investigated that acarbose protected against vascular endothelial barrier dysfunction through inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome in vascular endothelial cells in T2DM rats. The rat aortic endothelial cells (RAECs) were incubated with high glucose (HG, 30 mM) for 24 h in vitro. It was found that HG significantly induced the formation and activation of NLRP3 inflammasome, which was markedly blocked by acarbose treatment. Furthermore, acarbose blocked the Nox4-dependent superoxide (O 2 .- ) generation, which regulated NLRP3 inflammasome in RAECs. Importantly, we found that acarbose remarkably enhanced the junction protein expression of ZO-1 and VE-Cadherin and consequently abolished vascular hyperpermeability, which was associated with inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome in RAECs. In vivo, acarbose intervention relieved vascular leakage in the heart of diabetic rats injected with Evans blue dye and the vasodilatory response to acetylcholine , which was accompanied with the restoration of ZO-1, VE-Cadherin, Nox4 and NLRP3 inflammasome in the aortal endothelium of diabetic rats. Taken together, our data indicated that acarbose ameliorated endothelial barrier dysfunction by directly inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome which was dependent on inhibiting Nox4 oxidase-dependent O 2 .- production. These properties might carry a potential significance for acarbose in cardiovascular protection in diabetic patients.
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Redox Biology
·
2025
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IF 11.9
Ding Liu,Yuanzhi Ye,Zirong Lan,An Chen,Xingchen Zhou,Zhenhao Li,Xin Wen,Jisheng Xiao,Fan Ouyang,Jianyun Yan
Vascular calcification, prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease, atherosclerosis, and diabetes, is strongly associated with elevated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, highlighting the urgent need for effective treatments. Oxidative stress is a key contributor to the progression of vascular calcification. Nanozymes, nanomaterials with enzyme-like catalytic properties, exhibit strong reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging abilities and good biocompatibility, making them promising therapeutic candidates. This study aims to investigate whether polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-functionalized ultrasmall Cu 2-x Se nanoparticles (CSP NPs) act as nanozymes for treating vascular calcification. In vitro , CSP NPs significantly inhibit calcification of rat and human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and reduce the expression of osteogenic markers Runx2 and BMP2. Moreover, CSP NPs alleviate calcification of rat and human arterial rings. In a mouse model, CSP NPs localize to certain areas, such as the aortic arch and abdominal aortas, and are safely metabolized by the liver and kidneys without organ toxicity. Further analyses confirm that CSP NPs inhibit mouse and chronic kidney disease (CKD) rat aortic calcification. Mechanistically, CSP NPs inhibit oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Additionally, CSP NPs decrease the expression of NF-κB and NLRP3, thus reducing the levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-6. CSP NPs suppress NLRP3 activator-induced calcification in VSMCs and arterial rings. This study provides the first evidence that CSP NPs alleviate vascular calcification by inhibiting oxidative stress and NF-κB/NLRP3-mediated inflammation, suggesting a promising therapeutic approach.
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