Frontiers in Nutrition
·
2021
·
IF 6.576
Wei Wei,Fan Xiao-Man,Jia Shao-Hui,Zhang Xi-Ping,Zhang Zhao,Zhang Xue-Jun,Zhang Jiu-Xun,Zhang Ye-Wang
Sea cucumbers are one of many marine echinoderm animals that contain valuable nutrients and medicinal compounds. The bioactive substances in sea cucumbers make them have promising biological and pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-tumor effects. In this study, sea cucumber intestinal peptide (SCIP) is a small molecular oligopeptide (<1,000 Da) extracted from sea cucumber intestines hydrolyzed by alkaline protease. The analysis of amino acid composition showed that hydrophobic amino acids and branched-chain amino acids were rich in SCIP. Nowadays, although increasing studies have revealed the biological functions of the sea cucumber active substances, there are few studies on the function of SCIP. Furthermore, due to the anti-cancer activity being an essential characteristic of sea cucumber active substances, we also investigated the anti-cancer potential and the underlying mechanism of SCIP in vivo and in vitro. The results indicate that SCIP inhibits the growth of MCF-7 tumor cells in zebrafish and increases the apoptosis of human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Further mechanism studies confirm that SCIP promotes the expression of apoptosis-related proteins and thus promotes the breast cancer cells (MCF-7) apoptosis via inhibition of PI3K/AKT signal transduction pathway.
研究领域:
海洋生物学
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药理学
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肿瘤学
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细胞生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
·
2025
·Vol. 26
·期 8
·3914
·
IF 4.9
Ruxi Gao,Fanyi Wang,Xiang Liu,Chu Yuan,Guoshun Shan
This study investigated the therapeutic mechanism of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata (RRP) in treating blood deficiency syndrome (BDS) through integrated chemical analysis and pharmacological validation. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS identified chemical components of Rehmanniae Radix (RR) and RRP, with network pharmacology analysis suggesting AKT1 and NOS3 in the PI3K-AKT pathway as potential therapeutic targets. Pharmacodynamic evaluations using ELISA, hematological analysis, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry demonstrated RRP’s efficacy in improving hematological parameters, energy metabolism, and organ pathology in BDS mice. Experimental validation via RT-qPCR and Western blot confirmed significant upregulation of AKT1 and NOS3 mRNA and protein expression following RRP treatment. The findings indicate that RRP alleviates BDS by activating the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway to modulate AKT1 and NOS3 expression, providing mechanistic insights into its therapeutic actions.
研究领域:
中药学
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分子生物学
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网络药理学
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病理学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research
·
2023
·Vol. 18
·期 1
·1-13
·
IF 2.6
Zhang Yang,Liu Wenguang,Liu Zhonghao,Liu Yi
Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative joint disease characterized by cartilage degeneration and intra-articular inflammation. Daurisoline (DAS) is an isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from Rhizoma Menispermi, whose antitumor and anti-inflammatory pharmacological effects have been demonstrated, but the effects of DAS on OA have rarely been researched. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential role of DAS in OA and its partial mechanism.
Materials and methods The cytotoxicity of H 2 O 2 and DAS toward chondrocytes was detected by the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Safranin O staining was used to detect chondrocyte phenotype changes. Cell apoptosis was measured by both flow cytometry and quantitative analysis of the protein levels of the apoptosis-related factors Bax, Bcl-2 and cleaved caspase-3 by western blot. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to assess the expression of the autophagy-related proteins LC3, Beclin-1 and p62. In addition, key signal pathway targets and matrix-degrading indicators were measured by western blot. Results Our results indicated that H 2 O 2 induced human chondrocyte apoptosis and activated autophagy in a dose-dependent manner. DAS treatment dose-dependently reversed the expression of apoptosis-related proteins (Bax, Bcl-2 and cleaved caspase3) and the apoptosis rate induced by H 2 O 2 . Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses showed that DAS decreased the H 2 O 2 -induced upregulation of the autophagy marker Beclin-1 and the LC3 II/LC3 I ratio and upregulated the p62 protein level. Mechanistically, DAS inhibited autophagy through the activation of the classical PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and protected chondrocytes from apoptosis. In addition, DAS alleviated the H 2 O 2 -induced degradation of type II collagen and the high expression of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3) and MMP13. Conclusion Our research demonstrated that DAS alleviated chondrocyte autophagy caused by H 2 O 2 through activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and protected chondrocytes from apoptosis and matrix degradation. In conclusion, these findings suggest that DAS may serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for OA.
研究领域:
药理学
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细胞生物学
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风湿病学
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骨科
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Biomaterials Science
·
2019
·Vol. 7
·期 12
·5054-5067
·
IF 5.251
Tiantian Zuo,Jing Li,Jun Zhang,Liang Sun,Xiao Liang,Jie Yang,Qi Shen
As the principal reason for the inducement of high mortality, tumor metastasis is regulated by different pathways owing to its complexity and multistep process. In order to inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of human breast cancer simultaneously, controlling the codelivery of chemotherapeutics and pathway inhibitors precisely has been considered as a high-potential strategy to accurately eliminate tumor metastasis. In this study, polymer PLGA-p-PEI-DA was synthesised and automatically assembled into a cascade “trinity” response drug delivery system, i.e., PPP-DA/NPs (PLGA: poly(lactin-co-glycolic acid), PEI: polyethyleneimine, DA: 2,3-dimethylmaleic anhydride). In the tumor microenvironment, PPP-DA/NPs could remove the outer DA molecules via the pH-sensitive hydrolysis of β-carboxylic amide bonded with DA and PEI. Then, PPP-DA/NPs were broken up owing to the enzymatically cleavable GFLGF (Gly-Phe-Leu-Gly-Phe) linker. The structure of the polymer and the properties of PPP-DA/NPs were evaluated in detail. Moreover, studies on the antitumor metastasis efficiency and antitumor mechanism of PPP-DA/NPs were carried out in detail. As demonstrated in this study, PPP-DA/NPs could reverse the potential in pH 6.8 PBS and showed elevated cellular uptake efficiency. Moreover, PPP-DA/NPs exhibited strong antitumor metastasis ability in vitro and in vivo. The tumor inhibiting rate (TIR) of PPP-DA/NPs (68.4%) was significantly higher than that of docetaxel (DTX) (5.9%). The antitumor mechanistic studies confirmed that PPP-DA/NPs could down-regulate the expressions of Akt, MMP-9 and pro-caspase-3/9 protein, as indicated by western blot analysis. This multifunctional drug delivery system (DDS) is highly selective and effective in inhibiting tumor metastasis, which shows a great potential in inventing smart nanocarriers for targeted tumor-metastasis therapy.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
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药剂学
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分子生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Advanced Science
·
2025
·
IF 14.1
Yunzhi Liu,Cuicui Huang,Min Luo,Wenfu Lu,Baifeng Zhang,Lu Bai,Shuyue Zheng,Yanan Tan,Shanshan Li,Huali Wang,Lanqi Gong,Xinyuan Guan
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the common head and neck cancers in Southern China and Southeast Asia. Although current studies have adequately characterized the tumor microenvironment (TME) of NPC, little attention has been paid to how cell-cell interactions within the TME promote tumorigenesis. In this study, it is found that C1q + tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are significantly enriched in NPC tumors. Moreover, both enriched C1q + TAMs and elevated C1q expression are associated with the progression and poor prognosis in NPC patients. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate that C1q directly boosts the malignancy and stemness of tumor cells. Mechanistically, C1q activates the Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway through interacting with GPR17, a member of the G protein-coupled receptor family, thereby inducing DNA hypermethylation of tumor cells to promote tumor development. It is further proved that DNA hypermethylated NPC cells induced by C1q elicited the immunosuppressive phenotype of TAMs. Targeted blockade of C1q with a neutralizing antibody restricts NPC progression in the humanized mouse model. It is assumed that the differentiation of C1q + TAMs possibly acquired both M1 and M2 polarization conditions. These findings provide new insights into the cellular communication in the TME of NPC and may have important applications for the development of new targeted therapies.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
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免疫学
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分子生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Toxicology Research
·
2024
·Vol. 13
·期 1
·
IF 2.2
Zhang Chu,Liao Yupei,Li Tangjia,Zhong Haijing,Shan Luchen,Yu Pei,Xia Chenglai,Xu Lipeng
The 2022 US Cancer Statistics show that breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. Epidemiology has shown that adding flavonoids to the diet inhibits cancers that arise in particular women, such as cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer. Although there have been research reports on apigenin (API) and breast cancer, its anti-tumor effect and potential mechanism on breast cancer have not yet been clarified. Therefore, in this study, we used 4T1 cells and a 4T1 xenograft tumor mouse model to investigate the antitumor effect of API on breast cancer and its underlying mechanism. In vitro, we used MTT, transwell, staining, and western blotting to investigate the inhibitory effect of apigenin on 4T1 and the underlying molecular mechanism. In vivo by establishing a xenograft tumor model, using immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry to study the inhibitory effect of apigenin on solid breast tumors and its effect on the tumor immune microenvironment. The results showed that API can induce breast cancer cell apoptosis through the PI3K/AKT/Nrf2 pathway and can improve the tumor immune microenvironment in mice with breast tumors, thereby inhibiting the growth of breast cancer. Thus, API may be a promising agent for breast cancer treatment.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
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分子生物学
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免疫学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
·
2020
·
IF 5.162
Jia-Qi He,Min-Xia Zheng,Hua-Zhong Ying,Yu-Sen Zhong,Huan-Huan Zhang,Min Xu,Chen-Huan Yu
Two polysaccharides (PRP1 and PRP2) were isolated from Platycodonis Radix . Preliminary structural analysis indicated that PRP1 was composed of glucose, fructose, and arabinose in a molar ratio of 1:1.91:1.59 with a molecular weight of 440 kDa, whereas PRP2 was composed of arabinose, fructose, and galactose in a molar ratio of 1:1.39:1.18 with a molecular weight of 2.85 kDa. Compared with PRP2, PRP1 exerted stronger anticancer activity in vitro. Treatment with 5–30 μg/ml of PRP1 significantly inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells in vitro, and oral administration at the doses of 75–300 mg/kg also reduced the tumor growth in vivo. The miRNA expression patterns of human liver cancer cells HepG2 in vivo under PRP1 treatment were established, and microRNA-21 (miR-21) as the onco-miRNA was appreciably downregulated. PRP1 repressed the expression of miR-21, which directly targeted and suppressed PTEN (a negative regulator of the PI3K/Akt signaling cascade), and subsequently upregulated the expression of PTEN but downregulated the PI3K/AKT pathway, thereby promoting liver cancer cell apoptosis. These findings indicated that PRP1 inhibited the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of HepG2 mainly via inactivating the miR-21/PI3K/AKT pathway. Therefore, PRP1 could be used as a food supplement and candidate for the treatment of liver cancer.
研究领域:
药理学
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肿瘤学
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分子生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Frontiers in Microbiology
·
2025
·
IF 4.5
Wencheng Liu,Yanbin Cheng,Xue Han,Junlin Xia,Qingyu Wei,Bing Chang,Quansheng Li
Introduction: Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) is a vascular liver disease with a high mortality rate, and treatment methods are limited. Rivaroxaban is an oral anticoagulant. This study aimed to investigate the pharmacological effect and potential mechanism of rivaroxaban on HSOS.Methods: In this study, we induced an HSOS mouse model in male C57BL/6J mice by administering monocrotaline orally. The mice were randomly divided into four groups: the control group, the rivaroxaban (RIV) group, the monocrotaline (MCT) group, and the monocrotaline + rivaroxaban (MCT + RIV) group. Liver function and histopathology were evaluated. 16S rDNA sequencing of the small intestinal contents, transcriptomic sequencing of small intestine tissues, real-time qPCR, Western blot analysis of liver tissues, and correlation analysis were conducted. Antibiotic (ABX) treatment and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiments were also performed to explore the role of the gut microbiota.Results: Compared with the MCT group, rivaroxaban alleviated serum biochemical liver function analysis and liver histopathology in the MCT + RIV group. Additionally, 16S rDNA sequencing of the small intestinal contents revealed that, compared with the MCT group, the MCT + RIV group presented increased relative abundances of Allobaculum and Pediococcus but decreased relative abundances of Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and Candidatus Arthromitus. Mechanistically, integrated analyses, including transcriptomic sequencing of small intestin e tissues, real-time qPCR, Western blot analysis of liver tissues, and correlation analysis, demonstrated that rivaroxaban protected against MCT-HSOS by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. In addition, antimicrobial cocktail (ABX) treatment eliminated the beneficial effects of rivaroxaban on liver function and histopathological injury, whereas fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from rivaroxaban-treated donors significantly ameliorated liver dysfunction and histological damage in MCT-HSOS mice.Discussion: These findings suggest that rivaroxaban alleviates hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome in mice by modulating the gut microbiota and inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Rivaroxaban may be a promising therapeutic option for treating HSOS.
研究领域:
肝脏病学
·
药理学
·
微生物组学
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分子生物学
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转化医学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
PeerJ
·
2025
·
IF 2.4
Jia Song,Jinyu Qiao,Mingxue Chen,Jiahui Li,Jixia Wang,Dayong Yu,Huachuan Zheng,Liying Shi
Chaetoglobosin A (ChA) is an antitumor compound produced by Chaetomium globosum . However, the mechanism of its antitumor effect has been rarely reported. In this study, we evaluated the anti-proliferative effect of ChA on T-24 human bladder cancer cells and explored its mechanism of action. ChA was found to have a good inhibitory effect on T-24 cells by MTT assay with an IC50 value of 48.14 ± 10.25 μΜ. Moreover, it was found to have a migration inhibitory ability and a sustained proliferation inhibitory effect on tumor cells by cell aggregation assay and cell migration assay. The cells morphological changes were determined by Hoechst33342 assay. While Annexin V-FITC/PI double-staining assay also demonstrated that the number of apoptotic cells increased with the increase of drug concentration. Flow cytometry results showed that ChA treatment increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in T-24 cells and inhibited cell mitosis, resulting in an increase in the number of sub-G1 phase cells. Further western blot experiments demonstrated that MAPK and PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathways were activated after drug treatment in addition to endogenous and exogenous apoptotic pathways. The addition of the ROS inhibitor N-acetylcysteine (NAC) upregulated the expression level of Bcl-2 protein, decreased p38 phosphorylation, increased ERK phosphorylation and restored the levels of PI3K and p-mTOR after ChA treatment. These suggest that ChA induces apoptosis by regulating oxidative stress, MAPK, and PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathways in T-24 cells.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
·
细胞生物学
·
药理学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY
·
2023
·
IF 4.3
Lu Yanyu,Min Qianqian,Zhao Xiaoyan,Li Li,Zhao Guojun,Dong Jianzeng
Eupatilin is a pharmacologically active flavonoid with a variety of biological activities, such as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-allergic and cardioprotective effects. However, whether eupatilin has protective effects on doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity remains unknown. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the role of eupatilin in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Mice were exposed to a single dose of doxorubicin (15 mg/kg) to generate doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity or normal saline as a control. To explore the protective effects, mice were intraperitoneally injected with eupatilin daily for 7 days. Then, we examined the changes in cardiac function, inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress to evaluate the effects of eupatilin on doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Additionally, RNA-seq analysis was introduced to explore the potential molecular mechanisms. Eupatilin ameliorated doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by attenuating inflammation, oxidative stress, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis and ameliorated doxorubicin-induced cardiac dysfunction. Mechanistically, eupatilin activated the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, as evidenced by RNA-seq analysis and Western blot analysis. This study provides the first evidence that eupatilin ameliorates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by attenuating inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. Pharmacotherapy with eupatilin provides a novel therapeutic regimen for doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.
研究领域:
药理学
·
心脏病学
·
分子生物学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
PHYTOMEDICINE
·
2025
·
IF 8.3
Zheng-Meng Jiang,Zhi-Yue Fang,Xing Yang,Xing-Xing Ji,Yuan-Yuan Zhao,Bin-Yan Lin,Ze-Bin Weng,E-Hu Liu
Background Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota is pivotal in the development of gastric mucosa injury (GMI). Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) is a bioactive triterpenoid compound abundantly present in licorice roots. Although GA's potential in mitigating GMI is recognized, its precise mechanism remains elusive, particularly concerning the role of gut microbiota. Purpose This study aimed to explore the protective effects and mechanisms of GA in preventing HCl/ethanol-induced GMI in rats. Results This study demonstrated the protective effects of GA on gastric mucosa, evidenced by enhanced morphology and structure as revealed through H&E staining. Utilizing fecal microbiota transplantation, GA was found to significantly mitigate oxidative damage, inflammation, and expression of apoptosis-related genes in GMI rats by a gut microbiota-dependent mechanism. 16S rRNA sequencing and metabolomics profiling revealed that GA ameliorated HCl/ethanol-triggered intestinal dysbiosis and imbalances in sphingolipid, arginine, and tryptophan metabolism. By promoting the prevalence of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis ( B. infantis ) in the gut microbiota, GA improved metabolic disturbances linked to injury. Furthermore, its action mechanism was related to the inhibition of the Thbs1/PI3K-Akt/p53 signaling pathway. Conclusion The administration of GA improves GMI by mitigating intestinal dysbiosis and fostering colonization of B. infantis . GA offers therapeutic potential for GMI by modulating the Thbs1/PI3K-Akt/p53 pathway, thus alleviating inflammatory responses associated with gut microbiota imbalance.
研究领域:
药理学
·
微生物学
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分子生物学
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Orthopaedic Surgery
·
2022
·Vol. 14
·期 10
·2669-2681
·
IF 2.279
Bo-yong Jang,Shi-bing Guo,Rui Bai,Wan-lin Liu,Yu-lin Gong,Zhen-qun Zhao
Objective To study the relationship between vascular endothelial cells (VEC) and autophagy, and its regulatory mechanism in steroid-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head (SANFH). Methods In cell experiment, VEC were isolated and cultured from the femoral head of Sprague–Dawley rats and divided into three groups: blank control group (Ctrl), methylprednisolone group (MP), and methylprednisolone+mTOR-shRNA group (MP + shmTOR). The autophagy formation was observed by transmission electron microscope. The mRNA expression of PI3K, Akt, mTOR, Beclin1 and MAP1LC3 was detected by RT-PCR and the protein expression was detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence. Expression of the damage marker 6-keto-PGF1α was detected by the ELISA method. In vivo experiment, after establishing the model, the grouping method was the same as cell experiment. Autophagosomes were observed by same method, and the expression of related factors was detected by the same method in cell experiment. Results In the cell experiment, autophagosomes in the MP group were significantly lower than in the Ctrl group, and the autophagosomes in the MP + shmTOR group were intermediate between two groups ( P < 0.05). The mRNA expression levels of PI3K, Akt and mTOR in the MP group were significantly higher than in the Ctrl group, while the MP+ shmTOR group presented intermediate levels between these groups (average gray value were 3837.90, 2996.30, 3005.60, F = 428.64, P < 0.05). MRNA expression levels of Beclin1 and MAP1LC3 in the MP group were significantly lower than that in Ctrl group ( P < 0.05). The content of 6-keto-PGF1α in the MP + shmTOR group was higher than in the Ctrl group and lower than in the MP group at the evaluated time intervals (average absorbance value were 104.98, 206.83, 145.91, F = 352.83, P < 0.01). In vivo experiment, the content of 6-Keto-PGF1α in the hormone group increased as time went on; the mTOR-si group was higher than that in control group, but lower than that in the hormone group ( P < 0.01). The mRNA expressions of Beclin1 and MAP1LC3 in the control group were higher than those in the hormone group, while the mRNA expressions of PI3K, Akt and mTOR were lower than those in the mTOR-si group ( P < 0.05). Conclusion The steroid inhibited the physiological protective effect of autophagy on SANFH by increasing the expression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway related factors and decreasing the expression of Beclin1 and MAP1LC3 in the femoral head VEC.
研究领域:
药理学
·
细胞生物学
·
骨科
✓ 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）