Journal of Integrative Neuroscience
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2026
·Vol. 25
·期 7
·
IF 3.3
Zhihui Li,Qian Wang,Kaixuan Ma,Mengna Yu,Yanyan Wang,Zhongqiao Ge,Peng Lin,Hui Wang,Lexun Lin,Yang Chen,Lina Jia,Heming Li,Zhongqiu Fu,Zhaohua Zhong,Guangtian Wang
Background: Stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, characterized by neuronal damage and complex cell death pathways. This study aimed to investigate the protective role of spermine oxidase (Smox) in ischemic stroke and its effect on neuronal autophagy. Methods: We employed transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) models and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) experiments in HT22 cells to explore the protective effects of Smox knockdown against ischemic injury and to evaluate changes in autophagy. Results: Smox levels were significantly elevated following stroke, and correlated with increased autophagic activity and neuronal apoptosis. In contrast, knockdown of Smox reduced neuronal death and improved neurological function while decreasing autophagy activation. Mechanistically, Smox may regulate autophagy via the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (AKT),AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR); Smox knockdown increased AKT and mTOR phosphorylation, while reducing AMPK phosphorylation, suggesting a potential shift in the regulation of neuronal autophagy. Conclusions: Our findings suggest a dual role for Smox in stroke pathology, indicating that it may influence autophagy via the AKT/AMPK/mTOR signaling, which could be critical for neuronal survival after ischemic injury. Targeting Smox may offer a therapeutic strategy for neuronal protection and recovery in stroke management, suggesting the potential importance of autophagy modulation in ischemic brain injury.
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FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
·
2026
·
IF 8
Shenghui Zhang,Qin Liu,Bo Chen,Hui Chang,Ying Pan,Yanli Liu,Xin Zhao,Juntang Lin
MenSC-EVs alleviate STZ-induced ovarian dysfunction in diabetic mice. • MenSC-EVs suppress high-glucose-induced ferroptosis in granulosa cells. • EV-associated HSPA5 mediates protection via AKT/mTOR–BECN1/SLC7A11 signaling. Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is associated with ovarian dysfunction, including menstrual irregularities, impaired ovarian reserve, and premature reproductive aging, yet effective therapeutic strategies to safeguard ovarian function against metabolic stress remain limited. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as pivotal regulators of tissue homeostasis, with their paracrine effects largely mediated by extracellular vesicles (EVs). Here, we demonstrate that menstrual blood-derived endometrial stem cell-EVs (MenSC-EVs) alleviate streptozotocin (STZ)-induced ovarian dysfunction and inhibit granulosa cells (GCs) ferroptosis by delivering HSPA5. Mechanistically, EV-associated HSPA5 restored AKT/mTOR signaling and was accompanied by reduced BECN1 phosphorylation, thereby preserving the SLC7A11/GPX4-associated antioxidant pathway. We further show that BECN1 directly interacts with SLC7A11, linking BECN1 signaling to regulation of the system Xc−/GPX4 antioxidant axis. MenSC-EVs preserved this antioxidant pathway and reduced lipid peroxidation in injured GCs. Collectively, these findings identify an HSPA5-dependent anti-ferroptotic mechanism through which MenSC-EVs ameliorate T1DM-associated ovarian dysfunction, supporting their potential as an ovarian-protective strategy under diabetic conditions. Download: Download high-res image (241KB) Download: Download full-size image
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Journal of Inflammation Research
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2025
·
IF 4.1
Jing Ma,Lu Ding,Xiaoyu Zang,Yingying Yang,Wei Zhang,Xiangyan Li,Daqing Zhao,Zepeng Zhang,Zeyu Wang,Linhua Zhao,Xiaolin Tong
Purpose Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) is a severe interstitial lung disease currently lacking effective prevention strategies. Endothelial mesenchymal transition (EndMT), a novel mechanism for fibroblast production, is closely associated with PF. The precise mechanisms underlying the contribution of EndMT-derived fibroblasts to PF, however, remain unclear.Methods Using network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics, we identified the key targets and pathways through which Qimai Feiluoping decoction (QM) combats PF. EndMT and autophagy proteins were quantified in bleomycin (BLM) -induced C57BL/6 mice, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and zebrafish using Western blotting (WB), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence (IF), Transwell migration assays, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), revealing the targets and pathways through which QM mitigates PF.Results Network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics suggest that QM combats PF by modulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Observations from the study indicated that QM was found to alleviate EndMT by restoring autophagy, primarily through inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in both BLM-induced C57 mice and HUVECs. Supporting evidence from zebrafish models demonstrated that QM not only counteracts EndMT but also improves a range of vascular functional disorders and remodeling issues following EndMT.Conclusion Our research validates the active compounds, core targets, and signaling pathways through which QM counters PF, providing valuable insights for its therapeutic application in PF management.
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Translational Cancer Research
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2025
·Vol. 14
·期 6
·3758
·
IF 1.7
Shaojun Cai,Liyong Zhang,Tenghong Liu,Bo Wang,Shouyi Yan,Sisi Wang,Jiafan Yu,Sibin Wu,Siying Lin,Wenxin Zhao
Background Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rare but extremely aggressive type of thyroid cancer derived from follicular cells of the thyroid gland. Due to the rapid growth of neck masses in ATC patients, which can lead to asphyxia, multimodality therapy, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, is essential in the treatment of ATC. Theaflavin (TF) has anti-cancer effects; however, no study has examined whether TF inhibits the malignant progression of ATC. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the effects of TF on ATC and to provide a preliminary exploration of its mechanism. Methods The effects of TF on the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) and proliferation of 8305C cells were determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The effects of TF on the invasion and migration of 8305C cells were determined by transwell assay. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. Labeled 8305C cells were injected into the yolk sac of zebrafish, and the progression of the 8305C cells was observed in vivo . Fluorescence real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blotting (WB) were used to detect the expression of proteins related to the lipid metabolism pathway and cell apoptosis. Network pharmacology was used to study the predicted mechanisms of the TF action on 8305C cells. Results The IC 50 of TF in the treatment of 8305C cells for 48 h was 21.79 µg/mL. TF inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of the 8305C cells at a concentration of 1/2 IC 50 , and induced the apoptosis of the 8305C cells. TF also inhibited the proliferation of the 8305C cells in vivo . TF significantly increased the expression of the caspase3, caspase8, and caspase9 proteins in vivo and in vitro , and significantly inhibited the expression of the survivin protein. TF also inhibited the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of SREBP1 and PPARD , and increased the mRNA expression of HNF4 . The network pharmacology results revealed that the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway is an important pathway by which TF acts on 8305C cells, and that TF was able to inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion, increase the apoptosis, inhibit the mRNA expression of SREBP1 , and increase the mRNA expression of HNF4 in the 8305C cells when the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was activated. Conclusions This study found that TF inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion of ATC 8305C cells, and induces 8305C cell apoptosis by regulating lipid metabolism via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
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Dose-Response
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2026
·
IF 2.8
AiJiao Sun,CuiYu Yu,FeiYan Zhu,Jing Chen,LiangChuan Chen,ZePing Hu,WeiBing Wang
BackgroundExtracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and excessive fibrosis are important factors in the deterioration of cardiac function after myocardial ischaemia‒reperfusion injury (I/RI). However, therapeutic strategies for inhibiting ECM deposition and excessive fibrosis have still not been elucidated.Methods and resultsSingle-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) revealed that the overexpression of type VI collagen-α 3 (Col6a3) in fibroblasts in the myocardial infarction area strongly promotes the process of myocardial fibrosis. Consistent results were not observed in the infarcted myocardial tissues of mice treated with 4,8-dicarboxyl-8,9-iridoid-1-glycoside (BIG). Echocardiography confirmed that BIG alleviated cardiac dysfunction in mice after myocardial I/RI, TTC and Evans blue double staining revealed that BIG reduced the myocardial infarction size and area at risk. BIG inhibited inflammatory responses, apoptosis, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) secretion both in vivo and in vitro. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that BIG downregulated the expressions of TGF‒β and Col6a3 in cardiac fibroblasts but not in cardiomyocytes. The PI3K-specific inhibitor LY294002 and AKT inhibitor were utilitzed to confirm that BIG suppressed myocardial fibrosis and alleviated cardiac dysfunction by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway.ConclusionsThe results provide valuable information for the treatment of myocardial fibrosis induced by myocardial I/RI and highlight the therapeutic potential of BIG in reducing collagen deposition.
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Animals
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2026
·Vol. 16
·期 9
·1310
·
IF 3.2
Binwen Zhang,Zheng Wei,Mei Yang,Xin Wang,Qiang Shan,Zheng Cao
Simple SummaryMastitis is a common disease in dairy cows, with major pathogens includingStaphylococcus aureusandEscherichia coli. Although berberine has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, it is poorly absorbed after oral administration. We developed a novel berberine-loaded hydrogel that can be applied to the udder, delivering the drug directly to the mammary tissue. Experimental results showed that this hydrogel is stable, safe, and capable of sustained drug release. Tests in a mouse model demonstrated that it effectively reduces bacteria-induced inflammation, protects the mammary barrier, and minimizes cell damage. Its mechanism of action is related to the regulation of intracellular NF-κB and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. This study suggests that the hydrogel offers a new topical strategy for treating mastitis, solving the problem of poor oral absorption through local application. It holds promise for providing dairy cows with a more convenient and effective treatment option in the future.Mastitis is a common disease in dairy cows, mainly caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Berberine (BBR) has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory potential, but its application is limited due to poor oral absorption and difficulty in reaching mammary tissue. To address this, this study developed a BBR-loaded composite ethosome hydrogel (BBR-CEH) to achieve targeted mammary delivery through local transdermal administration. The experimental results showed that BBR-CEH has good chemical stability and biosafety. Subsequently, a mouse mastitis model was established by intraductal injection of 50 µL of bacterial mixture (E. coli:S. aureus= 1:1, each at 1 × 107CFU/mL). The results showed that after BBR-CEH treatment, the mRNA expression ofTNF-α(tumor necrosis factor-alpha),IL-6(interleukin-6), andIL-1β(interleukin-1 beta) was significantly decreased, the mRNA expression ofZO-1(zonula occludens-1),Occludin, andClaudin-4was significantly increased, andBax/Bcl-2(Bcl-2-associated X protein/B-cell lymphoma 2) was significantly reduced (p< 0.01), indicating alleviation of mastitis by reducing inflammation, improving tight junctions, and inhibiting apoptosis. Finally, network pharmacology and in vivo experiments confirmed that its mechanism involves the NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa-B) and PI3K/Akt (phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B) pathways. Thus, topical BBR-CEH may represent a promising new strategy for mastitis treatment.
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NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERGS ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY
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2026
·
IF 4
Liu Hengxu,Xiong Rui,Zhang Shipeng,Zheng Quanyou,Lai Xiaodan
Fatigue is a widespread health problem, and abnormal autophagy in skeletal muscle cells is a key mechanism driving fatigue progression. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) on fatigue in ammonium chloride (NH 4 Cl)-induced C2C12 myoblasts cells and to elucidate its potential molecular mechanism. The potential anti-fatigue mechanism of Rg3 was predicted by network pharmacology and molecular dynamics simulations. C2C12 cells were treated with NH 4 Cl to construct an in vitro fatigue model and then treated with Rg3. CCK-8, live/dead staining, Giemsa staining, autolysosome staining, and Western blot were used to evaluate cell viability, myotube morphology, autophagic flow, and key protein expression. Network pharmacology analysis indicated that the anti-fatigue effect of Rg3 was associated with the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway-regulated autophagy. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that Rg3 binds strongly to PI3K. Cell experiments showed that Rg3 significantly attenuated cell death, myotube injury and abnormal autophagy in NH 4 Cl-induced C2C12 cells. Moreover, Rg3 effectively activated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Our results indicated that the anti-fatigue effect of Rg3 may be associated with the attenuation of autophagy through activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. This provides a potential therapeutic candidate for fatigue intervention.
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
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2022
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IF 8.025
Lulu Wang,Mingkui Shen,Qiaodan Hou,Zimei Wu,Jing Xu,Lin Wang
Diabetic individuals are frequently associated with increased fracture risk and poor bone healing capacity, and the treatment of diabetic bone defects remains a great challenge in orthopedics. In this study, an antioxidant hydrogel was developed using reduced glutathione grafted gelatine methacrylate (GelMA-g-GSH), followed by 3D printing to form a tissue engineering scaffold, which possessed appropriate mechanical property and good biocompatibility. In vitro studies displayed that benefitting from the sustained delivery of reduced glutathione, GelMA-g-GSH scaffold enabled to suppress the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduce the oxidative stress of cells. Osteogenic experiments showed that GelMA-g-GSH scaffold exhibited excellent osteogenesis performance, with the elevated expression levels of osteogenesis-related genes and proteins. Further, RNA-sequencing revealed that activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway of MC3T3-E1 seeded on GelMA-g-GSH scaffold may be the underlying mechanism in promoting osteogenesis. In vivo, diabetic mice calvarial defects experiment demonstrated enhanced bone regeneration after the implantation of GelMA-g-GSH scaffold, as shown by micro-CT and histological analysis. In summary, 3D-printed GelMA-g-GSH scaffold can not only scavenge ROS, but also promote proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts by activating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, thereby accelerating bone repair under diabetes.
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Materials Today Bio
·
2022
·
IF 10.761
Lili Liu,Xianjing Li,Wenhuan Bu,Nianqiang Jin,Yuan Meng,Yi Wang,Duan Wang,Xiaowei Xu,Ding Zhou,Hongchen Sun
Pulp injury is one of the most common clinical diseases, and severe cases are usually associated with the functional loss of the tooth, while the current clinical treatment modality is only a cavity filling procedure without the regeneration of the dentin-pulp complex, thus leading to a devitalized and brittle tooth. In this study, carbon dots (CDots) with excellent biocompatibility are prepared from ascorbic acid and polyethyleneimine via a hydrothermal method. The as-prepared CDots can enhance extracellular matrix (ECM) secretion of human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), giving rise to increased cell adhesion on ECM and a stronger osteogenic/odontogenic differentiation capacity of DPSCs. Further, the mechanism underlying CDots-enhanced ECM secretion is revealed by the transcriptome analysis, Western blot assay and molecular dynamics simulation, identifying that the pharmacological activities of CDots are originated from a reasonable activation of the autophagy, which is mediated by regulating phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway. Based on the abundant CDots-induced ECM and thereby the reinforcement of the cell-ECM adhesion, an intact dental pulp stem cell sheet can be achieved, which in return promote in vivo the efficient regeneration of dentin-pulp complex as well as blood vessels.
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International Journal of Biological Sciences
·
2021
·
IF 6.582
Yadong Liu,Huiyan Lv,Xingyi Li,Jiannan Liu,Song Chen,Yaodong Chen,Yinshan Jin,Ruihua An,Shiliang Yu,Zhigang Wang
Of all pathological types of renal cell cancer (RCC), clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has the highest incidence. Cyclovirobuxine (CVB), a triterpenoid alkaloid isolated from Buxus microphylla , exhibits antitumour activity against gastric cancer and breast cancer; however, the mechanism by which CVB inhibits ccRCC remains unclear. The aim of our study was to explore the antitumour effects of CVB on ccRCC and to elucidate its exact mechanism. Cell viability, proliferation, cell cycle distribution, apoptosis, wound healing and invasion were evaluated. Furthermore, Western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, immunohistochemical staining, and bioinformatics analyses were utilized to comprehensively probe the molecular mechanisms. The in vivo curative effect of CVB was explored using a 786-O xenograft model established in nude mice. CVB reduced cell viability, proliferation, angiogenesis, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration and invasion. In addition, CVB induced cell cycle arrest in S phase and promoted apoptosis. The expression of the EMT-related transcription factor Snail was significantly downregulated by CVB via the inhibition of the AKT, STAT3 and MAPK pathways. We revealed that insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) was the true therapeutic target of CVB. CVB exerted anti-ccRCC effects by blocking the IGFBP3-AKT/STAT3/MAPK-Snail pathway. Targeted inhibition of IGFBP3 with CVB treatment may become a promising therapeutic regimen for ccRCC.
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ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY
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2021
·Vol. 37
·期 1
·101-119
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IF 4.119
Caixia Wang,Zhangyu Gu,Xueyan Gu,Xinyue Tan,Shuang Wang,Rui Zhang,Ruifen Li,Mingkun Sun,Chunyan Gui,Sheng Li,Yixing Ye,Jianhua Ma,Li Su,Changhao Liang
The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of Nano-Se against nickel (Ni)-induced hepatotoxicity and the potential mechanism. Hence, we constructed in vivo and in vitro models of Ni-induced hepatotoxicity. Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were exposed to nickel sulfate (NiSO 4 , 5.0 mg/kg, i.p.) with or without Nano-Se (0.5, 1, and 2 mg/kg, oral gavage) co-administration for 14 days, and HepG2 cells were exposed to NiSO 4 (1500 μM) with or without Nano-Se (20 μM) for 24 h. Nano-Se obviously prevented Ni-induced hepatotoxicity indicated by ameliorating pathological change and decreasing Ni accumulation in rat livers. Ni induced a significant increase in hepatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GSH-Px), and malondialdehyde (MDA) level, decreased the glutathione (GSH) content while compared to those in the control group. Nano-Se administration improved the hepatic antioxidant capacity through increase hepatic GSH contents and GSH-Px activity, decrease the activities of SOD, CAT, and MDA level. Nano-Se improved the cell viability, decreased active oxygen (ROS) generation and ameliorated morphological changes of nuclear structures in Ni-treated HepG2 cells. In addition, Nano-Se inhibited the Ni-induced increases of cytochrome c, caspase-9, cleaved caspase-3, increased PI3K and AKT phosphorylation both in vivo and in vitro. Besides, the PI3K inhibitor Y294002 could inhibit the protective effects of Nano-Se on apoptosis. Thus, Nano-Se significantly activates PI3K/AKT signaling to ameliorate apoptosis in Ni-induced hepatotoxicity.
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MOLECULAR MEDICINE
·
2021
·Vol. 27
·期 1
·1-16
·
IF 6.354
Cui Jing,Guo Yao,Wu Heshui,Xiong Jiongxin,Peng Tao
Background Gemcitabine (GEM) resistance remains a significant clinical challenge in pancreatic cancer treatment. Here, we investigated the therapeutic utility of everolimus (Evr), an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), in targeting the Warburg effect to overcome GEM resistance in pancreatic cancer. Methods The effect of Evr and/or mTOR overexpression or GEM on cell viability, migration, apoptosis, and glucose metabolism (Warburg effect) was evaluated in GEM-sensitive (GEM sen ) and GEM-resistant (GEM res ) pancreatic cancer cells. Results We demonstrated that the upregulation of mTOR enhanced cell viability and favored the Warburg effect in pancreatic cancer cells via the regulation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling. However, this effect was counteracted by Evr, which inhibited aerobic glycolysis by reducing the levels of glucose, lactic acid, and adenosine triphosphate and suppressing the expression of glucose transporter 1, lactate dehydrogenase-B, hexokinase 2, and pyruvate kinase M2 in GEM sen and GEM res cells. Evr also promoted apoptosis by upregulating the pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and cytochrome-c and downregulating the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. GEM was minimally effective in suppressing GEM res cell activity, but the therapeutic effectiveness of Evr against pancreatic cancer growth was greater in GEM res cells than that in GEM sen cells. In vivo studies confirmed that while GEM failed to inhibit the progression of GEM res tumors, Evr significantly decreased the volume of GEM res tumors while suppressing tumor cell proliferation and enhancing tumor apoptosis in the presence of GEM. Conclusions Evr treatment may be a promising strategy to target the growth and activity of GEM-resistant pancreatic cancer cells by regulating glucose metabolism via inactivation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling.
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