Journal of Functional Foods
·
2025
·
IF 4
Ping Jiang,Yanfei He,Guangpei Xu,Chuanbo Sun
This study aims to evaluate the mechanism of RCH against CCl 4 -induced liver injury in mice. RCH treatment effectively inhibited CCl 4 -induced liver injury and apoptosis in mice, and reduced liver enzyme activities, blood inflammatory cell and serum inflammatory factor levels. Network pharmacology and machine learning predicted that PI3K-Akt pathway and Met proteins play important roles in RCH anti-CCl 4 -induced liver injury. The results of qRT-PCR and Western blot showed that RCH could down-regulate the expression of the receptor proteins Met, Tlr2, and Tlr4, and inhibit the phosphorylation of Pik3ca and Akt1, and prevent the phosphorylation of NF-κB P65, and decrease cleaved Caspase3 expression. These findings suggest that RCH effectively alleviated liver injury in CCl 4 -induced mice by inhibiting the Met/Tlr2/Tlr4-mediated PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
Advanced Healthcare Materials
·
2023
·
IF 10
Bijun Zhu,Jiangjiexing Wu,Tong Li,Songtao Liu,Junheng Guo,Yijun Yu,Xinyi Qiu,Yue Zhao,Haoran Peng,Jinli Zhang,Leiying Miao,Hui Wei
The use of oxidoreductase nanozymes to regulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) has gradually emerged in periodontology treatments. However, current nanozymes for treating periodontitis eliminate ROS extensively and non-specifically, ignoring the physiological functions of ROS under normal conditions, which may result in uncontrolled side effects. Herein, using the MIL-47(V)-F (MVF) nanozyme, which mimics the function of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), we propose that ROS can be properly regulated by specifically eliminating H 2 O 2 , the most prominent ROS. Through H 2 O 2 elimination, MVF contributes to limiting inflammation, regulating immune microenvironment, and promoting periodontal regeneration. Moreover, MVF stimulates osteogenic differentiation of periodontal stem cells directly, further promoting regeneration due to the vanadium in MVF. Mechanistically, MVF regulates ROS by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and promotes osteogenic differentiation directly through the PI3K/Akt pathway. We present a promising periodontitis therapy strategy using GPx-mimicking nanozymes through their triple effects of antioxidation, immunomodulation, and bone remodeling regulation, making nanozymes an excellent tool for developing precision medicine. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
研究领域:
牙科学
·
纳米技术
·
再生医学
·
免疫学
·
生物化学
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
FITOTERAPIA
·
2026
·
IF 2.9
Rencong Wang,Peng Xu,Yindi Zhang,Xiaoli Jin,Ziyan Zhao,Liping Qu,Feifei Wang
Excessive exposure to UVB can induce inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, leading to skin damage. Peony seed oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This study investigated the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of Paeonia delavayi seed oil (PDSO) against UVB-induced damage in human keratinocytes. PDSO at 30–120 μg/mL attenuated UVB-induced inflammation by reducing the mRNA expression of TNF , IL6 , CXCL8 , and PTGS2 and suppressing the secretion of IL-6 and IL-8. PDSO also inhibited UVB-induced activation of NF-κB signaling. Regarding oxidative stress, 120 μg/mL PDSO reduced intracellular ROS production, decreased MDA levels by approximately 29.4%, and increased SOD activity by approximately 122.0% compared with the UVB group. PDSO also increased the mRNA expression of antioxidant-related genes, including NFE2L2, HMOX1, SOD1, CAT, GCLC, and GCLM . In addition, PDSO alleviated the UVB-induced reduction in keratinocyte viability and attenuated photoaging-related changes. Transcriptomic analysis identified PI3K/Akt signaling as a candidate pathway associated with PDSO treatment, and western blotting further showed that PDSO inhibited UVB-induced PI3K/Akt signaling. Pharmacological intervention with the PI3K activator 740Y P partially reversed the anti-inflammatory effects of PDSO, whereas LY294002 exerted anti-inflammatory effects and further enhanced those of PDSO. Moreover, oleic acid and linolenic acid alleviated UVB-induced inflammation and oxidative stress. Collectively, PDSO protects keratinocytes against UVB-induced damage, with PI3K/Akt and NF-κB signaling contributing to its protective effects. Download: Download high-res image (117KB) Download: Download full-size image
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
ACS Nano
·
2025
·
IF 16
Zhang Liu,Zile Shen,Hengli Lu,Bingqiang Lu,Peng Zhang,Wenhao Chen,Guowei Huang,Xinyu Qu,Zhen Yu,Feng Chen,Wangfu Zang
Sarcopenia, a progressive skeletal muscle disorder marked by loss of mass and function, presents growing societal challenges due to limited therapeutic options. Here, we identify mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress as central drivers of sarcopenia through integrated bioinformatics and clinical validation. To address this pathophysiology, we engineer a muscle-targeted nanocomposite (BP-PEG-MOTS-c, BM) combining mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c with antioxidant black phosphorus nanosheets (BP). BM exhibits dual functionality: MOTS-c restores mitochondrial function, while BP synergistically amplifies ROS scavenging capacity. In cellular and murine models with age-related sarcopenia, BM treatment alleviates muscle dysfunction and muscle loss, concurrently normalizing mitochondrial function and reducing lipid peroxidation. Mechanistic profiling via RNA-seq reveals BM’s activation of PI3K/AKT/Nrf2 and suppression of ROS/p38 MAPK signaling pathway, mediating antioxidant responses and maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis. The nanocomposite demonstrats superior biocompatibility in toxicity assays, outperforming conventional delivery systems. Our findings establish that BM has been established as a promising mitochondrial redox modulator with translational potential for sarcopenia and related age-associated pathologies.
研究领域:
老年学
·
纳米医学
·
肌肉生物学
·
氧化还原生物学
·
代谢紊乱
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
NUTRITION RESEARCH
·
2022
·
IF 3.876
Yafang Du,Deming Li,Jingsi Chen,Yun-Hong Li,Zixiang Zhang,Khemayanto Hidayat,Zhongxiao Wan,Jia-Ying Xu,Li-Qiang Qin
Lactoferrin (Lf) is an iron-binding glycoprotein with potentially beneficial biological functions. However, the interaction between Lf and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains unclear. We hypothesized that Lf would improve hepatic insulin resistance and pancreatic dysfunction in diabetic mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a high-fat diet for 15 weeks and injected with streptozotocin (STZ) for 5 consecutive days to establish a T2DM model. One week after STZ injection, mice with ≥11.1 mmol/L fasting blood glucose concentration were considered T2DM mice. These mice received 0.5% or 2% Lf solution for another 12 weeks. Biochemical parameters were measured, and histopathological examination of the pancreas and liver was performed. Hepatic protein expression related to the insulin signalling pathway was also assessed. Diabetic mice showed insulin resistance and abnormal glucolipid metabolism. Lf decreased serum concentrations of glycated serum protein , fasting insulin, cholesterol, and triglyceride and increased liver insulin sensitivity . Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that Lf reversed the abnormal pancreatic islets of diabetic mice. Lf improved pancreatic dysfunction by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation responses. Furthermore, Lf upregulated the protein expression of insulin receptor , insulin receptor substrate-1, glucose transporter 4 , phosphor phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and phosphor protein kinase B/protein kinase B (AKT) in the liver. This study indicated that Lf supplementation improved hepatic insulin resistance and pancreatic dysfunction, possibly by regulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in T2DM mice.
研究领域:
内分泌学
·
糖尿病研究
·
分子生物学
·
营养科学
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Bioengineered
·
2021
·
IF 3.269
Xinyue Zhou,Zhenyu Chen,Lipeng Pei,Jingli Sun
Emerging evidence has exhibited an obvious decreased expression of miR-106a-5p in the ectopic endometrial tissue of endometriosis (EMS) patients. Thus far, the pathophysiological function of miR-106a-5p in EMS is unknown. A previous study showed an increased FOXC1 expression in the ectopic endometrial tissue of patients with EMS. Moreover, we found that there was a binding site of miR-106a-5p on the 3ʹUTR of FOXC1 through bioinformatics predictions. Hence, we speculated that miR-106a-5p might affect the development of EMS via targeting FOXC1. We first showed a decreased level of miR-106a-5p and an increased level of FOXC1 mRNA in ectopic endometrial tissues compared with normal tissues. Functionally, we transfected ectopic endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) with miR-106a-5p mimics or NC mimics and indicated an inhibitory role of miR-106a-5p on ESC proliferation, invasion, and migration. Mechanistically, FOXC1 was found to be a target gene of miR-106a-5p. To confirm whether miR-106a-5p exerted an inhibitory activity in ESCs via targeting FOXC1, miR-106a-5p mimic was co-transfected into ESCs with the FOXC1-plasmid or vector. We found that FOXC1 overexpression evidently reversed the results caused by a miR-106a-5p mimic in ESCs. Additionally, our results demonstrated that miR-106a-5p mimic inhibited the expression of p-Akt and p-PI3K. Collectively, these results revealed that miR-106a-5p inhibited the proliferative, migratory, and invasive ability of ESCs via directly binding to FOXC1, likely through the suppression of the PI3K and its downstream signaling pathway, which offered a potential and novel therapeutic strategy for EMS treatment.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
GYNECOLOGICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY
·
2023
·
IF 2
Yongju Ye,Weimei Zhou,Yuefang Ren,Jiali Lu,Aixue Chen,Ruiying Jin,Feilan Xuan
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
·
2024
·
IF 10.7
Hechen Wang,Xudan Shen,Xinlan Zhu,Su Zeng,Sheng Cai
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) shows the highest morbidity among liver cancers and accounts for a major factor inducing cancer-associated mortality globally. It is characterized by genetic mutations in hepatocytes, leading to uncontrolled cell growth and proliferation. Treatment options for HCC include surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. But chemotherapeutics, which focus on single-targeted drug therapy, are still associated with certain limitations and may affect the treatment outcomes. Compared with chemotherapy drugs, natural products also show the anticancer effect of HCC and hypotoxicity, but overall low activity of natural products limits their further application. MiRNAs can modulate post-transcriptional functions of target genes. An increasing body of evidence has demonstrated that miRNAs are the key regulators in HCC by targeting different molecules in different signaling pathways. However, miRNAs are fragile and liable to catabolism by RNases in serum and other body fluids and small molecules separated from natural products may have limited bio-availability. According to this background, a chitosan based, targeted sustained-release nanoparticle delivery miR-128-3p agomir (NA-miR-128-3p) was developed in this work. This nanoparticle was prepared by pentasodium tripolyphosphate (TPP), chitosan hydrochloride, and miR-128-3p agomir with target aptamer which was loaded into the chitosan nanoparticle by self-assembly. It can intervene in HCC progress by affecting AKT1 expression. Based on this, a novel, efficient, long-acting, multi-mechanism, low-dosage combination drug delivery strategy was proposed in this work and showed a prominent anti-tumor effect. NA-miR-128-3p combined with natural product Oroxin B significantly affected HCC progression by the interference with VEGF and PI3K-AKT pathways, better than using NA-miR-128-3p and Oroxin B alone. Taken together, this nanoparticle and combinative administration compensate for the shortcomings of the fragile RNA drugs and the low activity of natural products, with high prospects in HCC treatment.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
·
2026
·
IF 6.8
Lianghui Zhan,Qian Liu,Changjun Zhang,Jinbao Pu,Ligang Ren
Ethnopharmacological relevance Hedysarum polybotrys Hand.-Mazz. (Hongqi, HQ) is a prized Qi-tonifying herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), historically employed to enhance the body's resistance and modulate immune function. While its anti-tumor properties are recognized, the specific immunomodulatory mechanisms by which HQ empowers Natural Killer (NK) cells to combat prostate cancer (PCa) remain under-explored. Aim of the study To systematically elucidate the material basis and molecular mechanisms through which the aqueous extract of HQ enhances NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity against PCa cells, utilizing an integrated approach of multi-omics and experimental validation. Methods The chemical profile of HQ aqueous extract was characterized using UHPLC-MS/MS untargeted metabolomics. Network pharmacology and transcriptomic analyses (RNA-seq) were integrated to predict core targets and signaling pathways. Specific interactions were simulated via molecular docking. Validations were performed using an in vitro co-culture model of NK-92 and PC-3 cells. Assays included CCK-8, LDH release, flow cytometry (apoptosis, surface markers), ELISA (cytokines), and Western blot. Results A total of 69 compounds were identified in HQ, with Genistein and Isoliquiritigenin highlighted as key active constituents. HQ treatment significantly enhanced NK-92 cell cytotoxicity against PC-3 cells, evidenced by increased LDH release and PC-3 apoptosis. Mechanistically, HQ upregulated the expression of cytolytic effectors (Perforin, Granzyme B) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-17A). Crucially, HQ treatment achieved a "dual-effect": it reactivated the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in NK cells (confirmed by increased p-PI3K and p-AKT levels) while concurrently downregulating the immunosuppressive PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint axis. Conclusion This study demonstrates that HQ potentiates NK cell anti-tumor immunity against prostate cancer through a dual mechanism involving PI3K/AKT pathway activation and PD-1/PD-L1 axis inhibition. These findings provide modern pharmacological evidence supporting the traditional use of HQ for enhancing immune surveillance in cancer therapy.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Foods
·
2026
·Vol. 15
·期 9
·1535
·
IF 6
Fangling Feng,Shuo Zhang,Chencen Lai,Zhiyu Chen,Jian Zhang,Jiuming He,Min Zhang,Pengjiao Wang,Xiuli Gao
Depression is a common mental disorder that substantially impairs patients’ daily life and work. To identify natural and safe preventive options, we investigated the preventive effect and underlying mechanism of theGanoderma lucidumandRosa roxburghiiTratt formula (GLRRTF) on depression. A total of 72 chemical components in GLRRTF were identified by UHPLC-ESI-Q-Exactive Plus Orbitrap-MS Analysis. GLRRTF (containing 400 mg/kg ofG. lucidumextract and 800 mg/kg ofR. roxburghiiextract per day), administered as a 1-week preventive intervention followed by 4 weeks of co-administration with chronic unpredictable mild stress, prevented the development of depression-like behaviors in male C57BL/6J mice and reduced neuronal damage in the hippocampus. Airflow-assisted desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays showed that GLRRTF corrected abnormalities in neurotransmitter levels. The 16S rRNA sequencing indicated that GLRRTF restored dysbiosis of the gut microbiota. Metabolomic profiling revealed that GLRRTF increased the level of tryptophan and promoted tryptophan metabolism towards the 5-HT and indole pathways in feces and the brain. Western blot demonstrated that GLRRTF increased 5-HT production from tryptophan in the brain by regulating tryptophan hydroxylase 2 and DOPA decarboxylase. GLRRTF activated the PI3K/AKT pathway by regulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptor tropomyosin receptor kinase B. This research provides a comprehensive mechanistic understanding of GLRRTF’s preventive effect against depression, highlighting its potential as a novel, safe, and preventive functional food formulation.
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
·
2026
·
IF 5.6
Yu Dun,Jinxi Xie,Jian Zhou,Hanbing Hu,Fuli Liu,Yiru Shao,Jie Shen
CD34/CD45-DSCs alleviate phosgene-induced acute lung injury (P-ALI) in rats. • CD34 + CD45 + cells reside in bone marrow, peripheral blood, and BALF with dynamic changes post-injury. • CD34/CD45-DSCs exhibit MSC-like properties with osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic potential in vitro. • CD34/CD45-DSCs showed prolonged lung retention perivascular engraftment, and PVSC-like phenotype acquisition without exacerbating fibrosis. • CD34/CD45-DSCs restore pulmonary vascular barrier via VEGF-PI3K/AKT/eNOS signaling pathway. Phosgene inhalation causes acute lung injury (ALI) with high mortality and no effective antidote, and stem cell therapy is limited by poor cell survival and low engraftment efficiency. Here, we identified a rare endogenous CD34 + CD45 + cell fraction that reside in bone marrow, peripheral blood, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (∼1% baseline), exhibits a “decrease-then-recovery” dynamic after phosgene injury, and displays MSC-like properties with trilineage (osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic) potential in vitro. Intravenous administration of expanded CD34 + CD45 + -derived stromal cells (CD34/CD45-DSCs) significantly alleviated pulmonary vascular leakage and inflammatory in a rat model of phosgene-induced ALI (P-ALI). In vivo bioluminescence imaging further revealed that CD34/CD45-DSCs exhibited prolonged pulmonary retention compared with BMSCs (11.3 days vs. 48 h), proliferated, engrafted around the pulmonary vasculature, and acquired a perivascular stromal cell (PVSC)-like phenotype expressing late-stage mesenchymal progenitor, pericyte, and fibroblast markers. In a bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis model, CD34/CD45-DSCs did not exacerbate fibrotic changes at day 28. Mechanistically, VEGF knockdown or neutralization abolished the barrier-protective effect, which was rescued by an AKT agonist and blocked by an inhibitor. Moreover, CD34/CD45-DSCs upregulated tight junction proteins ZO-1 and Occludin in injured endothelial cells via VEGF-PI3K/AKT/eNOS signaling. Collectively, our study defines the origin, spatiotemporal dynamics, perivasucular engraftment, PVSC-like fate acquisition, and VEGF-PI3K/AKT/eNOS-dependent mechanism of CD34/CD45-DSCs, supporting their potential as a relatively safe, long-engrafting, and mechanistically transparent cell-based strategy for ALI.
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
·
2017
·
IF 3.671
Wenjie Jiang,Yanna Cheng,Na Zhao,Lian Li,Yikang Shi,Aizhen Zong,Fengshan Wang
Previous studies demonstrated that SIP-SII, a sulfated derivative of SIP that is isolated from the ink of Sepiella maindroni , showed significant inhibition of tumor growth and metastasis. In this study, the effects of SIP-SII on the migration, invasion and molecular mechanism in ovarian cancer cell line, SKOV-3 cells, were investigated. The flow cytometry, confocal microscope observation, western blot and RT-PCR results indicated that SIP-SII located on cell membrane and inhibited the expression and activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Moreover, the binding capacity of SIP-SII with EGFR was confirmed by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis and co-localization of EGFR and SIP-SII. Accordingly, SIP-SII was proved to attenuate the EGF-induced EGFR phosphorylation and migration by western blot and wound healing assay, respectively. Additionally, SIP-SII inhibited p38/MAPK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways in SKOV-3 cells significantly. What is more, SIP-SII showed amplified inhibitory activity on migration, invasion, and MMP-2 expression in combination with p38-specific inhibitor, PI3K-specific inhibitor or mTOR-specific inhibitor in SKOV-3 cells. Therefore, the mechanism that SIP-SII suppressed EGFR-mediated p38/MAPK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways to inhibit migration and invasion of SKOV-3 cells was demonstrated. These findings suggested that SIP-SII might be used as a potential inhibitor against tumor metastasis.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子