MOLECULES
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2026
·Vol. 31
·期 12
·2158
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IF 5.1
Jingran Cui,Xuting Song,Heran Liu,Zhenhai Cui,Mengmeng Sun,Min He,Meiying Jin
Background: Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) is marked by impaired osteogenesis and reduced bone formation. Isobavachin (IBA), a flavonoid from Psoralea corylifolia, shows multiple potentials in anti-inflammatory and bone metabolism regulations, but its effects against GIOP remain unclear. This study investigated the osteoprotective effects and potential mechanism of IBA using zebrafish GIOP model. Methods: osteoprotective effects of IBA was assessed by fluorescence imaging in a prednisolone-induced zebrafish model, following with osteogenic gene expressions measured by RT-qPCR. Potential targets and pathways of IBA was filtered and predicted by network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and finally validated with a pharmacological rescue experiment using a PI3K-specific inhibitor. Results: IBA improved bone mineralization and upregulated osteogenesis-related genes. Network pharmacology identified the PI3K-Akt pathway as a key pathway, with ESR1, GSK3B, MTOR, and CCND1 as core targets. PI3K inhibition attenuated the osteoprotective effects of IBA and suppressed downstream osteogenic gene expression. Conclusions: IBA alleviates GIOP by modulating the ESR1-associated PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and may serve as a multi-target therapeutic candidate for osteoporosis.
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Stem Cell Research & Therapy
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2026
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IF 7.8
Li Xiao-huan,Lian Fu-wei,Lv Feng,Luo Xiao-Ling,Hu Bang-li,Zhang Li-tu,Ning Shu-fang
Background Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-derived exosomes present great potential as nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery. Moreover, the therapeutic efficacy of exosomes can be substantially enhanced through functional modifications and the incorporation of bioactive molecules. Methods In this study, the MSCs were cultured under two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) cell culture conditions. The culture supernatants were collected for isolating exosomes. The characteristics and yields of exosomes from 2D and 3D cultures were detected by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), western blot analysis, and bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay. Subsequently, 3D exosomes were loaded with miR-99b-5p and modified with iRGD peptide were formed into a new engineered exosome, designated as iRGD-Exo-miR-99b-5p. The effects of these engineered exosomes on the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) were assessed through a series of in vivo and in vitro experiments. Results The 3D-cultured MSCs exhibited a higher yield of exosomes and enhanced uptake by CRC cells. Further in vitro experiments demonstrated that 3D-exosomes loaded with miR-99b-5p effectively inhibit the proliferation, invasion, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of CRC cells. Results from a xenograft tumor model indicate that iRGD-modified exosomes were significantly enriched at tumor sites. Furthermore, exosomes modified with iRGD and loaded with miR-99b-5p were employed for CRC treatment, resulting in substantial tumor growth inhibition and enhanced the chemotherapy efficacy of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in vivo, without inducing notable toxicity or side effects. Mechanistically, exosome-mediated delivery of miR-99b-5p downregulated FGFR3 expression, thereby inhibiting the activation of the PI3K/AKt signaling pathway and promoting ferroptosis, ultimately attenuating CRC progression. Conclusions Collectively, iRGD-modified 3D exosomes loaded with miR-99b-5p were able to specifically target tumor sites, thereby significantly suppressing CRC growth through the induction of ferroptosis via regulating the FGFR3/PI3K/AKt signaling pathway. These findings suggest that functional engineering and bioactive loading of 3D-exosomes derived from MSCs represent a promising strategy for targeted cancer therapy. Graphical
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JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
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2026
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IF 6.7
Jirui Wei,Xiaozheng He,Tingting Shi,Xiayu Jin,Jun Huang,Qingyao Du,Junda Huang,Tao Li,Xunjie Xie,Yuxin Huang,Chengtao Nie,Yiqi Fan,Xixiao Yang,Luyao Song,Waijiao Tang
Epidemiological studies indicate that Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) has become the most prevalent chronic liver disease globally. Identifying bioactive molecules from natural plants that can prevent and ameliorate MAFLD is an effective approach to discovering new MAFLD therapeutics. Liupao tea possesses antioxidant and metabolic regulatory properties. This study aimed to identify the active components of Liupao tea polyphenol extract (PLE), and its potential targets and mechanisms of action in the prevention of MAFLD. We performed experiments on MAFLD mice to establish the prevention efficacy of PLE against MAFLD and determine its optimal dosage. Furthermore, network pharmacology, molecular docking, and SPR were performed to predict that PLE’s targets for preventing MAFLD concentrate on the hepatic EGFR target. Knockout of EGFR in hepatocytes attenuated the effects of PLE. These findings indicate that PLE inhibits lipid accumulation by downregulating the EGFR/pEGFR-AKT/pAKT-SREBP-1-ACC1 pathway through binding to the EGFR receptor, thereby preventing MAFLD.
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Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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2022
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IF 2.65
Yihua Shi,Kai Lian,Jiguang Jia
Osteosarcoma (OS) is a prevalent primary malignant bone tumor that commonly occurs in children and adolescents. Apigenin (4′,5,7-trihydroxyflavone) is one of the most researched phenolic compounds that exhibits antitumor effects in several cancers. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect and underlying mechanisms of apigenin on OS. To address this, OS cells (SOSP-9607) were treated with different concentrations of apigenin. The proliferation, migration, invasion, stem-like properties, and Warburg effect of apigenin-treated OS cells were evaluated. Apigenin was found to suppress the proliferation of SOSP-9607 cells and inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition, as indicated by decreased number of migrated and invaded cells, decreased protein expression of vimentin, and increased protein expression of E-cadherin. Additionally, apigenin suppressed tumorsphere formation and reduced the proportion of SOSP-9607 cells with positive expression of the stem cell-related markers Nanog and OCT-4. Apigenin inhibited the Warburg effect in SOSP-9607 cells, as demonstrated by decreased glucose and lactic acid levels, increased citrate and ATP levels, and downregulation of GLUT1, HK1, and LDHA, which are metabolism-related enzymes related to the Warburg effect. Moreover, apigenin inhibited the phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR in SOSP-9607 cells. Collectively, these results indicate that apigenin suppresses the Warburg effect and stem-like properties in SOSP-9607 cells, which may be mediated by PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling, thus, providing a novel strategy for OS treatment.
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Drug Design Development and Therapy
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2022
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IF 4.319
Debao Li,Yuling Jia,Yiwen Hou,Dingshi Chen,Chiyang Zheng,Lifen Chen,Li Zhou,Zuyue Sun
Background The Qilin pill (QLP) is a traditional Chinese compound prescription comprising 15 herbs that has demonstrated significant therapeutic effects on premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) in recent years. However, a pharmacological evaluation of QLP on ovarian function remains to be conducted, and the key mechanism of QLP treatment on POI is unclear.Methods Premature ovarian insufficiency rats were established by bilateral partial ovariectomy. The model rats were administrated with low (QLP-L), medium (QLP-M) and high (QLP-H) doses of QLP for 4 weeks to evaluate the ovarian function in terms of estrous cycle, hormone level, and follicle count. The mechanism of QLP in the treatment of POI was systematically explored by network pharmacology, and expression levels of the MAPK and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways were verified by Western blotting and molecular docking.Results The rat model of resection-induced POI was successfully established, and QLP could significantly recover the estrous cycle, decrease serum FSH levels, and decelerate follicle depletion after 4 weeks of administration. The optimal dose of QLP in the experiment was preliminarily determined to be 0.9 g/kg. Based on the network pharmacology methods, we constructed the compound-target network and protein protein interaction (PPI) network of QLP for the treatment of POI. The experimental verification of the enrichment analysis showed that QLP inhibited the MAPK and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways, and the key compounds and key targets involved were verified by molecular docking.Conclusion QLP exerted significant therapeutic effects on resection-induced POI rats, and this was achieved by the inhibition of the MAPK and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways. This study is the first to systematically investigate the effects and mechanism of QLP on POI rats, which will provide valuable guidance in clinic.
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PHYTOMEDICINE
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2022
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IF 6.656
Congcong Li,Lu Wang,Juebo Zhao,Yucai Wei,Shuo Zhai,Min Tan,Kuikui Guan,Zhihong Huang,Chaoxi Chen
Background Lonicera rupicola Hook.f.et Thoms (LRH) is used as a customary medicinal herb in Tibetans. And LRH flavonoids have excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant pharmacological activities. However, the specific effects of LRH and its mechanism remain unknown, and there is a deficiency of systematic research, leading to the waste of LRH as a medicinal resource. Purpose In this study, in an attempt to rationalize the development and utilization of Tibetan herbal resources, the therapeutic efficacy and the underlying molecular mechanisms of LRH flavonoids on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) were investigated, establishing the favorable basis for the pharmacodynamic material basis of LRH and providing a scientific basis for the discovery of new drugs for the treatment of UC. Methods Firstly, ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was used for identification and detection of the flavonoid components of LRH. Meanwhile, their potential targets, biological functions and signaling pathways were predicted with the assistance of network pharmacology analysis. Subsequently, pharmacological efficacy of LRH were evaluated by body weight loss, colon length, disease activity index (DAI), histology observation and the expression levels of inflammatory mediators, messenger RNA (mRNA) and tight junction proteins. Moreover, in the present investigation, we also profiled the gut microbiome via high-throughput sequencing of the V3 - V4 region of 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) for bacterial community composition and diversity by Illumina MiSeq platforms. Finally, the key regulatory proteins in the PI3K/AKT pathways were measured to investigate their underlying molecular mechanisms. Results A total of 37 LRH flavonoid components were identified and detected by UPLC-MS/MS, and 12 potential active components were obtained after screening. 137 of their common targets with UC were further predicted . GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis and molecular docking experiments demonstrated that LRH flavonoids could interfere with UC through "multi-component-multi-target-multi-pathway". In the animal experiments, LRH flavonoids could significantly attenuate UC as demonstrated by reducing the body weight loss and DAI, restoring colon length, decreasing oxidative stress, and improving the intestinal epithelial cell barrier. The mRNA and proteins expression levels of inflammatory mediators were returned to dynamic balance following LRH flavonoids treatment. 16S rDNA sequence analysis indicated that LRH flavonoids promoted the recovery of gut microbiome. And the PI3K/AKT pathway was significantly suppressed by LRH flavonoids. Conclusions LRH flavonoids exhibited multifaceted protective effects against DSS-induced UC in mice through mitigating colon inflammation and oxidative stress, restoring epithelial barrier function, and improving the gut microenvironment potentially through modulation of the PI3K/AKT pathway. This finding demonstrated that LRH flavonoids possessed great potential for becoming an excellent drug for the treatment of UC.
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JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
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2021
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IF 4.36
Yang Zheng,Jiaru Wang,Tiejian Zhao,Lei Wang,Jiahui Wang
Ethnopharmacological relevance Curcuma is a common Chinese herbal medicine that is used in the clinical treatment of chronic liver disease . Studies have found that curcumol is the main active ingredient of curcuma and has good hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. However, there are few reports on the molecular mechanism underlying the anti-liver fibrosis effect of curcumol. Aim To explore the effect of curcumol on liver angiogenesis, and to reveal the mechanism of curcumol against liver fibrosis . Materials and methods We used liver collagenase perfusion combined with Percoll density gradient sedimentation to separate primary liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, and then applied a leptin-activated cell pathological model. The cells were divided into four treatment groups as follows: blank group, model group, curcumol group, and solafini group. MTT was used to detect the cell proliferation rate in each group, and RT-PCR and western blotting were used to detect the expressions of VEGF, AKT, eNOS , CD31, and vWF. A fluorescent probe was used to detect NO expression, and scanning electron microscopy was used to observe changes in the cell fenestration structure. Angiogenesis assays were used to observe blood vessel formation in each group. Results The results of the MTT test found that the proliferation rate of each group was higher. The results of the molecular biology tests found that curcumol inhibited the activity of the VEGF/AKT/eNOS pathway, thereby increasing fenestration of sinusoidal endothelial cells and inhibiting liver angiogenesis. These differences were statistically significant compared with the model group. Conclusions Curcumol inhibits the activity of the VEGF/AKT/eNOS signaling pathway, regulates the structure of hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells, and inhibits liver angiogenesis, which together may explain its anti-liver fibrosis mechanism.
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Biomed Research International
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2021
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IF 3.411
Fengqin Wang,Hanzhong Zhang,Zhigang Cheng
EPHA2 is a member of the ephrin receptor tyrosine kinase family and is closely related to the malignant tumor progression. The effect of EPHA2 on OSCC is not clear. This study explored the role of EPHA2 and AKT/mTOR signaling pathways in Cal-27 cell invasion and migration. The expression of EPHA2 and EPHA4 in human OSCC and normal oral tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry. EPHA2-overexpressing and EPHA2-knockdown Cal-27 cells were established, and the cells were treated with an AKT inhibitor (MK2206) and mTOR inhibitor (RAD001). The expression of EPHA2 was detected by qRT-PCR, cell proliferation was evaluated by MTT assay, cell migration and invasion were examined by scratch and Transwell assay, and cell morphology and apoptosis were assessed by Hoechst 33258 staining. Western blot was performed to detect the expression of proteins related to AKT/mTOR signaling, cell cycle, and pseudopod invasion. EPHA2 and EPHA4 were highly expressed in clinical human OSCC. Overexpression of EPHA2 promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of Cal-27 cells, inhibited cell cycle blockage and apoptosis, and enhanced the activity of the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. MK2206 (AKT inhibitor) and RAD001 (mTOR inhibitor) reversed the effect of EPHA2 overexpression on the biological behavior of Cal-27 cells. EPHA2 promotes the invasion and migration of Cal-27 human OSCC cells by enhancing the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.
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ACS Applied Bio Materials
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2021
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IF 0
Yinuo Tu,Yuping Zhou,Di Zhang,Jinghong Yang,Xiang Li,Kaiyuan Ji,Xu Wu,Ruiyuan Liu,Qianbing Zhang
Mitochondria are identified as a valuable target for cancer therapy owing to their primary function in energy supply and cellular signal regulation. Mitochondria in tumor cells are depicted by excess reactive oxygen species (ROS), which lead to numerous detrimental results. Hence, mitochondria-targeting ROS-associated therapy is an optional therapeutic strategy for cancer. In this contribution, a light-induced ROS generator (TBTP) is developed for evaluation of the efficacy of mitochondria-targeting ROS-associated therapy and investigation of the mechanism underlying mitochondrial-injure-mediated therapy of tumors. TBTP serves as an efficient ROS generator with low cytotoxicity, favorable biocompatibility, excellent photostability, mitochondria-targeted properties, and NIR emission. In vivo and in vitro experiments reveal that TBTP exhibits effective anticancer potential. ROS generated from TBTP could destroy the integrity of mitochondria, downregulate ATP, decrease the mitochondrial membrane potential, secrete Cyt-c into cytoplasm, activate Caspase-3/9, and induce cell apoptosis. Moreover, RNA-seq analysis highlights that an ROS burst in mitochondria can kill tumor cells via inhibition of the AKT pathway. All these results prove that mitochondrial-targeted ROS-associated therapy hold great potential in cancer therapy.
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ANTI-CANCER DRUGS
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2021
·Vol. 32
·期 7
·727
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IF 2.248
Zhang Zuo-yan,Dong Shu-min,Liu Ye-han,Zhang Man-man,Zhang Jian-kang,Zhu Hua-jian,Shao Jia-an,Liu Hua-qing,Li Yang-ling,Zhang Chong,Zeng Ling-hui
Vinpocetine is widely used to treat cerebrovascular diseases. However, the effect of vinpocetine to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been investigated. In this study, we revealed that vinpocetine was associated with antiproliferative activity in HCC cells, but induced cytoprotective autophagy, which restricted its antitumor activity. Autophagy inhibitors improved the antiproliferative activity of vinpocetine in HCC cells. Sorafenib is effective to treat advanced HCC, but the effect of autophagy induced by sorafenib is indistinct. We demonstrated vinpocetine plus sorafenib suppressed the cytoprotective autophagy activated by vinpocetine in HCC cells and significantly induced apoptosis and suppressed cell proliferation in HCC cells. In addition, vinpocetine plus sorafenib activates glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) and subsequently inhibits cytoprotective autophagy induced by vinpocetine in HCC cells. Meanwhile, overexpression of GSK-3β was efficient to increase the apoptosis induced by vinpocetine plus sorafenib in HCC cells. Our study revealed that vinpocetine plus sorafenib could suppress the cytoprotective autophagy induced by vinpocetine and subsequently show synergistically anti-HCC activity via activating GSK-3β and the combination of vinpocetine and sorafenib might reverse sorafenib resistance via the PI3K/protein kinase B/GSK-3β signaling axis. Thus, vinpocetine may be a potential candidate for sorafenib sensitization and HCC treatment, and our results may help to elucidate more effective therapeutic options for HCC patients with sorafenib resistance.
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BIOMATERIALS
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2021
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IF 12.479
Shaojun Pan,Yuhui Zhang,Mark Huang,Zhoufeng Deng,Amin Zhang,Lijia Pei,Lirui Wang,Weiyong Zhao,Lijun Ma,Qian Zhang,Daxiang Cui
s Multi-functional nanovectors based on exosomes from cancer cell culture supernatants in vitro has been successfully utilized for tumor-specific targeting and immune escape. However, the labor-intensive purification procedures for rich-dose and high-purity homogeneous exosomes without using targeting ligands are still a challenging task. Herein, we developed a nanovector Exo-PMA/ [email protected] through cloaked by urinary exosome membrane as a chemo/chemodynamic theranostic nano-platform for targeted homologous prostate cancer therapy which pertain to the abrogation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and its downstream AKT/NF-kB/IkB signaling instead of ERK signaling cascades. Urinary exosomes-based nanovectors own the same urological cancer cell membrane antigen inclusive of E-cadherin, CD 47 and are free from intracellular substance such as Histone 3 and COX Ⅳ. The targeting properties of the homologous cancer cell are well preserved in Exo-PMA/ [email protected] nanovectors in high purity. Meanwhile, the nanovectors based on urinary exosomes from prostate patients deeply penetrated into prostate cancer DU145 3D MCTS , and successfully achieve superior synergistic low-dose chemo/chemodynamic performance in vivo . In addition, the blockage of bypassing EGFR/AKT/NF-kB/IkB signaling pathway is greatly enhanced via elevated intracellular PMA/ [email protected] nanoparticles (NPs). It is expected that the rich source and high purity of urinary exosomes offer a reliable solution for mass production of such nanovectors in the future. The targeted homologous cancer therapy based on the urinary exosomes from cancer patients exemplifies a novel targeted anticancer scheme with efficient and facile method.
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LIFE SCIENCES
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2020
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IF 3.647
Tian Li,Li Tu,Ran Gu,Xiu-Lin Yang,Xiu-Juan Liu,Gui-Ping Zhang,Qian Wang,Yi-Pin Ren,Bing-Jin Wang,Jin-Yong Tian
Objectives To investigate the effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor and glucose dependent insulinotrophic polypeptide (GIP) receptor dual agonist DA-JC4 on alleviating Parkinson's disease (PD) and unveil related cellular mechanisms. Methods Rotenone was injected to generate a rat PD model, on which the effect of DA-JC4 on motor functions was evaluated by rotational behavioral assay and open field test. The survival of dopaminergic neurons was analyzed, in addition to assays for mitochondrial stress and quantification of neurotransmitter levels using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In cultured hippocampal neurons, the effect of DA-JC4 on mitochondrial stress and related cellular mechanism was analyzed by Flow cytometry, western blotting and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Results DA-JC4 significantly improved motor functions in PD rats, and elevated levels of major neurotransmitters. By histological analysis, DA-JC4 protected dopaminergic neurons from rotenone-induced cell death, which was associated with reduced mitochondrial stress. Experiments in cultured rat hippocampal neurons validated the neuroprotective role of DA-JC4 against cell apoptosis and mitochondrial stress induced by rotenone. The protective effect of DA-JC4 was later found to be dependent on AKT/JNK signal pathway, as treatment using AKT inhibitor or JNK activator abolished such effects. Conclusion Our results showed that the dual agonist of GLP-1/GIP receptor could ameliorate motor dysfunctions of PD by protecting dopaminergic neurons which was mediated by relieved mitochondrial stress and apoptosis via AKT/JNK signal pathway.
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