Chinese Medicine
·
2026
·Vol. 21
·期 1
·40
·
IF 5.7
Yao Qianfang,Hu Guishan,Yin Can,Wu Anguo,Hu Guangqiang,Qin Dalian,Zhou Xiaogang,Law Betty Yuen-Kwan,Du Xi,Chen Li,Li Jianqiao,Lin Hong,Long Xin,Wu Jianming,Yu Lu
Background Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CI/RI) remains a critical barrier to effective ischemic stroke (IS) treatment. While mitophagy activation has been shown to attenuate apoptosis and pyroptosis, thereby ameliorating CI/RI, the therapeutic potential of natural compounds targeting this pathway remains underexplored. Penthorum chinense Pursh (PCP), a traditional hepatoprotective herb, contains Thonningianin A (TA), a bioactive compound with reported autophagic properties. However, the role and mechanisms of TA in CI/RI mitigation remain unclear. Methods In vivo, a middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) rat model was established to evaluate TA’s neuroprotective effects via TTC staining, Longa neurological scoring, and immunofluorescence staining. In vitro, oxygen–glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R)-treated HT22 and BV2 cells were used to assess TA’s impact on cell viability (MTT, Hoechst/PI staining), mitochondrial oxidative stress (DHE, TMRM, JC-1, Mito-Tracker staining and Western blot), apoptosis (flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining, Hochest and PI staining and Western blot), and pyroptosis (EthD-2/YO-PRO-1 staining and Western blot). Autophagy and mitophagy modulation was investigated using rapamycin (Rap), 3-MA (autophagy inhibitor), CCCP (mitophagy inducer), and AC220 (mitophagy inhibitor) in EGFP-LC3-U87 and mCherry-GFP-FIS1-293T cells. Co-localization immunofluorescence and Western blotting were employed to validate PINK1/Parkin pathway involvement. Results TA administration significantly improved neurological function, reduced cerebral infarct volume, and attenuated neuronal damage in MCAO/R rats. In vitro, TA suppressed OGD/R-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress and apoptosis in HT22 cells while mitigating pyroptosis in BV2 microglia. Mechanistically, TA activated PINK1/Parkin-dependent mitophagy, as evidenced by enhanced LC3-II/I ratio, and increased mitochondrial-autophagosome co-localization. Crucially, TA’s anti-apoptotic and anti-pyroptotic effects were abolished upon mitophagy inhibition. These findings were corroborated in the MCAO/R model, where TA upregulated PINK1/Parkin signaling and mitigated cell damage. Conclusion This study identifies TA as a novel natural agent alleviating CI/RI by activating PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy, thereby concurrently suppressing apoptosis and pyroptosis. These findings provide the first elucidating the molecular mechanis underlying TA's potential as a therapeutic candidate for IS. Graphical
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Frontiers in Pharmacology
·
2022
·
IF 5.988
Zhang Cong,Song Yingying,Chen Liang,Chen Peng,Yuan Ming,Meng Yan,Wang Qi,Zheng Guohua,Qiu Zhenpeng
Urolithin A (UroA) is one of the primary intestinal metabolites of ellagitannins, showing translational potential as a nutritional intervention in humans. Mounting evidence suggests that fructose consumption contributes to the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) that manifests in hyperuricemic nephropathy, renal inflammation, and tubulointerstitial injury. Here, we investigated the efficacy of UroA in alleviating fructose-induced hyperuricemic nephropathy in mice. Uric acid-exposed human kidney-2 (HK-2) cells were utilized for in vitro mechanism validation. Histopathological staining, immunoblotting, and transmission electron microscope were performed for the mechanistic investigations. Our results revealed that UroA ameliorated fructose-induced hyperuricemic nephropathy in mice. The histopathologic assessment showed that UroA attenuated tubular hypertrophy and dilation, glomerular basement membrane thickening, and collagen deposition in the kidney of fructose-fed mice. Mechanistically, UroA treatment impaired STING-NLRP3 activation, resulting in reduced production of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Notably, UroA exhibited a scavenging effect against reactive oxygen species (ROS) and restored fructose-impaired PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy in nephropathic mice. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of UroA in STING-NLRP3 activation was impaired after Parkin gene silencing in HK-2 cells. Together, this study suggests that UroA alleviates fructose-induced hyperuricemic nephropathy by promoting Parkin-dependent mitophagy, thereby suppressing STING-NLRP3 axis-mediated inflammatory response. Thus, dietary supplementation with UroA or ellagitannins-rich foods may serve as a promising intervention to prevent CKD progression.
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INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
·
2025
·
IF 4.7
Rihong Luo,Yuhan Kang,He Ma,Zhenqiang Zhang,Christian Hölscher,Li Hao,Zijuan Zhang
To date, no therapeutic drugs available on the market can effectively reverse the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (RAs) and Cholecystokinin (CCK) RAs have shown some promise in AD research, little is known about the neuroprotective effects of a novel dual CCK/GLP-1 RA in AD. This study sought to examine the effects of the novel dual CCK/GLP-1 RA on cognitive performance in an AD mouse model and to explore the associated mechanisms. Our findings indicate that dual CCK/GLP-1 RA improved cognitive deficits, reduced amyloid-beta (Aβ) accumulation, and alleviated mitochondrial damage in 5 × FAD mice by inducing mitophagy. In an in vitro model of AD cells induced by Aβ, CCK/GLP-1 RA could exert neuroprotective effects by regulating PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy. These data reveal for the first time that the new CCK/GLP-1 RA modulates mitophagy via PINK1/Parkin pathway and enhances cognitive function in the 5 × FAD animal model. Moreover, the performance of the CCK/GLP-1 RA in certain indicators was superior to that of GLP-1 analogue liraglutide, suggesting that it may represent a more promising therapeutic option for AD.
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Neuroscience Bulletin
·
2020
·Vol. 36
·期 4
·346-358
·
IF 4.326
Su Cun-Jin,Shen Zhu,Cui Ru-Xiao,Huang Ya,Xu De-Lai,Zhao Feng-Lun,Pan Jie,Shi Ai-Ming,Liu Tong,Yu Yun-Li
Patients with diabetes mellitus have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the molecular links between PD and diabetes remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the roles of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) in Parkin/PINK1-mediated mitophagy in dopaminergic (DA) cells under high-glucose (HG) conditions. In streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice, TXNIP was upregulated and autophagy was inhibited in the midbrain, while the loss of DA neurons was accelerated by hyperglycemia. In cultured PC12 cells under HG, TXNIP expression was upregulated and the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels increased, leading to cell death. Autophagic flux was further blocked and PINK1 expression was decreased under HG conditions. Parkin expression in the mitochondrial fraction and carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP)-induced co-localization of COX IV (marker for mitochondria) and LAMP1 (marker for lysosomes) were also significantly decreased by HG. Overexpression of TXNIP was sufficient to decrease the expression of both PINK1 and Parkin in PC12 cells, while knockdown of the expression of TXNIP by siRNA decreased intracellular ROS and attenuated cellular injury under HG. Moreover, inhibition of TXNIP improved the CCCP-induced co-localization of COX IV and LAMP1 in PC12 cells under HG. Together, these results suggest that TXNIP regulates Parkin/PINK1-mediated mitophagy under HG conditions, and targeting TXNIP may be a promising therapeutic strategy for reducing the risk of PD under hyperglycemic conditions.
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ARCHIVES OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
·
2023
·
IF 3.9
Qingqing Du,Xiaoyun Wu,Kai Ma,Weiwei Liu,Panwen Liu,Toshihiko Hayashi,Kazunori Mizuno,Shunji Hattori,Hitomi Fujisaki,Takashi Ikejima
Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is induced by the abundance of glucose and lipids , which causes glucolipotoxicity to the pancreatic β-cells. Silibinin is a natural flavonoid possessing the regulatory activity on insulin production and therapeutic activity in diabetic mice; however, its effect on glucolipotoxicity is not fully explained. This in vitro study investigates the effects of silibinin on palmitic acid (PA) and high glucose (HG)-induced cell loss and ferroptosis of rat insulinoma INS-1 cells. In the cells treated with PA and HG, expressions of glucose transporter 4 (Glut4) and carnitine acyltransferase I (CPT1) for β-oxidation of fatty acids are reduced. Mitochondria are the metabolic organelles for glucose and fatty acids. The mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and ATP production were decreased, while the ROS level was elevated in the cells treated with PA and HG, indicating an induction of mitochondrial disorder . Cell loss was partially rescued by ferroptosis inhibition, suggesting an involvement of ferroptosis in the cells treated with PA and HG. More importantly, the increases in total iron, lipid ROS, MDA and COX-2, and the decrease in ferroptosis inhibitory molecules GSH, GPX4 and FSP1 appeared in the cells treated with PA and HG, confirming the occurrence of ferroptosis. Moreover, PINK1/parkin-mediated mitophagy , a vital process for selective elimination of damaged mitochondria, was blocked. Interestingly, silibinin rescued the mitochondria, restricted the ferroptosis and restored the mitophagy. By using the pharmacological stimulator and inhibitor of mitophagy, and si-RNA transfection to silence PINK1 expression, silibinin's protective effect against ferroptosis caused by PA and HG treatment was found to depend on mitophagy. Collectively, our current study reveals the new mechanisms for the protection of silibinin against the injury of INS-1 cells treated with PA and HG, elucidates the participation of ferroptosis in glucolipotoxicity, highlighting the involvement of mitophagy in defense against ferroptotic cell death.
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BIOLOGICAL TRACE ELEMENT RESEARCH
·
2026
·
IF 4.3
Ngwe Phar Ku,Zhu Jing,Ling Hao,Gao Mengmeng,Guo Chengxiang,Hu Yinan,Wang Jicang
Lead (Pb), a persistent and highly toxic environmental contaminant, induces severe multi-organ toxicity, with the liver as a primary target. Naringenin (Nar), a natural flavonoid with established antioxidant properties, shows potential in mitigating chemical-induced liver injury; however, its protective mechanism against Pb hepatotoxicity remains unclear. This study investigated the hepatoprotective effects and underlying mechanisms of Nar in Pb-exposed rats. Thirty-six five-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to six groups ( n = 6): control, three Pb-treated groups (15, 30, and 60 mg/kg), co-treatment group (60 mg/kg Pb + 50 mg/kg Nar), and Nar-alone group (50 mg/kg). After 8 weeks, Pb exposure induced significant liver injury, evidenced by histopathological lesions (e.g., central venous congestion and inflammation), elevated serum levels of ALT, AST, and LDH, and oxidative stress (increased MDA; decreased CAT, T-SOD, and GSH). At the molecular level, Pb exposure suppressed the Nrf2/NQO1 pathway, upregulated Keap1, and impaired autophagic flux, as indicated by a decreased LC3-II/LC3-I ratio, accumulated p62, and a disrupted PINK1/Parkin pathway. Corroborating the impaired flux, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed an accumulation of autophagic vacuoles, indicative of blocked autophagic degradation. Crucially, Nar co-treatment effectively mitigated these Pb-induced disturbances by activating the Nrf2/NQO1 pathway to counteract oxidative stress and restored autophagic flux, which was supported by the reversal of p62 accumulation and normalization of the LC3-II/LC3-I ratio. In conclusion, Nar protects against Pb-induced hepatotoxicity by concurrently alleviating oxidative stress and restoring autophagic function, supporting its potential as a therapeutic agent. Graphical
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