Cardioprotective effects of sinomenine in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in a rat model

BackgroundIschemia reperfusion (I/R) play an imperative role in the expansion of cardiovascular disease. Sinomenine (SM) has been exhibited to possess antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anticarcinogenic properties. The aim of the study was scrutinized the cardioprotective effect of SM against I/R injury in rat.MethodsRat were randomly divided into normal control (NC), I/R control and I/R + SM (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg), respectively. Ventricular arrhythmias, body weight and heart weight were estimated. Antioxidant, inflammatory cytokines, inflammatory mediators and plasmin system indicator were accessed.ResultsPre-treated SM group rats exhibited the reduction in the duration and incidence of ventricular fibrillation, ventricular ectopic beat (VEB) and ventricular tachycardia along with suppression of arrhythmia score during the ischemia (30 and 120 min). SM treated rats significantly (P < 0.001) altered the level of antioxidant parameters. SM treatment significantly (P < 0.001) repressed the level of creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), creatine kinase (CK) and troponin I (Tnl). SM treated rats significantly (P < 0.001) repressed the tissue factor (TF), thromboxane B2 (TXB2), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and plasma fibrinogen (Fbg) and inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory mediators.ConclusionOur result clearly indicated that SM plays anti-arrhythmia effect in I/R injury in the rats via alteration of oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction.     

Non-canonical role of Hippo tumor suppressor serine/threonine kinase 3 STK3 in prostate cancer

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A molecular perspective for the use of type IV tyrosine kinase inhibitors as anticancer therapeutics

Tyrosine kinases are enzymes that can transfer a phosphate group from ATP to a specific protein tyrosine, serine or threonine residue within a cell, operating as a switch that can turn ‘on’ and ‘off’ causing different physiological alterations in the body. Mutated kinases have been shown to display an equilibrium shift toward the activated state. Types I–III have been studied intensively leading to drugs like imatinib (type II), cobimetinib (type III), among others. It is the same scenario for types V–VII; however, there is a lacuna in information regarding type IV inhibitors, although recently some advances have surfaced. This review aims to accumulate the knowledge gained so far about type IV inhibitors.     

Mesenchymal neoplasms with NTRK and other kinase gene alterations

Kinase alterations are increasingly recognised as oncogenic drivers in mesenchymal tumours. Infantile fibrosarcoma and the related renal tumour, congenital mesoblastic nephroma, were among the first solid tumours shown to harbour recurrent tyrosine kinase fusions, with the canonical ETV6::NTRK3 fusion identified more than 20 years ago. Although targeted testing has long been used in diagnosis, the advent of more robust sequencing techniques has driven the discovery of kinase alterations in an array of mesenchymal tumours. As our ability to identify these genetic alterations has improved, as has our recognition and understanding of the tumours that harbour these alterations. Specifically, this study will focus upon mesenchymal tumours harbouring NTRK or other kinase alterations, including tumours with an infantile fibrosarcoma-like appearance, spindle cell tumours resembling lipofibromatosis or peripheral nerve sheath tumours and those occurring in adults with a fibrosarcoma-like appearance. As publications describing the histology of these tumours increase so, too, do the variety kinase alterations reported, now including NTRK1/2/3, RET, MET, RAF1, BRAF, ALK, EGFR and ABL1 fusions or alterations. To date, these tumours appear locally aggressive and rarely metastatic, without a clear link between traditional features used in histological grading (e.g. mitotic activity, necrosis) and outcome. However, most of these tumours are amenable to new targeted therapies, making their recognition of both diagnostic and therapeutic import. The goal of this study is to review the clinicopathological features of tumours with NTRK and other tyrosine kinase alterations, discuss the most common differential diagnoses and provide recommendations for molecular confirmation with associated treatment implications.     

Inverse correlation between the expression of AMPK/SIRT1 and NAMPT in psoriatic skin: A pilot study

PurposeEpidermal hyperplasia and the involvement of immune cells characterize the clinical picture of psoriasis. Among the several factors involved, attention has been focused on sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) - a deacetylase endowed with a variety of functions including the control of metabolic and inflammatory processes-, and on nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), important for SIRT1 activation and involved in inflammatory events. The aim of the study was to analyze changes of SIRT1 and NAMPT expression in psoriatic skin.Patients and methodsSamples from healthy controls and psoriatic patients were subjected to immunohistochemical analysis.ResultsA strong downregulation of SIRT1 expression was observed in skin samples from psoriatic patients compared to healthy controls. This was accompanied by a parallel reduction of adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase (AMPK) expression and, more strikingly, by the disappearance of cells immunolabeled for its active, phosphorylated form (pAMPK). In both cases, analysis of the distribution of immunopositive cells revealed a shift towards reduced intensity of staining. In contrast, NAMPT expression was upregulated in psoriatic samples in line with its pro-inflammatory role. This was again more visible with an intensity-based distribution analysis that evidenced a shift towards more intensely immunostained cell populations.ConclusionsThe present data correlate in the same samples the expression of SIRT1, pAMPK/AMPK and NAMPT in psoriasis and open the way for novel pharmacological targets in the treatment of the disease.     

温阳解郁颗粒调节BDNF/TrkB/ERK信号通路保护皮质酮诱导损伤型海马神经细胞的作用机制研究＊

目的 观察温阳解郁颗粒（Wenyang Jieyu granule，WYJY）对皮质酮（Corticosterone，CORT）诱导损伤型小鼠海马神经细胞（TH22 cell）的保护作用，基于脑源性神经营养因子（Brain derived neurotrophic factor， BDNF）/酪氨酸激酶B（Tyrosine kinase B， TrkB）/细胞外信号调节蛋白激酶（Extra cellular regulated protein kinases， ERK）信号通路探讨WYJY保护海马神经细胞的作用机制。方法 体外构建小鼠海马神经细胞皮质酮诱导损伤模型，以不同浓度的WYJY和氟西汀（Fluoxetine，FXT）含药血清作用于模型细胞，细胞增殖-毒性检测（Cell Counting Kit-8， CCK-8）法分析细胞活性，倒置显微镜下观察给药前后细胞形态结构的改变，采用蛋白免疫印迹法（Western Blot）、实时荧光定量PCR（Quantitative real-time PCR， qPCR）法检测神经细胞内凋亡因子（BCL2-Associated X， Bax）、抗凋亡因子（B-cell lymphoma-2， Bcl-2）、BDNF、Trkb、ERK以及丝氨酸/苏氨酸激酶（Phospho-p90RSK， RSK）、环磷腺苷效应元件结合蛋白（cAMP-response element binding protein， CREB）蛋白表达水平以及相关基因的表达水平。结果 在浓度为459.5 μmol·L^-1的CORT作用24 h后，HT22细胞的活性抑制率达到50%，在此条件作用下细胞形态结构损伤明显，凋亡程度严重，细胞上清中BDNF的含量显著减少（P<0.05），细胞内凋亡相关因子Bax/Bcl-2的比值明显升高（P<0.01），BDNF、Trkb、ERK、RSK、CREB磷酸化蛋白表达水平和mRNA表达水平明显降低（P<0.01）；以5%的浓度为2.85 g·kg^-1的WYJY和10%的FXT含药血清作用于受损的HT22细胞后，HT22细胞存活率明显提升（P<0.01），细胞结构的损伤明显改善，细胞凋亡程度减轻，细胞外BDNF的含量显著升高（P<0.05），细胞内Bax/Bcl-2比值显著下调（P<0.01），BDNF、Trkb、ERK、RSK、CREB磷酸化蛋白表达水平和mRNA表达水平显著提升（P<0.05，P<0.01）。结论 温阳解郁颗粒可有效保护高浓度CORT造成的小鼠海马神经细胞损伤。调控BDNF/Trkb/ERK通路，放大CREB信号传导，影响Bcl-2、BDNF水平，可能是其保护海马神经元，发挥抗抑郁疗效的重要机制。     

Anomaly of cornea and ocular adnexa in spinster homolog 2 (Spns2) knockout mice

Spinster 2 (Spns2) is a transporter that pumps sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a bioactive lipid mediator synthesized in the cytoplasm, out of cells into the inter cellular space. S1P is a signal that modulates cellular behavior during embryonic development, inflammation and tissue repair, etc. A Spns2-null (KO) mouse is born with failure of eyelid closure (eyelid-open-at birth; EOB) and develop corneal fibrosis in adulthood. It remains elusive whether corneal lesion is caused by exposure to keratitis (lagophthalmos) of EOB phenotype or the loss of Spns2 directly perturbs the corneal tissue morphogenesis and intra-eyelid structures. Therefore, we investigated differences between the cornea and ocular adnexa morphogenesis in KO and wild-type (WT) embryos and adults as well.The loss of Spns2 perturbs cornea morphogenesis during embryonic development as early as E16.5 besides EOB phenotype. Histology showed that the corneal stroma was thinner with less extracellular matrix accumulation, e.g., collagen and keratocan in the KO mouse. Epithelial stratification, expression of keratin 12 and formation of desmosomes and hemidesmosomes were also perturbed in these KO corneas. Lacking Spns2 impaired morphogenesis of the Meibomian glands and of orbicularis oculi muscles. KO glands were labeled for ELOVL4 and PPARγ and were Oil-Red O-positive, suggesting KO acinar cells possessed functionality as the glands.This is the first report on the roles of Spns2 in corneal and Meibomian gland morphogenesis. Corneal tissue destruction in an adult KO mouse might be due to not only lagophthalmos but also to an impaired morphogenesis of cornea, Meibomian glands, and orbicularis oculi muscle.     

Ochratoxin A induced differentiation nephrotoxicity in renal tubule and glomeruli via autophagy differential regulation

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin that mainly causes nephrotoxicity. The single nephrotoxicity of OTA exposure on glomeruli or renal tubule had been well documented, however, the comparison toxicity between it is still unclear. Here, C57BL/6 mice and two types of nephrocyte were treated with concentration-gradient OTA to explore its differentiation nephrotoxicity. Results showed that OTA induced nephrotoxicity in vivo and in vitro, manifested as the deteriorative kidney function in mice and the cut-down cell viability in nephrocyte. Besides, results of murine kidney pathological section and IC₅₀ of two types nephrocyte indicated that OTA-induced toxicity in renal tubule was higher than its in glomeruli. In addition, OTA exposure induced autophagy signaling differentiation expression. It revealed that autophagy was implicated in OTA-induced differential nephrotoxicity in glomeruli and renal tubule. Altogether, we proved that OTA induces a differentiation nephrotoxicity in glomeruli and renal tubule, and it is related to autophagy differential regulation.     

Dual-target inhibitors of bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) in cancer therapy: Current situation and future directions

Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) is emerging as a therapeutic target that acts synergistically with other targets of small-molecule drugs in cancer. Therefore, the discovery of potential new dual-target inhibitors of BRD4 may be a promising strategy for cancer therapy. In this review, we highlight a series of strategies to design therapeutic dual-target inhibitors of BRD4 that focus on the synergistic functions of this protein. Drug combinations that exploit synthetic lethality, protein–protein interactions, functional complementarity, and blocking of resistance mechanisms could ultimately overcome the barriers inherent to the development of BRD4 inhibitors as future cancer drugs.