重楼皂苷D对人胰腺癌细胞增殖和凋亡的影响

重楼皂苷D(polyphyllin D)是重楼中的一种甾体皂苷单体,具有抗菌、镇痛、镇静、抗肿瘤等多种药理作用,但在胰腺癌中少有报道。该研究通过检测凋亡相关指标,探讨polyphyllin D对人胰腺癌Panc-1细胞增殖和凋亡的影响及相关作用机制。采用CCK-8法检测不同浓度的(0,1,2,3,4,5μg·μL-1)polyphyllin D分别处理胰腺癌Panc-1细胞24,48,72 h后,观察对细胞增殖的影响。采用流式细胞术对细胞周期、细胞线粒体膜电位(mitochondrial membrane protential,MMP)进行检测,Annexin-V-FITC/PI双染法检测细胞凋亡情况,Western blot法检测细胞色素C (cytochrome C,Cyto C),Bax,Bcl-2,cleaved caspase-3,cleaved caspase-9的蛋白表达情况。结果表明,与对照组相比,polyphyllin D能够时间和浓度依赖性地抑制Panc-1细胞的增殖活性。流式细胞术检测显示polyphyllin D能浓度依赖性使细胞阻滞于S期和G2/M期,MMP明显降低,细胞凋亡率随polyphyllin D作用浓度增加而增加。Western blot结果显示,polyphyllin D能浓度依赖性地上调Bax,Cyto C,cleaved caspase-3和cleaved caspase-9的蛋白表达水平,下调Bcl-2的蛋白表达水平。以上研究结果提示,polyphyllin D能抑制胰腺癌Panc-1细胞的增殖,其机制可能与阻滞细胞的生长周期以及通过线粒体途径诱导细胞的凋亡相关。     

MicroRNA-214 promotes chronic kidney disease by disrupting mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation

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Nicotinamide mononucleotide alters mitochondrial dynamics by SIRT3-dependent mechanism in male mice

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) is a central signaling molecule and enzyme cofactor that is involved in a variety of fundamental biological processes. NAD⁺ levels decline with age, neurodegenerative conditions, acute brain injury, and in obesity or diabetes. Loss of NAD⁺ results in impaired mitochondrial and cellular functions. Administration of NAD⁺ precursor, nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), has shown to improve mitochondrial bioenergetics, reverse age-associated physiological decline, and inhibit postischemic NAD⁺ degradation and cellular death. In this study, we identified a novel link between NAD⁺ metabolism and mitochondrial dynamics. A single dose (62.5 mg/kg) of NMN, administered to male mice, increases hippocampal mitochondria NAD⁺ pools for up to 24 hr posttreatment and drives a sirtuin 3 (SIRT3)-mediated global decrease in mitochondrial protein acetylation. This results in a reduction of hippocampal reactive oxygen species levels via SIRT3-driven deacetylation of mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase. Consequently, mitochondria in neurons become less fragmented due to lower interaction of phosphorylated fission protein, dynamin-related protein 1 (pDrp1 [S616]), with mitochondria. In conclusion, manipulation of mitochondrial NAD⁺ levels by NMN results in metabolic changes that protect mitochondria against reactive oxygen species and excessive fragmentation, offering therapeutic approaches for pathophysiologic stress conditions.     

Metformin inhibition of mitochondrial ATP and DNA synthesis abrogates NLRP3 inflammasome activation and pulmonary inflammation

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Investigation of possible maternal and fetal factors which affect umbilical coiling index

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the possible maternal and fetal factors, which affect the Umbilical Coiling Index (UCI).

Methods: This prospective, observational, analytic study was conducted using the data of 380 women with term pregnancy and newborns who presented at a University Hospital. Hemoglobin (Hb), ferritin, iron, and the total iron binding capacity (TIBC) of the maternal blood were measured, and transferrin saturation was estimated based on the ratio between serum iron and TIBC. Blood gases, ferritin, iron, and TIBC of the umbilical cord were also measured, and the transferrin saturation was calculated. The length and thickness of the umbilical cord, numbers of coilings, weight of placenta, neonatal weight were registered. The UCI was calculated dividing the total number of coils by the length of the umbilical cord (in cm).

Results: A positive, linear, and statistically significant relationship was found between the UCI scores and the umbilical cord blood transferrin saturation, umbilical cord thickness, and the first- and fifth-min APGAR scores (p?=?.044, p?p?=?.008, p?=?.022, respectively). No statistically significant relationship was found between the maternal Hb values and the UCI scores (p?=?.472). In addition, there was no statistically significant relationship between the UCI scores and maternal ferritin, maternal transferrin saturation and umbilical cordon ferritin levels (p?=?.940, p?=?.681, and p?=?.975, respectively).

Conclusions: A positive correlation was found between the UCI and umbilical cord transferrin saturation and between the newborn APGAR scores. However, this finding is not sufficient to explain the relationship of the umbilical cord dynamics with the newborn wellbeing and coiling.     

Empagliflozin restores chronic kidney disease–induced impairment of endothelial regulation of cardiomyocyte relaxation and contraction

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Protective mechanism of Wnt4 gene on Parkinson’s disease (PD) transgenic Drosophila

Objective: The main pathological change of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is progressive degeneration and necrosis of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain, forming a Lewy body in many of the remaining neurons. Studies have found that in transgenic Drosophila, mutations in the PTEN-inducible kinase 1 (PINK1) gene may cause indirect flight muscle defects in Drosophila, and mitochondrial structural dysfunction as well.

Methods: In this study, Wnt4 gene overexpression and knockdown were performed in PINK1 mutant PD transgenic Drosophila, and the protective effect of Wnt4 gene on PD transgenic Drosophila and its possible mechanism were explored. The Wnt4 gene was screened in the previous experiment; And by using the PD transgenic Drosophila model of the MHC-Gal4/UAS system, the PINK1 gene could be specifically activated in the Drosophila muscle tissue.

Results: In PINK1 mutation transgenic fruit flies, the Wnt4 gene to study its implication on PD transgenic fruit flies’ wing normality and flight ability. We found that overexpression of Wnt4 gene significantly reduced abnormality rate of PD transgenic Drosophila and improved its flight ability, and then, increased ATP concentration, enhanced mitochondrial membrane potential and normalized mitochondrial morphology were found. All of these findings suggested Wnt4 gene may have a protective effect on PD transgenic fruit flies. Furthermore, in Wnt4 gene overexpression PD transgenic Drosophila, down-regulation autophagy and apoptosis-related proteins Ref(2)P, Pro-Caspase3, and up-regulation of Beclin1, Atg8a, Bcl2 protein were confirmed by Western Blotting.

Conclusion: The results imply that the restoring of mitochondrial function though Wnt4 gene overexpression in the PINK1 mutant transgenic Drosophila may be related to autophagy and/or apoptosis.