Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability of Asiaticoside,Madecassoside and Asiatic Acid in Porcine Brain Endothelial Cell Model

Neurotherapeutic potentials of Centella asiatica and its reputation to boost memory, prevent cognitive deficits and improve brain functions are widely acknowledged. The plant's bioactive compounds, i.e. asiaticoside, madecassoside and asiatic acid were reported to have central nervous system (CNS) actions, particularly in protecting the brain against neurodegenerative disorders. Hence, it is important for these compounds to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to be clinically effective therapeutics. This study aimed to explore the capability of asiaticoside, madecassoside and asiatic acid to cross the BBB using in vitro BBB model from primary porcine brain endothelial cells (PBECs). Our findings showed that asiaticoside, madecassoside and asiatic acid are highly BBB permeable with apparent permeability (P_app) of 70.61 ± 6.60, 53.31 ± 12.55 and 50.94 ± 10.91 × 10^?6 cm/s respectively. No evidence of cytotoxicity and tight junction disruption of the PBECs were observed in the presence of these compounds. Asiatic acid showed cytoprotective effect towards the PBECs against oxidative stress. This study reported for the first time that Centella asiatica compounds demonstrated high capability to cross the BBB, comparable to central nervous system drugs, and therefore warrant further development as therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.     

Graded changes in enamel component volumes resulted from a short tooth bleaching procedure

AimTo test the hypothesis that changes in enamel component volumes (mineral, organic, and water volumes, and permeability) are graded from outer to inner enamel after a short bleaching procedure.Materials and methodsExtracted unerupted human third molars had half of their crowns bleached (single bleaching session, 3 × 15 min), and tooth shade changes in bleached parts were analyzed with a spectrophotometer. Ground sections were prepared, component volumes and permeability were quantified at histological points located at varying distances from the enamel surface (n = 10 points/location), representing conditions before and after bleaching.ResultsTooth shade changes were significant (p < 0.001; 95% CI = −1/−8; power = 99%), and most of the enamel layer was unaffected after bleaching, except at the outer layers. Multiple analysis of covariances revealed that most of the variance of the change in enamel composition after bleaching was explained by the combination of the set of types of component volume (in decreasing order of relevance: mineral loss, organic gain, water gain, and decrease in permeability) with the set of distances from the enamel surface (graded from the enamel surface inward) (canonical R² = 0.97; p < 0.0001; power > 99%).ConclusionsChanges in enamel composition after a short bleaching procedure followed a gradient within component volumes (mineral loss > organic gain > water gain > decrease in permeability) and decreased from the enamel surface inward.     

Establishment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection:Translational evasion of oxidative defence

Hepatitis C virus(HCV)causes a clinically important disease affecting 3%of the world population.HCV is a single-stranded,positive-sense RNA virus belonging to the genus Hepacivirus within the Flaviviridae family.The virus establishes a chronic infection in the face of an active host oxidative defence,thus adaptation to oxidative stress is key to virus survival.Being a small RNA virus with a limited genomic capacity,we speculate that HCV deploys a different strategy to evade host oxidative defence.Instead of counteracting oxidative stress,it utilizes oxidative stress to facilitate its own survival.Translation is the first step in the replication of a plus strand RNA virus so it would make sense if the virus can exploit the host oxidative defence in facilitating this very first step.This is particularly true when HCV utilizes an internal ribosome entry site element in translation,which is distinctive from that of cap-dependent translation of the vast majority of cellular genes,thus allowing selective translation of genes under conditions when global protein synthesis is compromised.Indeed,we were the first to show that HCV translation was stimulated by an important prooxidant-hydrogen peroxide in hepatocytes,suggesting that HCV is able to adapt to and utilize the host antiviral response to facilitate its own translation thus allowing the virus to thrive under oxidative stress condition to establish chronicity.Understanding how HCV translation is regulated under oxidative stress condition will advance our knowledge on how HCV establishes chronicity.As chronicity is the initiator step in disease progression this will eventually lead to a better understanding of pathogenicity,which is particularly relevant to the development of anti-virals and improved treatments of HCV patients using anti-oxidants.     

过氧化氢对PC12细胞plk1基因表达的影响

目的 观察过氧化氢对体外培养的PC12细胞plk1基因表达的影响.方法 采用MTT法观察不同浓度过氧化氢对体外培养的PC12细胞作用6h后,对PC12细胞存活率的影响;Western-blot检测不同浓度过氧化氢作用后,PC12细胞plk1基因蛋白表达水平的变化.结果 与对照组比较,过氧化氢剂量依赖性降低PC12细胞的存活率,增强PC12细胞plk1基因蛋白的表达水平.结论 过氧化氢降低PC12细胞的增殖活力,其机制可能是通过增强Plk1蛋白表达水平来实现.     

Catalase-mimetic gold nanoparticles inhibit the antagonistic action of Lactobacillus gasseri toward foodborne enteric pathogens in associative cultures

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been previously shown to induce gut dysbiosis during colitis in mice, but the underlying mechanism is not clear yet. Here, we evaluated the effects of AuNPs (5?nm diameter, coated with tannic acid, polyvinylpyrrolidone or citrate) on H₂O₂ accumulation and pathogen antagonization by an intestinal strain of Lactobacillus gasseri under aerobic cultural conditions. AuNPs (0.65?μg/mL) reduced over 50% of H₂O₂ accumulation by L. gasseri, and significantly inhibited the antagonistic action of L. gasseri on growth of four foodborne enteric pathogens, i.e. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus in associative cultures.     

维生素E在体内外具有抗氧化作用

目的探讨维生素E在体内外的应激损伤。方法体外实验:人肝RBL细胞系根据H_2O_2损伤及损伤前后给予维生素E分为4组,对照组(C)、H_2O_2损伤组(Ec)、H_2O_2损伤前(Eb)及后(Ea)给维生素E组;体内实验:将20只清洁级雄性Wistar大鼠分为对照组和大及小剂量维生素E组,每天进行一次35和15 mg/kg溶液2 m L灌胃,连续3 d。体外实验应用MTT和TUNEL法检测细胞存活率和凋亡率,免疫印迹和免疫组化方法检测细胞中NF-κB、Hsp-70、Bcl-2、Bax及caspase-3的表达水平;体内实验应用生化法检测3和6 d后血浆内T-AOC、SOD、GSH和MDA的水平。结果 H_2O_2损伤组(Ec)细胞凋亡率增加(P0.01),细胞内Bax、Hsp-70、NF-κB及caspase-3显著升高(P0.01),而Bcl-2显著下降(P0.01),维生素E干预后能显著缓解上述变化(P0.01),H_2O_2损伤前干预效果优于后干预。灌胃后3 d血浆中T-AOC、SOD、GSH的水平增高,MDA降低(P0.01),6 d后其相关指标变化更加显著(P0.05)。结论维生素E可通过调节人肝RBL细胞相关蛋白表达水平和Wistar大鼠血浆中抗氧化酶体系而发挥抗氧化作用。     

Effects of Hyperkinetic,a β Subunit of Shaker Voltage-Dependent K+ Channels,on the Oxidation State of Presynaptic Nerve Terminals

The Drosophila Hyperkinetic (Hk) gene encodes a β subunit of Shaker (Sh) K⁺ channels and shows high sequence homology to aldoketoreductase. Hk mutations are known to modify the voltage dependence and kinetics of Sh currents, which are also influenced by the oxidative state of the N-terminus region of the Sh channel, as demonstrated in heterologous expression experiments in frog oocytes. However, an in vivo role of Hk in cellular reduction/oxidation (redox) has not been demonstrated. By using a fluorescent indicator of reactive oxygen species (ROS), dihydrorhodamine-123 (DHR), we show that the presynaptic nerve terminal of larval motor axons is metabolically active, with more rapid accumulation of ROS in comparison with muscle cells. In Hk terminals, DHR fluorescence was greatly enhanced, indicating increased ROS levels. This observation implicates a role of the Hk β subunit in redox regulation in presynaptic terminals. This phenomenon was paralleled by the expected effects of the mutations affecting glutathione S-transferase S1 as well as applying H₂O₂ to wild-type synaptic terminals. Thus, our results also establish DHR as a useful tool for detecting ROS levels in the Drosophila neuromuscular junction.     

Nanomedicine for acute respiratory distress syndrome: The latest application,targeting strategy,and rational design

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by the severe inflammation and destruction of the lung air–blood barrier, leading to irreversible and substantial respiratory function damage. Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been encountered with a high risk of ARDS, underscoring the urgency for exploiting effective therapy. However, proper medications for ARDS are still lacking due to poor pharmacokinetics, non-specific side effects, inability to surmount pulmonary barrier, and inadequate management of heterogeneity. The increased lung permeability in the pathological environment of ARDS may contribute to nanoparticle-mediated passive targeting delivery. Nanomedicine has demonstrated unique advantages in solving the dilemma of ARDS drug therapy, which can address the shortcomings and limitations of traditional anti-inflammatory or antioxidant drug treatment. Through passive, active, or physicochemical targeting, nanocarriers can interact with lung epithelium/endothelium and inflammatory cells to reverse abnormal changes and restore homeostasis of the pulmonary environment, thereby showing good therapeutic activity and reduced toxicity. This article reviews the latest applications of nanomedicine in pre-clinical ARDS therapy, highlights the strategies for targeted treatment of lung inflammation, presents the innovative drug delivery systems, and provides inspiration for strengthening the therapeutic effect of nanomedicine-based treatment.