Mechanism of action of Orthosiphon stamineus against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Insights from systems pharmacology and molecular docking approaches

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common complications of a metabolic syndrome caused by excessive accumulation of fat in the liver. Orthosiphon stamineus also known as Orthosiphon aristatus is a medicinal plant with possible potential beneficial effects on various metabolic disorders. This study aims to investigate the in vitro inhibitory effects of O. stamineus on hepatic fat accumulation and to further use the computational systems pharmacology approach to identify the pharmacokinetic properties of the bioactive compounds of O. stamineus and to predict their molecular mechanisms against NAFLD. Methods: The effects of an ethanolic extract of O. stamineus leaves on cytotoxicity, fat accumulation and antioxidant activity were assessed using HepG2 cells. The bioactive compounds of O. stamineus were identified using LC/MS and two bioinformatics databases, namely the Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Database (TCMID) and the Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for the Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine (BATMAN-TCM). Pathway enrichment analysis was performed on the predicted targets of the bioactive compounds to provide a systematic overview of the molecular mechanism of action, while molecular docking was used to validate the predicted targets. Results: A total of 27 bioactive compounds corresponding to 50 potential NAFLD-related targets were identified. O. stamineus exerts its anti-NAFLD effects by modulating a variety of cellular processes, including oxidative stress, mitochondrial β-oxidation, inflammatory signalling pathways, insulin signalling, and fatty acid homeostasis pathways. O. stamineus is significantly targeting many oxidative stress regulators, including JNK, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), NFKB1, PPAR, and AKT1. Molecular docking analysis confirmed the expected high affinity for the potential targets, while the in vitro assay indicates the ability of O. stamineus to inhibit hepatic fat accumulation. Conclusion: Using the computational systems pharmacology approach, the potentially beneficial effect of O. stamineus in NAFLD was indicated through the combination of multiple compounds, multiple targets, and multicellular components.     

Recent advances in lipid nanoparticles for delivery of nucleic acid,mRNA, and gene editing-based therapeutics

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are becoming popular as a means of delivering therapeutics, including those based on nucleic acids and mRNA. The mRNA-based coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines are perfect examples to highlight the role played by drug delivery systems in advancing human health. The fundamentals of LNPs for the delivery of nucleic acid- and mRNA-based therapeutics, are well established. Thus, future research on LNPs will focus on addressing the following: expanding the scope of drug delivery to different constituents of the human body, expanding the number of diseases that can be targeted, and studying the change in the pharmacokinetics of LNPs under physiological and pathological conditions. This review article provides an overview of recent advances aimed at expanding the application of LNPs, focusing on the pharmacokinetics and advantages of LNPs. In addition, analytical techniques, library construction and screening, rational design, active targeting, and applicability to gene editing therapy have also been discussed.     

骨形态发生蛋白2及碱性成纤维生长因子2对大鼠骨髓间充质干细胞膜片增殖和成骨分化的影响

文题释义： 细胞膜片技术：是在体外接种培养高密度的细胞，使其相互融合生长至100%而形成的透明致密膜状物。该技术不需要胰酶消化即可收集细胞，因此保留了大量的胞外基质、细胞间连接以及细胞-基质连接等结构。目前细胞膜片技术已成为组织工程领域的研究热点，已被推广应用于牙周膜、角膜、心脏、软骨、食管等多种组织器官修复。 成骨细胞：主要由内外骨膜和间充质始祖细胞分化而来，在复杂的骨形成过程中发挥着主要的功能，承担着骨基质的合成、分泌和矿化。骨髓间充质干细胞具有多向分化潜能，能定向分化为成骨细胞，其成骨分化过程可受多种因素的影响，如细胞因子的调控、遗传因素和激素水平等。背景：现阶段骨形态发生蛋白2和碱性成纤维生长因子2对骨髓间充质干细胞膜片增殖、成骨分化的影响和作用机制还尚未可知，如何将生长因子与组织工程细胞膜片技术相整合，最终将其用于骨缺损修复具有重要意义。 目的：探讨单独及联合应用骨形态发生蛋白2和碱性成纤维生长因子2对骨髓间充质干细胞膜片增殖和成骨分化的影响。 方法：体外分离培养鉴定SD大鼠骨髓间充质干细胞并构建细胞膜片，选用不同质量浓度的骨形态发生蛋白2和碱性成纤维生长因子2单独及联合诱导骨髓间充质干细胞膜片，CCK-8法结合碱性磷酸酶活性检测确定2种因子促进膜片增殖和成骨分化的最佳有效质量浓度；然后对骨髓间充质干细胞膜片进行成骨诱导，通过大体及显微镜观察、Vonkossa染色、茜素红染色、RT-PCR检测相关成骨标志物来评估诱导效果。 结果与结论：单独应用骨形态发生蛋白2可增强骨髓间充质干细胞膜片的碱性磷酸酶活性，最佳质量浓度为100 μg/L(P < 0.001)，单独应用碱性成纤维生长因子2能加速骨髓间充质干细胞膜片的增殖，最佳质量浓度为20 μg/L(P < 0.001)，而联合应用既可以促进膜片增殖又能提高其碱性磷酸酶活性(P < 0.001)；经成骨诱导后，4组膜片在形态学上无明显差异，均能诱导骨髓间充质干细胞膜片的成骨分化，其中联合组钙结节最明显(P < 0.001)，可显著促进膜片晚期成骨分化并抑制其早期成骨分化，具有明显的协同促进作用(P < 0.001)。结果表明，骨形态发生蛋白2和碱性成纤维生长因子2联合应用时具有协同作用，既可以促进骨髓间充质干细胞膜片增殖，又能显著增强其成骨诱导能力。ORCID: 0000-0003-1918-579X(何惠宇) 中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点：干细胞；骨髓干细胞；造血干细胞；脂肪干细胞；肿瘤干细胞；胚胎干细胞；脐带脐血干细胞；干细胞诱导；干细胞分化；组织工程     

死亡结构域相关蛋白及其在宫颈病变中的研究进展

宫颈癌对妇女健康构成严重威胁,人乳头瘤病毒感染与宫颈病变及宫颈癌的发生密切相关。关于宫颈癌发生发展的机制仍在研究中。近年研究发现一种多功能核蛋白,即死亡结构域相关蛋白(death domain associated protein,Daxx),其与细胞内蛋白或病毒蛋白相互作用,参与调节细胞凋亡、转录调控、抗病毒等细胞活动,在不同途径中发挥不同的生理或病理作用。通过对Daxx功能及其作用机制的研究有助于进一步阐明宫颈癌发生发展的机制,有助于发现新的预防和治疗方法。综述Daxx的一般特性和研究现况及其在宫颈病变的研究进展。     

First Japanese autopsy case showing LRRK2 mutation G2019S and TDP-43 proteinopathy

This is the first Japanese autopsy case of Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) G2019S mutation with atypical TDP43 proteinopathy. Our case is important that presented clinically dysphagia and pathologically TDP-43 proteinopathy. TDP43 may play an important role of clinical presentation with LRRK2 G2019S mutation carriers.     

In vivo epigenetic effects induced by engineered nanomaterials: A case study of copper oxide and laser printer-emitted engineered nanoparticles

Evidence continues to grow on potential environmental health hazards associated with engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). While the geno- and cytotoxic effects of ENMs have been investigated, their potential to target the epigenome remains largely unknown. The aim of this study is two-fold: 1) determining whether or not industry relevant ENMs can affect the epigenome in vivo and 2) validating a recently developed in vitro epigenetic screening platform for inhaled ENMs. Laser printer-emitted engineered nanoparticles (PEPs) released from nano-enabled toners during consumer use and copper oxide (CuO) were chosen since these particles induced significant epigenetic changes in a recent in vitro companion study. In this study, the epigenetic alterations in lung tissue, alveolar macrophages and peripheral blood from intratracheally instilled mice were evaluated. The methylation of global DNA and transposable elements (TEs), the expression of the DNA methylation machinery and TEs, in addition to general toxicological effects in the lung were assessed. CuO exhibited higher cell-damaging potential to the lung, while PEPs showed a greater ability to target the epigenome. Alterations in the methylation status of global DNA and TEs, and expression of TEs and DNA machinery in mouse lung were observed after exposure to CuO and PEPs. Additionally, epigenetic changes were detected in the peripheral blood after PEPs exposure. Altogether, CuO and PEPs can induce epigenetic alterations in a mouse experimental model, which in turn confirms that the recently developed in vitro epigenetic platform using macrophage and epithelial cell lines can be successfully utilized in the epigenetic screening of ENMs.     

Actin binding proteins,actin cytoskeleton and spermatogenesis – Lesson from toxicant models

Actin cytoskeleton is crucial to support spermatogenesis in the mammalian testis. However, the molecular mechanism(s) underlying changes of actin cytoskeletal organization in response to cellular events that take place across the seminiferous epithelium (e.g., self-renewal of spermatogonial stem cells, germ cell differentiation, meosis, spermiogenesis, spermiation) at specific stages of the epithelial cycle of spermatogenesis remain largely unexplored. This, at least in part, is due to the lack of suitable study models to identify the crucial regulatory proteins and to investigate how these proteins work in concert to support actin dynamics. Much of the information on the role of actin binding proteins in the literature, namely the actin bundling proteins, actin nucleation proteins and motor proteins, are either findings based on genetic models or morphological analyses. While this information is helpful to delineate the function of these proteins to support spermatogenesis, they are not helpful to identify the regulatory signaling proteins, the signaling pathways and the cascade of events to modulate actin cytoskeleton dynamics. Recent studies based on the use of toxicant models, both in vitro and in vivo, however, have bridged this gap by identifying putative regulatory and signaling proteins of actin cytoskeleton. Herein, we summarize and critically evaluate these findings. We also provide a hypothetical model by which actin cytoskeletal dynamics in Sertoli cells are regulated, which in turn supports spermatid transport across the seminiferous epithelium, and at the blood-testis barrier (BTB) during the epithelial cycle of spermatogenesis.