Beclin-1 increases with obstructive sleep apnea severity

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common chronic disorder that leads to chronic intermittent hypoxia described as an important factor contributing to the pathogenesis of OSA-related comorbidities. Besides, recent data suggest that intermittent hypoxia can induce adaptative cardiovascular pathways inducing a relative resistance to ischemic insults. Adaptative pathways induced by hypoxia could implicate autophagic processes and Beclin-1, one of the first mammalian autophagy effectors. Thus, activation of autophagy could protect against cardiovascular events in patients with OSA and could be considered as biomarker of a better prognosis.     

β‐asarone and levodopa co‐administration protects against 6‐hydroxydopamine‐induced damage in parkinsonian rat mesencephalon by regulating autophagy: down‐expression Beclin‐1 and light chain 3B and up‐expression P62

In this study, we investigated Beclin‐1, light chain (LC)3B, and p62 expression in 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA)‐induced parkinsonian rats after β‐asarone and levodopa (l ‐dopa) co‐administration. Unilateral 6‐OHDA injection into the medial forebrain bundle was used to create the models, except in sham‐operated rats. Rats were divided into eight groups: sham‐operated group; 6‐OHDA model group; madopar group (75 mg/kg, per os (p.o.)); l ‐dopa group (60 mg/kg, p.o.); β‐asarone group (15 mg/kg, p.o.); β‐asarone + l ‐dopa co‐administered group (15 mg/kg + 60 mg/kg, p.o.); 3‐methyladenine group (500 nmol, intraperitoneal injection); and rapamycin group (1 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection). Then, Beclin‐1, LC3B, and p62 expression in the mesencephalon were detected. The mesencephalon was also observed by transmission electron microscope. The results showed that Beclin‐1 and LC3B expression decreased and that p62 expression increased significantly in the madopar, l ‐dopa, β‐asarone, and co‐administered groups when compared with the 6‐OHDA model. Beclin‐1 and LC3B expression in the β‐asarone and co‐administered groups were less than in the madopar or l ‐dopa groups, whereas p62 expression in the β‐asarone and co‐administered groups was higher than in the madopar or l ‐dopa groups. In addition, a significant decrease in autophagosome was exhibited in the β‐asarone and co‐administered groups when compared with the 6‐OHDA group. Our findings indicate that Beclin‐1 and LC3B expression decreased, whereas p62 expression increased after co‐administration treatment. In sum, all data suggest that the co‐administration of β‐asarone and l ‐dopa may contribute to the treatment of 6‐OHDA‐induced damage in rats by inhibiting autophagy activity.     

Recycle or die: the role of autophagy in cardioprotection

Autophagy is a highly conserved cellular process responsible for the degradation of long-lived proteins and organelles. Autophagy occurs at low levels under normal conditions, but is upregulated in response to stress such as nutrient deprivation, hypoxia, mitochondrial dysfunction, and infection. Upregulation of autophagy may be beneficial to the cell by recycling of proteins to generate free amino acids and fatty acids needed to maintain energy production, by removing damaged organelles, and by preventing accumulation of protein aggregates. In contrast, there is evidence that enhanced autophagy can contribute to cell death, possibly through excessive self-digestion. In the heart, autophagy has an essential role for maintaining cellular homeostasis under normal conditions and increased autophagy can be seen in conditions of starvation, ischemia/reperfusion, and heart failure. However, the functional significance of autophagy in heart disease is unclear and controversial. Here, we review the literature and discuss the evidence that autophagy can have both beneficial and detrimental roles in the myocardium depending on the level of autophagy, and discuss potential mechanisms by which autophagy provides protection in cells.     

Delayed cardioprotection by sevoflurane preconditioning: a novel mechanism via inhibiting Beclin 1-mediated autophagic cell death in cardiac myocytes exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation injury

Sevoflurane preconditioning has shown to exert delayed caridioprotection against subsequent ischemia and reperfusion injury, but the mechanisms underlying is unclear. Inhibition of autophagy by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) or knockdown of Beclin 1 leads to enhanced cardiac myocyte survival. Our study aimed to test whether sevoflurane preconditioning provides a second window of anesthetic preconditioning (SWOP) via inhibit Beclin 1-mediated autophagic cell death. H9c2 rat cardiomyocytes were randomly divided into five groups: Control (CON) group; hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) group, rat cardiomyocytes was exposed in the airtight container for 2 h followed by 1 h of reoxgenation; SWOP group, rat cardiomyocytes was exposed to 1 h of 2.5% sevoflurane 24 h before H/R; Autophagic inhibitors, 3-methyladenine (3-MA, 10 mM) was added to culture medium 15 min before sevoflurane exposure (3-MA+SWOP group) or cells were treated by 3-MA alone (3-MA group). The cell proliferation was significantly increased in SWOP group (79.49 ± 1.37%, P < 0.05) when compared to H/R group (62.2 ± 6.49%, P < 0.05). 3-MA administered before SWOP significantly attenuated the H/R induced autophagy and cell death. H/R injury up-regulated the expression of LC3-II and Beclin 1 proteins (342 ± 66% and 163 ± 18%, respectively, P < 0.05) compared to the CON group (100%), which were increased in SWOP group (202 ± 77% and 128 ± 8%, respectively, P < 0.05). The expression of LC3-II and Beclin 1 proteins was decreased in 3-MA group (110 ± 28% and 97 ± 6%, respectively) and 3-MA+SWOP group (93 ± 7% and 98 ± 6%, respectively) compared with H/R group, but Bcl-2 was upregulated in 3-MA group (158 ± 4%) and 3-MA+SWOP group (156 ± 5%) compared to H/R group (103 ± 7%). In conclusion, sevoflurane preconditioning confers delayed cardioprotection via inhibition Beclin 1-mediated autophagic cell death in cardiac myocytes 24 h before exposed to H/R injury.     

Beclin 1 and p62 expression in non-small cell lung cancer: relation with malignant behaviors and clinical outcome

Autophagy plays a complicated role in tumorigenesis in a variety of cancers. Recently, many studies report that some autophagy-related markers could be detected in several types of human tumors. However, fewer studies have been conducted to evaluate the relationship between autophagy and lung cancer, especially in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this study, the expression levels of autophagy-related markers Beclin 1 and p62 were detected by Western blot analysis and cell immunofluorescence staining in three human NSCLC cell lines A549, H1299 and HCC827. Then, tissue microarray and immunohistochemical staining were used to determine Beclin 1 and p62 expression in 104 NSCLC specimens collected from patients. Beclin 1 and p62 were observed to primarily distribute in the cytoplasm of the cells. Beclin 1 was expressed more predominantly in male and heavy-smoker and its expression was significantly correlated with the differentiation and lymph node metastasis. p62 expression was negatively correlated with TNM stage and lymph node metastasis. Univariate Cox regression analysis revealed that low expression of Beclin 1 and high expression of p62 were significantly associated with shorter survival. Meanwhile, multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that Beclin 1 and p62 were independent risk factors related to overall survival for patients with NSCLC. Collectively, our study suggests that Beclin 1 and p62 could serve as potential indicators for the prognosis of patients with NSCLC.     

miR-205-5p、PDCD5、Beclin1在子宫内膜癌组织中的表达及相关性研究

目的 研究子宫内膜癌组织中微小RNA(microRNA miR-205-5p)、程序性细胞坏死因子5（programmed cell necrosis factor 5,PDCD5）、Beclin1的表达情况及三者之间的相关性。 方法 选择75例子宫内膜癌组织和距离癌组织边缘5 cm癌旁组织。通过免疫组织化学、实时荧光定量法检测miR-205-5p、PDCD5、Beclin1的表达情况,分析miR-205-5p、PDCD5、Beclin1的相关性及对子宫内膜癌的诊断价值。 结果 癌组织中miR-205-5p表达高于癌旁组织,PDCD5、Beclin1表达低于癌旁组织（P＜0.05）。不同组织学分级、临床分期、淋巴结转移、肌层浸润子宫内膜癌患者miR-205-5p、PDCD5、Beclin1表达差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）,Ⅲ~Ⅳ期、中低分化、有淋巴结转移、≥1/2肌层浸润子宫内膜癌患者miR-205-5p表达升高,PDCD5、Beclin1表达降低,差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。不同年龄、病理类型子宫内膜癌患者miR-205-5p、PDCD5、Beclin1表达差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）。miR-205-5p、PDCD5之间呈负相关,miR-205-5p、Beclin1之间呈负相关,PDCD5、Beclin1之间呈正相关（P＜0.05）。三项联合诊断子宫内膜癌的价值高于miR-205-5p、PDCD5、Beclin1单项诊断（P＜0.05）。 结论 miR-205-5p表达升高,PDCD5、Beclin1表达降低对子宫内膜癌的发展起到了促进作用,参与子宫内膜癌的演变进程,临床可根据上述指标对子宫内膜癌进行预测。     

番茄红素通过上调Beclin1-Atg 5通路激活自噬发挥对脊髓损伤大鼠的神经保护作用

目的 探讨番茄红素对大鼠脊髓损伤后的神经保护机制。方法 27只（6~8周龄）雌性SD大鼠随机分为假手术组、模型组和实验组各9只。大鼠麻醉清醒后,实验组20 mg/kg番茄红素玉米油溶液灌胃,假手术组和模型组等体积玉米油灌胃,每天1次,共14 d。分别于术后1、3、7、14 d,采用斜板试验评估各组大鼠后肢运动功能变化;术后7 d,采用qRT-PCR和Western blot检测大鼠脊髓组织自噬相关因子Beclin1、Atg 5的表达水平。结果 斜板试验结果显示,术后1、3、7、14 d模型组和实验组大鼠后肢运动功能低于假手术组（P<0.05）;术后7、14 d,实验组较模型组大鼠后肢运动功能提高,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）;实时荧光定量PCR（quantitative real-time,qRT-PCR）和蛋白质印迹法（western blot）结果显示,术后7 d模型组和实验组Beclin1、Atg 5的mRNA和蛋白质表达均较假手术组升高,实验组与模型组比较显著升高,差异具有统计学意义（P<0.05）。结论 番茄红素可能通过上调Beclin1-Atg 5通路激活自噬发挥对脊髓损伤大鼠的神经保护作用。     

自噬相关基因Beclin1与肿瘤

Beclin1是一种自噬相关基因,其在细胞自噬中起到了重要的调节作用。此外,最近的研究表明它在肿瘤的发生、发展中也发挥了一定作用,它通过自噬、凋亡等作用抑制肿瘤的发展,但也有研究表明其在肿瘤发展过程中起到了积极的作用。     

Beclin 1 基因对恶性胶质瘤细胞 U87 自噬活性和增殖的影响简

目的研究BeclinJ基因对U87胶质瘤细胞自噬和增殖的影响。方法实验分5组：空白对照组．pSUPER—Bec组（表达BeclinsiRNA）与其阴性对照组（pSUPER—non组）,pcDNA3．1-Bec组（表达BeclinJ基因质粒）与其阴性对照组（pcDNA3．1-non组）。分别转染U87细胞,采用免疫印迹检测Beclin1、LC3和p62蛋白在各组的表达;用氚标胸腺嘧啶脱氧核苷（3H-TdR）检测各组细胞增殖率。结果转染后48h,pSUPER—Bec组Beclin1、LC3B—11蛋白表达下降,p62蛋白表达升高。pcDNA3．1-Bec组Beclin1、LC3B-Ⅱ蛋白表达升高,p62蛋白表达下降。与空白对照组或pcDNA3．1-non组相比．pcDNA3．1-Bec组细胞增殖速度降低（P〈0．05）,其他各组细胞增殖速度无明显差异。结论恶性胶质瘤细胞中自噬相关基因Beclinj表达下降,过表达Beclinl蛋白能增强细胞的自噬活性,抑制细胞的增殖活性。     

NASH患者外周血乏氧诱导因子1a-反义RNA 1和自噬基因Beclin1变化及其临床意义*

目的 研究非酒精性脂肪性肝炎(NASH)患者外周血单个核细胞(PBMC)乏氧诱导因子1a-反义RNA 1(HIF1a-AS1)和血清自噬基因beclin1水平变化及其临床意义。方法 2019年1月～2021年4月我院诊治的NASH患者118例(早期纤维化、进展期纤维化和肝硬化分别为43例、46例和29例)和同期健康体检者118例,使用全自动生化分析仪检测空腹血糖(FBG)、总胆固醇(TC)、甘油三酯(TG)、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(HDL-C)和低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(LDL-C)水平,采用实时荧光定量PCR法检测PBMC HIF1a-AS1水平,采用ELISA法检测血清beclin1水平。结果 NASH患者FBG、血清TC、TG、LDL-C、PBMC HIF1a-AS1和血清beclin1水平分别为(5.9±1.6)mmol/L、(6.2±0.5)mmol/L、(2.4±0.6)mmol/L、(3.7±0.9)mmol/L、(1.9±0.2)和(5.7±1.9)ng/mL,显著高于健康者【分别为(4.8±0.7)mmol/L、(5.3±0.3)mmol/L、(1.3±0.3)mmol/L、(2.3±0.6)mmol/L、(1.0±0.1)和(4.1±1.5)ng/mL,P＜0.05】,而血清HDL-C水平为(1.2±0.2)mmol/L,显著低于健康者【(1.4±0.3)mmol/L,P＜0.05】;肝硬化患者FBG、血清TC、TG、LDL-C、PBMC HIF1a-AS1和血清beclin1水平分别为(6.8±2.0)mmol/L、(6.8±0.8)mmol/L、(2.8±0.7)mmol/L、(4.4±1.2)mmol/L、(2.5±0.3)和(6.4±2.1)ng/mL,显著高于早期纤维化患者【分别为(5.2±1.1)mmol/L、(5.7±0.4)mmol/L、(1.9±0.5)mmol/L、(3.1±1.0)mmol/L、(1.4±0.1)和(5.1±1.3)ng/mL,P＜0.05】;49例有高血压、糖尿病或/和高脂血症合并症的NASH患者FBG、血清TC、TG、LDL-C、PBMC HIF1a-AS1和血清beclin1水平分别为(6.5±1.9)mmol/L、(6.9±0.8)mmol/L、(2.7±0.8)mmol/L、(4.0±1.1)mmol/L、(2.2±0.3)和(6.3±2.0)ng/mL,显著高于69例无合并症者【分别为(5.5±1.3)mmol/L、(5.7±0.4)mmol/L、(2.2±0.5)mmol/L、(3.5±0.7)mmol/L、(1.7±0.2)和(5.3±1.6)ng/mL,P＜0.05】,而血清HDL-C水平为(1.1±0.2)mmol/L,显著低于无合并症者【(1.3±0.4)mmol/L,P＜0.05】。结论 NASH患者PBMC HIF1a-AS1和血清beclin1水平异常升高,监测其水平可能有助于病情评估。