Objective To identify the relationship between nephritis activity, autophagy and inflammation in patients with SLE. Methods Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and P62 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of SLE patients with lupus nephritis and non-lupus nephritis patients. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interferon γ (IFN-γ) in the serum of SLE patients were determined by ELISA. The correlation between LC3II/LC3I ratio and SLE disease activity score (SLEDAI), urinary protein, TNF-α and IFN-γ levels was analyzed by Pearson method. Results The expression of LC3 was increased and P62 was decreased in SLE patients. TNF-α and IFN-γ were increased in the serum of SLE patients. LC3II/LC3I ratio was positively correlated with SLEDAI (r=0.4560), 24 hour urine protein (r=0.3753), IFN-γ (r=0.5685), but had no correlation with TNF-α (r=0.04 683). Conclusion Autophagy is found in PBMCs of SLE, and the autophagy is correlated with renal damage and inflammation in patients with lupus nephritis.
Humans ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear/metabolism* ; Autophagy-Related Proteins/metabolism* ; Lupus Nephritis/urine* ; Kidney ; Interferon-gamma/metabolism* ; Inflammation/metabolism* ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of different manners of heat exposure on thoracic aorta injury in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and explore the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Normal 6 to 7-week-old male SHRs were randomized into control group (cage at room temperature), intermittent heat exposure group (SHR-8 group, exposed to 32 ℃ for 8 h daily for 7 days) and SHR-24 group (with continuous exposure to 32 ℃ for 7 days). After the treatments, the pathologies of the thoracic aorta of the rats were observed with HE staining, and the expressions of Beclin1, LC3B and p62 were detected with Western blotting and immunofluorescence assay; TUNEL staining was used to observe cell apoptosis in the thoracic aorta, and the expressions of caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2 were detected using Western blotting. The effects of intraperitoneal injections of 3-MA (an autophagy agonist), rapamycin (an autophagy inhibitor) or compound C 30 min before intermittent heat exposure on the expressions of proteins associated with autophagy, apoptosis and the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 pathway in the aorta were examined with immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In SHR-8 group, the rats showed incomplete aortic intima with disordered cell distribution and significantly increased expressions of Beclin1, LC3II/LC3I and Bax, lowered expressions of p62 and Bcl-2, and increased apoptotic cells in the thoracic aorta (P < 0.05). Pretreatment with 3-MA obviously inhibited the expressions of autophagy- and apoptosis-related proteins, whereas rapamycin promoted their expressions. Compared with the control group, the rats in SHR-8 group had significantly down-regulated p-mTOR and up-regulated p-AMPK and p-ULK1 expression of in the aorta; Treatment with compound C obviously lowered the expressions of p-AMPK and p-ULK1 and those of LC3B and Beclin1 as well. CONCLUSION In SHRs, intermittent heat exposure causes significant pathologies and promotes autophagy and apoptosis in the thoracic aorta possibly by activating the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 pathway.
Rats ; Male ; Animals ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism* ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/metabolism* ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Beclin-1 ; Hot Temperature ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism* ; Apoptosis ; Aortic Diseases ; Autophagy ; Autophagy-Related Protein-1 Homolog/metabolism*

Shenfu Injection(SFI) is praised for the high efficacy in the treatment of septic shock. However, the precise role of SFI in the treatment of sepsis-associated lung injury is not fully understood. This study investigated the protective effect of SFI on sepsis-associated lung injury by a clinical trial and an animal experiment focusing on the hypoxia-inducing factor-1α(HIF-1α)-mediated mitochondrial autophagy. For the clinical trial, 70 patients with sepsis-associated lung injury treated in the emergency intensive care unit of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were included. The levels of interleukin(IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α were measured on days 1 and 5 for every patient. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR) was performed to determine the mRNA level of hypoxia inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α) in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs). For the animal experiment, 32 SPF-grade male C57BL/6J mice(5-6 weeks old) were randomized into 4 groups: sham group(n=6), SFI+sham group(n=10), SFI+cecal ligation and puncture(CLP) group(n=10), and CLP group(n=6). The body weight, body temperature, wet/dry weight(W/D) ratio of the lung tissue, and the pathological injury score of the lung tissue were recorded for each mouse. RT-qPCR and Western blot were conducted to determine the expression of HIF-1α, mitochondrial DNA(mt-DNA), and autophagy-related proteins in the lung tissue. The results of the clinical trial revealed that the SFI group had lowered levels of inflammatory markers in the blood and alveolar lavage fluid and elevated level of HIF-1α in the PBMCs. The mice in the SFI group showed recovered body temperature and body weight. lowered TNF-α level in the serum, and decreased W/D ratio of the lung tissue. SFI reduced the inflammatory exudation and improved the alveolar integrity in the lung tissue. Moreover, SFI down-regulated the mtDNA expression and up-regulated the protein levels of mitochondrial transcription factor A(mt-TFA), cytochrome c oxidase Ⅳ(COXⅣ), HIF-1α, and autophagy-related proteins in the lung tissue of the model mice. The findings confirmed that SFI could promote mitophagy to improve mitochondrial function by regulating the expression of HIF-1α.
Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Animals ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Lung/metabolism* ; Acute Lung Injury/drug therapy* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics* ; Sepsis/genetics* ; Hypoxia/pathology* ; Autophagy-Related Proteins ; Body Weight ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

Our previous studies have shown that calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) exerts protective effects on the acute lung injury induced by oxidative stress. This study was aimed to investigate whether autophagy was involved in the protection of CGRP against oxidative stress-induced lung injury in neonatal rats. Newborn Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into five groups: Control group, oxidative stress model group (Model group), Model + CGRP group, Model + CGRP + Rapamycin (an autophagy agonist) group, and Model + CGRP + LY294002 (an autophagy inhibitor) group. The model of hyperoxia-induced lung injury was established by continuous inhalation of oxygen (FiO₂ = 90%-95%) for 14 days in neonatal SD rats. Pathological changes of lung tissue were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and mean linear intercept (MLI) was measured. The quantitative changes of autophagic vesicles (AV) in type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECII) were measured under the transmission electron microscope. The protein expressions of Caspase-3, Bcl-2, mTOR, and Beclin-1 in lung tissue lysates were detected by Western blot. The results showed that, compared to the Model group at the same time point, the number of AV in AECII and the expression level of Beclin-1 protein of the lung tissue were increased, while the expression level of mTOR protein was decreased, with alleviated pathological changes, reduced MLI value and Caspase-3 protein expression level, increased Bcl-2 protein expression level in the lung tissue of Model + CGRP group. In addition, we found that the protective effect of CGRP on hyperoxia-induced lung injury could be enhanced by autophagy activator Rapamycin and abolished by autophagy inhibitor LY294002. Together, these findings indicate that CGRP could attenuate hyperoxia-induced lung injury in neonatal rats by enhancing autophagy.
Acute Lung Injury/pathology* ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Autophagy ; Calcitonin/metabolism* ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide/metabolism* ; Caspase 3/metabolism* ; Hyperoxia/pathology* ; Lung/pathology* ; Lung Injury/prevention & control* ; Oxidative Stress ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sirolimus/pharmacology*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of melatonin on the growth and metastasis of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and explore the mechanism. METHODS: MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with 1, 3 or 5 mmol/L melatonin, and the changes in cell proliferation were examined using CCK-8 assay. Colony-forming assay and wound healing assay were used to assess the effects of melatonin treatmnent on colony-forming ability and migration of the cells. Flow cytometry and immunofluoresnce assay were employed to examine apoptosis and positive staining for autophagy-related proteins in the cells treated with 3 mmol/L melatonin. The effects of melatonin treatment alone or in combination with 3-methyladenine (3-MA) on the expressions of the proteins associated with autophagy (LC3, P62 and Beclin1), apoptosis (Bcl2 and Bax) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (E-cadherin and Snail) were examined with Western blotting. RESULTS: Melatonin treatment significantly inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner (P < 0.05), suppressed colony-forming ability and migration (P < 0.01), and promoted apoptosis of the cells (P < 0.01). Melatonin treatment alone significantly increased the expressions of Bax (P < 0.05), E-cadherin, LC3-II/LC3-I, and Beclin1 and lowered the expressions of Bcl2 (P < 0.05), Snail, P62 (P < 0.05), and Bcl2/Bax ratio (P < 0.01) in the cells, and caused enhanced positive staining of Beclin1 protein and attenuated staining of P62 protein. Compared with melatonin treatment alone, melatonin treatment combined with 3-MA significantly decreased the expressions of Beclin1 (P < 0.001), LC3-II/LC3-I (P < 0.05), Bax (P < 0.01), and E-cadherin (P < 0.001) and increased the expressions of Bcl2 (P < 0.05), Snail, and Bcl2/Bax ratio (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION Melatonin can induce autophagy of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells to inhibit cell proliferation and metastasis and promote cell apoptosis, and suppressing autophagy can weaken the inhibitory effect of melatonin on the growth and metastasis of breast cancer cells.
Autophagy ; Autophagy-Related Proteins/metabolism* ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Female ; Humans ; Melatonin/pharmacology*

Objective: To investigate the effects of Zhongfeng capsule on the autophagy-related proteins expression in rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CI/ RI), and to explore its neural protection mechanisms of the decoction. Methods: Rat middle cerebral artery ischemia/reperfusion injury model (ischemia for 2 h, reperfusion for 24 h) was prepared by the improved line plug method. Sixty male SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group, butylphthalide group(0.054 g/kg), Zhongfeng capsule high-dose groups (1.08 g/kg), Zhongfeng capsule middle-dose groups (0.54 g/kg), Zhongfeng capsule low-dose groups (0.27 g/kg), with 10 rats in each group. Rats were treated with Zhongfeng capsule by gavage once a day for 10 days. The rats were sacrificed and the brain tissue was obtained after the experiment in each group. Score neurological deficit was evaluated after 24 h of the last intervention in rat of each group. The pathological changes of brain tissue were observed by HE staining. The serum levels of estradiol (E2) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were determined by ELISA. The expressions of key genes and proteins of PI3K/Akt/Beclin1 signaling pathway in brain tissue were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot respectively. Results: Compared with the sham operation group, the body weight and protein expressions of p-PI3k and p-Akt in brain tissue of rats were decreased significantly in the model group, while the brain index, neurological deficit score, gene and protein expressions of Beclin1 and LC3 were increased markedly in the model group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). In the model group, nerve cells of brain tissue were loosely packed, interstitial edema, triangular in shape, nuclear pyknosis and dark-blue staining were observed. Compared with the model group, the body weight of rats was increased obviously, the neurological deficit score was decreased significantly and the pathological injury of brain tissue was alleviated evidently in high-dose of Zhongfeng capsule group (P＜0.05). The brain index, the gene and protein expressions of Beclin1 and LC3 were decreased apparently in Zhongfeng capsule treatment groups(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01), while the expressions of p-PI3k and p-Akt in brain tissue were increased evidently in Zhongfeng capsule treatment groups(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). Conclusion: Zhongfeng capsule can inhibit autophagy and improve brain neurons lesion of CIRI rats, the mechanism may be related to regulate the expression of Beclin1 and LC3 in PI3K/Akt/Beclin1 signaling pathway.
Animals ; Autophagy-Related Proteins/pharmacology* ; Beclin-1/metabolism* ; Body Weight ; Brain ; Brain Ischemia/metabolism* ; Male ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury/drug therapy*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic etiology of Vici syndrome in a Chinese family. METHODS: Whole exome sequencing (WES) technology was used to detect gene variants in a fetus of abnormal ultrasonic structure without abnormalities in routine chromosome karyotype analysis and SNP-array. Sanger sequencing and bioinformatics prediction were performed for the suspected variants of the fetus and parents. RESULTS: The fetus and the elder sister have carried c. 2427delC (p.T809fs) and c.1886A>T (p.E629V) compound heterozygous variants of the EPG5 gene, which were respectively inherited from their mother and father. Neither variant was reported previously. According to ACMG guidelines, the c.2427delC variant was predicted as pathogenic, while the c.1886A>T variant was of uncertain significance. PolyPhen-2 and PROVEAN software indicated that c.1886A>T variant was probably damaging. CONCLUSION The c.2427delC and c.1886A>T variants of the EPG5 gene probably underlie the pathogenesis of the Vici syndrome in this family. Above finding has enriched the variational spectrum of EPG5 gene and provided a basis for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for the family.
Aged ; Agenesis of Corpus Callosum ; Autophagy-Related Proteins ; Cataract ; Female ; Humans ; Mutation ; Pregnancy ; Vesicular Transport Proteins/genetics* ; Whole Exome Sequencing

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Animals ; Autophagy-Related Proteins ; Depression/therapy* ; Hippocampus ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; Stroke/therapy* ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of the overexpression of autophagy-related gene 3 (ATG3) on autophagy and salinomycin-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells and explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: We used the lentivirus approach to establish a breast cancer cell line with stable overexpression of ATG3. Western blotting, immunofluorescence staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to analyze the effect of ATG3 overexpression on autophagy in breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Using the AKT/mTOR agonists SC79 and MHY1485, we analyzed the effect of AKT/mTOR signal pathway activation on ATG3 overexpression-induced autophagy. Western blotting and flow cytometry were used to analyze the effect of autophagy on apoptosis of the ATG3-overexpressing cells treated with salinomycin and 3-MA (an autophagy inhibitor). RESULTS: In ATG3-overexpressing MCF-7 cells, ATG3 overexpression obviously promoted autophagy, inhibited the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, significantly weakened salinomycin-induced apoptosis ( < 0.01), caused significant reduction of the levels of the pro-apoptotic proteins cleaved-caspase 3 ( < 0.01) and Bax ( < 0.05), and enhanced the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 ( < 0.05). The inhibition of autophagy obviously weakened the inhibitory effect of ATG3 overexpression on salinomycin-induced apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS ATG3 overexpression promotes autophagy possibly by inhibiting the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway to decrease salinomycin-induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, suggesting that autophagy induction might be one of the mechanisms of drug resistance in breast cancer cells.
Acetates ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; genetics ; Autophagy ; drug effects ; Autophagy-Related Proteins ; metabolism ; Benzopyrans ; pharmacology ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; MCF-7 Cells ; Morpholines ; pharmacology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Pyrans ; pharmacology ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Triazines ; pharmacology ; Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of estradiol (E2)/estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) on the proliferation of human chondrocytes and explore the molecular mechanism. METHODS: The Ad-Easy adenovirus packaging system was used to construct and package the ESR1-overexpressing adenovirus Ad-ESR1. Western blotting and qPCR were used to detect the expression of ESR1 protein and mRNA in human chondrocyte C28I2 cells. In the cells treated with different adenoviruses, the effects of E2 were tested on the expressions of proteins related with cell autophagy and apoptosis and the phosphorylation of ERK signaling pathway using Western blotting. Immunofluorescence assay was used to observe the intracellular autophagic flow, flow cytometry was performed to analyze the cell apoptosis rate and the cell cycle changes, and qPCR was used to detect the expressions of PCNA, cyclin B1 and cyclin D1 mRNAs. The inhibitory effect of the specific inhibitor of ERK on the expressions of autophagy- and apoptosis-related genes at both the protein and mRNA levels were detected using Western blotting and qPCR. RESULTS: Transfection with the recombinant adenovirus overexpressing ESR1 and E2 treatment of C28I2 cells significantly enhanced the expressions of autophagy-related proteins LC3, ATG7, promoted the colocalization of LC3 and LAMP1 in the cytoplasm, increased the expressions of the proliferation-related marker genes PCNA, cyclin B1 and cyclin D1, and supressed the expressions of cleaved caspase-3, caspase-12 and pERK. RNA interference of ESR1 obviously lowered the expression levels of autophagy-related proteins in C28I2 cells, causing also suppression of the autophagic flow, increments of the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins and pERK, and down-regulated the expressions of the proliferation marker genes. Blocking ERK activation with the ERK inhibitor obviously inhibited the effects of E2/ESR1 on autophagy, proliferationrelated gene expressions and cell apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS The targeted binding of E2 with ESR1 promotes the proliferation of human chondrocytes possibly by inhibiting the activation of ERK signaling pathway to promote cell autophagy and induce cell apoptosis.
Adenoviridae ; metabolism ; Apoptosis ; Autophagy ; Autophagy-Related Protein 7 ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Chondrocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; Estradiol ; metabolism ; Estrogen Receptor alpha ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lysosome-Associated Membrane Glycoproteins ; metabolism ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; metabolism ; Transfection