BACKGROUND:Fasudil has a regulatory effect on mitochondrial dynamics in the brain of Alzheimer's disease mice and can inhibit neuroinflammation,but whether it can reduce the toxicity of β-amyloid protein by regulating mitophagy-NLRP3 inflammasome pathway remains unclear.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the regulatory effect of fasudil on β-amyloid 1-42-induced apoptosis and mitophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome in human derived neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y cells.METHODS:SH-SY5Y cells were inoculated into the pore plate.After adhesion,cells were divided into three groups for intervention:No drug was added to the control group;20 μmol/L β-amyloid 1-42 was added to the model group,and 20 μmol/L β-amyloid 1-42 and 15 mg/L fasudil were added to the fasudil group at the same time.After 24 hours of intervention,the cell activity was detected by MTT assay and apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining.The expression of apoptosis-related proteins was detected by qRT-PCR and western blot assay.The expression of mitochondrial autophagy related proteins was detected by immunofluorescence staining and western blot assay.The expression of NLRP3 inflammasome related proteins was detected by immunofluorescence staining and western blot assay.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with control group,the cell activity of the model group was decreased and the apoptosis rate was increased(P<0.05).Compared with model group,cell activity in the fasudil group was increased and apoptosis rate was decreased(P<0.05).(2)The results of qRT-PCR and western blot assay showed that compared with the control group,the expression of Bax mRNA and protein was increased in the model group(P<0.05),while the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA and protein was decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the expression of Bax mRNA and protein was decreased(P<0.05),and the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA and protein was increased(P<0.05)in the fasudil group.(3)The results of immunofluorescence staining and western blot assay showed that compared with the control group,the expressions of PINK1,Parkinson's disease protein and LC3 protein were decreased(P<0.05),while the expression of p62 protein was increased(P<0.05)in the model group.Compared with model group,the expression levels of PINK1,Parkinson's disease protein,and LC3 protein were increased(P<0.05),while the expression of p62 protein was decreased(P<0.05)in the fasudil group.(4)The results of immunofluorescence staining and western blot assay showed that compared with the control group,the expression levels of NLRP3,ASC,Caspase-1,and interleukin1β protein were increased in the model group(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the expression levels of NLRP3,ASC,Caspase-1,and interleukin1β were decreased in the fasudil group(P<0.05).(5)The results show that fasudil can reduce the apoptosis of SH-SY5Y cells induced by β-amyloid 1-42,and its mechanism may be related to the activation of mitophagy and the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

BACKGROUND:Fasudil has a regulatory effect on mitochondrial dynamics in the brain of Alzheimer's disease mice and can inhibit neuroinflammation,but whether it can reduce the toxicity of β-amyloid protein by regulating mitophagy-NLRP3 inflammasome pathway remains unclear.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the regulatory effect of fasudil on β-amyloid 1-42-induced apoptosis and mitophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome in human derived neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y cells.METHODS:SH-SY5Y cells were inoculated into the pore plate.After adhesion,cells were divided into three groups for intervention:No drug was added to the control group;20 μmol/L β-amyloid 1-42 was added to the model group,and 20 μmol/L β-amyloid 1-42 and 15 mg/L fasudil were added to the fasudil group at the same time.After 24 hours of intervention,the cell activity was detected by MTT assay and apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining.The expression of apoptosis-related proteins was detected by qRT-PCR and western blot assay.The expression of mitochondrial autophagy related proteins was detected by immunofluorescence staining and western blot assay.The expression of NLRP3 inflammasome related proteins was detected by immunofluorescence staining and western blot assay.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with control group,the cell activity of the model group was decreased and the apoptosis rate was increased(P<0.05).Compared with model group,cell activity in the fasudil group was increased and apoptosis rate was decreased(P<0.05).(2)The results of qRT-PCR and western blot assay showed that compared with the control group,the expression of Bax mRNA and protein was increased in the model group(P<0.05),while the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA and protein was decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the expression of Bax mRNA and protein was decreased(P<0.05),and the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA and protein was increased(P<0.05)in the fasudil group.(3)The results of immunofluorescence staining and western blot assay showed that compared with the control group,the expressions of PINK1,Parkinson's disease protein and LC3 protein were decreased(P<0.05),while the expression of p62 protein was increased(P<0.05)in the model group.Compared with model group,the expression levels of PINK1,Parkinson's disease protein,and LC3 protein were increased(P<0.05),while the expression of p62 protein was decreased(P<0.05)in the fasudil group.(4)The results of immunofluorescence staining and western blot assay showed that compared with the control group,the expression levels of NLRP3,ASC,Caspase-1,and interleukin1β protein were increased in the model group(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the expression levels of NLRP3,ASC,Caspase-1,and interleukin1β were decreased in the fasudil group(P<0.05).(5)The results show that fasudil can reduce the apoptosis of SH-SY5Y cells induced by β-amyloid 1-42,and its mechanism may be related to the activation of mitophagy and the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of vedolizumab (VDZ) monoclonal antibody in maintenance therapy for ulcerative colitis (UC) .Methods:A retrospective case control study was conducted, including 84 patients with active UC undergoing VDZ therapy for an average of (22±8) weeks in the Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from December 2020 to September 2023. These patients achieved a response or remission by (22±8) weeks and continued follow-up until (54±8) weeks. They were divided into effective and ineffective groups based on whether they achieved clinical remission by (54±8) weeks after using VDZ; those who required optimized treatment with shortened injection intervals were included in the ineffective group. Baseline clinical data, medication history and endoscopic imaging data were recorded. The clinically modified Mayo score, Mayo endoscopic score, and other assessments were used to evaluate UC disease activity. Adverse reactions related to treatment were also recorded to assess the efficacy of VDZ treatment up to (54±8) weeks was assessed and key factors affecting clinical remission of the disease were analyzed.Results:Among the 84 UC patients with followed up to (54±8) weeks, 47 cases (55.95%) achieved clinical remission and were classified as the effective group, while 37 cases (44.05%) did not achieve clinical remission and were classified as the ineffective group. The endoscopic remission rate in the effective group was 68.09% (32/47), and the mucosal healing rate was 36.17% (17/47). Joint pain occurred in 2.38% of patients, hepatic dysfunction in 3.57%, and one patient died from leukemia following a COVID-19 infection during the maintenance therapy period.Conclusion:VDZ has a certain efficacy in the continuous treatment of UC patients and in maintaining clinical and endoscopic remission, with generally high overall safety and a low incidence of adverse reactions.

Objective:To explore mechanism of Fasudil reducing Aβ1-42 induced BV2 cell injury based on NLRP3 inflamma-some.Methods:BV2 cells were divided into:normal control group,Aβ stimulation group,Aβ+Fasudil intervention group,Aβ+MCC950(NLRP3 inhibitor)intervention group.Cell morphology was observed under microscope.Cell activity was determined of by CCK8.NO release was measured by Griess.NLRP3,caspase 1 and IL-18 expressions were detected by immunofluorescence staining.NLRP3,ASC,caspase 1,IL-1β and IL-18 expressions were detected by Western blot.Results:Compared with normal control group,BV2 cells in Aβ stimulation group were activated and showed amoeba-like shape,cell activity was decreased,NO production was increased,NLRP3,ASC,caspase 1,IL-1β and IL-18 expressions were increased.Fasudil intervention and MCC950 intervention inhibited cell injury induced by Aβ1-42 in which BV2 cell morphology tended to be normal,cell activity was increased,while produc-tion of NO was reduced,and NLRP3,ASC,caspase 1,IL-1β and IL-18 expressions were down-regulated,there was no significant difference between Fasudil intervention group and MCC950 intervention group.Conclusion:Fasudil may alleviate Aβ1-42 induced BV2 cell injury and inflammatory reaction by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

OBJECTIVE To study the efficacy evaluation of triptolide(TP) in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion(I/R) injury and its mechanism. METHODS Rat brain I/R injury model was copied by middle cerebral artery wire embolism surgery, and TP (0.1, 0.2 mg·kg−1) was given to the treatment group, and set the sham surgery group. The Longa score method was used to measure the neural function of rats, and Niselferi staining was used to show the morphology of neurons in the ischemic side brain tissue of rats, immunofluorescence was used to detect the expression levels of MAP2 and Syn in ischemic lateral brain tissue. The expression levels of cAMP, PKA, BDNF, Syn and PSD-95 were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS Compared with the model group, the neurological scores of TP treatment group decreased significantly(P<0.01 or P<0.001), it had a protective effect on damaged neurons. Compared with the model group, cAMP, PKA, BDNF, Syn and PSD-95 in TP treatment group were significantly up-regulated. CONCLUSION TP treatment can significantly improve I/R injury, and the mechanism may be related to the activation of the cAMP/PKA/BDNF signaling pathway.

Objective To analyze the interactions between different structural types of volatile oil compo-nents(VOCs)and skin lipid molecules,and investigate the mechanism of volatile oil in Chi-nese materia medica(VOCMM)as penetration enhancers. Methods In this study,210 different structural types of VOCs were selected from the VOCMM penetration enhancer database,and the molecular docking experiments were conducted with three main lipid molecules of skin:ceramide 2(CER2),cholesterol(CHL),and free fatty acid(FFA).Each VOC was docked individually with each lipid molecule.Cluster analysis was used to explore the relationship between the binding energy of VOCs and their molecular struc-tures.Nine specific pathogen-free(SPF)Sprague Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided in-to Control,Nootkatone,and 3-Butylidenephthalide groups for in vitro percutaneous experi-ments,with three rats in each group.The donor pool solutions were 3%gastrodin,3%gas-trodin+3%nootkatone,and 3%gastrodin+3%3-butylidenephthalide,respectively.The pen-etration enhancing effects of VOCs with higher binding energy were evaluated by comparing the 12-hour cumulative percutaneous absorption of gastrodin(Q12,μg/cm2). Results(i)Most of the VOCs were non-hydrogen bonded to the hydrophobic parts of CHL and FFA,and hydrogen bonded to the head group of CER2.Among them,sesquiterpene ox-ides showed the most pronounced binding affinity to CER2.The VOCs with 2-4 rings(in-cluding carbon rings,benzene rings,and heterocycles)demonstrated stronger binding affini-ty for three skin lipid molecules compared with the VOCs without intramolecular rings(P<0.01).(ii)According to the cluster analysis,most of the VOCs that bond well to CER2 had 2-3 intramolecular rings.The non-oxygenated VOCs were bonded to CER2 in a hydrophobic manner.The oxygenated VOCs were mostly bonded to CER2 by hydrogen bonding.(iii)The results of Franz diffusion cell experiment showed that the Q12 of Control group was 260.60±25.09 μg/cm2,and the transdermal absorption of gastrodin was significantly increased in Nootkatone group(Q12=5 503.00±1 080.00 μg/cm2,P<0.01).The transdermal absorption of gastrodin was also increased in 3-Butylidenephthalide group(Q12=495.40±56.98 μg/cm2,P>0.05).(iv)The type of oxygen-containing functional groups in VOCs was also an influencing factor of binding affinity to CER2. Conclusion The interactions between different types of VOCs with different structures in the VOCMM and three skin lipid molecules in the stratum corneum were investigated at the molecular level in this paper.This research provided theoretical guidance and data support for the screening of volatile oil-based penetration enhancers,and a simple and rapid method for studying the penetration-enhancing mechanism of volatile oils.

BACKGROUND:Astrocytes play an important role in the pathology of central nervous system diseases.The phenotypic and functional changes in astrocytes suggest that it may be an effective therapeutic target for central nervous system diseases.Our previous studies have confirmed that astragaloside can inhibit the lipopolysaccharide-induced astrocyte inflammatory response.Whether astragaloside can regulate the phenotype and function of astrocytes through Notch-1 and its downstream signaling pathway remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of astragaloside on astrocyte activation and inflammatory response induced by inflammation and its possible mechanism. METHODS:Cerebral cortex astrocytes derived from neonatal C57BL/6 mouse were cultured in vitro.CCK-8 assay was used to determine the optimum concentration of astragaloside and Notch active inhibitor DAPT.The astrocytes were divided into five groups:PBS group,lipopolysaccharide group,lipopolysaccharide + astragaloside group,lipopolysaccharide + DAPT group and lipopolysaccharide + DAPT + astragaloside group.The secretion level of inflammatory factors was detected by ELISA,and the level of nitric oxide was detected by Griess method.The astrocytes and splenic mononuclear cells were co-cultured in Transwell chamber to observe the migration of CD4T cells.The expression of astrocyte activation marker GFAP,A1 marker C3 and A2 marker S100A10 as well as Notch 1 and Jag-1 was detected by immunofluorescence staining.The expressions of CFB,C3,S100A10,PTX3,Notch-1,Jag-1,and Hes were detected by western blot assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)According to the results of CCK8 assay,the final concentration of astragaloside was selected as 25 μmol/L and the final concentration of DAPT was 50 μmol/L for follow-up experiments.(2)Compared with PBS group,interleukin-6,interleukin-12 and nitric oxide secretion levels in the lipopolysaccharide group were significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.05,P<0.01).Compared with the lipopolysaccharide group,interleukin-6(all P<0.05),interleukin-12(P>0.05,P<0.05,P<0.05)and nitric oxide(P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.01)secretion significantly reduced in the lipopolysaccharide + astragaloside group,lipopolysaccharide +DAPT group,lipopolysaccharide + DAPT + astragaloside group.(3)Compared with the PBS group,the expression of GFAP that is the marker of activated astrocytes and the migration of CD4 T cells were significantly increased in the lipopolysaccharide group(P<0.01).Compared with the lipopolysaccharide group,astrocyte activation was significantly inhibited and CD4 T cell migration was significantly reduced in the lipopolysaccharide + astragaloside,lipopolysaccharide +DAPT,lipopolysaccharide + DAPT + astragaloside group(P<0.05,P<0.05,P<0.01).(4)Compared with the PBS group,the expressions of A1 markers C3 and CFB in the lipopolysaccharide group were increased(P<0.01,P<0.05),and the expressions of A2 markers S100A10 and PTX3 were decreased(P<0.01,P<0.05).Compared with the lipopolysaccharide group,C3(all P<0.01)and CFB(both P<0.05)were significantly reduced and S100A10(all P<0.01)and PTX3(P<0.05,P<0.05 and P>0.05)were increased in the lipopolysaccharide + astragaloside,lipopolysaccharide +DAPT,lipopolysaccharide + DAPT + astragaloside group.(5)Compared with the PBS group,the expressions of Jag-1,Notch-1 and Hes in the lipopolysaccharide group were significantly increased(all P<0.01).Compared with the lipopolysaccharide group,the expressions of Jag-1(all P<0.01),Notch-1(all P<0.01)and Hes(P<0.05,P<0.01 and P<0.01)were significantly reduced in the lipopolysaccharide + astragaloside,lipopolysaccharide +DAPT,lipopolysaccharide + DAPT + astragaloside group.(6)The results indicate that astragaloside can promote the transformation of astrocytes from A1 to A2 by regulating Notch-1 signaling pathway,reduce the secretion of inflammatory factors and the migration of CD4 T cells,and thus inhibit astrocyte activation and inflammatory response.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of vedolizumab (VDZ) monoclonal antibody in maintenance therapy for ulcerative colitis (UC) .Methods:A retrospective case control study was conducted, including 84 patients with active UC undergoing VDZ therapy for an average of (22±8) weeks in the Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from December 2020 to September 2023. These patients achieved a response or remission by (22±8) weeks and continued follow-up until (54±8) weeks. They were divided into effective and ineffective groups based on whether they achieved clinical remission by (54±8) weeks after using VDZ; those who required optimized treatment with shortened injection intervals were included in the ineffective group. Baseline clinical data, medication history and endoscopic imaging data were recorded. The clinically modified Mayo score, Mayo endoscopic score, and other assessments were used to evaluate UC disease activity. Adverse reactions related to treatment were also recorded to assess the efficacy of VDZ treatment up to (54±8) weeks was assessed and key factors affecting clinical remission of the disease were analyzed.Results:Among the 84 UC patients with followed up to (54±8) weeks, 47 cases (55.95%) achieved clinical remission and were classified as the effective group, while 37 cases (44.05%) did not achieve clinical remission and were classified as the ineffective group. The endoscopic remission rate in the effective group was 68.09% (32/47), and the mucosal healing rate was 36.17% (17/47). Joint pain occurred in 2.38% of patients, hepatic dysfunction in 3.57%, and one patient died from leukemia following a COVID-19 infection during the maintenance therapy period.Conclusion:VDZ has a certain efficacy in the continuous treatment of UC patients and in maintaining clinical and endoscopic remission, with generally high overall safety and a low incidence of adverse reactions.

Objective To explore the effect of knocking down Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase (ROCK2) gene on the cognitive function of amyloid precursor protein/presenilin-1 (APP/PS1) double transgenic mice and its mechanism. Methods APP/PS1 double transgenic mice were randomly divided into AD model group (AD group), ROCK2 gene knock-down group (shROCK2 group), ROCK2 gene knock-down control group (shNCgroup), and wild-type C57BL/6 mice of the same age served as the wild-type control (WT group). Morris water maze and Y maze were employed to test the cognitive function of mice. Neuron morphology was detected by Nissl staining. Immunofluorescence histochemical staining was used to detect the expression of phosphorylated dynamin-related protein 1 (p-Drp1) and mitochondrial fusion 1 (Mfn1). Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression ROCK2, cleaved-caspase-3 (c-caspase-3), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2), Bcl2-related protein X (BAX), p-Drp1, mitochondrial fission 1 (Fis1), optic atrophy 1 (OPA1), Mfn1 and Mfn2. Results Compared with AD group mice, the expression of ROCK2 in shROCK2 group mice was significantly reduced; the cognitive function was significantly improved with the number of neurons in the hippocampal CA3 and DG areas increasing, and nissl bodies were deeply stained; the expression of c-caspase-3 and BAX was decreased, while the expression of Bcl2 was increased; the expression of mitochondrial division related proteins p-Drp1 and Fis1 were decreased, while the expression of mitochondrial fusion-related proteins OPA1, Mfn1 and Mfn2 were increased. Conclusion Knock-down of ROCK2 gene can significantly improve the cognitive function and inhibit the apoptosis of nerve cells of APP/PS1 mice. The mechanism may be related to promoting mitochondrial fusion and inhibiting its division.
Animals ; Mice ; Alzheimer Disease/pathology* ; Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism* ; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor ; Apoptosis/genetics* ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; Caspase 3 ; Cognition ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Transgenic ; Mitochondrial Dynamics/genetics*

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor 1 (ITPR1) is an important intracellular channel for releasing Ca²⁺. In order to investigate the effects of the ITPR1 overexpression on Ca²⁺ concentration and lipid content in duck uterine epithelial cells and its effects on calcium transport-related genes, the structural domain of ITPR1 gene of duck was cloned into an eukaryotic expression vector and transfected into duck uterine epithelial cells. The overexpression of the ITPR1 gene, the concentration of Ca²⁺, the lipid content, and the expression of other 6 calcium transport-related genes was determined. The results showed that the concentration of Ca²⁺ in uterine epithelial cells was significantly reduced after transfection (P<0.05), the triglyceride content was significantly increased (P<0.01), and the high-density lipoprotein content was significantly decreased (P<0.01). The correlation analysis results showed that the overexpression of the C-terminal half of the ITPR1 gene was significantly positively correlated with the total cholesterol content (P<0.01), which was significantly positively correlated with the low-density lipoprotein content (P<0.05). The overexpression of the N-terminal half of the ITPR1 gene was significantly positively correlated with the triglyceride content (P<0.01), which was significantly negatively correlated with the concentration of Ca²⁺ (P<0.05). RT-qPCR results of 6 calcium transport-related genes showed that the overexpression of the C-terminal half of the ITPR1 gene significantly inhibited the expression of the IP3R2, VDAC2 and CAV1 genes, and the overexpression of the N-terminal half of the ITPR1 gene significantly promoted the expression of the IP3R3 and CACNA2D1 genes. In conclusion, the ITPR1 gene overexpression can promote Ca²⁺ release in duck uterus epithelial cells, promote the synthesis of triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein and cholesterol, and inhibit the production of high-density lipoprotein, and the ITPR1 gene overexpression affected the expression of all 6 calcium transport-related genes.
Animals ; Calcium/metabolism* ; Ducks/genetics* ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Inositol ; Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptors ; Lipids ; Uterus