Objective To investigate the mechanism of action of Ginkgo biloba extract on schizophrenia based on oxidative stress-mediated damage to PV interneurons.Methods 54 SPF grade male mice were selected as experimental subjects,divided into blank group,model group,ginkgo biloba extract 50 mg·kg-1,100 mg·kg-1,150 mg·kg-1 group,and risperidone group.Schizophrenic mouse models were established by intraperitoneal injection of MK-801 0.3 mg·kg-1,and behavioral(open field experiment,Y-maze,forced swimming)tests were conducted.Blood samples and brain tissue were collected 24 h after the last dose,Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect changes in PV neurons in the mouse brain;Detect the content of MAD,GSH Px,and SOD in serum using a reagent kit;ELISA method was used to detect the levels of iron and lipid peroxidation in mouse brain tissue;Western blot was used to detect the protein level of GPX4 in the mouse brain.Results Compared with the model group,the Ginkgo biloba leaf extract 150 mg·kg-1 group and the risperidone group significantly reduced the spontaneous alternation rate of the Y maze and significantly shortened the immobility time of forced swimming(P<0.05);PV neuron staining with varying degrees of enhanced fluorescence intensity;The MDA content in the serum of mice was significantly reduced(P<0.01),while the contents of SOD and GSH px were significantly increased(P<0.05);The iron content in the mouse brain was significantly reduced(P<0.05),the ROS content was significantly reduced(P<0.05),and the GPX4 content in the mouse brain was significantly increased(P<0.05).Conclusion Ginkgo biloba extract has a significant improvement effect on negative symptoms and cognitive impairment in MK-801 induced schizophrenia mouse models,and can also improve PV neuron damage in the prefrontal cortex of schizophrenia mice.Its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of iron death mediated oxidative stress by Ginkgo biloba extract.

BACKGROUND: Circadian syndrome (CircS) may be closely linked to lifestyle, psychological, and occupational factors, but evidence is lacking. This study aimed to explore complex associations between lifestyle, psychological and occupational factors and CircS among employed people in southwestern China. METHODS: In this study, network analysis was used to identify complex associations between lifestyle, psychological and occupational factors and CircS in employed people from the Chinese Cohort of Working Adults (CCWA). The centrality of each variable was estimated by strength centrality index, which was calculated by the sum of edge weights connected to the variable. Bridge in the network was identified as the variables in the top 80 th percentile of overall bridge strength, which was defined as the most strongly connected variables across lifestyle, psychological and occupational factors and CircS. The differences were assessed in network structures between subgroups divided by the median score of the variable with the strongest bridge strengthen. RESULTS: Among 31,105 participants from CCWA, 5213 (16.76%) had CircS. In the constructed network, anxiety (edge weights: 0.28), smoking (edge weights: 0.15), drinking (edge weights: 0.10), perceived noise at work (edge weights: 0.08), and implicit health attitude (edge weights: -0.02) were directly related to CircS, with 83.31% of the variance for CircS explained by these neighboring factors. Anxiety was the most central variable (strength centrality: 1.20) in the network and the strongest bridge (bridge strength: 0.84) connecting all domains of variables. A stronger association between anxiety and CircS was observed in the network of participants with more severe anxiety (edge weight: 0.23) than those with less severe anxiety (edge weight: 0.03). CONCLUSION Anxiety had the strongest association with CircS and was the central factor with the highest strength centrality, also the bridge with the highest bridge strength in the network.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; China ; Middle Aged ; Life Style ; Chronobiology Disorders/epidemiology*

Chronic, unresolved inflammation correlates with persistent hepatic injury and fibrosis, ultimately progressing to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) demonstrates therapeutic potential against HCC, yet its mechanism in preventing hepatic "inflammation-carcinoma transformation" remains incompletely understood. In the current research, clinical HCC specimens underwent analysis using hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to evaluate the expression of fibrosis markers, M2 macrophage markers, and CXCL12. In vitro, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-induced LX-2 cells and a co-culture system of LX-2, THP-1, and HCC cells were established. Cell functions underwent assessment through 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), flow cytometry, and Transwell assays. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), Western blotting and immunofluorescence evaluated the differential expression of molecules. The interaction between β-catenin/TCF4 and CXCL12 was examined using co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), dual luciferase, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. A DEN-induced rat model was developed to investigate BDMC's role in liver fibrosis-associated HCC (LFAHCC) development in vivo. Our results showed that clinical HCC tissues exhibited elevated fibrosis and enriched M2 macrophages. BDMC delayed liver fibrosis progression to HCC in vivo. BDMC inhibited the inflammatory microenvironment induced by activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Furthermore, BDMC suppressed M2 macrophage-induced fibrosis and HCC cell proliferation and metastasis. Mechanistically, BDMC repressed TCF4/β-catenin complex formation, thereby reducing CXCL12 transcription in LX-2 cells. Moreover, CXCL12 overexpression reversed BDMC's inhibitory effect on macrophage M2 polarization and its mediation of fibrosis, as well as HCC proliferation and metastasis. BDMC significantly suppressed LFAHCC development through CXCL12 in rats. In conclusion, BDMC inhibited LFAHCC progression by reducing M2 macrophage polarization through suppressing β-catenin/TCF4-mediated CXCL12 transcription.
Animals ; Liver Neoplasms/etiology* ; Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/immunology* ; Liver Cirrhosis/complications* ; Macrophages/drug effects* ; Male ; Rats ; Chemokine CXCL12/genetics* ; Diarylheptanoids/pharmacology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; beta Catenin/genetics*

Objective:To investigate the role of Gasdermin E (GSDME) -mediated keratinocyte pyroptosis induced by Cutibacterium acnes ( C.acnes) in the pathogenesis of acne. Methods:The human immortalized keratinocyte HaCaT cells were stimulated with heat-inactived C.acnes for 15 minutes to 24 hours, and Western blot analysis was performed to determine the expression of cleaved GSDME (GSDME-NT) in HaCaT cells at different time points. Skin tissue samples were collected from 5 acne patients and 4 healthy controls, who visited the Hospital for Skin Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2 to December 1, 2024; additionally, 3 samples of acne cyst contents and 3 samples of normal follicle contents were collected. Immunohistochemical study and Western blot analysis were conducted to determine GSDME-NT expression in the epidermis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to detect levels of interleukin (IL) -1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -α in acne cyst or normal follicle contents. GSDME-knockdown HaCaT cells were constructed by transfection with lentivirus carrying GSDME-shRNA, and HaCaT cells transfected with lentivirus carrying the nonsense sequence control (NC) served as controls; ELISA was performed to detect the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in GSDME-knockdown HaCaT cells after C. acnes stimulation ( C. acnes + GSDME knockdown group) , as well as in the phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) + NC group, C. acnes + NC group, and PBS + GSDME knockdown group. Western blot analysis was conducted to determine the GSDME-NT expression in HaCaT cells pretreated with or without retinol after C. acnes stimulation. Results:The cleavage of GSDME in HaCaT cells began at 1 hour after in vitro C. acnes stimulation, and GSDME-NT could be detected at this time. Compared with the control epidermis, the proportion of GSDME-NT-positive HaCaT cells (9.34% ± 2.92% vs. 3.05% ± 1.14%, t = -3.47, P = 0.026) and GSDME-NT protein expression levels ( t = -3.51, P = 0.025) significantly increased in the lesional epidermis of acne patients. The levels of IL-1β and TNF-α were significantly higher in the acne cyst contents than in the normal follicle contents (IL-1β: 1 337.24 [1 182.32, 2 230.61] pg/ml vs. 0.00 [0.00, 108.21] pg/ml, Z = 1.99, P = 0.046; TNF-α: 811.31 [438.26, 817.73] pg/ml vs. 46.67 [12.41, 53.21] pg/ml, Z = 1.96, P = 0.049) . ELISA showed that the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α were significantly higher in the C. acnes + NC group (12.12 ± 3.07 pg/ml, 26.06 ± 1.57 pg/ml, respectively) than in the PBS + NC group (3.73 ± 2.24 pg/ml, 10.14 ± 0.79 pg/ml, P = 0.003, < 0.001, respectively) ; compared with the C. acnes + NC group, the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α significantly decreased in the C. acnes + GSDME knockdown group (3.38 ± 0.93 pg/ml, 12.67 ± 2.10 pg/ml, P = 0.003, < 0.001, respectively) . The GSDME-NT expression was significantly lower in the retinol + C. acnes group than in the C. acnes group ( P = 0.029) . Conclusion:C. acnes may induce GSDME-mediated pyroptosis in keratinocytes, thereby promoting the release of inflammatory factors and aggravating the inflammatory response in acne, while retinol may be able to inhibit this process.

Objective:To investigate the role of Gasdermin E (GSDME) -mediated keratinocyte pyroptosis induced by Cutibacterium acnes ( C.acnes) in the pathogenesis of acne. Methods:The human immortalized keratinocyte HaCaT cells were stimulated with heat-inactived C.acnes for 15 minutes to 24 hours, and Western blot analysis was performed to determine the expression of cleaved GSDME (GSDME-NT) in HaCaT cells at different time points. Skin tissue samples were collected from 5 acne patients and 4 healthy controls, who visited the Hospital for Skin Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2 to December 1, 2024; additionally, 3 samples of acne cyst contents and 3 samples of normal follicle contents were collected. Immunohistochemical study and Western blot analysis were conducted to determine GSDME-NT expression in the epidermis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to detect levels of interleukin (IL) -1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -α in acne cyst or normal follicle contents. GSDME-knockdown HaCaT cells were constructed by transfection with lentivirus carrying GSDME-shRNA, and HaCaT cells transfected with lentivirus carrying the nonsense sequence control (NC) served as controls; ELISA was performed to detect the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in GSDME-knockdown HaCaT cells after C. acnes stimulation ( C. acnes + GSDME knockdown group) , as well as in the phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) + NC group, C. acnes + NC group, and PBS + GSDME knockdown group. Western blot analysis was conducted to determine the GSDME-NT expression in HaCaT cells pretreated with or without retinol after C. acnes stimulation. Results:The cleavage of GSDME in HaCaT cells began at 1 hour after in vitro C. acnes stimulation, and GSDME-NT could be detected at this time. Compared with the control epidermis, the proportion of GSDME-NT-positive HaCaT cells (9.34% ± 2.92% vs. 3.05% ± 1.14%, t = -3.47, P = 0.026) and GSDME-NT protein expression levels ( t = -3.51, P = 0.025) significantly increased in the lesional epidermis of acne patients. The levels of IL-1β and TNF-α were significantly higher in the acne cyst contents than in the normal follicle contents (IL-1β: 1 337.24 [1 182.32, 2 230.61] pg/ml vs. 0.00 [0.00, 108.21] pg/ml, Z = 1.99, P = 0.046; TNF-α: 811.31 [438.26, 817.73] pg/ml vs. 46.67 [12.41, 53.21] pg/ml, Z = 1.96, P = 0.049) . ELISA showed that the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α were significantly higher in the C. acnes + NC group (12.12 ± 3.07 pg/ml, 26.06 ± 1.57 pg/ml, respectively) than in the PBS + NC group (3.73 ± 2.24 pg/ml, 10.14 ± 0.79 pg/ml, P = 0.003, < 0.001, respectively) ; compared with the C. acnes + NC group, the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α significantly decreased in the C. acnes + GSDME knockdown group (3.38 ± 0.93 pg/ml, 12.67 ± 2.10 pg/ml, P = 0.003, < 0.001, respectively) . The GSDME-NT expression was significantly lower in the retinol + C. acnes group than in the C. acnes group ( P = 0.029) . Conclusion:C. acnes may induce GSDME-mediated pyroptosis in keratinocytes, thereby promoting the release of inflammatory factors and aggravating the inflammatory response in acne, while retinol may be able to inhibit this process.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of action of Ginkgo biloba extract on schizophrenia based on oxidative stress-mediated damage to PV interneurons.Methods 54 SPF grade male mice were selected as experimental subjects,divided into blank group,model group,ginkgo biloba extract 50 mg·kg-1,100 mg·kg-1,150 mg·kg-1 group,and risperidone group.Schizophrenic mouse models were established by intraperitoneal injection of MK-801 0.3 mg·kg-1,and behavioral(open field experiment,Y-maze,forced swimming)tests were conducted.Blood samples and brain tissue were collected 24 h after the last dose,Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect changes in PV neurons in the mouse brain;Detect the content of MAD,GSH Px,and SOD in serum using a reagent kit;ELISA method was used to detect the levels of iron and lipid peroxidation in mouse brain tissue;Western blot was used to detect the protein level of GPX4 in the mouse brain.Results Compared with the model group,the Ginkgo biloba leaf extract 150 mg·kg-1 group and the risperidone group significantly reduced the spontaneous alternation rate of the Y maze and significantly shortened the immobility time of forced swimming(P<0.05);PV neuron staining with varying degrees of enhanced fluorescence intensity;The MDA content in the serum of mice was significantly reduced(P<0.01),while the contents of SOD and GSH px were significantly increased(P<0.05);The iron content in the mouse brain was significantly reduced(P<0.05),the ROS content was significantly reduced(P<0.05),and the GPX4 content in the mouse brain was significantly increased(P<0.05).Conclusion Ginkgo biloba extract has a significant improvement effect on negative symptoms and cognitive impairment in MK-801 induced schizophrenia mouse models,and can also improve PV neuron damage in the prefrontal cortex of schizophrenia mice.Its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of iron death mediated oxidative stress by Ginkgo biloba extract.

OBJECTIVE To observe whether mitochondria can be transferred from mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)to irradiated cells by establishing a mitochondrial fluorescent reporting system.METHODS The lentiviral vector pSIN-EF1α-COX8A-DsRed2(named COX8A-DsRed2)that might guide the expres-sion of red fluorescence protein in the membrane of mitochondria was constructed.A lentivirus(named Lv-COX8A-DsRed2)was prepared in 293T cell line.Dental pulp stem cells(DPSCs)(named DPSC-COX8A-DsRed2)was infected with Lv-COX8A-DsRed2.The intracellular expression of the red fluores-cence protein in DPSC was observed under fluorescence microcopy.The mitochondrial localization of the expressed red fluorescent probe in DPSC-COX8A-DsRed2 was confirmed according to TOMM20 immunostaining and MitoTracker Green staining results,which could specifically label mitochondria.The IEC-6 cells that received 10 Gy X-ray radiation were used as an injured cell model.The co-culture system was established by supplementing DPSC-COX8A-DsRed2 into the culture plate with the irradi-ated IEC-6 labelled by CFSE for 24 h.RESULTS The imaging results of fluorescent microcopy obser-vation showed that DPSC-COX8A-DsRed2 expressed the mitochondrial fluorescent reporting system,which was co-located with TOMM20 protein and Mito Tracker Green.The imaging results of confocal fluorescence microcopy showed that the mitochondria with red fluorescent protein were transferred from DPSC-COX8A-DsRed2 to the irradiated IEC-6 cells,suggesting that the established mitochondrial fluorescent reporting system could indicate mitochondrial transfer from donor cells to injured ones.CONCLUSION DPSC-COX8A-DsRed2 stably expressing the mitochondrial fluorescent reporting system is established,which can be used to track mitochondrial transfer.