ObjectiveTo clarify whether METTL14 mediates the core role of acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) in promoting myelination and improving behavior in young autistic rats through gene intervention technology. MethodsThe ASD model was established by intraperitoneal injection of valproic acid (VPA) in pregnant rats. Male offspring were intracerebroventricularly injected with adenovirus-packaged METTL14 shRNA (sh-METTL14) or its control (sh-NC) on postnatal day 1, with a model group set as well. Subsequently, the juvenile rats were divided into model group, acupuncture group, acupuncture+sh-NC group, and acupuncture+sh-METTL14 group. The acupuncture group received acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) from postnatal day 7, once daily for 21 consecutive days. Neurobehavioral changes were evaluated by behavioral tests; METTL14 knockdown efficiency and the expression of METTL14, METTL3, and PTEN were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot (WB); PTEN m⁶A levels were measured by RNA immunoprecipitation-qPCR (RIP-qPCR); myelin ultrastructure, expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) and neurofascin 155 (NF155), and dendritic spine density were observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, and primary neuron culture. ResultsBehaviorally, knockdown of METTL14 significantly counteracted the beneficial effects of acupuncture in improving self-grooming, open field exploration, three-chamber social interaction, and Morris water maze learning and memory (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the acupuncture+sh-NC group, the acupuncture+sh-METTL14 group showed significantly decreased mRNA and protein expression of hippocampal METTL14 (P<0.01), and the upregulating effects of acupuncture on METTL3 and PTEN expression were reversed (P<0.01). Meanwhile, knockdown of METTL14 significantly inhibited the acupuncture-induced increase in PTEN m⁶A levels (P<0.01). Morphologically, knockdown of METTL14 attenuated the improvement of myelin structure by acupuncture, reversed the downregulation of MBP and upregulation of NF155 induced by acupuncture, and blocked the increase in dendritic spine density (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionMETTL14 is a key molecule mediating the therapeutic effect of acupuncture at Neiguan. Acupuncture at Neiguan upregulates METTL14, thereby enhancing m⁶A methylation modification of PTEN mRNA to stabilize its expression, ultimately promoting myelin development and improving behavioral symptoms in ASD juvenile rats. This preliminarily reveals the modern biological connotation of “opening Xuanfu and dredging myelin”.

ObjectiveTo clarify whether METTL14 mediates the core role of acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) in promoting myelination and improving behavior in young autistic rats through gene intervention technology. MethodsThe ASD model was established by intraperitoneal injection of valproic acid (VPA) in pregnant rats. Male offspring were intracerebroventricularly injected with adenovirus-packaged METTL14 shRNA (sh-METTL14) or its control (sh-NC) on postnatal day 1, with a model group set as well. Subsequently, the juvenile rats were divided into model group, acupuncture group, acupuncture+sh-NC group, and acupuncture+sh-METTL14 group. The acupuncture group received acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) from postnatal day 7, once daily for 21 consecutive days. Neurobehavioral changes were evaluated by behavioral tests; METTL14 knockdown efficiency and the expression of METTL14, METTL3, and PTEN were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot (WB); PTEN m⁶A levels were measured by RNA immunoprecipitation-qPCR (RIP-qPCR); myelin ultrastructure, expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) and neurofascin 155 (NF155), and dendritic spine density were observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, and primary neuron culture. ResultsBehaviorally, knockdown of METTL14 significantly counteracted the beneficial effects of acupuncture in improving self-grooming, open field exploration, three-chamber social interaction, and Morris water maze learning and memory (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the acupuncture+sh-NC group, the acupuncture+sh-METTL14 group showed significantly decreased mRNA and protein expression of hippocampal METTL14 (P<0.01), and the upregulating effects of acupuncture on METTL3 and PTEN expression were reversed (P<0.01). Meanwhile, knockdown of METTL14 significantly inhibited the acupuncture-induced increase in PTEN m⁶A levels (P<0.01). Morphologically, knockdown of METTL14 attenuated the improvement of myelin structure by acupuncture, reversed the downregulation of MBP and upregulation of NF155 induced by acupuncture, and blocked the increase in dendritic spine density (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionMETTL14 is a key molecule mediating the therapeutic effect of acupuncture at Neiguan. Acupuncture at Neiguan upregulates METTL14, thereby enhancing m⁶A methylation modification of PTEN mRNA to stabilize its expression, ultimately promoting myelin development and improving behavioral symptoms in ASD juvenile rats. This preliminarily reveals the modern biological connotation of “opening Xuanfu and dredging myelin”.

ObjectiveHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents 90% of all primary liver cancers. The main risk factors associated with HCC include viral hepatitis (B and/or C), alcohol abuse, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which progressively advance to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and ultimately evolve into HCC. Surgical resection represents the most effective treatment for HCC, while recent advances in immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive cell therapies, have provided improved treatment prospects for patients with unresectable HCC. However, the complex metabolic heterogeneity of HCC limits the therapeutic efficacy. Metabolic intermediates acyl-CoA not only provide energy and substrates for numerous biochemical reactions but also serve as donors for protein lysine acylation, a major class of post-translational modification (PTM). Therefore, a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying protein lysine acylation and hepatocarcinogenesis is urgently needed. MethodsThe levels of protein lysine acylation and silence information regulator 5 (SIRT5) expression levels in clinical HCC samples were analyzed by Western blot. Quantitative malonylome and succinylome of HCC samples were analyzed by antibody-based affinity enrichment coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The proliferation of HCC cells was analyzed with Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, the apoptosis was quantified by Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) staining coupled with flow cytometry, and the ability of cells to migrate was assayed by Transwell assays. The enzymatic activity of glutathione S-transferase Mu 1 (GSTM1) was quantified. Transgenic mice with hepatic overexpression of SIRT5 were constructed using CRISPR-Cas9, and primary hepatocarcinogenesis was induced by administration of diethylnitrosamine. ResultsWestern blot analysis indicated that the expression level of SIRT5 was elevated in clinical samples from HCC patients, and the levels of lysine malonylation, glutarylation, and succinylation were significantly reduced in HCC tissues. Knockout of SIRT5 in MHCC-97H and MHCC-97L hepatoma cells suppressed cell proliferation, and increased the percentage of apoptotic cells significantly. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of the differentially malonylome and succinylome of HCC samples revealed significant enrichment in two major classes of biological processes: core energy metabolism (e.g., glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, tricarboxylic acid metabolic process, fatty acid beta oxidation) and detoxification and oxidative stress response (e.g., response to toxic substance, chemical carcinogenesis, reactive oxygen species (ROS)). SIRT5 removes malonylation from lysine residues in GSTM1 and restores its detoxification activity, which is crucial for the survival of hepatocytes under stressed conditions. More importantly, in vivo experiment indicated that hepatic-specific overexpression of SIRT5 in mice accelerated diethylnitrosamine-induced liver fibrosis and hepatocarcinogenesis, indicating the critical role of SIRT5 in HCC progression. ConclusionThis study highlights the previously unrecognized SIRT5-GSTM1 axis as a key regulator in hepatocarcinogenesis, and suggests a potential target for the treatment of patients with HCC.

In this study, the reductive amination method was used to label IR783 on Astragalus polysaccharides(APS) for the first time, which was verified by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy. Quantitative analysis methods of APS-IR783 in plasma and various tissue were established using a multifunctional microplate reader. The pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of APS-IR783 in mice were investigated after a single intravenous injection of 30 mg·kg~(-1) APS-IR783, and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using DAS 2.0 software. The results showed that the APS used had a mass fraction of 93.69%, a relative molecular weight of 1.55×10~5, and a polydispersity index(PDI, M_w/M_n) of 1.73, close to a homogeneous polysaccharide. The IR783 labeling yield reached 86.50%, and the content of IR783 in APS-IR783 was 0.72%. After a single intravenous injection of 30 mg·kg~(-1), the pharmacokinetic parameters of APS in mouse plasma were as follows: T_(max) was(0.67±0.26) h; C_(max) was(1 599.29±159.30) mg·L~(-1); T_(1/2α) and T_(1/2β) were(2.29±3.06) h and(0.44±0.05) h, respectively; AUC_(0-t) was(23 398.91±2 907.03) mg·h·L~(-1); AUC_(0-∞) was(27 710.55±3 506.55) mg·h·L~(-1); MRT_(0-∞) was(34.38±12.59) h; CL was 0.001 L·h~(-1)·kg~(-1); V_z was(0.042±0.017) L·kg~(-1). The in vivo biodistribution study demonstrated that the in vivo exposure ratios of APS in different tissue were in the following order: spleen > liver > kidney > lung > heart > small intestine > muscle > large intestine > brain > stomach, where the top five tissue accounted for 87.54% of the total area under the curve(AUC). This study successfully labeled APS with a water-soluble near-infrared fluorescent probe of IR783 for the first time and revealed the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of APS in mice. The paper provides detailed in vivo behavior of APS after intravenous injection, which lays the foundation for the development and utilization of APS and related natural medicines.
Animals ; Mice ; Polysaccharides/chemistry* ; Tissue Distribution ; Astragalus Plant/chemistry* ; Male ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Fluorescent Dyes/pharmacokinetics* ; Female

This study aims to investigate the molecular mechanism by which naringin alleviates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion(CI/R) injury through DRP1/LRRK2/MCU signaling axis. A total of 60 SD rats were randomly divided into the sham group, the model group, the sodium Danshensu group, and low-, medium-, and high-dose(50, 100, and 200 mg·kg~(-1)) naringin groups, with 10 rats in each group. Except for the sham group, a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion(tMCAO/R) model was established in SD rats using the suture method. Longa 5-point scale was used to assess neurological deficits. 2,3,5-Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride(TTC) staining was used to detect the volume percentage of cerebral infarction in rats. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and Nissl staining were employed to assess neuronal structural alterations and the number of Nissl bodies in cortex, respectively. Western blot was used to determine the protein expression levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 gene(Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), cleaved cysteine-aspartate protease-3(cleaved caspase-3), mitochondrial calcium uniporter(MCU), microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3), and P62. Mitochondrial structure and autophagy in cortical neurons were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Immunofluorescence assay was used to quantify the fluorescence intensities of MCU and mitochondrial calcium ion, as well as the co-localization of dynamin-related protein 1(DRP1) with leucine-rich repeat kinase 2(LRRK2) and translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 20(TOMM20) with LC3 in cortical mitochondria. The results showed that compared with the model group, naringin significantly decreased the volume percentage of cerebral infarction and neurological deficit score in tMCAO/R rats, alleviated the structural damage and Nissl body loss of cortical neurons in tMCAO/R rats, inhibited autophagosomes in cortical neurons, and increased the average diameter of cortical mitochondria. The Western blot results showed that compared to the sham group, the model group exhibited increased levels of cleaved caspase-3, Bax, MCU, and the LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio in the cortex and reduced protein levels of Bcl-2 and P62. However, naringin down-regulated the protein expression of cleaved caspase-3, Bax, MCU and the ratio of LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio and up-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and P62 proteins in cortical area. In addition, immunofluorescence analysis showed that compared with the model group, naringin and positive drug treatments significantly decreased the fluorescence intensities of MCU and mitochondrial calcium ion. Meanwhile, the co-localization of DRP1 with LRRK2 and TOMM20 with LC3 in cortical mitochondria was also decreased significantly after the intervention. These findings suggest that naringin can alleviate cortical neuronal damage in tMCAO/R rats by inhibiting DRP1/LRRK2/MCU-mediated mitochondrial fragmentation and the resultant excessive mitophagy.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury/genetics* ; Flavanones/administration & dosage* ; Rats ; Dynamins/genetics* ; Male ; Brain Ischemia/genetics* ; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*

Microglia, the resident immune cells in the central nervous system (CNS), rapidly transition from a resting to an active state in the acute phase of ischemic brain injury. This active state mediates a pro-inflammatory response that can exacerbate the injury. Targeting the pro-inflammatory response of microglia in the semi-dark band during this acute phase may effectively reduce brain injury. Shionone (SH), an active ingredient extracted from the dried roots and rhizomes of the genus Aster (Asteraceae), has been reported to regulate the inflammatory response of macrophages in sepsis-induced acute lung injury. However, its function in post-stroke neuroinflammation, particularly microglia-mediated neuroinflammation, remains uninvestigated. This study found that SH significantly inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced elevation of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), in microglia in vitro. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that SH alleviated infarct volume and improved behavioral performance in middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mice, which may be attributed to the inhibition of the microglial inflammatory response induced by SH treatment. Mechanistically, SH potently inhibited the phosphorylation of serine-threonine protein kinase B (AKT), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). These findings suggest that SH may be a potential therapeutic agent for relieving ischemic stroke (IS) by alleviating microglia-associated neuroinflammation.
Animals ; Microglia/immunology* ; Mice ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Brain Ischemia/immunology* ; Neuroinflammatory Diseases/drug therapy* ; Neuroprotective Agents/administration & dosage* ; Interleukin-1beta/genetics* ; STAT3 Transcription Factor/genetics* ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/immunology* ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/genetics* ; Lipopolysaccharides

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites with diverse subtypes of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. METHODS: A novel predicting risk of cardiovascular disease EVENTs PREVENT equation was used to estimate the 10-year diverse subtypes of CVD risk, and their associations with PAH metabolites were analyzed using multiple logistic regression models, the weighted quantile sum (WQS) model, the quantile g-computation (qgcomp) model, and a stratified analysis of subgroups. RESULTS: For this study, six thousand seven hundred and forty-five participants were selected, and significant positive associations were observed between PAHs, naphthalene (NAP), and fluorene (FLU), and the risks of total CVD, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), and heart failure (HF). NAP and FLU were the primary contributors to the effects of PAH mixtures, and their associations with total CVD, ASCVD, and HF risk were significant in younger participants (30 ≤ age < 50 years); however, the associations of phenanthrene (PHEN) with ASCVD, HF, coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke were dominant in aging participants (age ≥ 50 years). Notably, pyrene (PYR) was negatively associated with the risk of ASCVD, HF, CHD, and stroke. Similarly, negative associations of PYR with the four CVD subtypes were noticeable in aging participants. CONCLUSION Different PAHs metabolites had different impacts on each CVD subtype among different age groups. Notably, the protective effects of PYR on ASCVD, HF, CHD, and stroke were noticeable in aging individuals.
Humans ; Cardiovascular Diseases/chemically induced* ; Middle Aged ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/metabolism* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Aged ; Risk Factors ; China/epidemiology*

Objective To investigate the impacts of epidural anesthesia with ropivacaine combined with dezocine on lower limb motor nerve block and maternal and infant outcomes in primipara undergoing painless delivery.Methods A total of 159 primiparas who delivered in Nanjing Jiangbei Hospital were selected as the research objects,and divided into the blank group(53 cases),the ropivacaine group(53 cases)and the combined group(53 cases)by the random number table method.Parturients in the blank group were given natural delivery mode,parturients in the ropivacaine group were given ropivacaine epidural anesthesia,and parturients in the combined group were given dezocine anesthesia on the basis of ropivacaine.Analgesic effect at different time points,time of the first,second and third stage of labor,pressing times of analgesic pump,lower limbs motor nerve block,maternal and infant outcomes,and adverse reactions of parturients were compared among the three groups.Results At 10 minutes after analgesia,60 minutes after analgesia,when the cervix was fully dilated and when the fetus was delivered,the VAS scores of the parturients in the ropivacaine group and the combined group were lower than those in the blank group(P<0.05),and the VAS scores of the parturients in the combined group were significantly lower than those in the ropivacaine group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the time of the first,second or third stage of labor of parturients among the three groups(P>0.05);The pressing times of analgesic pump of parturients in the combined group was significantly less than that in the ropivacaine group(P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in terms of low limb motor nerve block after painless labor of parturients among the three groups(P>0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in the perineal incision rate or the Apgar scores of newborns at 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth among the three groups(P>0.05).The usage rate of forceps and the rate of conversion to cesarean section in the combined group were significantly lower than those in the ropivacaine group and the blank group(P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of total adverse reactions among the blank group,the ropivacaine group and the combined group(P>0.05).Conclusion The combination of ropivacaine and dezocine for epidural anesthesia has a better analgesic effect on primiparas with painless delivery,has a smaller impact on lower limb motor nerve block in parturients,and can achieve better maternal and infant outcomes.

Aim To explore the influence of demethy-lase fat mass and obesity-related genes(FTO)on the abnormal contractile function of diabetic coronary smooth muscle.Methods Smooth muscle specific FTO knockout mice(FTOSMKO)were prepared by Cre-loxP recombinant technology.They were divided into four groups:control(WT)group,diabetes model group(DM),FTO knockout group(FTOSMKO),and FTOSMKO diabetic group(FTOSMKO-DM),with 15 mice in each group.Diabetic mice were prepared by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin(STZ);the remaining mice were injected with an equal amount of citric acid-sodi-um citrate buffer.The effects of 5-HTon the contractile response of coronary artery smooth muscle in the four groups of mice were observed by the technique of small-vessel ring tensiometry.Western blot and Dot blot were used to detect the changes of FTO protein and N6-methyladenine(m6A)methylation modification levels in mouse vascular tissues.Results Compared with the WT group,the DM group had significantly higher blood glucose(P＜0.01)and lower body weight(P＜0.05);the level of FTO protein in aorta of DM group increased(P＜0.01),and the level of m6A methylation modification decreased(P＜0.01).The 5-HT-induced contractile response significantly de-creased in the DM group compared with the WT group(P＜0.01),whereas the contractile response signifi-cantly increased in the FTOSMKO-DM group compared with the DM group(P＜0.01);the non-L-type calci-um channel-mediated vascular smooth muscle contrac-tile response was enhanced in the FTOSMKO-DM group,among which,the contractions induced by 1,4,5-triphosphate inositol receptor(IP3R)and caffeine-ac-tivated ranine receptor(RyR)mediated by sarcoplas-mic reticulum calcium release both significantly in-creased(P＜0.05).Conclusions Specific knock-down of smooth muscle FTO improves coronary artery responsiveness to the vasoconstrictor 5-HT in diabetic mice,which may be related to abnormalities in the FTO-mediated 5-HT receptor signaling pathway.