1.Polysaccharide of Alocasia cucullata Exerts Antitumor Effect by Regulating Bcl-2, Caspase-3 and ERK1/2 Expressions during Long-Time Administration.
Qi-Chun ZHOU ; Shi-Lin XIAO ; Ru-Kun LIN ; Chan LI ; Zhi-Jie CHEN ; Yi-Fei CHEN ; Chao-Hua LUO ; Zhi-Xian MO ; Ying-Bo LIN
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2024;30(1):52-61
		                        		
		                        			OBJECTIVE:
		                        			To study the in vitro and in vivo antitumor effects of the polysaccharide of Alocasia cucullata (PAC) and the underlying mechanism.
		                        		
		                        			METHODS:
		                        			B16F10 and 4T1 cells were cultured with PAC of 40 µg/mL, and PAC was withdrawn after 40 days of administration. The cell viability was detected by cell counting kit-8. The expression of Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 proteins were detected by Western blot and the expressions of ERK1/2 mRNA were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A mouse melanoma model was established to study the effect of PAC during long-time administration. Mice were divided into 3 treatment groups: control group treated with saline water, positive control group (LNT group) treated with lentinan at 100 mg/(kg·d), and PAC group treated with PAC at 120 mg/(kg·d). The pathological changes of tumor tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The apoptosis of tumor tissues was detected by TUNEL staining. Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 protein expressions were detected by immunohistochemistry, and the expressions of ERK1/2, JNK1 and p38 mRNA were detected by qRT-PCR.
		                        		
		                        			RESULTS:
		                        			In vitro, no strong inhibitory effects of PAC were found in various tumor cells after 48 or 72 h of administration. Interestingly however, after 40 days of cultivation under PAC, an inhibitory effect on B16F10 cells was found. Correspondingly, the long-time administration of PAC led to downregulation of Bcl-2 protein (P<0.05), up-regulation of Caspase-3 protein (P<0.05) and ERK1 mRNA (P<0.05) in B16F10 cells. The above results were verified by in vivo experiments. In addition, viability of B16F10 cells under long-time administration culture in vitro decreased after drug withdrawal, and similar results were also observed in 4T1 cells.
		                        		
		                        			CONCLUSIONS
		                        			Long-time administration of PAC can significantly inhibit viability and promote apoptosis of tumor cells, and had obvious antitumor effect in tumor-bearing mice.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Mice
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Alocasia/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			MAP Kinase Signaling System
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Caspase 3/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Apoptosis
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			RNA, Messenger/metabolism*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
2.Acteoside promotes autophagy and apoptosis of hepatoma cells by regulating JNK signaling pathway.
Yu-Jing HE ; Ying ZHENG ; Chu-Yi LI ; Liu-Lu GAO ; Jun-Ke WANG ; Bin LI ; Li-Xia LU ; Pan WANG ; Xiao-Hui YU ; Jiu-Cong ZHANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(9):2343-2351
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			This study explored the molecular mechanism of acteoside against hepatoma 22(H22) tumor in mice through c-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK) signaling pathway. H22 cells were subcutaneously inoculated in 50 male BALB/c mice, and then the model mice were classified into model group, low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose acteoside groups, and cisplatin group. The administration lasted 2 weeks for each group(5 consecutive days/week). The general conditions of mice in each group, such as mental status, diet intake, water intake, activity, and fur were observed. The body weight, tumor volume, tumor weight, and tumor-inhibiting rate were compared before and after administration. Morphological changes of liver cancer tissues were observed based on hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining, and the expression of phosphorylated(p)-JNK, JNK, B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2), Beclin-1, and light chain 3(LC3) in each tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. qRT-PCR was performed to detect the mRNA expression of JNK, Bcl-2, Beclin-1, and LC3. The general conditions of mice in model and low-dose acteoside groups were poor, while the general conditions of mice in the remaining three groups were improved. The body weight of mice in medium-dose acteoside group, high-dose acteoside group, and cisplatin group was smaller than that in model group(P<0.01). The tumor volume in model group was insignificantly different from that in low-dose acteoside group, and the volume in cisplatin group showed no significant difference from that in high-dose acteoside group. Tumor volume and weight in medium-dose and high-dose acteoside groups and cisplatin group were lower than those in the model group(P<0.001). The tumor-inhibiting rates were 10.72%, 40.32%, 53.79%, and 56.44% in the low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose acteoside groups and cisplatin group, respectively. HE staining showed gradual decrease in the count of hepatoma cells and increasing sign of cell necrosis in the acteoside and cisplatin groups, and the necrosis was particularly obvious in the high-dose acteoside group and cisplatin group. Immunohistochemical results suggested that the expression of Beclin-1, LC3, p-JNK, and JNK was up-regulated in acteoside and cisplatin groups(P<0.05). The results of immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and qRT-PCR indicated that the expression of Bcl-2 was down-regulated in the medium-dose and high-dose acteoside groups and cisplatin group(P<0.01). Western blot showed that the expression of Beclin-1, LC3, and p-JNK was up-regulated in acteoside and cisplatin groups(P<0.01), and there was no difference in the expression of JNK among groups. qRT-PCR results showed that the levels of Beclin-1 and LC3 mRNA were up-regulated in the acteoside and cisplatin groups(P<0.05), and the level of JNK mRNA was up-regulated in medium-dose and high-dose acteoside groups and cisplatin group(P<0.001). Acteoside promotes apoptosis and autophagy of H22 cells in mice hepatoma cells by up-regulating the JNK signaling pathway, thus inhibiting tumor growth.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Male
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mice
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cisplatin/pharmacology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			MAP Kinase Signaling System
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Beclin-1
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Apoptosis
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Liver Neoplasms/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Necrosis
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Line, Tumor
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			RNA, Messenger/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Autophagy
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
3.Methylene blue reduces IL-1β levels by enhancing ERK1/2 and AKT phosphorylation to improve diabetic retinopathy in rats.
Huade MAI ; Shenhong GU ; Biwei FU ; Xinbo JI ; Minghui CHEN ; Juming CHEN ; Yunbo ZHANG ; Yunyun LIN ; Chenghong LIU ; Yanling SONG
Chinese Journal of Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2023;39(5):423-428
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective To investigate the neuroprotective effect of methylene blue on diabetic retinopathy in rats. Methods Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into blank, control and experimental groups. The control and experimental groups were induced with diabetes by streptozotocin (STZ) intraperitoneal injection. After 6 weeks of successful modeling, the experimental group received intravitreal injection of methylene blue at a dose of [0.2 mg/(kg.d)], while the control group received an equal amount of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) intravitreal injection, both continuously injected for 7 days. ELISA was used to detect the levels of retinal superoxide dismutase (SOD), 8-iso-prostaglandin F2alpha (iPF2α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in rats. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression of retinal extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation (p-ERK1/2) and phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT), and PAS staining was used to detect retinal morphological changes. Results Compared with the blank group rats, the retinal SOD activity in the control and experimental group rats was significantly reduced. iPF2α, IL-1β and p-ERK1/2 level increased, while p-AKT level decreased. Compared with the control group, the SOD activity of the experimental group rats increased. iPF2α and IL-1β level went down, while p-ERK1/2 and p-AKT level went up significantly. The overall thickness of the retinal layer and the number of retinal ganglion cells were significantly reduced. Conclusion Methylene blue improves diabetic retinopathy in rats by reducing retinal oxidative stress and enhancing ERK1/2 and AKT phosphorylation.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Rats
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Diabetic Retinopathy/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Interleukin-1beta/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Methylene Blue/pharmacology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Phosphorylation
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Rats, Sprague-Dawley
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			MAP Kinase Signaling System
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/drug therapy*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
4.Resveratrol improves cognitive function in severely burned rats by inhibiting hippocampal NF-κB/JNK pathway.
Liang XING ; Wei WEI ; Cuina ZHANG ; Bingquan GAO ; Jianke FENG ; Leilei MA
Chinese Journal of Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2023;39(7):604-609
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective To investigate the protective effect of resveratrol (RSV) on improving cognitive function in severely burned rats and its possible mechanism. Methods 18 male SD rats aged 18-20 months were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group, model group and RSV group, with 6 rats in each group. After successful modeling, the rats in RSV group were gavaged once daily with RSV (20 mg/kg). Meanwhile, the rats in control group and model group were gavaged once daily with an equal volume of sodium chloride solution. After 4 weeks, the cognitive function of all rats was estimated by Step-down Test. The concentration of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) protein in serum of rats were detected by ELISA. The expression of IL-6, TNF-α mRNA and protein were estimated by real-time PCR and Western blotting. The apoptosis of hippocampal neurons was tested by terminal deoxynuclectidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling assay (TUNEL). The expression of nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway-related proteins in hippocampus were assessed by Western blotting. Results Compared with the rats in model group, rats in RSV group exhibited improved cognitive function. Consistently, the rats in RSV group had a reduced concentration of TNF-α and IL-6 in serum, decreased mRNA and protein expressions of TNF-α and IL-6 in hippocampus, and decreased apoptosis rate and relative expression of p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 and p-JNK/JNK in hippocampal neurons. Conclusion RSV alleviates inflammatory response and hippocampal neuronal apoptosis by inhibiting NF-κB/JNK pathway, thereby improving cognitive function in severely burned rats.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Resveratrol/pharmacology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Male
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Rats
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Rats, Sprague-Dawley
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Burns/drug therapy*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cognition/drug effects*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Hippocampus/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			MAP Kinase Signaling System
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			NF-kappa B/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/blood*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Interleukin-6/blood*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Neurons/drug effects*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Apoptosis
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
5.Neotuberostemonine and tuberostemonine ameliorate pulmonary fibrosis through suppressing TGF-β and SDF-1 secreted by macrophages and fibroblasts via the PI3K-dependent AKT and ERK pathways.
San FU ; Xianrui SONG ; Yingying HU ; Qingwei ZHU ; Xinmiao LV ; Xiaoyan TANG ; Mian ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.) 2023;21(7):527-539
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Activated fibroblasts and M2-polarized macrophages may contribute to the progression of pulmonary fibrosis by forming a positive feedback loop. This study was aimed to investigate whether fibroblasts and macrophages form this loop by secreting SDF-1 and TGF-β and the impacts of neotuberostemonine (NTS) and tuberostemonine (TS). Mice were intratracheally injected with 3 U·kg-1 bleomycin and orally administered with 30 mg·kg-1 NTS or TS. Primary pulmonary fibroblasts (PFBs) and MH-S cells (alveolar macrophages) were used in vitro. The animal experiments showed that NTS and TS improved fibrosis related indicators, inhibited fibroblast activation and macrophage M2 polarization, and reduced the levels of TGF-β and SDF-1 in alveolar lavage fluid. Cell experiments showed that TGF-β1 may activated fibroblasts into myofibroblasts secreting SDF-1 by activating the PI3K/AKT/HIF-1α and PI3K/PAK/RAF/ERK/HIF-1α pathways. It was also found for the first time that SDF-1 was able to directly polarize macrophages into M2 phenotype secreting TGF-β through the same pathways as mentioned above. Moreover, the results of the cell coculture confirmed that fibroblasts and macrophages actually developed a feedback loop to promote fibrosis, and the secretion of TGF-β and SDF-1 was crucial for maintaining this loop. NTS and TS may disturb this loop through inhibiting both the PI3K/AKT/HIF-1α and PI3K/PAK/RAF/ERK/HIF-1α pathways to improve pulmonary fibrosis. NTS and TS are stereoisomeric alkaloids with pyrrole[1,2-a]azapine skeleton, and their effect on improving pulmonary fibrosis may be largely attributed to their parent nucleus. Moreover, this study found that inhibition of both the AKT and ERK pathways is essential for maximizing the improvement of pulmonary fibrosis.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mice
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Pulmonary Fibrosis/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Transforming Growth Factor beta/pharmacology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			MAP Kinase Signaling System
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Alkaloids/pharmacology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Fibroblasts
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Macrophages/metabolism*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
6.Y-box-binding protein 1 mediates sorafenib resistance via the extracellular signal regulated-protein kinase pathway in hepatoma cells.
Ting LIU ; Xiaoli XIE ; Sheng Xiong CHEN ; Yi Jun WANG ; Hui Qing JIANG
Chinese Journal of Hepatology 2023;31(4):401-407
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective: To investigate the effect and possible mechanism of Y-box-binding protein 1 (YB-1) on sorafenib resistance in hepatoma cells. Methods: Lentiviral vectors with YB-1 overexpression and knockdown were constructed, respectively, to stimulate human hepatoma cell lines (HepG2 and Huh7) alone or in combination with sorafenib.The overexpression part of the experiment was divided into four groups: overexpression control group (Lv-NC), YB-1 overexpression group (Lv-YB-1), overexpression control combined with sorafenib resistance group (Lv-NC+sorafenib), YB-1 overexpression combined with sorafenib resistance group (Lv-YB-1 + sorafenib). The knockdown part of the experiment was also divided into four groups: knockdown control group (Lv-shNC), YB-1 knockdown group (Lv-shYB-1), knockdown control combined with sorafenib resistance group (Lv-shNC + sorafenib), YB-1 knockdown combined with sorafenib resistance group (Lv-shYB-1 + sorafenib). The occurrence of cell apoptosis was detected by TUNEL. The protein expression levels of phosphorylated (p)-ERK and ERK, key proteins in the extracellular regulatory protein kinase (ERK) signaling pathway, were detected by Western blot and quantified by ImageJ software. Subcutaneous tumorigenesis experiments were performed in nude mice. The effect of YB-1 on the efficacy of sorafenib was verified in vivo. The comparison between the two sets of data was carried out by an independent sample t-test. One-way ANOVA was used for comparisons between the three groups of data above. Results: Sorafenib had accelerated the occurrence of apoptosis in hepatoma cells, while YB-1 overexpression had inhibited cell apoptosis, and at the same time also inhibited the apoptosis-accelerating impact of sorafenib. On the contrary, YB-1 knockdown accelerated cell apoptosis and amplified the induction effect of sorafenib on apoptosis. Furthermore, sorafenib resistance had down-regulated p-ERK levels (HepG2: Lv-NC 0.685 ± 0.143, Lv-NC + sorafenib 0.315 ± 0.168, P < 0.05; Huh7: Lv-NC 0.576 ± 0.078, Lv-NC + sorafenib 0.150 ± 0.131, P < 0.01), whereas YB-1 overexpression had inhibited sorafenib resistance p-ERK reduction (HepG2: Lv-NC + sorafenib 0.315 ± 0.168, Lv-YB-1 + sorafenib 0.688 ± 0.042, P < 0.05; Huh7: Lv-NC + sorafenib 0.150 ± 0.131, Lv-YB-1 + sorafenib 0.553 ± 0.041, P < 0.05). YB-1 knockdown further increased sorafenib-induced p-ERK downregulation (HepG2: Lv-shNC + sorafenib 0.911 ± 0.252, Lv-shYB-1 + sorafenib 0.500 ± 0.201, P < 0.05; Huh7: Lv-shNC + sorafenib 0.577 ± 0.082, Lv-shYB-1 + sorafenib 0.350 ± 0.143, P < 0.05), which was further verified in naked mice (Lv-shNC + sorafenib 0.812 ± 0.279, Lv-shYB-1 + sorafenib 0.352 ± 0.109, P < 0.05). Conclusion: YB-1 mediates the occurrence of sorafenib resistance via the ERK signaling pathway in hepatoma cells.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Line, Tumor
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Sorafenib/pharmacology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Y-Box-Binding Protein 1/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			MAP Kinase Signaling System
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mice
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mice, Nude
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
7.Colorectal cancer cells induce the formation of cancer-associated fibroblasts by activating the ERK signaling pathway in fibroblasts.
Ting DENG ; Boyu DU ; Xueyan XI
Journal of Southern Medical University 2023;43(6):943-951
		                        		
		                        			OBJECTIVE:
		                        			To investigate the mechanism by which conditioned medium of colorectal cancer cells promotes the formation of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs).
		                        		
		                        			METHODS:
		                        			Normal human colorectal fibroblasts (CCD-18Co cells) in logarithmic growth phase were treated with the conditioned media of colorectal cancer HCT116 cells (HCT116-CM) or Caco-2 cells (Caco-2-CM) alone or in combination with 300 nmol/L ERK inhibitor SCH772984. The expression levels of CAFs-related molecular markers were detected in the treated cells with real-time quantitative PCR (RT- qPCR) and immunofluorescence assay, and the changes in cell proliferation, colony formation and migration were assessed with RTCA, colony formation and wound healing assays; Western blotting was performed to detect the activated signaling pathways in the fibroblasts and the changes in CAFs formation after blocking of the signaling pathway.
		                        		
		                        			RESULTS:
		                        			HCT116-CM and Caco-2-CM significantly upregulated mRNA expression levels of CAFs markers (including α-SMA, FAP, FN and TGF-β) in CCD-18Co cells, and strongly promoted fibroblast transformation into CAFs (P < 0.05). The two conditioned media also promoted the proliferation, colony formation and migration of CCD-18Co cells (P < 0.05) and significantly increased the levels of α-SMA protein and ERK phosphorylation in the cells (P < 0.05). The ERK inhibitor SCH772984 obviously inhibited the expression of α-SMA and the transformation of CCD-18Co cells into CAFs induced by the conditioned medium of colorectal cancer cells (P < 0.05).
		                        		
		                        			CONCLUSION
		                        			Colorectal cancer cells may induce the formation of colorectal CAFs by activating the ERK pathway in the fibroblasts.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Culture Media, Conditioned/pharmacology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			MAP Kinase Signaling System
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Caco-2 Cells
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Fibroblasts
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Signal Transduction
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Proliferation
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Line, Tumor
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Movement
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
8.Exploring the treatment of sepsis-associated acute lung injury with Liangge Powder via ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT pathways: based on network pharmacology and whole animal experimentation.
Rui HUANG ; Wen Ju HE ; Ping Ping ZHANG ; Dong Qiang WANG
Chinese Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Diseases 2023;41(2):94-103
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Liangge Powder against sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI) . Methods: From April to December 2021, the key components of Liangge Powder and its targets against sepsis-induced ALI were analyzed by network pharmacology, and to enrich for relevant signaling pathways. A total of 90 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to sham-operated group, sepsis-induced ALI model group (model group), Liangge Powder low, medium and high dose group, ten rats in the sham-operated group and 20 rats in each of the remaining four groups. Sepsis-induced ALI model was established by cecal ligation and puncture. Sham-operated group: gavage with 2 ml saline and no surgical treatment. Model group: surgery was performed and 2 ml saline was gavaged. Liangge Powder low, medium and high dose groups: surgery and gavage of Liangge Powder 3.9, 7.8 and 15.6 g/kg, respectively. To measure the wet/dry mass ratio of rats lung tissue and evaluate the permeability of alveolar capillary barrier. Lung tissue were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histomorphological analysis. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL) -6 and IL-1β in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relative protein expression levels of p-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), p-protein kinase B (AKT), and p-ertracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) were detected via Western blot analysis. Results: Network pharmacology analysis indicated that 177 active compounds of Liangge Powder were selected. A total of 88 potential targets of Liangge Powder on sepsis-induced ALI were identified. 354 GO terms of Liangge Powder on sepsis-induced ALI and 108 pathways were identified using GO and KEGG analysis. PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was recognized to play an important role for Liangge Powder against sepsis-induced ALI. Compared with the sham-operated group, the lung tissue wet/dry weight ratio of rats in the model group (6.35±0.95) was increased (P<0.001). HE staining showed the destruction of normal structure of lung tissue. The levels of IL-6 [ (392.36±66.83) pg/ml], IL-1β [ (137.11±26.83) pg/ml] and TNF-α [ (238.34±59.36) pg/ml] were increased in the BALF (P<0.001, =0.001, <0.001), and the expression levels of p-PI3K, p-AKT and p-ERK1/2 proteins (1.04±0.15, 0.51±0.04, 2.31±0.41) were increased in lung tissue (P=0.002, 0.003, 0.005). The lung histopathological changes were reduced in each dose group of Liangge Powder compared with the model group. Compared with the model group, the wet/dry weight ratio of lung tissue (4.29±1.26) was reduced in the Liangge Powder medium dose group (P=0.019). TNF-α level [ (147.85±39.05) pg/ml] was reduced (P=0.022), and the relative protein expression levels of p-PI3K (0.37±0.18) and p-ERK1/2 (1.36±0.07) were reduced (P=0.008, 0.017). The wet/dry weight ratio of lung tissue (4.16±0.66) was reduced in the high-dose group (P=0.003). Levels of IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α[ (187.98±53.28) pg/ml, (92.45±25.39) pg/ml, (129.77±55.94) pg/ml] were reduced (P=0.001, 0.027, 0.018), and relative protein expression levels of p-PI3K, p-AKT and p-ERK1/2 (0.65±0.05, 0.31±0.08, 1.30±0.12) were reduced (P=0.013, 0.018, 0.015) . Conclusion: Liangge Powder has therapeutic effects in rats with sepsis-induced ALI, and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT pathway activation in lung tissue.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Male
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Rats
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Rats, Sprague-Dawley
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Powders
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Animal Experimentation
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Interleukin-6
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			MAP Kinase Signaling System
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Network Pharmacology
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Acute Lung Injury/drug therapy*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Sepsis/drug therapy*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
9.Analysis of the effect of midazolam on pain in a rat model of lumbar disc herniation based on the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.
Jian LIU ; Yu-Jun YE ; Shu-Min LIU ; Shuang LIU
China Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology 2023;36(1):55-60
		                        		
		                        			OBJECTIVE:
		                        			To investigate the effect of midazolam on pain in lumbar disc herniation model rats based on p38 MAPK signaling pathway.
		                        		
		                        			METHODS:
		                        			Fifty SPF-grade Sprague-Dawley healthy rats, half male and half female, were selected and randomly divided into normal group, model group, and low-dose, medium-dose, high-dose groups. Model group and low-dose, medium-dose, high-dose groups were initially modeled for lumbar disc herniation. Intraperitoneal injection of saline was performed in rats of normal and model groups; and in the low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose groups, intraperitoneal injection of midazolam was performed with doses of 30, 60, and 90 mg/kg, respectively. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), β-endorphin (β-EP), substance P (SP), neuropeptide Y (NPY) were detected in the serum of rats by enzyme-linked immunoassay. The expression of p38 MAPK and matrix metalloproteinase-3(MMP-3) protein were detected by Western blot in the tissues of rats of each group.
		                        		
		                        			RESULTS:
		                        			The levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and β-EP were higher and the level of 5-HT was lower in the model group than in the normal group(P<0.05);the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and β-EP were lower and the level of 5-HT was higher in the low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups than in the model group(P<0.05). The levels of SP and NPY increased in the model group compared with the normal group (P<0.05) and the levels of SP and NPY decreased in the low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups compared with the model group (P<0.05). The expression of p38 MAPK and MMP-3 increased in the model group compared with the normal group (P<0.05); the expression of p38 MAPK and MMP-3 decreased in the low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose compared with the model group(P<0.05).
		                        		
		                        			CONCLUSION
		                        			Midazolam may ameliorate the immune inflammatory response in rats with a model of lumbar disc herniation, possibly regulated through the p38MAPK signaling pathway.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Rats
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Male
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Female
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Intervertebral Disc Displacement/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Rats, Sprague-Dawley
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Matrix Metalloproteinase 3/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Midazolam
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Serotonin/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			MAP Kinase Signaling System/physiology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Pain
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
10.Cytokine receptor-like factor 1 (CRLF1) promotes cardiac fibrosis via ERK1/2 signaling pathway.
Shenjian LUO ; Zhi YANG ; Ruxin CHEN ; Danming YOU ; Fei TENG ; Youwen YUAN ; Wenhui LIU ; Jin LI ; Huijie ZHANG
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2023;24(8):682-697
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Cardiac fibrosis is a cause of morbidity and mortality in people with heart disease. Anti-fibrosis treatment is a significant therapy for heart disease, but there is still no thorough understanding of fibrotic mechanisms. This study was carried out to ascertain the functions of cytokine receptor-like factor 1 (CRLF1) in cardiac fibrosis and clarify its regulatory mechanisms. We found that CRLF1 was expressed predominantly in cardiac fibroblasts. Its expression was up-regulated not only in a mouse heart fibrotic model induced by myocardial infarction, but also in mouse and human cardiac fibroblasts provoked by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Gain- and loss-of-function experiments of CRLF1 were carried out in neonatal mice cardiac fibroblasts (NMCFs) with or without TGF-β1 stimulation. CRLF1 overexpression increased cell viability, collagen production, cell proliferation capacity, and myofibroblast transformation of NMCFs with or without TGF-β1 stimulation, while silencing of CRLF1 had the opposite effects. An inhibitor of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling pathway and different inhibitors of TGF-β1 signaling cascades, comprising mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (SMAD)-dependent and SMAD-independent pathways, were applied to investigate the mechanisms involved. CRLF1 exerted its functions by activating the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Furthermore, the SMAD-dependent pathway, not the SMAD-independent pathway, was responsible for CRLF1 up-regulation in NMCFs treated with TGF-β1. In summary, activation of the TGF-β1/SMAD signaling pathway in cardiac fibrosis increased CRLF1 expression. CRLF1 then aggravated cardiac fibrosis by activating the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. CRLF1 could become a novel potential target for intervention and remedy of cardiac fibrosis.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mice
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Disease Models, Animal
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Fibroblasts/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Fibrosis
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			MAP Kinase Signaling System
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Myocardial Infarction/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Receptors, Cytokine/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Signal Transduction
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Transforming Growth Factor beta1/pharmacology*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
            
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