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Abstract Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-associated mortality, with a poor treatment approach. Previous study has shown that inducing pyroptosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) slows the growth of PDACs, implying that pyroptosis inducers are potentially effective for PDAC therapy. Here, we found that Dronedarone hydrochloride (DH), an antiarrhythmic drug, induces pyroptosis in pancreatic cancer cells and inhibits PDAC development in mice. In PANC-1 cells, DH caused cell death in a dosage- and time-dependent manner, with only pyroptosis inhibitors and GSDMD silencing rescuing the cell death, indicating that DH triggered GSDMD-dependent pyroptosis. Further work revealed that DH increased mitochondrial stresses and caused mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) leakage, activating the cytosolic STING-cGAS and pyroptosis pathways. Finally, we assessed the anti-cancer effects of DH in a pancreatic cancer mouse model and found that DH treatment suppressed pancreatic tumor development in vivo. Collectively, our investigation demonstrates that DH triggers pyroptosis in PDAC and proposes its potential effects on anti-PDAC growth.

Abstract Efficient clearance of dying cells (efferocytosis) is an evolutionarily conserved process for tissue homeostasis. Genetic enhancement of efferocytosis exhibits therapeutic potential for inflammation resolution and tissue repair. However, pharmacological approaches to enhance efferocytosis remain sparse due to a lack of targets for modulation. Here, we report the identification of columbamine (COL) which enhances macrophage‐mediated efferocytosis and attenuates intestinal inflammation in a murine colitis model. COL enhances efferocytosis by promoting LC3‐associated phagocytosis (LAP), a non‐canonical form of autophagy. Transcriptome analysis and pharmacological characterization revealed that COL is a biased agonist that occupies a part of the ligand binding pocket of formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2), a G‐protein coupled receptor involved in inflammation regulation. Genetic ablation of the Fpr2 gene or treatment with an FPR2 antagonist abolishes COL‐induced efferocytosis, anti‐colitis activity and LAP. Taken together, our study identifies FPR2 as a potential target for modulating LC3‐associated efferocytosis to alleviate intestinal inflammation and highlights the therapeutic value of COL, a natural and biased agonist of FPR2, in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

As a cellular bulk degradation and survival mechanism, autophagy is implicated in diverse biological processes. Genome-wide association studies have revealed the link between autophagy gene polymorphisms and susceptibility of autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), indicating that autophagy dysregulation may be involved in the development of autoimmune diseases. A series of autophagy modulators have displayed protective effects on autoimmune disease models, highlighting the emerging role of autophagy modulators in treating autoimmune diseases. This review explores the roles of autophagy in the autoimmune diseases, with emphasis on four major autoimmune diseases [SLE, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), IBD, and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)]. More importantly, the therapeutic potentials of small molecular autophagy modulators (including autophagy inducers and inhibitors) on autoimmune diseases are comprehensively analyzed.

Abstract Background Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from various Berberis species which is widely used in East Asia for a wide range of symptoms. Recently, neuroprotective effects of berberine in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) animal models are being extensively reported. So far, no clinical trial has been carried out on the neuroprotective effects of berberine. However, a review of the experimental data is needed before choosing berberine as a candidate drug for clinical experiments. We conducted a systematic review on AD rodent models to analyze the drug effects with minimal selection bias. Methods Five online literature databases were searched to find publications reporting studies of the effect of berberine treatment on animal models of AD. Up to March 2018, 15 papers were identified to describe the efficacy of berberine. Results The included 15 articles met our inclusion criteria with different quality ranging from 3 to 5. We analyzed data extracted from full texts with regard to pharmacological effects and potential anti-Alzheimer’s properties. Our analysis revealed that in multiple memory defects animal models, berberine showed significant memory-improving activities with multiple mechanisms, such as anti-inflammation, anti-oxidative stress, cholinesterase (ChE) inhibition and anti-amyloid effects. Conclusion AD is likely to be a complex disease driven by multiple factors. Yet, many therapeutic strategies based on lowering β-amyloid have failed in clinical trials. This suggest that the threapy should not base on a single cause of Alzheimer’s disease but rather a number of different pathways that lead to the disease. Overall we think that berberine can be a promising multipotent agent to combat Alzheimer’s disease.

Abstract Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) represents the crystallization of Chinese wisdom and civilization. It has been valued as the renewable source for the discovery of novel drugs, owing to its long-term proved efficacy in human diseases and abundant biologically active components pools. To dissect the mystery of TCM, modern technologies such as omics approaches (proteomics, genomics, metabolomics) and drug screening technologies (high through-put screening, high content screening and virtual screening) have been widely applied to either identify the drug target of TCM or identify the active component with certain bio-activity. The advent of high content screening technology has absolutely contributed to a breakthrough in compounds discovery and influenced the evolution of technology in screening field. The review introduces the concept and principle of high content screening, lists and compares the currently used HCS instruments, and summarizes the examples from ours and others research work which applied HCS in TCM-derived compounds screening. Meanwhile, this article also discusses the advantages and limitations of HSC technology in drug discovery from TCM libraries.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with a high incidence in the elderly. Many preclinical studies show that a natural product, ferulic acid (FA), displays neuroprotective effects in AD models. This review aims to systematically review and meta-analyze published pre-clinical researches about the effects, mechanism, and clinical prospects of FA in the treatment of AD. According to the pre-determined search strategy and inclusion criteria, a total of 344 animals in 12 papers were included in the meta-analysis. We used the fixed effects model to analyze data and I2 and p values to indicate heterogeneity. Results show that FA treatment can effectively improve rodents’ spatial memory ability in MWM and Y maze experiments (I2 ≥ 70, p < 0.005), and reduce the deposition of Aβ in the brains of various model animals (I2 ≥ 50, p < 0.005). The potential mechanisms include anti-amyloidogenesis, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, mitochondrial protection, and inhibition of apoptosis. In conclusion, we systematically review and meta-analyze the literature reporting the effects of FA treatment on AD rodent models and solidify the benefits of FA in reducing Aβ deposition and improving memory in preclinical experiments. We also point out the limitations in the current research design and provide a strategy for the production research of FA in the future.

Abstract 6-OHDA plus ascorbic acid (AA) has long been used to induce Parkinson’s disease in rodents, while only 6-OHDA is commonly used to induce cell damage in cellular PD models. AA was believed to act as an anti-oxidant to prevent the degradation of 6-OHDA; however, some studies suggested that AA dramatically enhanced the selectivity and toxicity of 6-OHDA. To understand the mechanisms by which 6-OHDA/AA induces cell death, we established a 6-OHDA/AA cell toxicity model in human dopaminergic neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. We confirmed that the toxicity of 6-OHDA was dramatically increased in the presence of AA, and the toxicity can be prevented by a flavonoid, baicalein. Mechanistically, our research reveals that 6-OHDA/AA induces cell death mainly through the interruption of intracellular calcium homeostasis, which leads to calpain activation and mitochondrial damage. Baicalein prevents 6-OHDA/AA-induced intracellular calcium elevation as well as consequent mitochondria damage. Taken together, our study confirms that 6-OHDA/AA is a more sensitive model for inducing neuronal lesion in vitro and reveals the central role of intracellular calcium in 6-OHDA/AA-induced cell death. Our studies further show that baicalein prevents 6-OHDA/AA-induced cell death by inhibiting intracellular calcium elevation.

Abstract Background Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) polymorphisms have been implicated in the pathogenesis of glaucoma risk. However, the results were controversial. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the precise associations between MMPs polymorphisms and glaucoma risk. Methods Related studies were reviewed by searching electronic databases within four databases. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the association between the most common polymorphisms of MMPs and glaucoma risk. Heterogeneity, publication bias and sensitivity analysis were conducted to guarantee the statistical power. Results Overall, 11 selected articles involving 2,388 cases and 2,319 controls were included in this meta-analysis. Significant associations were only found between MMP-9 rs17576 G > A polymorphism (GA vs. GG: OR = 0.80, 95%CI = 0.67-0.97, P = 0.02, I2 = 0%), MMP-9 rs3918249 C > T polymorphism (TT vs. CC + CT: OR = 0.71, 95%CI = 0.51-0.98, P = 0.04, I2 = 0%) and glaucoma risk in the general population. Subgroup analysis also suggested that MMP-9 rs17576 G > A was related to glaucoma in the Caucasian population (GA vs. GG: OR = 0.67, 95%CI = 0.45-1.00, P = 0.05; GA + AA vs. GG: OR = 0.66, 95%CI = 0.45-0.97, P = 0.03, I2 = 0%). Conclusions Our meta-analysis demonstrates that MMP-9 rs17576 G > A polymorphism might be a protective factor against the development of glaucoma in Caucasian population.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of protein aggregates (namely Lewy bodies) in dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra region of the brain. Alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is the major component of Lewy bodies in PD patients, and impairment of the ubiquitin-proteasome system has been linked to its accumulation. In this work, we developed a tetracycline–inducible expression system, with simultaneous induced expression of α-syn-EGFP and a bright red fluorescent protein marker (mCherry) to screen for potential compounds for degrading α-syn. We identified canthin-6-one as an α-syn lowering compound which promoted both wild type and mutants α-syn degradation in an ubiquitin-proteasome-system (UPS) dependent manner. By CRISPR/Cas9 genome-wide screening technology, we identified RPN2/PSMD1, the 26S proteasome non-ATPase regulatory subunit 1, as the targeting gene for pharmacological activity of canthin-6-one. Finally, we showed that canthin-6-one up-regulates PSMD1 and enhances UPS function by activating PKA.

Autophagy is a conserved bulk degradation and recycling process that plays important roles in multiple biological functions, including inflammatory responses. As an important component of the innate immune system, macrophages are involved in defending cells from invading pathogens, clearing cellular debris, and regulating inflammatory responses. During the past two decades, accumulated evidence has revealed the intrinsic connection between autophagy and macrophage function. This review focuses on the role of autophagy, both as nonselective and selective forms, in the regulation of the inflammatory and phagocytotic functions of macrophages. Specifically, the roles of autophagy in pattern recognition, cytokine release, inflammasome activation, macrophage polarization, LC3-associated phagocytosis, and xenophagy are comprehensively reviewed. The roles of autophagy receptors in the macrophage function regulation are also summarized. Finally, the obstacles and remaining questions regarding the molecular regulation mechanisms, disease association, and therapeutic applications are discussed.

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important mediator of inflammation response and the production of NO has been linked to a variety of diseases, including tumors, inflammation and central nervous system diseases. In macrophages, a high level of NO is generated by iNOS during inflammatory responses triggered by cytokines or pathogens. Autophagy, a cellular bulk degradation process via lysosome, has been implicated in many disease conditions including inflammation. In this study, we have reported the previously unknown role of autophagy in regulating iNOS levels in macrophages, both under basal and Lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced conditions. Our data showed that iNOS levels accumulated upon autophagy inhibition and decreased upon autophagy induction. iNOS interacted and co-localized with autophagy receptor p62/SQSTM1, especially under LPS-stimulated condition in macrophages. Moreover, the immunostaining data revealed that iNOS also co-localizes with the autophagosome marker LC3 and lysosome marker LAMP1, especially under lysosomal inhibition conditions, indicating iNOS is an autophagy substrate. Finally, we showed that autophagy negatively regulated the generation of NO in macrophages, which is consistent with the changes of iNOS levels. Collectively, our study revealed a previously unknown mechanism by which autophagy regulates iNOS levels to modulate NO production during inflammation.

Autophagy is a conserved bulk degradation and recycling process that plays important roles in multiple biological functions, including inflammatory responses. As an important component of the innate immune system, macrophages are involved in defending cells from invading pathogens, clearing cellular debris, and regulating inflammatory responses. During the past two decades, accumulated evidence has revealed the intrinsic connection between autophagy and macrophage function. This review focuses on the role of autophagy, both as nonselective and selective forms, in the regulation of the inflammatory and phagocytotic functions of macrophages. Specifically, the roles of autophagy in pattern recognition, cytokine release, inflammasome activation, macrophage polarization, LC3-associated phagocytosis, and xenophagy are comprehensively reviewed. The roles of autophagy receptors in the macrophage function regulation are also summarized. Finally, the obstacles and remaining questions regarding the molecular regulation mechanisms, disease association, and therapeutic applications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Trehalose is related to several types of stress responses, especially freezing response in baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). It is desirable to manipulate trehalose-related genes to create yeast strains that better tolerate freezing-thaw stress with improved fermentation capacity, which are in high demand in the baking industry. Results: The strain overexpressing MAL62 gene showed increased trehalose content and cell viability after prefermention-freezing and long-term frozen. Deletion of NTH1 in combination of MAL62 overexpression further strengthens freezing tolerance and improves the leavening ability after freezing-thaw stress. Conclusions: The mutants of the industrial baker's yeast with enhanced freezing tolerance and leavening ability in lean dough were developed by genetic engineering. These strains had excellent potential industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A biofilm-like scaffold with bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) encapsulated in situ was constructed on a titanium surface using a layer-by-layer self-assembly technique for the potential application for dental or joint implant. The scaffold was formed by depositing a single layer of positively charged poly(L-lysine) on a negatively charged NaOH-treated titanium substrate, followed by alternate immersion into a negatively charged alginate-BMSC suspension and positively charged chitosan solution, respectively, and terminated a layer of chitosan. The cell-encapsulated scaffolds were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The BMSC remained viable and grew well in the scaffold. This approach provides a method for the preparation of tissue engineering scaffold on titanium surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAim:To investigate the effects of allisartan, a new angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist, on blood pressure (BP) and end-organ damage (EOD) in hypertensive rats and dogs.Methods:First, a single dose of allisartan was given intragastrically to evaluate the BP reduction in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), two kidney-one clip (2K1C) renovascular hypertensive rats and dogs, and Beagle dogs with angiotensin II-induced hypertension. Second, allisartan was mixed in rat chow for long-term treatment. After 4 months of drug administration, rats were instrumented to determine BP and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS). Observation of morphologic changes was used to estimate EOD. Third, the acute toxicity of allisartan was compared with that of losartan in mice.Results:BP was significantly decreased after intragastric administration of allisartan in SHRs, 2K1C rats, 2K1C dogs and Beagle dogs with angiotensin II-induced hypertension. Compared with the control, SHRs that received long-term treatment with allisartan exhibited an improved BRS and organ protective effects. Mice who were administered allisartan experienced less acute toxicity than those treated with losartan.Conclusion:Allisartan is highly effective for BP reduction and organ protection with low toxicity.Acta Pharmacologica Sinica (2009) 30: 307–313; doi: 10.1038/aps.2009.11 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bioactivity of a novel composite of carbonate-containing low-crystallinity nanoparticle hydroxyapatite (HA) and a chitosan-phosphorylated chitosan polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The HA-PEC nanocomposite with complicated porous structure was prepared by a biomimetic method. An acidic chitosan (polycation) solution containing calcium and phosphate ions (6mM Ca2+, Ca/P : 1.67) was added into phosphorylated chitosan (polyanion) solution; the formation of PEC and the controlled HA crystal growth were co-organized in alkaline solution. The material was co-cultured with rat osteoblasts in vitro, and implanted into rabbit femur marrow cavities. The results indicate that the PEC-HA composite promoted osteoblast adhesion, morphology, proliferation, and differentiation in vitro; the bone tissue response to the material histologically showed that it was bioactive, as well as biodegradable. The HA-PEC composite shows promise as a bone-repair material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the effect of HSP90 inhibitor on glycolysis and apoptosis in mouse hepatocarcinoma cells, and to explore its underlying mechanism. Methods Examine the level of lactate and ATP in mouse hepatoma cell line H22 treated with CORT, GR antagonist RU486 and HSP90 inhibitor 17-AAG; Evaluate the apoptosis level of H22 cells after CORT or various concentrations of 17-AAG treatment; H22 cells were treated with CORT, RU486 and 17-AAG respectively, and then the expression of GR and PI3K/Akt-related proteins was determined by Western blot. Results Compared with the control group, CORT promoted GR nuclear translocation, while inhibited after RU486 treatment. Compared with CORT treatment alone, CORT and 17-AAG co-treatment could weaken the promotion of GR nuclear translocation by CORT(P＜0.05); The level of lactate and ATP was increased significantly after CORT treatment (P＜0.05). After co-treatment with 17-AAG, this effect was inhibited (P＜0.05).And the level of lactate and ATP was decreased by 24% and 17% respectively; Compared with the control group, 17-AAG could significantly increase the total apoptosis rate of H22 cells in a dose-dependent manner(P＜0.05); Compared with the control group, the protein expression of pAkt increased after CORT treatment, while decreased significantly after co-treatment with 17-AAG (P＜0.05). Conclusions HSP90 inhibitor 17-AAG can inhibit GR nuclear translocation, thereby inhibit glycolysis and promote apoptosis of hepatocarcinoma cells, which is potentially regulated by PI3K/Akt pathway.