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Abstract Cardiac dysfunction is a vital complication during endotoxemia (ETM). Accumulating evidence suggests that enhanced glycolytic metabolism promotes inflammatory and myocardial diseases. In this study, we performed deep mRNA sequencing analysis on the hearts of control and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged mice (40 mg/kg, i.p.) and identified that the glycolytic enzyme, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase (PFK-2)/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) might play an indispensable role in ETM-induced cardiac damage. Quantitative real-time PCR validated the transcriptional upregulation of PFKFB3 in the myocardium of LPS-challenged mice and immunoblotting and immunostaining assays confirmed that LPS stimulation markedly increased the expression of PFKFB3 at the protein level both in vivo and in vitro. The potent antagonist 3-(3pyridinyl)-1-(4-pyridinyl)-2-propen-1-one (3PO) was used to block PFKFB3 activity in vivo (50 mg/kg, i.p.) and in vitro (10 μM). Echocardiographic analysis and TUNEL staining showed that 3PO significantly alleviated LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction and apoptotic injury in vivo. 3PO also suppressed the LPS-induced secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and lactate in the serum, in addition to lactate in the myocardium. PFKFB3 inhibition also diminished the nuclear translocation and phosphorylation of transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in both adult cardiomyocytes and HL-1 cells. Furthermore, immunoblotting analysis showed that 3PO inhibited LPS-induced apoptotic induction in cardiomyocytes. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that PFKFB3 participates in LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction via mediating inflammatory and apoptotic signaling pathway. Highlights • The mRNA-seq data showed a vital role of PFKFB3 in LPS-caused cardiac dysfunction. • LPS stimulated significant protein upregulation of PFKFB3 in cardiomyocytes. • PFKFB3 blocker alleviated LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction and myocardial injury. • PFKFB3 may promote cardiac dysfunction via mediating inflammation and apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Four undescribed seco -polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols from H. elodeoides. • A possible biosynthetic pathway of 1 – 4 from normal PAPs was proposed. • Compound 1 induced MCF-7 cell apoptosis. • Compound 1 arrested cell cycle at S phase via inducing oxidative DNA damage. Four undescribed seco -polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (seco -PAPs), elodeoidesones A-D (1 – 4), were characterized from Hypericum elodeoides. Compound 1 represents the 1,6- seco -PAPs with fascinating 5/5 fused ring, while 2 – 4 possess a 1,2- seco -PAPs skeleton with a five-membered lactone core. Their structures including absolute configurations were established by spectroscopic analyses and quantum chemical computations. A possible biosynthetic pathway of 1 – 4 from normal PAPs was proposed. All the isolates were investigated for their cytotoxicity against tumor cells. Notably, 1 inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells with the IC 50 value of 7.34 μM. Mechanism investigation indicated that 1 induced MCF-7 cells apoptosis by blocking cell cycle at S phase via inducing oxidative DNA damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac dysfunction is a vital complication of endotoxemia (ETM) with limited therapeutic options. Transient receptor potential canonical channel (TRPC)1 was involved in various heart diseases. While, the role of TRPC1 in ETM-induced cardiac dysfunction remains to be defined. In this study, we found that TRPC1 protein expression was significantly upregulated in hearts of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged mice. What's more, TRPC1 knockdown significantly alleviated LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction and injury. Further myocardial mRNA-sequencing analysis revealed that TRPC1 might participate in pathogenesis of ETM-induced cardiac dysfunction via mediating myocardial apoptosis and autophagy. Data showed that knockdown of TRPC1 significantly ameliorated LPS-induced myocardial apoptotic injury, cardiomyocytes autophagosome accumulation, and myocardial autophagic flux. Simultaneously, deletion of TRPC1 reversed LPS-induced molecular changes of apoptosis/autophagy signaling pathway in cardiomyocytes. Moreover, TRPC1 could promote LPS-triggered intracellular Ca2+ release, subsequent calpain activation and caveolin-1 degradation. Either blocking calpain by PD150606 or enhancing the amount of caveolin-1 scaffolding domain that interacts with TRPC1 by cell-permeable peptide cavtratin significantly alleviated the LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction and cardiomyocytes apoptosis/autophagy. Furthermore, cavtratin could inhibit LPS-induced calpain activation in cardiomyocytes. caveolin-1 could directly interact with calpain 2 both in vivo and in vitro. Importantly, cecal ligation and puncture-stimulated cardiac dysfunction and mortality were significantly alleviated in Trpc1 -/- and cavtratin-treated mice, which further validated the contribution of TRPC1-caveolin-1 signaling axis in sepsis-induced pathological process. Overall, this study indicated that TRPC1 could promote LPS-triggered intracellular Ca2+ release, mediate caveolin-1 reduction, and in turn activates calpain to regulate myocardial apoptosis and autophagy, contributing to ETM-induced cardiac dysfunction of mice. [Display omitted] • Deletion of TRPC1 alleviates LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction. • TRPC1 knockdown inhibits LPS-stimulated myocardial apoptosis and autophagy. • TRPC1 facilitates LPS-induced Ca2+ release and caveolin-1 degradation. • Direct protein interaction exists between caveolin-1 and calpain 2. • Targeting TRPC1-caveolin-1-calpain axis alleviates endotoxic cardiac dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deguelin is a rotenoid of the flavonoid family, which can be extracted from Lonchocarpus, Derris, or Tephrosia. It possesses the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis through regulating the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway, the NF-κB signaling pathway, the Wnt signaling pathway, the adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling, activating the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, repression of Bmi1, targeting cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), targeting galectin-1, promotion of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β)/FBW7-mediated Mcl-1 destabilization and targeting mitochondria via down-regulating Hexokinases II-mediated glycolysis, PUMA-mediation, which are some crucial molecules which modulate closely cancer cell growth and metastasis. Deguelin inhibits tumor cell propagation and malignant transformation through targeting angiogenesis, targeting lymphangiogenesis, targeting focal adhesion kinase (FAK), inhibiting the CtsZ/FAK signaling pathway, targeting epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), the NF-κB signaling pathway, regulating NIMA-related kinase 2 (NEK2). In addition, deguelin possesses other biological activities, such as targeting cell cycle arrest, modulation of autophagy, inhibition of hedgehog pathway, inducing differentiation of mutated NPM1 acute myeloid leukemia etc. Therefore, deguelin is a promising chemopreventive agent for cancer therapy. Anticancer activity of deguelin and its derivatives: recent advances in mechanisms of action (AMPK: Adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase; COX-2: Cyclooxygenase; EGFR: Epidermal growth factor receptor; EMT: Epithelial–mesenchymal transition; FAK: Focal adhesion kinase; GSK3β: Glycogen synthase kinase-3; Hh: Hedgehog; MAPK: p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase; NF-κB: Nuclear factor κB; PI3K/Akt: Phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B). [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]