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Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a significant global health concern, resulting in high rates of mortality and disability among patients. Although coronary blood flow reperfusion is a key treatment for IHD, it often leads to acute myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Current intervention strategies have limitations in providing adequate protection for the ischemic myocardium. DJ-1, originally known as a Parkinson's disease related protein, is a highly conserved cytoprotective protein. It is involved in enhancing mitochondrial function, scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), regulating autophagy, inhibiting apoptosis, modulating anaerobic metabolism, and exerting anti-inflammatory effects. DJ-1 is also required for protective strategies, such as ischemic preconditioning, ischemic postconditioning, remote ischemic preconditioning and pharmacological conditioning. Therefore, DJ-1 emerges as a potential target for the treatment of myocardial IRI. Our comprehensive review delves into its protective mechanisms in myocardial IRI and the structural foundations underlying its functions.

Ginsenoside Rb1 (RB1), the most clinically effective constituent of ginseng, possesses a variety of biological activities. The objectives of this study were to investigate the protective effects of RB1 and its underlying mechanism on renal injury induced by intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (IIR) in mice. RB1 was administered prior to inducing IIR achieved by occluding the superior mesenteric artery for 45 min followed by 120 min of reperfusion. All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) was used as an inhibitor of NF-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) signaling. Adult male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into six groups: (1) sham group, (2) IIR group, (3) RB1 group, (4) sham + ATRA group, (5) IIR + ATRA group, and (6) RB1 + ATRA group. Intestinal histology and pathological injury score were observed. Intestinal mucosal injury was also evaluated by measuring serum diamine oxidase (DAO). Renal injury induced by IIR was characterized by increased levels of histological severity score, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), which was accompanied with elevated renal TUNEL-positive cells and the Bcl-2/Bax expression ratio. RB1 significantly reduced renal injury and apoptosis as compared with IIR group, which was reversed by ATRA treatment. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis demonstrated that RB1 significantly upregulated the protein expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and Nrf2, which were attenuated by ATRA treatment. Taken together, these results suggest that the protective effects of RB1 pretreatment against renal injury induced by IIR are associated with activation of the Nrf2/ anti-oxidant response element (ARE) pathway.

Although the mechanism remains unclear, ischemic post‑conditioning (IPO) is a promising approach to combat myocardial ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury; however, it has been proven ineffective in diabetes. The present study aimed to identify whether hyperglycemia‑induced AMP‑activated protein kinase (AMPK) inhibition contributes to the ineffectiveness of IPO via autophagy attenuation in diabetic hearts. Diabetic and non‑diabetic rats were subjected to myocardial IR and/or IPO with/without treatment with the AMPK activator A‑769662 and/or autophagy inhibitor 3‑methyladenine (3‑MA). Rat cardiomyocyte H9c2 cells were pretreated with A‑769662 and/or 3‑MA, and subjected to hypoxia reoxygenation (HR) or hypoxia post‑conditioning (HPO). The degree of injury to the myocardium/cells, oxidative stress, AMPK/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling and autophagy status were analyzed. In diabetic rats the myocardial infarct size, and creatine kinase‑MB and malondialdehyde release, were increased compared with non‑diabetic rats, concomitant with increased cardiac dysfunction and decreased cardiac superoxide dismutase activity, AMPK phosphorylation and autophagy following IR. IPO attenuated myocardial infarct size, increased AMPK phosphorylation and enhanced autophagy in non‑diabetic animals. A‑769662 (6.0 mg/kg) restored IPO cardioprotection in diabetic rats. In vitro, HPO combined with A‑769662 decreased HR injury in H9c2 cells exposed to high glucose, as evidenced by decreased lactic dehydrogenase expression and oxidative stress, accompanied by increased cell viability and autophagy. The A‑769662‑mediated restoration of IPO/HPO cardioprotection was completely reversed by treatment with the autophagy inhibitor 3‑MA. In conclusion, AMPK inhibition, by decreasing autophagy, may be a mechanism through which diabetic hearts are rendered unresponsive to IPO cardioprotection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have suggested that the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathway is involved in hyperglycemia‑induced lung injury. The present study aimed to investigate the roles of suppressor of cytokine signaling3 (SOCS3) in the regulation of JAK2/STAT3 activation following high glucose (HG) treatment in A549 human pulmonary epithelial cells. Cell viability was evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 and lactate dehydrogenase assays. HG‑induced inflammatory injury in A549 cells was assessed through the evaluation of interleukin‑6 (IL‑6) and tumor necrosis factor‑α (TNF‑α) levels using ELISA. The protein expression levels of SOCS3, JAK2, STAT3, phosphorylated (p)‑JAK2 and p‑STAT3 were determined using western blot analysis. Cellular viability was significantly decreased, whereas IL‑6 and TNF‑α levels were significantly increased, following HG stimulation of A549 cells. In addition, the protein levels of SOCS3, p‑JAK2 and p‑STAT3 were significantly increased in HG‑treated cells. Treatment with the JAK2/STAT3 inhibitor tyrphostin AG490, or SOCS3 overexpression, appeared to prevent the HG‑induced alterations in protein expression. Furthermore, cellular viability was enhanced, whereas the levels of proinflammatory cytokines were suppressed. These finding suggested the involvement of the SOCS3/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in HG‑induced responses in lung cells. Therefore, it may be hypothesized that the inhibition of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway through SOCS3 overexpression may prevent hyperglycemia‑induced lung injury, and may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of patients with diabetic lung injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glomerular matrix accumulation is a hallmark of diabetic renal disease. Serine/threonine kinase PKC-β1 mediates glucose-induced Akt S473 phosphorylation, RhoA activation, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 upregulation and finally leads to matrix upregulation in mesangial cells (MCs). It has been reported that glucose-induced PKC-β1 activation is dependent on caveolin-1 and the presence of intact caveolae in MCs; however, whether activated PKC-β1 regulates caveolin-1 expression and phosphorylation are unknown. Here, we showed that, although the caveolin-1 protein level had no significant change, the PKC-β-specific inhibitor LY-333531 blocked caveolin-1 Y14 phosphorylation in high glucose (HG)-treated MCs and in the renal cortex of diabetic rats. The Src-specific inhibitor SU-6656 prevented the HG-induced association between PKC-β1 and caveolin-1 and PKC-β1 membrane translocation, whereas PKC-β1 small interfering RNA failed to block Src activation, indicating that Src kinase is upstream of PKC-β1 activation. Although LY-333531 blocked PKC-β1 membrane translocation, it had no effect on the PKC-β1/caveolin-1 association, suggesting that PKC-β1 activation requires the interaction of caveolin-1 and PKC-β1. PKC-β1-mediated Akt S473 phosphorylation, RhoA activation, and fibronectin upregulation in response to HG were prevented by SU-6656 and nonphosphorylatable mutant caveolin-1 Y14A. In conclusion, Src activation by HG mediates the PKC-β1/caveolin-1 association and PKC-β1 activation, which assists in caveolin-1 Y14 phosphorylation by Src kinase. The downstream effects, including Akt S473 phosphorylation, RhoA activation, and fibronectin upregulation, require caveolin-1 Y14 phosphorylation. Caveolin-1 is thus an important mediator of the profibrogenic process in diabetic renal disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]