Search

The discovery of an inhibitor for acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4), a protein involved in the process of cell injury through ferroptosis, has the potential to ameliorate cell damage. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential of berberine (BBR) as an inhibitor of ACSL4 in order to suppress endothelial ferroptosis and provide protection against atherosclerosis. An atherosclerosis model was created in ApoE-/- mice by feeding a high fat diet for 16 weeks. Additionally, a mouse model with endothelium-specific overexpression of ACSL4 was established. BBR was administered orally to assess its potential therapeutic effects on atherosclerosis. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were exposed to oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) to simulate atherosclerotic endothelial damage in vitro. The interaction between ACSL4 and BBR has been confirmed, with BBR playing a role in inhibiting erastin-induced ferroptosis by regulating ACSL4. Additionally, BBR has been found to inhibit lipid deposition, plaque formation, and collagen deposition in the aorta, thereby delaying the progression of atherosclerosis. It also restored the abnormal expression of ferroptosis-related proteins in atherosclerotic vascular endothelial cells both in vivo and in vitro. In conclusion, BBR, acting as an ACSL4 inhibitor, can improve atherosclerosis by inhibiting ferroptosis in endothelial cells. This highlights the potential of targeted inhibition of vascular endothelial ACSL4 as a strategy for treating atherosclerosis, with BBR being a candidate for this purpose.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a prevalent type of thoracic cancer with a poor prognosis and high mortality rate. However, the exact pathogenesis of this cancer is still not fully understood. One potential factor that can contribute to the development of lung adenocarcinoma is DNA methylation, which can cause changes in chromosome structure and potentially lead to the formation of tumors. The baculoviral IAP repeat containing the 5 (BIRC5) gene encodes the Survivin protein, which is a multifunctional gene involved in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of tumor cells. This gene is elevated in various solid tumors, but its specific role and mechanism in lung adenocarcinoma are not well-known. To identify the potential biomarkers associated with lung adenocarcinoma, we screened the methylation-regulated differentially expressed genes (MeDEGs) of LUAD via bioinformatics analysis. Gene ontology (GO) process and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were applied to investigate the biological function and pathway of MeDEGs. A protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was employed to explore the key module and screen hub genes. We screened out eight hub genes whose products are aberrantly expressed, and whose DNA methylation modification level is significantly changed in lung adenocarcinoma. BIRC5 is a bona fide marker which was remarkably up-regulated in tumor tissues. Flow cytometry analysis, lactate dehydrogenase release (LDH) assay and Micro-PET imaging were performed in A549 cells and a mouse xenograft tumor to explore the function of BIRC5 in cell death of lung adenocarcinoma. We found that BIRC5 was up-regulated and related to a high mortality rate in lung adenocarcinoma patients. Mechanically, the knockdown of BIRC5 inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells and induced pyroptosis via caspase3/GSDME signaling. Our findings have unraveled that BIRC5 holds promise as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for lung adenocarcinoma. Additionally, we have discovered a novel pathway in which BIRC5 inhibition can induce pyroptosis through the caspase3-GSDME pathway in lung adenocarcinoma cells.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is widely recognized as a major contributing factor to the development of heart failure in patients with diabetes. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential benefits of traditional herbal medicine for alleviating the symptoms of cardiomyopathy. We have chemically designed and synthesized a novel compound called aloe-emodin derivative (AED), which belongs to the aloe-emodin (AE) family of compounds. AED was formed by covalent binding of monomethyl succinate to the anthraquinone mother nucleus of AE using chemical synthesis techniques. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects and mechanisms of AED in treating DCM. We induced type 2 diabetes in Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats by administering a high-fat diet and streptozotocin (STZ) injections. The rats were randomly divided into six groups: control, DCM, AED low concentration (50 mg/kg/day), AED high concentration (100 mg/kg/day), AE (100 mg/kg/day), and positive control (glyburide, 2 mg/kg/day) groups. There were eight rats in each group. The rats that attained fasting blood glucose of ˃16.7 mmol/L were considered successful models. We observed significant improvements in cardiac function in the DCM rats with both AED and AE following four weeks of intragastric treatment. However, AED had a more pronounced therapeutic effect on DCM compared to AE. AED exhibited an inhibitory effect on the inflammatory response in the hearts of DCM rats and high-glucose-treated H9C2 cells by suppressing the pyroptosis pathway mediated by the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor pyrin domain 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of differentially expressed genes showed a significant enrichment in the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway compared to the high-glucose group. Furthermore, overexpression of NLRP3 effectively reversed the anti-pyroptosis effects of AED in high-glucose-treated H9C2 cells. This study is the first to demonstrate that AED possesses the ability to inhibit myocardial pyroptosis in DCM. Targeting the pyroptosis pathway mediated by the NLRP3 inflammasome could provide a promising therapeutic strategy to enhance our understanding and treatment of DCM.