Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammation of blood vessels, which often has no obvious symptoms in the early stage of the disease, but when atherosclerotic plaques are formed, they often cause lumen blockage, and even plaque rupture leads to thrombosis, that is the essential factor of cardiovascular events, for example myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, and renal atrophy. Therefore, it is considerably significant for the early recognition and precise therapy of plaque. Biomimetic nanoparticles (BNPs), especially those coated with cell membranes, can retain the biological function of cell membranes or cells, which has led to extensive research and application in the diagnosis and treatment of AS in recent years. In this review, we summarized the roles of various key cells in AS progression, the construction of biomimetic nanoparticles based on these key cells as well as their applications in AS diagnosis and therapy. Furthermore, we give a challenge and prospect of biomimetic nanoparticles in AS, hoping to elevate their application quality and the possibility of clinical translation.

AimAmong the natural polyphenolic compounds, resveratrol (RES) is known for reducing the effects of declining reproductive power through resisting senility, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory, while the molecular mechanism of RES in human ovaries is unclear. We aimed to evaluate the most likely mechanisms of RES against apoptosis induced by H2O2 in human ovary granulosa cells.MethodsOvarian granulosa cells from infertile women (<= 35 years old) were collected. Those patients defined as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), poor ovarian responder (POR) and Endometriosis were excluded. Then they were randomly divided into control group, model group and the treatment group. Cellular apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometer method. The related protein and mRNA expressions were detected by western blot and RT-PCR.ResultsApoptosis rates of the treatment group containing RES with concentrations of 1 mu M and 10 mu M were significantly decreased (p < 0.001). Western blot results demonstrated that the proteins levels of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), Bax and Caspase 9 were decreased, and Bcl-2 was increased under RES treatment, while the protein levels of Caspase 8, Caspase 3, growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) expressed no significant difference. The results by RT-PCR of follicle and ovarian development related mRNA factors were consistent with that of western blot assay.ConclusionIn conclusion, the present study provides the evidence that RES may affects apoptotic factors to protect human ovarian state.

Glioma is a common intracranial tumor originated from neuroglia cell. Chrysophanol is an anthraquinone derivative proved to exert anticancer effects in various cancers. This paper investigated the effect and mechanism of chrysophanol in glioma. Glioma cell lines U251 and SHG-44 were adopted in the experiments. The cells were treated with chrysophanol at different concentrations (0, 10, 20 50, 100 and 200 μM) for 48 h in the study, and then processed with MitoTempo. Mitochondria and cytosol were isolated to investigate the role of mitochondria during chrysophanol functioning on glioma cells. Cell viability was detected through 3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-Thiazolyl)-2,5-Diphenyl Tetrazolium Bromide (MTT) assay, and cell apoptosis, cell cycle as well as relative reactive oxygen species (ROS) were assessed by flow cytometry. Expressions of Cytosol Cyt C, cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9, Cyclin D1 and Cyclin E were evaluated by western blot. In U251 and SHG-44 cells, with chrysophanol concentration rising, cell viability, expressions of Cyclin D1 and Cyclin E were decreased while cell apoptosis, levels of cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9 and Cytosol Cyt C as well as ROS accumulation were increased with cell cycle arrested in G1 phase. Besides, chrysophanol promoted ROS accumulation, cell apoptosis and transfer of Cyt C from mitochondria to cytosol in cells while MitoTempo partly reversed the effect of chrysophanol. Chrysophanol promoted cell apoptosis via activating mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in glioma.

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1), a DNA repair gene, is the crucial player in the maintenance of genome integrity. T2285C polymorphism in coding region of PARP1 has been reported to be associated with susceptibility to tumours. We explored the relationship and mechanism of T2285C polymorphism of PARP1 to its expression and activity along with risk and prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). mRNA expression was measured using quantitative RT-PCR assay or collected from TCGA dataset. Protein expression was examined with immunoblotting assay. Genotypes were determined by PCR- RFLP and sequencing approaches. PARP1 activity was determined with enzyme activity assay. Regulation of SIRT7 to PARP1 was determined by overexpression and small interference experiment. Association of PARP1 T2285C polymorphism with NSCLC risk was evaluated via multiple logistic regression analysis. Comparison of treatment response and progression-free survival (PFS) of NSCLC patients among different genotypes or regimens was made by chi-square test. Results indicated that mRNA and protein expression of PARP1 dramatically increased in NSCLC tissues in comparison with paired para-carcinoma tissues (P < 0.05). TC/CC mutant genotypes were associated with markedly enhanced PARP1 mRNA level compared with TT genotype (P = 0.011). No significant difference was discovered in PARP1 protein expression among TT, TC or CC genotypes (P > 0.05). Subjects with variant allele C had higher risk of NSCLC in comparison with allele T carriers [odds ratio = 1.560; P = 0.000]. NSCLC patients carrying mutational TC or CC genotypes were correlated with unfavourable response to platinum-based chemotherapy (TT vs. TC vs. CC, P = 0.010), and shorter PFS compared with TT genotype (TT vs. TC vs. CC, P = 0.009). T2285C mutation of PARP1 resulted in the enhancement of its mRNA, but the decrease of enzyme activity in tumour cell. Overexpression of SIRT7 attenuated PARP1 expression and activity. These findings suggest the variant allele C of T2285C polymorphism of PARP1 linked to an increase of NSCLC risk, and unfavourable efficacy and prognosis of NSCLC patients with platinum-based chemotherapy, which might be associated with enhancement of its mRNA expression and the diminishment of activity. Identification of PARP1 T2285C polymorphism and mRNA expression may be the promising way for the individualised treatment of NSCLC.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are the production of renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). The current study is to elucidate a mechanism of SIRT2 tyrosine nitration to accelerate the cell apoptosis induced by peroxynitrite (ONOO?), the most reactive and deleterious RNS type in renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Our results demonstrate that there is a significant enhancement of the 3-nitrotyrosine levels in renal tissues of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) patients and rats that underwent renal I/R, and a positive correlation between the 3-nitrotyrosine level and renal function impairment, indicative of an accumulation of peroxynitrite. Notably, peroxynitrite-evoked nitration of SIRT2 destroyed its enzymatic activity and the capability to deacetylate FOXO3a, and enhanced expression of Bim and caspase3, facilitating renal cell apoptosis in renal ischemia/reperfusion and SIN-1(peroxynitrite donor) treatment in vitro, and these effects were reversed by FeTMPyP, a peroxynitrite decomposition scavenger. Importantly, we identified that the tyrosine 86 is responsible for SIRT2 nitration and inactivation using site-mutation assay and Mass Spectrography analysis. Altogether, these findings point to a novel protective mechanism that an inhibition of SIRT2 tyrosine nitration can be a promising strategy to prevent ischemic renal diseases involving AKI.

Renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF) is a common pathological process that accompanies chronic kidney disease (CKD) and that progresses to end-stage renal failure (ESRD). Accumulating evidence has revealed that persistent mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation in kidneys is closely associated with the occurrence and progression of CKD. The DEP domain-containing mTOR interacting protein (Deptor) is an endogenous negative regulator of mTOR. Metformin can attenuate renal fibrosis in an animal model of diabetic nephropathy. Previous studies demonstrated that metformin can attenuate renal fibrosis in several models of CKD. However, the precise mechanisms of this effect are not well understood. The present study aimed to examine the mechanism of action of metformin on unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)-induced RIF in rats in vivo. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a sham-operated group, three UUO groups examined at different time points (3, 7 and 14 days after UUO surgery), and three metformin-treated groups, treated with three different concentrations of metformin. The metformin-treated groups were administered metformin orally every day for 14 consecutive days following surgery. The protein expression levels of Deptor, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), phosphorylated (p-)mTOR, p-ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p-p70S6K) and CD68 were assessed. The present results suggested that, following UUO, there was a significant reduction of Deptor expression, and an increase in collagen deposition in the extracellular matrix over time, accompanied by an increased expression of several proteins including CD68, α-SMA, p-mTOR and p-p70S6K. Notably, metformin treatment reversed these effects. In conclusion, the present results suggested that metformin attenuated RIF of UUO rats, and the mechanism of action was found to be associated with the increase in Deptor expression and inhibition of the mTOR/p70S6K pathway in the kidneys of UUO rats.

Although immunosuppressive therapies have made organ transplantation a common medical procedure worldwide, chronic toxicity is a major issue of long-term treatment. One method to improve such therapies is the application of immunomodulatory agents from parasites, such as Hypoderma lineatum (Diptera: Oestridae). Hypodermin C (HC) is an enzyme secreted by H. lineatum larvae, and our previous study showed that recombinant HC could degrade guinea pig C3 and inhibit the complement pathway in vitro, suggesting potential activity for inhibiting transplant rejection. However, such properties have not been fully demonstrated in vivo. In this study, we investigated the impact of HC on a fully MHC-mismatched, life-sustaining, murine model of kidney allograft rejection using B6 donors and BABL/c (HC transgenic or wild-type) recipients. Kidney grafts were analyzed by histology, immunohistochemistry and western blotting. The results suggested that HC could effectively inhibit kidney allograft rejection. These findings suggest HC is a promising strategy to improve the survival of human implants.

We have found that Fas/FasL-mediated “extrinsic” pathway promoted cell apoptosis induced by renal ischemic injury. This study is to elucidate the upstream mechanism regulating FasL-induced extrinsic pathway during renal ischemia/reperfusion. Results demonstrated that when SIRT2 was activated by renal ischemia/reperfusion, activated SIRT2 could bind to and deacetylate FOXO3a, promoting FOXO3a nuclear translocation which resulted in an increase of nuclear FOXO3a along with FasL expression and activation of caspase8 and caspase3, triggering cell apoptosis during renal ischemia/reperfusion. The administration of SIRT2 inhibitor AGK2 prior to renal ischemia decreased significantly the number of apoptotic renal tubular cells and alleviated ultrastructure injury. These results indicate that inhibition of FOXO3a deacetylation might be a promising therapeutic approach for renal ischemia /reperfusion injury.

Transnitrosylation is an important mechanism by which nitric oxide (NO) modulates cell signaling pathways. For instance, SNO-caspase-3 can transnitrosylate the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) to enhance apoptosis. XIAP is a potent antagonist of caspase apoptotic activity. Decrease in XIAP activity via nitrosylation results in SNO-XIAP-mediated caspase activation. Considering the functional liaison of procaspase-9 and XIAP, we hypothesized that procaspase-9 nitrosylates XIAP directly. Our data confirmed that cerebral ischemia-reperfusion induced XIAP nitrosylation, procaspase-9 denitrosylation and cleavage. Interestingly, the time courses of the nitrosylation of procaspase-9 and XIAP were negatively correlated, which was more prominent after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, suggesting a direct interaction. The nitrosylation of XIAP, as well as the denitrosylation and cleavage of procaspase-9, were inhibited by DNCB, TrxR1 AS-ODNs, or TAT-AVPY treatment. Meanwhile, DNCB, TrxR1 AS-ODNs, or TAT-AVPY also inhibited the decrease in hippocampal CA1 neurons induced by ischemia-reperfusion in rats. The denitrosylation and cleavage of procaspase-9 induced by OGD/reoxygenation in SH-SY5Y cells were inhibited when cells were co-transfected with wild-type procaspase-9 and XIAP mutant (C449G). These data suggest that cerebral ischemia-reperfusion induces a transnitrosylation from procaspase-9 to XIAP via the Trx system to consequently cause apoptosis. Additionally, Cys325 is a critical S-nitrosylation site of procaspase-9.

Purpose Cell migration requires spatiotemporal integration of signals that target cytoskeletal. Previous studies have indicated that Rho GTPases are crucial regulators of actin dynamics. As homologs of Rho proteins, the role of Rap2B in the regulation of cytoskeleton and its cell signaling pathway remains unknown. Methods The cellular functions of Rap2B were monitored by Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining in order to characterize the protein level and the cell shape. Results Here, we show that expression of Rap2B was induced by nocodazole in a p53-dependent manner. However, Rap2B itself is not necessary for p53-dependent cell cycle arrest. We evidenced that over-expression of Rap2B may inhibit cell spreading by disrupting actin dynamics upon nocodazole treatment, but Rap2B (C180A) mutant does not. In contrast, knockdown of Rap2B promoted cell spreading. Conclusions Altogether, these results revealed that Rap2B plays a pivotal role in cytoskeleton reorganization and subsequently inhibits cell spreading, which could be responsible for cancer metastasis.

[Objective]To investigate the effect of low-dose microcystin-LR(MC-LR) on phosphorylation of JNK1/2,P44/42,and P38 in primary cultured rat hepatocytes.[Methods]Primary rat hepatocytes were isolated by collagenase perfusion method.The obtained cells were treated with 1×10-9,1×10-10,1×10-11,1×10-12mol/L MC-LR for 3,6,12,and 24h,respectively,then harvested and lysed by radio immunoprecipitation assay(RIPA).The expressions of p-JNK1/2,p-P44/42,and p-P38 were detected by Western blot.[Results]With the decrease in dose of MC-LR,the expressions of p-JNK1/2,p-P44/42,and p-P38 increased after 3h and 6h of incubation across all designed concentrations of MC-LR,and a peak was observed at 1×10-10 or 1×10-11mol/L,then the effect intensity decreased with the dose reduction.After the cells exposed for 12h,only p-P38 showed a slight rise,and no significant differences in phosphorylation expression were found between the various dose groups and the control group.No outstanding effect was observed after 24h exposure to MC-LR.[Conclusion]Low-dose of MC-LR could enhance the phosporylation of JNK1/2,P44/42,and P38,and the effect exhibits time-response relationship.

Previous studies have reported that selenite, a known antioxidant, protects brain against ischemia/reperfusion injury, which is mediated by oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to investigate whether selenite can protect kidney against ischemic injury by reducing activation of the apoptosis signal regulating kinase 1 (ASK1)/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3 (MKK3)/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. The activation and expression of ASK1, MKK3, p38, caspase 3 and cleaved PARP were analyzed by Western blot. Apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells was assessed by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick-end labeling method. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured by the thiobarbituric acid reaction. Blood serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen level were measured with an Olympus automatic multi-analyzer. We found that selenite attenuated significantly ASK1, MKK3, and p38 phosphorylation at 3 h after renal ischemia. Furthermore, selenite decreased significantly renal epithelial tubular cell apoptosis. In addition, selenite reduced the MDA level. These findings suggest that the protective action of selenite on ischemia renal injury is associated closely with reducing activation of the ASK1-MKK3-p38 signal pathway.

AIM To investigate the effects of sodium selenite on the renal cell apoptosis induced by ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) in rats. METHODS Eighteen SD male rats were randomly divided into sham group,ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) group and selenite group. The rats in selenite group were pretreated with sodium selenite (0.5 mg·kg-1 dissolved in 0.9% saline,injected intraperitoneally) qd for 3 days. The animal model was established by clamping the bilateral renal pedicles to form ischemic kidneys. Renal pathologic changes were assessed by HE staining. Apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTPnick end labeling (TUNEL) method and flow cytometric analysis. The activations and expressions of c-Jun N-terminal kinase ( JNK) ,p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38),proto-oncogene proteins c-Jun (c-Jun) were analyzed by Western blot. RESULTS The levels of Scr and BUN,the percentages of apoptosis and the number of TUNEL-positive cells,the phosphorylation levels of JNK,p38 and c-Jun in the I/R group were obviously higher than those of the sham group,with demonstrated significant difference (P 0.01). The levels of Scr and BUN,the percentage of apoptosis and the number of TUNEL-positive cells,the phosphorylation levels of JNK,p38 and c-Jun in the selenite group were lower than those of I/R group,with conspicuous difference (P 0.05). CONCLUSION Sodium selenite could improve ischemia/reperfusion renal injury probably through down regulating the activation of JNK,p38 signal pathway and suppressing cell apoptosis in ischemic kidney.

A new standardized Ginkgo extract (ginaton) destined for i.v. injection was investigated in rats for its protective effect on renal ischemia/reperfusion injury. We report on the elucidation of the downstream mechanism of action of JNK on the renal ischemia/reperfusion injury, which can be explained as the decrease in JNK phosphorylation at 20 min and c-Jun phosphorylation (Ser63/73) at 3h after renal ischemia. At the same time, ginaton attenuated the increased expression of FasL at 3h and caspase3 immunoreactivity at 6h after renal ischemia. Furthermore, ginaton significantly decreased renal epithelial tubular cell apoptosis induced by renal ischemia/reperfusion, alleviating renal ischemia/reperfusion injury. These results cumulatively indicate that ginaton could suppress the JNK-c-Jun-FasL-caspase3 signaling cascade, protecting renal tubular epithelial cells against ischemia/reperfusion-induced apoptosis, which implies that antioxidants may be a potential and effective agent for prevention of the ischemic/reperfusion injury through the suppression extrinsic apoptotic signal pathway induced by JNK signal pathway.

Objective To investigate the effects of Ginaton(a preparation of Ginkgo biloba extract) on the apoptosis induced by renal ischemia/reperfusion(I/R) injury in rats.Methods The experiment was carried out in three rat groups: sham operation group(sham),I/R group(I/R) and drug test group(Ginaton).The rat model of bilateral renal I/R injury was established by clamping the renal pedicles for 45 min and allowing 3 h of reperfusion.The p-c-Jun was examined by immunohistochemistry to investigate the effect of Ginaton on the activation of c-Jun.Apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells was assessed by TUNEL method.Results The p-c-Jun immunoreactivity and the number of apoptotic cells were significantly increased in the I/R group,compared with that in the sham group(P0.05).Administration of Ginaton 30 min before renal ischemia could significantly inhibite p-c-Jun immunoreactivity and decrease the number of apoptotic cells after 3 h of reperfusion(P0.05).Conclusion It is likely that Ginaton could potently decrease the I/R-induced renal tubular epithelial cell apoptosis by inhibiting the activation of c-Jun.

Accumulating evidence suggests that c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway plays a critical role in renal ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, the downstream mechanism that accounts for the proapoptotic actions of JNK during renal ischemia/reperfusion has not been elucidated. We report that SP600125, a potent, cell-permeable, selective, and reversible inhibitor of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), potently decreased renal epithelial tubular cell apoptosis induced by renal ischemia/reperfusion via suppression of the extrinsic pathway. This corresponds to the decrease in JNK phosphorylation at 20 min and c-Jun phosphorylation (Ser63/73) at 3 h after renal ischemia. Additionally, SP600125 attenuated the increased expression of FasL induced by ischemia/reperfusion at 3 h. The administration of SP600125 prior to ischemia was also protective. Thus, our findings imply that SP600125 can inhibit the activation of the JNK-c-Jun-FasL pathway and protect renal tubular epithelial cells against ischemia/reperfusion-induced apoptosis. Taken together, these results indicate that targeting the JNK pathway provides a promising therapeutic approach for renal ischemia/reperfusion injury.