Cellular senescence plays a key role in the pathogenesis of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Senomorphic therapy, which targets the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), holds promise for treating age-related diseases; however, effective senomorphic treatments for nAMD remain lacking. We screened a panel of senomorphic agents in bleomycin- and ionizing radiation (IR)-induced senescent ARPE-19 cells to identify a lead compound for nAMD. Bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing data were analyzed to explore JAK-STAT signaling activation. Ruxolitinib and siRNA were used to validate the role of the JAK1/2-STAT3 pathway in senescent retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). A laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) model was established in Brown-Norway rats for in vivo studies. Ruxolitinib, a JAK1/2 inhibitor, most effectively suppressed SASP factors and complement C3 expression while restoring pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) levels in senescent ARPE-19 cells. Knockdown of JAK1 or JAK2 significantly reversed the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), C3, and PEDF. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and gene set variation analysis (GSVA) revealed activation of the JAK-STAT pathway in nAMD patient samples, CNV models, and senescent RPE cells, which was corroborated in the CNV rat model. Inhibition of JAK1/2-STAT3 with ruxolitinib markedly reduced vascular leakage and CNV area, and accelerated recovery of retinal function. The combination of ruxolitinib with anti-VEGF therapy presented a better effect on inhibiting CNV area. Furthermore, intravitreal injection of ruxolitinib showed no significant structural or functional toxicity in normal rat retinas over one month. Our study identifies the JAK1/2-STAT3 pathway as a key regulator of the SASP in senescent RPE and confirms its activation in nAMD and experimental CNV. Pharmacologic inhibition of this pathway with ruxolitinib effectively attenuates CNV progression with a favorable short-term safety profile, supporting its potential as a senomorphic therapy for nAMD.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a prevalent chronic liver disease characterized by hepatocellular injury, inflammation, and lipid accumulation, for which effective pharmacotherapies remain limited. Tissue acidification has emerged as a critical inflammatory cue in metabolic diseases; however, whether proton-sensing signaling contributes to MASH pathogenesis is largely unknown. Here, we identify the proton-sensing G protein-coupled receptor GPR68 (OGR1) as a key inflammatory and metabolic regulator in diet-induced MASH. In a high-fat diet-induced mouse model, hepatic GPR68 expression was markedly upregulated during MASH progression. Inhibiting GPR68 with ogremorphin significantly ameliorated MASH pathology, as evidenced by reduced hepatic inflammation and lipid accumulation, improved histological features, and attenuated expression and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6 and TNF-α. Mechanistically, GPR68 inhibition dampened acidification-associated inflammatory signaling in the liver. Together, these findings establish GPR68 as a tractable proton-sensing inflammatory node that links tissue acidification to metabolic liver injury and highlight GPR68 as a promising therapeutic strategy for MASH.
Objective: A pentacyclic triterpene, oleanolic acid (OA), has anti-inflammatory activity. The role of oleanolic acid in aging is poorly understood, and the regulatory mechanism of IGF-1 signaling in aging is still not fully understood. Thus, we hypothesized that OA could delay aging by regulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway via insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Method: This study initially established a replicative aging model and a bleomycin-induced aging model in human dermal fibroblast (HDF) and mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cell lines. On this basis, IGF-1 inhibitors or IGF-1 recombinant proteins were then combined with OA (at a concentration of 20 μM) and treated for 72 h. The project plans to detect the expression of aging-related proteins such as CDKN2A (p16) using Western blot technology, detect the expression of aging-related factors such as Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and Interleukin-8 (IL-8) using Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR), Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), and other technologies, and combine Senescence-Associated β-Galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining to detect changes in aging. Results: The expression of IGF-1, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, aging-related proteins P16, and aging-related secretory factors (SASP) IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 was increased in senescent cells. After treatment with jujuboside, the expression of IGF-1, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, aging-related protein P16, and aging-related secretory factors IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 were decreased. Conclusion: The findings suggested that OA slowed down aging by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR expression through IGF-1. These findings suggest OA as a potential new drug and its mechanisms for anti-aging.
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive brain cancer, is highly resistant to chemotherapy, which profoundly affects patient survival and prognosis. Temozolomide (TMZ), the sole first-line chemotherapeutic agent for GBM, faces substantial challenges in overcoming this resistance. Despite the belief that TMZ is well-absorbed in the small intestine and can effectively cross the blood-brain barrier due to its small molecular size, emerging evidence suggests that its uptake is not merely through passive diffusion across the lipid bilayer but is regulated by Wnt signaling. However, the precise mechanism governing TMZ uptake remains elusive. GLUT3, which is highly expressed in GBM and primarily functions as a glucose transporter, has emerged as a promising therapeutic target. This study demonstrates that GLUT3 upregulation in GBM cells enhances sensitivity to both TMZ and capecitabine (CAPE). Uptake assays revealed that GLUT3 overexpression (OE) or knockdown (KD) significantly influenced the uptake of these chemotherapeutic agents. We further validated the interaction between GLUT3 and TMZ/CAPE through molecular docking, dynamics simulations, and MST assay. Site-directed mutagenesis identified eight amino acids involved in GLUT3-mediated binding and transport of TMZ and CAPE. A mouse xenograft model confirmed that GLUT3 OE significantly increases TMZ/CAPE uptake and cytotoxicity, particularly under fasting conditions. Our findings establish GLUT3 as a multifunctional transporter for TMZ, CAPE, and glucose, thereby enhancing GBM chemosensitivity. These results challenge the prevailing notion that GLUT3’s role in tumors is solely related to glucose transport. Our work suggests tailoring chemotherapy based on GLUT3 expression level in GBM patients and reevaluating GLUT inhibitors in combination with chemotherapeutic agents.
The accumulation of senescent cells (SNCs) contributes to tissue dysfunction and age-related diseases, creating an urgent need for effective senolytic strategies. We identified a metabolic vulnerability in SNCs characterized by marked downregulation of asparagine synthetase (ASNS), rendering them uniquely dependent on exogenous asparagine (Asn). This vulnerability was exploited through combined treatment with L-asparaginase (ASNase) and autophagy inhibitors, which synergistically deplete Asn via complementary mechanisms: ASNase degrades extracellular Asn pools, while autophagy inhibition blocks intracellular protein recycling as an alternative Asn source. This dual approach induced selective synthetic lethality across multiple SNC types in vitro. In aged mice, the combination therapy significantly reduced SNC burden in diverse tissues, improved physiological function, and attenuated progression of age-related conditions including osteoporosis, atherosclerosis, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Our findings establish concurrent targeting of extracellular and intracellular Asn supplies as a potent, selective senolytic strategy with broad therapeutic potential for age-related disorders.
GPR68 is a proton-sensing G protein-coupled receptor with an activation threshold at extracellular pH values between 6.5 and 7.0. It is widely expressed in diverse cell types, particularly in fibroblasts and cancer cells, within inflammatory and tumor microenvironments. In inflammatory bowel disease patients, GPR68 expression is also significantly increased in macrophages and monocytes. GPR68 primarily modulates inflammatory responses through the Gq/11–phospholipase C–inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate/Ca2+ signaling axis. Extracellular acidification first promotes GPR68 coupling with Gq/11, subsequently enhancing phospholipase Cβ activity and increasing IP3 production; IP3 then mediates Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum, activating calmodulin-dependent kinase and calcineurin, ultimately inducing NF-κB and NFAT nuclear translocation to upregulate inflammatory mediators such as IL-6, TNF-α, and COX-2. This cascade activates inflammatory signaling pathways, thereby driving cellular and tissue senescence and creating favorable conditions for the progression of age-related diseases. However, its long-term causal relationship requires further validation through prospective studies. Abnormal GPR68 expression is closely associated with chronic inflammation, acidosis, and fibrosis in diseases including osteoarthritis, atherosclerosis, chronic kidney disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, glioblastoma (GBM), and pancreatic cancer. In GBM, knocking down GPR68 or using the GPR68 inhibitor ogremorphin significantly reduces tumor cell survival. Despite its potential as a therapeutic target, challenges remain, such as the unresolved crystal structure, the lack of in vivo causality, cell-type specificity, and context-dependent signaling mechanisms. Targeting GPR68 may offer novel therapeutic strategies for these pathological processes.
Background:. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) poses a serious threat to human health with high mortality and poor prognosis, and there is an urgent need to explore the pathogenesis of PDAC in order to search for new therapeutic targets. Methods:. The expression of laminin γ-2 (LAMC2) in PDAC and its effect on the prognosis of tumor patients were predicted by an online database, and the expression level of LAMC2 in pancreatic cancer was verified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blot; flow cytometry, wound healing assay, Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay, and colony formation assay were used to explore the effect of LAMC2 on the proliferation and migration of pancreatic cancer cells; and we also probed the potential relationship between LAMC2 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling. Results:. High levels of LAMC2 in pancreatic cancer may benefit tumor proliferation migration and invasion and lead to poor prognosis of tumor patients. The mechanism by which LAMC2 promotes PDAC progression may be related to the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling to influence apoptosis and cell cycle. Conclusions:. LAMC2 promotes proliferation migration invasion of PDAC and leads to poor prognosis in pancreatic cancer patients.
OBJECTIVE The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc cushions intraarticular stress during mandibular movements. While mechanical overloading is related to cartilage degeneration, the pathogenesis of TMJ disc degeneration is unclear. Here, we determined the regulatory role of mechanoinductive transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) in mechanical overload-induced TMJ disc degeneration. METHODS We explored the effect of mechanical overload on the TMJ discs in a rat occlusal interference model in vivo, and by applying sustained compressive force in vitro. TRPV4 inhibition was delivered by small interfering RNA or GSK2193874; TRPV4 activation was delivered by GSK1016790A. The protective effect of TRPV4 inhibition was validated in the rat occlusal interference model. RESULTS Occlusal interference induced TMJ disc degeneration with enhanced extracellular matrix degradation in vivo and mechanical overload promoted inflammatory responses in the TMJ disc cells via Ca2+ influx with significantly upregulated TRPV4. TRPV4 inhibition reversed mechanical overload-induced inflammatory responses; TRPV4 activation simulated mechanical overload-induced inflammatory responses. Moreover, TRPV4 inhibition alleviated TMJ disc degeneration in the rat occlusal interference model. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest TRPV4 plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of mechanical overload-induced TMJ disc degeneration and may be a promising target for the treatment of degenerative changes of the TMJ disc.
Gemcitabine serves as a first-line chemotherapeutic treatment for pancreatic cancer (PC), but it is prone to rapid drug resistance. Increasing the sensitivity of PC to gemcitabine has long been a focus of research. Fasting interventions may augment the effects of chemotherapy and present new options. SIRT7 is known to link metabolism with various cellular processes through post-translational modifications. We found upregulation of SIRT7 in PC cells is associated with poor prognosis and gemcitabine resistance. Cross-analysis of RNA-seq and ATAC-seq data suggested that GLUT3 might be a downstream target gene of SIRT7. Subsequent investigations demonstrated that SIRT7 directly interacts with the enhancer region of GLUT3 to desuccinylate H3K122. Our group's another study revealed that GLUT3 can transport gemcitabine in breast cancer cells. Here, we found GLUT3 KD reduces the sensitivity of PC cells to gemcitabine, and SIRT7 KD-associated gemcitabine-sensitizing could be reversed by GLUT3 KD. While fasting mimicking induced upregulation of SIRT7 expression in PC cells, knocking down SIRT7 enhanced sensitivity to gemcitabine through upregulating GLUT3 expression. We further confirmed the effect of SIRT7 deficiency on the sensitivity of gemcitabine under fasting conditions using a mouse xenograft model. In summary, our study demonstrates that SIRT7 can regulate GLUT3 expression by binding to its enhancer and altering H3K122 succinylation levels, thus affecting gemcitabine sensitivity in PC cells. Additionally, combining SIRT7 knockdown with fasting may improve the efficacy of gemcitabine. This unveils a novel mechanism by which SIRT7 influences gemcitabine sensitivity in PC and offer innovative strategies for clinical combination therapy with gemcitabine.
PURPOSE. Wet AMD (wAMD) is associated with cellular senescence. However, senescent cell-targeted therapies for wAMD have rarely been comprehensively studied. This study aimed to explore the therapeutic effects of senolytic agents on choroidal neovascularization (CNV). METHODS. RNA sequencing datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and used to explore the association between senescence and wAMD. We explored the effects of senescent adult RPE cell line-19 cells on the proliferation, migration, invasion, and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. A laser-induced CNV animal model was used to study wAMD. We studied a senescent cell elimination therapy for CNV progression using two types of senolytics and a transgenic method. RESULTS. Cells in the retinal pigment epithelium-choroid of the CNV model were enriched in senescence, inflammation, and angiogenesis gene sets. AP20187 was used to specifically eliminate senescent cells and proven to alleviate CNV progression in INK-ATTAC transgenic mice. Senescent adult RPE cell line-1 cells produced elevated levels of senescence-associated secretory phenotypes, including VEGFs; they also demonstrated increased proliferation, migration, invasion, and tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The number of senescent cells increased in the laser-induced CNV rat model, and intravitreal injections of dasatinib with quercetin reduced the expression of p16 in CNV and alleviated neovascularization. CONCLUSIONS. Senescent RPE cells can accelerate pathological neovascularization; thus, senescent cell-targeting therapy has great clinical potential for wAMD.
Senescent cells accumulate in aged organisms and promote the progression of age-related diseases including cataracts. Therefore, we aimed to study the therapeutic effects of senescence-targeting drugs on cataracts. In this study, a 28-day D-galactose-induced cataract rat model was used. The opacity index, a grading based on slit-lamp observations, was used to assess lens cloudiness. Furthermore, the average lens density (ALD), lens density standard deviation (LDSD), and maximum lens density (MLD) obtained from Scheimpflug images were used to assess lens transparency. Immunohistochemical stainings for p16 and γH2AX were used as hallmarks of senescence. We treated rat cataract models with the senolytic drug combination dasatinib plus quercetin (D+Q) and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) inhibitors. In comparison to control lenses, D-galactose-induced cataract lenses showed a higher opacity index, ALD, LDSD, and MLD values, as well as accumulation of senescent lens epithelial cells (LECs). After D+Q treatment, ALD, LDSD, and MLD values on day 21 were significantly lower than those of vehicle-treated model rats. The expression levels of p16 and γH2AX were also reduced after D+Q administration. In addition, the SASP inhibitor rapamycin decreased the opacity index, ALD, LDSD, and MLD values on day 21. In conclusion, D+Q alleviated D-galactose-induced cataract progression by reducing the senescent LEC burden in the early stage of cataract.
Abstract. Background:. Cell competition is an important feature in pancreatic cancer (PC) progression, but the underlying mechanism remains elusive. This study aims to explore the role of exosomes derived from normal pancreatic ductal epithelial cells involved in PC progression. Methods:. PC cells and pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) were treated with exosomes isolated from pancreatic ductal epithelial cells. Cell proliferation was assessed by CCK8 assays. Cell migration and invasion were assessed by Transwell assays. PC and matched adjacent non-tumor tissue specimens were obtained from 46 patients pathologically diagnosed with PC at Peking University First Hospital from 2013 to 2017. Tissue miR-485-3p and p21-activated kinase-1 (PAK1) expression was examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the relationship of the two was analyzed using Pearman's product-moment correlation. The clinical significance of miR-485-3p was analyzed using the Chi-square test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and Fisher exact probability, respectively. The binding of miR-485-3p to PAK1 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) was examined by luciferase assay. PC cells were xenografted into nude mice as a PC metastasis model. Results:. Exosomes from pancreatic ductal epithelial cells suppressed PC cell migration and invasion as well as the secretion and migration of PSCs. MiR-485-3p was enriched in the exosomes of pancreatic ductal epithelial cells but deficient in those of PC cells and PSCs, in accordance with the lower level in PSCs and PC cells than that in pancreatic ductal cells. And the mature miR-485-3p could be delivered into these cells by the exosomes secreted by normal pancreatic duct cells, to inhibit PC cell migration and invasion. Clinical data analysis showed that miR-485-3p was significantly decreased in PC tissues (P < 0.05) and was negatively associated with lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.044). As a direct target of miR-485-3p, PAK1 was found to exert an inhibitory effect on PC cells, and there was a significantly negative correlation between the expression levels of miR-485-3p and PAK1 (r = −0.6525, P < 0.0001) in PC tissues. Moreover, miR-485-3p could suppress PC metastasis in vivo by targeting p21-activated kinase-1. Conclusions:. Exosomal miR-485-3p delivered by normal pancreatic ductal epithelial cells into PC cells inhibits PC metastasis by directly targeting PAK1. The restoration of miR-485-3p by exosomes or some other vehicle might be a novel approach for PC treatment.
Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) with oxidation activity that relies on flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) to subsequently produce formaldehyde have been associated with various types of cancers. Here, we report an NMR-based assay for detecting the LSD1 enzyme activity. Our approach can be performed in a reaction buffer without any extraction step, achieve a time-dependent absolute quantification, and be useful for the enzyme inhibitor screening. This precise assay allows us to develop new inhibitors of the LSD1 as anticancer agents.
Abstract BackgroundThe disassembly of the replisome plays an essential role in maintaining genome stability at the termination of DNA replication. However, the mechanism of replisome disassembly remains unknown in human. In this study, we screened E3 ligases and deubiquitinases (DUBs) for the ubiquitination of minichromosome maintenance protein (MCM) 7 and provided evidence of this process driving CMG helicase disassembly in human tumor cells. MethodsSILAC-MS/MS was analyzed to identify ubiquitinated proteins in HeLa cells. The ubiquitination/deubiquitylation assay in vitro and in vivo were detected by Western blot. Thymidine and HU were implied to synchronized cell cycle,and detect the role of ubiquitinated MCM7 in cell cycle. Cell fractionation assay was used to detect the function of ubiquitination of MCM7 in chromatin and non-chromatin. Aphidicolin、Etoposide、ICRF-193 and IR were applied to cause replication fork stalling. MG-132 and NMS-873 were used to inhibit the proteasome degradation and p97 segregase. Flow cytometer and FlowJo flow cytometry software were used to cell cycle analysis.ResultsIn our study, we found that the ubiquitin ligase RNF8 catalyzes the k63-linked poly-ubiquitination of MCM7 both in vivo and in vitro, and lysine 145 of MCM7 is the primary ubiquitination site. Moreover, the poly-ubiquitination of MCM7 mainly exists in the chromatin, which is dynamically regulated by the cell cycle, mainly occurs in the late S phase. And DNA damage can significantly reduce the poly-ubiquitylation of MCM7 in the late S phage. Furthermore, the proteasome, p97 segregase, USP29 and ATXN3 are required for the removal of MCM7 ubiquitination to promote the disassembly of CMG on chromatin. ConclusionsIn the late S phage of cell cycle, RNF8 catalyzes the poly-ubiquitination of MCM7, and then initiates the disassembly of CMG helicase from chromatin, which is mediated by p97, proteasome, USP29 and ATXN3 in human. We reveal the novel function of the poly-ubiquitylation of MCM7, which is a regulatory signal to control CMG complex unloading at replication termination sites.
肺癌发病率和病死率均居全球恶性肿瘤首位,有效的药物是治疗肺癌的关键.罗米地辛和阿糖胞苷是已经批准上市并应用于临床治疗的癌症化疗药物.这两种药物的联合用药是否在肺腺癌的治疗中发挥作用及其相关分子机制尚不明确.本研究通过MTT和克隆形成实验证实,罗米地辛和阿糖胞苷联合用药可以显著抑制肺腺癌细胞A549的生长(P<0.05).体外Transwell细胞侵袭实验和划痕实验表明,联合用药可有效降低肺腺癌细胞的侵袭和转移能力(P<0.05).同时,流式细胞分析显示,联合用药可以显著诱导肺腺癌细胞的凋亡(P<0.05),并且实时PCR和Western印迹结果提示,肺腺癌细胞A549在联合用药处理后,凋亡相关蛋白质CASP3的mRNA和蛋白质表达水平均明显升高.另外,通过检测联合用药后,A549细胞的组蛋白乙酰化修饰情况发现,H3K14位点乙酰化水平被明显上调,并且ChIP分析进一步显示,CASP3启动子区域组蛋白H3K14乙酰化水平在联合用药后明显增加(P<0.05).本研究揭示了罗米地辛与阿糖胞苷联合用药能通过增强CASP3启动子区组蛋白H3K14乙酰化水平进而促进CASP3的转录和蛋白质表达,从而抑制肺腺癌细胞的生长、增殖、迁移和侵袭,促进其凋亡的分子机制.在分子和细胞水平上为罗米地辛和阿糖胞苷联合用药治疗肺腺癌提供依据,并为肺腺癌的临床治疗提供切实参考.
Background and Aim: DOT1L regulates various genes involved in cancer onset and progression by catalyzing H3K79 methylation, but how DOT1L activity itself is regulated is unclear. Here, we aimed to identify specific DOT1L post-translational modifications that might regulate DOT1L activity and thus impact on colorectal cancer (CRC) progression. Methods: We conducted affinity purification and mass spectrometry to explore DOT1L post-translational modifications. We then established transwell migration and invasion assays to specifically investigate the role of DOT1L(K358) acetylation on CRC cellular behavior in vitro and a bioluminescence imaging approach to determine the role of DOT1L(K358) acetylation in CRC metastasis in vivo. We performed chromatin immunoprecipitation to identify DOT1L acetylation-controlled target genes. Finally, we used immunohistochemical staining of human tissue arrays to examine the relevance of DOT1L(K358) acetylation in CRC progression and metastasis and the correlation between DOT1L acetylation and CBP. Results: We found that CBP mediates DOT1L K358 acetylation in human colon cancer cells and positively correlates with CRC stages. Mechanistically, DOT1L acetylation confers DOT1L stability by preventing the binding of RNF8 to DOT1L and subsequent proteasomal degradation, but does not affect its enzyme activity. Once stabilized, DOT1L can catalyze the H3K79 methylation of genes involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition, including SNAIL and ZEB1. An acetylation mimic DOT1L mutant (Q358) could induce a cancer-like phenotype in vitro, characterized by metastasis and invasion. Finally, DOT1L(K358) acetylation correlated with CRC progression and a poor survival rate as well as with high CBP expression. Conclusions: DOT1L acetylation by CBP drives CRC progression and metastasis. Targeting DOT1L deacetylation signaling is a potential therapeutic strategy for DOT1L-driven cancers.
Cellular senescence is implicated in several lines of aging-related disorders. However, the potential molecular mechanisms by which cellular senescence modulates age-related pathologies remain largely unexplored. Herein, we report that the density of sympathetic fibers (SFs) is significantly elevated in naturally aged mouse tissues and human colon adenoma tissues compared to the SFs densities in the corresponding young mouse tissues and human non-lesion colon tissues. A dorsal root ganglion (DRG)-human diploid fibroblast coculture assay revealed that senescent cells promote the outgrowth of SFs, indicating that the senescent cells induce recruitment of SFs in vitro. Additionally, subcutaneous transplantation of 2BS fibroblasts in nude mice shows that transplanted senescent 2BS fibroblasts promote SFs infiltration. Intra-articular senolytic molecular injection can reduce SFs density and inhibit SFs infiltration caused by senescent cells in osteoarthritis (OA), suggesting senescent cells promote the infiltration of SFs in vivo in aged tissues. Notably, the elevated level of SFs contributes to impaired cognitive function in naturally aged mice, which can be reversed by treatment with propranolol hydrochloride, a non-selective β receptor blocker that inhibits sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) by blocking non-selective β receptors. Additionally, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced sympathectomy improved hepatic sympathetic overactivity mediated hepatic steatosis in high fat diet (HFD)-fed APOE knockout mice (APOE−/− mice) by reducing hepatic SNA. Taken together, this study concludes that senescent cell-secreted netrin-1 mediated SFs outgrowth and infiltration, which contributes to aging-related disorders, suggesting that clearing senescent cells or inhibiting SNA is a promising therapeutic strategy for improving sympathetic nervous system (SNS) hyperactivity-induced aging-related pathologies.
The Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 (p16) acts as a tumor suppressor in most cells, but for HPV transformed cervical cancer, in which oncoprotein E7 expressed by human papillomavirus (HPV) mediates the degradation of retinoblastoma protein (Rb), p16 exhibits oncogenic activity. Our study was conducted to study the mechanism underling p16 mediated promoting effect of cell proliferation in cervical cancer cell lines. CCK8 assay and EdU incorporation were conducted to evaluate cell proliferation. Loss-of-function assay was used to silence p16 in Ca Ski and SiHa cells. Next, western blot, qPCR, RNA silencing, luciferase activity assay, run-on assay, mRNA stability assay, RNA immunoprecipitation, co-immunoprecipitation Immunofluorescence were performed to examine the interaction between CDK6, HuR, and IL1A mRNA in p16 mediated proliferation promoting effect. Our results showed that: (1) Silencing p16 inhibited the proliferation of cervical cancer cells by decreasing the half-life of IL1A mRNA in CDK6 dependent manner; (2) The stabilization of IL1A mRNA was regulated by HuR which could be inactivated by p16/CDK6 mediated phosphorylation at Ser202; (3) IL1A mediated the oncogenic activity of p16 in cervical carcinoma cell lines. In conclusion, p16 promotes proliferation in cervical carcinoma cells through CDK6-HuR-IL1A axis.
Pregnancy associated atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (p-aHUS) is a disease with a triad of hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia and acute renal failure, which might be attributed to the uncontrolled complement activation. Herein, we sequenced a postpartum-aHUS patient and found the two missense variants of CD46, a novel mutation (c.403G > C, p.G135R) from her father and a once reported mutation (c.293C > T, p.T98I) without expressional and functional tests from her mother. The G135R mutation caused a significantly reduced membrane expression of CD46 in peripheral blood lymphocyte and renal cells. The T98I mutation caused a mild decrease membrane expression of CD46 in peripheral blood lymphocyte cells. Moreover, the expressed G135R protein was in precursor form, indicating that this mutant was retained intracellularly. The C3b binding ability of T98I mutant was slightly decreased while the C4b binding ability is not significantly changed. The cofactor ability of the two mutants for factor I in the degradation of C3b was demonstrated to be impaired. This study reported the first case of a four-generation postpartum-aHUS pedigree with isolated CD46 variants and the detailed disease progression, treatment, and prognosis provided more meaningful information for the understanding the disease.
The Jinsha river fault zone in the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau is an old suture structure after the shutting of the proto-Tethys and a large scale ultra-lithosphere fault zone consisted of 5 to 6 fault branches with a width of 50km, have a long geological evolution history. Since late Quatery, this fault zone is mainly dominated by dextral strike slip with partial thrusting component, absorbing partial energy of the extrusion movement of Tibetan Plateau. Along the fault zone, lower terraces of Jinsha river at Muronglou, Buzhong, Langzhong, Guxue, etc. were displaced, indicating the fault zone is active in late Quaternary, with an average rate of 3.5~4.3mm/ /yr. horizontally and 0.9-1.1mm/yr. vertically respectively in Holocene. Influenced by the intense fault activity of Jinsha river fault zone, this region is characterized by fractured rocks, strongly weathered surfaces.The Jinsha river, the upstream of the Yangtze river, parallel to Jinshajiang fault zone, flows from north to south, forming deep river valley and huge terrain elevation difference. Numerous huge landslides have developed along the river, for example, there are 23 giant avalanches in the 38 km long reach from Narong to Rongxue, with general volumes of 10~70 million m3 and even up to several hundreds million m3. Moreover, the landslides produce many loose clastic fragments which detonate many debris flows and river blocking. The latest disaster event is the Baige barrier lake in 2018 caused by landslide, with a water storage capacity of 524 million m3, causing tens of billions of yuan of economic losses. These landslides are distributed along the fault and its two sides, suggesting that these huge avalanches are closely related to the intense activity of the fault zone and special topography.Keywords: Huge landslide, Jinsha River, Jinsha River Fault Zone, late Quatery activity