Detecting apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 protein expression in diabetica nephropathy rats using magnetic hydrophilic nanomaterials

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1628-1635
Author(s):  
Li Dai ◽  
Xiaohui Yu ◽  
Chusheng Miao ◽  
Shefeng Zheng ◽  
Shanshan Li ◽  
...  

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) signaling is involved in the occurrence and progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN) renal fibrosis, yet the detection of ASK1 requires further investigation. To explore the effect of magnetic nanomaterials combined with ASK1 signaling on renal fibrosis, a DN rat model was generated. Thirty Wistar rats were randomly allocated into three experimental models: control, sham-operated, and DN model groups. Concentrations of postoperative serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were measured to determine the success of the DN model group. Chitosan coated magnetic hydrophilic nanomaterials (Fe3O4@CS MCNCs) were prepared by a “one-pot reaction” method, and further characterized to assess their protein adsorption properties. ASK1 protein expression was analyzed by combining conventional immunohistochemistry and Western blotting techniques with the magnetic nanomaterials. Serum Scr and BUN levels in the DN model group were significantly increased (P < 0.01), indicating that the model was successfully generated. Fe3O4@CS MCNCs were characterized and demonstrated effective hydrophilicity, magnetism, and protein adsorption capacity, highlighting its potential application in proteomic research. The detection of ASK1 protein expression was consistent with that of immunohistochemistry and Western blotting when using the magnetic nanomaterials. Furthermore, ASK1 protein expression in the DN model group was significantly increased compared with the control and sham-operated groups. In this study, magnetic hydrophilic nanomaterials were demonstrated to be feasible for protein detection. In addition, the results indicated the potential involvement of ASK1 signaling in the process of renal fibrosis in DN rats.

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 308
Author(s):  
Ying-Ray Lee ◽  
Chia-Ming Chang ◽  
Yuan-Chieh Yeh ◽  
Chi-Ying F. Huang ◽  
Feng-Mao Lin ◽  
...  

Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica Thunb) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with an antipathogenic activity. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that are ubiquitously expressed in cells. Endogenous miRNA may function as an innate response to block pathogen invasion. The miRNA expression profiles of both mice and humans after the ingestion of honeysuckle were obtained. Fifteen overexpressed miRNAs overlapped and were predicted to be capable of targeting three viruses: dengue virus (DENV), enterovirus 71 (EV71) and SARS-CoV-2. Among them, let-7a was examined to be capable of targeting the EV71 RNA genome by reporter assay and Western blotting. Moreover, honeysuckle-induced let-7a suppression of EV71 RNA and protein expression as well as viral replication were investigated both in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrated that let-7a targeted EV71 at the predicted sequences using luciferase reporter plasmids as well as two infectious replicons (pMP4-y-5 and pTOPO-4643). The suppression of EV71 replication and viral load was demonstrated in two cell lines by luciferase activity, RT-PCR, real-time PCR, Western blotting and plaque assay. Furthermore, EV71-infected suckling mice fed honeysuckle extract or inoculated with let-7a showed decreased clinical scores and a prolonged survival time accompanied with decreased viral RNA, protein expression and virus titer. The ingestion of honeysuckle attenuates EV71 replication and related pathogenesis partially through the upregulation of let-7a expression both in vitro and in vivo. Our previous report and the current findings imply that both honeysuckle and upregulated let-7a can execute a suppressive function against the replication of DENV and EV71. Taken together, this evidence indicates that honeysuckle can induce the expression of let-7a and that this miRNA as well as 11 other miRNAs have great potential to prevent and suppress EV71 replication.


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Junqiang Yan ◽  
Hongxia Ma ◽  
Xiaoyi Lai ◽  
Jiannan Wu ◽  
Anran Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease. The oxidative stress is an important component of the pathogenesis of PD. Artemisinin (ART) has antioxidant and neuroprotective effects. The purpose of this study is to explore the neuroprotective effect of ART on 1-methyl-4-phenyliodine iodide (MPP +)-treated SH-SY5Y cells and underlying mechanism. Methods We used MPP+-treated SH-SY5Y cells to study the neuroprotective effect of ART. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay after incubating the cells with MPP+ and/or ART for 24 h. DCFH-DA was used to detect the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and WST-8 was used to detect the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD). The level of intracellular reduced glutathione (GSH) was detected with 5,5΄-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid), and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) was assessed based on the reaction of MDA and thiobarbituric acid. A mitochondrial membrane potential detection kit (JC-1) was used to detect changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and an Annexin V-FITC cell apoptosis kit was used to detect cell apoptosis. The expression levels of caspase-3, cleaved caspase-3 and the autophagy-related proteins LC3, beclin-1, and p62 were detected by Western blotting. In addition, to verify the change in autophagy, we used immunofluorescence to detect the expression of LC3 and p62. Results No significant cytotoxicity was observed at ART concentrations up to 40 μM. ART could significantly increase the viability of SH-SY5Y cells treated with MPP+ and reduce oxidative stress damage and apoptosis. In addition, the Western blotting and immunofluorescence results showed that MPP+ treatment could increase the protein expression of beclin1 and LC3II/LC3I and decrease the protein expression of p62, indicating that MPP+ treatment could induce autophagy. Simultaneous treatment with ART and MPP+ could decrease the protein expression of beclin1 and LC3II/LC3I and increase the protein expression of p62, indicating that ART could decrease the level of autophagy induced by MPP+. Conclusion Our results indicate that ART has a protective effect on MPP+-treated SH-SY5Y cells by the antioxidant, antiapoptotic activities and inhibition of autophagy. Our findings may provide new hope for the prevention and treatment of PD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A91-A91
Author(s):  
Jennifer Chew ◽  
Cedric Uytingco ◽  
Rapolas Spalinskas ◽  
Yifeng Yin ◽  
Joe Shuga ◽  
...  

BackgroundThe tumor microenvironment (TME) is composed of highly heterogeneous extracellular structures and cell types such as endothelial cells, immune cells, and fibroblasts that dynamically influence and communicate with each other. The constant interaction between a tumor and its microenvironment plays a critical role in cancer development and progression and can significantly affect a tumor’s response to therapy and capacity for multi-drug resistance. High resolution analyses of gene and protein expression with spatial context can provide deeper insights into the interactions between tumor cells and surrounding cells within the TME, where a better understanding of the underlying biology can improve treatment efficacy and patient outcomes. Here, we demonstrated the ability to perform streamlined multi-omic tumor analyses by utilizing the 10X Genomics Visium Spatial Gene Expression Solution for FFPE with multiplex protein enablement. This technique simultaneously assesses gene and protein expression to elucidate the immunological profile and microenvironment of different breast cancer samples in conjunction with standard pathological methods.MethodsSerial (5 µm) sections of FFPE human breast cancer samples were placed on Visium Gene Expression (GEX) slides. The Visium GEX slides incorporate ~5,000 molecularly barcoded, spatially encoded capture spots onto which tissue sections are placed, stained, and imaged. Following incubation with a human whole transcriptome, probe-based RNA panel and an immuno-oncology oligo-tagged antibody panel, developed with Abcam conjugated antibodies, the tissues are permeabilized and the representative probes are captured. Paired GEX and protein libraries are generated for each section and then sequenced on an Illumina NovaSeq at a depth of ~50,000 reads per spot. Resulting reads from both libraries are aligned and overlaid with H&E-stained tissue images, enabling analysis of both mRNA and protein expression. Additional analyses and data visualizations were performed on the Loupe Browser v4.1 desktop software.ConclusionsSpatial transcriptomics technology complements pathological examination by combining histological assessment with the throughput and deep biological insight of highly-multiplexed protein detection and RNA-seq. Taken together, our work demonstrated that Visium Spatial technology provides a spatially-resolved, multi-analyte view of the tumor microenvironment, where a greater understanding of cellular behavior in and around tumors can help drive discovery of new biomarkers and therapeutic targets.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Yu ◽  
Xiaoping Mei ◽  
Xueming Zhang ◽  
Neng Qian ◽  
Qingjiang Yu ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) serves as a prevailing tumor type with high mortality and poor prognosis. The study aims to explore the mechanism of gemcitabine resistance in PDAC patients. Methods: Immunohistochemistry(IHC)was used to analyze the expression of SLC39A1 in PDAC samples. PDAC cells were culture and transfected with siSLC39A1 and siNC, respectively. Cell proliferation analysis was performed using CCK-8 assay. And qPCR and Western blotting was used to analysis the expression level of SLC39A1 and related signal molecular in cells. Results: IHC results demonstrated that the SLC39A1 expression was significantly up-regulated in the gemcitabine-resistant PDAC samples compared with gemcitabine-sensitive PDAC samples. The treatment of gemcitabine dose-dependently inhibited the viability of the PDAC cells. Meanwhile, the mRNA and protein expression of SLC39A1 were elevated in the gemcitabine-resistant PDAC. The treatment of gemcitabine remarkably decreased viability of PDACs, in which SLC39A1 depletion could reverse this effect. SLC39A1 knockdown could reverse the gemcitabine-induced phosphorylation of AMPK enhanced and gemcitabine-inhibited S6K expression. Conclusion: SLC39A1 contributed to gemcitabine resistance of PDAC by activating AMPK signaling.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (9) ◽  
pp. 030006052094379
Author(s):  
Yanshan Li ◽  
Yunxiuxiu Xu ◽  
Ruomei Wang ◽  
Wenxin Li ◽  
Wenguang He ◽  
...  

Objective To investigate whether the Notch–Hif-1α signaling pathway is involved in liver regeneration. Methods Rats were divided into two groups and treated with daily intraperitoneal injections of saline (control) or the gamma-secretase inhibitor, Fli-06, for 2 days. Two-thirds of the rat livers were resected and rats were later euthanized at specific time points post-resection to analyze the remnant livers. Each group's liver/body weight ratio was calculated, and immunostaining and western blotting were used to determine the cell proliferation marker, PCNA and Ki-67 expression. Real-time PCR and western blotting were used to compare the mRNA expression of Notch homolog-1 ( Notch1), hairy and enhancer of split-1 ( Hes1), and vascular endothelial growth factor ( Vegf), and the protein expression of NICD and HIF-1α, respectively. Results The liver/body weight ratios and number of Ki-67- and PCNA-positive cells were significantly lower in the experimental group than the control group, indicating lower levels of liver regeneration following the disruption of Notch signaling by Fli-06. The Hes1 and Vegf mRNA levels and NICD and HIF-1α protein expression levels were all down-regulated by Fli-06 treatment. Conclusion Notch–Hif-α signaling pathway activation plays an important role in liver regeneration, where it may contribute toward liver cell proliferation.


Open Medicine ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 890-898 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chen Jihua ◽  
Chen Cai ◽  
Bao Xubin ◽  
Yu Yue

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the effects and mechanisms of dexmedetomidine (Dex) on model rats of diabetic nephropathy (DN).MethodsRats were divided into NC, model, Dex-L (1μg/ kg), Dex-M (5μg/kg) and Dex-H (10μg/kg) groups. Rats in all groups except in the NC group were injected with streptozotocin (STZ) combined with right nephrectomy. Rats in Dex (1, 5 and 10μg/kg) groups received gavage with Dex (1, 5 and 10μg/kg). After 4 weeks, rats were sacrificed and kidneys were collected. HE staining was performed for a renal injury. Masson staining was applied to detect the fibrotic accumulation in rat kidney. Radioimmunoassay was used to test the renal function. Immunohistochemical method was used to detect protein expressions of RhoA, p-MYPT and Nox4 in rat kidney.ResultsCompared with the NC group, the levels of urine microalbumin in protein, α1-MG and β2-MG, renal fibrotic accumulation, RhoA, p-MYPT, Nox4 and α-SMA in model group increased significantly (P<0.001, respectively). Compared with the model group, Dex low, medium and high groups improved the deposition of renal fiber in rats, inhibited the expression levels of microalbumin, α1-MG and β2-MG in urine and decreased expression of RhoA, p-MYPT, Nox4 and α-SMA proteins (P<0.05, P<0.01).ConclusionDex is possible to inhibit the expression of α-SMA and renal fibrous substance deposition in rat kidney via RhoA/ROCK/Nox4 signaling pathway, thereby reducing early kidney damage in model rats.


2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 604
Author(s):  
Qian Xu ◽  
Kai Cao ◽  
Yan-Hong Xiao ◽  
Chao Du ◽  
Xian-Hui Dong ◽  
...  

<p class="Abstract">The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of paeonol on the expression of NF-κB pathway induced by homocysteine. After Human umbilical vein endothelial cells exposed to homocysteine for 24 hours,  paeonol (0.15-0.6 mmol/L) improved the cell viability (p&lt;0.05). NF-κB p65 mRNA expression was reduced largely (p&lt;0.05) and IκB-α protein expression increased significantly (p&lt;0.01). The staining of NF-κB p65 in nucleus was not as much as those in homocysteine injured model group (p&lt;0.01). Therefore, paeonol can inhibit IκB-α protein degradation and suppress NF-κB transferred into nuclear in order to inhibit the activation of NF-κB.</p><p> </p>


2002 ◽  
Vol 50 (12) ◽  
pp. 1633-1640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimo Derenzini ◽  
Lorenzo Montanaro ◽  
Alessandra Chillà ◽  
Elena Tosti ◽  
Claudio Ceccarelli ◽  
...  

In this study we investigated the relationship between thymidylate synthase (TS) protein expression, evaluated by Western blotting analysis and by immunohistochemistry (IHC), and growth rate in human colon xenograft tumors in nude mice. Human colon cancer cell lines were used to induce xenograft tumors and the tumor mass growth rate was calculated by measuring tumor size variations over time. TS 106 monoclonal antibody was used for both Western blotting and IHC TS detection. Tumor cell growth fraction was measured by Ki67/MIB1 immunolabeling and tumor cell growth rate by evaluating the mean nucleolar size in silver-stained sections. TS Western blotting values were related to tumor mass growth rate ( p<0.001) and cell growth rate ( p=0.002) but not to cell growth fraction ( p=0.676). The degree of the IHC staining showed only a trend to be associated with TS protein expression measured on Western blotting, and was not related either to tumor mass growth or cell proliferation rate. Tumor xenografts were also characterized for TS promoter tandem repeat and p53 status. No relationship was observed between these variables and TS expression evaluated by both Western blotting and IHC analysis. Our results demonstrate that TS expression evaluated by Western blotting analysis is directly related to the tumor mass growth rate and question the use of the IHC approach to obtain precise quantitative information on TS expression in tumor samples.


2013 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 424-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hikaru Nakazawa ◽  
Rui Todokoro ◽  
Yuri Ishigaki ◽  
Izumi Kumagai ◽  
Mitsuo Umetsu

2006 ◽  
Vol 290 (1) ◽  
pp. H279-H285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiuhua Liu ◽  
Tianbo Li ◽  
Sheng Sun ◽  
Feifei Xu ◽  
Yiguang Wang

Myofibrillogenesis regulator-1 (MR-1) is a novel homologous gene, identified from a human skeletal muscle cDNA library, that interacts with contractile proteins and exists in human myocardial myofibrils. The present study investigated MR-1 protein expression in hypertrophied myocardium and MR-1 involvement in cardiac hypertrophy. Cardiac hypertrophy was induced by abdominal aortic stenosis (AAS) in Sprague-Dawley rats. Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy was assessed by the ratio of LV wet weight to whole heart weight (LV/HW) or LV weight to body weight (LV/BW). Rat MR-1 (rMR-1) expression in the myocardium was detected by immunohistochemical and Western blotting analysis. Hypertrophy was induced by ANG II incubation in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. The effect of rMR-1 RNA interference on ANG II-induced hypertrophy was studied by transfection of cardiomyocytes with an RNA interference plasmid, pSi-1, which targets rMR-1. Hypertrophy in cardiomyocytes was assessed by [3H]Leu incorporation and myocyte size. rMR-1 protein expression in cardiomyocytes was detected by Western blotting. We found that AAS resulted in a significant increase in LV/HW and LV/BW: 89% and 86%, respectively ( P < 0.01). Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis demonstrated upregulated rMR-1 protein expression in hypertrophic myocardium. ANG II induced a 24% increase in [3H]Leu incorporation and a 65.8% increase in cell size compared with control cardiomyocytes ( P < 0.01), which was prevented by treatment with losartan, an angiotensin (AT1) receptor inhibitor, or transfection with pSi-1. rMR-1 expression increased in ANG II-induced hypertrophied cardiomyocytes, and pSi-1 transfection abolished the upregulation. These findings suggest that MR-1 is associated with cardiac hypertrophy in rats in vivo and in vitro.


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