Ranscriptome Analysis Reveals the Molecular Mechanism of Yiqi Rougan Decoction in Reducing CCl4-induced Liver Fibrosis in Rats

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Xiong ◽  
Jinyuan Hu ◽  
Chen Xuan ◽  
Jiayu Tian ◽  
Kaiyue Tan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Liver Fibrosis ◽  
Liver Injury ◽  
Molecular Mechanism ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Signalling Pathways ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator

Abstract BackgroundLiver fibrosis develops from various chronic liver diseases, and there is currently a lack of specific treatment strategies. Yiqi Rougan decoction (YQRG) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has shown durative effects in the treatment of liver fibrosis; however, the mechanism associated with YQRG-related improvements in liver fibrosis remains to be experimentally determined. This study evaluated the therapeutic effect of YQRG on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis in rats and its molecular mechanism. MethodsWe used low-, medium-, and high-dose YQRG to treat CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in rats, followed by assessment of liver injury and fibrosis according to liver appearance, body weight, liver mass index, histopathologic examination, and serum testing. Additionally, we performed transcriptome analysis using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) technology, including cluster, Gene Ontology (GO), and pathway analyses, to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and protein and gene expression were detected by immunofluorescence (IFC), western blot, and real-time quantitative PCR. ResultsThe results showed that YQRG effectively alleviated CCl4-induced liver injury and fibrosis in rats, including observations of improved liver function, decreased activity of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), and decreased extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. Moreover, we identified downregulated and upregulated DEGs in the model group relative to the control and YQRG-treated groups, with GO analysis revealing their enrichment in biological processes, such as endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), apoptosis, and autophagy. Furthermore, pathway analysis showed that YQRG treatment downregulated the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt (PI3K/AKT) signalling pathways and upregulated other signalling pathways, including those related to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors(PPAR) and AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK), with these finding subsequently verified experimentally. ConclusionThese findings showed that YQRG improved CCl4-induced liver fibrosis through multiple mechanisms and pathways, offering critical insight into the YQRG-related therapeutic mechanism and promoting further research into its potential application.

scholarly journals Transcriptome analysis reveals the molecular mechanism of Yiqi Rougan decoction in reducing CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in rats

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Xiong ◽  
Jinyuan Hu ◽  
Chen Xuan ◽  
Jiayu Tian ◽  
Kaiyue Tan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Liver Fibrosis ◽  
Liver Injury ◽  
Molecular Mechanism ◽  
Transcriptome Analysis ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Signalling Pathways ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator

Abstract Background Liver fibrosis develops from various chronic liver diseases, and there is currently a lack of specific treatment strategies. Yiqi Rougan decoction (YQRG) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has shown durative effects in the treatment of liver fibrosis; however, the mechanism associated with YQRG-related improvements in liver fibrosis remains to be experimentally determined. This study evaluated the therapeutic effect of YQRG on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis in rats and its molecular mechanism. Methods We used low-, medium-, and high-dose YQRG to treat CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in rats, followed by assessment of liver injury and fibrosis according to liver appearance, body weight, liver mass index, histopathologic examination, and serum testing. Additionally, we performed transcriptome analysis using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) technology, including cluster, Gene Ontology (GO), and pathway analyses, to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and protein and gene expression were detected by immunofluorescence (IFC), western blot and real-time quantitative PCR. Results The results showed that YQRG effectively alleviated CCl4-induced liver injury and fibrosis in rats, including observations of improved liver function, decreased activity of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), and decreased extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. Moreover, we identified downregulated and upregulated DEGs in the model group relative to the control and YQRG-treated groups, with GO analysis revealing their enrichment in biological processes, such as endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), apoptosis, and autophagy. Furthermore, pathway analysis showed that YQRG treatment downregulated the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt (PI3K/AKT) signalling pathways and upregulated other signalling pathways, including those related to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors(PPAR) and AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK), with these findings subsequently verified experimentally. Conclusion These findings showed that YQRG improved CCl4-induced liver fibrosis through multiple mechanisms and pathways, offering critical insight into the YQRG-related therapeutic mechanism and promoting further research into its potential application.

A novel vasculo-angiogenic effect of cilostazol mediated by cross-talk between multiple signalling pathways including the ERK/p38 MAPK signalling transduction cascade

2012 ◽  
Vol 123 (3) ◽  
pp. 147-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting-Hsing Chao ◽  
Shih-Ya Tseng ◽  
Yi-Heng Li ◽  
Ping-Yen Liu ◽  
Chung-Lung Cho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
P38 Mapk ◽  
Umbilical Vein ◽  
Tube Formation ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Signalling Pathways ◽  
No Production ◽  
Angiogenic Effect

Cilostazol is an anti-platelet agent with vasodilatory activity that acts by increasing intracellular concentrations of cAMP. Recent reports have suggested that cilostazol may promote angiogenesis. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of cilostazol in promoting angiogenesis and vasculogenesis in a hindlimb ischaemia model and have also examined its potential mechanism of action in vitro and in vivo. We found that cilostazol treatment significantly increased colony formation by human early EPCs (endothelial progenitor cells) through a mechanism involving the activation of cAMP/PKA (protein kinase A), PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase)/Akt/eNOS (endothelial NO synthase) and ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase)/p38 MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signalling pathways. Cilostazol also enhanced proliferation, chemotaxis, NO production and vascular tube formation in HUVECs (human umbilical vein endothelial cells) through activation of multiple signalling pathways downstream of PI3K/Akt/eNOS. Cilostazol up-regulated VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor)-A165 expression and secretion of VEGF-A in HUVECs through activation of the PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway. In a mouse hindlimb ischaemia model, recovery of blood flow ratio (ipsilateral/contralateral) 14 days after surgery was significantly improved in cilostazol-treated mice (10 mg/kg of body weight) compared with vehicle-treated controls (0.63±0.07 and 0.43±0.05 respectively, P<0.05). Circulating CD34+ cells were also increased in cilostazol-treated mice (3614±670 compared with 2151±608 cells/ml, P<0.05). Expression of VEGF and phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt/eNOS and ERK/p38 MAPK in ischaemic muscles were significantly enhanced by cilostazol. Our data suggest that cilostazol produces a vasculo-angiogenic effect by up-regulating a broad signalling network that includes the ERK/p38 MAPK, VEGF-A165, PI3K/Akt/eNOS and cAMP/PKA pathways.

Parkinson´s related protein DJ-1 is involved in aberrant cell cycle re-entry through Cdk5

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mª José López-Grueso ◽  
Carmen Alicia Padilla ◽  
José Antonio Bárcena ◽  
Raquel Requejo-Aguilar
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Cell Cycle Progression ◽  
Cell Cycle Checkpoints ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Signalling Pathways ◽  
Multifunctional Protein ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Phosphoinositide 3 Kinase

Abstract DJ-1 is a multifunctional protein involved in Parkinson disease (PD) that can act as antioxidant, molecular chaperone, protease, glyoxalase and transcriptional regulator. However, the exact mechanism by which DJ-1 dysfunction contributes to development of Parkinson´s disease remains elusive. Here, using a comparative proteomic analysis between normal cortical neurons and neurons lacking DJ-1, we show that this protein is involved in cell cycle checkpoints disruption as a consequence of increased amount of p-Tau and a-synuclein proteins, altered signalling pathways, as the phosphoinositide-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and deregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5). Cdk5 is normally involved in dendritic growth, axon formation and the establishment of synapses, but can also contribute to cell cycle progression, as in our case, in pathological conditions. In addition, we observed a decrease in proteasomal activity, probably due to Tau phosphorylation that can also lead to activation of mitogenic signalling pathways. Taken together, our findings indicate, for the first time, that aborted cell cycle re-entry could be at the onset of DJ-1 associated PD. Thereby, new approaches targeting cell cycle re-entry can be envisaged to improve current therapeutic strategies.

scholarly journals Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ Coactivator 1α Activates Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor That Protects Against Neuronal Cell Death Following Status Epilepticus through PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK Signaling

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (19) ◽  
pp. 7247
Author(s):  
Jyun-Bin Huang ◽  
Shih-Pin Hsu ◽  
Hsiu-Yung Pan ◽  
Shang-Der Chen ◽  
Shu-Fang Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Status Epilepticus ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Neuronal Cell Death ◽  
Neuronal Cell ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Erk Signaling ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Hippocampal Ca3

Status epilepticus may cause molecular and cellular events, leading to hippocampal neuronal cell death. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1-α (PGC-1α) is an important regulator of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2), also known as fetal liver kinase receptor 1 (Flk-1). Resveratrol is an activator of PGC-1α. It has been suggested to provide neuroprotective effects in epilepsy, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases. In the present study, we used microinjection of kainic acid into the left hippocampal CA3 region in Sprague Dawley rats to induce bilateral prolonged seizure activity. Upregulating the PGC-1α pathway will increase VEGF/VEGFR2 (Flk-1) signaling and further activate some survival signaling that includes the mitogen activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)/mitogen activated protein kinase (ERK) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathways and offer neuroprotection as a consequence of apoptosis in the hippocampal neurons following status epilepticus. Otherwise, downregulation of PGC-1α by siRNA against pgc-1α will inhibit VEGF/VEGFR2 (Flk-1) signaling and suppress pro-survival PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK pathways that are also accompanied by hippocampal CA3 neuronal cell apoptosis. These results may indicate that the PGC-1α induced VEGF/VEGFR2 pathway may trigger the neuronal survival signaling, and the PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK signaling pathways. Thus, the axis of PGC-1α/VEGF/VEGFR2 (Flk-1) and the triggering of downstream PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK signaling could be considered an endogenous neuroprotective effect against apoptosis in the hippocampus following status epilepticus.

scholarly journals Piper retrofractumVahl. Extract, as a PPARδand AMPK Activator, Suppresses UVB-Induced Photoaging through Mitochondrial Biogenesis and MMPs Inhibition in Human Dermal Fibroblasts and Hairless Mice

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jungon Yun ◽  
Changhee Kim ◽  
Mi-Bo Kim ◽  
Jae-Kwan Hwang
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Beta ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Mouse Skin ◽  
Adenosine Monophosphate ◽  
Dermal Fibroblasts ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator ◽  
Human Dermal Fibroblasts ◽  
Piper Retrofractum

Photoaging occurs by UVB-irradiation and involves production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and overexpression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), leading to extracellular matrix damage.Piper retrofractumVahl. is used as a traditional medicine for antiflatulence, expectorant, sedative, and anti-irritant; however, its antiphotoaging effect has not yet been studied. The current study investigated the antiphotoaging effect of standardizedPiper retrofractumextract (PRE) on UVB-damaged human dermal fibroblasts and hairless mouse skin. PRE treatment activated the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) and the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), consequently upregulating mitochondrial synthesis and reducing ROS production. Additionally, PRE inhibited MMPs expression via suppressing mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and activator protein-1 (AP-1). PRE downregulated UVB-induced inflammatory reactions by inhibiting the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activity. PRE also enhanced transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and the Smad signaling pathway, thereby promoting procollagen gene transcription. Furthermore, oral administration of PRE (300 mg/kg/day) similarly regulated the signaling pathways and increased antioxidant enzyme expression, thus attenuating physiological deformations, such as wrinkle formation and erythema response. Collectively, these results suggest that PRE acts as a potent antiphotoaging agent via PPARδand AMPK activation.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document