Effects and Mechanism of Oxymatrine Combined with Compound Yinchen Granules on the Apoptosis of Hepatocytes through the Akt/FoxO3a/Bim Pathway

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects and mechanism of oxymatrine (OMT) combined with compound yinchen granules (CYG) on the apoptosis of hepatocytes through the Akt/FoxO3a/Bim pathway in rats with acute liver failure. The rat model of acute liver failure was established using lipopolysaccharide/D-galactosamine (LPS/D-GalN). The expression of proteins in rat liver tissues was detected by western blot analysis. The mRNA expression of FoxO3a, Bim, Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase-3 in rat liver tissues was detected by RT-qPCR. The apoptosis rate of rat hepatocytes was determined by flow cytometry. Western blots showed that when compared with the normal group, the expression of p-Akt and p-FoxO3a in the model group was decreased ( P < 0.05 ), while the expression of Bim was increased ( P < 0.01 ). Compared with the model group, the expression of p-Akt and p-FoxO3a in the OMT group and the OMT combined with CYG groups was increased ( P < 0.05 or P < 0.01 ), while the expression of Bim was decreased ( P < 0.05 ). The Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3 protein expression in the model group were significantly higher than those in the normal group ( P < 0.01 ). The Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and the expression of caspase-3 protein in the OMT group and the OMT combined with CYG groups were significantly lower than those in the model group ( P < 0.01 ). The results of RT-qPCR were consistent with those of western blot. The results of flow cytometry showed that the apoptosis rate of hepatocytes in the OMT group and the OMT combined with CYG groups was significantly lower than that in the model group ( P < 0.05 or P < 0.01 ). We concluded that LPS/D-GalN can induce apoptosis of hepatocytes in rats with acute liver failure through the Akt/FoxO3a/Bim pathway. OMT combined with CYG inhibits apoptosis of hepatocytes in rats with acute liver failure via the Akt/FoxO3a/Bim pathway.

Protective Effect of Rifampicin Loaded by HPMA-PLA Nanopolymer on Macrophages Infected with Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

Purpose. This research was designed to investigate the protective effect of rifampicin (RIF) loaded by N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methylacrylamide- (HPMA-) polylactic acid (PLA) nanopolymer on macrophages infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Methods. We first induced H37Rv to infect macrophages to build a cell model. Then, the HPMA-PLA nanopolymer loaded with RIF was prepared to treat MTB-infected macrophages. The macrophage activity was tested by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, the nitric oxide (NO) in cells was measured through Griess reagent, and the bacterial activity of MTB was observed via the colony-forming unit (CFU) assay. The inflammation-related factors in cells were detected via the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the apoptosis of macrophages was examined via flow cytometry, and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins was determined by western blot (WB). Results. HPMA-PLA had no obvious toxicity to macrophages. The expression of NO and inflammatory factors in macrophages infected with MTB increased significantly, but the apoptosis rate was not significantly different from that of uninfected cells. However, after treatment with HPMA-PLA-RIF or free RIF, the inflammatory reaction of infected cells was inhibited, the expression of NO was decreased, the apoptosis rate was increased, and the bacterial activity in cells was decreased, with statistically significant differences; moreover, HPMA-PLA-RIF was more effective than free RIF. Conclusions. HPMA-PLA-RIF has a high protective effect on macrophages infected with MTB, with high safety. Its protective mechanism is at least partly through inhibiting the production of NO and inflammatory response, which can inhibit bacterial activity and induce cell apoptosis.

Study on Apoptosis of Prostate Cancer Cells Induced by IκBα Overexpression Synergistic with Poly (Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid)-Curcumin Nanoparticles

Objective. To investigate the synergistic effects of IκBα overexpression and poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid)-curcumin nanoparticles (PLGA-Cur-NPs) on prostate cancer (PC) and reveal the underlying mechanisms of cooperative sensitization induced by curcumin. Methods. Proliferation and apoptosis rate in IκBα overexpressed and PLGA-Cur-NPs-treated PC cells were detected by MTT and flow cytometry assay. The expression levels of IκBα, apoptosis-related, and signaling proteins were measured by western blotting assay. Results. PC cell proliferation was significantly inhibited by the overexpression of IκBα. The apoptosis rate of PC cells was significantly increased at a high concentration of curcumin exposure, while the activation of NF-κB pathway was obviously inhibited. In addition, PLGA-Cur-NPs treatment synergistic with IκBα overexpression enhanced the apoptosis of PC cells by suppressing the NF-κB pathway activation. Conclusion. IκBα overexpression synergistic with PLGA-Cur-NPs could obviously inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis, and suppress the activation of NF-κB pathway in PC cells. These findings may provide an experimental basis to establish the tumor gene therapy combined with traditional Chinese medicine treatment, thus promoting the clinical application of both tumor gene therapy and anti-tumor Chinese medicine.

YKL-40 Aggravates Early-Stage Atherosclerosis by Inhibiting Macrophage Apoptosis in an Aven-dependent Way

Objective: programmed cell removal in atherosclerotic plaques plays a crucial role in retarding lesion progression. Macrophage apoptosis has a critical role in PrCR, especially in early-stage lesions. YKL-40 has been shown to be elevated as lesions develop and is closely related to macrophages. This study aimed to determine the effect of YKL-40 on regulating macrophage apoptosis and early-stage atherosclerosis progression.Research design and Methods: The correlations among the expression level of YKL-40, the area of early-stage plaque, and the macrophage apoptosis rate in plaques have been shown in human carotid atherosclerotic plaques through pathological and molecular biological detection. These results were successively confirmed in vivo (Ldlr−/- mice treated by YKL-40 recombinant protein/neutralizing antibody) and in vitro (macrophages that Ykl40 up-/down-expressed) experiments. The downstream targets were predicted by iTRAQ analysis.Results: In early-stage human carotid plaques and murine plaques, the YKL-40 expression level had a significant positive correlation with the area of the lesion and a significant negative correlation with the macrophage apoptosis rate. In vivo, the plaque area of aortic roots was significantly larger in the recomb-YKL-40 group than that in IgG group (p = 0.0247) and was significantly smaller in the anti-YKL-40 group than in the IgG group (p = 0.0067); the macrophage apoptosis rate of the plaque in aortic roots was significantly lower in the recomb-YKL-40 group than that in IgG group (p = 0.0018) and was higher in anti-YKL-40 group than that in VC group. In vitro, the activation level of caspase-9 was significantly lower in RAW264.7 with Ykl40 overexpressed than that in controls (p = 0.0054), while the expression level of Aven was significantly higher than that in controls (p = 0.0031). The apoptosis rate of RAW264.7 treated by recomb-YKL40 was significantly higher in the Aven down-regulated group than that in the control group (p &lt; 0.001). The apoptosis inhibitor Aven was confirmed as the target molecule of YKL-40. Mechanistically, YKL-40 could inhibit macrophage apoptosis by upregulating Aven to suppress the activation of caspase-9.Conclusion: YKL-40 inhibits macrophage apoptosis by upregulating the apoptosis inhibitor Aven to suppress the activation of caspase-9, which may impede normal PrCR and promote substantial accumulation in early-stage plaques, thereby leading to the progression of atherosclerosis.

Protective Effect of Buyang Huanwu Decoction on Cerebral Ischemia Reperfusion Injury by Alleviating Autophagy in the Ischemic Penumbra

Objectives. To evaluate the protective effect of Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BHD) against cerebral ischemia reperfusion and investigate whether autophagy is involved in its mechanism of action. Methods. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: the sham, cerebral ischemia reperfusion (I/R), and I/R + BHD groups. A rat model of cerebral I/R injury was established via middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 2 h, followed by 1, 3, and 7 d of reperfusion. Neurological scores and regional cerebral blood flow were assessed to determine whether the model was successfully established. Brain infarct volume was determined by 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. The apoptosis rate was detected using TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) staining, and neuronal damage was evaluated by Nissl staining. The Beclin-1 and LC3 protein levels in the ischemic core, penumbra, and contralateral area were analysed by Western blotting. The occurrence of autophagy in the penumbra was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results. BHD treatment alleviated the cerebral infarct volume, neuronal apoptosis rate, and neuronal damage 3 and 7 d after cerebral I/R injury. Furthermore, 3 d after reperfusion, we observed that the Beclin-1 levels were significantly decreased in the core in the I/R group, whereas transformation of LC3 I to LC3 II exhibited no obvious differences between the sham and I/R groups. In the penumbra, the Beclin-1 levels and transformation of LC3 I to LC3 II in the I/R group were significantly increased compared with that in the sham group. However, no significant difference in the contralateral area was noted between the two groups. BHD significantly inhibited the expression of Beclin-1 and the transformation of LC3 I to LC3 II in the penumbra after cerebral I/R injury but yielded no significant changes in the core and contralateral area. Conclusions. BHD exerts a neuroprotective effect by inhibiting autophagy in neurons in the penumbra after cerebral I/R injury.

Vascular endothelial growth factor ameliorated palmitate-induced cardiomyocyte injury via JNK pathway

Enhanced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes in suffering overloaded saturated fatty acids (SFAs) can result in myocardial infarction and cardiac dysfunction. The function of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in cardiomyocyte protection was not clearly described. To investigate the preservative effects of VEGF sensitization on ceramide-mediated programmed cell death of cardiomyocytes, palmitate-induced injury in H9c2 cells was established as an in vitro model. Results revealed that 0.5 mM palmitate application effectively led to debased viability and activated apoptotic factors. A significant time-dependent relation between PAL and cardiomyocyte injury was observed. The apoptosis rate was increased greatly after 16 h of treatment with 0.5 mM PAL. In addition, cell viability was restored by VEGF overexpression during treatment with 0.5 mM PAL. Reduced apoptosis rate and expression of caspase 3, Bax, and NF-κB p65 were observed in this process, while boosted Bcl-2, p-JNK/JNK expression and activity of caspase 3 were checked. However, p-ERK/ERK levels did not exhibit a significant change. These findings indicated the protective effects of VEGF in confronting the ceramide-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and would devote therapeutic targets for cardiovascular safeguard in dealing with fatty acid stress.

Effects of Qijin granules on high glucose-induced proliferation, apoptosis and expression of nuclear factor- κB and MCP-1 in rat glomerular mesangial cells

Purpose: To investigate the effects of Qijin granules on high glucose-induced proliferation and apoptosis in rat glomerular mesangial cells (MC).Methods: MC cells from rats were passaged and cultured, and randomly divided into control group (CNG), high glucose group (HGG), Western medicine group (WMG, high glucose + Benazepril + Gliquidone), and Qijin granules 1/2/3 group (high glucose + different doses of Qijin granules). Mesangial cells proliferation was measured using MTT assay. The NF-κB, MCP-1 and inflammatory factors in supernatant were determined by ELISA. Apoptosis rate and cell cycle were assessed by flow cytometry. The apoptosis-related TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway-related protein expressions were measured by Western blot.Results: The A-value and early apoptosis rate, apoptosis rate and S-phase percentage, and protein expressions of NF-κB, MCP-1, IL-6, IL-2, TNF-ɑ, Bax, Cyt-C, caspase-3, TGF-β1, and p-Smad3 of MC cells in the HGG at 12 h, 24 h and 48 h were higher than those in the CNG. The above indices were lower in the WMG, and Qijin granules 1/2/3 groups than in the HGG. The Bcl-2, Smad7 protein expression level and the percentage of G1 and G2/M phase were lower in the HGG than in the CNG, and the above indeices were higher in the WMG and Qijin granules 1/2/3 group than in HGG.Conclusion: Qijin granules can dose-dependently inhibit high glucose-induced proliferation and apoptosis in rat MC cells, block the cell cycle and reduce inflammatory responses. This may be related to the regulation of NF-κB, MCP-1 and TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathways. These findings provide theoretical and experimental basis for the clinical treatment of early diabetic nephropathy.

HDAC Inhibition Effectively Induce Apoptosis in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma with High Bfl-1

Venetoclax, a Bcl-2 specific inhibitor, shows potential benefit in certain patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) when combined with conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy. However, both de novo and acquired resistance to venetoclax is frequently observed in DLBCL and endogenous Bfl-1 expression can render DLBCL insensitive to venetoclax. Given the difficulties for direct inhibition of Bfl-1, we looked for the indirect inhibitory strategies for Bfl-1 at both transcriptional and post-translational levels. Accordingly, we decided to use a pan-histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor to decrease a Bfl-1 transcriptional factor, Wilms' tumor-1 (Wt-1), while increasing Noxa, an inactivating Bfl-1 binding partner in DLBCL. We screened the expression levels of Bcl-2 family in 6 DLBCL cell lines (SUDHL-2, OCI-LY-3, TMD-8, RC-K8, OCI-LY-1, and OCI-LY-19) and divided them into 2 groups based on Bfl-1 expression level (Bfl-1+/Bfl-1-). Bfl-1+ group cell lines (SUDHL-2, OCI-LY-3, TMD-8, RC-K8) exhibited reduced sensitivity to venetoclax compared to Bfl-1- group cell lines (OCI-LY-1, OCI-LY-19) as expected. In contrast, the cell lines in Bfl-1+ group were more sensitive to panobinostat, a representative pan-HDAC inhibitor, than Bfl-1- group cell lines. We could also validate the association between Bfl-1 expression and panobinostat response using 12 DLBCL cell lines data from Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC). With western blot, we confirmed that as the concentration of panobinostat increases, Bfl-1 and Wt-1 were decreased and Noxa was increased as we hypothesized. In a time-course analysis, Bfl-1 was downregulated by panobinostat in a Wt-1, and Noxa-dependent manner. Additionally, we confirmed that the association of Bfl-1 with venetoclax and panobinostat was linked to apoptosis rate using Western blot and Flow cytometry. Finally, to evaluate the impact of Bfl-1 on the vulnerability of cells to panobinostat, we compared the sensitivity to panobinostat upon shRNA-mediated Bfl-1 knockdown using SUDHL-2 cells (the strongest Bfl-1 expression level among DLBCL cell lines). Reduced sensitivity was observed in Bfl-1 knocked down cells comparing to Non-Infected (NI) and scrambled vector transduced cells. Apoptosis rate was decreased significantly in Bfl-1 knocked down cells as well. Therefore, we identified the sensitivity to panobinostat depends on the expression of Bfl-1 in DLBCL. In summary, we identified the significance of Bfl-1 on HDAC inhibitor response and confirmed that Wt-1 and Noxa play important roles in that process. Our results provide a mechanistic rationale for utilizing HDAC inhibitors for DLBCL patients using Bfl-1 as a prediction marker. Accordingly, HDAC inhibitor can be therapeutic options for some DLBCL patients with high Bfl-1. Disclosures Koh: Pfizer: Consultancy; Jassen: Honoraria; AstraZeneca: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; GSK: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria.

Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived S100A8 Promotes Acute Myeloid Leukemia Progression Via ROS Signaling

Introduction: Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) is an important cell component in the bone marrow microenvironment. MSC-derived inflammatory factors regulate the progression of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by regulating the signaling pathways in hematopoietic cells. S100A8 is an inflammatory factor which belong to the calcium-binding protein S100 family. In vivo animals experiments showed that increased expression of S100A8 in MSC was accompanied by increased proliferative MSCs, and decreased mature osteoblasts. MSC-derived S100A8 can also cause mitochondrial dysfunction in hematopoietic stem progenitor cells, induce oxidative stress response and DNA damage repair, that promotes the progression of myeloid dysplastic syndromes (MDS). However, whether MSC-derived S100A8 involved in AML development have not been reported. In this study, we attempted to elucidate the regulation of MSC-derived S100A8 on MSC itself as well as leukemia cells. Methods: Human MSCs were isolated from AML patients samples by whole bone marrow adherent culture, and the third to fifth passage cells were collected for analysis. The lentivirus vector carrying cDNA of S100A8 gene and the empty lentivirus vector were constructed and infected into MSCs,respectively. Cell cycle and apoptosis of MSCs were analysed by flow cytometry. Acute myeloid leukemia cell line Kasumi-1 was co-cultured with the two groups of mesenchymal stem cells in vitro for 3 days, respectively.cell cycle and apoptosis were analysed, and the cell proliferation was detected by Edu. The ROS levels of co-cultured Kasumi-1 cells were detected by flow cytometry. The apoptosis of kasumi-1 co-cultured cells treated with VP-16 for 48 hour was detected by flow cytometry. Results: The rate of G0 phase cell in S100A8-overexpressed MSCs was higher than in control group.The proliferation rate of Kasumi-1 cells was significantly increased S100A8 overexpressed group than in control after 72-h co-culture, while the apoptosis rate of Kasumi-1 cells was significantly decreased in S100A8 overexpressed group. Futhermore, the apoptosis rate of Kasumi-1 cells co-cultured with S100A8-overexpressed MSCs was markedly lower than in control group after exposed in vp-16 for 48 hour.The ROS level of Kasumi-1 cells co-cultured with S100A8-overexpressed MSCs were significantly increased than those of the control group. Conclusion: S100A8 derived from MSCs plays a critical role in progression and drug resistance of acute myeloid leukemia, by increasing the ROS levels of AML cells, that indicates S100A8 may serve as a potential novel therapeutic target in AML. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Dexmedetomidine Attenuates Hypoxia/Reoxygenation Injury of H9C2 Myocardial Cells by Upregulating miR-146a Expression via the MAPK Signal Pathway

<b><i>Introduction and Objective:</i></b> Dexmedetomidine (Dex) and a number of miRNAs contribute to ischemia/reperfusion injury. We aimed to explore the role of Dex and miR-146a on myocardial cells injured by hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). <b><i>Method:</i></b> H9C2 cells were injured by H/R. Cell viability was tested using the cell counting kit-8. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were determined using commercial kits. Flow cytometry was performed to determine apoptosis rate and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. Protein and mRNA levels were assessed using Western blot and qPCR. <b><i>Results:</i></b> miR-146a expression and cell viability of H9C2 cells were downregulated under the circumstance of H/R injury. The tendency could be reversed by Dex, which could also upregulate SOD activity and decrease apoptosis, LDH activity, MDA, 78-kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78), and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) levels of H9C2 cells. GRP78, CHOP levels, and cell viability were negatively modulated by miR-146a. Dex elevated cell viability, catalase, MnSOD, and NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (NQO1) levels but suppressed apoptosis rate, GRP78, and CHOP levels by increasing miR-146a expression and downregulating ROS, phosphorylation of p38, and extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 levels. By using SB203580 (SB), the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor, Dex or the inhibition of miR-146 upregulated cell viability but downregulated GRP78 and CHOP levels. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Dex might regulate miR-146a expression, which could further modulate the endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress and eventually affect the cell viability and apoptosis of myocardial cells injured by H/R via the MAPK signal pathway.