Differential protein expression in substantia nigra induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine in a mouse model of chronic Parkinson’s disease

BACKGROUND： To date, a complete protein expression profile of the midbrain substantia nigra in a mouse model of chronic Parkinson＇s disease, induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine （MPTP）, does not exist. In addition, there are no reports of analysis of differential protein expression. OBJECTIVE： To separate and evaluate MPTP-induced differential protein expression through the use of proteomics in the substantia nigra of a mouse model of chronic Parkinson＇s disease. DESIGN： Randomized controlled animal study. SETTING： Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University. MATERIALS： Sixteen 8-10-week old, healthy, male, C57BL mice, weighing 20-25 g, and of clean grade, were provided by the Experimental Animal Center of Chongqing Medical University. The experimental animals were disposed according to ethical criteria. MPTP was provided by Sigma Company, USA; Pdquest 2D image analysis software and gelatum/irradiance image analysis system （ChemiDoc XRS） by Bio-Rad, USA; and Voyager DE-PROMALD1-TOF-MS mass spectroscopy analyzer by AB1 Company, USA. METHODS： This study was performed in Chongqing Neurological Laboratory between November 2006 and July 2007. Mice were randomly divided into model and control groups, with 8 mice in each group. Mice in the model group were received a subcutaneous injection of MPTP （25 mg＆g）, twice a week, for five successive weeks, to establish a chronic Parkinson＇s disease model. Mice in the control group received the same volume of a subcutaneous saline injection at the same time points. Mice were sacrificed by anesthesia to rapidly obtain the midbrain for protein separation of the substantia nigra. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： （1） 2-ED handbook （Bio-Rad Company） was referenced for two-dimensional electrophoresis, （2） PDQUEST8,0 analytical electrophoresis pattern was adopted to evaluate differential protein expression. （3） Peptide mass finger print map and data were retrieved on http：//www.prospector.ucsf.edu to compare differential substantia nigral protein expression in the two groups. RESULTS： Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of substantia nigra tissue indicated that there were 33 differential protein expressions between the two groups. Three new proteins were evaluated, including α -enolase, which exhibited regulated expression, tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 4, and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B. CONCLUSION： There are three proteins that exhibit differential expression in the substantia nigra- α -enolase, tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 4, and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B.

Neuroprotective potential of Quercetin in combination with piperine against 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced neurotoxicity

1-Methy-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine（MPTP）is a neurotoxin that selectively damages dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and induces Parkinson＇s like symptoms in rodents.Quercetin（QC）is a natural polyphenolic bioflavonoid with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties but lacks of clinical attraction due to low oral bioavailability.Piperine is a well established bioavailability enhancer used pre-clinically to improve the bioavailability of antioxidants（e.g.,Quercetin）.Therefore,the present study was designed to evaluate the neuroprotective potential of QC together with piperine against MPTP-induced neurotoxicity in rats.MPTP（100μg/μL/rat,bilaterally）was injected intranigrally on days 1,4 and 7 using a digital stereotaxic apparatus.QC（25 and 50 mg/kg,intragastrically）and QC（25 mg/kg,intragastrically）in combination with piperine（2.5 mg/kg,intragastrically）were administered daily for 14 days starting from day 8 after the 3^（rd） injection of MPTP.On day 22,animals were sacrificed and the striatum was isolated for oxidative stress parameter（thiobarbituric acid reactive substances,nitrite and glutathione）,neuroinflammatory cytokine（interleukin-1β,interleukin-6,and tumor necrosis factor-α）and neurotransmitter（dopamine,norepinephrine,serotonin,gamma-aminobutyric acid,glutamate,3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid,homovanillic acid,and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid）evaluations.Bilateral infusion of MPTP into substantia nigra pars compacta led to significant motor deficits as evidenced by impairments in locomotor activity and rotarod performance in open field test and grip strength and narrow beam walk performance.Both QC（25 and 50 mg/kg）and QC（25 mg/kg）in combination with piperine（2.5 mg/kg）,in particular the combination therapy,significantly improved MPTP-induced behavioral abnormalities in rats,reversed the abnormal alterations of neurotransmitters in the striatum,and alleviated oxidative stress and inflammatory response in the striatum.These findings indicate that piperine can enhance the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of QC,and QC in combination with piperine exhibits strong neuroprotective effects against MPTP-induced neurotoxicity.

Establishing motor disorder mouse models of Parkinson disease Comparison of 6-hydroxydompamine and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine

At present, pathogenesis and mechanism of Parkinson disease （PD） are still unclear. Animal models of PD are essential tools in studies on etiology and therapy and should mimic the chronic pathological process, histological characteristics and motor behavior dysfunction. In recent years, transgenic mice have been widely utilized to study the mechanism of PD, and it has become imperative that a PD mouse model of motor behavioral dysfunction be established. OBJECTIVE： To compare the behavioral and histochemical characters of two neurotoxic mice model induced with 6-hydroxydopamine （6-OHDA） or 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6 -tetrahydropyridine （MPTP）, and a better method to mimic Parkinson disease will be found out. DESIGN： Parallel experiment. SETTING： Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Department of Medical Genetics, Shanghai Jiao Tohg University. MATERIALS： Sixty 129Sv/C57BL6J male wild mice, SPF grade, 8 - 12 weeks old, weighing 20 - 25 g, were provided by Experimental Animal Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. All the surgery operation was performed according to the rules of Shanghai Jiaotong University Animal Committee. METHODS： The experiment was carried out in the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics （National Key Laboratory）, Department of Medical Genetics, Shanghai Jiao Ttong University from March to August 2006. ①Thirty-two male mice were randomly divided into control group and drug treatment group with 16 mice in each group. Surgery was carried out and 6-OHDA was administrated to substantia nigra pars compacta （SNpc） and nigra-striatum pathway according to the different parameters with intoxication apparatus. Saline was injected to the other 16 mice according to the same paradigm. 1 mg/kg apomorphine was injected intraperitoneally 2 weeks later after surgery to induce the imbalanced rotation behavior for 40 minutes. ②Twenty-eight mice were randomly divided into 4 groups with 7 in each group, including low-dose, moderate-dose, high-dose groups and negative control group. Then, mice in the drug treatment group were injected intraperitoneally with 5, 10 and 15 mg/kg MPTP for 9 successive days. In addition, mice in the control group were injected with the same volume of saline for 9 days. Pole test and stride length test were utilized to detect coordinative behavioral dysfunction. Mice were sacrificed 20 days after MPTP treatment, and histochemical staining of tyrosine hydroxynase （TH） was used to observe the loss of dopaminergic neuron in SNpc. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： ① Success ratio of each model establishment method; ② inducible asymmetric cycle behavior test 2 weeks after 6-OHDA injection; ③behavioral dysfunction in pole test and stride length, morphological changes in brain tissue. RESULTS： Totally sixty mice were used in this experiment and 3 mice were excluded because of the hypersensitivity or the clumsy reaction in motor behavioral detection before MPTP treatment, therefore, data was analyzed with the rest 57 mice. ① Lethal ratio： Three out of 16 mice died in striatum injection group and 5 out of 16 mice died in nigro-striatal pathway group. No mouse died in MPTP treatment groups. ② Locomotor behavior： No dysfunction of locomotor was found in 6-OHDA treatment groups. However, several motor behavioral dysfunction were start to present at the 4th day of MPTP injection. ③ Asymmetric cycle behavior： No asymmetric cycle was induced successfully two weeks after 6-OHDA surgery. Mice show hypersensitive behavior 10 minutes after apomorphine injection, which lasted for about 20 minutes. ④ Pole test： From the 4^th day of MPTP treatment, mice started to display coordinate dysfunction, such as climbing down along the pole in spiral, moving slowly with hesitation. Some mice could not grab the pole and slide down along the pole at 4th day post injection. Comparing with 0 dose control group, all the threedrug treatment groups show significant different dysfunction from the 4th day to the 20th day post injection （P 〈 0.01）. ⑤ stride length test： Mice＇s stride length decreased, when treated with MPTP, and the mice in the high dose group displayed obviously. ⑥ Dopaminergic neuron stained with TH in nigra pars compacta： The results indicated that administrated MPTP （from low dose to high dose） by intraperitoneal cause chronic lesions on the dopaminergic neuron in the SNpc. CONCLUSION： PD mice models induced with 6-OHDA show high mortality ratio and no asymmetric cycle was found after apomorphine injection. However, injection of MPTP intraperitoneally can simulate the chronic pathway of PD, typical histological changes are found and stable motor behavioral dysfunctions are displayed.

MADOPAR-INDUCED DYSKINESIA IN 1-METHYL-4-PHENYL-1,2,3,6-TETRAHYDROPYRIDINE (MPTP) HEMIPARKINSONIAN MONKEY MODEL

Infusion of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) into the right common carotid artery produced hemiparkinsonian syndrome on contralateral limbs in 5 rhesus monkeys. The hemiparkinsonian syndrome produced responded to madopar medication and the circling motion changed from toward the MPTP-treated side to away from the MPTP-treated side. Long term use of madopar developed a peak-dose dyskinesia of the face and limbs at the contralateral side. The toxic effect of MPTP was confirmed biochemically by reduction of nigrostriatal DA and histologically by degeneration of nigral neurons on the MPTP-treated side. It is concluded that this hemiparkinsonian monkey model will be of value in the elucidation of the neural mechanism underlying L-DOPA or DA agonists induced dyskinesia in Parkinson’s disease and in the search for newer methods of treatment which would produce less dyskinesia.

THE EFFECTS OF DEPRENYL AND 1-METHYL-4-PHENYL-1, 2, 3, 6-TETRAHYDROPYRIDINE (MPTP) ON 2-DEOXYGLUCOSE UPTAKE IN THE MOUSE BRAIN

~3H-2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) autoradiographic technique was used to study the ef feets of a monoamine-oxidase-B (MAO-B) inhibitor deprenyl and the neurotoxin Ⅰ-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) on 2-DG uptake in the mouse brain. Following MPTP intoxication, 2-DG uptake was increased in the substantia nigra and lo(?)us ceruleus. At the same time, obvious abnormal behavior of the animals was induced. In the mice pretreated with deprenyl, 2-DG uptake was similar to that of control animal. Ab normal behavior. though present, was significantly milder than in mice given MPTP alone. It is concluded that MPTP interferes with the glucose metabolism in the substantia nigra and locus ceruleus and induces remarkable abnormal behavioral syndrome of mice. These deleterious effects can be blocked by pretreatment with deprenyl.

Effect of Zishenpingchan granule prepared from Chinese medicinal substances on the c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase pathway in mice with Parkinson's disease induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the regulatory mechanism of the c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase(JNK)signaling pathway in substantia nigra(SN) dopaminergic neurons inflammation and apoptosis, and the neuroprotective effect of Zishenpingchan granules in mice with Parkinson's disease(PD) induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine(MPTP).METHODS:PD model mice were established by intraperitoneally injecting MPTP.Sixty mice were divided into a model group, Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) group and control group.The mice of the TCM group were administered Zishenpingchan granules 7 days before PD induction.Seven days after PD induction, we examined locomotor activity,and performed the rotarod test and swimming test,to evaluate limb movement function.Furthermore,we used immunohistochemistry and western blotting to examine the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase(TH), cyclooxygenase-2(Cox-2), caspase-3 and p-JNK.The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated d UTP nick end labeling(TUNEL) method was used to examine neuron apoptosis in the SN.RESULTS:Compared with the control group, the mean score of locomotor activity, rotarod test and swimming test was significantly lower in the model group(P < 0.05); the TH-positive neuron expression was significantly decreased in the SN pars compacta(SNpc); the protein expression levels of Cox-2,caspase-3 and p-JNK was obviously increased; and the number of TUNEL-positive neurons in the SN was increased(P < 0.01).Compared with the model group, the mean score of neurobehavioral tests in the TCM group was obviously higher, the loss of TH-positive neurons ignificantly decreased, the protein expression levels of Cox-2, caspase-3 and p-JNK obviously decreased, and the number of TUNEL-positive neurons in the SN clearly decreased(P < 0.01).CONCLUSION:The JNK pathway plays an important role in the regulation of inflammation and apoptosis in nigral cells in PD mice.TCM can suppress the over-activation of the JNK pathway in the SN, and alleviate the inflammatory response in nigral cells and dopaminergic neuron apoptosis in PD mice.

Eldepryl prevents 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced nigral neuronal apoptosis in mice

Objective To study the apoptotic effects of 1 methyl 4 phenyl 1,2,3,6 tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) on the nigral dopaminergic neurons of mice and 1 methyl 4 phenylpyridium ion (MPP +) on pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells, as well as the antagonism of Eldepryl against MPTP's apoptotic effect Methods Three groups of C 57 BL mice were treated with MPTP, Eldepryl plus MPTP and normal saline, respectively, for 7 days before performing TUNEL (terminal deoxyneucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP x nick end labeling) and FACS (fluorescence activated cell sorting) analyses of neuronal apoptosis in the substantia nigra The same tests were employed in cell culture to examine apoptosis in PC12 cells treated with MPP +, MPTP or PBS Results Intraperitoneal administration of MPTP 30?mg/kg could induce nigral apoptosis, and oral use of Eldepryl prior to MPTP treatment could completely prevent the nigral apoptosis caused by MPTP MPP +, an intermediate metabolite of MPTP, could lead to the apoptosis of PC12 cells, whereas MPTP itself had no such effect on PC12 cells Conclusions The experiment indicated that the neurotoxin, MPTP, might cause the death of nigral neurons through a mechanism of apoptosis and this effect might be mediated by its bioactive intermediate metabolite MPP + Eldepryl could protect the neurotoxicity from MPTP

17~45岁肥胖门诊患者的6分钟步行试验距离参考方程研究

背景 目前6分钟步行试验(6MWT)已经被广泛用于评估肥胖人群的运动能力,并为制订干预措施提供了参考依据。国外已有研究提出了其他人群的6MWT距离参考方程,但中国17~45岁且BMI≥30 kg/m^(2)肥胖受试者的6MWT距离参考方程研究较少。目的 为17~45岁门诊肥胖受试者制订6MWT距离参考方程,并评估其影响因素。方法 根据美国胸科学会指南,前瞻性选取2022年6月—2023年9月于江苏省苏北人民医院内分泌科肥胖门诊部就诊的143名年龄17~45岁且BMI≥30 kg/m^(2)的成年人(71名男性和72名女性),进行人体测量和6MWT。采用逐步多元回归模型建立6MWT距离参考方程,将新建立的6MWT距离参考方程与现有的预测方程进行比较。结果 143名受试者的平均6MWT距离为(506.1±49.8)m,其中男性平均6MWT距离为(515.7±50.1)m,大于女性的平均6MWT距离(496.6±47.9)m(P<0.05)。在年龄段17~23岁、24~30岁、31~37岁以及38~45岁中,男性与女性6MWT距离比较,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。男性受试者的体质量、BMI、最大心率(HR_(max))、心率差(ΔHR)、腰围、舒张压差(ΔDBP)、Borg量表评分差(ΔBorg)与6MWT距离相关(P<0.05),女性受试者的体质量、BMI、腰围与6MWT距离相关(P<0.05)。以步进的方法将潜在的影响因素纳入多元线性回归方程中,最终建立6MWT距离参考公式:男性y=494.463+1.414×ΔHR-3.903×BMI+0.874×HR_(max),R^(2)=0.429,女性y=670.448+0.299×ΔHR-4.342×BMI-0.195×HR_(max),R^(2)=0.312。结论 17~45岁门诊肥胖受试者中,男性的平均6MWT距离长于女性,且在不同年龄段均有显著差异。男性的体质量、BMI、HR_(max)、ΔHR、腰围、ΔDBP、ΔBorg与6MWT距离相关,女性的体质量、BMI、腰围、ΔSBP与6MWT距离相关。通过多元线性回归分析,为男性和女性分别建立了预测6MWT距离的参考方程,这些公式可能为评估个体的体能水平提供有价值的参考。

金属二聚体和氮共掺杂石墨烯(Gra)M_(2)N_(6)-Gra(M=Cr-Cu)的NO_(2)吸附特性理论研究

NO_(2)是空气污染物的主要成分之一,设计和开发高效的气敏传感器对NO_(2)进行检测具有重要意义.本工作利用基于密度泛函理论(DFT)的第一性原理计算方法对不同过渡金属原子形成的金属二聚体和氮共掺杂石墨烯(Gra)M_(2)N_(6)-Gra(M=Cr-Cu)的NO_(2)吸附特性进行了研究.结果表明,NO_(2)分子与M_(2)N_(6)-Gra之间均存在明显的化学吸附作用.其中,Ni_(2)N_(6)-Gra和Cu_(2)N_(6)-Gra体系具备较为适中的恢复时间(分别约为5秒和14分钟),这意味着这两个体系是开发新型NO_(2)气敏材料的潜在候选者.其它体系(M_(2)N_(6)-Gra,M=Cr-Co)强的吸附作用导致恢复时间过长,从而使得它们不适合作为NO_(2)气敏材料.这一研究不仅有望为设计和开发性能优异的新型NO_(2)气敏材料提供有益理论指导,还将有益于人们深入认识M_(2)N_(6)-Gra材料的NO_(2)电催化合成NO或NH 3性能.

定向电场下W_(6)C_(6)团簇的超卤素调制及非线性光学特性

本文采用密度泛函(DFT)方法研究了定向外电场(OEEF)对W_(6)C_(6)团簇几何结构、电子性质以及非线性光学响应(NLO)的影响.计算结果表明W_(6)C_(6)的结构在一定OEEF强度下可以保持稳定.OEEF可以增大W_(6)C_(6)团簇的电子亲和能(EA值),且在特定强度下,OEEF可以将W_(6)C_(6)团簇转变为超卤素.通过对EA值的非线性拟合可以实现对W_(6)C_(6)团簇的连续调制.进一步对不同外电场下W_(6)C_(6)团簇的最高占据分子轨道(HOMO)和最低未占据分子轨道(LUMO)能级进行分析,发现OEEF降低了W_(6)C_(6)团簇LUMO能级是其EA值增大的主因.此外,OEEF可以显著增大W_(6)C_(6)团簇的平均极化率和第一超极化率,尤其是第一超极化率,改变其非线性光学性质.

血清淀粉样蛋白A、白介素6、肿瘤坏死因子α及微小RNA在脓毒症并发急性肾损伤患儿中的表达及预后评估价值研究

背景 急性肾损伤(AKI)是脓毒症常见并发症,机体免疫-炎症指标是预测脓毒症并发AKI患儿预后的常用指标,目前从微小RNA(miR)方面评估的研究较少,有待临床探究。目的 探究血清淀粉样蛋白A(SAA)、白介素6(IL-6)、肿瘤坏死因子α(TNF-α)及miR在脓毒症并发AKI患儿中的表达,并分析其对预后的评估价值。方法 选取2020年3月—2023年3月平顶山市第一人民医院收治的100例脓毒症并发AKI患儿为观察组,另选取同期80例单纯脓毒症患儿为对照组。收集患者一般资料,酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)检测血清SAA、IL-6、TNF-α水平,采用实时荧光定量PCR法检测miR-21-3p、miR-182-5p、miR-128-3p相对表达量。比较两组序贯性器官功能衰竭(SOFA)评分、急性生理与慢性健康(APACHEⅡ)评分。采用Pearson相关性检验分析血清SAA、IL-6、TNF-α及miR水平与SOFA、APACHEⅡ评分的相关性。绘制受试者工作特征(ROC)曲线探究血清SAA、IL-6、TNF-α及miR水平对脓毒症并发AKI患儿死亡的预测价值并计算ROC曲线下面积(AUC)。结果 观察组SOFA评分、APACHEⅡ评分、血清SAA、IL-6、TNF-α、miR-21-3p、miR-182-5p、miR-128-3p水平均高于对照组(P<0.05)。住院28 d后观察组74例患儿生存,26例患儿死亡。生存患儿血清SAA、IL-6、TNF-α、miR-21-3p、miR-182-5p、miR-128-3p均低于死亡患儿(P<0.05)。血清SAA、IL-6、TNF-α、miR-21-3p、miR-182-5p、miR-128-3p与SOFA、APACHEⅡ评分均呈正相关(P<0.05)。ROC曲线结果显示联合预测的AUC为0.926(95%CI=0.856~0.969,P<0.05)。结论 脓毒症并发AKI患儿血清SAA、IL-6、TNF-α、miR-21-3p、miR-182-5p、miR-128-3p异常高表达,临床检测各项指标水平对患儿预后评估有较高价值及预警作用。

Electronic structure and ultraviolet spectra of p-C_(6)H_(4)-C_(20)

Geometry optimization of p-C_(6)H_(4)-connected cyclo[20]carbon(p-C_(6)H_(4)-C_(20))was carried out at M062X/6-311G(d,p)level,three kinds of bond orders(Mayer,Laplacian,and Wiberg),electron-hole distributions,localized orbital locators(LOL),and infrared(IR)spectrum were also performed at the same level.Based on TD-DFT M062X/6-311G(d,p)method,the first 20 excited states and ultraviolet(UV)spectra of p-C_(6)H_(4)-C_(20) were calculated.Calculation results of π-electron delocalization analyses prove thatπ-electron delocalization of p-C_(6)H_(4)-C_(20) is more likely to occur on shorter C-C bonds rather than longer C-C bonds,and inside/outside of the ring plane rather than above/below the ring plane.Two absorption peaks of p-C_(6)H_(4)-C_(20) locate at about 319 nm and 236 nm,respectively.

Regulator of G protein signaling 6 mediates exercise-induced recovery of hippocampal neurogenesis,learning,and memory in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

Hippocampal neuronal loss causes cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease.Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is reduced in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.Exercise stimulates adult hippocampal neurogenesis in rodents and improves memory and slows cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.However,the molecular pathways for exercise-induced adult hippocampal neurogenesis and improved cognition in Alzheimer’s disease are poorly understood.Recently,regulator of G protein signaling 6(RGS6)was identified as the mediator of voluntary running-induced adult hippocampal neurogenesis in mice.Here,we generated novel RGS6fl/fl;APP_(SWE) mice and used retroviral approaches to examine the impact of RGS6 deletion from dentate gyrus neuronal progenitor cells on voluntary running-induced adult hippocampal neurogenesis and cognition in an amyloid-based Alzheimer’s disease mouse model.We found that voluntary running in APP_(SWE) mice restored their hippocampal cognitive impairments to that of control mice.This cognitive rescue was abolished by RGS6 deletion in dentate gyrus neuronal progenitor cells,which also abolished running-mediated increases in adult hippocampal neurogenesis.Adult hippocampal neurogenesis was reduced in sedentary APP_(SWE) mice versus control mice,with basal adult hippocampal neurogenesis reduced by RGS6 deletion in dentate gyrus neural precursor cells.RGS6 was expressed in neurons within the dentate gyrus of patients with Alzheimer’s disease with significant loss of these RGS6-expressing neurons.Thus,RGS6 mediated voluntary running-induced rescue of impaired cognition and adult hippocampal neurogenesis in APP_(SWE) mice,identifying RGS6 in dentate gyrus neural precursor cells as a possible therapeutic target in Alzheimer’s disease.

Protein arginine methyltransferase-6 regulates heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein-F expression and is a potential target for the treatment of neuropathic pain

Protein arginine methyltransferase-6 participates in a range of biological functions,particularly RNA processing,transcription,chromatin remodeling,and endosomal trafficking.However,it remains unclear whether protein arginine methyl transferase-6 modifies neuropathic pain and,if so,what the mechanisms of this effect.In this study,protein arginine methyltransferase-6 expression levels and its effect on neuropathic pain were investigated in the spared nerve injury model,chronic constriction injury model and bone cancer pain model,using immunohistochemistry,western blotting,immunoprecipitation,and label-free proteomic analysis.The results showed that protein arginine methyltransferase-6 mostly co-localized withβ-tubulinⅢin the dorsal root ganglion,and that its expression decreased following spared nerve injury,chronic constriction injury and bone cancer pain.In addition,PRMT6 knockout(Prmt6~(-/-))mice exhibited pain hypersensitivity.Furthermore,the development of spared nerve injury-induced hypersensitivity to mechanical pain was attenuated by blocking the decrease in protein arginine methyltransferase-6 expression.Moreover,when protein arginine methyltransferase-6 expression was downregulated in the dorsal root ganglion in mice without spared nerve injury,increased levels of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases were observed in the ipsilateral dorsal horn,and the response to mechanical stimuli was enhanced.Mechanistically,protein arginine methyltransferase-6 appeared to contribute to spared nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain by regulating the expression of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein-F.Additionally,protein arginine methyltransfe rase-6-mediated modulation of hete rogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein-F expression required amino atids 319 to 388,but not classical H3R2 methylation.These findings indicated that protein arginine methyltransferase-6 is a potential therapeutic target fo r the treatment of peripheral neuro pathic pain.

Salsolinol as an RNA m~6A methylation inducer mediates dopaminergic neuronal death by regulating YAP1 and autophagy

Salsolinol(1-methyl-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline,Sal)is a catechol isoquinoline that causes neurotoxicity and shares structural similarity with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine,an environmental toxin that causes Parkinson's disease.However,the mechanism by which Sal mediates dopaminergic neuronal death remains unclear.In this study,we found that Sal significantly enhanced the global level of N~6-methyladenosine(m~6A)RNA methylation in PC12 cells,mainly by inducing the downregulation of the expression of m~6A demethylases fat mass and obesity-associated protein(FTO)and alk B homolog 5(ALKBH5).RNA sequencing analysis showed that Sal downregulated the Hippo signaling pathway.The m~6A reader YTH domain-containing family protein 2(YTHDF2)promoted the degradation of m~6A-containing Yes-associated protein 1(YAP1)mRNA,which is a downstream key effector in the Hippo signaling pathway.Additionally,downregulation of YAP1 promoted autophagy,indicating that the mutual regulation between YAP1 and autophagy can lead to neurotoxicity.These findings reveal the role of Sal on m~6A RNA methylation and suggest that Sal may act as an RNA methylation inducer mediating dopaminergic neuronal death through YAP1 and autophagy.Our results provide greater insights into the neurotoxic effects of catechol isoquinolines compared with other studies and may be a reference for assessing the involvement of RNA methylation in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.

Mutual regulation of microglia and astrocytes after Gas6 inhibits spinal cord injury

Invasive inflammation and excessive scar formation are the main reasons for the difficulty in repairing nervous tissue after spinal cord injury.Microglia and astrocytes play key roles in the spinal cord injury micro-environment and share a close interaction.However,the mechanisms involved remain unclear.In this study,we found that after spinal cord injury,resting microglia(M0)were polarized into pro-inflammatory phenotypes(MG1 and MG3),while resting astrocytes were polarized into reactive and scar-forming phenotypes.The expression of growth arrest-specific 6(Gas6)and its receptor Axl were significantly down-regulated in microglia and astrocytes after spinal cord injury.In vitro experiments showed that Gas6 had negative effects on the polarization of reactive astrocytes and pro-inflammatory microglia,and even inhibited the cross-regulation between them.We further demonstrated that Gas6 can inhibit the polarization of reactive astrocytes by suppressing the activation of the Yes-associated protein signaling pathway.This,in turn,inhibited the polarization of pro-inflammatory microglia by suppressing the activation of the nuclear factor-κB/p65 and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling pathways.In vivo experiments showed that Gas6 inhibited the polarization of pro-inflammatory microglia and reactive astrocytes in the injured spinal cord,thereby promoting tissue repair and motor function recovery.Overall,Gas6 may play a role in the treatment of spinal cord injury.It can inhibit the inflammatory pathway of microglia and polarization of astrocytes,attenuate the interaction between microglia and astrocytes in the inflammatory microenvironment,and thereby alleviate local inflammation and reduce scar formation in the spinal cord.

AAV2-PDE6B restores retinal structure and function in the retinal degeneration 10 mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa by promoting phototransduction and inhibiting apoptosis

Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of inherited diseases that lead to retinal degeneration and photoreceptor cell death.However,there is no effective treatment for retinitis pigmentosa caused by PDE6B mutation.Adeno-associated virus(AAV)-mediated gene therapy is a promising strategy for treating retinitis pigmentosa.The aim of this study was to explore the molecular mechanisms by which AAV2-PDE6B rescues retinal function.To do this,we injected retinal degeneration 10(rd10)mice subretinally with AAV2-PDE6B and assessed the therapeutic effects on retinal function and structure using dark-and light-adapted electroretinogram,optical coherence tomography,and immunofluorescence.Data-independent acquisition-mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis was conducted to investigate protein expression levels and pathway enrichment,and the results from this analysis were verified by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting.AAV2-PDE6B injection significantly upregulated PDE6βexpression,preserved electroretinogram responses,and preserved outer nuclear layer thickness in rd10 mice.Differentially expressed proteins between wild-type and rd10 mice were closely related to visual perception,and treating rd10 mice with AAV2-PDE6B restored differentially expressed protein expression to levels similar to those seen in wild-type mice.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome analysis showed that the differentially expressed proteins whose expression was most significantly altered by AAV2-PDE6B injection were enriched in phototransduction pathways.Furthermore,the phototransductionrelated proteins Pde6α,Rom1,Rho,Aldh1a1,and Rbp1 exhibited opposite expression patterns in rd10 mice with or without AAV2-PDE6B treatment.Finally,Bax/Bcl-2,p-ERK/ERK,and p-c-Fos/c-Fos expression levels decreased in rd10 mice following AAV2-PDE6B treatment.Our data suggest that AAV2-PDE6B-mediated gene therapy promotes phototransduction and inhibits apoptosis by inhibiting the ERK signaling pathway and upregulating Bcl-2/Bax expression in retinitis pigmentosa.

“Zero‑Strain” NiNb_(2)O_(6) Fibers for All‑Climate Lithium Storage

Niobates are promising all-climate Li^(+)-storage anode material due to their fast charge transport,large specific capacities,and resistance to electrolyte reaction.However,their moderate unit-cellvolume expansion(generally 5%–10%)during Li^(+)storage causes unsatisfactory long-term cyclability.Here,“zero-strain”NiNb_(2)O_(6) fibers are explored as a new anode material with comprehensively good electrochemical properties.During Li^(+)storage,the expansion of electrochemical inactive NiO_(6) octahedra almost fully offsets the shrinkage of active NbO_(6) octahedra through reversible O movement.Such superior volume-accommodation capability of the NiO_(6) layers guarantees the“zero-strain”behavior of NiNb_(2)O_(6) in a broad temperature range(0.53%//0.51%//0.74%at 25//−10//60℃),leading to the excellent cyclability of the NiNb_(2)O_(6) fibers(92.8%//99.2%//91.1%capacity retention after 1000//2000//1000 cycles at 10C and 25//−10//60℃).This NiNb_(2)O_(6) material further exhibits a large reversible capacity(300//184//318 mAh g−1 at 0.1C and 25//−10//60℃)and outstanding rate performance(10 to 0.5C capacity percentage of 64.3%//50.0%//65.4%at 25//−10//60℃).Therefore,the NiNb_(2)O_(6) fibers are especially suitable for large-capacity,fast-charging,long-life,and all-climate lithium-ion batteries.

Enhanced autophagic clearance of amyloid-βvia histone deacetylase 6-mediated V-ATPase assembly and lysosomal acidification protects against Alzheimer's disease in vitro and in vivo

Recent studies have suggested that abnormal acidification of lysosomes induces autophagic accumulation of amyloid-βin neurons,which is a key step in senile plaque formation.Therefore,resto ring normal lysosomal function and rebalancing lysosomal acidification in neurons in the brain may be a new treatment strategy for Alzheimer's disease.Microtubule acetylation/deacetylation plays a central role in lysosomal acidification.Here,we show that inhibiting the classic microtubule deacetylase histone deacetylase 6 with an histone deacetylase 6 shRNA or thehistone deacetylase 6 inhibitor valproic acid promoted lysosomal reacidification by modulating V-ATPase assembly in Alzheimer's disease.Fu rthermore,we found that treatment with valproic acid markedly enhanced autophagy.promoted clearance of amyloid-βaggregates,and ameliorated cognitive deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.Our findings demonstrate a previously unknown neuroprotective mechanism in Alzheimer's disease,in which histone deacetylase 6 inhibition by valproic acid increases V-ATPase assembly and lysosomal acidification.

Enhancing m^(6)A modification in the motor cortex facilitates corticospinal tract remodeling after spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury typically causes corticospinal tract disruption. Although the disrupted corticospinal tract can self-regenerate to a certain degree, the underlying mechanism of this process is still unclear. N6-methyladenosine(m^(6)A) modifications are the most common form of epigenetic regulation at the RNA level and play an essential role in biological processes. However, whether m^(6)A modifications participate in corticospinal tract regeneration after spinal cord injury remains unknown. We found that expression of methyltransferase 14 protein(METTL14) in the locomotor cortex was high after spinal cord injury and accompanied by elevated m^(6)A levels. Knockdown of Mettl14 in the locomotor cortex was not favorable for corticospinal tract regeneration and neurological recovery after spinal cord injury. Through bioinformatics analysis and methylated RNA immunoprecipitation-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we found that METTL14 regulated Trib2 expression in an m^(6)A-regulated manner, thereby activating the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and promoting corticospinal tract regeneration. Finally, we administered syringin, a stabilizer of METTL14, using molecular docking. Results confirmed that syringin can promote corticospinal tract regeneration and facilitate neurological recovery by stabilizing METTL14. Findings from this study reveal that m^(6)A modification is involved in the regulation of corticospinal tract regeneration after spinal cord injury.