Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress Enhances Vasoconstriction by Altering Calcium Homeostasis in Cerebrovascular Smooth Muscle Cells under Simulated Microgravity

Objective Exposure to microgravity results in postflight cardiovascular deconditioning in astronauts.Vascular oxidative stress injury and mitochondrial dysfunction have been reported during this process.To elucidate the mechanism for this condition,we investigated whether mitochondrial oxidative stress regulates calcium homeostasis and vasoconstriction in hindlimb unweighted(HU)rat cerebral arteries.Methods Three-week HU was used to simulate microgravity in rats.The contractile responses to vasoconstrictors,mitochondrial fission/fusion,Ca^(2+) distribution,inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor(IP3 R)abundance,and the activities of voltage-gated K+channels(KV)and Ca^(2+)-activated K+channels(BKCa)were examined in rat cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs).Results An increase of cytoplasmic Ca^(2+) and a decrease of mitochondrial/sarcoplasmic reticulum(SR)Ca^(2+) were observed in HU rat cerebral VSMCs.The abundance of fusion proteins(mitofusin 1/2[MFN1/2])and fission proteins(dynamin-related protein 1[DRP1]and fission-mitochondrial 1[FIS1])was significantly downregulated and upregulated,respectively in HU rat cerebral VSMCs.The cerebrovascular contractile responses to vasoconstrictors were enhanced in HU rats compared to control rats,and IP3 R protein/mRNA levels were significantly upregulated.The current densities and open probabilities of KV and BKCa decreased and increased,respectively.Treatment with the mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant mitoTEMPO attenuated mitochondrial fission by upregulating MFN1/2 and downregulating DRP1/FIS1.It also decreased IP3 R expression levels and restored the activities of the KV and BKCa channels.MitoTEMPO restored the Ca^(2+) distribution in VSMCs and attenuated the enhanced vasoconstriction in HU rat cerebral arteries.Conclusion The present results suggest that mitochondrial oxidative stress enhances cerebral vasoconstriction by regulating calcium homeostasis during simulated microgravity.

Mitochondrial oxidative damage and apoptosis induced by high glucose through Rho kinase signal pathway in renal tubular epithelial cells

Objective:To investigate the role of oxidative stress in human renal tubular epithelial cells(HK-2)induced by high glucose and the underlying signal pathway in vitro.Methods:MYPT1,pro-caspase-3,PGC-1α,and Drpl protein expressions were measured by Western blot.MnSOD2,Drp1 and PGC-1αmRNA expressions were detected by real time PCR.Results:Results showed that high glucose significantly up-regulated the protein expressions of MYPT1,pro-caspase-3 and the mRNA expression of MnSOD2 in HK-2 cells;while Rho kinase inhibitor fasudil and ROCK1 siRNA inhibited protein expressions of pro-caspase-3 and the mRNA expression of MnSOD2 in HK-2 cells induced by high glucose.Importantly,fasudil and ROCK1 siRNA markedly inhibited the expressions of mitochondrial motor proteins Drp1 and mitochondrial gene PGC-la in HK-2 cell=s induced by high glucose.Conclusions:Our findings suggest that Rho kinase signal pathway is involved in mitochondrial oxidative damage and apoptosis in high glucose-induced renal tubular epithelial cells by regulating mitochondrial motor proteins Drp1 and mitochondrial gene PGC-1α.Targeting Rho kinase signal pathway might be a potential strategy for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.

Time representation of mitochondrial morphology and function after acute spinal cord injury

Changes in mitochondrial morphology and function play an important role in secondary damage after acute spinal cord injury. We recorded the time representation of mitochondrial morphology and function in rats with acute spinal cord injury. Results showed that mitochondria had an irregular shape, and increased in size. Mitochondrial cristae were disordered and mitochondrial membrane rupture was visible at 2–24 hours after injury. Fusion protein mitofusin 1 expression gradually increased, peaked at 8 hours after injury, and then decreased to its lowest level at 24 hours. Expression of dynamin-related protein 1, amitochondrial fission protein, showed the opposite kinetics. At 2–24 hours after acute spinal cord injury, malondialdehyde content, cytochrome c levels and caspase-3 expression were increased, but glutathione content, adenosine triphosphate content, Na＋-K＋-ATPase activity and mitochondrial membrane potential were gradually reduced. Furthermore, mitochondrial morphology altered during the acute stage of spinal cord injury. Fusion was important within the first 8 hours, but fission played a key role at 24 hours. Oxidative stress was inhibited, biological productivity was diminished, and mitochondrial membrane potential and permeability were reduced in the acute stage of injury. In summary, mitochondrial apoptosis is activated when the time of spinal cord injury is prolonged.

The Regeneration of Intestinal Stem Cells Is Driven by miR-29-Induced Metabolic Reprogramming

Intestinal stem cells(ISCs)initiate intestinal epithelial regeneration and tumorigenesis,and they experi-ence rapid refilling upon various injuries for epithelial repair as well as tumor reoccurrence.It is crucial to reveal the mechanism underlying such plasticity for intestinal health.Recent studies have found that metabolic pathways control stem cell fate in homeostasis,but the role of metabolism in the regeneration of ISCs after damage has not been clarified.Here,we find that in a human colorectal cancer dataset,miR-29a and b(miR-29a/b)are metabolic regulators highly associated with intestinal tumorigenesis and worse prognostic value of radiotherapy.We also show that these two microRNAs are required for intesti-nal stemness maintenance in mice,and their expression is induced in regenerated ISCs after irradiation injury,resulting in skewed ISC fate from differentiation towards self-renewal.This upregulation of miR-29a/b expression in ISCs leads to suppression of fatty acid oxidation(FAO)and depression of oxidative phosphorylation,which in turn controls the balance between self-renewal and differentiation of ISCs.Deletion of miR-29a/b prevents these effects and thus impairs ISC-mediated epithelial recovery.Finally,we filter the potential targets of miR-29a/b and identify Hnf4g,a transcription factor,that drives this metabolic reprogramming through regulating FAO-related enzymes.Our work discovers an impor-tant metabolic mechanism of ISC-mediated regeneration and potentially pave the way for more targeted and effective therapeutic strategies for intestinal repair as well as tumor treatment.

Pitavastatin attenuates AGEs-induced mitophagy via inhibition of ROS generation in the mitochondria of cardiomyocytes

This study aimed to investigate whether pitavastatin protected against injury induced by advanced glycation end products products（AGEs） in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes,and to examine the underlying mechanisms.Cardiomyocytes of neonatal rats were incubated for 48 hours with AGEs（100 μg/mL）,receptor for advanced glycation end products（RAGE）,antibody（1 μg/mL） and pitavastatin（600 ng/mL）.The levels of p62 and beclinl were determined by Western blotting.Mitochondrial membrane potential（△Ψm） and the generation of reactive oxygen species（ROS） were measured through the JC-1 and DCFH-DA.In the AGEs group,the expression of beclinl was remarkably increased compared to the control group,while the expression of p62 was significantly decreased.AGEs also markedly decreased △Ψm and significantly increased ROS compared with the control group.After treatment with RAGE antibody or pitavastatin,the level of beclinl was markedly decreased compared with the AGEs group,but the level of p62 was remarkably increased.In the AGEs ＋ RAGE antibody group and AGEs＋ pitavastatin group,△Ψm was significantly increased and ROS was remarkably decreased compared with the AGEs group.In conclusion,AGEs-RAGE may induce autophagy of cardiomyocytes by generation of ROS and pitavastatin could protect against AGEs-induced injury against cardiomyocytes.

Estrogen/Huntingtin:a novel pathway involved in neuroprotection

Neurodegenerative diseases（NDs）include more than 600 disease entities that are characterized by loss of specific neurons located in anatomically related functional areas which progressively lead to motor and cognitive deficits.The pathogenesis of NDs involves mitochondrial dysfunction/oxidative stress,programmed cell death or abnormal protein aggregation,trafficking,and/or degradation.In most cases,

Self-shrinking supramolecular nanoparticles syndicate energy suppression and NIR-II mild photothermal amplification of mitochondrial oxidative stress for breast cancer therapy

Photothermal therapy(PTT)may lead to healthy tissue damage,tumor metastasis,and recurrence,which makes mild photothermal therapy(mild PTT)stand out.However,overcoming heat resistance,insufficient therapeutic effect,and poor photothermal conversion efficiency has become new challenge.Herein,we report a dynamic supramolecular nanocarrier formed from amide-sericin and aldehyde-polyhydroxy glucan(denoted as SDA),the loose cavity of which can be filled by using the pharmaceutical combination of lonidamine(LND)and NIR-II photothermal agent of IR-1061,producing SDLI with a tighter inner hole,smaller and uniform particle size and excellent stability due to multiple pulling forces.Moreover,the intricate internal network structure prevents the hydrophobic IR-1061 from forming aggregates in the small cavity,and the photothermal conversion efficiency(PCE)can reach 48.9%.At the acidic tumor microenvironment of pH 6.5,the controlled release of LND can solve the problem of heat resistance of NIR-II mild PTT and significantly improve the therapeutic effect of NIR-II mild PTT.Meanwhile,SDLI also shows a reasonable tumor inhibition rate,so the synergistic strategy of inhibiting tumor energy metabolism and NIR-II mild PTT to magnify mitochondrial oxidative stress,continuous cell stress state-induced immunogenic cell death to promote the induction of tumor apoptosis is proposed to achieve more effective cancer treatment.

Attenuation of myocardial apoptosis by alpha-lipoic acid through suppression of mitochondrial oxidative stress to reduce diabetic cardiomyopathy

Background Cardiac failure is a leading cause of the mortality of diabetic patients. In part this is due to a specific cardiomyopathy, referred to as diabetic cardiomyopathy. Oxidative stress is widely considered to be one of the major factors underlying the pathogenesis of the disease. This study aimed to test whether the antioxidant α-lipoic acid （α-LA） could attenuate mitochondrion-dependent myocardial apoptosis through suppression of mitochondrial oxidative stress to reduce diabetic cardiomyopathy. Methods A rat model of diabetes was induced by a single tail intravenous injection of streptozotocin （STZ） 45 mg/kg. Experimental animals were randomly assigned to 3 groups： normal control （NC）, diabetes （DM） and DM treated with α-LA （α-LA）. The latter group was administered with a-LA （100 mg/kg ip per day）, the remainder received the same volume vehicle. At weeks 4, 8, and 12 after the onset of diabetes, cardiac apoptosis was examined by TUNEL assay. Cardiomyopathy was evaluated by assessment of cardiac structure and function. Oxidative damage was evaluated by the content of malondialdehyde （MDA）, reduced glutathione （GSH） and the activity of manganese superoxide diamutase （Mn-SOD） in the myocardial mitochondria. Expression of caspase-9 and caspase-3 proteins was determined by immunohistochemistry and mitochondrial cytochrome c release was detected by Western blotting Results At 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the onset of diabetes, significant reductions in TUNEL-positive cells, caspase-9,-3 expression, and mitochondrial cytochrome c release were observed in the α-LA group compared to the DM group. In the DM group, the content of MDA in the myocardial mitochondria was significantly increased, and there was a decrease in both the mitochondrial GSH content and the activities of Mn-SOD. They were significantly improved by α-LA treatment. HE staining displayed structural abnormalities in diabetic hearts, while α-LA reversed this structural derangement. The index of cardiac function （±dp/dtmax） in the diabetes group was aggravated progressively from 4 weeks to 12 weeks, but α-LA delayed deterioration of cardiac function （P 〈0.05）. Conclusions Our findings indicate that the antioxidant α-LA can effectively attenuate mitochondria-dependent cardiac apoptosis and exert a protective role against the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. The ability of α-LA to suppress mitochondrial oxidative damage is concomitant with an enhancement of Mn-SOD activity and an increase in the GSH content of myocardial mitochondria.

Acrolein Aggravates Secondary Brain Injury After Intracerebral Hemorrhage Through Drp1-Mediated Mitochondrial Oxidative Damage in Mice

Clinical advances in the treatment of intracranial hemorrhage(ICH)are restricted by the incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanisms contributing to secondary brain injury.Acrolein is a highly active unsaturated aldehyde which has been implicated in many nervous system diseases.Our results indicated a significant increase in the level of acrolein after ICH in mouse brain.In primary neurons,acrolein induced an increase in mitochondrial fragmentation,loss of mitochondrial membrane potential,generation of reactive oxidative species,and release of mitochondrial cytochrome c.Mechanistically,acrolein facilitated the translocation of dynaminrelated protein 1(Drpl)from the cytoplasm onto the mitochondrial membrane and led to excessive mitochondrial fission.Further studies found that treatment with hydralazine(an acrolein scavenger)significantly reversed Drpl translocation and the morphological damage of mitochondria after ICH.In parallel,the neural apoptosis,brain edema,and neurological functional deficits induced by ICH were also remarkably alleviated.In conclusion,our results identify acrolein as an important contributor to the secondary brain injury following ICH.Meanwhile,we uncovered a novel mechanism by which Drpl-mediated mitochondrial oxidative damage is involved in acroleininduced brain injury.

Oxidized mitochondrial DNA sensing by STING signaling promotes the antitumor effect of an irradiated immunogenic cancer cell vaccine

Exposure to ionizing radiation,a physical treatment that inactivates live tumor cells,has been extensively applied to enhance the antitumor responses induced by cancer cell vaccines in both animal research and human clinical trials.However,the mechanisms by which irradiated cells function as immunogenic tumor vaccines and induce effective antitumor responses have not been fully explored.Here,we demonstrate that oxidized mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA)and stimulator of interferon genes(STING)signaling play a key roles in the enhanced antitumor effect achieved with an irradiated tumor cell vaccine.Elevations in ROS and oxidized mtDNA 8-OHG content could be induced in irradiated tumor cells.Oxidized mtDNA derived from irradiated tumor cells gained access to the cytosol of dendritic cells(DCs).Oxidized mtDNA,as a DAMP or adjuvant,activated the STING-TBK1-IRF3-IFN-β pathway in DCs,which subsequently cross-presented irradiated tumor cell-derived antigens to CD8^(+)T cells and elicited antitumor immunity.The results of our study provide insight into the mechanism by which an irradiated cell vaccine mediates antitumor immunity,which may have implications for new strategies to improve the efficacy of irradiated vaccines.

Mitochondrial dysfunction,oxidative stress and apoptotic induction in microglial BV-2 cells treated with sodium arsenate

The treatment of microglial BV-2 cells with sodium arsenate（As（V）：0.1-400 μmol/L — 48 hr）induces a dose-dependent response.The neurotoxic effects of high concentrations of As（V）（100,200 and 400 μmol/L） are characterized by increased levels of mitochondrial complexesⅠ,Ⅱ,and Ⅳ followed by increased superoxide anion generation.Moreover,As（V） triggers an apoptotic mode of cell death,demonstrated by an apoptotic SubG1 peak,associated with an alteration of plasma membrane integrity.There is also a decrease in transmembrane mitochondrial potential and mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate ATP.It is therefore tempting to speculate that As（V） triggers mitochondrial dysfunction,which may lead to defective oxidative phosphorylation subsequently causing mitochondrial oxidative damage,which in turn induces an apoptotic mode of cell death.

BaTiO_(3)@Au nanoheterostructure suppresses triple-negative breast cancer by persistently disrupting mitochondrial energy metabolism

Abnormal metabolism has become a potential target for highly malignant and invasive triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC)due to its relatively low response to traditional therapeutics.The existing metabolic interventions demonstrated unsatisfactory therapeutic outcomes and potential systemic toxicity,resulting from the metabolic instability and limited targeting ability of inhibitors as well as complex tumor microenvironment.To address these limitations,here we developed a robust pyroelectric BaTiO_(3)@Au core–shell nanostructure(BTO@Au)to selectively and persistently block energy generation of tumor cells.Stimulated by near-infrared(NIR)laser,the Au shell could generate heat to activate the BaTiO_(3)core to produce reactive oxygen species(ROS)regardless of the constrained microenvironment,thus prominently inhibits mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation(OXPHOS)and reduces ATP production to induce TNBC cell apoptosis.The therapeutic effects have been well demonstrated in vitro and in vivo,paving a new way for the development of metabolic interventions.

Natural products,PGC-1α,and Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorγ(PPARγ)is a transcriptional coactivator that binds to a diverse range of transcription factors.PPARγcoactivator 1(PGC-1)coactivators possess an extensive range of biological effects in different tissues,and play a key part in the regulation of the oxidative metabolism,consequently modulating the production of reactive oxygen species,autophagy,and mitochondrial biogenesis.Owing to these findings,a large body of studies,aiming to establish the role of PGC-1 in the neuromuscular system,has shown that PGC-1 could be a promising target for therapies targeting neuromuscular diseases.Among these,some evidence has shown that various signaling pathways linked to PGC-1αare deregulated in muscular dystrophy,leading to a reduced capacity for mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and increased reactive oxygen species(ROS)production.In the light of these results,any intervention aimed at activating PGC-1 could contribute towards ameliorating the progression of muscular dystrophies.PGC-1αis influenced by different patho-physiological/pharmacological stimuli.Natural products have been reported to display modulatory effects on PPARγactivation with fewer side effects in comparison to synthetic drugs.Taken together,this review summarizes the current knowledge on Duchenne muscular dystrophy,focusing on the potential effects of natural compounds,acting as regulators of PGC-1α.

Targeting glutamine utilization to block metabolic adaptation of tumor cells under the stress of carboxyamidotriazole-induced nutrients unavailability

Tumor cells have unique metabolic programming that is biologically distinct from that of corresponding normal cells.Resetting tumor metabolic programming is a promising strategy to ameliorate drug resistance and improve the tumor microenvironment.Here,we show that carboxyamidotriazole(CAI),an anticancer drug,can function as a metabolic modulator that decreases glucose and lipid metabolism and increases the dependency of colon cancer cells on glutamine metabolism.CAI suppressed glucose and lipid metabolism utilization,causing inhibition of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I,thus producing reactive oxygen species(ROS).In parallel,activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor(Ah R)increased glutamine uptake via the transporter SLC1A5,which could activate the ROS-scavenging enzyme glutathione peroxidase.As a result,combined use of inhibitors of GLS/GDH1,CAI could effectively restrict colorectal cancer(CRC)energy metabolism.These data illuminate a new antitumor mechanism of CAI,suggesting a new strategy for CRC metabolic reprogramming treatment.

Cascade two-stage tumor re-oxygenation and immune re-sensitization mediated by self-assembled albumin-sorafenib nanoparticles for enhanced photodynamic immunotherapy

As a promising modality for cancer therapy, photodynamic therapy(PDT) still acquired limited success in clinical nowadays due to the extremely serious hypoxia and immunosuppression tumor microenvironment. To ameliorate such a situation, we rationally designed and prepared cascade two-stage re-oxygenation and immune re-sensitization BSA-MHI148@SRF nanoparticles via hydrophilic and hydrophobic self-assembly strategy by using near-infrared photodynamic dye MHI148 chemically modified bovine serum albumin(BSA-MHI148) and multi-kinase inhibitor Sorafenib(SRF) as a novel tumor oxygen and immune microenvironment regulation drug. Benefiting from the accumulation of SRF in tumors, BSA-MHI148@SRF nanoparticles dramatically enhanced the PDT efficacy by promoting cascade two-stage tumor re-oxygenation mechanisms:(i) SRF decreased tumor oxygen consumption via inhibiting mitochondria respiratory.(ii) SRF increased the oxygen supply via inducing tumor vessel normalization. Meanwhile, the immunosuppression micro-environment was also obviously reversed by two-stage immune re-sensitization as follows:(i) Enhanced immunogenic cell death(ICD) production amplified by BSA-MHI148@SRF induced reactive oxygen species(ROS) generation enhanced T cell infiltration and improve its tumor cell killing ability.(ii) BSA-MHI148@SRF amplified tumor vessel normalization by VEGF inhibition also obviously reversed the tumor immune-suppression microenvironment. Finally, the growth of solid tumors was significantly depressed by such well-designed BSAMHI148@SRF nanoparticles, which could be potential for clinical cancer therapy.

Targeting metabolic vulnerability in mitochondria conquers MEK inhibitor resistance in KRAS-mutant lung cancer

MEK is a canonical effector of mutant KRAS;however,MEK inhibitors fail to yield satisfactory clinical outcomes in KRAS-mutant cancers.Here,we identified mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation(OXPHOS)induction as a profound metabolic alteration to confer KRAS-mutant non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)resistance to the clinical MEK inhibitor trametinib.Metabolic flux analysis demonstrated that pyruvate metabolism and fatty acid oxidation were markedly enhanced and coordinately powered the OXPHOS system in resistant cells after trametinib treatment,satisfying their energy demand and protecting them from apoptosis.As molecular events in this process,the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex(PDHc)and carnitine palmitoyl transferase IA(CPTIA),two rate-limiting enzymes that control the metabolic flux of pyruvate and palmitic acid to mitochondrial respiration were activated through phosphorylation and transcriptional regulation.Importantly,the co-administration of trametinib and IACS-010759,a clinical mitochondrial complex I inhibitor that blocks OXPHOS,significantly impeded tumor growth and prolonged mouse survival.Overall,our findings reveal that MEK inhibitor therapy creates a metabolic vulnerability in the mitochondria and further develop an effective combinatorial strategy to circumvent MEK inhibitors resistance in KRAS-driven NSCLC.

Inflammasome activation under high cholesterol load triggers a protective microglial phenotype while promoting neuronal pyroptosis

Background Persistent inflammatory response in the brain can lead to tissue damage and neurodegeneration.In Alzheimer’s disease(AD),there is an aberrant activation of inflammasomes,molecular platforms that drive inflammation through caspase-1-mediated proteolytic cleavage of proinflammatory cytokines and gasdermin D(GSDMD),the executor of pyroptosis.However,the mechanisms underlying the sustained activation of inflammasomes in AD are largely unknown.We have previously shown that high brain cholesterol levels promote amyloid-β(Aβ)accumulation and oxidative stress.Here,we investigate whether these cholesterol-mediated changes may regulate the inflam-masome pathway.Methods SIM-A9 microglia and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were cholesterol-enriched using a water-soluble cholesterol complex.After exposure to lipopolysaccharide(LPS)plus muramyl dipeptide or Aβ,activation of the inflammasome pathway was analyzed by immunofluorescence,ELISA and immunoblotting analysis.Fluorescently-labeled Aβwas employed to monitor changes in microglia phagocytosis.Conditioned medium was used to study how microglia-neuron interrelationship modulates the inflammasome-mediated response.Results In activated microglia,cholesterol enrichment promoted the release of encapsulated IL-1βaccompanied by a switch to a more neuroprotective phenotype,with increased phagocytic capacity and release of neurotrophic factors.In contrast,in SH-SY5Y cells,high cholesterol levels stimulated inflammasome assembly triggered by both bacterial toxins and Aβpeptides,resulting in GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis.Glutathione(GSH)ethyl ester treatment,which recovered the cholesterol-mediated depletion of mitochondrial GSH levels,significantly reduced the Aβ-induced oxidative stress in the neuronal cells,resulting in lower inflammasome activation and cell death.Furthermore,using conditioned media,we showed that neuronal pyroptosis affects the function of the cholesterol-enriched microglia,lowering its phagocytic activity and,therefore,the ability to degrade extracellular Aβ.Conclusions Changes in intracellular cholesterol levels differentially regulate the inflammasome-mediated immune response in microglia and neuronal cells.Given the microglia-neuron cross-talk in the brain,cholesterol modulation should be considered a potential therapeutic target for AD treatment,which may help to block the aberrant and chronic inflammation observed during the disease progression.

Biochemical, molecular, and morphological variations of flight muscles before and after dispersal flight in a eusocial termite, Reticulitermes chinensis

Swarming behavior facilitates pair formation,and therefore mating,in many eusocial termites.However,the physiological adjustments and morphological transformations of the flight muscles involved in flying and flightless insect forms are still unclear.Here,we found that the dispersal flight of the eusocial termite Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder led to a gradual decrease in adenosine triphosphate supply from oxidative phospho・rylation,as well as a reduction in the activities of critical mitochondrial respiratory enzymes from preflight to dealation.Correspondingly,using three-dimensional reconstruction and transmission electron microscopy(TEM),the flight muscles were found to be gradually deteriorated during this process.In particular,two tergo-pleural muscles(IItpm5 and IIItpm5)necessary to adjust the rotation of wings for wing shedding behavior were present only in flying alates.These findings suggest that flight muscle systems vary in function and morphology to facilitate the swarming flight procedure,which sheds light on the important role of swarming in successful extension and fecundity of eusocial termites.

Synergetic lethal energy depletion initiated by cancer cell membrane camouflaged nano-inhibitor for cancer therapy

Mitochondrial bioenergy plays a vital role in the occurrence and development of cancer.Although strategies to impede mitochondrial energy supply have been rapidly developed,the anticancer efficacy is still far from satisfactory,mainly attributed to the hybrid metabolic pathways of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation(OXPHOS)and glycolysis.Herein,we construct a cancer cell membrane camouflaged nano-inhibitor,mTPPa-Sy nanoparticle(NP),which co-encapsulates OXPHOS inhibitor(mitochondrial-targeting photosensitizers:TPPa)and glycolysis inhibitor(syrosingopine(Sy))for synergistically blocking the two different energy pathways.The mTPPa-Sy NPs exhibit precision tumor-targeting due to the high affinity between the biomimic membrane and the homotypic cancer cells.Under laser irradiation,the mitochondrial-targeting TPPa,which is synthesized by conjugating pyropheophorbide a(PPa)with triphenylphosphin,produces excessive reactive oxygen species(ROS)and further disrupts the OXPHOS.Interestingly,OXPHOS inhibition reduces O_(2) consumption and improves ROS production,further constructing a closed-loop OXPHOS inhibition system.Moreover,TPPa-initiated OXPHOS inhibition in combination with the Sytriggered glycolysis inhibition results in lethal energy depletion,significantly suppressing tumor growth even after a single treatment.Our findings highlight the necessity and effectiveness of synergetic lethal energy depletion,providing a prospective strategy for efficient cancer therapy.

Contribution of β-phenethylamine, a component of chocolate and wine, to dopaminergic neurodegeneration: implications for the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease

While the cause of dopaminergic neuronal cell death in Parkinson＇s disease（PD）is not yet understood,many endogenous molecules have been implicated in its pathogenesis.β-phenethylamine（β-PEA）,a component of various food items including chocolate and wine,is an endogenous molecule produced from phenylalanine in the brain.It has been reported recently that long-term administration ofβ-PEA in rodents causes neurochemical and behavioral alterations similar to that produced by parkinsonian neurotoxins.The toxicity ofβ-PEA has been linked to the production of hydroxyl radical（.OH）and the generation of oxidative stress in dopaminergic areas of the brain,and this may be mediated by inhibition of mitochondrial complex-I.Another significant observation is that administration ofβ-PEA to rodents reduces striatal dopamine content and induces movement disorders similar to those of parkinsonian rodents.However,no reports are available on the extent of dopaminergic neuronal cell death after administration ofβ-PEA.Based on the literature,we set out to establishβ-PEA as an endogenous molecule that potentially contributes to the progressive development of PD.The sequence of molecular events that could be responsible for dopaminergic neuronal cell death in PD by consumption ofβ-PEA-containing foods is proposed here.Thus,long-term over-consumption of food items containingβ-PEA could be a neurological risk factor having significant pathological consequences.