Objective: The study aimed to explore the protective mechanism of Ganoderic acid A (GAA) in renal fibrosisand to verify that GAA can ameliorate renal fibrosis by regulating the Niemann-pick C1-like 1 (NPC1L1) gene. Meth...Objective: The study aimed to explore the protective mechanism of Ganoderic acid A (GAA) in renal fibrosisand to verify that GAA can ameliorate renal fibrosis by regulating the Niemann-pick C1-like 1 (NPC1L1) gene. Methods:Transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-β1) was used to treat Human Kidney-2 (HK-2) cells to establish a renal fibrosismodel. The differentially expressed genes in the control (CTRL) group, TGF-β1 group, and TGF-β1 + GAA group werescreened via transcriptome sequencing technology and verified by qPCR and Western blot experiments. The NPC1L1gene overexpression plasmid was constructed. The expression levels of N-cad, E-cad, and Slug-related proteins inCTRL, TGF-β1, TGF-β1+GAA (25 μg/mL), and TGF-β1+GAA (25 μg/mL) + NPC1L1 Overexpression (OE) groupswere detected by qPCR and Western blot analysis. Western blot analysis was used to identify the extracellular matrixassociated proteins Tenascin-C, α-SMA, and fibrosis-related protein Collagen I. Fibrosis marker protein Fibronectinwas detected and quantified by immunofluorescence. Results: Transcriptomic sequencing revealed that TGF-β1stimulation led to 267 differentially regulated genes, with 118 up-regulated and 149 down-regulated, while furthermodulation of 213 genes, comprising 112 up-regulated and 101 down-regulated genes, was observed in the GAAintervention group. The target gene in these processes was found to be NPC1L1 by investigations using GeneOntology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). qPCR and Western blot resultsconfirmed that TGF-β1 increased NPC1L1 expression, which was attenuated by GAA. Additionally, TGF-β1upregulated N-cad and Slug. However, GAA reversed this effect and NPC1L1 overexpression partially rescued theGAA effect. TGF-β1 also decreased E-cad expression, reversed by GAA, and NPC1L1 overexpression antagonized thisreversal. Furthermore, TGF-β1 promoted Collagen I, α-SMA, and Tenascin-C expression, and GAA reduced theselevels, effects that were reversed by NPC1L1 overexpression. Immunofluorescence results showed that TGF-β1increased fibronectin expression, which was decreased by GAA, and increased by NPC1L1 overexpression.Conclusion: GAA ameliorates renal fibrosis by antagonizing NPC1L1 gene expression inhibiting epithelialmesenchymal transition and reducing extracellular matrix formation.展开更多
Excessive cholesterol absorption from intestinal lumen contributes to the pathogenesis of hypercholesterolemia,which is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.Niemann-Pick C1-like 1(NPC1...Excessive cholesterol absorption from intestinal lumen contributes to the pathogenesis of hypercholesterolemia,which is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.Niemann-Pick C1-like 1(NPC1L1)is a major membrane protein responsible for cholesterol absorption,in which the physiological role of vesicular endocytosis is still controversial,and it lacks a feasible tool to visualize and evaluate the endocytosis of NPC1L1 vesicles in vivo.Here,we genetically labeled endogenous NPC1L1 protein with EGFP in a knock-in mouse model,and demonstrated fluorescent visualization and evaluation of the endocytic vesicles of NPC1L1-cago during intestinal cholesterol absorption.The homozygous NPC1L1-EGFP mice have normal NPC1L1 expression pattern as well as cholesterol homeostasis on chow or high-cholesterol diets.The fluorescence of NPC1L1-EGFP fusion protein localizes at the brush border membrane of small intestine,and EGFP-positive vesicles is visualized beneath the membrane as early as 5 min post oral gavage of cholesterol.Of note,the vesicles colocalize with the early endosomal marker early endosome antigen 1(EEA1)and the filipin-stained free cholesterol.Pretreatment with NPC1L1 inhibitor ezetimibe inhibits the formation of these cholesterol-induced endocytic vesicles.Our data support the notion that NPC1L1-mediated cholesterol absorption is a vesicular endocytic process.NPC1L1-EGFP mice are a useful model for visualizing cellular NPC1L1-cargo vesicle itineraries and for evaluating NPC1L1 activity in vivo in response to diverse pharmacological agents and nutrients.展开更多
本刊讯 7月17日,清华大学生命科学学院隋森芳院士课题组在Science Advances上在线发表了题为"人NPC1L1介导胆固醇吸收机制的结构研究"(Structural insights into the mechanism of human NPC1L1-mediated cholesterol uptake...本刊讯 7月17日,清华大学生命科学学院隋森芳院士课题组在Science Advances上在线发表了题为"人NPC1L1介导胆固醇吸收机制的结构研究"(Structural insights into the mechanism of human NPC1L1-mediated cholesterol uptake)的研究论文。通过结构生物学、细胞生物学以及生物化学等手段,阐明了NPC1L1感应胆固醇的机制和Ezetimibe的抑制机理,为进一步降脂药物的开发提供了重要的结构基础。展开更多
β-Sitosterol is a type of phytosterol that occurs naturally in plants.Previous studies have shown that it has anti-oxidant,anti-hyperlipidemic,anti-inflammatory,immunomodulatory,and anti-tumor effects,but it is unkno...β-Sitosterol is a type of phytosterol that occurs naturally in plants.Previous studies have shown that it has anti-oxidant,anti-hyperlipidemic,anti-inflammatory,immunomodulatory,and anti-tumor effects,but it is unknown whetherβ-sitosterol treatment reduces the effects of ischemic stroke.Here we found that,in a mouse model of ischemic stroke induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion,β-sitosterol reduced the volume of cerebral infarction and brain edema,reduced neuronal apoptosis in brain tissue,and alleviated neurological dysfunction;moreover,β-sitosterol increased the activity of oxygen-and glucose-deprived cerebral cortex neurons and reduced apoptosis.Further investigation showed that the neuroprotective effects ofβ-sitosterol may be related to inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress caused by intracellular cholesterol accumulation after ischemic stroke.In addition,β-sitosterol showed high affinity for NPC1L1,a key transporter of cholesterol,and antagonized its activity.In conclusion,β-sitosterol may help treat ischemic stroke by inhibiting neuronal intracellular cholesterol overload/endoplasmic reticulum stress/apoptosis signaling pathways.展开更多
基金sponsored by KeyResearch and Development Project of Science andTechnology Department of Tibet (No. XZ202201ZY0033G).
文摘Objective: The study aimed to explore the protective mechanism of Ganoderic acid A (GAA) in renal fibrosisand to verify that GAA can ameliorate renal fibrosis by regulating the Niemann-pick C1-like 1 (NPC1L1) gene. Methods:Transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-β1) was used to treat Human Kidney-2 (HK-2) cells to establish a renal fibrosismodel. The differentially expressed genes in the control (CTRL) group, TGF-β1 group, and TGF-β1 + GAA group werescreened via transcriptome sequencing technology and verified by qPCR and Western blot experiments. The NPC1L1gene overexpression plasmid was constructed. The expression levels of N-cad, E-cad, and Slug-related proteins inCTRL, TGF-β1, TGF-β1+GAA (25 μg/mL), and TGF-β1+GAA (25 μg/mL) + NPC1L1 Overexpression (OE) groupswere detected by qPCR and Western blot analysis. Western blot analysis was used to identify the extracellular matrixassociated proteins Tenascin-C, α-SMA, and fibrosis-related protein Collagen I. Fibrosis marker protein Fibronectinwas detected and quantified by immunofluorescence. Results: Transcriptomic sequencing revealed that TGF-β1stimulation led to 267 differentially regulated genes, with 118 up-regulated and 149 down-regulated, while furthermodulation of 213 genes, comprising 112 up-regulated and 101 down-regulated genes, was observed in the GAAintervention group. The target gene in these processes was found to be NPC1L1 by investigations using GeneOntology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). qPCR and Western blot resultsconfirmed that TGF-β1 increased NPC1L1 expression, which was attenuated by GAA. Additionally, TGF-β1upregulated N-cad and Slug. However, GAA reversed this effect and NPC1L1 overexpression partially rescued theGAA effect. TGF-β1 also decreased E-cad expression, reversed by GAA, and NPC1L1 overexpression antagonized thisreversal. Furthermore, TGF-β1 promoted Collagen I, α-SMA, and Tenascin-C expression, and GAA reduced theselevels, effects that were reversed by NPC1L1 overexpression. Immunofluorescence results showed that TGF-β1increased fibronectin expression, which was decreased by GAA, and increased by NPC1L1 overexpression.Conclusion: GAA ameliorates renal fibrosis by antagonizing NPC1L1 gene expression inhibiting epithelialmesenchymal transition and reducing extracellular matrix formation.
基金This work was supported by grants from the National Key R&D Program and the National Natural Science Foundation of China(2019YFA0802503,91857203,2018YFA0800602)Collaborative Innovation Program of Shanghai Municipal Health Commission(2020CXJQ01).
文摘Excessive cholesterol absorption from intestinal lumen contributes to the pathogenesis of hypercholesterolemia,which is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.Niemann-Pick C1-like 1(NPC1L1)is a major membrane protein responsible for cholesterol absorption,in which the physiological role of vesicular endocytosis is still controversial,and it lacks a feasible tool to visualize and evaluate the endocytosis of NPC1L1 vesicles in vivo.Here,we genetically labeled endogenous NPC1L1 protein with EGFP in a knock-in mouse model,and demonstrated fluorescent visualization and evaluation of the endocytic vesicles of NPC1L1-cago during intestinal cholesterol absorption.The homozygous NPC1L1-EGFP mice have normal NPC1L1 expression pattern as well as cholesterol homeostasis on chow or high-cholesterol diets.The fluorescence of NPC1L1-EGFP fusion protein localizes at the brush border membrane of small intestine,and EGFP-positive vesicles is visualized beneath the membrane as early as 5 min post oral gavage of cholesterol.Of note,the vesicles colocalize with the early endosomal marker early endosome antigen 1(EEA1)and the filipin-stained free cholesterol.Pretreatment with NPC1L1 inhibitor ezetimibe inhibits the formation of these cholesterol-induced endocytic vesicles.Our data support the notion that NPC1L1-mediated cholesterol absorption is a vesicular endocytic process.NPC1L1-EGFP mice are a useful model for visualizing cellular NPC1L1-cargo vesicle itineraries and for evaluating NPC1L1 activity in vivo in response to diverse pharmacological agents and nutrients.
文摘本刊讯 7月17日,清华大学生命科学学院隋森芳院士课题组在Science Advances上在线发表了题为"人NPC1L1介导胆固醇吸收机制的结构研究"(Structural insights into the mechanism of human NPC1L1-mediated cholesterol uptake)的研究论文。通过结构生物学、细胞生物学以及生物化学等手段,阐明了NPC1L1感应胆固醇的机制和Ezetimibe的抑制机理,为进一步降脂药物的开发提供了重要的结构基础。
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,Nos.82104158(to XT),31800887(to LY),31972902(to LY),82001422(to YL)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation,No.2020M683750(to LY)partially by Young Talent Fund of University Association for Science and Technology in Shaanxi Province of China,No.20200307(to LY).
文摘β-Sitosterol is a type of phytosterol that occurs naturally in plants.Previous studies have shown that it has anti-oxidant,anti-hyperlipidemic,anti-inflammatory,immunomodulatory,and anti-tumor effects,but it is unknown whetherβ-sitosterol treatment reduces the effects of ischemic stroke.Here we found that,in a mouse model of ischemic stroke induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion,β-sitosterol reduced the volume of cerebral infarction and brain edema,reduced neuronal apoptosis in brain tissue,and alleviated neurological dysfunction;moreover,β-sitosterol increased the activity of oxygen-and glucose-deprived cerebral cortex neurons and reduced apoptosis.Further investigation showed that the neuroprotective effects ofβ-sitosterol may be related to inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress caused by intracellular cholesterol accumulation after ischemic stroke.In addition,β-sitosterol showed high affinity for NPC1L1,a key transporter of cholesterol,and antagonized its activity.In conclusion,β-sitosterol may help treat ischemic stroke by inhibiting neuronal intracellular cholesterol overload/endoplasmic reticulum stress/apoptosis signaling pathways.