Water Extract of Rice False Smut Balls Activates Nrf2/HO-1 and Apoptosis Pathways,Causing Liver Injury

Ustiloxins are vital cyclopeptide mycotoxins originally isolated from rice false smut balls that form in rice spikelets infected by the fungal pathogen Ustilaginoidea virens.The toxicity of the water extract of rice false smut balls(RBWE) remains to be investigated.Studies have shown that RBWE may be toxic to animals,but toxicological evidence is still lacking.In this study,we found that the IC50 values of RBWE to BNL CL.2 cells at 24 and 48 h were 40.02 and 30.11 μg/m L,respectively,with positive correlations with dose toxicity and time toxicity.After treatment with RBWE,the number of BNL CL.2 cells decreased significantly,and the morphology of BNL CL.2 cells showed atrophy and wall detachment.RBWE induced DNA presynthesis phase arrest of BNL CL.2 cells,increased the proportion of apoptotic cells and inhibited cell proliferation.RBWE up-regulated reactive oxygen species(ROS) levels and lowered mitochondrial membrane potentials.Additionally,Western blot and q RT-PCR results suggested that RBWE exerted the above effects by promoting the Nrf2/HO-1 and caspase-induced apoptosis pathways in vitro and in vivo.The contents of alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,alkaline phosphatase,and total bile acids in the serum of mice from Institute of Cancer were significantly up-regulated by RBWE.At the same time,RBWE can lead to increases in ROS and malondialdehyde contents,decreases in contents of oxidized glutathione,glutathione and reduced glutathione,as well as decrease in catalase and superoxide dismutase activities in mouse liver tissues,demonstrating that oxidative stress occurred in mice.Moreover,liver damage was further detected by haematoxylin-eosin staining and electron microscopy to verify the damage to the mice caused by RBWE.In general,RBWE may cause hepatotoxicity in vivo and in vitro via the apoptosis pathway,which provides a reference for hepatotoxicity and its mechanism of action.

Scutellarin alleviates complete freund’s adjuvant-induced rheumatoid arthritis in mice by regulating the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway

Scutellarin(SCU)is a herbal flavonoid glucuronide with multiple pharmacological activities,including antioxidant,anti-inflammation,vascular relaxation,anti-platelet,and myocardial protection.However,the effect of SCU on complete Freund’s adjuvant(CFA)-induced rheumatoid arthritis(RA)had not been studied.In this study,we investigated the beneficial effects of SCU in the CFA-induced RA mice model and the anti-arthritic activity was evaluated by paw edema.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was carried out to evaluate the plasma levels of immunoglobulin(Ig)G,IgE,tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-6,receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand(RANKL),and osteoprotegerin(OPG).Histological slides were prepared from the harvested paws of mice to determine the pathological changes in the joints.The proportions of T helper type 1(Th1)and T helper type 2(Th2)cells of CD4+T lymphocyte subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry.The expression of Kelch-like ECHassociated protein 1(Keap1),nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2),and heme oxygenase-1(HO-1)was analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)and western blotting assays.The present study demonstrated that SCU prevented CFA-induced RA,and inhibited the expression of inflammation factors,IgG,IgE,TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6.While SCU also reduced the RANKL level,it increased OPG expression in RA mice.The Th1/Th2 ratio was significantly lower in mice treated with SCU.Additionally,HO-1 expression was reduced while the expression of Keap1 and Nrf2 was elevated following SCU treatment.Results provide preliminary evidence to employ SCU in arthritis treatment which might be related to the regulation of Th1/Th2 balance and the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

花旗松素通过激活Nrf2/HO-1/HIF1α/Autophagy信号通路对H2O2所致H9C2细胞氧化应激保护作用的研究

氧化应激(oxidative stress,OS)是缺血性心肌病(ischemic cardiomyopathy,ICM)的主要发病机制之一,抗氧化应激损伤是防治缺血性心肌病的关键。为了探讨花旗松素(taxifolin,tax)对过氧化氢(hydrogen peroxide,H_2O_2)诱导的大鼠心肌细胞H9C2氧化应激的影响及其可能的分子机制,将培养的H9C2心肌细胞随机分为对照组(Control)、氧化应激组(H_2O_2)、tax预处理组(tax+H_2O_2)、tax单独处理组(tax)。通过观察细胞形态的改变,检测细胞内活性氧(reactive oxygen species,ROS)和丙二醛(malondialdehyde,MDA)的生成、自噬体自噬泡的形成,以及自噬(autophagy)相关蛋白质LC3 I/II、p62的表达,验证tax对氧化应激及自噬的影响。同时,通过检测Nrf2、HO-1、HIF1α的表达,研究可能存在的分子机制。研究发现tax可缓解H_2O_2诱导的H9C2细胞氧化应激,表现为细胞肥大形态缓解、ROS生成降低、MDA产生减少,而且Nrf2/HO-1/HIF1α蛋白的表达升高,自噬水平升高。实验结果表明:tax可能通过激活Nrf2/HO-1/HIF1α/Autophagy信号通路促进自噬及抗氧化应激,从而发挥心肌保护作用。

Mechanism of hesperidin improving myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in type 2 diabetic rats through SIRT1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway

Objective:To observe the protective effect of hesperidin on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in type 2 diabetes mellitus and its effect on SIRT1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.Methods:50 Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were randomly assigned to the normal control group(NC),model group,ischemia-reperfusion group(IR),hesperidin group,SIRT1 inhibitor group and hesperidin plus SIRT1 inhibitor group.In addition to NC,the rats in the remaining groups were replicated by intraperitoneal of high-fat diet combined with injection of streptozotocin for type 2 diabetic rats.After then,the myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury(MIRI)rat model was established by LAd for 30 minutes with 2 hours reperfusion.He staining was used to observe the pathological changes of myocardial tissue,and the levels of serum LDH,CK-MB and SOD,GSH and MDA in myocardial tissue were detected by kit methods,and the expression abundance of related proteins in 4-HNE and SIRT1/Nrf2/HO-1 signal pathway were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot;Results:Hesperidin could significantly inhibit cardiomyocyte necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration,reduce LDH activity,CK-MB and MDA level,and increase SOD activity,GSH and 4-HNE level,the differences were statistically significant when compared with IR group(P<0.01).In addition,compared with the ischemia-reperfusion group,the expressions of SIRT1,Nrf2 and HO-1 proteins in hesperidin group were significantly up-regulated,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.01);Conclusion:Hesperidin inhibits oxidative stress by activating SIRT1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway,and play a protective effect of myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury in diabetic rats.

Effects of nuciferine on Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway in adipose tissue of obesity model rats

Objective:This study aimed to explore the therapeutic effect of nuciferine on high-fat diet-induced obesity in rats and the influence of nuciferine on nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1(HO-1)signaling pathway in the adipose tissue.Methods:A total of 40 male Sprague Dawley(SD)rats were evenly divided into the normal,model,positive control,and nuciferine groups,using the random number table method.Except for the normal group,rats in the other groups were fed with high-fat diet for 12 weeks to establish the obesity model.During the model establishment,rats in the positive control group received atorvastatin calcium 2 mg/kg,rats in the nuciferine group received nuciferine 20 mg/kg,and rats in the normal and model groups received normal saline 2 mL,daily through intragastric administration for 12 consecutive weeks.After model establishment and administration,the body weight,Lee’s index,and blood lipids of rats in each group were measured,and hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining was performed on the liver and adipose tissues to evaluate the therapeutic effect of nuciferine on obesity rat model.Additionally,the levels of superoxide dismutase(SOD),malondialdehyde(MDA),and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)in the serum of rats in each group were determined,and the gene expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1 in the adipose tissue of rats in each group were detected through quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR)to investigate the mechanism of action of nuciferine in the treatment of obesity.Results:After 12 weeks of model establishment and administration,we observed that compared with the model group,nuciferine could significantly reduce the body weight,Lee’s index,and serum triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(TC),and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)levels and increase the serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)level in obesity rat model(P<0.05 or P<0.01).HE staining revealed that nuciferine could significantly alleviate liver steatosis in obesity rat model and improve the cell morphology in epididymal adipose tissue.Moreover,nuciferine could elevate serum SOD and GSH-Px activities in obesity rat model and lower the serum MDA level(P<0.05 or P<0.01).The qPCR indicated that nuciferine could upregulate the gene expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 in the adipose tissue of obesity rat model(P<0.05 or P<0.01).

Liaoqiao aqueous extract inhibits B16 melanoma growth involving MAPKs/Nrf2/HO-1 mediated anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation

Aim Forsythia suspensa （Thunb.） Vahl, Lianqiao in Chinese, is one of the most fundamental herbs in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） with heat-clearing and detoxicating properties. In this study, we aimed to study the antitumor activity of Lianqiao aqueous extract against melanoma using cancer cell line-based in vitro and mouse allografl tumor in vivo models. Furthermore, we also investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms, par- ticularly the involvement of anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation properties in its antitumor activity. Methods The proliferation of cancer cells was measured by MTT assay. The transplanted B16-F10 melanoma in C57BL/6 mice were established and used for the evaluation of in vivo antitumor effect of LQ. Tumor growth was monitored twice a week. Ki67 and CD31 were used to detect cancer cell proliferation and angiogenesis in tumor, respectively. The anti-oxidative property of LQ was determined by measuring the levels of ROS, MDA and GSH. The anti-inflamma- tory effect of LQ was evaluated by measuring TNF-α and IL-6 using ELISA kits. Other protein expression was deter- mined by Western Blot. Results LQ strongly inhibited the growth of B16-F10 cells in vitro and the tumor growth in vivo. The survival time of tumor-bearing mice was significantly prolonged by LQ. LQ inhibited cancer cell prolif- eration and angiogenesis in tumor as evidenced by decreased expressions of Ki67 and CD31. Levels of ROS, MDA TNF-α and IL-6 decreased, while GSH increased in LQ treatment group, indicating a strong anti-oxidative and an- ti-inflammatory activity of LQ. The expression of antioxidant proteins Nff-2 and HO-1, tumor suppressors P53 and p-PTEN, and the MAPK pathways in tumor tissues were upregulated by LQ treatment. Conclusions LQ exhibited strong antitumor activity against B16-F10 murine melanoma both in vitro and in vivo. The antitumor effect of LQ in- volved the decreased oxidative stress and inflammation in tumor, which is closely related to the heat-clearing and detoxicating properties of LQ.

DJ1 Ameliorates AD-like Pathology in the Hippocampus of APP/PS1 Mice

Objective To explore whether the protein Deglycase protein 1(DJ1)can ameliorate Alzheimer’s disease(AD)-like pathology in Amyloid Precursor Protein/Presenilin 1(APP/PS1)double transgenic mice and its possible mechanism to provide a theoretical basis for exploring the pathogenesis of AD.Methods Adeno-associated viral vectors(AAV)of DJ1-overexpression or DJ1-knockdown were injected into the hippocampus of 7-month-old APP/PS1 mice to construct models of overexpression or knockdown.Mice were divided into the AD model control group(MC),AAV vector control group(NC),DJ1-overexpression group(DJ1+),and DJ1-knockdown group(DJ1-).After 21 days,the Morris water maze test,immunohistochemistry,immunofluorescence,and western blotting were used to evaluate the effects of DJ1 on mice.Results DJ1+overexpression decreased the latency and increased the number of platform traversals in the water maze test.DJ1-cells were cured and atrophied,and the intercellular structure was relaxed;the number of age spots and the expression of AD-related proteins were significantly increased.DJ1+increased the protein expression of Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(NRF2),heme oxygenase-1(HO-1),light chain 3(LC3),phosphorylated AMPK(p-AMPK),and B cell lymphoma-2(BCL-2),as well as the antioxidant levels of total superoxide dismutase(T-SOD),total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC),and Glutathione peroxidase(GSH-PX),while decreasing the levels of Kelch-like hydrates-associated protein 1(Keap1),mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR),p62/sequestosome1(p62/SQSTM1),Caspase3,and malondialdehyde(MDA).Conclusion DJ1-overexpression can ameliorate learning,memory,and AD-like pathology in APP/PS1 mice,which may be related to the activation of the NRF2/HO-1 and AMPK/mTOR pathways by DJ1.

Garcinia xanthochymus extract protects PC12 cells from H2O2-induced apoptosis through modulation of PI3K/AKT and NRF2/HO-1 pathways

The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of Garcinia xanthochymus, a perennial medicinal plant native to Yunnan, China, against H2 O2-induced oxidative damage in rat pheochromacytoma PC12 cells. Preincubation of PC12 cells with fruit Et OAc fraction(fruit-EFr., 12.5–50 μmol·L^(-1)) of G. xanthochymus for 24 h prior to H_2O_2 exposure markedly improved cell viability and increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes(superoxide dismutase, catalase, and heme oxygenase-1 [HO-1]), prevented lactate dehydrogenase release and lipid peroxidation malondialdehyde production, attenuated the decrease of matrix metalloproteinases(MMP), and scavenged reactive oxygen species(ROS). Fruit-EFr. also reduced BAX and cytochrome C expression and improved BCL-2 expression, thereby decreasing the ratio of BAX to BCL-2. Fruit-EFr. activated the nuclear translocation of NRF2 to increase HO-1 and induced the phosphorylation of AKT. Its cytoprotective effect was abolished by LY294002, a specific inhibitor of PI3 K. Taken together, the above findings suggested that fruit-EFr.of G. xanthochymus could enhance cellular antioxidant defense capacity, at least in part, through upregulating HO-1 expression and activating the PI3 K/AKT pathway and that it could suppress H_2O_2-induced oxidative damage via PI3 K/AKT and NRF2/HO-1 signaling pathways.

Osthole ameliorates myonecrosis caused by Clostridium perfringens type A infection in mice

This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of the nature product osthole(OST)against Clostridium perfrin-gens type A infection-caused myonecrosis in a mouse model.Male mice were divided into(1)control,(2)infected,(3)OST50 and(4)OST100 treatment groups.In the infected groups,mice were intramuscularly injected with 1×10^(8) CFU of C.perfringens per day for 6 days.Mice in the OST50 and OST100 groups were administrated intraperitoneally with OST at the doses of 50 or 100 mg/kg per day post C.perfringens infection.Our results showed that C.perfringens infection caused marked necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration in the muscle tissues of mice.Mice in the OST50 and OST100 treatment groups displayed significantly attenuated C.perfringens infection-induced lipid peroxida-tion,oxidative stress,and apoptosis in their muscle tissue.Furthermore,OST treatment significantly downregulated the expressions of NF-κB,IL-1β,and TNF-αmRNA and protein levels,while concomitantly upregulating the expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1 mRNA and protein.OST treatments also inhibited the expression of phosphorylation(p)-p38,p-mTOR,and p-Erk1/2 proteins,and upregulated LC3II and Beclin1 proteins.In summary,our results reveal that OST therapy confers a protective effect against C.perfringens infection-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in muscle tissue,via activation of Nrf2/HO-1 and autophagy pathways and inhibition of p38,Erk1/2 and NF-κB pathways.