Sorafenib sensitization in tumor therapy by iron overload and AMPK activation

Sorafenib,as a first-line drug for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),could trigger ferroptosis by inhibiting cystine/glutamate transporter.However,low-level intracellular iron and insufficient activation of adenosine monophosphate(AMP)-activated protein kinase(AMPK)confer impaired response to sorafenib.In this study,a unique sorafenib nanocomposite dexterously modified with Fe-Material of Institut Lavoisier(sora@Fe-MIL)was synthesized to escalate intracellular iron level and activate AMPK,further potentiating the ferroptotic effect of sorafenib.Remarkably,this strategic deployment of sora@Fe-MIL triggered an extensive demise of cancer cells,while manifesting negligible deleterious impact on normal cells.Two prominent ferroptosis biomarkers,glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)and solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11),underwent pronounced downregulation,underscoring the efficacy of this strategy in inducing ferroptosis.Furthermore,the bioactivity of AMPK was considerably elevated,and its downstream targets were conspicuously inhibited by the treatment with sora@Fe-MIL.Using orthotopic HCC animal models,we observed a substantial suppression of primary in situ tumor growth,and ribonucleic acid(RNA)sequencing elucidated an elevated degree of ferroptosis and AMPK activation with the treatment of sora@Fe-MIL.In conclusion,we proposed that the meticulously designed strategy for secure and efficacious iron release and AMPK activation could significantly potentiate the ferroptotic impact of sorafenib,thus resuscitating its therapeutic response in HCC patients.

AMP-activated protein kinase acts as a negative regulator of high glucose-induced RANKL expression in human periodontal ligament cells

Methods We examined the expression of osteoprotegerin in hPDL cells cultured at different concentrations of glucose using real-time polymerase chain reaction （PCR）, and Western blotting analysis. AMPK phosphorylation in hPDL cells was studied using immunoprecipitate kinase assay and Western blotting. The effect of AMPK activation on RANKL expression in hPDL cells was investigated by real-time PCR and Western blotting. Results High glucose levels caused an increase in RANKL mRNA and protein expression in hPDL cells. Moreover, the amount of p-AMPK and AMPK activity was lower in hPDL cells exposed to high glucose levels than in cells exposed to normal glucose levels. Suppression of AMPK by Compound C augmented RANKL expression, and AMPK activation by metformin significantly decreased RANKL expression in hPDL cells. Additionally, metformin down-regulated RANKL expression in hPDL cells exposed to high glucose via AMPK activation. Conclusion High glucose-induced up-regulation of RANKL could be due to decreased AMPK activity, and AMPK activation may be involved in regulating of RANKL expression in hPDL cells.

Novel nervous and multi-system regenerative therapeutic strategies for diabetes mellitus with mTOR

Throughout the globe,diabetes mellitus（DM） is increasing in incidence with limited therapies presently available to prevent or resolve the significant complications of this disorder.DM impacts multiple organs and affects all components of the central and peripheral nervous systems that can range from dementia to diabetic neuropathy.The mechanistic target of rapamycin（m TOR） is a promising agent for the development of novel regenerative strategies for the treatment of DM.m TOR and its related signaling pathways impact multiple metabolic parameters that include cellular metabolic homeostasis,insulin resistance,insulin secretion,stem cell proliferation and differentiation,pancreatic β-cell function,and programmed cell death with apoptosis and autophagy.m TOR is central element for the protein complexes m TOR Complex 1（m TORC1） and m TOR Complex 2（m TORC2） and is a critical component for a number of signaling pathways that involve phosphoinositide 3-kinase（PI 3-K）,protein kinase B（Akt）,AMP activated protein kinase（AMPK）,silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1（Saccharomyces cerevisiae）（SIRT1）,Wnt1 inducible signaling pathway protein 1（WISP1）,and growth factors.As a result,m TOR represents an exciting target to offer new clinical avenues for the treatment of DM and the complications of this disease.Future studies directed to elucidate the delicate balance m TOR holds over cellular metabolism and the impact of its broad signaling pathways should foster the translation of these targets into effective clinical regimens for DM.

Investigation and experimental validation of curcumin-related mechanisms against hepatocellular carcinoma based on network pharmacology

Objective:To determine the potential molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effect of curcumin on hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)by network pharmacology and experimental in vitro validation.Methods:The predictive targets of curcumin or HCC were collected from several databases.the identified overlapping targets were crossed with Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)analyses using the Database for Annotation,Visualization,and Integrated Discovery(DAVID)platform.Two of the candidate pathways were selected to conduct an experimental verification.The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide tetrazolium(MTT)assay was used to determine the effect of curcumin on the viability of Hep G2 and LO2 cells.The apoptosis and autophagy of Hep G2 cells were respectively detected by flow cytometry and transmission electron microscopy.Besides,western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction(PCR)were employed to verify the p53 apoptotic pathway and adenosine 5’-monophosphate(AMP)-activated protein kinase(AMPK)autophagy pathway.Hep G2 cells were pretreated with pifithrin-α(PFT-α)and GSK690693 for further investigation.Results:The 167 pathways analyzed by KEGG included apoptosis,autophagy,p53,and AMPK pathways.The GO enrichment analysis demonstrated that curcumin was involved in cellular response to drug,regulation of apoptotic pathway,and so on.The in vitro experiments also confirmed that curcumin can inhibit the growth of Hep G2 cells by promoting the apoptosis of p53 pathway and autophagy through the AMPK pathway.Furthermore,the protein and messenger RNA(m RNA)of the two pathways were downregulated in the inhibitor-pretreated group compared with the experimental group.The damage-regulated autophagy modulator(DRAM)in the PFT-α-pretreated group was downregulated,and p62 in the GSK690693-pretreated group was upregulated.Conclusions:Curcumin can treat HCC through the p53 apoptotic pathway and the AMPK/Unc-51-like kinase 1(ULK1)autophagy pathway,in which the mutual transformation of autophagy and apoptosis may occur through DRAM and p62.