External use of Ruyanneixiao cream efficiently blocks precancerous mammary lesions by interfering with glycolysis induced by inhibition of hypoxia inducible factor-1α, hexokinase 2, phosphofructokinase, and pyruvate kinase M2 expression

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of Ruyanneixiao cream(RYNX) on the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α), hexokinase 2(HK2),phosphofructokinase(PFK), and pyruvate kinase M2(PKM2) mRNA and protein in MCF-10 AT cells and in an animal model of precancerous mammary lesions.METHODS:Following treatment of MCF-10 AT cells with RYNX, tamoxifen(TAM) and YC-1 for 48 h,HIF-1α, HK2, PFK, PKM2 mRNA and protein expression was analyzed.Fifty female SD rats were randomly divided into control, model, TAM, and highand low-dose RYNX groups, with 10 rats in each group.A precancerous mammary lesion model was established for all groups except the control group.High-and low-dose RYNX cream containing TAM was coated on the breasts of animals in the corresponding groups.The rat mammary tissue was removed in the 10 th week and HIF-1α, HK2, PFK,PKM2 mRNA and protein was analyzed.RESULTS:In vitro analyses demonstrated that, compared with the matrix group, HIF-1α, HK2, PFK,PKM2 mRNA and protein expression was significantly decreased in the RYNX group(P < 0.05).Compared with the YC-1 + RYNX group, HK2, PFK,and PKM2 protein expression was significantly reduced in the RYNX group.HIF-1α, HK2, PFK, and PKM2 protein expression was increased significantly in the model group(P < 0.05) compared with the control group, while HIF-1α, HK2, PFK, and PKM2 mRNA and protein expression was significantly decreased in both the high-and low-dose RYNX groups(P < 0.05), with the effect being greater in the high-dose group.CONCLUSION:RYNX can block precancerous breast lesions by decreasing the expression of HK2,PFK, and PKM2 mRNA and protein via inhibition of HIF-1α mRNA and protein overexpression in a dose-dependent manner.

MdbHLH3 modulates apple soluble sugar content by activating phosphofructokinase gene expression

Sugars are involved in plant growth,fruit quality,and signaling perception.Therefore,understanding the mechanisms involved in soluble sugar accumulation is essential to understand fruit development.Here,we report that Md PFPβ,a pyrophosphatedependent phosphofructokinase gene,regulates soluble sugar accumulation by enhancing the photosynthetic performance and sugar-metabolizing enzyme activities in apple(Malus domestica Borkh.).Biochemical analysis revealed that a basic helix-loop-helix(b HLH)transcription factor,Mdb HLH3,binds to the Md PFPβpromoter and activates its expression,thus promoting soluble sugar accumulation in apple fruit.In addition,Md PFPβoverexpression in tomato influenced photosynthesis and carbon metabolism in the plant.Furthermore,we determined that Mdb HLH3 increases photosynthetic rates and soluble sugar accumulation in apple by activating Md PFPβexpression.Our results thus shed light on the mechanism of soluble sugar accumulation in apple leaves and fruit:Mdb HLH3 regulates soluble sugar accumulation by activating Md PFPβgene expression and coordinating carbohydrate allocation.

Comparisons of different methods of anesthesia and analgesia on the levels of glycometabolism rate-limiting enzymes in erythrocytes and plasma glucose and stress hormones in patients undergoing esophagus surgery

Objective： To compare the effects of different methods of anesthesia and analgesia on the activities of phosphofructokinase（PFK）, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase（G-6PD） and aldose reductase（AR） in erythrocytes and levels of plasma glucose and stress hormones in patients undergoing esophagus surgery. Methods： Sixty-two patients scheduled for esophagus surgery were randomly divided into three groups： group Ⅰ （n = 20） receiving only general anesthesia（GA） followed by intravenous patient controlled analgesia（PCA） with fentanyl 15 μg/kg. The other two groups receiving both general anesthesia combined with thoracic epidural anesthesia （GEA） and either intravenous PCA with fentanyl 15 μg/kg （group Ⅱ, n = 21） or thoracic epidural analgesia（TEA） with 0.125% ropivacaine and 0.0002% fentanyl mixture（group Ⅲ, n = 21） after the operation. Venous blood samples were collected for measurements of PFK, G-rPD and AR activities in erythrocytes and plasma glucose, cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine before induction （T1）, 60 min following the incision （T2）, 60 min（T3） after operation, on the lst（T4） and 2nd postoperative day（T5）. Results： The activities of PFK decreased（P 〈 0.01 or P = 0.004） and the activities of G-6PD and AR increased（P 〈 0.01） in groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ on T4 compared with those on T1 Between the two groups, the activities of these enzymes in group Ⅱ changed less than those of group Ⅰ （P 〈 0.01 or P 〈 0.05）. These enzymes activities changed slightly in group Ⅲ on T4（P 〉 0.05）. There were significant differences between group Ⅲand the other two groups（P 〈 0.0l or P 〈 0.05）. The levels of plasma glucose increased significantly on T2（P 〈 0.01）, reached peak values on Ta（P 〈 0.01） and fell on T5 in the three groups. Compared to those of groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ, the values of plasma glucose in group Ⅲwere lower on T4 and T5（P 〈 0.05 or P 〈 0.01）. The cortisol concentration in each group increased significantly at T2（P 〈 0.01 or P 〈 0.05）, and remained elevated on T5（P 〈 0.01 or P 〈 0.05）, while on T2 and T3 the cortisol levels＇ of group I were higher than that of groups Ⅱand Ⅲ （P 〈 0.05）. The levels of group Ⅲ were lower than those of the other groups on T4 and T5（P 〈 0.01 or P 〈 0.05）. The levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine were also significantly higher in group Ⅰ than those of the other two groups on T2（P 〈 0.01 or P 〈 0.05）, and their levels in group Ⅰ and Ⅱ were higher than that of group Ⅲ on T4. The patients of the three groups obtained satisfactory pain relief, with all Vidual Analogue Scale（VAS） scores less than 3. VAS scores of group I were much greater 4h after operation. Group m VAS scores were the lowest 24h after operation. However, the number of times patients pressed the bolus switch was higher in group Ⅱ （P 〈 0.01）. Conclusion： Compared with GA and intravenous PCA, general anesthesia combined with thoracic epidural anesthesia and analgesia obtain better pain relief and could markedly alleviate the stress response and improve these erythrocyte glucose metabolism changes after esophagus surgery.

Hypoxia-preconditioned bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells protect neurons from cardiac arrest-induced pyroptosis

Cardiac arrest can lead to severe neurological impairment as a result of inflammation,mitochondrial dysfunction,and post-cardiopulmonary resuscitation neurological damage.Hypoxic preconditioning has been shown to improve migration and survival of bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells and reduce pyroptosis after cardiac arrest,but the specific mechanisms by which hypoxia-preconditioned bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells protect against brain injury after cardiac arrest are unknown.To this end,we established an in vitro co-culture model of bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells and oxygen–glucose deprived primary neurons and found that hypoxic preconditioning enhanced the protective effect of bone marrow stromal stem cells against neuronal pyroptosis,possibly through inhibition of the MAPK and nuclear factor κB pathways.Subsequently,we transplanted hypoxia-preconditioned bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells into the lateral ventricle after the return of spontaneous circulation in an 8-minute cardiac arrest rat model induced by asphyxia.The results showed that hypoxia-preconditioned bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells significantly reduced cardiac arrest–induced neuronal pyroptosis,oxidative stress,and mitochondrial damage,whereas knockdown of the liver isoform of phosphofructokinase in bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells inhibited these effects.To conclude,hypoxia-preconditioned bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells offer a promising therapeutic approach for neuronal injury following cardiac arrest,and their beneficial effects are potentially associated with increased expression of the liver isoform of phosphofructokinase following hypoxic preconditioning.