Introduction:Cholic acid(CA)is a natural steroid useful in treating chronic bronchitis and cholecystitis.On the other hand,its potential impact on osteoarthritis(OA)is unknown.Objective:Using an in vitro and in vivo o...Introduction:Cholic acid(CA)is a natural steroid useful in treating chronic bronchitis and cholecystitis.On the other hand,its potential impact on osteoarthritis(OA)is unknown.Objective:Using an in vitro and in vivo osteoarthritis model,we sought to assess the chondroprotective properties of CA.Methods:We employed the Cell Counting Kit-8 to measure the impact of CA on chondrocyte activity to assess the toxicity of the cells.Multiple molecular biology experimental techniques were used to investigate potential signaling pathways that CA may use to prevent inflammation and give chondrocytes protection.Furthermore,how CA affects the OA model in Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats was evaluated.Results:CA significantly suppressed the up-regulation of the interleukin-1β(IL-1β),cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2),and matrix metalloproteinase 13(MMP-13)and the downregulation of aggrecan and type II collagen A1(COL2A)in chondrocytes treated tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α).Differentially expressed genes(DEG)enrichment revealed IL-17,TNF,chemokine,cytokine-cytokine receptor,toll-like receptor,and nucleotide oligomerization domain-like receptor were the primary signaling pathways.The enriched DEGs included CXCL6,CCL20,MMP3,CXCL3,CXCL11,CCL5,CXCL10,MMP9,MMP13,and CXCL2;these DEGs are involved in inflammatory responses and their expression induced by TNF-αwas reversed by CA treatment.CA inhibits p65 nuclear translocation and inhibitory subunit kappa B alpha(IκBα)phosphorylation induced by TNF-α.Furthermore,CA attenuated protein expression of protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase(PERK),inositol-requiring transmembrane kinase/endoribonuclease 1α(IRE1α),glucose regulatory protein 78(GRP78),and sirtuin 1(SIRT1),and down-regulation of phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase-α(p-AMPKα)in TNF-α-treated chondrocytes.Conclusions:CA significantly ameliorated cartilage degradation in the OA rat model.CA alleviated the inflammatory response through the nuclear factor kappa B/PERK/SIRT1 axis and ameliorated cartilage degradation.展开更多
Background:Recurrent miscarriage(RM)affects an estimated 1-3%of couples attempting to conceive,and its molecular components stay ineffectively caught on.This study aims to explore potential therapeutic targets for RM ...Background:Recurrent miscarriage(RM)affects an estimated 1-3%of couples attempting to conceive,and its molecular components stay ineffectively caught on.This study aims to explore potential therapeutic targets for RM by examining gene expression patterns and biological pathways in both mouse and human RM models.Meanwhile,explore relevant traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)components targeting potential therapeutic targets.Methods:We utilized the GSE211251 mouse and the GSE26787 human datasets,employing gene set enrichment analysis and gene metaphysics analysis to examine differentially expressed genes and enriched pathways.Single-cell RNA analysis uncovered cellular heterogeneity and arranged pharmacology-mapped potential drug-target intelligence.We employed molecular docking strategies to assess the affinity of TCM components for key proteins.Results:In the mouse model,genes such as Ly6f1 and Gpr26 were upregulated,while Stc5a and Galca exhibited downregulation.Gene set enrichment analysis identified key pathways,including the tumor necrosis factor-mediated signaling pathway.In human samples,Gene Ontology analysis highlighted processes such as apoptosis and cell adhesion.Single-cell RNA analysis revealed distinct cellular populations between normal and RM samples.Systems pharmacology identified C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4(CXCR4)and endothelin 1(EDN1)as potential key targets,and molecular docking confirmed that stearic acid from TCM appears to regulate these proteins.Conclusion:This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the genetic and cellular underpinnings of RM,identifying CXCR4 and EDN1 as promising therapeutic targets.Stearic acid from TCM could provide targeted treatment by modulating these key proteins,paving the way for new RM treatment strategies.展开更多
Protein and RNA in lake sediments tend to be decomposed progressively with time and sedimentation depth. Their concentrations tend to decrease starting from the sedimentation depth of 17 cm and that of 19 cm, respecti...Protein and RNA in lake sediments tend to be decomposed progressively with time and sedimentation depth. Their concentrations tend to decrease starting from the sedimentation depth of 17 cm and that of 19 cm, respectively. However, the products of their decomposition-amino acids and nucleotides show different rules of variation. At the depth from 27 cm to 30 cm the amino acids are most abundant in the pore waters of lake sediments. Such variation tendency seems to be related to the extent to which microbes utilize amino acids and nucleotides. Due to polymerization in the geological processes and the adsorption of protein on minerals and organic polymers, below the sedimentation depth of 17 cm there is still a certain amount of protein in the sediments. With the time passing by, protein has been well preserved in various sediment layers, indicating that its decomposition is relatively limited. The peak values of protein content in the sediments of the two lakes are produced in the surface layers at the depth of 10 cm, implicating that the surface sediments are favorable to the release of protein. The contents of amino acids in the pore waters of lake sediments are closely related to the activities of microbes. Below the depth of 27 cm, the amino acids are significantly accumulated in Lake Aha sediments, probably indicating the weakening of microbial activities.展开更多
Circular RNAs(circRNAs)are emerging as a promising alternative to messenger RNAs(mRNAs)in gene delivery applications due to their enhanced stability and translation.Developing circRNA-based therapeutic platforms requi...Circular RNAs(circRNAs)are emerging as a promising alternative to messenger RNAs(mRNAs)in gene delivery applications due to their enhanced stability and translation.Developing circRNA-based therapeutic platforms requires efficient manufacturing of circRNA with broad scalability.However,the permuted intron-exon(PIE)-based circRNA production commonly used to date involves complex RNA synthesis,circularization,precursor RNA digestion,and impurity removal steps that have limited practical applications.While co-transcriptional circularization could effectively streamline circRNA production,and both cellulose/phosphatase treatment and high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)have demonstrated their reliability in mRNA manufacturing,their potential effects on the quality,translation,and reactogenicity of circRNA remained to be fully investigated.Here,using circRNAs systematically manufactured through three independent workflows,we comprehensively examined the utilities of these RNA synthesis and processing methods in circRNA production by comparing the integrity,translation,and immunogenicity of their circRNA products.We began by manufacturing a mNeonGreen(mNG)-encoding circRNA through these workflows and subsequently assessed circRNA integrity via E-gel EX electrophoresis.Protein expression was then monitored in HEK 293T,A549,and DC2.4 cells at 72 hours post-transfection.Finally,we evaluated the immunogenicity of these circRNAs by measuring their interferon beta(IFN-β)induction in A549 cells at 4 hours post-transfection.Using HPLC purification over cellulose and phosphatase treatment resulted in 10-14%higher circRNA enrichment by reducing nicking associated with processing conditions.Protein expression remained consistent across circRNAs from different workflows(P>0.05),demonstrating that co-transcriptional circularization produces circRNA with translation levels comparable to those obtained from the conventional PIE method.Moreover,both cellulose/phosphatase treatment and HPLC purification effectively minimized IFN-βinduction of the purified circRNAs,confirming their reliability in removing immunogenic impurities introduced during in vitro transcription and their compatibility with the co-transcriptional circularization strategy.Collectively,our results provide valuable insights for improving the production efficiency and scalability of circRNA manufacturing that are crucial for addressing key bottlenecks in the development of circRNA-based therapeutic applications.展开更多
基金This work was financially supported by the Open Fund for Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Occurrence and Intervention of Rheumatic Diseases(PT022311).
文摘Introduction:Cholic acid(CA)is a natural steroid useful in treating chronic bronchitis and cholecystitis.On the other hand,its potential impact on osteoarthritis(OA)is unknown.Objective:Using an in vitro and in vivo osteoarthritis model,we sought to assess the chondroprotective properties of CA.Methods:We employed the Cell Counting Kit-8 to measure the impact of CA on chondrocyte activity to assess the toxicity of the cells.Multiple molecular biology experimental techniques were used to investigate potential signaling pathways that CA may use to prevent inflammation and give chondrocytes protection.Furthermore,how CA affects the OA model in Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats was evaluated.Results:CA significantly suppressed the up-regulation of the interleukin-1β(IL-1β),cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2),and matrix metalloproteinase 13(MMP-13)and the downregulation of aggrecan and type II collagen A1(COL2A)in chondrocytes treated tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α).Differentially expressed genes(DEG)enrichment revealed IL-17,TNF,chemokine,cytokine-cytokine receptor,toll-like receptor,and nucleotide oligomerization domain-like receptor were the primary signaling pathways.The enriched DEGs included CXCL6,CCL20,MMP3,CXCL3,CXCL11,CCL5,CXCL10,MMP9,MMP13,and CXCL2;these DEGs are involved in inflammatory responses and their expression induced by TNF-αwas reversed by CA treatment.CA inhibits p65 nuclear translocation and inhibitory subunit kappa B alpha(IκBα)phosphorylation induced by TNF-α.Furthermore,CA attenuated protein expression of protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase(PERK),inositol-requiring transmembrane kinase/endoribonuclease 1α(IRE1α),glucose regulatory protein 78(GRP78),and sirtuin 1(SIRT1),and down-regulation of phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase-α(p-AMPKα)in TNF-α-treated chondrocytes.Conclusions:CA significantly ameliorated cartilage degradation in the OA rat model.CA alleviated the inflammatory response through the nuclear factor kappa B/PERK/SIRT1 axis and ameliorated cartilage degradation.
基金support from the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Key Research and Development Program(Project No.2021BEG03041).
文摘Background:Recurrent miscarriage(RM)affects an estimated 1-3%of couples attempting to conceive,and its molecular components stay ineffectively caught on.This study aims to explore potential therapeutic targets for RM by examining gene expression patterns and biological pathways in both mouse and human RM models.Meanwhile,explore relevant traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)components targeting potential therapeutic targets.Methods:We utilized the GSE211251 mouse and the GSE26787 human datasets,employing gene set enrichment analysis and gene metaphysics analysis to examine differentially expressed genes and enriched pathways.Single-cell RNA analysis uncovered cellular heterogeneity and arranged pharmacology-mapped potential drug-target intelligence.We employed molecular docking strategies to assess the affinity of TCM components for key proteins.Results:In the mouse model,genes such as Ly6f1 and Gpr26 were upregulated,while Stc5a and Galca exhibited downregulation.Gene set enrichment analysis identified key pathways,including the tumor necrosis factor-mediated signaling pathway.In human samples,Gene Ontology analysis highlighted processes such as apoptosis and cell adhesion.Single-cell RNA analysis revealed distinct cellular populations between normal and RM samples.Systems pharmacology identified C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4(CXCR4)and endothelin 1(EDN1)as potential key targets,and molecular docking confirmed that stearic acid from TCM appears to regulate these proteins.Conclusion:This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the genetic and cellular underpinnings of RM,identifying CXCR4 and EDN1 as promising therapeutic targets.Stearic acid from TCM could provide targeted treatment by modulating these key proteins,paving the way for new RM treatment strategies.
基金TheresearchprojectwasfinanciallysupportedjointlybytheNtionalNaturalScienceFoundationofChina (No .40 1730 38)andtheGuizhouProvincialFoundation (No .30 90 )andtheChineseAcademyofSciencesKnowledge InnovationFoundation (KZCX2 10 5 )
文摘Protein and RNA in lake sediments tend to be decomposed progressively with time and sedimentation depth. Their concentrations tend to decrease starting from the sedimentation depth of 17 cm and that of 19 cm, respectively. However, the products of their decomposition-amino acids and nucleotides show different rules of variation. At the depth from 27 cm to 30 cm the amino acids are most abundant in the pore waters of lake sediments. Such variation tendency seems to be related to the extent to which microbes utilize amino acids and nucleotides. Due to polymerization in the geological processes and the adsorption of protein on minerals and organic polymers, below the sedimentation depth of 17 cm there is still a certain amount of protein in the sediments. With the time passing by, protein has been well preserved in various sediment layers, indicating that its decomposition is relatively limited. The peak values of protein content in the sediments of the two lakes are produced in the surface layers at the depth of 10 cm, implicating that the surface sediments are favorable to the release of protein. The contents of amino acids in the pore waters of lake sediments are closely related to the activities of microbes. Below the depth of 27 cm, the amino acids are significantly accumulated in Lake Aha sediments, probably indicating the weakening of microbial activities.
文摘Circular RNAs(circRNAs)are emerging as a promising alternative to messenger RNAs(mRNAs)in gene delivery applications due to their enhanced stability and translation.Developing circRNA-based therapeutic platforms requires efficient manufacturing of circRNA with broad scalability.However,the permuted intron-exon(PIE)-based circRNA production commonly used to date involves complex RNA synthesis,circularization,precursor RNA digestion,and impurity removal steps that have limited practical applications.While co-transcriptional circularization could effectively streamline circRNA production,and both cellulose/phosphatase treatment and high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)have demonstrated their reliability in mRNA manufacturing,their potential effects on the quality,translation,and reactogenicity of circRNA remained to be fully investigated.Here,using circRNAs systematically manufactured through three independent workflows,we comprehensively examined the utilities of these RNA synthesis and processing methods in circRNA production by comparing the integrity,translation,and immunogenicity of their circRNA products.We began by manufacturing a mNeonGreen(mNG)-encoding circRNA through these workflows and subsequently assessed circRNA integrity via E-gel EX electrophoresis.Protein expression was then monitored in HEK 293T,A549,and DC2.4 cells at 72 hours post-transfection.Finally,we evaluated the immunogenicity of these circRNAs by measuring their interferon beta(IFN-β)induction in A549 cells at 4 hours post-transfection.Using HPLC purification over cellulose and phosphatase treatment resulted in 10-14%higher circRNA enrichment by reducing nicking associated with processing conditions.Protein expression remained consistent across circRNAs from different workflows(P>0.05),demonstrating that co-transcriptional circularization produces circRNA with translation levels comparable to those obtained from the conventional PIE method.Moreover,both cellulose/phosphatase treatment and HPLC purification effectively minimized IFN-βinduction of the purified circRNAs,confirming their reliability in removing immunogenic impurities introduced during in vitro transcription and their compatibility with the co-transcriptional circularization strategy.Collectively,our results provide valuable insights for improving the production efficiency and scalability of circRNA manufacturing that are crucial for addressing key bottlenecks in the development of circRNA-based therapeutic applications.
