Inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDACs) suppress retinal angiogenesis by interrupting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway in proliferating endothelial cells. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, we examined the effects of valproic acid (VPA) and vorinostat on the distribution of VEGF protein and phosphorylated S6 protein, an indicator of mTORC1 activity, in the neonatal mouse retina, an experimental model of retinal angiogenesis. Newborn mice were subcutaneously injected with VPA, vorinostat, or vehicle once daily from postnatal day (P) 0 to P3. Their eyes were collected at P4. Compared to vehicle-treated mice, retinal vascularization was delayed, and the number of proliferating vascular cells was reduced in front of the retinal vasculature in VPA- and vorinostat-treated mice. In P4 mice, a single injection of VPA or vorinostat reduced VEGF expression on the retinal surface at 2 and 6 h after injection. Both drugs reduced mTORC1 activity in proliferating endothelial cells. The proteasome inhibitor, MG132, suppressed the VPA- and vorinostat-induced reduction in VEGF expression on the retinal surface. These results suggest that HDAC inhibitors suppress retinal angiogenesis by preventing endothelial cell proliferation and accelerating VEGF protein degradation in a proteasome-dependent manner.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe X-linked genetic disorder caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. Although the C57BL/10 background mdx mouse (B10-mdx) model is widely used for DMD research, it presents milder symptoms than observed in human patients. In contrast, the DBA/2N-mdx model exhibits more severe pathology, making it a promising model for evaluating disease mechanisms and therapies. In this study, we employed a 24-h behavioral monitoring system to investigate spontaneous locomotor activity and gait characteristics in DBA/2N-mdx mice. We observed significantly reduced movement and shorter active periods during the dark (active) phase at 4 and 8 weeks of age in DBA/2N-mdx mice compared to controls. Subsequent gait analysis revealed shorter walking distances, slower speeds, and reduced body extension during straight walking. These findings suggest that the DBA/2N-mdx mouse model exhibits distinct behavioral abnormalities that parallel DMD symptoms in humans. Our noninvasive, continuous monitoring approach provides an innovative method for assessing motor impairments and may facilitate more accurate preclinical assessments of potential therapies for DMD.

Oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN) is a dose-limiting toxicity with limited countermeasures. Basic research has revealed that omeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), exerts preventive effects against OIPN. In this study, we evaluated whether other PPIs exert similar effects via in vitro and in vivo experiments. Notably, esomeprazole, lansoprazole, and rabeprazole, classified as PPIs, prevented oxaliplatin-induced cultured F11 neuronal cell damage, and repeated PPI administration prevented mechanical allodynia in rats. However, vonoprazan, a potassium ion-competitive acid blocker, did not exert such effects. Overall, our results highlight the class effects of PPIs against OIPN.

Cisplatin is a commonly used chemotherapy drug that can effectively treat a variety of cancers, but it often causes severe side effects, including nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity, and gastrointestinal toxicity, which significantly affects patients' quality of life. Lutein is a natural carotenoid known for its potent antioxidant properties. Recent literature supports the beneficial effects of lutein supplements in conditions such as retinal degeneration, cardiovascular disease, and liver damage, emphasizing its broad anti-inflammatory capabilities. However, the mechanism by which cisplatin causes intestinal inflammation and the protective effect of lutein against this remain unknown. Here, we investigated the potential protective effect of lutein against cisplatin-induced intestinal epithelial injury. Our results proved that cisplatin significantly decreased cell viability, enhanced ROS generation, and activated inflammatory signaling pathways involving p38, ERK, and NF-κB in IEC-6 cells. Pretreatment with lutein markedly suppressed ROS production, reduced p38 and ERK phosphorylation, prevented NF-κB activation, and consequently attenuated inflammatory cytokine expression. These findings establish lutein as a promising dietary strategy to reduce cisplatin-induced intestinal inflammation, supporting its therapeutic potential for improving chemotherapy tolerance.

Imeglimin, a novel oral antidiabetic drug, has been suggested to affect mitochondrial functions in some types of cells and tissues, however, it has never been investigated whether aging has an impact on its pharmacological effects in the brain. In this study, we investigated whether imeglimin directly affects functions of brain mitochondria and whether its intraperitoneal injection protects against ischemic brain injury in young, middle-aged and aged Wistar rats. We found that direct addition of imeglimin to mitochondria isolated from young and middle-aged rat brains suppressed oxidative phosphorylation and activities of mitochondrial Complexes I and IV. The opposite, stimulating effect on Complex II activity was observed within the same groups. Injection of imeglimin 24 h before simulated brain ischemia in vitro reduced infarct size only in young and middle-aged rat groups. In the aged rat group, imeglimin did not reduce cerebral infarct size nor directly modulate mitochondrial respiration and activities of the complexes. In conclusion, we provided novel evidence on potential effects of imeglimin in the brain by demonstrating a direct stimulating effect on mitochondrial Complex II activity and age-dependent protective effects against brain injury under in vitro simulated ischemia.

Intracerebral hemorrhage is the second most common subtype of stroke, characterized by high mortality and disability rates. To date, the mechanism of brain injury caused by intracerebral hemorrhage remains unclear, and there are no effective treatments to delay the progression of brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage. Increasing evidence suggests that oxidative stress plays a crucial role in secondary injury induced by intracerebral hemorrhage, and ferroptosis plays a dominant role in the pathogenesis of brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage. In this study, we demonstrated in an in vitro hemin-induced PC12 cell model that astaxanthin improved cell viability, inhibited oxidative stress after intracerebral hemorrhage, and suppressed ferroptosis by upregulating the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 and solute carrier family 7a member 11. In an in vivo autologous blood injection intracerebral hemorrhage rat model, we confirmed that astaxanthin could resist oxidative stress, ferroptosis, and further inflammatory responses by upregulating the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 and solute carrier family 7a member 11 through the Akt1-FoxO3a pathway to protect against brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage.

The NLRP3 inflammasome is primarily expressed and activated in microglial and endothelial cells. Extensive research has been conducted on the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes by microglial cells leading to pyroptosis. However, there have been no reports on the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes in brain vascular endothelial cells in patients with Huntington's disease (HD) or HD animal models, leading to blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. We herein found that BBB leakage increased and the expression of tight junction proteins significantly decreased after transfecting the mutant Huntingtin protein (mHtt) Q74 plasmid into the mouse brain microvascular endothelial cell line bEnd.3. mHtt promoted the activation of NLRP3 by brain vascular endothelial cells, and increased the expression of the pyroptosis-related proteins. This resulted in a decrease in the expression of the NeuN in the brain of hHTT130 transgenic mice. Furthermore, by downregulating NLRP3 in Q74-transfected bEnd.3 cells or in hHTT130 mouse brain vascular endothelial cells, BBB disruption and endothelial cell pyroptosis were alleviated, the number of surviving neurons was significantly increased. In conclusion, mHtt can activate the NLRP3 inflammasome in brain microvascular endothelial cells to induce endothelial cell pyroptosis, thereby disrupting the function of the BBB, leading to neuronal damage.

Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) each have renoprotective effects in chronic kidney diseases, including Alport syndrome. Here, we investigated the combination of SGLT2i dapagliflozin and ARBs with different antiproteinuric strength - losartan (weak) and olmesartan (strong) - in Col4a5 G5X Alport mice. Dapagliflozin enhanced the renoprotective effect of losartan but not of olmesartan. Olmesartan alone suppressed the decline in renal function and prolonged survival similarly to losartan plus dapagliflozin. These findings suggest that the add-on effectiveness of dapagliflozin varies depending on the ARB, and that their combination needs careful evaluation for maximum benefit.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive, highly lethal disease with limited treatment options. It is characterized by fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transformation, excessive ECM proliferation and collagen deposition, leading to the destruction of normal lung architecture and function. As a constituent of Rhodiola rosea L., rosiridin is a monomer with significant structural compatibility, conferring strong therapeutic potential. This bioactive compound mitigates oxidative stress-driven pathology and reverses its resultant damage in various diseases. However, its potential protective effects against bleomycin-induced IPF and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of rosiridin in IPF. Rosiridin attenuated TGF-β1-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in lung epithelial cells and suppressed apoptosis associated with pulmonary fibrosis. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and Masson's trichrome staining showed that rosiridin improved pathological lung changes, reduced oxidative stress, and alleviated pulmonary fibrosis in a dose-dependent manner. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that rosiridin inhibited JAK protein activation, reduced the transformation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts, and suppressed the secretion of proinflammatory and profibrotic cytokines. These findings suggest that rosiridin mitigates pulmonary fibrosis through modulation of the STAT3/NF-κB/SMAD3 signaling pathways. Rosiridin may represent a promising therapeutic candidate for the treatment of IPF.

Nephrin is crucial for the formation of the glomerular slit diaphragm, which is the final filtration barrier in the kidney. A mutation in the NPHS1 gene that codes for nephrin causes congenital nephrotic syndrome of the Finnish type (CNF). Most missense mutations render nephrin non-functional due to the defective nephrin trafficking to the cell membrane. Pharmacological approaches that induce the expression of nephrin on the cell membrane are feasible, but therapeutic development is hampered by the lack of a high-throughput screening (HTS) system. Here, we developed a nanoluciferase HiBiT-based HTS platform to quantify the cell membrane expression of a nephrin mutant. This evaluation system reflected the previously reported results of various nephrin mutant localization. Using this system, we screened and identified 10 compounds that promoted the expression of the nephrin E725D mutant on the cell membrane. Moreover, the phosphorylation and N-glycosylation of nephrin, which are modifications that indicate its cell surface localization, correlated with the luminescence values of HiBiT-Nephrin in the compound screening. Consequently, this HiBiT-Nephrin evaluation system could be a new platform for predicting the pathogenicity of variants and searching for therapeutic agents for CNF.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men. Although androgen deprivation therapy is initially effective, resistance inevitably develops. Most patients eventually progress to castration-resistant prostate cancer, a stage with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Rho kinases (ROCK1 and ROCK2) have been implicated in cancer progression, but their therapeutic targeting remains limited. This study examined the pathological roles of ROCK1 and ROCK2 in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and proliferation of prostate cancer cells. ROCK1 expression was comparable between human prostate epithelial cells (PrECs) and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells, PC-3 and DU145. In contrast, ROCK2 expression was higher in PC-3 cells than in PrECs and DU145 cells. EMT marker analysis revealed that PC-3 cells exhibited decreased E-cadherin and increased N-cadherin and Snail expression. ROCK2 knockdown reversed this EMT phenotype, reducing cell proliferation, migration, 3D tumor spheroid formation, and spheroid cell viability. Similar inhibitory effects were observed by the ROCK2-selective blocker KD025 (IC = 422 nM). Furthermore, ROCK2 deficiency attenuated the tumor growth of PC-3 cells in a xenograft mouse model. These findings indicate that ROCK2 promotes EMT process and tumor progression in PC-3 cells. Targeting ROCK2 may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for androgen-independent prostate cancer.

Impaired neutrophil function is thought to increase infection risk associated with smoking. We examined the effects of nicotine- and tar-free cigarette smoke extracts (CSEs) from combustible cigarettes (CCs) and heated tobacco products (HTPs) on neutrophil-like HL-60 cells. HTP-derived CSEs exhibited lower cytotoxicity and milder impairment of neutrophil functions, including chemotaxis, reactive oxygen species production, phagocytosis, and neutrophil extracellular trap formation, than those of CC-derived CSEs. However, at higher concentrations, HTP-derived CSEs markedly impaired the cell viability and function. These results indicate that HTP emissions impair neutrophil functions at high concentrations, highlighting the need for cautious health risk evaluation.

The development of targeted anti-epilepsy drugs is crucial, as 30 % of patients with epilepsy are resistant to current therapeutics. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channel antagonists have been demonstrated to suppress drug-induced epileptiform discharges (EDs) and seizures (ESs). Here, we investigated the correlation between the anti-epileptiform efficacy of AMG9810 and extracellular glutamate levels. The somatosensory cortices of male C57BL/6N mice were intracortically injected with penicillin G (PG: 200 IU, 1 μL/10 min), a seizure inducer that inhibits the GABA receptor. The mice were intracortically injected with AMG9810 (3 μM, 1 μL/10 min) either before or after PG administration. EDs, ESs, and glutamate levels were subsequently evaluated. The results of each experiment were compared between the vehicle and AMG9810-injected groups. AMG9810 injected after PG reduced glutamate levels and ED power, and there was a positive correlation between AMG9810 efficacy and these parameters. Injecting AMG9810 before PG injection decreased the increase in glutamate levels and development of EDs and ESs, with positive correlations observed among the three parameters. These findings suggest that TRPV1 antagonists suppress the development of EDs and ESs by decreasing extracellular glutamate levels, indicating that TRPV1 channels may represent a promising treatment option for epilepsy.

Sepsis, a life-threatening organ dysfunction syndrome triggered by infection, is characterized by complex pathophysiology involving dysregulated inflammation, coagulation abnormalities, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Excessive activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome plays a pivotal role in sepsis progression. This study investigated the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of protocatechuic aldehyde (PCA) in sepsis. Seventy-five potential PCA targets for sepsis were identified, with KEGG enrichment highlighting involvement in inflammatory and apoptotic pathways. PPI network analysis pinpointed TNF, IL-6, and IL-1β as key inflammatory targets. PCA dose-dependently suppressed IL-1β and TNF-α release in LPS/ATP-stimulated macrophages, reduced ASC speck formation and NLRP3-ASC interaction, and decreased mt-ROS production and TXNIP-NLRP3 co-localization. PCA also preserved mitochondrial network integrity by interacting with mitochondrial dynamics proteins DRP1 and MFN2, improving mitochondrial membrane potential and morphology. In LPS-induced septic mice, PCA significantly reduced serum IL-1β and TNF-α levels, improved survival rates, and downregulated NLRP3, pro-IL-1β, and cleaved-IL-1β expression in peritoneal macrophages. PCA alleviates inflammatory responses and organ damage in septic mice by inhibiting the mt-ROS/TXNIP/NLRP3 signaling axis and maintaining mitochondrial function, offering a promising natural therapeutic candidate for sepsis.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common and debilitating side effect of a number of anticancer drugs, like oxaliplatin, leading to chronic sensory hypersensitivity and neuropathic pain. This study investigated the efficacy of (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine ((2R,6R)-HNK), a metabolite of ketamine, in a rat model of CIPN induced by oxaliplatin. Rats treated with oxaliplatin developed long-lasting mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity, as assessed by the Von Frey test and the hot plate test, respectively. A single injection of (2R,6R)-HNK (30 mg/kg, s.c.) significantly reversed both mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity for up to 24 h. Furthermore, repeated treatment with (2R,6R)-HNK (30 mg/kg/day) for 7 days produced sustained analgesia on mechanical hypersensitivity that persisted up to 14 days after treatment cessation. In comparison, repeated duloxetine (15 mg/kg/day, s.c.) showed only a short-lasting reduction of thermal hypersensitivity and no effect on mechanical hypersensitivity. Locomotor activity was not affected by (2R,6R)-HNK treatment, although duloxetine caused a transient decrease. This is the first demonstration that (2R,6R)-HNK produced analgesia in a rat model of CIPN. The persistence of analgesia with repeated treatment and sustained effects following treatment cessation suggests that (2R,6R)-HNK may represent a promising new therapeutic strategy for the rapid and sustained relief of pain associated with CIPN.

GPR35 is involved in the pathogenesis of colitis. However, because GPR35 is expressed in colonic epithelial and inflammatory/immune cells, its precise protective mechanisms remain unclear. We investigated the role of GPR35 in colitis, especially its relation to epithelial barrier function and inflammatory/immune responses.

TMEM16A channels mediate Ca-activated Cl (Cl) currents in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and their activity is influenced by cytoskeletal dynamics. The present study examined the functional role of microtubules in TMEM16A regulation. Treatment with microtubule polymerization inhibitors, colchicine and nocodazole, reduced plasma membrane localization of TMEM16A protein and TMEM16A-mediated Cl currents. Similar effects were observed in TMEM16A-expressing HEK293 cells, with IC values of 3.0 μM for colchicine and 0.6 μM for nocodazole. In contrast, acute application had no significant effect. These findings indicate that microtubules are required for maintaining the expression and functional activity of TMEM16A channels in VSMCs.

This study investigated whether tachykinin NK1 receptor antagonist aprepitant (APT) inhibits oxaliplatin (OXP)-induced cutaneous mast cell migration in mice. OXP-induced mast cell migration was inhibited by repeated oral administration of APT. OXP increased the expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), stem cell factor (SCF), and interleukin-3 (IL-3), but not platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor in the plantar skin. APT inhibited OXP-induced MCP-1, but not IL-3, expression. The expression of SCF tended to be inhibited by APT. These results suggest that APT attenuates OXP-induced cutaneous mast cell migration mainly by inhibiting the expression of MCP-1 and SCF.

Oxytocin (OXT) is a neuropeptide known for its anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties; however, its role in post-stroke recovery remains poorly defined. In this study, we investigated whether intranasal OXT administration during the subacute phase of stroke improves neurological outcomes and modulates microglial responses. Male mice underwent permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion and received intranasal OXT (300 ng/g) or saline on days 3 and 5 post-stroke. Neurological function was assessed using the modified neurological severity score; infarct volume was evaluated through hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and survival rates were monitored until day 7. Immunofluorescence was used to assess microglial polarization in the peri-infarct region. OXT-treated mice showed significantly greater functional improvement and higher survival rates than saline-treated controls. Infarct volume was significantly reduced, and microglial polarization was altered by OXT, with a decrease in pro-inflammatory M1-type markers and an increase in anti-inflammatory M2-type markers. These findings demonstrate that OXT promotes neurological recovery through anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective mechanisms. Given its feasibility as a non-invasive delivery method, intranasal OXT may offer a promising therapeutic approach to enhance post-stroke neurorepair.

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