Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry最新文献

Context: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumour in China. Glypican-3 (GPC3) is reported to be closely related to the occurrence and development of various tumours.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the role of GPC3 in HCC.

Materials and methods: The cell behaviours were investigated using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), Traswell, and sphere formation assays. The protein and mRNA expression levels were detected using western blot and Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) assays.

Results: The results showed that GPC3 knockdown decreased the cell viability and stemness, glucose uptake, lactate production, and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR), while increased the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) in hypoxia-treated HCC cells. Additionally, GPC3 knockdown decreased the global lactylation and c-myc lactylation, which further decreased the protein stability and expressions of c-myc.

Discussion and conclusion: GPC3-mediated lactylation modification may be a new direction in HCC treatment in the future.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic condition linked to high blood sugar levels. Diabetes causes complications like neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy. Diabetes foot ulcer (DFU) is a significant and serious wound healing issue resulting from uncontrolled DM. The main causes of the development of the DFU are oxidative stress brought on by the NO moiety, release of pro-inflammatory cytokines like tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL-1), cellular dysfunction, and pathogenic microorganisms including staphylococcus and streptococcus species. The two main types of wounds that are prevalent in DFU patients are neuropathic and neuroischemic. If this wound is not properly treated or cared for, a lower limb may have to be amputated. There are several therapy options for DFU, including antibiotics, debridement, dressings, nano formulations, and growth factor preparations like PDGF-BB, to help the wound heal and prevent amputation. Other novel approaches involved the use of nerve taps, microneedle patches, nanotechnology-based formulations and stem cell applications to promote healing. There are possibilities of drug repurposing for the DFU treatment based on targeting specific enzymes. This article summarises the current pathophysiological aspects of DFU and its probable future targets.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the common microvascular complications of diabetes, and there are still lack of effective treatments. Huaiqihuang (HQH) is a kind of traditional Chinese medicine mixed preparation, which is mainly made of Trametes robiniophila Murr, Fructus Lycii, and Polygonatum sibiricumhas. It has been shown to be effective in the treatment of DKD, but the specific mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Our results showed that HQH increased the protein expressions of synaptopodin, podocin, WT-1, and Bcl-2, decreased the protein expressions of Bax and cleaved-casepase-3, and activated the NF-ĸB and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in MPC5 cells exposed to high-glucose (HG). Real-time PCR results showed that HQH reduced the mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, MCP-1, and IL-6. In conclusion, our results showed that HQH may attenuate podocyte injury by inhibiting MPC5 cell apoptosis induced by HG and NF-κB-mediated inflammation response through activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disease characterized by articular cartilage degeneration and damage. Increasing circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified to participate in the pathogenesis of OA. Hsa_circ_0128006 (also known as circSEC24) was reported as an upregulated circRNA in OA tissues, but its biological role and underlying mechanism in OA are still to be discussed. circSEC24A and NAMPT expression levels were upregulated, and miR-515-5p was reduced in OA cartilage tissues and IL-1β-treated CHON-001 cells. The absence of circSEC24A overturned IL-1β-induced suppression of cell viability and promotion of oxidative stress, apoptosis, extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, and inflammation in CHON-001 cells. Mechanistically, circSEC24A acted as a molecular sponge for miR-515-5p to affect NAMPT expression. CircSEC24A knockdown could attenuate IL-1β-triggered CHON-001 cell injury partly via the miR-515-5p/NAMPT axis, providing new insight into the underlying application of circSEC24A in OA treatment.

In this study, the anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and protective effects of ghrelin were investigated in a fat-fed streptozotocin (STZ) rat model and compared with metformin, diabetes and the healthy control groups. Histopathological evaluations were performed on H&E-stained pancreas and brain sections. Biochemical parameters were investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Blood glucose levels were significantly decreased with ghrelin or metformin treatments than the diabetes group. STZ administration increased brain, renal and pancreatic IL-1β, TNF-α and MDA while decreasing GPX, CAT, SOD, and NGF levels. Ghrelin increased renal GPX, CAT, NGF pancreatic GPX, SOD, CAT, NGF and brain SOD, NGF while it decreased renal, pancreatic and brain IL-1β, TNF-α and MDA levels. Ghrelin reduced neuronal loss and degeneration in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus and greatly ameliorated diabetes-related damage in pancreas. In conclusion, the data suggested that ghrelin is an effective candidate as a protectant for reducing the adverse effects of diabetes.

Aim: This study examined the effects of hyperthermic therapy (HT) on mice fed normal chow or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 18 or 22 weeks, undergoing four or eight weekly HT sessions.

Methods: Mice were housed within their thermoneutral zone (TNZ) to simulate a physiological response. HFD-induced obesity-related changes, including weight gain, visceral fat accumulation, muscle loss (indicative of obesity sarcopenia), glucose intolerance, and hepatic triglyceride buildup.

Main results: HT upregulated HSP70 expression in muscles, mitigated weight gain, normalised QUICK index, and reduced plasma HSP70 concentrations. It also lowered the H-index of HSP70 balance, indicating improved immunoinflammatory status, and decreased activated caspase-1 and proliferative senescence in adipose tissue, both linked to insulin resistance.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that even animals on a "control" diet but with insufficient physical activity and within their TNZ may experience impaired glycaemic homeostasis.

Introduction: Postmenopausal diabetes is a condition that affects millions of women and their quality of life. Also, kidney and small intestine tissues are damaged due to diabetes. The present study aimed to examine the protective effects of an extract prepared from Myrtus communis leaves on kidney and small intestine tissues against experimentally created postmenopausal diabetes.

Methods: For this purpose, experimental rats were randomly divided into six groups (Control; ovariectomy:OVX, diabetic:D, ovariectomy + diabetic:OVX + D, ovariectomy + diabetic + oestrogen:OVX + D+E2, ovariectomy + diabetic + MC: OVX + D+MC) and kidney and small intestine tissues were taken after the experimental procedure.

Results: Evaluations of biochemical parameters (glutathione and glutathione-related enzymes, antioxidant enzymes, etc.) showed that MC had a protective effect on kidney and small intestine tissues in diabetes and ovariectomy groups.

Conclusion: It can be suggested that MC extract has a protective effect on small intestine and kidney tissues in postmenopausal diabetes and may be a good herbal source for this purpose.

This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of the combination of Ardisia humilis Vahl. and Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. (AC) extract in monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis (OA) rat model. AC was administered orally to OA rats (240, 480, and 960 mg/kg bw) for three weeks. The control and model groups comprised OA rats treated with diclofenac sodium and carrier, respectively. AC-treated rats exhibited a significant reduction in oedema volume compared to those of the model group (p < 0.05). Notably, AC, at 960 mg/kg bw, significantly decreased inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β, along with matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) levels compared to those of the model group (p < 0.05). AC's attenuation of OA progression was also observed through haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Safranin O-fast green analysis. A phytochemical study showed AC contained phenolic, flavonoid, curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin compounds. This study concludes that AC alleviated OA progression through anti-inflammatory effects and depressed MMP-9 levels.

Neuropathic pain, a nerve damage consequence, presents symptoms such as dysesthesia, hyperalgesia, and allodynia. This study aimed to evaluate the alleviating potential of artichoke leaf extract in neuropathic pain induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve in male rats. The hydroethanolic extract of artichoke leaf was administered via gavage at doses of 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg for 21 days. Behavioural tests were conducted on days 1, 4, 7, 14, and 21 post-surgeries. Only the dose of 800 mg/kg significantly reduced thermal hyperalgesia and allodynia from day 14 and mechanical allodynia from day 7, and the other doses did not affect behaviours. Biochemical analysis showed that artichoke extract decreased lipid peroxidation and restored antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD and GPx) in the sciatic nerve tissue. In conclusion, artichoke leaf extract administration diminishes neuropathic pain-related behaviours by enhancing antioxidant capacity and reducing oxidative stress in the rats' sciatic nerve.

Aim: This study assessed the efficacy of costunolide (COST) against oxidative tissue damage in the ovarian torsion/detorsion (TD) model.

Methodology: Animals were randomly assigned to sham, ovarian TD, COST 5 mg/kg + ovarian TD, and COST 10 mg/kg + ovarian TD groups. COST's effectiveness was determined by assessing oxidative stress markers, interleukin levels, and histopathological examinations.

Results: Oxidative stress markers were elevated in the ovarian TD group compared to the sham group. COST treatment represented a decline compared to the TD group. Besides, the antioxidant activity was significantly higher in the ovarian TD group than in the sham group. COST treatment improved the antioxidant parameters compared to the TD group. Inflammatory parameters, such as tumour necrosis factor- alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 1-beta (IL-1β) were higher in the ovarian TD group than the sham group.

Conclusion: COST treatment suppressed the proinflammatory cytokine expression compared to the TD group. Histopathological data supported these findings.