Inducing dopaminergic differentiation of expanded rat mesencephalic neural stem cells by ascorbic acid in vitro

Ascorbic acid (AA) induced differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) into dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons is reported.NSCs derived from rat mesencephalon were maintained and expanded in a defined medium containing mitogens of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF).Compared with the control, ascorbic acid treatment led to more DAergic neuronal differentiation as indicated by the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine transporter (DAT), which are specific markers of dopamine neurons.AA induction also enhanced expression of Nurr1 and Shh.PD98059, an inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway, could block AA-induced Nurr1, TH and DAT mRNA expression.The results might suggest a new strategy to provide enough dopaminergic cells for the therapy of Parkinson's disease (PD), and Nurr1 and ERK signaling pathway might participate in the AA-induced DAergic differentiation.     

Screening and identification of Caulis Sinomenii bioactive ingredients with dual‐target NF‐κB inhibition and β2‐AR agonizing activities

Caulis Sinomenii (CS) is a valuable traditional medicine in China. Its extract can act as an anti‐inflammatory agent and a vascular smooth muscle relaxant. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we developed a simple dual‐target method based on ultra‐performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry combined with a dual‐target bioactive screening assay for anti‐inflammatory and antispasmodic activities to characterize the chemical structure of various bioactive compounds of CS rapidly. Seven potential NF‐κB inhibitors were identified, including laudanosoline‐1‐O‐xylopyranose, 6‐O‐methyl‐laudanosoline‐1‐O‐glucopyranoside, menisperine, sinomenine, laurifoline, magnoflorine and norsinoacutin. Furthermore, IL‐6 and IL‐8 assays confirmed the anti‐inflammatory effects of these potential NF‐κB inhibitors, in which laudanosoline‐1‐O‐d ‐xylopyranose and menisperine were revealed as novel NF‐κB inhibitors. Among the seven identified alkaloids, three potential β₂‐adrenergic receptor agonists, including sinomenine, magnoflorine and laurifoline, were characterized using a luciferase reporter system to measure for the activity of β₂‐adrenergic receptor agonists. Finally, sinomenine, magnoflorine and laurifoline were identified not only as potential NF‐κB inhibitors but also as potential β₂‐adrenegic receptor agonists, which is the first time this has been reported. Molecular dynamic simulation and docking results suggest that the three dual‐bioactive constituents could not only inhibit Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAK strain‐induced inflammatory responses via a negative regulation of the Braf protein that participates in MAPK signaling pathway but also activate the β₂‐adrenegic receptor. These results suggest that CS extract has dual signaling activities with potential clinical application as a novel drug for asthma.     

Rosmanol and Carnosol Synergistically Alleviate Rheumatoid Arthritis through Inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK Pathway

Callicarpalongissima has been used as a Yao folk medicine to treat arthritis for years in China, although its active anti-arthritic moieties have not been clarified so far. In this study, two natural phenolic diterpenoids with anti-rheumatoid arthritis (RA) effects, rosmanol and carnosol, isolated from the medicinal plant were reported on for the first time. In type II collagen-induced arthritis DBA/1 mice, both rosmanol (40 mg/kg/d) and carnosol (40 mg/kg/d) alone alleviated the RA symptoms, such as swelling, redness, and synovitis; decreased the arthritis index score; and downregulated the serum pro-inflammatory cytokine levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). Additionally, they blocked the activation of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Of particular interest was that when they were used in combination (20 mg/kg/d each), the anti-RA effect and inhibitory activity on the TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK pathway were significantly enhanced. The results demonstrated that rosmanol and carnosol synergistically alleviated RA by inhibiting inflammation through regulating the TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK pathway, meaning they have the potential to be developed into novel, safe natural combinations for the treatment of RA.     

Design,Synthesis, and Structure–Activity Relationship Study of Potent MAPK11 Inhibitors

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a rare single-gene neurodegenerative disease, which can only be treated symptomatically. Currently, there are no approved drugs for HD on the market. Studies have found that MAPK11 can serve as a potential therapeutic target for HD. Regrettably, no MAPK11 small molecule inhibitors have been approved at present. This paper presents three series of compounds that were designed and synthesized based on the structure of skepinone-L, a known MAPK14 inhibitor. Among the synthesized compounds, 13a and 13b, with IC₅₀ values of 6.40 nM and 4.20 nM, respectively, displayed the best inhibitory activities against MAPK11. Furthermore, the structure–activity relationship (SAR) is discussed in detail, which is constructive in optimizing the MAPK11 inhibitors for better activity and effect against HD.     

p38丝裂原活化蛋白激酶在小鼠T细胞增殖中的作用

目的:了解p38丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(MAPK)在ConA刺激下小鼠T细胞增殖中的作用。方法:以活体染料羧基荧光素乙酰乙酸琥珀酰亚胺酯染色,建立了在多克隆刺激剂刀豆蛋白A(ConA)刺激下评价小鼠T细胞增殖的模型,通过流式细胞术分析p38丝裂原活化蛋白激酶的特异性抑制剂SB203580在不同剂量、不同时间对T细胞增殖的作用,并应用CellQuest和SPSS10.0 forW indows软件分析增殖细胞各代所占比例和增殖指数(PI)。结果:羧基荧光素乙酰乙酸琥珀酰亚胺酯染色分析显示,随着SB203580浓度从0.5μmol/L逐渐增至15.0μmol/L,T细胞增殖逐渐减弱,以15.0μmol/L SB203580的抑制作用最为明显,呈剂量依赖关系(r=-0.97,P<0.01);SB203580浓度增加至20.0μmol/L时,细胞大量死亡。选用SB203580最佳浓度(15.0μmol/L),随时间从24 h至72 h递增,SB203580对T细胞增殖的抑制作用逐渐增强,以72 h抑制作用最为明显,84~96 h后,抑制作用逐渐减弱。结论:p38 MAPK在ConA刺激的T细胞增殖中起着重要的作用。     

Overinhibition of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Inducing Tau Hyperphosphorylation

To reveal the relationship between mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and tau phosphorylation, we used different concentration of PD98059, an inhibitor of MEK (MAPK kinase), to treat mice neuroblastma (N2a) cell line for 6 h. It showed that the activity of MAPK decreased in a dose-dependent manner. But Western blot and immunofluorescence revealed that just when the cells were treated with 16μmol/L PD98059, tau was hyperphosphorylated at Ser396/404 and Ser199/202 sites. We obtained the conclusion that overinhibited MAPK induced tau hyperphosphorylation at Ser396/404 and Ser199/202 sites.     

p38丝裂原活化蛋白激酶和核因子-κB促进创面血管化的机制探讨

目的:探讨p38丝裂素活化蛋白激酶(MAPK)信号转导通路和核因子-κB(NF-κB)/抑制因子(IκB)通路在调控血管内皮细胞生长因子(VEGF)产生及血管化等方面的作用及其相互关系.方法:将32只Wistar大鼠完全随机分为4组各8只:假烫组、烫伤组、烫伤+p38MAPK抑制剂组和烫伤+NF-κB抑制剂组.除假烫组以外,其余各组均制作深Ⅱ°烫伤模型,其中烫伤+p38MAPK抑制剂组和烫伤+NF-κB抑制剂组于烫伤后15 min和12 h分别静脉注射SB203580和PDTC;各组大鼠均于伤后48 h处死并取材.酶联免疫吸附法(ELISA)测定创面组织中VEGF的含量和血管微密度(MVD),蛋白印迹(Western blotting)法检测p38MAPK和IκBα的表达.结果:和假烫组相比,伤后48 h,烫伤组创面组织中VEGF的质量浓度明显上升,为(0.81±0.19)ng/m L和(2.88±0.32)ng/m L,(P0.05);MVD值明显增加,为(3.12±0.72)和(8.08±2.10),(P0.05);p38 MAPK含量升高,为(966±176)和(4778±332),(P0.05);IκBα含量下降,为(2 327±310)和(1 278±149),(P0.05).使用SB203580和PDTC均能抑制烧伤后创面组织中VEGF含量的上升和血管化.预先给予SB203580能抑制烧伤后创面组织中p38MAPK含量升高,但对IκBα含量无显著影响;预先给予PDTC可以防止烧伤后创面组织中IκBα含量的下降,而对p38MAPK表达无影响.结论:在烧伤后创面愈合过程中,p38 MAPK信号转导通路和NF-κB/IκB通路是两个平行和独立的信号转导通路,两者间无直接的联系,但共同调节着烧伤后VEGF的产生与创面血管化.     

Analytical challenges and the development of biomarkers to measure and to monitor the effects of ocean acidification

Changing ocean-carbonate chemistry caused by oceanic uptake of anthropogenic atmospheric carbon dioxide leads to the formation of carbonic acid, thus lowering the pH of the sea with predictions of a decrease from current levels at 8.15 to 7.82 by the end of the century. The exact measurement of subtle pH changes in seawater over time presents significant analytical challenges, as the equilibrium constants are governed by water temperature and pressure, salinity effects, and the existence of other ionic species in seawater.Here, we review these challenges and how pH also affects dissolved inorganic and organic chemicals that affect biological systems. This includes toxic compounds (xenobiotics) as well as chemicals that are beneficial for marine organisms, such as the chemical signals (i.e. pheromones) that are utilized to coordinate animal behavior. We review how combining analytical, molecular and biochemical tools can lead to the development of biosensors to detect pH effects to enable predictive modeling of the ecological consequences of ocean acidification.