Article
Plant Sciences
Yuan Meng, Rui Feng, Zhao Yang, Tingting Liu, Taoguang Huo, Hong Jiang
Summary: This study found that arsenic in realgar passes through the blood-brain barrier and accumulates in the brain, causing damage to neurons, synapses, and myelin sheaths in the cerebral cortex and a decrease in total antioxidant capacity. The specific mechanism involves the excessive activation of Nrf2 regulated by upstream signaling molecules ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Liang Zhu, Lechen Liu, Aoli Wang, Jinwen Liu, Xin Huang, Tao Zan
Summary: Dermal fibrosis is a global disease that affects millions of people and causes physical and psychological distress. Fibroblast dysfunction plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of dermal fibrosis, leading to excessive deposition of extracellular matrix. The positive feedback loop of fibroblast activation further worsens the condition. This review focuses on understanding the mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets to break this cycle.
Review
Cell Biology
Weiwei Zhang, Cong Feng, Hong Jiang
Summary: The Nrf2 pathway and autophagy are important intracellular defense systems in mammals, with p62 acting as a connector between the two through a positive feedback loop to enhance cellular protection. Studies have shown that the p62-activated noncanonical Nrf2 pathway is a significant marker of neurodegenerative diseases.
AGEING RESEARCH REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Rui Feng, Jieyu Liu, Zhao Yang, Tiantian Yao, Ping Ye, Xiuhan Li, Jiaxin Zhang, Hong Jiang
Summary: Realgar, a traditional Chinese medicine containing arsenic, has been found to cause central nervous system toxicity. This study reveals that realgar accumulation in the brain impairs neuronal structure, disrupts autophagic flux, and amplifies the p62-NRF2 feedback loop, leading to apoptosis and neurotoxicity. These findings highlight the mechanism of realgar-induced neurotoxicity.
MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Yijun Yang, Justin Kurian, Giana Schena, Jaslyn Johnson, Hajime Kubo, Joshua G. Travers, Chunya Kang, Anna Maria Lucchese, Deborah M. Eaton, Maoting Lv, Na Li, Lorianna G. Leynes, Daohai Yu, Fengzhen Yang, Timothy A. McKinsey, Raj Kishore, Mohsin Khan, Sadia Mohsin, Steven R. Houser
Summary: The study suggests that metabolic syndrome in obese pregnant women may lead to pathological cardiac remodeling, increasing the risk of chronic heart disorders.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jiayu Lv, Shuqing Shi, Bingxuan Zhang, Xia Xu, Haoran Zheng, Yumeng Li, Xiangning Cui, Huaqin Wu, Qingqiao Song
Summary: Cardiac remodeling is a crucial part of the progression of cardiovascular disease, and puerarin has shown significant potential in preventing and reversing pathological ventricular remodeling by improving cardiac structure and function through various mechanisms.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Ya-Xiong Li, Xiao-Xu Zhu, Xiao Wu, Jian-Hui Li, Xu-Hao Ni, Shi-Jin Li, Wei Zhao, Xiao-Yu Yin
Summary: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a malignant tumor with a fibrotic tumor microenvironment (TME) that promotes tumor invasion and metastasis. This study reveals the role of a protein called ACLP in PDAC. ACLP is mainly expressed in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and is highly expressed in PDAC tissues. High ACLP expression is associated with poor overall survival and liver metastases in PDAC patients. ACLP promotes CAF activation and fibrosis, leading to PDAC invasion and metastasis. Mechanistically, ACLP promotes the expressions of MMP1 and MMP3 in CAFs. A feedback loop involving ACLP-PPAR gamma-ACLP is identified in PDAC CAFs, which could be a potential therapeutic target for PDAC.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chunfeng Liu, Matjaz Rokavec, Zekai Huang, Heiko Hermeking
Summary: This study reveals that curcumin can activate the KEAP1/NRF2/ARE pathway and induce ROS to upregulate the expression of miR-34 in colorectal cancer cells. Curcumin can also inhibit migration and invasion of cancer cells and promote mesenchymal-epithelial transition by activating this pathway. Therefore, activation of the KEAP1/NRF2/miR-34 axis may contribute to the tumor suppressive effects of curcumin.
CELL DEATH AND DIFFERENTIATION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Huan Yao, Qingman He, Cong Huang, Shujun Wei, Yuanyuan Gong, Xueping Li, Weiwei Liu, Zhiyi Xu, Huihui Wu, Chuan Zheng, Yongxiang Gao
Summary: This study investigated the role of oxidative stress in cardiac fibrosis and the protective effect of panaxatriol saponin (PTS). The results showed that PTS improved cardiac function, reduced cardiac fibrosis, and suppressed oxidative stress.
FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Chunfeng Liu, Matjaz Rokavec, Zekai Huang, Heiko Hermeking
Summary: Aspirin and its active metabolite salicylate have shown potential in preventing and suppressing the progression of colorectal cancer. The study found that salicylate can induce the expression of tumor suppressive microRNAs miR-34a and miR-34b/c in a p53-independent manner, through the activation of AMPK and NRF2 pathways. The activation of these microRNAs by salicylate is important for its inhibitory effects on migration, invasion, and metastasis formation by colorectal cancer cells.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Qianqian Zhang, Min Yao, Jiajia Qi, Rui Song, Lei Wang, Jiacheng Li, Xian Zhou, Dennis Chang, Qi Huang, Lili Li, Ning Wang
Summary: The natural compound Puerarin (PUE) has a therapeutic effect on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting oxidative stress related to the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway. Experimental results showed that PUE could improve neurological deficits in rats and reduce oxidative stress levels.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yi Huang, Honggang Wu, Yongmei Hu, Chenhui Zhou, Jiawei Wu, Yiwen Wu, Haifeng Wang, Cameron Lenahan, Lei Huang, Sheng Nie, Xiang Gao, Jie Sun
Summary: Puerarin has a neuroprotective effect and attenuates oxidative-stress-induced brain ferroptosis after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) through the activation of the AMPK/PGC1 alpha/Nrf2-signaling pathway.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Xiang-Peng Zeng, Jing-Hui Zeng, Xia Lin, Yan-Hong Ni, Chuan-Shen Jiang, Da-Zhou Li, Xiao-Jian He, Rong Wang, Wen Wang
Summary: The study demonstrated that puerarin effectively ameliorated pancreatic atrophy, inflammation and fibrosis in a murine model of chronic pancreatitis. Additionally, puerarin displayed significant inhibition on the proliferation, migration and activation of pancreatic stellate cells.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jianjun Li, Chuan Xiong, Pan Xu, Qiang Luo, Ronggui Zhang
Summary: The study showed that Puerarin has significant inhibitory effects on androgen-independent prostate cancer cells, primarily through inducing apoptosis, increasing ROS and LDH production, and altering the levels of inflammatory cytokines. This antitumor activity is achieved by inactivating the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Adel Hammoutene, Samira Laouirem, Miguel Albuquerque, Nathalie Colnot, Angelique Brzustowski, Dominique Valla, Nicolas Provost, Philippe Delerive, Valerie Paradis
Summary: This study investigates the therapeutic potential of a new NRF2 activator, S217879, in treating human MAFLD and its underlying mechanisms. The results demonstrate that S217879 can improve lipid metabolism, activate antioxidant response, enhance autophagy, and reduce DNA damage, apoptosis, inflammation, and fibrogenesis.