Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Aijing Bi, Zhen Guo, Guocui Yang, Youfang Huang, Zhimin Yin, Lan Luo
Summary: The highly toxic environmental pollutant cadmium (Cd) can lead to the occurrence and development of multiple neurological diseases. Gamma-glutamylcysteine (gamma-GC) has been found to inhibit Cd-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells by reducing oxidative stress and inhibiting the activation of MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. This suggests that gamma-GC could potentially be used as a protective agent against Cd neurotoxicity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mersedeh Shayan, Soghra Mehri, Bibi Marjan Razavi, Hossein Hosseinzadeh
Summary: This study demonstrates that minocycline can protect cells against cadmium-induced oxidative stress and apoptotic cell death, and exhibits antioxidant and anti-apoptotic activity.
BIOLOGICAL TRACE ELEMENT RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mersedeh Shayan, Soghra Mehri, Bibi Marjan Razavi, Hossein Hosseinzadeh
Summary: Arsenic is a naturally occurring metalloid that can cause acute and chronic toxicity in humans. Neurotoxicity is a serious manifestation of arsenic toxicity. This study found that minocycline, an antimicrobial agent with antioxidant properties and the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, can significantly attenuate arsenic-induced neurotoxicity by reducing oxidative stress and apoptosis. These findings suggest that minocycline could be a promising treatment for arsenic toxicity.
BIOLOGICAL TRACE ELEMENT RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ning Li, Liuding Wen, Fangyu Wang, Tianlin Wang, Tiange Li, Mingwu Qiao, Lianjun Song, Erkigul Bukyei, Xianqing Huang
Summary: This study demonstrated that wheat germ peptides (WGPs) can protect PC12 cells from lead-induced oxidative stress. WGPs were found to reverse the cell damage and oxidative stress caused by lead exposure. Furthermore, WGPs enhance the antioxidant capacity of PC12 cells by regulating the TXNIP/Keap1/Nrf2 pathway.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Liwei Wang, Qian Chen, Rui Ma, Bikui Zhang, Ping Yang, Ting Cao, Shimeng Jiao, Hui Chen, Chenquan Lin, Hualin Cai
Summary: Clozapine, while considered as a last resort for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, has limited efficacy in cognition improvement and can induce metabolic side effects that worsen cognitive impairment. The neurotoxic mechanisms of clozapine remain unclear. This study found that high concentrations of clozapine and AG205 resulted in cytotoxicity, reactive oxygen species accumulation, and mitochondrial membrane potential collapse in PC12 cells. Overexpression of progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1) reversed these toxic effects. Clozapine and AG205 also downregulated the expression of PGRMC1, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R), and mitofusin2 (Mfn2), which were restored by overexpressing PGRMC1. The findings suggest that PGRMC1 activation could be a promising therapeutic strategy for clozapine-induced neurotoxicity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hironao Nakayama, Masako Nakahara, Erina Matsugi, Midori Soda, Tomoka Hattori, Koki Hara, Ayuki Usami, Chiaki Kusumoto, Shigeki Higashiyama, Kiyoyuki Kitaichi
Summary: Ferulic acid has antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects in PC12 cells, protecting neurons from damage by inhibiting apoptosis and reducing reactive oxygen species production. It regulates protein phosphorylation, apoptosis-related proteins, and microRNA expression to mitigate oxidative stress induced by H2O2 in rat pheochromocytoma cells.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
T. Aslan, E. M. Guler, A. Cakir, T. Dundar, A. S. Gulgec, O. Huseyinbas, M. Celikten, G. Coban, I. N. Hakyemez, A. Kocyigit, B. Durdu
Summary: The study showed that Dexpanthenol and Ascorbic acid can mitigate the nephrotoxic effects of Colistin, acting as nephroprotective agents.
EUROPEAN REVIEW FOR MEDICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dai Mizuno, Masahiro Kawahara, Keiko Konoha-Mizuno, Terumasa Ogawara, Ryoji Hama, Kentaro Yamazaki
Summary: This study compared the toxicities of Tl(I) and Tl(III) in a mouse neuronal cell line. Tl(III) was more toxic, leading to decreased cell viability and increased cytotoxicity. Both treatments induced oxidative stress-related apoptosis, but Tl(III) produced more MDA and showed stronger cytotoxicity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Toxicology
Xinrong Pei, Fangyan Hu, Feiya Luo, Xianglu Huang, Xiaoling Li, Shuxia Xing, Dingxin Long
Summary: With the aging population increasing, the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has risen and caused a heavy burden on society and patients' families. In this study, it was found that alpha-lipoic acid (LA) could alleviate amyloid beta fragment (Aβ(25-35))-induced PC12 cell toxicity through the Wnt-beta-catenin pathway, rescuing Aβ(25-35)-induced neurocytotoxicity.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Toxicology
Ozlem Oz Gergin, Ismail Samil Gergin, Sibel Seckin Pehlivan, Ozge Cengiz Mat, Isil Tugce Turan, Adnan Bayram, Zeynep Burcin Gonen, Seyda Korkmaz, Cihangir Bicer, Karamehmet Yildiz, Arzu Hanim Yay
Summary: Colistin is an effective antibiotic, but its neurotoxic effects limit its clinical application. This study explores the potential protective effects of MSC against colistin-induced neurotoxicity and investigates the underlying mechanisms.
TOXICOLOGY MECHANISMS AND METHODS
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Yaqin Tian, Zhuoyu Ou, Fumin Li, Wenguang Fan, Haiwei Ren, Weixia Yang, Lichao Pan, Xiuling Zhang
Summary: The combination of Araloside A and L-ascorbic acid exhibits synergistic antioxidant effects by activating the Nrf2/CAT pathway to alleviate oxidative damage.
JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kaniz Fatima Binte Hossain, Md Mostafizur Rahman, Md Tajuddin Sikder, Toshiyuki Hosokawa, Takeshi Saito, Masaaki Kurasaki
Summary: This study investigated the protective role of selenium (Se) against inorganic mercury (iHg) toxicity in PC12 cells. Results showed that Se co-treatment inhibited intrinsic apoptosis and oxidative stress induced by iHg through various mechanisms, suggesting that excessive ROS generation plays a critical role in iHg-induced oxidative stress and Se has potential in attenuating iHg cytotoxicity via its antioxidant properties.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carlos Villaorduna, Mariano Mendoza-Carlos, Manuel Chuyma, Jhon Aviles, Ayda Avalos-Diaz, Ronald Lozano-Reategui, Juan Garcia-Ruiz, Nadia Panduro-Tenazoa, Jessy Vargas, Ysabel Moran-Quintanilla, Jose-Luis Rodriguez
Summary: Ipconazole, an antifungal agrochemical, poses a hazard to human, animal, and environmental health due to its widespread use in agriculture and easy accumulation in the environment. Our study investigated the cytotoxic effects of ipconazole on SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, revealing a dose-dependent reduction in cell viability, increased ROS production, and induction of cell death. These findings suggest that ipconazole exposure may contribute to neurotoxicity or neurodegeneration.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Gabriel Mbuta Tchivelekete, Mohammad Almarhoun, Yanqun Cao, Xinzhi Zhou, Patricia E. Martin, Xinhua Shu
Summary: Okadaic acid is a neurotoxin and phosphatase inhibitor that is associated with seafood poisoning. It is unclear whether exposure to okadaic acid affects retinal function, a part of the central nervous system.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vassilis L. Tzounakas, Alkmini T. Anastasiadi, Vasiliki-Zoi Arvaniti, Veronica Lelli, Giuseppina Fanelli, Efthymios C. Paronis, Anastasia C. Apostolidou, Evangelos G. Balafas, Nikolaos G. Kostomitsopoulos, Effie G. Papageorgiou, Issidora S. Papassideri, Konstantinos Stamoulis, Anastasios G. Kriebardis, Sara Rinalducci, Marianna H. Antonelou
Summary: Redox imbalance and oxidative stress can cause degradation of red blood cells (RBC) during their storage at blood banks. This study investigated the effect of uric acid (UA) and/or ascorbic acid (AA) supplementation on the storability of RBC units. The addition of antioxidants maintained the quality parameters of stored RBCs and protected them against oxidative damage. The metabolic rewiring in the treated RBCs differed depending on the antioxidant used. The treated RBCs showed improved resistance to oxidative triggers in vitro and retained normal circulation levels in mice.
Article
Microbiology
Chao Ma, Yuhan Li, Yanan Zong, Tony Velkov, Chenxi Wang, Xinyu Yang, Ming Zhang, Zhimin Jiang, Haoran Sun, Qi Tong, Honglei Sun, Juan Pu, Munir Iqbal, Jinhua Liu, Chongshan Dai, Yipeng Sun
Summary: The influenza A virus (IAV) can activate p21 through a p53-independent pathway. p21 directly binds to the viral polymerase acidic protein, limiting IAV polymerase activity by disrupting the formation of the ribonucleoprotein complex. p21 activation promotes IRF3 activation by blocking the degradation of HO-1, leading to the activation of the type I interferon pathway.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jinxin Zhao, Yan Zhu, Yu-Wei Lin, Heidi Yu, Hasini Wickremasinghe, Jiru Han, Tony Velkov, Michael J. McDonald, Jian Li
Summary: The concentration of polymyxin has a critical impact on the evolution of resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii. Below a certain threshold concentration, resistance may develop but is not fixed, while concentrations above this threshold lead to irreversible resistance.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Chongshan Dai, Meng Li, Tun Sun, Yuan Zhang, Yang Wang, Zhangqi Shen, Tony Velkov, Shusheng Tang, Jianzhong Shen
Summary: Colistin therapy can induce oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis by activating the TGF-beta/NOX4/mtROS pathway while inhibiting the Akt/mTOR pathway in lung tissues.
FOOD AND CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kade D. Roberts, Yan Zhu, Mohammad A. K. Azad, Mei-Ling Han, Jiping Wang, Lynn Wang, Heidi H. Yu, Andrew S. Horne, Jo-Anne Pinson, David Rudd, Nicolas H. Voelcker, Nitin A. Patil, Jinxin Zhao, Xukai Jiang, Jing Lu, Ke Chen, Olga Lomovskaya, Scott J. Hecker, Philip E. Thompson, Roger L. Nation, Michael N. Dudley, David C. Griffith, Tony Velkov, Jian Li
Summary: The emergence of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens poses a global medical challenge. Polymyxin antibiotics are often the last therapeutic option against these pathogens, but they have limitations in safety and efficacy. This study reports the discovery and development of a synthetic lipopeptide that shows improved safety and efficacy against top-priority multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Zhi Ying Kho, Mohammad A. K. Azad, Mei-Ling Han, Yan Zhu, Cheng Huang, Ralf B. Schittenhelm, Thomas Naderer, Tony Velkov, Joel Selkrig, Qi (Tony) Zhou, Jian Li
Summary: This study examines the impact of host-pathogen-antibiotic interaction on the opportunistic pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii. The findings reveal that macrophages and polymyxins work together to disrupt the bacteria's stress tolerance strategies, affecting its survival in host cells. The discovery of potential druggable targets and the mechanistic understanding of this interaction contribute to the optimization of antibiotic use and the development of new antimicrobial strategies against multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mengyao Li, Mohammad A. K. Azad, Maizbha U. Ahmed, Yan Zhu, Jiangning Song, Fanfan Zhou, Hak-Kim Chan, Tony Velkov, Qi Tony Zhou, Jian Li
Summary: This study elucidated the complex interplay of multiple signalling networks in cellular responses to polymyxin-induced toxicity using a human lung epithelial cell model. The findings revealed that polymyxin affects cell cycle, DNA repair, and DNA replication pathways, while inhibiting the NF-kappa B and NOD-like receptor signalling pathways. Additionally, several hub genes, including PLK1, CDK20, CCNA2, BUB1, and BUB1B, were found to be affected by polymyxin treatment. Cell cycle, DNA damage, and pro-inflammatory signalling pathways play key roles in polymyxin-induced toxicity in human lung epithelial cells.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chongshan Dai, Meng Li, Yue Liu, Diem Hong Tran, Haiyang Jiang, Shusheng Tang, Jianzhong Shen
Summary: This study investigated the protective effects of curcumin on copper sulfate-induced renal damage in a mouse model. Results showed that curcumin supplementation significantly reduced Cu accumulation, improved renal dysfunction, and alleviated oxidative stress and tubular necrosis. Moreover, curcumin supplementation inhibited p53 and NF-kappa B pathways and activated Nrf2/HO-1 pathway to ameliorate Cu overload-induced nephrotoxicity.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Bo Liu, Yue Yang, Haiyan Wu, Sihan Wang, Jijing Tian, Chongshan Dai, Tianlong Liu
Summary: The self-preservation and intelligent survival abilities of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) make it difficult to treat with antibiotics. Nano-drug delivery systems, such as ZIF-8 nanoparticles (ZIF-8 NPs), have emerged as a new strategy to overcome MRSA infection. This study reveals that ZIF-8 NPs inhibit arginine biosynthesis, produce ROS, disrupt energy metabolism, and damage cell membranes, leading to the killing of MRSA isolates. Additionally, ZIF-8 NPs show promising effects in treating MRSA-infected wounds in a mouse model.
Article
Microbiology
Maytham Hussein, Raad Jasim, Hakan Gocol, Mark Baker, Varsha J. J. Thombare, James Ziogas, Aayush Purohit, Gauri G. G. Rao, Jian Li, Tony Velkov
Summary: Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) can help bacteria to fight antibiotics by spreading resistance genes and acting as protective armor. Proteomic analysis revealed that OMVs shield K. pneumoniae and act as decoys against polymyxin attack by reducing the export of resistance-related proteins. Comparative proteomics of OMVs from polymyxin-susceptible and resistant strains identified perturbed pathways and highlighted the potential roles of OMVs in adhesion, virulence, and antibiotic resistance. These findings provide new insights into the importance of OMVs in the bacterial response to polymyxins.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chongshan Dai, Mingchao Liu, Qinzhi Zhang, Subhajit Das Gupta, Shusheng Tang, Jianzhong Shen
Summary: Nootkatone (NKT), a major ingredient of Alpinia oxyphylla, has potential nephroprotective effects by inhibiting NOX4 and NF-kappa B pathways and activating Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. This study showed that NKT pretreatment significantly attenuated CCl4-induced kidney injury, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response in mice. NKT also downregulated the expression of pro-inflammatory proteins and upregulated the expression of antioxidant enzymes in kidney tissues. These findings suggest the therapeutic application of NKT for kidney diseases.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chongshan Dai, Xueyong Zhang, Jiahao Lin, Jianzhong Shen
Summary: The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of nootkatone (NOOT) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-caused acute liver injury in mice. The results showed that NOOT supplementation significantly ameliorated CCl4-induced liver injury by reducing serum AST and ALT levels, hepatocyte necrosis, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and caspases-9 and -3 activities. Moreover, NOOT supplementation regulated Nrf2/HO-1 and NF-kappa B pathways to provide protective effects against oxidative stress and inflammatory response.
Article
Microbiology
Tram Le, Sue C. Nang, Jinxin Zhao, Heidi H. Yu, Jian Li, Jason J. Gill, Mei Liu, Saima Aslam
Summary: Recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI) are common and problematic in kidney transplant recipients (KTR). This case report presents a successful treatment of rUTI caused by ESBL Klebsiella pneumoniae in a KTR using 4 weeks of adjunctive intravenous bacteriophage therapy alone, without concomitant antibiotics. The patient remained infection-free during one year of follow-up.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Juan Pacheco-Yanes, Eric Reynolds, Jian Li, Eliana Marino
Summary: Research has shown a strong connection between imbalances in the oral and gut microbiome, periodontitis, and inflammatory diseases. Microbiome modulation is crucial for preventing and treating these diseases, but the causal relationships between the microbiome and its derived metabolites are not yet fully understood.
TRENDS IN MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Erjie Tian, Gaurav Sharma, Chongshan Dai
Summary: This review provides insights into the neuroprotective properties of berberine, elucidates its underlying molecular mechanisms, and assesses its clinical safety and efficacy. Berberine exerts neuroprotective effects through multiple pathways and engages various signaling pathways.
Article
Microbiology
Luisa Sorli, Sonia Luque, Jian Li, Adela Benitez-Cano, Xenia Fernandez, Nuria Prim, Victoria Vega, Joan Gomez-Junyent, Inmaculada Lopez-Montesinos, Silvia Gomez-Zorrilla, M. Milagro Montero, Santiago Grau, Juan Pablo Horcajada
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between colistin plasma concentrations and clinical outcomes in patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia caused by extensively drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The findings showed that higher colistin exposure did not improve clinical outcomes.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)