Cognitive impairment is a serious mental deficit following stroke that severely affects the quality of life of stroke survivors. Nuclear factor‑κB (NF-κB)-mediated neuronal cell apoptosis is involved in the development of post-stroke cognitive impairment; therefore, it has become a promising target for the treatment of impaired cognition. Acupuncture at the Baihui (DU20) and Shenting (DU24) acupoints is commonly used in China to clinically treat post‑stroke cognitive impairment; however, the precise mechanism of its action is largely unknown. In the present study, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of electroacupuncture against post-stroke cognitive impairment and investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms using a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Electroacupuncture at Baihui and Shenting was identified to significantly ameliorate neurological deficits and reduce cerebral infarct volume. Additionally, electroacupuncture improved learning and memory ability in cerebral I/R injured rats, demonstrating its therapeutic efficacy against post-stroke cognitive impairment. Furthermore, electroacupuncture significantly suppressed the I/R-induced activation of NF-κB signaling in ischemic cerebral tissues. The inhibitory effect of electroacupuncture on NF-κB activation led to the inhibition of cerebral cell apoptosis. Finally, electroacupuncture markedly downregulated the expression of pro-apoptotic Bax and Fas, two critical downstream target genes of the NF-κB pathway. Collectively, our findings suggest that inhibition of NF-κB‑mediated neuronal cell apoptosis may be one mechanism via which electroacupuncture at Baihui and Shenting exerts a therapeutic effect on post-stroke cognitive impairment.

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4a (HNF4a) is a liver enriched transcription factor and is indispensable for liver development. However, the role of HNF4a in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression remains to be elucidated. We report that reduced HNF4a expression correlated well with the aggressive clinicopathological characteristics of HCC and predicted poor prognosis of patients. HNF4a levels were even lower in metastatic HCCs, and ectopic HNF4a expression suppressed the metastasis of hepatoma cells both in vitro and in vivo. Forced HNF4a expression attenuated the expression and nuclear translocation of RelA (p65) and impaired NF-jB activation through an IKKindependent mechanism. Blockage of RelA robustly attenuated the suppressive effect of HNF4a on hepatoma cell metastasis. MicroRNA (miR)-7 and miR-124 were transcriptionally up-regulated by HNF4a, which repressed RelA expression by way of interaction with RelA-3 0 untranslated region (UTR). In addition, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-jB) up-regulated the expression of miR-21 in hepatoma cells, resulting in decreased HNF4a levels through down-regulating HNF4a-3 0 UTR activity. Conclusions: Collectively, an HNF4a-NF-jB feedback circuit including miR-124, miR-7, and miR-21 was identified in HCC, and the combination of HNF4a and NF-jB exhibited more powerful predictive efficiency of patient prognosis. These findings broaden the knowledge of hepatic inflammation and cancer initiation/progression, and also provide novel prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for HCC.

Cisplatin (DDP) is currently one of the most commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs for treating ovarian and lung cancer. However, resistance to cisplatin is common and it often leads to therapy failure. In addition, the precise mechanism of cisplatin resistance is still in its infancy. In this study, we demonstrated that the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway enzyme 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD) promotes cisplatin resistance. We showed that cisplatin-resistant cancer cells (C13∗ and A549DDP), had higher levels of 6PGD compared to their cisplatin-sensitive counterparts (OV2008 and A549). Furthermore, ovarian and lung cancer patients with higher 6PGD levels have worse survival outcomes relative to patients with lower 6PGD expression. Interestingly, we found that the upregulation of 6PGD in cisplatin-resistant cells was due to the decreased expression of miR-206 and miR-613, which we found to target this enzyme. We further demonstrate that suppressing 6PGD using shRNA, inhibitor or miR-206/miR-613, either as single agents or in combination, could sensitize cisplatin-resistant cancer cells to cisplatin treatment and thereby improving the therapeutic efficacy of cisplatin. Taken together, our results suggest that 6PGD serves as a novel potential target to overcome cisplatin resistance.

No abstract

Nephron progenitor cells (NPCs) show an age-dependent capacity to balance self-renewal with differentiation. Older NPCs (postnatal day 0) exit the progenitor niche at a higher rate than younger (embryonic day 13.5) NPCs do. This behavior is reflected in the transcript profiles of young and old NPCs. Bioenergetic pathways have emerged as important regulators of stem cell fate. Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying this regulation in murine NPCs. Upon isolation and culture in NPC renewal medium, younger NPCs displayed a higher glycolysis rate than older NPCs. Inhibition of glycolysis enhanced nephrogenesis in cultured embryonic kidneys, without increasing ureteric tree branching, and promoted mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition in cultured isolated metanephric mesenchyme. Cotreatment with a canonical Wnt signaling inhibitor attenuated but did not entirely block the increase in nephrogenesis observed after glycolysis inhibition. Furthermore, inhibition of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt self-renewal signaling pathway or stimulation of differentiation pathways in the NPC decreased glycolytic flux. Our findings suggest that glycolysis is a pivotal, cell-intrinsic determinant of NPC fate, with a high glycolytic flux supporting self-renewal and inhibition of glycolysis stimulating differentiation.

Sepsis is a major cause of acute kidney injury (AKI) with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Surfactant proteins A and D (SP-A, SP-D) play a critical role in host defense and regulate inflammation during infection. Recent studies indicate SP-A and SP-D are expressed in the kidney. The current study examines the role of SP-A and SP-D in the pathogenesis of sepsis-induced AKI. Wild-type (WT) and SP-A/SP-D double knockout (KO) C57BL/6 mice were treated by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) or sham surgery. Histological, cellular and molecular indices of kidney injury were investigated in septic mice 6 and 24 h after CLP. 24 h post-CLP, kidney injury was more severe, renal function was decreased, blood creatinine and BUN were higher in septic SP-A/SP-D KO mice (p<0.05, vs septic WT mice). Kidney edema and vascular permeability were increased in septic SP-A/SP-D KO mice (p<0.01, vs septic WT mice). Apoptotic cells increased significantly (p<0.01) in the kidney of septic SP-A/SP-D KO mice compared to septic WT mice. Molecular analysis revealed levels of Bcl-2 (an inhibitor of apoptosis) were lower and levels of caspase-3 (a biomarker of apoptosis) were higher in the kidney of septic SP-A/SP-D KO mice (p<0.01, vs septic WT mice). Furthermore, levels of NF-κB and phosphorylated IκB-α increased significantly in the kidney of septic SP-A/SP-D KO mice than septic WT mice, suggesting SP-A/SP-D KO mice have a more pronounced inflammatory response to sepsis. We conclude SP-A and SP-D attenuate kidney injury by modulating inflammation and apoptosis in sepsis-induced AKI.

Our study demonstrated the presence of six differentially expressed serum microRNAs in HBV-positive small HCC compared to other benign liver diseases associated with HBV.

Objective: Although type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been reported as a risk factor for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the effect of pharmacologic agents used to treat T2DM, such as metformin, on COVID-19 outcomes remains unclear. Metformin increases the expression of angiotensin converting enzyme 2, a known receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Data from people with T2DM hospitalized for COVID-19 were used to test the hypothesis that metformin use is associated with improved survival in this population. Methods: Retrospective analyses were performed on de-identified clinical data from a major hospital in Wuhan, China, that included patients with T2DM hospitalized for COVID-19 during the recent epidemic. One hundred and thirty-one patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and T2DM were used in this study. The primary outcome was mortality. Demographic, clinical characteristics, laboratory data, diabetes medications, and respiratory therapy data were also included in the analysis. Results: Of these 131 patients, 37 used metformin with or without other antidiabetes medications. Among the 37 metformin-taking patients, 35 (94.6%) survived and 2 (5.4%) did not survive. The mortality rates in the metformin-taking group versus the non-metformin group were 5.4% (2/37) versus 22.3% (21/94). Using multivariate analysis, metformin was found to be an independent predictor of survival in this cohort ( P = .02). Conclusion: This study reveals a significant association between metformin use and survival in people with T2DM diagnosed with COVID-19. These clinical data are consistent with potential benefits of the use of metformin for COVID-19 patients with T2DM. Abbreviations: ACE2 = angiotensin-converting enzyme 2; AMPK = AMP-activated protein kinase; BMI = body mass index; COVID-19 = coronavirus disease 2019; SARSCoV-2 = severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; T2DM = type 2 diabetes mellitus