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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records

PPARα agonist exerts protective effects in podocyte injury via inhibition of the ANGPTL3 pathway

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) activation has been reported to exert protective effects on podocytes, whereas angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3) has been shown to exert significant pathogenic effects on these cells. This study aimed to investigate the link between the protective effects of PPARα activation and the pathogenic effects of ANGPTL3 in podocytes. Both PPARα and ANGPTL3 were expressed in cultured podocytes. PPARα mRNA and protein levels decreased whereas ANGPTL3 mRNA and protein levels increased in a time-dependent manner in podocytes treated with puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN). Gemfibrozil, a pharmacological agonist of PPARα, increased PPARα levels and activity in podocytes. The drug also decreased ANGPTL3 levels by potentially weakening ANGPTL3 promoter activity in both normal and PAN-treated podocytes. Furthermore, gemfibrozil significantly decreased PAN-induced apoptosis and F-actin rearrangement. Primary podocytes from Angptl3-knockout mice were cultured. There was no significant difference between Angptl3{sup −/−} podocytes treated with or without gemfibrozil in the lamellipodia numbers after PAN treatment. The results suggested that the protective effects of gemfibrozil on podocytes were not exerted following knockout of the Angptl3 gene. This study identified a novel mechanism of the PPARα agonist gemfibrozil that exerts its protective effects by inhibiting PAN-induced apoptosis and cytoskeleton rearrangements through inhibition of ANGPTL3 expression.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Identification of therapeutic targets in a murine model of severe exertional heat stroke

Exertional heat stroke (EHS) is a potentially lethal condition resulting from high core body temperatures (T C ) in combination with a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) with varying degrees of severity across victims, and limited understanding of the underlying mechanism(s). We established a mouse model of severe EHS to identify mechanisms of hyperthermia/inflammation that may be responsible for organ damage. Mice were forced to run on a motorized wheel in a 37.5°C chamber until loss of consciousness and were either removed immediately (exertional heat injury or EHI; T CMax = 42.4 ± 0.2°C) or remained in the chamber an additional 20 min (EHS; T CMax = 42.5 ± 0.4°C). Exercise control mice (ExC) experienced identical procedures to EHS at 25°C. At 3 h post-EHS, there was evidence for an immune/inflammatory response as elevated blood chemokine [interferon γ-induced protein 10 (IP-10), keratinocytes-derived chemokine (KC), macrophage inflammatory proteins (MIP-1α), MIP-1β, MIP-2] and cytokine [granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), interleukins (IL-10), IL-6] levels peaked and were highest in EHS mice compared with EHI and ExC mice. Immunoblotting of organs susceptible to EHS damage indicated that several kinases were sensitive to stress associated with heat/inflammation and exercise; specifically, phosphorylation of liver c-Jun NH 2 -terminal kinase (JNK) at threonine 183/tyrosine 185 immediately (0 h) postheating related to heat illness severity. We have established a mouse EHS model, and JNK [or its downstream target(s)] could underlie EHS symptomatology, allowing the identification of molecular pathways or countermeasure targets to mitigate heat illness severity, enable complete recovery, and decrease overall EHS-related fatalities.

Physiology↗

UBE2S enhances the ubiquitination of p53 and exerts oncogenic activities in hepatocellular carcinoma

Highlights: • High expression of UBE2S is significantly correlated with poor outcomes in two independent cohorts containing 845 patients. • UBE2S promotes cell proliferation and migration in HCC. • UBE2S exerts oncogenic activities via enhancing the ubiquitination of p53. Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2S (UBE2S) plays pivotal roles in the progression of human cancers. However, its clinical significance and role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unknown. Here, we show that UBE2S is upregulated in HCC and exhibits oncogenic activities via enhancing the ubiquitination of p53. Increased expression of UBE2S was significantly correlated with higher serum AFP level, higher pathological grade, advanced TNM stage, larger tumor size, vascular invasion and unfavorable patient survivals in two independent cohorts containing a total of 845 patients with HCC. Multivariate analyses by cox regression model suggested UBE2S as an independent factor for overall survival. In vitro experiments demonstrated that UBE2S overexpression promoted, whereas UBE2S knockdown suppressed cell proliferation and migration via modulation of p53 signaling pathway. Ectopic expression of UBE2S upregulated the expression of p53 and its downstream effectors, such as p21 and Cyclin D1. Mechanistically, UBE2S enhanced the ubiquitination of p53 protein to facilitate its degradation in HCC cells. Re-expression of p53 partially attenuated the UBE2S-promoted malignant phenotypes. Collectively, our study provides compelling evidence that UBE2S is a potential prognostic factor and functions as an oncogene in HCC.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

PAS-histidine kinases PHK1 and PHK2 exert oxygen-dependent dual and opposite effects on gametophore formation in the moss Physcomitrella patens

Highlights: • Two unique histidine kinases repress a developmental process in a moss plant. • These kinases promote the same process when submerged under water. • Similarly, they promote the process in artificial hypoxic condition. • Thus, these kinases have dual and opposite functions depending on oxygen condition. • This study adds insight into flexibility and evolution of two-component systems. Two-component systems, versatile signaling mechanisms based on phosphate transfer between component proteins, must have played important roles in adaptation and diversification processes in land plant evolution. We previously demonstrated that two Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS)-histidine kinases, PHK1 and PHK2, repress gametophore formation in the moss Physcomitrella patens under aerobic conditions, and that, in eukaryotes, the presence of their homologs is restricted to early-diverging streptophyte linages. We assessed here whether or not PHKs play a role in oxygen signaling. When submerged under water, the double disruption line for PHK1 and PHK2 formed fewer gametophores than the wild-type line (WT) both under light-dark cycles or continuous light, indicating that PHKs promote gametophore formation under an aquatic environment, in contrast to aerobic conditions. Similarly, in an artificial low-oxygen condition, the double disruption line formed fewer gametophores than WT. These results indicate that PHKs exert dual and opposite effects on gametophore formation depending on oxygen status. This study adds important insight into functional versatility and evolutionary significance of two-component systems in land plants.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Shikonin exerts anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-induced mastitis by inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway

Highlights: • Myeloperoxidase decreased when shikonin was given by gavage in LPS-induced mammary gland tissues. • Nuclear factor-κB was inhibited in SHI group both in tissues and cells, comparing with groups challenged by LPS. • SHI exerts less pro-inflammatory cytokines than LPS-challenged group, indicating the potential for mastitis treatment. Previous studies have shown that shikonin(SHI), the bioactive naphthoquinone constituent extracted from Chinese herb Lithospermum Erythrorhizon, possesses the potential to confront inflammation, and has little concerns towards drug residues comparing with antibiotics. While mastitis in dairy industry always trigger great harm to milk yields, effects of SHI on lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced mastitis should be measured. Here, we demonstrate anti-inflammatory effects of SHI on LPS-challenged mastitis and elucidate the potential signaling pathway both in vivo and in vitro. As a result, SHI administration mice significantly suffered less impairment of mammary gland and less recruitment of neutrophils than LPS administration mice. SHI significantly suppressed the expression of p-IκBα and p-p65, which are the critical proteins functioning in NF-kB signaling pathway. qPCR results indicate decreasing level of upstream pro-inflammatory cytokines in tissues, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. The results are corresponding with the results in vitro, suggesting the potential usage of SHI as a therapeutic medicine in mastitis.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

CS2164 exerts an antitumor effect against human Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in vitro and in vivo

Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) are a heterogeneous group of lymphoproliferative disorders. Mounting studies have suggested an involvement of angiogenesis signaling in NHLs progression and resistance to treatment. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxicity of CS2164, a novel receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor selectively targeting VEGFR-2 and Aurora B in NHL cells. By in vitro culture system and in vivo xenograft model, we found that CS2164 significantly inhibited cell growth and abolished clonogenicity in NHL cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Meanwhile, CS2164 significantly induced NHL cells apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase. Moreover, CS2164 suppressed NHL cells growth and progression in an in vivo xenograft model. Mechanistically, CS2164-induced cytotoxicity was closely associated with inhibition of VEGFR2 and Aurora B as well as their downstream signaling cascades, including P38, ERK and H3 pathways. In conclusion, CS2164 exerts its cytotoxic effect via inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis by modulating VEGFR2 and Aurora B signaling pathway, supporting a potential role for CS2164 in the treatment of NHLs.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Drag exerted by drift-acoustic radiation on a magnetic island

The Island Equilibrium and Transport (IslET) model is extended to allow for the effects of ion compressibility albeit for a constant electron temperature. The model describes fully relaxed, saturated, steady-state magnetic islands arising from the evolution of a tearing mode caused either by an instability or an externally imposed resonant perturbation. It assumes that the collision frequency lies in the semi-collisional regime. A salient new feature of the extended model is an equation describing the transport of parallel momentum. The model is applied to evaluate the drag exerted on a thin island by the emission of drift-acoustic waves.

Physics↗

The human plasma lipidome response to exertional heat tolerance testing

The year of 2023 displayed the highest average global temperatures recorded in history— the duration and severity of extreme heat are projected to increase. Rising global temperatures represent a major public health threat, especially to occupations exposed to hot environments, such as construction and agricultural workers, and first responders. Despite efforts of the scientific community, there is still a need to characterize the pathophysiological processes leading to heat related illness and develop biomarkers that can predict its onset. Here, we performed a plasma lipidomic analysis on male and female subjects who underwent heat tolerance testing (HTT), consisting of a 2-h treadmill walk at 5 km/h with 2% inclination at a controlled temperature of 40oC. We identified 995 lipids from 27 classes, with nearly half of all detected lipids being responsive to HTT. Lipid classes related to substrate utilization were predominantly affected by HTT, with a downregulation of triacylglycerols and upregulation of free fatty acids and acyl-carnitines. We additionally examined correlations between changes in plasma lipids by using the even chain acyl-carnitines is physiological strain index (PSI). Here, even chain acyl-carnitines, bi-products of incomplete beta oxidation, and diacylglycerols displayed the highest correlation to PSI. PSI did not correlate with plasma lactate levels, which suggests that correlations with related to metabolic efficiency versus physical exertion. Overall, our results show that HTT has a strong impact on the plasma lipidome and that incomplete beta oxidation may underlie heat intolerance.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Supplemental dietary full-fatted and defatted Desmodesmus sp. exerted similar effects on growth performance, gut health, and excreta hydrothermal liquefaction of broiler chicks

This study determined effects of full-fatted (C046, 41% crude protein) and lipid extracted (LEA, 39% crude protein) microalgae Desmodesmus sp. on growth performance, gut health, and excreta hydrothermal liquefaction of broiler chickens. Two experiments were conducted by feeding day-old Cornish male chicks: 1) a corn-soybean meal basal diet (control) 2) control +5% C046, or 3) control +5% LEA for 2 weeks. Growth performance was measured weekly in both experiments. Blood, liver, and duodenum samples of chickens were collected for biochemical analyses, and excreta samples were collected for hydrothermal liquefaction (300 °C, 60 min) at the end of Experiment 2. Compared with the control, supplemental dietary C046 and LEA enhanced average daily gain (13% to 40%, p < 0.05) in both experiments, and improved feed efficiency (15% and 11%, p < 0.01) in Experiment 2. The C046 and LEA diets enhanced the duodenum (19% to –2 fold, p < 0.05), but decreased the liver (17 to 78%, p < 0.05) mRNA abundances of interleukins-1, 6 and 8 and (or) tumor necrosis factor-α, respectively, compared with the controls. Meanwhile, the two types of biomass enhanced the protein amounts of claudin-1 in the duodenum (5–34%, p < 0.05) than the controls. Hydrothermal liquefaction of the excreta derived from the three diets showed no major differences in total bio-crude oil (average of 23%), hydrochar yield (average of 12%), or elemental compositions. However, the heating values of the resultant two bio-crude oils from the microalgae-fed chicken excreta (average of 34 MJ/kg) were 16% greater than those from the control chickens (29 MJ/kg). In conclusion, supplementing the full- and de-fatted Desmodesmus sp. microalgal biomass in the starter diets for broiler chickens produced largely similar improvements of growth performance, gut health, and excreta-derived oil quality.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide exerts central action to induce β-cell proliferation through medulla to vagal pathway in mice

Highlights: • ICV injected GLP-1RA liraglutide and GLP-1 induce pancreatic β-cell proliferation. • This effect is induced by single shot liraglutide at low dose not touching feeding. • This effect is inhibited by atropine and hence possibly mediated by vagal efferent. • ICV liraglutide activates dorsal vagal complex (DVC), suggesting DVC-vagal reflex. • This pathway may serve to counteract β-cell reduction in diabetic patients. Endogenous GLP-1 and GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) regulate glucose metabolism via common and distinct mechanisms. Postprandial release of GLP-1 is modest and it is degraded by DPP-4 within 2 min, and hence it cannot enter the brain in substantial amount. In contrast, DPP-4-resistant GLP-1RAs are administered at 10 times higher concentration than endogenous GLP-1 level, which enables them to reach several brain regions including ARC and AP, the areas implicated in glucose metabolism. Hence, some of the effects of GLP-1RAs observed clinically and experimentally, including pancreatic β-cell proliferation, are thought to involve the brain. However, the effects of centrally acting GLP-1/GLP-1RAs on glucose metabolism and underlying neural mechanism are unclear. This study aimed to establish the link of central GLP-1/GLP-1RA action to pancreatic β-cell proliferation. Both subcutaneous (SC) and intracerebroventricular (ICV) injections of liraglutide increased the number of pancreatic β-cells expressing Ki67 and PCNA, proliferation markers, in C57BL/6J mice. This effect was induced by single ICV administration of liraglutide at relatively low dose that was incapable of suppressing food intake. These SC and ICV liraglutide-induced effects were inhibited by 50% and 70%, respectively, by pretreatment with atropine, a muscarinic receptor blocker. ICV liraglutide induced c-Fos expression in the area postrema (AP), nucleus tractus solitaries (NTS), and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMX) of the brain stem. These results demonstrate that central action of liraglutide induces pancreatic β-cell proliferation via the pathway involving the brain stem AP/NTS/DMX area and vagus nerve. This route is highly sensitive to GLP-1/GLP-1RA. Hence, this brain-pancreatic β-cell pathway may operate in type 2 diabetic patients treated with GLP-RAs and serve to counteract the reduction of β-cell mass.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Circular RNA hsa{sub c}irc{sub 0}023404 exerts an oncogenic role in cervical cancer through regulating miR-136/TFCP2/YAP pathway

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most prevalent malignances among women. However, the mechanism underlying CC development remains elusive. Recently, circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been known as important regulators in tumorigenesis. Whether circRNAs are involved in CC requires to be determined. In the present study, we found that circRNA hsa{sub c}irc{sub 0}023404 was significantly upregulated in CC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. And its overexpression was correlated with poor prognosis in CC patients. Functionally, we showed that knockdown of hsa{sub c}irc{sub 0}023404 significantly suppressed the proliferation, arrested the cell-cycle progression and inhibited cell migration and invasion in CC. In terms of mechanism, we found that hsa{sub c}irc{sub 0}023404 acted as a sponge of miR-136 and miR-136 targeted TFCP2, which is an activator of YAP signaling pathway. We showed that hsa{sub c}irc{sub 0}023404 activated YAP pathway in CC via promoting TFCP2 expression by sponging miR-136, leading to CC development and progression. Taken together, our study for the first time demonstrated the pivot role of hsa{sub c}irc{sub 0}023404 and revealed a novel regulatory loop of hsa{sub c}irc{sub 0}023404/miR-136/TFCP2/YAP axis in CC progression.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

HBV polymerase-derived peptide exerts an anti-HIV-1 effect by inhibiting the acetylation of viral integrase

Highlights: • A HBV derived 6-mer peptide, Poly6, can elicit an anti-HIV-1 effect. • The anti-HIV-1 effects of Poly6 is due to the inhibition of viral integration. • Poly6 can lead to downregulation of HIV-1 IN acetylation via p300 suppression. Here, we found that a 6-mer peptide, Poly6, derived from the hepatitis B virus (HBV), which overlaps with a polymerase corresponding to a preS1 deletion reported to contribute to liver disease progression, can elicit an antiviral effect against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 by inhibiting HIV-1 integrase (IN) activity of infected cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that the anti-HIV-1 effects of Poly6 occurred via the inhibition of integration, which resulted from the inhibition of acetylation of HIV-1 IN possibly by downregulation of p300 histone acetyltransferase. Our data suggest the potential therapeutic use of a 6-mer HBV-derived peptide, Poly6, as an anti-HIV-1 agent to suppress HIV-1 infection via inhibiting integrase activity.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Delavatine A, an unusual isoquinoline alkaloid exerts anti-inflammation on LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokines production by suppressing NF-κB activation in BV-2 microglia

Highlights: • The anti-inflammation of delavatine A was first discovered. • The activity was proved not only by the production of NO, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β, but the regulatory genes including iNOS, COX-2, TNF-a, IL-6 and IL-1β. • Delavatine A regulated the LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokines production by suppressing NF-κB activation in BV-2 microglia. Delavatine A, an unusual isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from I. delavayi, was first studied for anti-inflammatory effect using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV-2 microglia. In the present study, we found that delavatine A substantially suppressed the LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediators, nitric oxide (NO), and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in BV-2 microglial cells. These effects resulted from the inhibition of their regulatory genes inducible NO synthase (iNOS), cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2) and TNF-a, IL-6, IL-1β. In addition, we examined several pathways related to inflammation. The results revealed that delavatine A significantly decreased LPS-induced the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) by suppressing the p65 subunits, and the phosphorylation of IκBα, while not related to PI3K/Akt or MAPK pathways.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Pharmacological inhibition of Rac1 exerts a protective role in ischemia/reperfusion-induced renal fibrosis

Acute kidney injury induced by renal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) is a prominent risk factor in the development towards renal fibrosis. Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1(Rac1) has been involved in the pathophysiology of fibrotic disorders. But the role of Rac1 in the pathogenesis of IR-induced renal fibrosis is still unknown. Here, we examined the effects of NSC23766, an inhibitor of Rac1, on the progression of renal fibrosis after IR injury. In mice, IR induced Rac1 activation in kidneys. Rac1 inhibition alleviated renal damage and dysfunction. Mice treated with NSC23766 displayed diminished collagen area in the kidneys compared with IR controls, which was associated with reduction of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and α-SMA. Furthermore, Rac1 inhibition reduced profibrotic molecules levels in the kidneys of mice with IR. Finally, Rac1 inhibition impaired the accumulation of bone marrow-derived M2 macrophages and the transition of M2 macrophages to myofibroblasts. In cultured mouse monocytes, IL-4 treatment activated Rac1, which was abrogated by NSC23766. Moreover, application with IL-4 induced polarization of monocytes to M2 phenotype and increased the levels of ECM proteins and α-SMA, which was abolished by NSC23766. In summary, Rac1 plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis after IR via regulation of expressions of profibrotic molecules, bone-marrow derived M2 macrophages recruitment, and M2 macrophages-myofibroblasts transition.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Circular RNA HIPK3 exerts oncogenic properties through suppression of miR-124 in lung cancer

Highlights: • CircHIPK3 is upregulated in human lung cancer cells. • CircHIPK3 siRNA inhibits lung cancer cell survival and proliferation. • CircHIPK3 overexpression promotes lung cancer cell survival and proliferation. • CircHIPK3 regulates expression miR-124 and its targets in lung cancer cells. • CircHIPK3 upregulation correlates with miR-124 downregulation in human lung cancer tissues. The current study tested the expression and potential functions of circular RNA HIPK3 (circHIPK3) in human lung cancer. Our results show that circHIPK3 expression is upregulated in established (A549 line) and primary human lung cancer cells, when compared to its low level in the lung epithelial cells. siRNA-mediated silencing of circHIPK3 potently inhibited survival and proliferation of lung cancer cells, but inducing significant apoptosis activation. Contrarily, forced overexpression of circHIPK3 by a lentiviral construct promoted lung cancer cell survival and proliferation. CircHIPK3 acted as a microRNA-124 (miR-124) sponger and regulated the expression of miR-124 mRNA targets, including SphK1, CDK4 and STAT3, in lung cancer cells. Transfection of miR-124 inhibitor significantly inhibited circHIPK3 siRNA-induced lung cancer cell death and apoptosis. At last, we show that circHIPK3 levels are upregulated in human lung cancer tissues, correlated with miR-124 downregulation. The miR-124 targets (SphK1, STAT3 and CDK4) are upregulated in lung cancer tissues. Together, we propose that circHIPK3 promotes lung cancer cell progression possibly by sponging miR-124. These observations indicate a possible novel therapeutic strategy involving circHIPK3-miR-124 pathway against lung cancer.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Long noncoding RNA LINC00165-induced by STAT3 exerts oncogenic properties via interaction with Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 to promote EMT in gastric cancer

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a crucial member of the non-coding RNA family, and increasing evidence demonstrates that lncRNAs participate in the initiation and progression of cancers. Our study aimed to explore the role of the lncRNA LINC00165 in gastric cancer (GC) development. In the present study, our results showed that LINC00165 was upregulated in GC tissues and cell lines and high expression of LINC00165 was correlated with tumor-node-metastasis stage, invasion depth, and overall survival of GC patients. Functional assays showed that LINC00165 knockdown inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells and LINC00165 overexpression stimulated their proliferation, migration and invasion. Online transcription factor binding site prediction analysis showed that there were STAT3 binding sites in the LINC00165 promoter region. Furthermore, luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays provided evidence that STAT3 could bind directly to the region between −547 bp to −537 bp (ATGTTGGGAAA) of LINC00165 promoter and activate its transcription. Then GC cells were partitioned into nuclear and cytoplasmic fractions and we found that LINC00165 was localized preferentially to the nucleus. Mechanistically, we revealed that LINC00165 functioned as a scaffold for interaction with Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 to promote the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in GC cells. Taken together, our study revealed that LINC00165 was involved in the progression and poor prognosis of GC as an oncogenic role. Therefore, LINC00165 might become a new potential target for GC chemotherapy and further predict prognosis of patients.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗