Activation of Free Fatty Acid Receptor 4 (FFA4) Ameliorates Ovalbumin-Induced Allergic Asthma by Suppressing Activation of Dendritic and Mast Cells in Mice

Epidemiological and clinical studies have suggested that intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) reduces the incidence of allergic airway diseases and improves pulmonary function in patients with allergic asthma. However, the pharmacological targets of PUFA have not been elucidated upon. We investigated whether free fatty acid receptor 4 (FFA4, also known as GPR120) is a molecular target for beneficial PUFA in asthma therapy. In an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma model, compound A (a selective agonist of FFA4) was administrated before OVA sensitization or OVA challenge in FFA4 wild-type (WT) and knock-out (KO) mice. Compound A treatment of RBL-2H3 cells suppressed mast cell degranulation in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner. Administration of compound A suppressed in vivo allergic characteristics in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lungs, such as inflammatory cytokine levels and eosinophil accumulation in BALF, inflammation and mucin secretion in the lungs. Compound A-induced suppression was not only observed in mice treated with compound A before OVA challenge, but in mice treated before OVA sensitization as well, implying that compound A acts on mast cells as well as dendritic cells. Furthermore, this suppression by compound A was only observed in FFA4-WT mice and was absent in FFA4-KO mice, implying that compound A action is mediated through FFA4. Activation of FFA4 may be a therapeutic target of PUFA in allergic asthma by suppressing the activation of dendritic cells and mast cells, suggesting that highly potent specific agonists of FFA4 could be a novel therapy for allergic asthma.     

Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 Promotes Cell Proliferation by Downregulation of G-Protein-Coupled Receptor 17 Expression via PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 Signaling in SK-N-SH Cells

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) not only regulates neuronal function and development but also is neuroprotective in the setting of acute ischemic stroke. G-protein-coupled receptor 17 (GPR17) expression in brain tissue serves as an indicator of brain damage. As whether IGF-1 regulates GPR17 expression remains unknown, the aim of this study is to investigate how IGF-1 regulates GPR17 expression in vitro. Human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells were used. Lentivirus-mediated short hairpin RNA (shRNA) was constructed to mediate the silencing of FoxO1, while adenoviral vectors were used for its overexpression. Verification of the relevant signaling cascade was performed using a FoxO1 inhibitor (AS1842856), a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor (LY294002), and a GPR17 antagonist (cangrelor). Cell proliferation was analyzed using EdU staining; immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expression and subcellular localization of FoxO1. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was used to analyze the binding of FoxO1 to the GPR17 promoter in SK-N-SH cells. The expression of FoxO1, GPR17, and protein kinase B (also known as Akt) mRNA and protein as well as the levels of FoxO1 and Akt phosphorylation were investigated in this study. IGF-1 was found to downregulate FoxO1 and GPR17 expression in SK-N-SH cells while promoting cell viability and proliferation. Inhibition of FoxO1 and antagonism of GPR17 were found to play a role similar to that of IGF-1. Silencing of FoxO1 by lentivirus-mediated shRNA resulted in the downregulation of FoxO1 and GPR17 expression. The overexpression of FoxO1 via adenoviral vectors resulted in the upregulation of FoxO1 and GPR17 expression. Blocking of PI3K signaling by LY294002 inhibited the effect of IGF-1 on GPR17 suppression. Results from chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that IGF-1 promotes FoxO1 nuclear export and reduces FoxO1 binding to the GPR17 promoter in SK-N-SH cells. Here, we conclude that IGF-1 enhances cell viability and proliferation in SK-N-SH cells via the promotion of FoxO1 nuclear export and reduction of FoxO1 binding to the GPR17 promoter via PI3K/Akt signaling. Our findings suggest that the enhancement of IGF-1 signaling to antagonize GPR17 serves as a potential therapeutic strategy in the management of acute ischemic stroke.     

Primary Human Colon Epithelial Cells (pHCoEpiCs) Do Express the Shiga Toxin (Stx) Receptor Glycosphingolipids Gb3Cer and Gb4Cer and Are Largely Refractory but Not Resistant towards Stx

Shiga toxin (Stx) is released by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) into the human intestinal lumen and transferred across the colon epithelium to the circulation. Stx-mediated damage of human kidney and brain endothelial cells and renal epithelial cells is a renowned feature, while the sensitivity of the human colon epithelium towards Stx and the decoration with the Stx receptor glycosphingolipids (GSLs) globotriaosylceramide (Gb3Cer, Galα1-4Galβ1-4Glcβ1-1Cer) and globotetraosylceramide (Gb4Cer, GalNAcβ1-3Galα1-4Galβ1-4Glcβ1-1Cer) is a matter of debate. Structural analysis of the globo-series GSLs of serum-free cultivated primary human colon epithelial cells (pHCoEpiCs) revealed Gb4Cer as the major neutral GSL with Cer (d18:1, C16:0), Cer (d18:1, C22:1/C22:0) and Cer (d18:1, C24:2/C24:1) accompanied by minor Gb3Cer with Cer (d18:1, C16:0) and Cer (d18:1, C24:1) as the dominant lipoforms. Gb3Cer and Gb4Cer co-distributed with cholesterol and sphingomyelin to detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs) used as microdomain analogs. Exposure to increasing Stx concentrations indicated only a slight cell-damaging effect at the highest toxin concentration of 1 µg/mL for Stx1a and Stx2a, whereas a significant effect was detected for Stx2e. Considerable Stx refractiveness of pHCoEpiCs that correlated with the rather low cellular content of the high-affinity Stx-receptor Gb3Cer renders the human colon epithelium questionable as a major target of Stx1a and Stx2a.     

1-(2-Hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)-3-phenyl-1,3-propanedione Induces G1 Cell Cycle Arrest and Autophagy in HeLa Cervical Cancer Cells

The natural agent, 1-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)-3-phenyl-1,3-propanedione (HMDB), has been reported to have growth inhibitory effects on several human cancer cells. However, the role of HMDB in cervical cancer remains unclear. Herein, we found that HMDB dose- and time-dependently inhibited growth of HeLa cervical cancer cells, accompanied with G1 cell cycle arrest. HMDB decreased protein expression of cyclins D1/D3/E and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) 2/4/6 and reciprocally increased mRNA and protein levels of CDK inhibitors (p15, p16, p21, and p27), thereby leading to the accumulation of hypophosphorylated retinoblastoma (Rb) protein. HMDB also triggered the accumulation of acidic vesicles and formation of microtubule-associated protein-light chain 3 (LC3), followed by increased expression of LC3 and Beclin-1 and decreased expression of p62, suggesting that HMDB triggered autophagy in HeLa cells. Meanwhile, suppression of the expression of survivin and Bcl-2 implied that HMDB-induced autophagy is tightly linked to apoptosis. Exploring the action mechanism, HMDB induced autophagy via the modulation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and mTOR signaling pathway rather than the class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway. These results suggest that HMDB inhibits HeLa cell growth by eliciting a G1 arrest through modulation of G1 cell cycle regulators and by concomitantly inducing autophagy through the mediation of AMPK-mTOR and Akt-mTOR pathways, and may be a promising antitumor agent against cervical cancer.     

1-(2-氯-4-吡啶基)-3-苯基脲的高效液相色谱分析

采用高效液相色谱法，以甲醇：乙酸：水(50：3：47，V／V)为流动相，采用ODS—C18色谱柱和紫外检测器，用外标法对苯异氰酸酯法合成的标题化合物进行定量分析。标准偏差0．253％，变异系数0．524％，平均回收率98．5％。     

Anti-Growth,Anti-Angiogenic,and Pro-Apoptotic Effects by CX-4945, an Inhibitor of Casein Kinase 2, on HuCCT-1 Human Cholangiocarcinoma Cells via Control of Caspase-9/3, DR-4, STAT-3/STAT-5, Mcl-1, eIF-2α, and HIF-1α

Overexpression of casein kinase 2 (CK2) has an oncogenic and pro-survival role in many cancers. CX-4945 (Silmitasertib) is a CK2 inhibitor with anti-cancerous and anti-angiogenic effects. Up to date, the anti-cancer effect and mechanism of CX-4945 on human cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) remain unclear. This study investigated whether CX-4945 inhibits growth and induces apoptosis of HuCCT-1 cells, a human CCA cell line. Of note, treatment with CX-4945 at 20 μM markedly reduced survival and induced apoptosis of HuCCT-1 cells, as evidenced by nuclear DNA fragmentation, PARP cleavage, activation of caspase-9/3, and up-regulation of DR-4. Although CX-4945 did not affect the phosphorylation and expression of CK2, it vastly inhibited the phosphorylation of CK2 substrates, supporting the drug’s efficacy in inhibiting CK2 and its downstream pathway. Importantly, knockdown of CK2 that partially suppressed the phosphorylation of CK2 substrates resulted in a significant reduction of HuCCT-1 cell survival. In addition, CX-4945 reduced the phosphorylation and expression of STAT-3 and STAT-5 in HuCCT-1 cells, and pharmacological inhibition or respective knockdown of these proteins resulted in significant growth suppression of HuCCT-1 cells. CX-4945 also had abilities to decrease Mcl-1 expression while increasing eIF-2α phosphorylation in HuCCT-1 cells. Furthermore, there was a time-differential negative regulation of HIF-1α expression by CX-4945 in HuCCT-1 cells, and knockdown of HIF-1α caused a significant reduction of the cell survival. In summary, these results demonstrated that CX-4945 has anti-growth, anti-angiogenic, and pro-apoptotic effects on HuCCT-1 cells, which are mediated through control of CK2, caspase-9/3, DR-4, STAT-3/5, Mcl-1, eIF-2α, and HIF-1α.     

(1R, 2S)-2-(3,4-二氟苯基)环丙胺的合成研究

替卡格雷是一种口服选择性小分子抗凝血药,不需要通过代谢激活,自身具有抗血小板活性。而(1 R,2 S)-2-(3,4-二氟苯基)环丙胺是合成替卡格雷的一个关键中间体。本文在文献报道的合成路线基础上进行优化,对其中关键步骤—不对称Corey-Chaykovsky环丙烷化反应进行了研究,并筛选出最优反应条件：以L-薄荷醇为手性辅剂、三甲基碘化锍盐为叶立德试剂、二甲亚砜和四氢呋喃为混合溶剂、温度为10~12 ℃、10 %的碘化亚铜为催化剂时,反应的收率为60.5 %;在此基础上以五步反应,20%的总收率合成(1 R, 2 S)-2-(3, 4-二氟苯基)环丙胺。     

B位氧化物预合成法制备(1-x)Pb(Fe1/4Sc1/4Nb1/2)O3-xPbTiO3铁电陶瓷及其性能研究

利用传统的陶瓷工艺、通过B位氧化物预合成法制备了高质量、钙钛矿结构的(1-x)Pb(Fe1/4Sc1/4Nb1/2)O3-xPbTiO3(PFSN-PT)铁电陶瓷.结构测定和性能测试表明,1180℃烧结2h制备的PFSN-PT陶瓷呈现相当均匀的显微结构和良好的电学性能,同时具有较高的致密度(约95%),只有PbTiO3(PT)物质的量分数为40%、60%的陶瓷致密度略低(约91%).随着PT含量的增加,PFSN-PT从三方相结构转变为四方相结构,并伴随着晶胞体积的减小(从PFSN的6.6676×10-2 nm3下降到0.2PFSN-0.8PT的6.3555×10-2 nm3)和钙钛矿结构四方性的增大(从0.6PFSN-0.4PT的1.0242增加到0.2PFSN-0.8PT的1.0488).PFSN-PT陶瓷的介电常数最大值(εm)及其峰值温度(Tm)也随着PT含量的增加呈线性增大.介电性能测试和热滞行为研究表明,随着PT含量的增加,PFSN-PT的铁电-顺电相变从弛豫铁电体的弥散型铁电相变向正常铁电体的一级铁电相变转变.     

HBx Protein Promotes Oval Cell Proliferation by Up-Regulation of Cyclin D1 via Activation of the MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt Pathways

Growing evidence has shown that hepatic oval cells, also named liver progenitor cells, play an important role in the process of liver regeneration in various liver diseases. Oval cell proliferation has been reported in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and chronic liver disease. Studies have found expression of HBV surface and core antigens in oval cells in the livers of patients with HCC, suggesting that HBV infection of oval cells could be a mechanism of human hepatocarcinogenesis. In addition, there is evidence of multiplication of HBV in oval cell culture. However, little research has been performed to explore the role of HBV-encoded proteins in the proliferation of hepatic oval cells. Previously, we successfully transfected the HBV x (HBx) gene, one of the four genes in the HBV genome, into a rat LE/6 oval cell line. In this study, we tested whether or not the transfected HBx gene could affect oval cell proliferation in vitro. Our results show that overexpression of HBx promotes the proliferation of oval cells and increases cyclin D1 expression, assessed at both the mRNA and protein levels. We also found that HBx activated the PI-3K/Akt and MEK/ERK1/2 pathways in HBx-transfected oval cells. Furthermore, the HBx-induced increases in cyclin D1 expression and oval cell proliferation were completely abolished by treatment with either MEK inhibitor PD184352 or PI-3K inhibitor {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"LY294002","term_id":"1257998346","term_text":"LY294002"}}LY294002. These results demonstrated that HBx has the ability to promote oval cell proliferation in vitro, and its stimulatory effects on cell proliferation and expression of cyclin D1 depend on the activation of the MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways in cultured oval cells.     

Expression of the C-Terminal Domain of Phospholipase Cβ3 Inhibits Signaling via Gαq-Coupled Receptors and Transient Receptor Potential Channels

Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are cation channels that play a regulatory role in pain and thermosensation, insulin secretion, and neurotransmission. It has been proposed that activation of TRP channels requires phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, the major substrate for phospholipase C (PLC). We investigated whether inhibition of PLCβ has an impact on TRP channel signaling. A genetic approach was used to avoid off-target effects observed when using a pharmacological PLCβ inhibitor. In this study, we show that expression of PLCβ1ct and PLCβ3ct, truncated forms of PLCβ1 or PLCβ3 that contain the C-terminal membrane binding domains, almost completely blocked the signal transduction of a Gαq-coupled designer receptor, including the phosphorylation of ERK1/2. In contrast, expression of the helix-turn-helix motif (Hα1—Hα2) of the proximal C-terminal domain of PLCβ3 did not affect Gαq-coupled receptor signaling. PLCβ3ct expression impaired signaling of the TRP channels TRPM3 and TRPM8, stimulated with either prognenolone sulfate or icilin. Thus, the C-terminal domain of PLCβ3 interacts with plasma membrane targets, most likely phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, and in this way blocks the biological activation of TRPM3 and TRPM8, which require interaction with this phospholipid. PLCβ thus regulates TRPM3 and TRPM8 channels by masking phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate with its C-terminal domain.     

In Vitro Characterization of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptor 1 (S1P1) Expression and Mediated Migration of Primary Human T and B Cells in the Context of Cenerimod,a Novel,Selective S1P1 Receptor Modulator

Cenerimod is a potent, selective sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P₁) modulator currently investigated in a Phase IIb study in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) ({"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT03742037","term_id":"NCT03742037"}}NCT03742037). S1P₁ receptor modulators sequester circulating lymphocytes within lymph nodes, thereby reducing pathogenic autoimmune cells (including T and B lymphocytes) in the bloodstream and inflamed tissues, making them an effective therapeutic concept for autoimmune disorders. Although the effect of S1P receptor modulators in reducing circulating lymphocytes is well documented, the precise molecular role of the S1P₁ receptor on these cell types is not fully understood. In this study, the mode of action of cenerimod on human primary lymphocytes in different activation states was investigated focusing on their chemotactic behavior towards S1P in real-time, concomitant to S1P₁ receptor expression and internalization dynamics. Here, we show that cenerimod effectively prevents T and B cell migration in a concentration-dependent manner. Interestingly, while T cell activation led to strong S1P₁ re-expression and enhanced migration; in B cells, an enhanced migration capacity and S1P₁ receptor surface expression was observed in an unstimulated state. Importantly, concomitant treatment with glucocorticoids (GCs), a frequently used treatment for autoimmune disorders, had no impact on the inhibitory activity of cenerimod on lymphocytes.     

3-N-丙酰基-2-芳基-5-(2-溴-5-氟苯基)-1,3,4-(噁)唑啉类衍生物的合成与结构表征

2-溴5-氟苯甲酰肼(1)与芳香醛缩合得到酰腙(2a～2i),再与丙酸酐环合成了3-N-丙酰基-2-芳基-5-(2-溴-5-氟苯基)-1,3,4-噁唑啉类衍生物(3a～3i),收率70%～83%。化合物的结构经元素分析、IR、1HNMR和MS确证。     

含取代吡唑基的1,2,4-三唑并[3,4-b]-1,3,4-噻二唑类化合物的合成与波谱表征

通过3-烷基／芳基-4-氨基-5-巯基-1,2,4-三唑与1-苯基-3-甲基-5-氯吡唑甲醛进行分子内的Mannich反应,合成了12个标题化合物,并经元素分析、红外光谱、核磁共振氢谱确证结构,讨论了,其波谱性质。     

KHSO_4/Al_2O_3催化合成2-(1-环己烯基)环己酮的研究

以KHSO4/Al2O3为催化剂,环己酮为原料,催化合成2-(1-环己烯基)环己酮。实验结果表明,KHSO4/Al2O3具有良好的催化活性,最佳工艺条件为:环己酮20mL,催化剂KHSO4/Al2O33.5g,反应温度97±2℃,产品收率达到58.6%。     

TRFIA螯合剂中间体2,6-二(3′-溴甲基-1′-吡唑基)-4-溴吡啶的合成、分离与表征

以2,6-二（3-甲基-1-H-吡唑基）-4-溴吡啶为原料,经重氮化、溴化合成了新型时间分辨荧光免疫分析（TR-FIA）双功能螯合剂中间体2,6-二（3＇-溴甲基-1＇-吡唑基）-4-溴吡啶,通过IR、GC-MS1、HNMR和元素分析等对其结构进行了确认,探讨了合成条件及反应机理。同时,通过GC-MS1、HNMR和元素分析等对第一副产物4-溴-2-（3＇-溴甲基-1＇-吡唑基）-6-（3＇-甲基-1＇-吡唑基）吡啶的结构也进行了确认,以其为原料可继续合成目标化合物,大幅提高总产率。     

1-甲基-3-(7-氟-4-炔丙基-1,4-苯并噁嗪-3-酮-6-基)-1,3-喹唑啉-2,4-二酮的合成及其除草活性

标题化合物(SYP-298)是沈阳化工研究院的试验除草剂,由邻硝基苯甲酸经5步反应制得。其结构经核磁共振谱和质谱分析确证。SYP-298在温室条件下38 g a.i./hm2可防多种阔叶杂草,在600 g a.i./hm2对玉米和水稻安全。