Long-term culture captures injury-repair cycles of colonic stem cells

The colonic epithelium can undergo multiple rounds of damage and repair, often in response to excessive inflammation. The responsive stem cell that mediates this process is unclear, in part because of a lack of in vitro models that recapitulate key epithelial changes that occur in vivo during damage and repair. Here, we identify a Hop

Aqueous extract of Amydrium sinense (Engl.) H. Li alleviates hepatic fibrosis by suppressing hepatic stellate cell activation through inhibiting Stat3 signaling

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the protective effect of the water extract of Amydrium sinense (Engl.) H. Li (ASWE) against hepatic fibrosis (HF) and clarify the underlying mechanism.Methods: The chemical components of ASWE were analysed by a Q-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometer. In our study, an in vivo hepatic fibrosis mouse model was established via an intraperitoneal injection of olive oil containing 20% CCl4. In vitro experiments were conducted using a hepatic stellate cell line (HSC-T6) and RAW 264.7 cell line. A CCK-8 assay was performed to assess the cell viability of HSC-T6 and RAW264.7 cells treated with ASWE. Immunofluorescence staining was used to examine the intracellular localization of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3). Stat3 was overexpressed to analyse the role of Stat3 in the effect of ASWE on HF.Results: Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that candidate targets of ASWE, associated with protective effects against hepatic fibrosis, were related to inflammation response. ASWE ameliorated CCl4-induced liver pathological damage and reduced the liver index and alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) levels. ASWE also decreased the serum levels of collagen Ⅰ (Col Ⅰ) and hydroxyproline (Hyp) in CCl4-treated mice. In addition, the expression of fibrosis markers, including α-SMA protein and Acta2, Col1a1, and Col3a1 mRNA, was downregulated by ASWE treatment in vivo. The expression of these fibrosis markers was also decreased by treatment with ASWE in HSC-T6 cells. Moreover, ASWE decreased the expression of inflammatory markers, including the Tnf-α, Il6 and Il1β, in RAW264.7 cells. ASWE decreased the phosphorylation of Stat3 and total Stat3 expression and reduced the mRNA expression of the Stat3 gene in vivo and in vitro. ASWE also inhibited the nuclear shuttling of Stat3. Overexpression of Stat3 weakened the therapeutic effect of ASWE and accelerated the progression of HF.Conclusion: The results show that ASWE protects against CCl4-induced liver injury by suppressing fibrosis, inflammation, HSC activation and the Stat3 signaling pathway, which might lead to a new approach for preventing HF

Transcranial Low-Level Laser Therapy Improves Neurological Performance in Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice: Effect of Treatment Repetition Regimen

Low-level laser (light) therapy (LLLT) has been clinically applied around the world for a spectrum of disorders requiring healing, regeneration and prevention of tissue death. One area that is attracting growing interest in this scope is the use of transcranial LLLT to treat stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI). We developed a mouse model of severe TBI induced by controlled cortical impact and explored the effect of different treatment schedules. Adult male BALB/c mice were divided into 3 broad groups (a) sham-TBI sham-treatment, (b) real-TBI sham-treatment, and (c) real-TBI active-treatment. Mice received active-treatment (transcranial LLLT by continuous wave 810 nm laser, 25 mW/cm[superscript 2], 18 J/cm[superscript 2], spot diameter 1 cm) while sham-treatment was immobilization only, delivered either as a single treatment at 4 hours post TBI, as 3 daily treatments commencing at 4 hours post TBI or as 14 daily treatments. Mice were sacrificed at 0, 4, 7, 14 and 28 days post-TBI for histology or histomorphometry, and injected with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) at days 21–27 to allow identification of proliferating cells. Mice with severe TBI treated with 1-laser Tx (and to a greater extent 3-laser Tx) had significant improvements in neurological severity score (NSS), and wire-grip and motion test (WGMT). However 14-laser Tx provided no benefit over TBI-sham control. Mice receiving 1- and 3-laser Tx had smaller lesion size at 28-days (although the size increased over 4 weeks in all TBI-groups) and less Fluoro-Jade staining for degenerating neurons (at 14 days) than in TBI control and 14-laser Tx groups. There were more BrdU-positive cells in the lesion in 1- and 3-laser groups suggesting LLLT may increase neurogenesis. Transcranial NIR laser may provide benefit in cases of acute TBI provided the optimum treatment regimen is employed.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant R01AI050875)Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology (DAMD17-02-2-0006)United States. Dept. of Defense. Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (W81XWH-09-1-0514)United States. Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Military Photomedicine Program (FA9550-11-1-0331

A review on the hybrids of hydroxycinnamic acid as multi-target-directed ligands against Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a complex chronic progressive central nervous system degenerative disease and a public health problem of the world, often characters cognitive dysfunction accompaning aggression and depression, and may lead to death. More attentions should be paid on it because there is no modified strategy against AD till now. AD is featured with the loss of cholinergic neurons, the amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) plaques and the neurofibrillary tangles and several hypotheses were established to explain the pathogenesis of AD. Hydroxycinnamic acids, including caffeic acid (CA) and ferulic acid (FA) are widely distributed in natural plants and fruits. CA and FA exert various pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotection, anti-amyloid aggregation and so on. All these pharmacological activities are associated with the treatment of AD. Here we summarized the pharmacological activities of CA and FA, and their hybrids as multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) against AD. The future application of CA and FA was also discussed, hoping to provide beneficial information for the development of CA- and FA-based MTDLs against AD

Comparison of cellular responses induced by low level light in different cell types

Discoveries are rapidly being made in multiple laboratories that shed "light" on the fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the use of low level light therapy (LLLT) in vitro, in animal models and in clinical practice. Increases in cellular levels of respiration, in cytochrome c oxidase activity, in ATP levels and in cyclic AMP have been found. Increased expression of reactive oxygen species and release of nitric oxide have also been shown. In order for these molecular changes to have a major effect on cell behavior, it is likely that various transcription factors will be activated, possibly via different signal transduction pathways. In this report we compare and contrast the effects of LLLT in vitro on murine embryonic fibroblasts, primary cortical neurons, cardiomyocytes and bone-marrow derived dendritic cells. We also examined two human cell lines, HeLa cancer cells and HaCaT keratinocytes. The effects of 810-nm near-infra-red light delivered at low and high fluences were addressed. Reactive oxygen species generation, transcription factor activation and ATP increases are reported. The data has led to the hypothesis that cells with a high level of mitochondrial activity (mitochondrial membrane potential) have a higher response to light than cells with low mitochondrial activity.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (grant R01AI050875)CIMIT: Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology (DAMD17-02-2-0006)United States. Dept. of Defense (CDMRP Program in TBI (W81XWH-09-1-0514))United States. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (FA9950-04-1-0079

Multi-targeted ChEI-copper chelating molecules as neuroprotective agents

The identification of a valid therapeutic treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD)represents nowadays an urgent and still unmet medical need, since currently available anti-AD drugs only relieve symptoms and show a modest efficacy. Recent evidence indicates that multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs)can potentially provide an effective strategy to develop innovative therapies directed towards the onset and progression of this multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder. In this work we designed, synthesized and evaluated a new series of MTDLs bearing the rivastigmine skeleton (ChE-inhibitor)linked to known metal-chelating moieties with linkers of different length. For all the novel derivatives, AChE/BuChE inhibitory activity, ROS scavenging activity and potential cytotoxicity have been assessed. For the best compound (4), copper chelating properties and neuroprotective effects were also evaluated. Our data demonstrated that hybrid derivative 4 is able to effectively inhibit AChE and BuChE and to chelate copper, showing a protective action on neurons. These results, although preliminary, indicate that compound 4 can be considered as a possible hit molecule for the development of new anti-AD MTDLs

Low level laser therapy for traumatic brain injury

Low level laser (or light) therapy (LLLT) has been clinically applied for many indications in medicine that require the following processes: protection from cell and tissue death, stimulation of healing and repair of injuries, and reduction of pain, swelling and inflammation. One area that is attracting growing interest is the use of transcranial LLLT to treat stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI). The fact that near-infrared light can penetrate into the brain would allow non-invasive treatment to be carried out with a low likelihood of treatment-related adverse events. LLLT may have beneficial effects in the acute treatment of brain damage injury by increasing respiration in the mitochondria, causing activation of transcription factors, reducing key inflammatory mediators, and inhibiting apoptosis. We tested LLLT in a mouse model of TBI produced by a controlled weight drop onto the skull. Mice received a single treatment with 660-nm, 810-nm or 980-nm laser (36 J/cm2) four hours post-injury and were followed up by neurological performance testing for 4 weeks. Mice with moderate to severe TBI treated with 660- nm and 810-nm laser had a significant improvement in neurological score over the course of the follow-up and histological examination of the brains at sacrifice revealed less lesion area compared to untreated controls. Further studies are underway.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (grant R01AI050875)CIMIT: Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology (DAMD17-02-2-0006)United States. Department of Defense. Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (Program in TBI (W81XWH-09-1-0514))United States. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (FA9950-04-1-0079

New radiocarbon and archaeobotanical evidence reveal the timing and route of southward dispersal of rice farming in south China

The origins and spreads of rice agriculture have been enduring topics, yet the timing and southward dispersal from the Yangtze River Basin have been difficult to trace, due to the scarcity of archaeobotanical data, especially systematic macro-plant remains examination, combined with the poor preservation in the humid climate and acidic soils of China’s southern provinces. Here, we report new radiocarbon dating and preserved rice phytolith evidence, derived from three Late Neolithic archaeological sites in south China, dated about 5,000–4,100 cal a BP. Our results demonstrate that rice farming had spread southward through the mountainous regions of Wuyi and Nanling, then entered the areas of Western Fujian and North Guangdong by 5,000 cal a BP, followed by continued expansion into coastal areas of East China Sea and South China Sea, also crossing the Taiwan Strait, around 4,500–4,000 cal a BP. The North River, East River, Min River, and possibly other river systems likely were influential as pathways or conduits.This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41371217, 41771231) and China Scholarship Council (201604910602). We thank for Dr. Deke Xu from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences for the identification of phytoliths