Biochemical and biophysical research communications
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Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. · May 2020
Lemairamin, isolated from the Zanthoxylum plants, alleviates pain hypersensitivity via spinal α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.
Lemairamin (also known as wgx-50), is isolated from the pericarps of the Zanthoxylum plants. As an agonist of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7nAChRs), it can reduce neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease. This study evaluated its antinociceptive effects in pain hypersensitivity and explored the underlying mechanisms. ⋯ In an α7nAChR antagonist-reversible manner, intrathecal lemairamin also stimulated spinal expression of IL-10 and β-endorphin, while lemairamin treatment induced IL-10 and β-endorphin expression in primary spinal microglial cells. In addition, intrathecal injection of a microglial activation inhibitor minocycline, anti-IL-10 antibody, anti-β-endorphin antiserum or μ-opioid receptor-preferred antagonist naloxone was all able to block lemairamin-induced mechanical antiallodynia in neuropathic pain. These data demonstrated that lemairamin could produce antinociception in pain hypersensitivity through the spinal IL-10/β-endorphin pathway following α7nAChR activation.
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Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. · May 2020
PINK1/Parkin mediated mitophagy ameliorates palmitic acid-induced apoptosis through reducing mitochondrial ROS production in podocytes.
Diabetic nephropathy (DN), the primary cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), is often accompanied by dyslipidemia, which is closely related to the occurrence and development of DN and even the progression to ESRD. Mitophagy, the selective degradation of damaged and dysfunctional mitochondria by autophagy, is a crucial mitochondrial quality control mechanism, and largely regulated by PINK1 (PTEN-induced putative kinase 1)/Parkin signaling pathway. In the present study, we demonstrated that PA induced mitochondrial damage and excessive mitoROS generation in podocytes. ⋯ Furthermore, inhibition of mitophagy by silencing Parkin dramatically aggravated PA-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, mitoROS production, and further enhanced PA-induced apoptosis of podocytes. Finally, we showed that PINK1/Parkin pathway were up-regulated in kidney of high fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats. Taken together, our results suggest that PINK1/Parkin mediated mitophagy plays a protective role in PA-induced podocytes apoptosis through reducing mitochondrial ROS production and that enhancing mitophagy provides a potential therapeutic strategy for kidney diseases with hyperlipidemia, such as DN.