Publications by authors named "Xinghua Zhen"

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) is a transcription factor responsible for mounting an anti-oxidation gene expression program to counter oxidative stress. Under unstressed conditions, Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1), an adaptor protein for CUL3 E3 ubiquitin ligase, mediates NRF2 ubiquitination and degradation. We show here that the deubiquitinase USP25 directly binds to KEAP1 and prevents KEAP1's own ubiquitination and degradation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the most common extracranial solid tumors in children. MYCN gene amplification is highly associated with poor prognosis in high-risk NB patients. In non-MYCN-amplified high-risk NB patients, the expression of c-MYC (MYCC) and its target genes is highly elevated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Overexpression of ubiquitin-specific protease 28 (USP28) is found in hepatic carcinoma. It is unclear whether the deubiquitinase plays a role in hepatocarcinogenesis. Deregulation of the Wnt signaling pathway is frequently associated with liver cancer.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP) is a common and devastating complication in patients with diabetes. The mechanisms mediating DNP are not completely elucidated, and effective treatments are lacking. A-fiber sensory neurons have been shown to mediate the development of mechanical allodynia in neuropathic pain, yet the molecular basis underlying the contribution of A-fiber neurons is still unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks significant expression of the estrogen receptor, the progesterone receptor, and of human epidermal growth factor receptor. It is the most aggressive and malignant of all breast cancers, and for which, there are currently no effective targeted therapies. We have shown previously that the RecQ helicase family member RECQL5 is essential for the proliferation and survival of TNBC cells; however, the mechanism of its involvement in cell viability has not been shown.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: To discover a novel antidepressant-like effect and anticonvulsant compound, seventeen new 2-oxo-3-phenyliminoindolin-1-Nphenylacetamide compounds were synthesized and screened for the antidepressant activity and anticonvulsant effects.

Method: 2-oxo-3-phenyliminoindolin-1-N-phenylacetamide derivatives were synthesized with indoline-2, 3-dione as the starting material, through a nucleophilic substitution reaction and a nucleophilic addition-elimination reaction. The target derivatives 2a-2q were evaluated the antidepressant-like activity using the FST, TST, and evaluated anticonvulsant effect by MES test.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A series of 7-prenyloxy-2, 3-dihydroflavanone derivatives were synthesized and screened for their antidepressant-like activity. Among them, it was observed that compounds 5j and 5k were found to be the most antidepressant-like activity. In addition, it was found that compounds 5j and 5k significantly increased the concentrations of the main neurotransmitters 5-HT and NE in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and cortex.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A new series of 2-(5-methyl-2,3-dioxoindolin-1-yl)acetamide derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their anticonvulsive activity in a pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-evoked convulsion model and antidepressant activity in the forced swimming test (FST) model. Eleven synthesized compounds were found to be protective against PTZ-induced seizure and showed the anticonvulsant activity. In addition, four of the synthesized compounds (4l, 4m, 4p and 4q) showed potent antidepressant-like activity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We previously showed that extracts of Sargassum fusiforme significantly reduce immobility time in the forced swim test and tail suspension test, suggesting that these extracts possess antidepressant-like effects. Here, fucosterol extracted from S. fusiforme was evaluated for antidepressant and anticonvulsant activities in mice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Herein, a series of 3-phenyliminoindolin-2-one derivatives were designed, synthesized, and screened for their antidepressant and anticonvulsant activities. The IR spectra of the compounds afforded NH stretching (3340-3346 cm(-1)) bands and C=O stretching (1731-1746 cm(-1)). In the (1)H-NMR spectra of the compounds, N-H protons of indoline ring were observed at 10.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF