Publications by authors named "Zihua Xu"

Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is a non-selective cation channel involved in detecting harmful stimuli and endogenous ligands, primarily expressed in sensory neurons. Due to its role in pain and itch, TRPA1 is a potential drug target. We identified an oxindole core structure via high-throughput screening, modified it, and tested the modified compounds in vitro and in vivo.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • TRP channels are crucial for sensing external temperature changes and are found in both the peripheral and central nervous systems, impacting various sensory responses and physiological functions.
  • In colder environments, TRPM8 and TRPA1 channels detect cold and are key to understanding pain related to low temperatures and neuropathic pain.
  • The paper reviews the structural features, biosynthetic pathways, and chemical synthesis of TRPM8 and TRPA1 inhibitors and provides insights into pharmacological strategies for treating pain linked to these channels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs) are a series of cholesterol-related transcription factors. Their role in regulating brain cholesterol biosynthesis, amyloid accumulation, and tau tangles formation has been intensively studied in protein-protein interaction analysis based on genes in clinical databases. SREBPs play an important role in maintaining cholesterol homeostasis in the brain.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major cause of progressive dementia characterized by memory loss and progressive neurocognitive dysfunction. However, the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. To elucidate the molecular mechanism contributing to AD, an integrated analytical workflow was deployed to identify pivotal regulatory target within the RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data of the temporal cortex from AD patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Soluble transforming growth factor beta receptor 3 (sTGFBR3) antagonist is a new focus in the research and development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) drugs. Our previous studies have identified sTGFBR3 as a promising new target for AD, with few targeted antagonists identified. In this study, we performed structural modeling of sTGFBR3 using AlphaFold2, followed by high-throughput virtual screening and surface plasmon resonance assays.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Targeting dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A) has been verified to regulate the progression of tau pathology as a promising treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD), while the research progress on DYRK1A inhibitors seemed to be in a bottleneck period. In this work, we identified () as the most potential DYRK1A inhibitor (IC = 0.68 nM) through rational design, systematic structural optimization, and comprehensive evaluation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background & Aims: Nonselective β blockers (NSBBs) facilitate the development of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in liver cirrhosis. Considering the potential effect of NSBBs on neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), we speculated that NSBBs might promote the development of PVT by stimulating neutrophils to release NETs.

Materials And Methods: Serum NETs biomarkers were measured, use of NSBBs was recorded, and PVT was evaluated in cirrhotic patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Multitarget-directed ligands (MTDLs) have recently attracted significant interest due to their superior effectiveness in multifactorial Alzheimer's disease (AD). Combined inhibition of two important AD targets, glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A), may be a breakthrough in the treatment of AD. Based on our previous work, we have designed and synthesized a series of novel harmine derivatives, investigated their inhibition of GSK-3β and DYRK1A, and evaluated a variety of biological activities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Liang-Yan-Yi-Zhen-San (LYYZS) is an ancient Chinese herbal formula that promotes the browning of white adipose tissue, which is important for fat metabolism.
  • The study identified 52 active ingredients within LYYZS and screened 1,560 ingredient-related targets linked to its effects, while also analyzing gene expression changes in mice.
  • The network pharmacology analysis revealed 10 key active ingredients that contribute to browning, demonstrating a comprehensive approach to identifying substances that enhance fat burning.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Alzheimer's disease (AD) is complex and involves multiple pathways, making multi-targeted inhibitors like ZDWX-12 and ZDWX-25 more effective for treatment.
  • Neurofibrillary tangles caused by the Tau protein's hyperphosphorylation, mainly due to GSK3β and DYRK1A overexpression, are a key focus for these inhibitors.
  • ZDWX-25 demonstrated superior effectiveness in reducing Tau hyperphosphorylation and neurofibrillary tangles in both cell and mouse models, suggesting it could be a promising drug for Alzheimer’s treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

ZLDI-8, which has a relatively strong antitumor activity, is an inhibitor of ADAM-17 and acts on the Notch signaling pathway. To further optimize its structure and improve its activity, a series of derivatives of ZLDI-8 was synthesized. NY-2 was the most effective derivative based on preliminary activity screening in vitro, with no obvious toxicity after administration .

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Keyin pill (KP), a patented medicine in China, is used to treat psoriasis. However, KP has been reported to have liver toxicity, but its toxic substance basis and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the pharmacological mechanisms and components of KP-induced liver injury through animal experiments, UPLC-QTOF/MS combined with network pharmacology.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by progressive cognitive impairment and mental behavior. The combination inhibition of two essential AD targets, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), might be a breakthrough in the discovery of therapeutic success. Herein, 17 β-carboline-1,2,3-triazole hybrids were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their AChE and GSK-3β inhibitory potential.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is very complex, and there are many hypotheses. Therefore, the development of a multi-target-directed-ligand may be an effective therapeutic strategy. Our previous study showed that notopterol (a natural product from ) is a dual BACE1/GSK3β inhibitor.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Yuan-Zhi Decoction (YZD) is a traditional Chinese medical formulation with demonstrated clinical benefits in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We used liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry to identify 27 unique chemical components of YZD. Analyzing these using network pharmacology and molecular docking models identified 34 potential interacting molecular targets involved in 26 biochemical pathways.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

CDK2/9 are members of the CDKs family, which play key roles in the occurrence and development of many cancers by regulating cell cycle and transcriptional prolongation, respectively. To further optimize and discuss the structure-activity relationships (SARs), a series of tacrine-based compounds were designed and synthesized from the compound ZLWT-37, which was studied by our group previously but no detailed SARs study was conducted on CDK2/9. Among this series, compounds ZLMT-12 (35) exhibited the most potent antiproliferative activity (GI = 0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Multi-targeted directed ligands (MTDLs) are emerging as promising Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapeutic possibilities. Coumarin is a multifunctional backbone with extensive bioactivity that has been utilized to develop innovative anti-neurodegenerative properties and is a desirable starting point for the construction of MTDLs. Herein, we explored and synthesized a series of novel coumarin derivatives and assessed their inhibitory effects on cholinesterase (AChE, BuChE), GSK-3β, and BACE1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Bevacizumab (Bev) is a humanized vascular endothelial growth factor monoclonal antibody that is used with chemotherapeutic drugs for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Bev-induced hypertension (HT) is the most common adverse reaction during clinical practice. However, at present, appropriate antihypertensive agents for Bev-induced HT are unavailable.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disease, characterized by irreversible cognitive impairment, memory loss, and behavioral disturbances, ultimately resulting in death. The critical roles of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) in tau pathology have also received considerable attention. Based on molecular docking studies, a series of novel α-carboline derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as GSK-3β inhibitors for their various biological activities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Uncontrolled cell proliferation is a hallmark of cancer. The major regulator of the cell cycle, cyclin dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), has become a mature target for cancer treatment. Herein, we describe our efforts toward the discovery of a series of benzofuro[3,2-b]quinoline alkaloid derivatives as CDK2 inhibitors through a scaffold hopping strategy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Tacrine was the first approved drug by the FDA for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) but was withdrawn from the market due to its dose-dependent hepatotoxicity. Herein, we describe our efforts toward the discovery of a novel series of tacrine derivatives for cancer therapeutics. Intensive structural modifications of tacrine led to the identification of N-(4-{9-[(3S)-3-aminopyrrolidin-1-yl]-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroacridin-2-yl}pyridin-2-yl)cyclopropanecarboxamide hydrochloride ((S)-45, ZLWT-37) as a potent antiproliferative agent (GI = 0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Melatonin can improve mitochondrial dysfunction associated with the aging process by removing active oxygen, as well as inhibiting lipid peroxidation to maintain biofilm fluidity and resist free radical attack. However, there is poor understanding of the effect of melatonin on age-dependent mitochondrial function and lipid profile changes in brain. In this study, we investigated the energy metabolism of the whole body and brain of mice at 9 months, 13 months, and 25 months of continuous gastric administration of 3 mg/kg/d melatonin once per day morning for two months.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A series of novel β-carboline 1,3,4-oxadiazole based hybrids were designed, synthesized, and tested for cytotoxicity and HDAC inhibition. Among the target compounds, compound ZDLT-1 displayed high inhibitory activity for class I HDACs 1, 2, and 3, and potent anti-proliferative activity against HCT116 cells with an IC value of 0.173 ± 0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4), which is involved in dynamic regulation of cell cycle, has gained particularly attention for its role in controlling tumor growth.Increasing evidence showed that β-carboline derivatives have the potential to inhibit CDK4. Herein, on the basis of previous work, we designed and synthesized a series of novel β-carbolines and evaluated their antitumor activity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF