Amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregation, phosphorylated tau accumulation and neuroinflammation are considered as three hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Rhynchophylline (RN), the major alkaloid of a Chinese medicinal plant Uncaria rhynchophylla, has been shown to possess potent anti-AD effects. This study explored the effects of RN on Aβ pathology, tauopathy, and neuroinflammation using three AD mouse models, including TgCRND8, 3×Tg-AD, and 5×FAD, with RN treatment lasting for 4, 6, and 6 months, respectively, followed by behavioral tests and biological assays. In addition, BV2 cells were employed to further evaluate the biological effects of RN. RN treatment improved cognitive functions by reducing anxiety-like behaviors, enhancing recognition ability, and ameliorating learning impairments. It modulated Aβ processing through reducing the Aβ-producing enzyme activities and enhancing degradation enzyme activities, thereby diminishing Aβ accumulation. RN also decreased hyperphosphorylated tau proteins at Thr181, Thr205, Ser396, and Ser404 sites. Moreover, RN diminished neuroinflammation by reducing microglia and astrocyte activation and lowering the release of inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, RN treatment could restore gut microbiota dysbiosis in 5×FAD mice. In BV2 cells, knockdown of p53, HDAC2, and Galectin-3 markedly enhanced the anti-inflammatory effects of RN. Overall, the anti-AD properties of RN were attributed to its regulation of multiple biological pathways, including regulation of the p53/PINK1 signaling pathway, inhibition of the HDAC2/AMPK signaling pathway, suppression of the Galectin-3/C/EBPβ/AEP signaling pathway, and modulation of gut microflora dysbiosis. This pioneering study unambiguously revealed the effects of RN on cognitive impairments, APP processing, tauopathy, and neuroinflammation in different transgenic mouse models with differing AD burdens, highlighting its potential as an anti-AD therapeutic agent and enhancing the scientific basis for its clinical use in treating AD.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41401-025-01475-0 | DOI Listing |
J Cell Mol Med
March 2025
Hepatobiliary Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Research Unit of Liver Transplantation and Transplant Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
The global incidence of biliary tract cancer (BTC) is on the rise, presenting a substantial healthcare challenge. The integration of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) with molecularly targeted therapies is emerging as a strategy to enhance immune responses. However, the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of these treatments in BTC are still largely unexplored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Appl Bio Mater
March 2025
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been demonstrated to be an effective tool for cancer treatment. Seeking organelle-targeting photosensitizers (PSs) with robust reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is extremely in demand. Herein, we propose an aggregation-induced photosensitization strategy for effective PDT with osmium complexes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurobiol Dis
March 2025
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address:
Anal Chim Acta
May 2025
State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 639 Longmian Dadao, Nanjing, 211198, China. Electronic address:
Background: Traditional studies of protein responses to external stimuli primarily focus on changes in protein abundance, often overlooking the critical role of protein conformational alterations. To address this gap, we developed Protein Abundance and Conformation Analysis (PACA), an integrative method that quantifies both protein abundance and conformational changes. PACA combines conventional quantitative proteomics for abundance measurements with Target Response Accessibility Profiling (TRAP), a technique that captures conformational changes in situ by applying reductive dimethylation to label accessible lysine residues in living cells before lysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnal Chim Acta
May 2025
Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, USA; James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. Electronic address:
Background: The imperative need for early cancer detection, which is crucial for improved survival rates in many severe cancers such as lung cancer, remains challenging due to the lack of reliable early-diagnosis technologies and robust biomarkers. To address this gap, innovative screening platforms are essential to unveil the chemical signatures of lung cancer and its treatments. It is established that the oxidative tumor environment induces alterations in host metabolic processes and influences endogenous volatile synthesis.
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