Dataset Information

Formononetin induces vasorelaxation in rat thoracic aorta via regulation of the PI3K/PTEN/Akt signaling pathway.

ABSTRACT: Background:Formononetin (FMN) is an isoflavone that produces arterial vasodilation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. Purpose:The purpose of this study was to explore the vasorelaxant effect and the potential mechanism of FMN in vascular endothelium in isolated rat aorta. Methods:The thoracic aortas of Sprague Dawley rats were isolated to test the arterial reactivity in the presence of FMN with or without inhibitors. Bioinformatics analyses, including a Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine and molecular docking methods, were performed to predict therapeutic targets responsible for the vascular protection produced by FMN. We used rat aortic endothelial cells (RAOECs) as an in vitro model to verify the potential mechanism through molecular biological analyses. The production of nitric oxide (NO) metabolites were evaluated via an NO assay kit according to the manufacturer's instruction. The mRNA expression of eNOS was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction, and the protein levels of PTEN, phosphorylated Akt, and eNOS were measured by Western blot. Results:We found that FMN dilated rat aortic rings in a concentration-dependent manner, which was reduced by endothelium denudation and eNOS inhibition. The bioinformatics analyses indicated that FMN activity was associated with the PI3K/PTEN/Akt signaling pathway. Molecular biological studies demonstrated that FMN significantly elevated the levels of NO and eNOS mRNA and markedly increased the protein expression of phosphorylated Akt and eNOS in RAOECs, and decreased PTEN compared with a dimethyl sulfoxide group. Conclusion:FMN performs vasorelaxation of the thoracic aorta through activating the PI3K/PTEN/Akt signaling pathway.

SUBMITTER: Li T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6219413 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Formononetin induces vasorelaxation in rat thoracic aorta via regulation of the PI3K/PTEN/Akt signaling pathway.

Li Teng T Zhong Yuanyuan Y Tang Tao T Luo Jiekun J Cui Hanjin H Fan Rong R Wang Yang Y Wang Dongsheng D

Drug design, development and therapy 20181101

<h4>Background</h4>Formononetin (FMN) is an isoflavone that produces arterial vasodilation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear.<h4>Purpose</h4>The purpose of this study was to explore the vasorelaxant effect and the potential mechanism of FMN in vascular endothelium in isolated rat aorta.<h4>Methods</h4>The thoracic aortas of Sprague Dawley rats were isolated to test the arterial reactivity in the presence of FMN with or without inhibitors. Bioinformatics analyses, includin ...[more]

PMID: 30464399

Similar Datasets

Project description:Gut microbiota are emerging as potential contributors to the regulation of host homeostasis. Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota associated with increased intestinal permeability facilitates the passage of endotoxins and other microbial products, including indoxyl sulfate in the circulation. Although an emerging body of evidence has suggested that indoxyl sulfate is a key substance for the development of chronic kidney disease, few studies have investigated the direct association of indoxyl sulfate with vascular function. We hypothesized that indoxyl sulfate adversely affects vascular function. Aortas isolated from male Wistar rat were examined in the presence or absence of indoxyl sulfate to assess the vascular function, including vasorelaxation and vasocontraction. Indoxyl sulfate (vs. vehicle) (1) decreased vasorelaxation induced by acetylcholine (ACh) but not by sodium nitroprusside; (2) had no significant alterations of noradrenaline-induced vasocontraction in the absence and presence of endothelium; (3) decreased adenylyl cyclase activator (forskolin)-induced vasorelaxation, while such a difference was eliminated by endothelial denudation; and (4) decreased vasorelaxations induced by calcium ionophore (A23187) and transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 agonist (GSK1016790A). The indoxyl sulfate-induced decrease in the vasorelaxations induced by ACh and A23187 increased by cell-permeant superoxide dismutase or by organic anion transporter inhibitor. However, apocynin, an inhibitor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase, had no effects on vasorelaxations induced by ACh, A23187, forskolin, and GSK1016790A in the presence of indoxyl sulfate. These results suggest that indoxyl sulfate directly affects the vascular function, particularly, endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation, and this effect may be attributable to increased oxidative stress after cell transportion via organic anion transporter, and such increased oxidative stress may not be attributable to activation of NADPH oxidase activation.

Project description:Honokiol (HNK) is a small biphenolic compound, which exerts antineoplastic effects in various types of cancer. However, the mechanism underlying the antitumor effects of HNK in osteosarcoma (OS) cells is not yet fully understood. Emerging evidence has indicated that microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) serve key roles in numerous pathological processes, including cancer. It has previously been reported that Chinese medicinal herbs harbor anticancer properties via modulating miRNA expression. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine whether HNK could suppress OS cell growth by regulating miRNA expression. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometric analysis were used to evaluate the cell proliferation and apoptosis in human OS cells after treatment with HNK, respectively. The results demonstrated that HNK inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of human OS cells in a dose?dependent manner. Furthermore, HNK?induced apoptosis was characterized by upregulation of proapoptotic proteins, including cleaved?caspase?3, cleaved?poly (ADP?ribose) polymerase and B?cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl?2)?associated X protein, and downregulation of the anti?apoptotic protein Bcl?2. Reverse transcription?quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT?qPCR) verified that HNK was able to induce aberrant expression of miRNAs in human OS cells, and miR?21 was one of the miRNAs that was most significantly downregulated. To further investigate miR?21 function, the present study validated that HNK reduces miR?21 levels in a dose?dependent manner. In addition, restoration of miR?21 expression abrogated the suppressive effects of HNK on OS cells. Luciferase assay and western blot analysis identified that miR?21 inhibits the expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) by directly targeting its 3'-UTR. Notably, HNK was able to suppress the phosphoinositide 3?kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway; however, it was reactivated by miR?21 overexpression. Taken together, these data indicated that HNK may inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of human OS cells by modulating the miR?21/PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Therefore, miR?21 may be considered a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of osteosarcoma with HNK.

Project description:The mammalian signalling pathway involving class I PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase), PTEN (phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphatase) and PKB (protein kinase B)/c-Akt has roles in multiple processes, including cell proliferation and apoptosis. To facilitate novel approaches for genetic, molecular and pharmacological analyses of these proteins, we have reconstituted this signalling pathway by heterologous expression in the unicellular eukaryote, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast). High-level expression of the p110 catalytic subunit of mammalian PI3K dramatically inhibits yeast cell growth. This effect depends on PI3K kinase activity and is reversed partially by a PI3K inhibitor (LY294002) and reversed fully by co-expression of catalytically active PTEN (but not its purported yeast orthologue, Tep1). Growth arrest by PI3K correlates with loss of PIP2 (phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate) and its conversion into PIP3 (phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate). PIP2 depletion causes severe rearrangements of actin and septin architecture, defects in secretion and endocytosis, and activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase, Slt2. In yeast producing PIP3, PKB/c-Akt localizes to the plasma membrane and its phosphorylation is enhanced. Phospho-specific antibodies show that both active and kinase-dead PKB/c-Akt are phosphorylated at Thr308 and Ser473. Thr308 phosphorylation, but not Ser473 phosphorylation, requires the yeast orthologues of mammalian PDK1 (3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1): Pkh1 and Pkh2. Elimination of yeast Tor1 and Tor2 function, or of the related kinases (Tel1, Mec1 and Tra1), did not block Ser473 phosphorylation, implicating another kinase(s). Reconstruction of the PI3K/PTEN/Akt pathway in yeast permits incisive study of these enzymes and analysis of their functional interactions in a simplified context, establishes a new tool to screen for novel agonists and antagonists and provides a method to deplete PIP2 uniquely in the yeast cell.

Dataset Information

Formononetin induces vasorelaxation in rat thoracic aorta via regulation of the PI3K/PTEN/Akt signaling pathway.

Publications

Formononetin induces vasorelaxation in rat thoracic aorta via regulation of the PI3K/PTEN/Akt signaling pathway.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure