Background Breast cancer-related depression (BCRD) seriously inhibits the life quality of patients with breast cancer. The Xiaoyao Kangai Jieyu Formula is known to inhibit the progression of depression. However, the detailed function of the Xiaoyao Kangai Jieyu Formula in BCRD remains unclear. Methods Network pharmacology was constructed to assess the downstream target of the Xiaoyao Kangai Jieyu Formula in BCRD. In addition, the tail suspension test, sucrose preference test, and forced swimming test were used to test the symptom of depression in mice. Fluoro-Jade B staining was performed to observe the structure of neurons. RT-qPCR and western blot were applied to evaluate mRNA and protein levels. Besides, ELISA was performed to test the inflammatory responses and the immune response-related cytokines. Results Quercetin was identified as the key component of the Xiaoyao Kangai Jieyu Formula. Quercetin significantly inhibited BCRD-induced neuron pyroptosis via downregulation of PYD and card domain containing (ASC), NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), and caspase-1, and quercetin could reverse BCRD-caused inhibition of neuron viability. Quercetin significantly attenuated the symptom of BCRD in mice, and it could reverse the contents of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine (DA), and neutrophil elastase (NE) in mice. Moreover, quercetin could promote the immune responses in xenograft mice via upregulation of interleukin- (IL-) 2, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and IL-10. Conclusion Quercetin, the active ingredient of the Xiaoyao Kangai Jieyu Formula, effectively mitigated the progression of BCRD by inhibiting pyroptosis, promoting immune response, and improving serum metabolism.

Quercetin Alleviates the Progression of Breast Cancer-Related Depression via Inhibiting the Pyroptosis and Promoting the Immune Response

https://journals.lww.com/nrronline/Fulltext/2023/03000/The_lymphatic_drainage_systems_in_the_brain__a.5.aspx

The lymphatic drainage systems in the brain: a novel target for ischemic stroke?

Amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) accumulation is a detrimental factor in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injuries accounting for dementia induced by ischemic stroke. In addition to blood brain barrier (BBB), the glymphatic system mediated by aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) on astrocytic endfeet functions as an important pathway for the clearance of Aβ in the brain. Cerebral I/R induced astrocytic pyroptosis potentially causes the AQP-4 polarization loss and dysfunctional BBB-glymphatic system exacerbating the accumulation of Aβ. Furthermore, Aβ toxicity has been identified as a trigger of pyroptosis and BBB damage, suggesting an amplified effect of Aβ accumulation after cerebral I/R. Therefore, based on our previous work, this study was designed to explore the intervention effects of Tongxinluo (TXL) on astrocytic pyroptosis and Aβ accumulation after cerebral I/R in rats. The results showed that TXL intervention obviously alleviated the degree of pyroptosis by downregulating expression levels of cleaved caspase-11/1, N-terminal gasdermin D, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and cleaved IL-1β and abated astrocytic pyroptosis after cerebral I/R. Moreover, TXL intervention facilitated to restore AQP-4 polarization and accordingly relieve Aβ accumulation around astrocytes in ischemic cortex and hippocampus as well as the formation of toxic Aβ (Aβ1–42 oligomer). Our study indicated that TXL intervention could exert protective effects on ischemic brain tissues against pyroptotic cell death, inhibit astrocytic pyroptosis, and reduce toxic Aβ accumulation around astrocytes in cerebral I/R injuries. Furthermore, our study provides biological evidence for the potential possibility of preventing and treating poststroke dementia with TXL in clinical practice.

Tongxinluo Exerts Inhibitory Effects on Pyroptosis and Amyloid-β Peptide Accumulation after Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion in Rats.

The infiltration of blood components into the brain parenchyma through the lymphoid system is an important cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage injury. AQP4, a water channel protein located at the astrocyte foot, has been reported to regulate blood–brain barrier integrity, and its polarization is disrupted after SAH. Neuronal ferroptosis is involved in subarachnoid hemorrhage- (SAH-) induced brain injury, but the inducing factors are not completely clear. Transferrin is one of the inducing factors of ferroptosis. This study is aimed at researching the role and mechanism of AQP4 in brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage in mice. An experimental mouse SAH model was established by endovascular perforation. An AAV vector encoding AQP4 with a GFAP-specific promoter was administered to mice to achieve specific overexpression of AQP4 in astrocytes. PI staining, Fer-1 intervention, and transmission electron microscopy were used to detect neuronal ferroptosis, and dextran (40 kD) leakage was used to detect BBB integrity. Western blot analysis of perfused brain tissue protein samples was used to detect transferrin infiltration. First, neuronal ferroptosis 24 h after SAH was observed by PI staining and Fer-1 intervention. Second, a significant increase in transferrin infiltration was found in the brain parenchyma 24 h after SAH modeling, while transferrin content was positively correlated with neuronal ferroptosis. Then, we observed that AQP4 overexpression effectively improved AQP depolarization and BBB injury induced by SAH and significantly reduced transferrin infiltration and neuronal ferroptosis after SAH. Finally, we found that AQP4 overexpression could effectively improve the neurobehavioral ability of SAH mice, and the neurobehavioral ability was negatively correlated with transferrin brain content. Taken together, these data indicate that overexpression of AQP4 in the mouse brain can effectively improve post-SAH neuronal ferroptosis and brain injury, at least partly by inhibiting transferrin infiltration into the brain parenchyma in the glymphatic system.

Aquaporin 4 Depolarization-Enhanced Transferrin Infiltration Leads to Neuronal Ferroptosis after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Mice

Extracellular Amyloid β-protein (1–42) Oligomers Anchor Brain Cells and Make them inert as an Unconventional Integrin-Coupled Ligand

Neuroinflammation-related amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) accumulation after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) accounts for cerebral I/R injuries and poststroke dementia. Recently, pyroptosis, a proinflammatory cell death, has been identified as a crucial pathological link of cerebral I/R injuries. However, whether pyroptosis acts as a trigger of Aβ accumulation after cerebral I/R has not yet been demonstrated. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) and glymphatic system mediated by aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) on astrocytic endfeet are important pathways for the clearance of Aβ in the brain, and pyroptosis especially occurring in astrocytes after cerebral I/R potentially damages BBB integrity and glymphatic function and thus influences Aβ clearance and brain homeostasis. In present study, the method of middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) was used for building models of focal cerebral I/R injuries in rats. Then, we used lipopolysaccharide and glycine as the agonist and inhibitor of pyroptosis, respectively, Western blotting for detections of pyroptosis, AQP-4, and Aβ1-42 oligomers, laser confocal microscopy for observations of pyroptosis and Aβ locations, and immunohistochemical stainings of SMI 71 (a specific marker for BBB integrity)/AQP-4 and Nissl staining for evaluating, respectively, BBB-glymphatic system and neuronal damage. The results showed that pyroptosis obviously promoted the loss of BBB integrity and AQP-4 polarization, brain edema, Aβ accumulation, and the formation of Aβ1-42 oligomers and thus increased neuronal damage after cerebral I/R. However, glycine could inhibit cerebral I/R-induced pyroptosis by alleviating cytomembrane damage and downregulating expression levels of cleaved caspase-11/1, N-terminal gasdermin D, NLRP3 (nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat containing protein 3), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-1β and markedly abate above pathological changes. Our study revealed that pyroptosis is a considerable factor causing toxic Aβ accumulation, dysfunctional BBB-glymphatic system, and neurological deficits after cerebral I/R, suggesting that targeting pyroptosis is a potential strategy for the prevention of ischemic stroke sequelae including dementia.

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Destructive Effects of Pyroptosis on Homeostasis of Neuron Survival Associated with the Dysfunctional BBB-Glymphatic System and Amyloid-Beta Accumulation after Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion in Rats.

Qiang Zhang

Papers

Destructive Effects of Pyroptosis on Homeostasis of Neuron Survival Associated with the Dysfunctional BBB-Glymphatic System and Amyloid-Beta Accumulation after Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion in Rats.