Gastric cancer is considered to be a type of gastrointestinal tumor and is mostly accompanied by Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection at the early stage. Hence, the long-term colonization of the gastric mucosa by HP as a causative factor for gastrointestinal diseases cannot be ignored. The virulence factors secreted by the bacterium activate the signaling pathway of oxidative stress and mediate chronic inflammatory response in the host cells. The virulence factors also thwart the antibacterial effect of neutrophils. Subsequently, DNA methylation is induced, which causes continuous cell proliferation and evolution toward low-grade-differentiated gastric cells. This process provides the pathological basis for the occurrence of progressive gastric cancer. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the oxidative stress response triggered by HP in the gastric mucosa and the subsequent signaling pathways. The findings are expected to help in the formulation of new targeted drugs for preventing the occurrence of early gastric cancer and its progression to middle and advanced cancer.

As a predominant cause of human hand, foot, and mouth disease, enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection may lead to serious diseases and result in severe consequences that threaten public health and cause widespread panic. Although the systematic identification of physical interactions between viral proteins and host proteins provides initial information for the recognition of the cellular mechanism involved in viral infection and the development of new therapies, EV71-host protein interactions have not been explored. Here, we identified interactions between EV71 proteins and host cellular proteins and confirmed the functional relationships of EV71-interacting proteins (EIPs) with virus proliferation and infection by integrating a human protein interaction network and by functional annotation. We found that most EIPs had known interactions with other viruses. We also predicted ATP6V0C as a broad-spectrum essential host factor and validated its essentiality for EV71 infection in vitro. EIPs and their interacting proteins were more likely to be targets of anti-inflammatory and neurological drugs, indicating their potential to serve as host-oriented antiviral targets. Thus, we used a connectivity map to find drugs that inhibited EIP expression. We predicted tanespimycin as a candidate and demonstrated its antiviral efficiency in vitro. These findings provide the first systematic identification of EV71-host protein interactions, an analysis of EIP protein characteristics and a demonstration of their value in developing host-oriented antiviral therapies.

Background/Aims: Dysregulated inflammation in adipose tissue, marked by increased pro-inflammatory T-cell accumulation and reduced regulatory T cells (Treg), contributes to diabetes-associated insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying T-cell-mediated inflammation in adipose tissue remain largely unknown. Methods: Sixty apolipoprotein E (ApoE-/-) mice were randomly divided into chow and diabetes groups. Diabetes was induced by a high-fat and high-sugar diet combined with low-dose streptozotocin. Then we transferred a recombinant adenovirus carrying the protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2 (PTPN2) gene into epididymal white adipose tissue (EWAT) of ApoE-/- mice. After transfection, all mice were euthanized to evaluate the effects of PTPN2 on T cells polarization and atherosclerosis. Results: PTPN2 was downregulated in EWAT of diabetic ApoE-/- mice. PTPN2 overexpression in EWAT reversed the high Th1/Treg and Th17/Treg ratios in EWAT of diabetic mice. In addition, PTPN2 overexpression in EWAT could significantly reduce macrophages infiltration, the ratio of M1/M2 macrophages and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in EWAT, improving insulin resistance. In aortic root lesions, the vulnerability index were significantly decreased by overexpression of PTPN2 in EWAT. Conclusion: These data suggested that PTPN2 overexpression in EWAT would inhibit systemic inflammation and increase the plaque stability via T cells polarization shift in diabetic mice.

Background: High plasma levels of homocysteine (Hcy) are regarded as a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF), which is closely associated with the pathological consequence of atrial fibrosis and can lead to heart failure with a high mortality rate; Currently, there is no effective therapy for preventing atrial fibrosis, owing to a lack in fundamental understanding of the underlying mechanism. Here, we show that atrial fibrosis is mediated by the relationship between canonical transient receptor potential 3 (TRPC3) channels and sirtuin type 1 (SIRT1) under the stimulation of Hcy. Methods: The left atrial appendage was obtained from patients with either sinus rhythm (SR) or AF, who underwent cardiothoracic surgery, and used to evaluate the relationship between the concentration of Hcy and a potential mechanism of cardiac fibrosis mediated by TRPC3 and SIRT1. We next performed transverse aortic constriction (TAC) in mouse to investigate the relationship. The mechanisms underlying atrial fibrosis involving TRPC3 and SIRT1 proteins were explored by co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP), bio-layer interferometry (BLI) and lentivirus transfection experiments. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blotting (WB) were performed to analyse gene and protein expression, respectively. Results: The majority of AF patients displayed atrial fibrosis, as demonstrated by Masson staining and immunohistochemistry. In the mouse model of TAC, more severe fibrosis was detected in the high-Hcy diet (HH) group, compared to NH mice; and the duration of induced AF was longer in the HH groups than in the normal diet (NH) group. Moreover, the HH group exhibited higher expression levels of TRPC3 and related fibrosis proteins, such as TGF-ß and Col-I, than the NH group, despite also showing a higher level of SIRT1 was observed. The activator of SIRT1 (Resveratrol, Res) attenuated the enhancement of TRPC3 and decrease in SIRT1 observed in the HH group. Further cell culture experiments confirmed that Hcy could promote the proliferation and differentiation of fibroblasts, the up-regulation of TRPC3, and the decrease in the protein level of SIRT1. Ultimately, the results of Co-IP and BLI indicated a direct interaction between TRPC3-C terminal domain (569-863) and SIRT1 proteins, in which the two proteins are antagonistic and in combination regulate the pathogenesis of atrial fibrosis. Conclusions: The higher level of atrial fibrosis were observed in the HH mouse group, compared with the NH mice group, Such results suggest that AF patients may be more susceptible to atrial fibrosis and possess a high probability of progressing to hyperhomocysteinemia. Moreover, our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that TRPC3 channel up-regulation leads to abnormal accumulation of collagen, with the down-regulation of SIRT1 as an aetiological factor of high Hcy, which in turn predisposes to atrial fibrosis and strongly enhances the possibility of AF.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by impaired autophagy and chronic inflammation. Although the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF31 is upregulated in IBD, its pathogenic mechanisms remain incompletely understood. To address this, a combination of in vitro and in vivo methods was employed. In vitro, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated cell models were used to analyze transcription factor EB (TFEB) phosphorylation, its interaction with RNF31, ubiquitination, and subcellular localization. In vivo, a DSS‐induced IBD mouse model was used to assess intestinal pathology, inflammation, and RNF31‐TFEB‐NLRP3 axis proteins after treatment with a novel synthetic curcumin analog (CM‐C1). We identified TFEB as a novel substrate of RNF31. LPS‐induced phosphorylation of TFEB promoted its binding to RNF31 (via TFEB‐S281/T276 and RNF31‐K908), leading to TFEB ubiquitination, proteasomal degradation, suppressed autophagy, and subsequent NLRP3 inflammasome activation. The bioavailable TFEB activator CM‐C1 directly disrupted the RNF31‐TFEB interaction. This action promoted TFEB nuclear translocation, restored autophagic flux, alleviated intestinal inflammation in vitro and in vivo, and beneficially remodeled the gut microbiota. Our study unveils the RNF31‐TFEB‐NLRP3 axis as a pivotal pathogenic pathway in IBD and nominates CM‐C1, which targets this axis, as a promising multimodal therapeutic candidate.