PeptidesPub Date : 2025-06-27DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171424
Shaoting Fu , Jin Peng , Xiaohui Wang
{"title":"Mechanical stretch improves high glucose-induced leptin resistance thus promoting glucose uptake of C2C12 myoblasts","authors":"Shaoting Fu , Jin Peng , Xiaohui Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171424","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171424","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Exercise has been shown to alleviate central leptin resistance (LR), while the effects of exercise on peripheral especially skeletal muscle LR and its mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we explored the effect and mechanisms of mechanical stretch (mimic exercise in vitro) on high glucose-induced LR of C2C12 myoblasts. We found (1) 65 mM glucose-induced LR of C2C12 cells was improved by 15 % stretch lasting for 3 or 6 h (represented as decrease of leptin and increases of leptin receptor (LepR) and glucose uptake), with more glucose uptake in 6h-stretch than 3h-stretch; (2) 15 % stretch changed the levels of important regulators of LR, including increasing signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), decreasing protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) and suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS3), with higher alterations of STAT3 and SOCS3 in 6h-stretch than 3h-stretch; (3) 15 % stretch activated the classical pathway regulating glucose metabolism, including increasing the levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R), insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1), protein kinase B (Akt) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), enhancing activities of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and Akt, with more increases of IGF-1R and IRS1 in 6h-stretch than 3h-stretch and enhanced GLUT4 only in 6h-stretch. Altogether, 15 % stretch alleviated high glucose-induced LR of C2C12 myoblasts through increasing STAT3 and decreasing PTP1B and SOCS3, then enhancing glucose uptake via IGF-1/IGF-1R-PI3K/Akt-GLUT4 pathway, which would deepen our understanding how exercise improved skeletal muscle LR and subsequent glucose uptake.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19765,"journal":{"name":"Peptides","volume":"191 ","pages":"Article 171424"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144522375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
PeptidesPub Date : 2025-06-19DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171423
Fawei He , Yunfei Cui , Xue Tang , Dongting Zhangsun , Sulan Luo , Yong Wu
{"title":"Synthesis of the plant cyclotide cyO14 via the hydrazide strategy and investigation of its antibacterial and insecticidal activities","authors":"Fawei He , Yunfei Cui , Xue Tang , Dongting Zhangsun , Sulan Luo , Yong Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171423","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171423","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The plant cyclotide <strong>cyO14</strong>, a member of the Möbius subfamily, was synthesized using an hydrazide-based strategy, and its antibacterial, insecticidal, and hemolytic activities were investigated. The linear precursor of cyO14 was prepared via solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) on an hydrazide resin, followed by head-to-tail cyclization through an hydrazide-mediated ligation and disulfide bond formation via spontaneous oxidation. The synthesized cyclotide exhibited a structure identical to that of the naturally occurring counterpart. Biological evaluation demonstrated that <strong>cyO14</strong> possessed significant antibacterial activity against <em>Cryptococcus neoformans</em> and <em>Bacillus subtilis</em>, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1 μM. Mechanistic studies revealed that <strong>cyO14</strong> exerted its antibacterial effects by disrupting bacterial membranes. Moreover, <strong>cyO14</strong> exhibited negligible hemolytic activity (HD₅₀ > 1000 μM), suggesting excellent biocompatibility. In insecticidal assays, <strong>cyO14</strong> effectively inhibited the growth and development of <em>Helicoverpa armigera</em>. These findings indicate that the hydrazide-mediated cyclization strategy is an efficient method for the synthesis of Möbius subfamily cyclotides, and that <strong>cyO14</strong> possesses promising pharmaceutical and agricultural potential due to its potent antibacterial and insecticidal activities coupled with high biological safety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19765,"journal":{"name":"Peptides","volume":"191 ","pages":"Article 171423"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144340341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
PeptidesPub Date : 2025-06-16DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171422
Richard J. Bodnar
{"title":"Endogenous opiates and behavior: 2024","authors":"Richard J. Bodnar","doi":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171422","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171422","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper is the forty-seventh consecutive installment of the annual anthological review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, summarizing articles published during 2024 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides and receptors as well as effects of opioid/opiate agonists and antagonists. The review is subdivided into the following specific topics: molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (1), the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia in animals (2) and humans (3), opioid-sensitive and opioid-insensitive effects of nonopioid analgesics (4), opioid peptide and receptor involvement in tolerance and dependence (5), stress and social status (6), learning and memory (7), eating and drinking (8), drug abuse and alcohol (9), sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (10), mental illness and mood (11), seizures and neurologic disorders (12), electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (13), general activity and locomotion (14), gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (15), cardiovascular responses (16), respiration and thermoregulation (17), and immunological responses (18).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19765,"journal":{"name":"Peptides","volume":"191 ","pages":"Article 171422"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144314462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
PeptidesPub Date : 2025-06-02DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171419
Feifan Wang , Xia Jiang , Zifeng Zhao , Yuanyuan Wang , Haibo Jiang , Yingchao Gao , Haobo Wang , Zhongxin Li
{"title":"Neurokinin B is a potential target for treating disruption of intestinal mucosal barrier in acute mechanical intestinal obstruction","authors":"Feifan Wang , Xia Jiang , Zifeng Zhao , Yuanyuan Wang , Haibo Jiang , Yingchao Gao , Haobo Wang , Zhongxin Li","doi":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171419","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171419","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The neurokinin-B (NKB)/neurokinin-3-receptor (NK3R) pathway is involved in the inflammatory response. However, its role in the disruption of intestine mucosal barrier during mechanical intestinal obstruction (IO) remains unknown.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We collected serum samples from 30 mechanical IO patients and 30 healthy volunteers and measured the serum levels of NKB, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), diamine oxidase (DAO), and D‑lactate (D‑LA) by using ELISA. We subsequently used a mechanical IO mice model and intraperitoneally injected the mice with NKB (Senktide) and NK3R antagonist (NK3Ra). We used the ELISA to measure the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, LPS, DAO, and D-LA serum concentrations in the mice. Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to observe structural changes in the intestinal mucosa. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of claudin-1, occludin and ZO-1 in intestinal tissues.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Serum NKB (75.36 ± 28.67 pg/mL <em>vs.</em> 44.95 ± 16.92 pg/mL) and LPS (7.38 ± 3.63 μg/mL <em>vs.</em> 4.50 ± 2.94 μg/mL) levels were higher in mechanical IO patients than in control people (<em>P</em> < 0.05). We found a positive correlation between serum NKB and LPS levels in mechanical IO patients. The serum LPS concentration in the IO+NKB mice was greater than that in the IO mice (<em>P</em> = 0.001). After the use of NK3Ra, the serum LPS, DAO and D-LA levels decreased (<em>P</em> < 0.05). H&E staining indicated that the intestinal mucosal epithelial structure was severely damaged, including lamina propria hemorrhage, atrophied villi, and inflammatory cell infiltration in IO+NKB mice. TEM revealed that the junctional complexes between epithelial cells were disrupted and absent in the IO+NKB mice. Compared with those in the IO mice, the expression levels of claudin-1 and occludin in intestinal tissues were lower in the IO+NKB mice. However, the intraperitoneal injection of NK3Ra attenuated the damage to tight junction proteins and the intestinal mucosal structure caused by NKB. Additionally, we observed that the serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels in the IO+NK3Ra mice were lower than those in the IO mice (<em>P</em> < 0.05).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>NKB might increase the levels of serum IL-6 and TNF-α by acting on the NK3 receptor, promoting intestinal inflammation, and subsequently destroying the intestinal mucosal barrier during mechanical IO.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19765,"journal":{"name":"Peptides","volume":"191 ","pages":"Article 171419"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144205435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
PeptidesPub Date : 2025-05-29DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171417
Marie Picot , Mélodie Devère , Saloua Takhlidjt , Corentin Guillemot , Caroline Lusurier , Gaëtan Prévost , Nicolas Chartrel , David Godefroy
{"title":"Whole body distribution of the regulatory peptide 26RFa in male and female mice","authors":"Marie Picot , Mélodie Devère , Saloua Takhlidjt , Corentin Guillemot , Caroline Lusurier , Gaëtan Prévost , Nicolas Chartrel , David Godefroy","doi":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171417","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171417","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>26RFa is a regulatory peptide initially isolated from the brain. 26RFa was found to be involved in the regulation of vital functions such as the regulation of energy and glucose metabolism. However, the whole distribution of 26RFa in the organs/tissues of the organism remains fragmentary although it represents a crucial step to discover novel physiological functions for this regulatory peptide. To this aim, we have generated a mouse line that expresses the fluorescent protein tdTomato in 26RFa-expressing cells, and visualization of tdTomato immunostaining <em>in toto</em> was performed using the tridimensional imaging approach.</div><div>Our observations reveal that 26RFa is largely distributed among the organism of male and female mice. 26RFa-expressing cells were notably found in numerous regions of the central nervous system including the olfactory bulbs, the cortex, the hippocampus, the hypothalamus, the cerebellum, the brainstem and the spinal cord. At the periphery, 26RFa-expressing structures were detected all along the gastrointestinal tract, in the liver, the white adipose tissue, the kidney, the adrenal gland, the lungs, the male and female reproductive tracts, the striated muscles, the thymus and a number of exocrine glands such as the salivary glands, the prostate, the seminal vesicles.</div><div>In conclusion, the present anatomical observations are in agreement with the main physiological functions previously reported for 26RFa such the regulation of energy and glucose metabolism or the control of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal or adrenal axis. However, 26RFa is present in other organs/tissues in which its physiological relevance is totally unknown opening therefore a new field of research for this regulatory peptide.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19765,"journal":{"name":"Peptides","volume":"190 ","pages":"Article 171417"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144192099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
PeptidesPub Date : 2025-05-27DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171418
Katarina Banjac , Milan Obradovic , Sonja Zafirovic , Esma R. Isenovic
{"title":"IGF-1 contributes to cardiovascular protection in obesity by upregulating Na+/K+-ATPase activity and modulating key signaling pathways in rats on a high-fat diet","authors":"Katarina Banjac , Milan Obradovic , Sonja Zafirovic , Esma R. Isenovic","doi":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171418","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171418","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examined the ability of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) to improve the expression and function of cardiac sodium/potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na<sup>+</sup>/K<sup>+</sup>-ATPase) and reduce heart hypertrophy in obese rats. Adult male Wistar rats received a standard diet or a high-fat (HF) diet for 12 weeks. A bolus injection of IGF-1 (50 μg/kg, i.p.) was administered to half of the HF rats 24 hours before euthanasia. IGF-1 treatment increased: the activity of Na<sup>+</sup>/K<sup>+</sup>-ATPase and expression of phosphorylated and total Na<sup>+</sup>/K<sup>+</sup>-ATPase α<sub>1</sub> subunit, the phosphorylation of IGF-1 receptor β /insulin receptor β at Tyr<sup>1131</sup>/Tyr<sup>1146</sup>, insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) at Tyr<sup>1222</sup>, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) at Ser<sup>2481</sup>, protein kinase B (Akt) at Ser<sup>473</sup> and the expression of type-2 angiotensin II <em>(</em>AngII) receptor (AT<sub>2</sub>R). Conversely, IGF-1 reduced the levels of IRS-1 phosphorylated at Ser<sup>307</sup>, mTOR at Ser<sup>2448</sup>, ribosomal protein p70 S6 kinase (S6K) at Thr<sup>421</sup>/Ser<sup>424</sup>, and the expression of type-1 Ang II receptor (AT<sub>1</sub>R) in the heart, as well as the serum levels of Ang II in obese rats. IGF-1 treatment reduced cardiac mass and elevated mRNA expression of the α-myosin heavy chain (MHC), and the α/β MHC ratio in the hearts of obese rats. The results of this study suggest that the administration of IGF-1 to obese rats reduces the adverse effects of HF diet, potentially by lowering Ang II-mediated activation of mTOR/S6K and enhancing the IRS-1/Akt pathway, which promotes Na<sup>+</sup>/K<sup>+</sup>-ATPase activity in the heart and diminishes cardiac hypertrophy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19765,"journal":{"name":"Peptides","volume":"190 ","pages":"Article 171418"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144166990","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
PeptidesPub Date : 2025-05-24DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171416
Mohamed Badie Ahmed , Abdella M. Habib , Saif Badran , Abeer Alsherawi , Asma Syed , Hoda Khoogaly , Atalla Hammouda , Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra , Suhail A. Doi
{"title":"Spexin is a biomarker of the process that regulates leptin sensitivity","authors":"Mohamed Badie Ahmed , Abdella M. Habib , Saif Badran , Abeer Alsherawi , Asma Syed , Hoda Khoogaly , Atalla Hammouda , Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra , Suhail A. Doi","doi":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171416","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171416","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rising prevalence of obesity poses a critical threat to global health, prompting an urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of its underlying mechanisms. This study aimed to delve into the relationship between obesity, leptin sensitivity, and gut hormones, focusing on spexin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP). We examined patients undergoing body contouring surgeries to assess how these hormones and leptin interact. Blood samples were collected at three different time points, and hormone levels were analyzed. Our findings indicated that increases in GLP-1 and decreases in GIP correlated with improved leptin sensitivity, indicated by decreased plasma leptin levels and associated with increase in steepness of the plasma leptin-spexin slope. These results suggest that spexin may serve as a biomarker for leptin sensitivity, the latter influenced by gut hormones in obese individuals. The study provides further evidence that the modulation of leptin sensitivity by gut hormones could be key in addressing obesity and its metabolic consequences.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19765,"journal":{"name":"Peptides","volume":"190 ","pages":"Article 171416"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144151405","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
PeptidesPub Date : 2025-05-23DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171410
Camilla L. Asferg , Ulrik B. Andersen , Jørgen L. Jeppesen
{"title":"Plasma angiotensinogen is associated with higher 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure independently of plasma angiotensin II in obese men","authors":"Camilla L. Asferg , Ulrik B. Andersen , Jørgen L. Jeppesen","doi":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171410","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171410","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The introduction of liver-targeted antisense oligonucleotides and small interfering ribonucleic acids that inhibit hepatic angiotensinogen synthesis has led to renewed interest in the role of angiotensinogen in hypertension. Therefore, we decided to do further angiotensinogen analyses in a hypertension research program, where we found that obese hypertensive men, given their high salt intake and high 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (ABP), had higher than expected renin-angiotensin-system (RAS) activity. In a cross-sectional study, we examined 64 newly diagnosed treatment-naïve obese hypertension men (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m<sup>2</sup>, 24-hour systolic ABP ≥ 130 mm Hg and/or 24-hour diastolic ABP ≥ 80 mm Hg), and 40 obese normotensive men (BMI ≥30 mg/m<sup>2</sup>, 24-hour systolic ABP <130 and 24-hour diastolic ABP <80 mm Hg). Blood for biochemical evaluation of the RAS was drawn after 60 minutes rest in the supine position. We applied multiple linear regression analysis to explore independent associations. The obese hypertensive men had a higher mean fasting plasma concentration of angiotensinogen than the obese normotensive men (970.4 ± 214.3 nmol/L versus 868.4 ± 173.0 nmol/L, <em>P</em> = 0.013). Adjusted for age and angiotensin II, angiotensinogen was significantly associated with 24-hour systolic ABP (regression coefficient±standard error (mm Hg/100 nmol/L angiotensinogen): 1.8 ± 0.6, <em>P</em> = 0.006), 24-hour diastolic ABP (0.8 ± 0.3, <em>P</em> = 0.021), and 24-hour pulse pressure (1.0 ± 0.4, <em>P</em> = 0.028). Thus, plasma angiotensinogen was associated with higher 24-hour ABPs independently of plasma angiotensin II in obese men. However, further studies are warranted to determine whether angiotensinogen is only a risk marker of high BP or has BP raising effects independent of angiotensin II.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19765,"journal":{"name":"Peptides","volume":"190 ","pages":"Article 171410"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144143284","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
PeptidesPub Date : 2025-05-22DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171415
Susanne M. Brunner , Stefanie Gaisbauer , Patrick N. Pallier , Ping K. Yip , Andrea Ramspacher , Julia Leitner , Felix Sternberg , Christina Erhardt-Kreutzer , Theresa Haslauer , Sara Huber , Lara Bieler , Sebastien Couillard-Despres , Barbara Kofler
{"title":"Impact of galanin receptors 2 and 3 double-knockout on neuroinflammation and functional recovery following traumatic brain injury","authors":"Susanne M. Brunner , Stefanie Gaisbauer , Patrick N. Pallier , Ping K. Yip , Andrea Ramspacher , Julia Leitner , Felix Sternberg , Christina Erhardt-Kreutzer , Theresa Haslauer , Sara Huber , Lara Bieler , Sebastien Couillard-Despres , Barbara Kofler","doi":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171415","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171415","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the world’s leading causes of death and disability in young individuals and the mechanism underlying TBI-associated neuroinflammation is poorly understood. The regulatory neuropeptide galanin (GAL) and its three receptors (GAL<sub>1–3</sub>R) are assumed to modulate the neuroinflammatory response following TBI, especially by signalling via GAL<sub>2</sub>R and GAL<sub>3</sub>R. Therefore, the role of GALRs in acute neuroinflammation and functional recovery following moderate Controlled Cortical Impact TBI was studied using GAL<sub>2/3</sub>R-double-KO (GAL<sub>2/3</sub>R-KO) mice. Brains and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were collected at day 1 and 30 days post TBI. Functional recovery post TBI was assessed by the modified Neurological Severity Score (mNSS), Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) and Morris Water Maze (MWM) test. Post TBI (day 1–28 post injury), neurological dysfunction was more severe in GAL<sub>2/3</sub>R-KO mice than in WT mice. At 1 day post TBI, inflammatory markers and several nerve growth factors significantly increased in the ipsilateral hemisphere, compared to the contralateral hemisphere in both GAL<sub>2/3</sub>R-KO and WT mice. At 4 days post surgery, TBI mice entered significantly more frequent the open-arms in the EPM compared to Sham-operated mice, suggestive of increased exploratory behaviour in TBI mice. At 30 days post TBI, immunostaining of brain sections revealed significant differences in vascularisation and glial scarring in the cortex when comparing TBI and Sham-operated mice, but genotypes were similar. In summary, the results indicate that GAL<sub>2</sub>R and/or GAL<sub>3</sub>R have a neuroprotective role following moderate TBI, as the severity was significantly lower in their presence than in their absence.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19765,"journal":{"name":"Peptides","volume":"191 ","pages":"Article 171415"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144143283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
PeptidesPub Date : 2025-05-21DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171411
Zhuangzhi Xiong , Xiaoqin Zhou , Yufeng Li , Liu Yang
{"title":"PACAP inhibits sepsis-associated acute lung injury by inhibiting the Sp1/AQP1 pathway","authors":"Zhuangzhi Xiong , Xiaoqin Zhou , Yufeng Li , Liu Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171411","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.peptides.2025.171411","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI) represents a severe pathological state marked by uncontrolled inflammation, redox imbalance, and alveolar-capillary barrier breakdown. Here, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) in a murine sepsis-ALI model. PACAP treatment notably ameliorated histological damage, reduced oxidative stress biomarkers, and mitigated inflammatory processes, including neutrophil accumulation and pro-inflammatory cytokine release. Molecular analysis revealed PACAP-mediated downregulation of Aquaporin-1 (AQP1) and specificity protein 1 (Sp1), key regulators of alveolar fluid homeostasis and inflammatory signaling. Genetic Sp1 overexpression abrogated PACAP-induced AQP1 suppression, validating the Sp1/AQP1 signaling pathway as a critical mediator of PACAP’s protective effects. Additionally, in vitro MTT assays on RAW 264.7 macrophages demonstrated that PACAP has low toxicity at biologically relevant levels. These findings demonstrate PACAP’s therapeutic promise for sepsis-ALI through modulation of the Sp1/AQP1 axis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19765,"journal":{"name":"Peptides","volume":"191 ","pages":"Article 171411"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144132597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}