The voltage-gated Na(+) channel Nav 1.5 is essential for action potential (AP) formation and electrophysiological homoeostasis in the heart. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is a major degradative system for intracellular proteins including ion channels. The ubiquitin protein ligase E3 component N-recognin (UBR) family is a part of the UPS; however, their roles in regulating cardiac Nav 1.5 channels remain elusive. Here, we found that all of the UBR members were expressed in cardiomyocytes. Individual knockdown of UBR3 or UBR6, but not of other UBR members, significantly increased Nav 1.5 protein levels in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes, and this effect was verified in HEK293T cells expressing Nav 1.5 channels. The UBR3/6-dependent regulation of Nav 1.5 channels was not transcriptionally mediated, and pharmacological inhibition of protein biosynthesis failed to counteract the increase in Nav 1.5 protein caused by UBR3/6 reduction, suggesting a degradative modulation of UBR3/6 on Nav 1.5. Furthermore, the effects of UBR3/6 knockdown on Nav 1.5 proteins were abolished under the inhibition of proteasome activity, and UBR3/6 knockdown reduced Nav 1.5 ubiquitylation. The double UBR3-UBR6 knockdown resulted in comparable increases in Nav 1.5 proteins to that observed for single knockdown of either UBR3 or UBR6. Electrophysiological recordings showed that UBR3/6 reduction-mediated increase in Nav 1.5 protein enhanced the opening of Nav 1.5 channels and thereby the amplitude of the AP. Thus, our findings indicate that UBR3/6 regulate cardiomyocyte Nav 1.5 channel protein levels via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. It is likely that UBR3/6 have the potential to be a therapeutic target for cardiac arrhythmias.

To study the effects of microRNA-98 (miR-98) on human bone mesenchymal stromal cells (hBMSCs). The patients undergoing hip arthroplasty were selected by inclusion/exclusion criteria for this study. The extracted hBMSCs were detected of osteogenic differentiation by alizarin red S staining, and of cell phenotype by flow cytometry. Bioinformatics, dual luciferase report, western blotting, RT-PCR and immunoblotting were used in our study. The hBMSCs were divided into miR-98 mimics, miR-98 negative control (NC), miR-98 inhibitors, Mock and miR-98 inhibitors + siBMP2 groups. Human bone mesenchymal stromal cells were extracted and purified in vitro and had specific cytological morphology, surface markers and abilities of self-renewal and differentiation. Compared with the NC group and Mock group, the miR-98 mimics group showed increased miR-98 level while the miR-98 inhibitors group decreased miR-98 level (both P < 0.01). Dual luciferase reporter showed BMP2 was the target gene of miR-98. The levels of mRNA and protein expression of BMP2, protein expression of RUNX2, alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin content significantly decreased in the miR-98 mimics group while increased in the miR-98 inhibitors group and showed no changes in the NC group and Mock group (all P < 0.05). The miR-98 mimics group showed obviously declined stained red particles and the miR-98 inhibitors group showed opposite result. After lowering the expression of miR-98, osteogenic differentiation ability of hBMSCs rose, which was weakened by the transfection with siBMP2. miR-98 may regulate osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs by targeting BMP2.

Genome-wide association studies have successfully identified over 70 loci associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in multiple populations of European ancestry. However, the risk attributable to an individual variant is modest and does not yet provide convincing evidence for clinical utility. Association between these established genetic variants and T2DM in general populations is hitherto understudied in the isolated populations, such as the Uyghurs, resident in Hetian, far southern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China. In this case-control study, we genotyped 13 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at 10 genes associated with diabetes in 130 cases with T2DM and 135 healthy controls of Uyghur, a Chinese minority ethnic group. Three of the 13 SNPs demonstrated significant association with T2DM in the Uyghur population. There were significant differences between the T2DM patients and controls in the risk allele distributions of rs3792267 (CAPN10) (P = 0.002), rs1501299 (APM1) (P = 0.017), and rs3760776 (FUT6) (P = 0.031). Allelic carriers of rs3792267-A, rs1501299-T, and rs3760776-T had a 2.24-fold [OR (95% CI): 1.35-3.71], 0.59-fold [OR (95% CI): 0.39-0.91], 0.57-fold [OR (95% CI): 0.34-0.95] increased risk for T2DM respectively. We further confirmed that the cumulative risk allelic scores calculated from the 13 susceptibility loci for T2DM differed significantly between the T2DM patients and controls (P = 0.001), and the effect of obesity/overweight on T2DM was only observed in the subjects with a combined risk allelic score under a value of 17. This study observed that the SNPs rs3792267 in CAPN10, rs1501299 in APM1, and rs3760776 in FUT6 might serve as potential susceptible biomarkers for T2DM in Uyghurs. The cumulative risk allelic scores of multiple loci with modest individual effects are also significant risk factors in Uyghurs for T2DM, particularly among non-obese individuals. This is the first investigation having observed/found genetic variations on genetic loci functionally linked with glycosylation associated with the risk of T2DM in a Uyghur population.

EZH2, a histone H3 lysine-27-specific methyltransferase, is involved in diverse physiological and pathological processes including cell proliferation and differentiation. However, the role of EZH2 in liver fibrosis is largely unknown. In this study, it was identified that EZH2 promoted Wnt pathway-stimulated fibroblasts in vitro and in vivo by repressing Dkk-1, which is a Wnt pathway antagonist. The expression of EZH2 was increased in CCl4 -induced rat liver and primary HSCs as well as TGF-β1-treated HSC-T6, whereas the expression of Dkk1 was reduced. Silencing of EZH2 prevented TGF-β1-induced proliferation of HSC-T6 cells and the expression of α-SMA. In addition, knockdown of Dkk1 promoted TGF-β1-induced activation of HSCs. Moreover, silencing of EZH2 could restore the repression of Dkk-1 through trimethylation of H3K27me3 in TGF-β1-treated HSC-T6 cells. Interestingly, inhibition of EZH2 had almost no effect on the activation of HSC when Dkk1 was silenced. Collectively, EZH2-mediated repression of Dkk1 promotes the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which is an essential event for HSC activation.

This study investigated roles of serum ST2, IL-33 and BNP in predicting major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Blood samples were collected from the included AMI patients (n = 180) who underwent PCI. All patients were divided into the MACEs and MACEs-free groups. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to measure serum levels of ST2, IL-33 and BNP. Severity of coronary artery lesion was evaluated by Gensini score. Pearson correlation analysis was used. A receiver operating characteristics curve was drawn to evaluate the potential roles of ST2, IL-33 and BNP in predicting MACEs, and Kaplan-Meier curve to analyse the 1-year overall survival rate. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyse the independent risk factors for MACEs. Compared with the MACEs-free group, the serum levels of ST2, IL-33 and BNP were significantly higher in the MACEs group. Serum levels of ST2, IL-33 and BNP were positively correlated with each other and positively correlated with Gensini score. The area under curves of ST2, IL-33 and BNP, respectively, were 0.872, 0.675 and 0.902. The relative sensitivity and specificity were, respectively, 76.27% and 85.92%, 69.49% and 58.68%, as well as, 96.61% and 77.69%. Serum levels of ST2, IL-33 and BNP were independent risk factors for MACEs. The 1-year overall survival rate was higher in AMI patients with lower serum levels of ST2, IL-33 and BNP. In conclusion, serum levels of ST2, IL-33 and BNP have potential value in predicting MACEs in AMI patients undergoing PCI.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is usually diagnosed at late stages, which leads to high morbidity. There are evidence that chronic inflammation (eg oral lichen planus [OLP]) was a risk factor of OSCC, but often misdiagnosed or ignored until invasion and metastasis. By applying precision medicine, the molecular microenvironment variations and relevant biomarkers for the malignant transformation from OLP to OSCC can be fully investigated. Several studies pointed out that the metabolic pathway were suppressed in OSCC. However, it remains unclear how the systemic profile of the metabolites change during the malignant transformation. In this study, we examined and compared the mucosa samples from 11 healthy individuals, 10 OLP patients and 21 OSCC patients. Based on the results, succinate, a key metabolite of the tricarboxylic acid cycle pathway, was accumulated in the primary cultured precancerous OLP keratinocytes and OSCC cells. Then, we found that succinate activated the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) pathway and induced apoptosis, which could also be up-regulated by the tumour suppressor lncRNA MEG3. These results suggested the critical roles of succinate and MEG3 in the metabolic changes during malignant transformation from OLP to OSCC, which indicated that succinate, HIF1α and downstream proteins might serve as new biomarkers of precancerous OLP for early diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. In addition, succinate or its prodrugs might become a potential therapy for the prevention or treatment of OSCC.

Transmembrane protein 88 (TMEM88) is a potential 2-transmembrane-type protein that interacts with the PDZ domain of Dishevelled-1 (DVL-1), a crucial component of Wnt signalling pathway through its C-terminal Val-Trp-Val (VWV) motif in Xenopus embryo cells. Since the significant function of β-catenin in liver fibrosis, it is urgent to study the TMEM88 mechanism in liver fibrosis. The current research was for evaluating the function of TMEM88 in the process of the liver fibrosis and clarifying the inherent mechanism. The study found that TMEM88 is decreased in human fibrotic liver tissues. Functionally, TMEM88 significantly reduced the expression levels of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen type I (Col.I) and repressed extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation by restoring the balance between matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and TIMPs (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases). TMEM88 inhibited HSCs proliferation and evaluated the apoptosis of activated LX-2 cells by regulating Wnt3a, Wnt2b and β-catenin of Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. Moreover, we demonstrated that miR-708 particularly targeted TMEM88 3'-UTR regions and down-regulated the expression level of TMEM88 in TGF-β1-stimulated LX-2 cells. MiR-708 promoted the generation of ECM and cell activation in activated LX-2 cells. These results determined that miR-708 could promote HSCs activation and enhance ECM accumulation via direct targeting TMEM88 by Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. This will provide a potential target for future research in the process of liver fibrosis.

Liver fibrosis is a wound-healing process of liver featured by the over-deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) and angiogenesis. However, the effective treatment is lacking. Procyanidin B2 (PB2) is a flavonoid extract abundant in grape seeds with anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. The present study aimed to determine effects of PB2 on liver fibrosis.

Angiogenesis plays an important role in colon cancer development. This study aimed to demonstrate the effect of brucine on tumour angiogenesis and its mechanism of action. The anti-angiogenic effect was evaluated on the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model and tube formation. The mechanism was demonstrated through detecting mRNA and protein expressions of VEGFR2 (KDR), PKCα, PLCγ and Raf1 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot (WB), as well as expressions of VEGF and PKCβ and mTOR by ELISA and WB. The results showed that brucine significantly reduced angiogenesis of CAM and tube formation, inhibited the VEGF secretion and mTOR expression in LoVo cell and down-regulated the mRNA and phosphorylation protein expressions of KDR, PKCα, PLCγ and Raf1. In addition, the effects of brucine on KDR kinase activity, viability of LoVo cell and gene knockdown cell were detected with the Lance™ assay, WST-1 assay and instantaneous siRNA. Compared to that of normal LoVo cells, the inhibition on proliferation of knockdown cells by brucine decreased significantly. These results suggest that brucine could inhibit angiogenesis and be a useful therapeutic candidate for colon cancer intervention.

Urinary bladder neoplasm is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been proven to be an important cause of cancer progression and poor prognosis. In the present study, we established bladder CSCs and identified the crucial differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between these cells and parental bladder cancer cells. Analyses of bioinformatics data and clinical samples from local hospitals showed that stearoyl CoA desaturase-1 (SCD) was the key factor among the DEGs. A significant correlation between SCD gene expression and poor prognosis among patients with bladder cancer was observed in our data. Loss-of-function experiments further revealed that the SCD inhibitor A939572 and SCD gene interference reduced cell proliferation and invasion. The above data suggest that SCD may serve as a novel marker for the prediction of tumour progression and poor prognosis in patients with bladder cancer.

Despite the fact that extensive studies have focused on heterotopic ossification (HO), its molecular mechanism remains unclear. The endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), which may be partially modulated by neuroendocrine cytokines is thought to play a major role in HO. Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), which has neuroendocrine characteristics is believed to promote skeletal remodeling. Herein, we suggest that that NT-3 may promote HO formation through regulation of EndMT. Here, we used an in vivo model of HO and an in vitro model of EndMT induction to elucidate the effect and underlying mechanism of NT-3 on EndMT in HO. Our results showed that heterotopic bone and cartilage arose from EndMT and NT-3 promoted HO formation in vivo. Our in vitro results showed that NT-3 up-regulated mesenchymal markers (FSP-1, α-SMA and N-cadherin) and mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) markers (STRO-1, CD44 and CD90) and down-regulated endothelial markers (Tie-1, VE-cadherin and CD31). Moreover, NT-3 enhanced a chondrogenesis marker (Sox9) and osteogenesis markers (OCN and Runx2) via activation of EndMT. However, both EndMT specific inhibitor and tropomyosin-related kinase C (TrkC) specific inhibitor rescued NT-3-induced HO formation and EndMT induction in vivo and in vitro. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that NT-3 promotes HO formation via modulation of EndMT both in vivo and in vitro, which offers a new potential target for the prevention and therapy of HO.

Adrenergic receptor (AR)-mediated signalling is modulated by oxygen levels. Prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs) are crucial for intracellular oxygen sensing and organism survival. However, it remains to be clarified whether or how PHDs are involved in the regulation of β(2) -adrenoceptor (β(2) -AR) signalling. Here we show that PHD2 can modulate the rate of β(2) -AR internalization through interactions with β-arrestin 2. PHD2 hydroxylates β-arrestin 2 at the proline (Pro)(176), Pro(179) and Pro(181) sites, which retards the recruitment of β-arrestin 2 to the plasma membrane and inhibits subsequent co-internalization with β(2) -AR into the cytosol. β(2) -AR internalization is critical to control the temporal and spatial aspects of β(2) -AR signalling. Identifying novel regulators of β(2) -AR internalization will enable us to develop new strategies to manipulate receptor signalling and provide potential targets for drug development in the prevention and treatment of diseases associated with β(2) -AR signalling dysregulation.

Angiogenesis plays an important role in neoplastic transformation and progression as well as in the metastasis process of most human cancers. Herein, we identified AL3810 as a novel and orally bioavailable small molecular inhibitor with potent inhibitory activity against multiple tyrosine kinases involved in the process of angiogenesis. We found that AL3810 substantially inhibited the autophosphorylation of VEGFR2, PDGFRβ and FGFR1 in endothelial cells. Moreover, AL3810 exhibited potent anti-angiogenesis activity, manifested by significant inhibition of microvessel outgrowth of rat arterial ring and chickallantochorion membrane (CAM) in ex vivo angiogenesis models. Daily dosing of AL3810 has shown broad-spectrum anti-tumour activity in human kidney, pancreas, liver cancer xenograft models. Importantly, immunohistochemistry results demonstrated that the anti-tumour activity of AL3810 was closely correlated with its anti-angiogenesis activity, as demonstrated by a decreased microvessel area and reduced microvessel numbers in tumour tissues. The overall pharmacological profiles of AL3810 are superior to sorafenib. The clinical trials of AL3810 will soon be launched in China.

Human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) are a promising source in regenerative medicine. Due to the complexity and heterogeneity of hPDLSCs, it is critical to isolate homogeneous hPDLSCs with high regenerative potential. In this study, p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) was used to isolate p75NTR+ and p75NTR- hPDLSCs by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Differences in osteogenic differentiation among p75NTR+ , p75NTR- and unsorted hPDLSCs were observed. Differential gene expression profiles between p75NTR+ and p75NTR- hPDLSCs were analysed by RNA sequencing. α1 Integrin (ITGA1) small interfering RNA and ITGA1-overexpressing adenovirus were used to transfect p75NTR+ and p75NTR- hPDLSCs. The results showed that p75NTR+ hPDLSCs demonstrated superior osteogenic capacity than p75NTR- and unsorted hPDLSCs. Differentially expressed genes between p75NTR+ and p75NTR- hPDLSCs were highly involved in the extracellular matrix-receptor interaction signalling pathway, and p75NTR+ hPDLSCs expressed higher ITGA1 levels than p75NTR- hPDLSCs. ITGA1 silencing inhibited the osteogenic differentiation of p75NTR+ hPDLSCs, while ITGA1 overexpression enhanced the osteogenic differentiation of p75NTR- hPDLSCs. These findings indicate that p75NTR optimizes the osteogenic potential of hPDLSCs by up-regulating ITGA1 expression, suggesting that p75NTR can be used as a novel cell surface marker to identify and purify hPDLSCs to promote their applications in regenerative medicine.

Lung cancer leads to the highest mortality among all cancer types in the world, and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) occupies over 80% of the lung cancer cases. Numerous studies have demonstrated that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is involved in various human diseases including cancer. LncRNA FTX was firstly identified in Xist gene locus and was dysregulated in many human cancers. However, the function of FTX in NSCLC is still unclear. Here, we report that long non-coding RNA FTX expression level is down-regulated in NSCLC clinical tissue samples and cell lines. Ectopic expression of FTX inhibits proliferation and metastasis of lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we find that FTX overexpression activates the expression of transcription factor FOXA2, an important regulator in lung cancer progression, and we reveal a novel FTX/miR-200a-3p/FOXA2 competing endogenous RNA regulatory axis in lung cancer cells. Our results provide new insights and directions for exploring the function of FTX in lung cancer progression.

CTRP9 has been reported to regulate lipid metabolism and exert cardioprotective effects, yet its role in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced cardiac lipotoxicity and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In the current study, we established HFD-induced obesity model in wild-type (WT) or CTRP9 knockout (CTRP9-KO) mice and palmitate-induced lipotoxicity model in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes (NRCMs) to investigate the effects of CTRP9 on cardiac lipotoxicity. Our results demonstrated that the HFD-fed CTRP9-KO mice accentuated cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-initiated apoptosis and oxidative stress compared with the HFD-fed WT mice. In vitro, CTRP9 treatment markedly alleviated palmitate-induced oxidative stress and ER stress-induced apoptosis in NRCMs in a dose-dependent manner. Phosphorylated AMPK at Thr172 was reduced, and phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) was strengthened in the heart of the HFD-fed CTRP9-KO mice compared with the HFD-fed control mice. In vitro, AMPK inhibitor compound C significantly abolished the effects of CTRP9 on the inhibition of the apoptotic pathway in palmitate-treated NRCMs. In a further mechanistic study, CTRP9 enhanced expression of phosphorylated LKB1 at Ser428 and promoted LKB1 cytoplasmic localization. Besides, silencing of LKB1 gene by lentivirus significantly prohibited activation of AMPK by CTRP9 and partially eliminated the protective effect of CTRP9 on the cardiac lipotoxicity. These results indicate that CTRP9 exerted anti-myocardial lipotoxicity properties and inhibited cardiac hypertrophy probably through the LKB1/AMPK signalling pathway.

Liver fibrosis, a consequence of unhealthy modern lifestyles, has a growing impact on human health, particularly in developed countries. Here, we have explored the anti-fibrotic effects of propylene glycol alginate sodium sulphate (PSS), a natural extract from brown algae, in fibrotic mice and cell models. Thus, we established bile duct ligature and carbon tetrachloride mouse models and LX-2 cell models with or without PSS treatment. Liver pathological sections and the relevant indicators in serum and liver tissues were examined. PSS prevented hepatic injury and fibrosis to a significant extent, and induced up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and down-regulation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 through suppressing the transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1)/Smad pathway. PSS additionally exerted an anti-autophagy effect through suppressing the Janus kinase (JAK) 2/transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway. In conclusion, PSS prevents hepatic fibrosis by suppressing inflammation, promoting extracellular matrix (ECM) decomposition and inactivating hepatic stellate cells through mechanisms involving the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 and JAK2/STAT3 pathways in vivo and in vitro.

Mitochondria are cellular organelles that are involved in various metabolic processes, and damage to mitochondria can affect cell health and even lead to disease. Mitophagy is a mechanism by which cells selectively wrap and degrade damaged mitochondria to maintain cell homeostasis. However, studies have not focused on whether mitophagy is involved in the occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)-induced mastitis in dairy cows. Here, we found that S. aureus infection of bovine macrophages leads to oxidative damage and mitochondria damage. The expression of LC3, PINK1 and Parkin was significantly increased after intracellular infection. We observed changes in the morphology of mitochondria and the emergence of mitochondrial autolysosomes in bovine macrophages by transmission electron microscopy and found that enhanced mitophagy promoted bacterial proliferation in the cell. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that S. aureus infection of bovine macrophages induces mitophagy through the PINK1/Parkin pathway, and this mechanism is used by the bacteria to avoid macrophage-induced death. These findings provide new ideas and references for the prevention and treatment of S. aureus infection.

Endometriosis is the most major cause of chronic pelvic pain in women of reproductive age. Moreover, the involvement of histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) has been identified in endometriosis. However, the specific mechanism of HDAC2 remains to be further elusive. Therefore, this study was designed to explore the mechanism of HDAC2 orchestrating hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α/AT-rich interactive domain 1A (HNF4A/ARID1A) axis in endometriosis. Endometriosis cell line hEM15A and clinical endometriosis tissues were obtained, followed by gain- and loss-of-function assays in hEM15A cells. HDAC2, HNF4A and ARID1A expression was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Cell viability was determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 Assay, invasion by Transwell assay and apoptosis by flow cytometry. HDAC2 enrichment in HNF4A promoter region and HNF4A enrichment in ARID1A promoter region was detected through chromatin immunoprecipitation. Mouse models of endometriosis were established, followed by immunohistochemistry of Ki-67 expression and TUNEL staining of apoptosis in ectopic tissues. HDAC2 was upregulated but HNF4A and ARID1A were downregulated in endometriosis tissues. HDAC2 inhibited HNF4A expression by deacetylation, and HNF4A was enriched in ARID1A promoter region to activate ARID1A. Silencing HDAC2 or overexpressing HNF4A or ARID1A diminished the viability and invasion and augmented the apoptosis of hEM15A cells. HDAC2 silencing reduced the area and weight of endometriosis tissues, suppressed endometriosis cell proliferation and accelerated endometriosis cell apoptosis. The inhibitory action of silencing HDAC2 via HNF4A/ARID1A axis was reproduced in mouse models. Collectively, HDAC2 silencing might upregulate HNF4A via repression of deacetylation to activate ARID1A, thus preventing the occurrence of endometriosis.

High-mobility group box1 (HMGB1) induces inflammatory injury, and emerging reports suggest that it is critical for brain ischemia reperfusion. Engeletin, a natural Smilax glabra rhizomilax derivative, is reported to possess anti-inflammatory activity. Herein, we examined the mechanism of engeletin-mediated neuroprotection in rats having transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) against cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury. Male SD rats were induced using a 1.5 h tMCAO, following by reperfusion for 22.5 h. Engeletin (15, 30 or 60 mg/kg) was intravenously administered immediately following 0.5 h of ischemia. Based on our results, engeletin, in a dose-dependent fashion, reduced neurological deficits, infarct size, histopathological alterations, brain edema and inflammatory factors, namely, circulating IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6 and IFN-γ. Furthermore, engeletin treatment markedly reduced neuronal apoptosis, which, in turn, elevated Bcl-2 protein levels, while suppressing Bax and Cleaved Caspase-3 protein levels. Meanwhile, engeletin significantly reduces overall expressions of HMGB1, TLR4, and NF-κB and attenuated nuclear transfer of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 in ischemic cortical tissue. In conclusion, engeletin strongly prevents focal cerebral ischemia via suppression of the HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory network.