Journal: Journal of Neuroinflammation

Article Title: Cholecystokinin ameliorates cognitive impairment via inhibiting microglia phagocytosis of excitatory synapses in sepsis-associated encephalopathy mice

doi: 10.1186/s12974-025-03554-9

Figure Lengend Snippet: Dorsal hippocampal CA1 region CCK8 injection ameliorates cognitive dysfunction in SAE model mice. (A) Cannula implantation site and experimental timeline. The percentages of freezing time in the (B) training phase, (C) context test, and (D) tone test were recorded on day 3 after LPS injection. (E) Swimming speed and (F) escape latency were recorded in the training phase. (G) Swimming speed, (H) latency to the platform, (I) number of platform crossings, and (J) time spent in the target quadrant were recorded in the MWM spatial probe test on day 4 after LPS injection. (K) Swimming trajectories. Data are expressed as the mean ± SD ( n = 11–12 per group). Data B-D and G-J were analysed by two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post hoc test; data E and F were analysed by repeated measures ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post hoc test. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, **** p < 0.0001 vs. control group; # p < 0.05 vs. LPS group

Article Snippet: Next, to select the effective dose of CCK8 for inhibiting C1q expression, different doses of CCK8 (0.2, 0.5, 1, and 2 μM, Tocris, Bristol, UK, Cat. No. 1166) were used.

Techniques: Injection, Control

Journal: Journal of Neuroinflammation

Article Title: Cholecystokinin ameliorates cognitive impairment via inhibiting microglia phagocytosis of excitatory synapses in sepsis-associated encephalopathy mice

doi: 10.1186/s12974-025-03554-9

Figure Lengend Snippet: CCK8 ameliorates excitatory synaptic plasticity in the dorsal hippocampal CA1 region of SAE model mice. (A) Experimental timeline. (B, C) Western blot was used to detect the hippocampal protein levels of PSD95 and vGlut1 in mice. (D, E) Immunofluorescence was used to detect the numbers of excitatory synapses (white arrows) in the dorsal hippocampal CA1 region. (F) Representative traces for sEPSCs. Statistical results of (G) sEPSC frequency and (H) amplitude. (I) Representative traces for mEPSCs. Statistical results of (J) mEPSC frequency and (K) amplitude. Data are expressed as the mean ± SD ( n = 4–5 per group). All data were analysed by two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post hoc test. ** p < 0.01, **** p < 0.0001 vs. control group; # p < 0.05 vs. LPS group

Article Snippet: Next, to select the effective dose of CCK8 for inhibiting C1q expression, different doses of CCK8 (0.2, 0.5, 1, and 2 μM, Tocris, Bristol, UK, Cat. No. 1166) were used.

Techniques: Western Blot, Immunofluorescence, Control

Journal: Journal of Neuroinflammation

Article Title: Cholecystokinin ameliorates cognitive impairment via inhibiting microglia phagocytosis of excitatory synapses in sepsis-associated encephalopathy mice

doi: 10.1186/s12974-025-03554-9

Figure Lengend Snippet: CCK8 inhibits C1q-mediated microglial phagocytosis of synapses and A1 astrocyte polarisation in SAE model mice. (A) Experimental timeline. (B) Venn diagram and heatmap showing differentially expressed genes in the control and LPS + CCK8 groups compared with the LPS group. (C) mRNA and (D, E) protein levels of C1q were detected by qPCR and western blot, respectively. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the number of PSD95 + C1q + with microglia (F, J), Iba1 fluorescence intensity (G), soma volume (H), branch length (I) and the colocalization of (K, L) GFAP with C3 in the dorsal hippocampal CA1 region of mice. (M, N) Western blot was used to detect GFAP and C3 protein levels in the hippocampus of mice. Data are expressed as the mean ± SD ( n = 4–5 per group). All data were analysed by two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post hoc test. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, **** p < 0.0001 vs. control group; # p < 0.05, ## p < 0.01, ### p < 0.001 vs. LPS group

Article Snippet: Next, to select the effective dose of CCK8 for inhibiting C1q expression, different doses of CCK8 (0.2, 0.5, 1, and 2 μM, Tocris, Bristol, UK, Cat. No. 1166) were used.

Techniques: Control, Western Blot, Immunofluorescence, Fluorescence

Journal: Journal of Neuroinflammation

Article Title: Cholecystokinin ameliorates cognitive impairment via inhibiting microglia phagocytosis of excitatory synapses in sepsis-associated encephalopathy mice

doi: 10.1186/s12974-025-03554-9

Figure Lengend Snippet: CCK8 inhibits C1q expression via CCK2R in BV2 microglia. (A) Experimental timeline. (B–G, I–L) Western blot was used to detect C1q protein levels in the medium and in cells. (H) A Cell Counting Kit-8 was used to detect cell viability. Data are expressed as the mean ± SD ( n = 3 per group). Data B-E and H were analysed by one-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post hoc test, the remaining data were analysed by two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post hoc test. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, **** p < 0.0001 vs. control group; # p < 0.05, ## p < 0.01, ### p < 0.001 vs. LPS group; ++ p < 0.01, +++ p < 0.001 vs. LPS + CCK8 group

Article Snippet: Next, to select the effective dose of CCK8 for inhibiting C1q expression, different doses of CCK8 (0.2, 0.5, 1, and 2 μM, Tocris, Bristol, UK, Cat. No. 1166) were used.

Techniques: Expressing, Western Blot, Cell Counting, Control

Journal: Cells

Article Title: Extracellular Histones Activate Plasma Membrane Toll-Like Receptor 9 to Trigger Calcium Oscillations in Rat Pancreatic Acinar Tumor Cell AR4-2J

doi: 10.3390/cells8010003

Figure Lengend Snippet: Effects of extracellular histones on calcium signal in rat normal and tumoral pancreatic acinar cells. ( A ) Histones have no effects on basal calcium but block CCK stimulation in rat pancreatic acinus. Each acinar cell has one apical, two lateral and one basal side. The lower panel indicates that in tandem stimulations the second dose of CCK does not induce calcium oscillations after histone treatment (Hx). ( B ) Histones stimulate TLR9 to elicit calcium oscillations in AR4-2J cell clusters. Each cell has two neighboring and one basal/peripheral side. The lower panel shows that H4 induces calcium oscillations which are stronger and longer-lasting than CCK stimulation. The color-coded abbreviations are listed. APM, apical plasma membrane; BPM, basal plasma membrane; CCK, cholecystokinin; H, histones; Hx, mixed histones; LPM, lateral/neighboring plasma membrane; N, nucleus; PPM, peripheral plasma membrane; TLR2, 4 and 9, Toll-like receptor 2, 4 and 9; ZG, zymogen granules. The calcium traces shown in ( A , B ) lower parts are taken from r and (Ba) respectively. For clarity, CCK1 receptors are omitted from the diagram.

Article Snippet: Sulfated cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK) was from Tocris Cookson (Bristol, UK).

Techniques: Blocking Assay, Clinical Proteomics, Membrane