Micro-PIV Measurements of an Airway Closure Model

Author(s):  
Shiyao Bian ◽  
Ying Zheng ◽  
Shuichi Takayama ◽  
James B. Grotberg

A thin liquid layer coating the airway can be unstable and forms a plug. Airway closure usually happens at the small airways near the end of expiration, often accompanied with hypersecretion or/and surfactant deficiency in the airway in a variety of lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Modeling work by Halpern and Grotberg [1] has shown that several forces could contribute to airway closure, such as the surface tension instability and the wall compliance. Experiments in a capillary tube were conducted by Cassidy et al. [2] who found that adding surfactant increased the airway closure time and the critical film thickness. In vitro studies [3] [4] illustrated that exposure of primary human airway epithelial cells to plug propagation and rupture led to significant cell injury. Experimental studies [5] [6] on excised lungs or in vivo animal models have shown that severe tissue damage was found in surfactant-deficient lungs due to the repetitive airway reopening. However, mechanical forces induced by airway closure have not been experimentally evaluated.

Microbiology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 156 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ram Naresh ◽  
David J. Hampson

The anaerobic intestinal spirochaete Brachyspira pilosicoli colonizes the large intestine of various species, including humans. In the colon this spirochaete can penetrate the overlying mucus layer, attach by one cell end to the underlying enterocytes, and initiate localized colitis and diarrhoea. The aim of this study was to investigate whether, as part of the colonization process, B. pilosicoli is attracted to mucin. Fifteen B. pilosicoli strains isolated from humans, pigs, chickens and dogs, and a control strain of Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, were analysed for their ability to enter solutions of hog gastric mucin in an in vitro capillary tube assay. No significant attraction was detected with 1 % mucin, but some strains started to enter a 2 % solution, and attraction then increased with increasing concentrations to peak at around 6–8 % mucin. A similar increase was seen with B. hyodysenteriae, although this activity peaked at 6 % mucin and then declined, suggesting that the two species have different affinities for mucin. These mucin concentrations were much higher than those used in previous experimental studies with Brachyspira species. The viscosities of the 6–8 % mucin solutions were around 7–12 mPa s, which were similar to the measured viscosities of the mucus layer overlying the epithelium in the caecum and colon of experimental pigs. The strains varied in their motility, as assessed by their ability to enter tubes containing chemotaxis buffer, but there was no significant relationship between this motility and the extent of their ability to enter the mucin solutions. Different strains also had different propensities to enter the mucin solutions, but there were no consistent differences according to the host species of origin. B. pilosicoli strain 95/1000 was attracted towards a solution of d-serine, suggesting that chemotaxis was involved in the attraction to mucin; however, 95/1000 was also attracted to viscous solutions of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), in a manner mirroring the response to mucin, and hence suggesting the involvement of viscotaxis in the attraction to mucin. B. hyodysenteriae B204 showed a similar viscotaxis to PVP. Further studies are required to determine whether the in vitro interaction of a given strain with mucin is a useful indicator of its in vivo colonization ability, and hence could be used as a potential marker for virulence.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 239784732091162
Author(s):  
Kazushi Matsumura ◽  
Takeshi Kurachi ◽  
Shinkichi Ishikawa ◽  
Nobumasa Kitamura ◽  
Shigeaki Ito

Cigarette smoke (CS) is a risk factor contributing to lung remodeling in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is a heterogeneous disease because many factors contribute in varying degrees to the resulting airflow limitations in different regions of the respiratory tract. This heterogeneity makes it difficult to understand mechanisms behind COPD development. In the current study, we investigate the regional heterogeneity of the acute response to CS exposure between large and small airways using in vitro three-dimensional (3D) cultures. We used two in vitro 3D human airway epithelial tissues from large and small airway epithelial cells, namely, MucilAir™ and SmallAir™, respectively, which were derived from the same single healthy donor to eliminate donor differences. Impaired epithelial functions and altered gene expression were observed in SmallAir™ exposed to CS at the lower dose and earlier period following the last exposure compared with MucilAir™. In addition, severe damage in SmallAir™ was retained for a longer duration than MucilAir™. Transcriptomic analysis showed that although well-known CS-inducible biological processes (i.e. inflammation, cell fate, and metabolism) were disturbed with consistent activity in both tissues exposed to CS, we elucidated distinctively regulated genes in only MucilAir™ and SmallAir™, which were mostly related to catalytic and transporter activities. Our findings suggest that CS exposure elicited epithelial dysfunction through almost the same perturbed pathways in both airways; however, they expressed different genes related to metabolic and transporter activities in response to CS exposure which may contribute to cytotoxic heterogeneity to the response to CS in the respiratory tract.


2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (14) ◽  
pp. E1800-E1809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seiko Susuki-Miyata ◽  
Masanori Miyata ◽  
Byung-Cheol Lee ◽  
Haidong Xu ◽  
Hirofumi Kai ◽  
...  

Phosphodiesterase 4B (PDE4B) plays a key role in regulating inflammation. Roflumilast, a phosphodiesterase (PDE)4-selective inhibitor, has recently been approved for treating severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with exacerbation. However, there is also clinical evidence suggesting the development of tachyphylaxis or tolerance on repeated dosing of roflumilast and the possible contribution of PDE4B up-regulation, which could be counterproductive for suppressing inflammation. Thus, understanding how PDE4B is up-regulated in the context of the complex pathogenesis and medications of COPD may help improve the efficacy and possibly ameliorate the tolerance of roflumilast. Here we show that roflumilast synergizes with nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), a major bacterial cause of COPD exacerbation, to up-regulate PDE4B2 expression in human airway epithelial cells in vitro and in vivo. Up-regulated PDE4B2 contributes to the induction of certain important chemokines in both enzymatic activity-dependent and activity-independent manners. We also found that protein kinase A catalytic subunit β (PKA-Cβ) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 subunit were required for the synergistic induction of PDE4B2. PKA-Cβ phosphorylates p65 in a cAMP-dependent manner. Moreover, Ser276 of p65 is critical for mediating the PKA-Cβ–induced p65 phosphorylation and the synergistic induction of PDE4B2. Collectively, our data unveil a previously unidentified mechanism underlying synergistic up-regulation of PDE4B2 via a cross-talk between PKA-Cβ and p65 and may help develop new therapeutic strategies to improve the efficacy of PDE4 inhibitor.


2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-221
Author(s):  
Haroon Khan ◽  
Muhammad Zafar ◽  
Helena Den-Haan ◽  
Horacio Perez-Sanchez ◽  
Mohammad Amjad Kamal

Aim and Objective: Lipoxygenase (LOX) enzymes play an important role in the pathophysiology of several inflammatory and allergic diseases including bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, allergic conjunctivitis, rheumatoid arthritis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Inhibitors of the LOX are believed to be an ideal approach in the treatment of diseases caused by its over-expression. In this regard, several synthetic and natural agents are under investigation worldwide. Alkaloids are the most thoroughly investigated class of natural compounds with outstanding past in clinically useful drugs. In this article, we have discussed various alkaloids of plant origin that have already shown lipoxygenase inhibition in-vitro with possible correlation in in silico studies. Materials and Methods: Molecular docking studies were performed using MOE (Molecular Operating Environment) software. Among the ten reported LOX alkaloids inhibitors, derived from plant, compounds 4, 2, 3 and 1 showed excellent docking scores and receptor sensitivity. Result and Conclusion: These compounds already exhibited in vitro lipoxygenase inhibition and the MOE results strongly correlated with the experimental results. On the basis of these in vitro assays and computer aided results, we suggest that these compounds need further detail in vivo studies and clinical trial for the discovery of new more effective and safe lipoxygenase inhibitors. In conclusion, these results might be useful in the design of new and potential lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitors.


Sinusitis ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-89
Author(s):  
Ganesh Chandra Jagetia

Oroxylum indicum, Sonapatha is traditionally used to treat asthma, biliousness, bronchitis, diarrhea, dysentery, fevers, vomiting, inflammation, leukoderma, skin diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, wound injury, and deworm intestine. This review has been written by collecting the relevant information from published material on various ethnomedicinal and pharmacological aspects of Sonapatha by making an internet, PubMed, SciFinder, Science direct, and Google Scholar search. Various experimental studies have shown that Sonapatha scavenges different free radicals and possesses alkaloids, flavonoids, cardio glycosides, tannins, sterols, phenols, saponins, and other phytochemicals. Numerous active principles including oroxylin A, chrysin, scutellarin, baicalein, and many more have been isolated from the different parts of Sonapatha. Sonapatha acts against microbial infection, cancer, hepatic, gastrointestinal, cardiac, and diabetic disorders. It is useful in the treatment of obesity and wound healing in in vitro and in vivo preclinical models. Sonapatha elevates glutathione, glutathione-s-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase levels and reduces aspartate transaminase alanine aminotransaminase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, and lipid peroxidation levels in various tissues. Sonapatha activates the expression of p53, pRb, Fas, FasL, IL-12, and caspases and inhibited nuclear factor kappa (NF-κB), cyclooxygenase (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor (TNFα), interleukin (IL6), P38 activated mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), fatty acid synthetase (FAS), sterol regulatory element-binding proteins 1c (SREBP-1c), proliferator-activated receptor γ2 (PPARγ2), glucose transporter (GLUT4), leptin, and HPV18 oncoproteins E6 and E7 at the molecular level, which may be responsible for its medicinal properties. The phytoconstituents of Sonapatha including oroxylin A, chrysin, and baicalein inhibit the replication of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) in in vitro and in vivo experimental models, indicating its potential to contain COVID-19 infection in humans. The experimental studies in various preclinical models validate the use of Sonapatha in ethnomedicine and Ayurveda.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 2506
Author(s):  
Wamidh H. Talib ◽  
Ahmad Riyad Alsayed ◽  
Alaa Abuawad ◽  
Safa Daoud ◽  
Asma Ismail Mahmod

Melatonin is a pleotropic molecule with numerous biological activities. Epidemiological and experimental studies have documented that melatonin could inhibit different types of cancer in vitro and in vivo. Results showed the involvement of melatonin in different anticancer mechanisms including apoptosis induction, cell proliferation inhibition, reduction in tumor growth and metastases, reduction in the side effects associated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, decreasing drug resistance in cancer therapy, and augmentation of the therapeutic effects of conventional anticancer therapies. Clinical trials revealed that melatonin is an effective adjuvant drug to all conventional therapies. This review summarized melatonin biosynthesis, availability from natural sources, metabolism, bioavailability, anticancer mechanisms of melatonin, its use in clinical trials, and pharmaceutical formulation. Studies discussed in this review will provide a solid foundation for researchers and physicians to design and develop new therapies to treat and prevent cancer using melatonin.


Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 119 (11) ◽  
pp. 2443-2451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Akimova ◽  
Ulf H. Beier ◽  
Yujie Liu ◽  
Liqing Wang ◽  
Wayne W. Hancock

Abstract Clinical and experimental studies show that inhibition of histone/protein deacetylases (HDAC) can have important anti-neoplastic effects through cytotoxic and proapoptotic mechanisms. There are also increasing data from nononcologic settings that HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) can exhibit useful anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo, unrelated to cytotoxicity or apoptosis. These effects can be cell-, tissue-, or context-dependent and can involve modulation of specific inflammatory signaling pathways as well as epigenetic mechanisms. We review recent advances in the understanding of how HDACi alter immune and inflammatory processes, with a particular focus on the effects of HDACi on T-cell biology, including the activation and functions of conventional T cells and the unique T-cell subset, composed of Foxp3+ T-regulatory cells. Although studies are still needed to tease out details of the various biologic roles of individual HDAC isoforms and their corresponding selective inhibitors, the anti-inflammatory effects of HDACi are already promising and may lead to new therapeutic avenues in transplantation and autoimmune diseases.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Pollreisz ◽  
Ursula Schmidt-Erfurth

Cataract in diabetic patients is a major cause of blindness in developed and developing countries. The pathogenesis of diabetic cataract development is still not fully understood. Recent basic research studies have emphasized the role of the polyol pathway in the initiation of the disease process. Population-based studies have greatly increased our knowledge concerning the association between diabetes and cataract formation and have defined risk factors for the development of cataract. Diabetic patients also have a higher risk of complications after phacoemulsification cataract surgery compared to nondiabetics. Aldose-reductase inhibitors and antioxidants have been proven beneficial in the prevention or treatment of this sightthreatening condition in in vitro and in vivo experimental studies. This paper provides an overview of the pathogenesis of diabetic cataract, clinical studies investigating the association between diabetes and cataract development, and current treatment of cataract in diabetics.


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