Simvastatin attenuates vascular leak and inflammation in murine inflammatory lung injury

2005 ◽  
Vol 288 (6) ◽  
pp. L1026-L1032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey R. Jacobson ◽  
Joseph W. Barnard ◽  
Dmitry N. Grigoryev ◽  
Shwu-Fan Ma ◽  
Rubin M. Tuder ◽  
...  

Therapies to limit the life-threatening vascular leak observed in patients with acute lung injury (ALI) are currently lacking. We explored the effect of simvastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA reductase inhibitor that mediates endothelial cell barrier protection in vitro, in a murine inflammatory model of ALI. C57BL/6J mice were treated with simvastatin (5 or 20 mg/kg body wt via intraperitoneal injection) 24 h before and again concomitantly with intratracheally administered LPS (2 μg/g body wt). Inflammatory indexes [bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) myeloperoxidase activity and total neutrophil counts assessed at 24 h with histological confirmation] were markedly increased after LPS alone but significantly reduced in mice that also received simvastatin (20 mg/kg; ∼35–60% reduction). Simvastatin also decreased BAL albumin (∼50% reduction) and Evans blue albumin dye extravasation into lung tissue (100%) consistent with barrier protection. Finally, the sustained nature of simvastatin-mediated lung protection was assessed by analysis of simvastatin-induced gene expression (Affymetrix platform). LPS-mediated lung gene expression was significantly modulated by simvastatin within a number of gene ontologies (e.g., inflammation and immune response, NF-κB regulation) and with respect to individual genes implicated in the development or severity of ALI (e.g., IL-6, Toll-like receptor 4). Together, these findings confirm significant protection by simvastatin on LPS-induced lung vascular leak and inflammation and implicate a potential role for statins in the management of ALI.

2005 ◽  
Vol 288 (3) ◽  
pp. L426-L431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Polly E. Parsons ◽  
Michael A. Matthay ◽  
Lorraine B. Ware ◽  
Mark D. Eisner

Ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) is an inflammatory process that can be attenuated by lung protective ventilation strategies. Our objectives to further investigate the pathogenesis of ALI and VILI and the mechanism of lung protection in these syndromes were: 1) to determine if plasma measurements of soluble TNF receptor I (sTNFRI) and II (sTNFRII) would predict the development of ALI and mortality in a small single center trial; 2) to test the predictive value of these markers and of TNF-α in a larger, broader group of patients with ALI; 3) to test the hypothesis that low tidal volume ventilation (LTVV) would be associated with a decrease in plasma levels of TNF-α, sTNFRI, and sTNFRII. In the single center study, sTNFRI and II levels were higher in patients at risk for and with ALI, but they did not predict the development of the syndrome. In the multicenter trial sTNFRI and II were strongly associated with mortality (OR 5.76/1 log10 increment in receptor level; 95% CI 2.63–12.6 and OR 2.58; 95% CI 1.05–6.31, respectively) and morbidity measured as fewer nonpulmonary organ failure-free and ventilator-free days. The LTVV strategy was associated with an attenuation of plasma sTNFRI levels. In vitro, stimulated A549 cells release sTNFRI but not sTNRFII. In conclusion, plasma levels of sTNFRI and II can serve as biomarkers for morbidity and mortality in patients with ALI. Furthermore, LTVV is associated with a specific decrease in sTNFRI levels. This suggests that one beneficial effect of LTVV may be to attenuate alveolar epithelial injury.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bibiana Costa ◽  
Jennifer Becker ◽  
Tobias Krammer ◽  
Felix Mulenge ◽  
Verónica Durán ◽  
...  

Abstract Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a widespread obligatory human pathogen causing life-threatening disease in immunocompromised hosts. Myeloid cells such as monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs) are targets of HCMV. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing, which revealed infection of most moDCs upon in vitro HCMV exposure, whereas only a fraction of them initiated viral gene expression. We identified three moDC subsets, of which CD1a−/CD86− cells showed the highest susceptibility. Upon HCMV entry, STING activation not only induced IFN-β, but also promoted viral gene expression. Upon progression of infection, IFN-β but not IFN-λ1 expression was inhibited. Similarly, ISG expression was initially induced and then shut off and thus allowed productive infection. Increased viral gene expression was associated with the induction of several pro- (RHOB, HSP1A1, DNAJB1) and anti-viral (RNF213, TNFSF10, IFI16) genes. Thus, moDC permissiveness to HCMV depends on complex interactions between virus sensing, regulation of IFNs/ISGs and viral gene expression.


Author(s):  
Santosh Paudel ◽  
Kamal Bagale ◽  
Swapnil Patel ◽  
Nicholas J. Kooyers ◽  
Ritwij Kulkarni

Gram-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an emerging cause of hospital-associated urinary tract infections (UTI), especially in catheterized individuals. Despite being rare, MRSA UTI are prone to potentially life-threatening exacerbations such as bacteremia that can be refractory to routine antibiotic therapy. To delineate the molecular mechanisms governing MRSA urinary pathogenesis, we exposed three S. aureus clinical isolates, including two MRSA strains to human urine for 2h and analyzed virulence characteristics and changes in gene expression. The in vitro virulence assays showed that human urine rapidly alters adherence to human bladder epithelial cells and fibronectin, hemolysis of sheep RBCs, and surface hydrophobicity in a staphylococcal strain-specific manner. In addition, RNA-Seq analysis of uropathogenic strain MRSA-1369 revealed that 2h-long exposure to human urine alters MRSA transcriptome, by modifying expression of genes encoding enzymes catalyzing metabolic pathways, virulence factors, and transcriptional regulators. In summary, our results provide important insights into how human urine specifically and rapidly alters MRSA physiology and facilitates MRSA survival in the nutrient-limiting and hostile urinary microenvironment. Importance: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an uncommon cause of urinary tract infections (UTI) in the general population. However, it is important to understand MRSA pathophysiology in the urinary tract because isolation of MRSA in urine samples often precedes potentially life-threatening MRSA bacteremia. In this report, we describe how exposure to human urine alters MRSA global gene expression and virulence. We hypothesize that these alterations may aid MRSA in acclimating to the nutrient-limiting, immunologically hostile conditions within the urinary tract leading to MRSA-UTI.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena V Dolmatova ◽  
Steven J Forrester ◽  
Keke Wang ◽  
Ziwei Ou ◽  
Holly C Williams ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims Sepsis-induced lung injury is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Previously, we showed that heterozygous deletion of polymerase δ-interacting protein 2 (Poldip2) was protective against sepsis-induced lung injury. Since endothelial barrier disruption is thought to be the main mechanism of sepsis-induced lung injury, we sought to determine if the observed protection was specifically due to the effect of reduced endothelial Poldip2. Methods and results Endothelial-specific Poldip2 knock-out mice (EC−/−) and their wild-type littermates (EC+/+) were injected with saline or lipopolysaccharide (18 mg/kg) to model sepsis-induced lung injury. At 18 h post-injection mice, were euthanized and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and lung tissue were collected to assess leucocyte infiltration. Poldip2 EC−/− mice showed reduced lung leucocyte infiltration in BAL (0.21 ± 0.9×106 vs. 1.29 ± 1.8×106 cells/mL) and lung tissue (12.7 ± 1.8 vs. 23 ± 3.7% neutrophils of total number of cells) compared to Poldip2 EC+/+ mice. qPCR analysis of the lung tissue revealed a significantly dampened induction of inflammatory gene expression (TNFα 2.23 ± 0.39 vs. 4.15 ± 0.5-fold, IκBα 4.32 ± 1.53 vs. 8.97 ± 1.59-fold), neutrophil chemoattractant gene expression (CXCL1 68.8 ± 29.6 vs. 147 ± 25.7-fold, CXCL2 65 ± 25.6 vs. 215 ± 27.3-fold) and a marker of endothelial activation (VCAM1 1.25 ± 0.25 vs. 3.8 ± 0.38-fold) in Poldip2 EC−/− compared to Poldip2 EC+/+ lungs. An in vitro model using human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells was used to assess the effect of Poldip2 knock-down on endothelial activation and permeability. TNFα-induced endothelial permeability and VE-cadherin disruption were significantly reduced with siRNA-mediated knock-down of Poldip2 (5 ± 0.5 vs. 17.5 ± 3-fold for permeability, 1.5 ± 0.4 vs. 10.9 ± 1.3-fold for proportion of disrupted VE-cadherin). Poldip2 knock-down altered expression of Rho-GTPase-related genes, which correlated with reduced RhoA activation by TNFα (0.94 ± 0.05 vs. 1.29 ± 0.01 of relative RhoA activity) accompanied by redistribution of active-RhoA staining to the centre of the cell. Conclusion Poldip2 is a potent regulator of endothelial dysfunction during sepsis-induced lung injury, and its endothelium-specific inhibition may provide clinical benefit.


2010 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil R. Aggarwal ◽  
Franco R. D'Alessio ◽  
Kenji Tsushima ◽  
Venkataramana K. Sidhaye ◽  
Christopher Cheadle ◽  
...  

In animal models of acute lung injury (ALI), gene expression studies have focused on the acute phase of illness, with little emphasis on resolution. In this study, the acute phase of intratracheal lipopolysaccharide (IT LPS)-induced lung injury was similar in wild-type (WT) and recombinase-activating gene-1-deficient (Rag-1−/−) lymphocyte-deficient mice, but resolution was impaired and resolution-phase lung gene expression remained different from baseline only in Rag-1−/− mice. By focusing on groups of genes involved in similar biological processes (gene ontologies) pertinent to inflammation and the immune response, we identified 102 genes at days 4 and 10 after IT LPS with significantly different expression between WT and Rag-1−/− mice. After adoptive transfer of isolated CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) to Rag-1−/− mice at the time of IT LPS, resolution was similar to that in WT mice. Of the 102 genes distinctly changed in either WT or Rag-1−/− mice from our 7 gene ontologies, 19 genes reverted from the Rag-1−/− to the WT pattern of expression after adoptive transfer of Tregs, implicating those 19 genes in Treg-mediated resolution of ALI.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengyu He ◽  
Wen Shi ◽  
Min Yu ◽  
Xiang Li ◽  
Jian Xu ◽  
...  

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a devastating critical disease characterized by diffuse inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Increasing evidence, including from our laboratory, has revealed that the opening of ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels has promising anti-inflammation and endothelial protection activities in various disorders. However, the impacts of KATP channels on ALI remain obscure. In this study, we used nicorandil (Nico), a classic KATP channel opener, to investigate whether opening of KATP channels could alleviate ALI with an emphasis on human pulmonary artery endothelial cell (HPAEC) modulation. The results showed that Nico inhibited lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced inflammatory response, protein accumulation, myeloperoxidase activity, and endothelial injury. In vitro, Nico reduced LPS-induced HPAEC apoptosis and the expression of cleaved-caspase-3, caspase-9, and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP). Additionally, Nico inhibited inflammation by suppressing monocyte-endothelial adhesion and decreasing the expression of proinflammatory proteins. Moreover, Nico restored the expression and the distribution of adherens junction vascular endothelial- (VE-) cadherin. Further, Nico abolished the increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the activation of NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in HPAECs. Glibenclamide (Gli), a nonselective KATP channel blocker, abrogated the effects of Nico, implying that opening of KATP channels contributes to the relief of ALI. Together, our findings indicated that Nico alleviated LPS-induced ALI by protecting ECs function via preventing apoptosis, suppressing endothelial inflammation and reducing oxidative stress, which may be attributed to the inhibition of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.


mBio ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole L. Kavanaugh ◽  
Angela Q. Zhang ◽  
Clarissa J. Nobile ◽  
Alexander D. Johnson ◽  
Katharina Ribbeck

ABSTRACTCandida albicansis the most prevalent fungal pathogen of humans, causing a variety of diseases ranging from superficial mucosal infections to deep-seated systemic invasions. Mucus, the gel that coats all wet epithelial surfaces, accommodatesC. albicansas part of the normal microbiota, whereC. albicansresides asymptomatically in healthy humans. Through a series ofin vitroexperiments combined with gene expression analysis, we show that mucin biopolymers, the main gel-forming constituents of mucus, induce a new oval-shaped morphology inC. albicansin which a range of genes related to adhesion, filamentation, and biofilm formation are downregulated. We also show that corresponding traits are suppressed, renderingC. albicansimpaired in forming biofilms on a range of different synthetic surfaces and human epithelial cells. Our data suggest that mucins can manipulateC. albicansphysiology, and we hypothesize that they are key environmental signals for retainingC. albicansin the host-compatible, commensal state.IMPORTANCEThe yeastCandida albicanscauses both superficial infections of the mucosa and life-threatening infections upon entering the bloodstream. However,C. albicansis not always harmful and can exist as part of the normal microbiota without causing disease. Internal body surfaces that are susceptible to infection byC. albicansare coated with mucus, which we hypothesize plays an important role in preventing infections. Here, we show that the main components of mucus, mucin glycoproteins, suppress virulence attributes ofC. albicansat the levels of gene expression and the corresponding morphological traits. Specifically, mucins suppress attachment to plastic surfaces and human cells, the transition to cell-penetrating hyphae, and the formation of biofilms (drug-resistant microbial communities). Additionally, exposure to mucins induces an elongated morphology that physically resembles the mating-competent opaque state but is phenotypically distinct. We suggest that mucins are potent antivirulence molecules that have therapeutic potential for suppressingC. albicansinfections.


2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (05) ◽  
pp. 1007-1018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Li ◽  
Jun-Yun Xie ◽  
Hong Li ◽  
Yun-Yi Zhang ◽  
Jie Cao ◽  
...  

Viola yedoensis is a component of traditional Chinese herb medicine for inflammatory diseases. Chemical constituents of V. yedoensis have been shown to possess antibacterial, anti-HIV, and anticoagulant effects in experimental research; however, their anti-inflammatory properties remain to be demonstrated. In this study, a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury was used to investigate the effect of petroleum ether fraction of V. yedoensis (PEVY) on inflammation in vivo. After being shown to have anti-complementary activity in vitro, PEVY was orally administered to the mice at doses of 2, 4, and 8 mg/kg. Treatment with PEVY significantly decreased the wet-to-dry weight ratio of the lung, total cells, red blood cells, protein concentration, and myeloperoxidase activity in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. PEVY markedly attenuated lung injury with improved lung morphology and reduced complement deposition. In addition, PEVY suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. Taken together, PEVY protects the lung from acute injury, potentially via inhibiting the activation of the complement system and excessive production of proinflammatory mediators.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yumiko Sekiya ◽  
Kaoru Shimada ◽  
Hiroshi Takahashi ◽  
Chisa Kuga ◽  
Shunsuke Komachi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Neutrophil-platelet complexes (NPCs) readily migrate into tissues and induce tissue damage via cytokine or other pathogenic factors release. These actions are involved in onset and progression of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Thus, simultaneous removal of cytokines and activated neutrophils that includes NPCs by blood purification may prevent development of ARDS and enhance drug effects. The goal of this study was to examine the effect of a newly developed adsorption column (NOA-001) that eliminates cytokines and activated neutrophils in a lung injury model.Results: Adsorption of cytokines such as IL-8, IL-6 and HMGB-1, and NPCs was first measured in vitro. Lung injury was induced by HCl and lipopolysaccharide intratracheal infusion in rabbits ventilated at a low tidal volume (7-8 mL/kg) and PEEP (2.5 cmH2O) for lung protection. Arterial blood gas, hematologic values, plasma IL-8, blood pressure and heart rate were measured, and lung damage was evaluated histopathologically in animals treated with 8-hour direct hemoperfusion with or without use of NOA-001. The in vitro adsorption rates for IL-8, IL-6, HMGB-1, activated granulocytes and NPCs were 99.4 ± 0.0164%, 63.6 ± 0.367%, 59.0 ± 1.58%, 7.05 ± 9.63% and 55.7 ± 12.7%, respectively. Absorption of NPCs onto fibers was confirmed microscopically. These adsorption effects were associated with several improvements in the rabbit model. In respiratory function, the PaO2/FIO2 ratios at 8 h were 314 ± 55.3 mmHg in the NOA-001 group and 134 ± 40.8 mmHg in the sham group. The oxygenation index and PaCO2 also differed significantly between the two groups (p<0.05). Acidosis was observed in the sham group, whereas blood pH was maintained within the normal range in the NOA-001 group (p<0.05). In lung histopathology, fewer hyaline membrane and inflammatory cells were observed in the NOA-001 group.Conclusion: A column for simultaneous removal of cytokines and NPCs showed efficacy for improvement of pulmonary function in an animal model. This column may be effective in support of treatment of ARDS.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle C. Ward ◽  
Nicholas E. Banovich ◽  
Abhishek Sarkar ◽  
Matthew Stephens ◽  
Yoav Gilad

AbstractOne life-threatening outcome of cardiovascular disease is myocardial infarction, where cardiomyocytes are deprived of oxygen. To study inter-individual differences in response to hypoxia, we established an in vitro model of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes from 15 individuals. We measured gene expression levels, chromatin accessibility, and methylation levels in four culturing conditions that correspond to normoxia, hypoxia and short or long-term re-oxygenation. We characterized thousands of gene regulatory changes as the cells transition between conditions. Using available genotypes, we identified 1,573 genes with a cis expression quantitative locus (eQTL) in at least one condition, as well as 367 dynamic eQTLs, which are classified as eQTLs in at least one, but not in all conditions. A subset of genes with dynamic eQTLs is associated with complex traits and disease. Our data demonstrate how dynamic genetic effects on gene expression, which are likely relevant for disease, can be uncovered under stress.


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