scholarly journals Expression of miR-15b-5p, miR-21-5p, and SMAD7 in Lung Tissue of Sulfur Mustard-exposedIndividuals with Long-term Pulmonary Complications

Author(s):  
Sahar Salimi ◽  
Farshid Noorbakhsh ◽  
Soghrat Faghihzadeh ◽  
Sara Ghaffarpour ◽  
Tooba Ghazanfari

Sulfur mustard (SM)-exposed individuals develop late pulmonary complications, which are associated with chronic inflammation and fibrotic changes in the lung tissue. MicroRNAs are known to act as important regulators of inflammatory responses, including inflammation and fibrosis-related cytokine signaling. In this study, we investigated the expression miR-15b-5p and miR-21-5p, two regulators of TGF-β signaling, as well as their target molecule, SMAD7, in lung tissues from SM-exposed and control individuals. Total RNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) lung tissue biopsies obtained during surgery from SM-exposed (n=20) or control (n=20) cases. Quality of the extracted RNA was evaluated by an Agilent Bioanalyzer and RNA was quantified using a NanoDrop. MiR-21-5p, miR-15b-5p and SMAD7 expression levels were measured by real-time RT-PCR.miR-21-5p expression levels were significantly decreased (2.7 fold) in the lung tissues from SM-exposed individuals compared with tissues obtained from the control group(p=0.02). There were no significant differences in miR-15b-5p expression levels between the two groups(p=0.94). Interestingly, SMAD7 expression levels were significantly higher (5.8 fold) in SM-exposed individuals’ lung tissues compared with the control group(p=0.045).Our data indicate that exposure to sulfur mustard affects the expression of miR-21-5p as well as its target, SMAD7, in lung tissues many years after exposure. Considering the role of SMAD7 in the regulation of TGF-β signaling, these changes might point to a potential mechanism by which SM-exposure regulates inflammatory/fibrotic alterations in lung tissue.

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-65
Author(s):  
Elahe Esmaeili ◽  
◽  
Sara Ghaffarpour ◽  
Alireza Sadeghipour ◽  
Tooba Ghazanfari ◽  
...  

Background: Finding a sample of healthy tissue is a critical challenge in research studies. Non-pathological Tissue adjacent to the tumor (NAT) specimens is usually used as the control in several studies. However, little is known about the similarity of NAT to healthy tissues. Here, we compared the expression of Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and its inhibitor, Tissue Inhibitors of MMP (TIMP)-1 as extracellular matrix remodeling factors in NAT and autopsy lung tissue. Materials and Methods: RNA of 7 NAT and 6 Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) lung autopsies from healthy people as the control group was extracted, and cDNA was synthesized. The gene expression levels of MMP-2 and TIMP-1 were evaluated by real-time PCR. Results: There were no significant differences in the expression of MMP-2, TIMP-1, or their ratio between the two groups. Conclusion: The results showed that NAT could be used as healthy controls in lung tissue studies for MMP-2 and TIMP-1.


Author(s):  
Somayeh Mami ◽  
Sara Ghaffarpour ◽  
Soghrat Faghihzadeh ◽  
Tooba Ghazanfari

Sulfur mustard (SM) exposure injures different organs such as the lungs and leads to short and long term complications Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) has the main role in altering fibroblast activities linked to airways remodeling. Latency TGF beta binding proteins 1 (LTBP1 facilitates localization of TGF-β in the extracellular matrix. Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 6 (Smad6) negatively regulates TGF-β signaling, thus establishing a main negative feedback loop. In this study, we investigated the expression of LTBP1 and Smad6 in the lung tissues of SM-exposed and control individuals. Lung formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) blocks of SM-exposed (20 samples) and control groups (20 samples) were collected from archival pathology department of several general hospitals. The total mRNA of lung FFPE tissues was extracted. Quality of the extracted mRNA was evaluated by an Agilent Bio analyzer and RNA was quantified using a Nano Drop. LTBP1 and Smad6 expression levels were evaluated by real-time PCR. LTBP1 expression levels did not change between the two groups (p=0.626), howeverSmad6 expression levels were significantly higher (2.6 fold) in SM-exposed individuals compared to the control group (p=0.001). Our results revealed that Smad6 may be involved in lung tissue remodeling process in SM-exposed patients. Smad6 regulates fibrotic alterations in lung tissue and its function as negative feedback mechanisms in TGF-β.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Lawson ◽  
Orestis L. Katsamenis ◽  
David Chatelet ◽  
Aiman Alzetani ◽  
Oliver Larkin ◽  
...  

Micro-computed tomography (µCT) provides non-destructive three-dimensional (3D) imaging of soft tissue microstructures. Specific features in µCT images can be identified using correlated two-dimensional (2D) histology images allowing manual segmentation. However, this is very time-consuming and requires specialist knowledge of the tissue and imaging modalities involved. Using a custom-designed µCT system optimized for imaging unstained formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded soft tissues, we imaged human lung tissue at isotropic voxel sizes less than 10 µm. Tissue sections were stained with haematoxylin and eosin or cytokeratin 18 in columnar airway epithelial cells using immunofluorescence (IF), as an exemplar of this workflow. Novel utilization of tissue autofluorescence allowed automatic alignment of 2D microscopy images to the 3D µCT data using scripted co-registration and automated image warping algorithms. Warped IF images, which were accurately aligned with the µCT datasets, allowed 3D segmentation of immunoreactive tissue microstructures in the human lung. Blood vessels were segmented semi-automatically using the co-registered µCT datasets. Correlating 2D IF and 3D µCT data enables accurate identification, localization and segmentation of features in fixed soft lung tissue. Our novel correlative imaging workflow provides faster and more automated 3D segmentation of µCT datasets. This is applicable to the huge range of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues held in biobanks and archives.


2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (12) ◽  
pp. 1971-1977 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahra Gholamnezhad ◽  
Mohammad Hossein Boskabady ◽  
Sediqa Amery ◽  
Nassim Vahedi ◽  
Abass Tabatabaei ◽  
...  

Pulmonary complications of exposure to sulfur mustard (SM) gas range from no effect or mild symptoms to severe bronchial stenosis. In the present study, the protective effect of vitamin E on the lung inflammation of SM-exposed guinea pigs was examined. Guinea pigs ( n = 5 for each group) were exposed to ethanol (control group), 40 mg/m3 inhaled SM (SME group), SME treated with vitamin E (SME + E), SME treated with dexamethasone (SME + D), and SME treated with both treatments (SME + E + D). Pathological evaluation of the lung was done 14 days postexposure. The epithelial desquamation of trachea and other pathologic changes in the lung of the SME group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Furthermore, the pathological changes of trachea and lung in the SME + E and SME + E + D groups were significantly improved compared with those of SME group. In addition, the pathological changes of trachea and lung of SME + E and SME + E + D animals were significantly less than those of SME + D group.


2019 ◽  
Vol 76 ◽  
pp. 105828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Mohammad Mohseni Majd ◽  
Soghrat Faghihzadeh ◽  
Shahryar Pourfarzam ◽  
Marzieh Eghtedardoost ◽  
Davoud Jamali ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chen G ◽  
◽  
Liu Y ◽  
Zhang M ◽  
Xu Y ◽  
...  

Niloticin is an active compound from Cortex phellodendri, but its antiinflammatory activity has not yet been explored. The aim of the present study was to assess the drug potential of niloticin and to study the MD-2-targeting mechanism of its anti-inflammatory activity. Niloticin’s drug potential was analyzed using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database. Molecular docking and biolayer interferometry technology were used to explore the anti-inflammatory mechanism of niloticin by targeting myeloid differentiation protein 2 (MD-2), which mediates a series of Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) 4-dependent inflammatory responses. The cytokines involved in the LPSTLR4/ MD-2-NF-κB pathway were evaluated by ELISA, RT-PCR, and western blot. The results showed that niloticin has drug potential and could bind to MD- 2. Niloticin had no impact on cell viability. Niloticin could significantly decrease the levels of NO, IL-6, TNF-a, and IL-1β (P<0.01) induced by LPS. IL-1β, IL-6, iNOS, TNF-a, and COX-2 mRNA expression levels were decreased by niloticin (all P<0.01). Compared with the control group, TLR4, p65, MyD88, p-p65, and iNOS expression levels induced by LPS were suppressed by niloticin (all P<0.01). In conclusion, niloticin is a potential MD-2 antagonist. It might interact with MD-2 to play an anti-inflammatory role by suppressing the activation of the LPS-TLR4/MD-2-NF-κB signaling pathway.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kunlun Huang ◽  
ChanMei Shi ◽  
JingQi Min ◽  
Laifu Li ◽  
Tao Zhu ◽  
...  

Background. Epidemiological studies have shown that exposure to PM induces oxidative stress, leading to a variety of health problems. In particular, PM2.5 contains a lot of substances harmful to the human body and penetrates into the lungs to induce lung injury. At the same time, there is increasing evidence that oxidative stress also affects the severity of lung injury. However, there is still no good way to reduce or eliminate these hazards. In the future, more experimental research is needed to further confirm the mechanisms of these hazards and formulate effective preventive measures and treatment plans for their hazard mechanisms. Curcumin has been reported to reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory damage and protect organs. Objective. To investigate whether curcumin can play a protective role against PM2.5-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory damage by inducing expression of the HO-1/CO/P38 MAPK pathway. Methods. In this experiment, PM2.5 was dropped into the trachea to establish a lung injury model in mice. 28 SPF-grade male Kunming mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: normal control group, saline control group, PM2.5 treatment group, and curcumin intervention group. Albumin (ALB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured in alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) to assess lung tissue damage. Colorimetric detection of oxidative stress indicators such as MDA, GSH-PX, T-AOC, and CAT in the lung tissue was performed. The levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the lung tissue were determined by ELISA. Histopathological examination was used for the assessment of alveolar epithelial damage. The protein expression of the HO-1/P38 MAPK pathway in the lung tissue was determined by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Endogenous CO was detected by spectrophotometry. The results showed that the expression of the HO-1/CO/P38 MAPK protein in the lung tissue was significantly increased in the curcumin intervention group compared with the PM2.5 treatment group, and it was statistically significant (P<0.05). Compared with the PM2.5 treatment group, the curcumin intervention group can reduce the amount of ALB, LDH, and ALP in BALF; reduce the levels of MDA, IL-1, and TNF-α in the lung tissue; and improve GSH-PX, T-AOC, and CAT levels, but there is no statistical difference (P>0.05). Conclusion. We found that PM2.5 can cause lung damage through oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. Oxidative stress and inflammatory responses increase the expression of HO-1/CO/P38 MAPK. The intervention of curcumin can further increase the expression of HO-1/CO/P38 MAPK.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel J. Toledo Mauriño ◽  
Gabriela Fonseca-Camarillo ◽  
Janette Furuzawa-Carballeda ◽  
Rafael Barreto-Zuñiga ◽  
Braulio Martínez Benítez ◽  
...  

Introduction. TRPVs are a group of receptors with a channel activity predominantly permeable to Ca2+. This subfamily is involved in the development of gastrointestinal diseases such as ulcerative colitis (UC). The aim of the study was to characterize the gene and protein expression of the TRPV subfamily in UC patients and controls. Methods. We determined by quantitative PCR the gene expression of TRPV2, TRPV3, TRPV4, TRPV5, and TRPV6 in 45 UC patients (29 active UC and 16 remission UC) and 26 noninflamed controls. Protein expression was evaluated in 5 μm thick sections of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue from 5 customized severe active UC patients and 5 control surgical specimens. Results. TRPV2 gene expression was increased in the control group compared with active UC and remission patients (P=0.002 and P=0.05, respectively). TRPV3 gene expression was significantly higher in controls than in active UC patients (P=0.002). The gene expression of TRPV4 was significantly higher in colonic tissue from patients with remission UC compared with active UC patients (P=0.05) and controls (P=0.005). TRPV5 had significantly higher mRNA levels in a control group compared with active UC patients (P=0.02). The gene expression of TRPV6 was significantly higher in the colonic tissue from patients with active UC compared with the control group (P=0.05). The protein expression of TRPV2 was upregulated in the mucosa and submucosa from the controls compared with the UC patients (P≤0.003). The protein expression of TRPV3 and TRPV4 was upregulated in all intestinal layers from the controls compared with the UC patients (P<0.001). TRPV5 was upregulated in the submucosa and serosa from the controls vs. UC patients (P<0.001). TRPV6 was upregulated in all intestinal layers from the UC patients vs. controls (P≤0.001). Conclusion. The TRPV subfamily clearly showed a differential expression in the UC patients compared with the controls, suggesting their role in the pathophysiology of UC.


2016 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 331-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anelisa Jaca ◽  
Padmini Govender ◽  
Michael Locketz ◽  
Richard Naidoo

AimsThe study was conducted to assess the expression levels of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) proteins (E-cadherin, N-cadherin, snail-1 and vimentin) and miRNA-21. In addition, we correlated these data with clinicopathological features in Colorectal cancer.MethodsH&E slides from a total of 59 formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue blocks were examined by a pathologist to demarcate normal and tumour regions. Immunohistochemical analysis of mismatch repair proteins (MLH1, MSH2 and MSH6) and EMT markers (E-cadherin, N-cadherin, snail-1 and vimentin) was performed. The miRNA-21 expression levels were determined using qRT-PCR and the data was analysed using the relative quantification method. The Fisher's exact and Pearson's χ2 tests were used to correlate snail-1, E-cadherin, miRNA-21 and clinicopathological data.ResultsOur results showed a statistically significant correlation between high miRNA-21 expression levels and E-cadherin positive cases. There was also an association between high miRNA-21 expression levels and negative snail-1 expression. No significant correlation was seen between miRNA-21 expression levels and clinicopathological features. Moreover, high expression levels of miRNA-21 were significantly associated with the sporadic cases.ConclusionsOur data suggest that miRNA-21 in association with E-cadherin and snail-1 does not play a significant role in the development and progression of this disease.


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