scholarly journals The Study on the Regulation of Th Cells by MSCs Through the JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway to Protect Naturally Aged Sepsis Model Rats

Author(s):  
Lu Wang ◽  
Zihui Deng ◽  
Yan Sun ◽  
Yan Zhao ◽  
Yun Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Sepsis is the leading cause of death among patients, especially elderly patients, in intensive care units worldwide. However, there is no effective treatment for sepsis in the aging population. Therefore, we designed such a study to confirm the protective effect of MSCs against sepsis in the elderly and to explore its mechanisms.Methods: In this study, we established a sepsis model using naturally aged SD rats and injected 5×106 umbilical cord-derived MSCs via the tail vein. Each group of rats was analyzed for survival, examined for biochemical parameters, stained for organ histology, and analyzed for the Th cell subpopulation ratio and inflammatory cytokine levels by flow cytometry. Western blotting was performed to detect the activity of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. We designed in vitro experiments to confirm the regulatory role of MSCs, and verified the possible mechanism using JAK/STAT inhibitors. Results: The results revealed that the 72 h survival rate of sepsis rats treated with MSCs was significantly increased, organ damage and inflammatory infiltration were reduced, the levels of organ damage indicators were decreased, the ratios of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg in peripheral blood and spleen were significantly decreased, the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 were decreased, the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-10 were increased, and the levels of STAT1 and STAT3 phosphorylation were reduced. These results were validated in in vitro experiments. Conclusions: Therefore, this study confirms that MSCs can control the inflammatory response induced by sepsis by regulating Th cells and inflammatory factors, and that this leads to reduction of tissue damage, protection of organ functions and ultimately improvement of survival in aged sepsis model rats. Inhibition of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway may be an important mechanism for their action.

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hee-Soo Han ◽  
Eungyeong Jang ◽  
Ji-Sun Shin ◽  
Kyung-Soo Inn ◽  
Jang-Hoon Lee ◽  
...  

Medicinal plants have been used as alternative therapeutic tools to alleviate inflammatory diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate anti-inflammatory properties of Kyungheechunggan-tang- (KCT-) 01, KCT-02, and Injinchunggan-tang (IJCGT) as newly developed decoctions containing 3–11 herbs in LPS-induced macrophages. KCT-01 showed the most potent inhibitory effects on LPS-induced NO, PGE2, TNF-α, and IL-6 production among those three herbal formulas. In addition, KCT-01 significantly inhibited LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 at protein levels and expression of iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, and IL-6 at mRNA levels. Molecular data revealed that KCT-01 attenuated the activation of JAK/STAT signaling cascade without affecting NF-κB or AP-1 activation. In ear inflammation induced by croton oil, KCT-01 significantly reduced edema, MPO activity, expression levels of iNOS and COX-2, and STAT3 phosphorylation in ear tissues. Taken together, our findings suggest that KCT-01 can downregulate the expression of proinflammatory genes by inhibiting JAK/STAT signaling pathway under inflammatory conditions. This study provides useful data for further exploration and application of KCT-01 as a potential anti-inflammatory medicine.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-lei Gao ◽  
Chun-xue Wang ◽  
Zi-yi Wang ◽  
Wen-jie Li ◽  
Yan-cun Liu ◽  
...  

Neuropilin (Nrp)-1 contributes to maintain the stability of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs). We investigated the impact of Nrp-1 on the stability of CD4+CD25+ Tregs, and the underlying signaling pathways, in a sepsis model. Splenic CD4+CD25+ Tregs were treated with anti-Nrp-1, or transfected to silence Nrp-1 and ikkβ, or administered with PDTC, followed by rSema3A in sepsis simulation. After creation of a sepsis model in mice, anti-Nrp-1 was administered. Expression of foxp3- TSDR, apoptosis rate, Foxp-3/CTLA-4/TGF-β1, IL-10 and TGF-β1, and NF-κB signaling activity of CD4+CD25+ Tregs were determined. Sepsis simulation with or without rSema3A increased the stability of CD4+CD25+ Tregs, including an increase in the expression of Foxp-3/CTLA-4/TGF-β1, decrease in apoptosis and methylation of foxp3- TSDR, increase in the secretion of TGF-β1 and IL-10, and increase in the immunosuppressive effect on CD4+T lymphocytes. silencing of Nrp-1 or anti-Nrp-1 treatment interdicted LPS stimulation with or without a rSema3A-mediated effect. Sepsis simulation increased the DNA-binding activity of NF-κB, as well as the p-ikkβ/ikkβ and p-P65/P65 ratios in vitro and vivo. Silencing of ikkβ expression or PDTC treatment suppressed the stability of CD4+CD25+ Tregs in LPS-induced sepsis. Weakening Nrp-1 reduced the stability of CD4+CD25+ Tregs by regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway, and could be a new target for immunoregulation in sepsis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S141-S141
Author(s):  
B Liu ◽  
M Spalinger ◽  
L G Perez ◽  
A Machicote ◽  
N Gagliani ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is characterized by an overwhelming gut inflammation, where CD4+ effector T cells are main mediators of the inflammatory response. Tofacitinib, a small molecular drug recently used in IBD patients, blocks the JAK/STAT signaling pathway necessary for CD4+ effector T-cell activation. However, clinical data show that a percentage of patients do not respond to the treatment. Our main goal is to identify biomarkers predicting the response of patients to tofacitinib. Methods Tofacitinib efficacy was studied in vivo in wild type (WT) and T-cell-specific PTPN2 deficient mice (CD4-Cre;Ptpn2 floxed) in which the JAK/STAT signaling pathway is over activated. WT and PTPN2 deficient mice were gavaged with tofacitinib (50mg/kg, twice daily) or vehicle. Acute DSS-colitis was induced. Colitis development was evaluated by weight loss, colonoscopy and histology. CD4+ T cells were isolated from the colon and analyzed by flow cytometry. To study the effect of tofacitinib on T-cell differentiation, we isolated naïve T cells from mouse spleen and polarized them in vitro to different T-cell subsets with or without tofacitinib. CD4+ T cells differentiation and cytokine production were analyzed by flow cytometry. To evaluate the influence of tofacitinib on human CD4+ T cells, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors and IBD patients were stimulated in presence of tofacitinib, and analyzed by flow cytometry. Results While no protective effect was found after tofacitinib treatment in WT mice, PTPN2 deficient mice were protected from colitis based on less weight loss, lower endoscopic and histological scores. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-17 and IFN-γ by colonic CD4+ T cells was also decreased by tofacitinib. Consistent with the in vivo observations, in vitro experiments revealed a strong impact of tofacitinib on CD4+ T-cells cytokine production. In PBMCs from IBD patients, IFN-γ and TNF-α expression was strongly impacted. In contrast, in healthy donors, IL-10 was the most impacted cytokine. Finally, tofacitinib decreased the in vitro differentiation of Th1, Th2, Th17, Th22, Treg and Tr1. Conclusion In the T-cell-specific PTPN2 deficient mice, tofacitinib exerts a protective effect after DSS-induced colitis. In line with the in vivo findings, in vitro experiments show that tofacitinib has a strong impact on pro-inflammatory cytokine production, especially in the IBD patients. Taken together, these data suggest that tofacitinib might be suitable primarily for IBD patients where the JAK/STAT signaling pathway is over activated.


BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuchen Gu ◽  
Xin Huang ◽  
Xiangwen Xu ◽  
Yunhan Liu ◽  
Yimin Khoong ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Hypertrophic scar (HTS) is a fibroproliferative skin disorder characterized by excessive cell proliferation, migration, and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. The CUB and Sushi multiple domains 1 (CSMD1) has previously been identified as the key regulatory gene of hypertrophic scar by a large sample GWAS study. However, further research has not yet been conducted to verify this finding in other HTS patients and to determine the underlying mechanism. Results In this study, we verified that CSMD1 was downregulated in both HTS tissue and HTS-derived fibroblasts. The knockdown of CSMD1 resulted in enhanced migration and fibronectin1 (FN1) secretion in fibroblasts in vitro. In addition, the upstream and downstream regulatory mechanisms of CSMD1 were also investigated through microRNA (miRNA) databases screening and RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) respectively. The screening of four common microRNA (miRNA) databases suggested that miR-190a-3p binds to the CSMD1 and may regulate its expression. We confirmed that miR-190a-3p directly targeted the CSMD1–3′-UTR using luciferase reporter assays. Furthermore, the overexpression of miR-190a-3p showed promotion of migratory activity and FN1 secretion in fibroblasts, resembling the effect of CSMD1 knockdown; whereas the knockdown of miR-190a-3p exerted the opposite effect. Finally, transcriptomic analysis showed activation of Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway in the CSMD1 knockdown fibroblasts. Conclusions This study has validated the conclusions of the previous GWAS study conducted in Chinese population. In vitro experiments have provided further evidence on the function of CSMD1 in the development of HTS, and have also revealed the underlying upstream and downstream regulating mechanisms. Additionally, the JAK/STAT signaling pathway identified using RNA-seq might provide a potential treatment approach, especially for HTS.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuehong Chen ◽  
Huan Liu ◽  
Qiuping Zhang ◽  
Yubin Luo ◽  
Liang Wu ◽  
...  

Objective: Inflammatory bowel disease is an immune-mediated chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract for which curative drugs are currently not available. This study was performed to assess the therapeutic effects of cinacalcet on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis.Methods: Primary macrophages obtained from bone marrow and the macrophage cell line RAW264.7 were used to examine the inhibitory effect of cinacalcet on cytokine production, the PKCδ/ERK/P65 signaling pathway, and NF-κB P65 translocation. Colitis was induced using DSS to assess the treatment effect of cinacalcet. Bioinformatics approaches were adopted to predict potential targets of cinacalcet, and a drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTs) assay was performed to confirm binding between cinacalcet and potential target.Results:In vivo analysis showed that cinacalcet reduced the disease activity score, prevented shortening of the colon, diminished inflammatory cell infiltration, and protected the structural integrity of the intestinal wall. Cinacalcet also reduced production of the inflammatory cytokines TNFα, IL-1β, and IL-6 in the colon and sera of mice with DSS-induced colitis. In vitro studies revealed that cinacalcet suppressed the translocation of P65 and inhibited production of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-6. Mechanistic studies revealed that the target of cinacalcet was neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R) and their binding was confirmed by a DARTs assay. Furthermore, the inhibition of NK-κB P65 activation was found to occur via the suppression of PKCδ/ERK/P65 signaling mediated by cinacalcet.Conclusion: Cinacalcet inhibits the activation of NF-κB and reduces the production of inflammatory cytokines by suppressing the PKCδ/ERK/P65 signaling pathway via targeting NK1R, suggesting that it can be used to treat inflammatory diseases, particularly colitis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 1934578X2094835
Author(s):  
Wenyue Zhuang ◽  
Na Zhao ◽  
Di Li ◽  
Xiaoming Su ◽  
Yueyang Wang ◽  
...  

There is no effective method for treating pulmonary fibrosis (PF) until now. This study investigated the anti-fibrotic effect of schisantherin A (SCA) extracted from Schisandra chinensis and its potential molecular mechanism in PF. A bleomycin-induced PF mouse model in vivo and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-induced A549 epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) cell model in vitro were used for assessing the anti-fibrotic effect of SCA. Histopathological examination was conducted after hematoxylin and eosin and Masson staining. The level of TGF-β1 was tested by ELISA. The expression levels of α-smooth muscle actin, E-cadherin, and inflammatory cytokines (COX2, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) were determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. The expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) was tested in lung tissues and cells by Western blot. The in vivo experiments revealed that SCA treatment markedly improved body weight and pulmonary index and reformed the destruction of the lung tissue structure. We observed that SCA inhibited the process of TGF-β1-induced EMT in the in vitro experiments. Inflammatory cytokines were reduced greatly in lung tissues and cells by SCA. Our study also indicated that SCA decreased phosphorylated ERK. It was concluded that SCA can attenuate PF by regulating the ERK signaling pathway, which suggests that SCA may be used as a potential therapeutic drug for PF.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaqi Li ◽  
Yuan Li ◽  
Xuan Zhou ◽  
Lijie Wei ◽  
Jingyi Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Interleukin-15 (IL-15), a member of the ‘four α-helix bundle’ cytokine family, has been associated with many inflammatory and metabolic diseases. Abnormal expression of IL-15 has been linked to the occurrence and development of obesity and diabetes. However, there is a paucity of research on the involvement of IL-15 in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM). This study aims at investigating the role of IL-15 in the pathogenesis of GDM. Results IL-15 was consistently expressed in the placenta throughout pregnancy and dynamically changed with pregnancy progress. Trophoblasts have been identified as the major source of IL-15 in the placenta. Expression of IL-15 was significantly increased in the placenta of GDM and in the trophoblasts cultured with high glucose (HG). In our study, expression of IL-15 in the placenta was positively correlated with blood glucose concentration of 75 g Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT), and was inversely correlated with weight of newborns. Further investigations in vitro showed that exogenous addition of IL-15 promoted trophoblasts proliferation, improved invasion and tube formation ability by activating the JAK/STAT signaling pathway, which be blocked by JAK inhibitors. Conclusion Our results demonstrated that IL-15 expression in the placenta was dynamically changing during pregnancy, and it was upregulated in the placenta of GDM patients. Furthermore, IL-15 altered the biological behavior of trophoblasts through JAK/STAT signaling pathway in vitro, and may contributed to the placental pathology of GDM. Our findings provide a new direction for studying the pathophysiological changes of placenta in GDM.


Author(s):  
Zhiguang Qiao ◽  
Jiaxin Tang ◽  
Wen Wu ◽  
Jian Tang ◽  
Ming Liu

Abstract Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative disease of synovial joints caused by inflammation. Acteoside (ACT), a major component and lipase inhibitor from the Chinese tea Ligustrum purpurascens kudingcha, has been reported to regulate the inflammation and immune response. The study aims to investigate the effects of ACT on inflammatory responses and joint protection in OA rats. Methods Cell proliferation was examined by MTT and colony formation assay. Apoptosis was analyzed using flow cytometry with Annexin V/PI staining. ELISA was employed to examine the concentration of inflammatory cytokines. OA rat model was established by surgery stimulation. Results ACT treatment significantly inhibited the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines induced by IL-1β in primary chondrocytes, including IL-6, IL-12, TNF-α and IFN-γ. ACT stimulation also enhanced the cell proliferation, while inhibited cell apoptosis in IL-1β-treated chondrocytes. Consistently, ACT treatment led to downregulation of cleaved-caspase-3 and apoptosis regulator Bax, and upregulation of Bcl-2. Furthermore, ACT treatment inhibited IL-1β-induced activation of JAK/STAT pathway. The results were confirmed in surgery-induced OA rat model. Moreover, ACT treatment significantly inhibited synovial inflammation and articular chondrocyte apoptosis in OA rats. Conclusion Our findings indicate that ACT has the potential therapeutic effect on OA through inhibiting the inflammatory responses via inactivating JAK/STAT signaling pathway.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaowei Chen ◽  
Xi Zhao ◽  
Han Wang ◽  
Hengdao Liu

Abstract Background:Naringenin (Nrg), a flavone found in several plant foods with various biological properties, has been shown prevention of cardiac remodeling. However, themechanisms underlying this suppression of cardiac remodeling has not been known clearly.Methods: Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were AngII infused via osmotic minipumps for 4 weeks and were given Nrg by gavage (100mg/kg/day) at the same time. In vitro experiments used cardiomyocyte and cardiac fibroblasts(CF) treated with AngII or AngII plus Nrg.Cardiac remodeling was assessed using the echocardiography and histological analysis. And, the effect of Nrg on TGF-β1/Smadssignaling pathway was investigated.Results: Treatmentwith Nrg(100mg/kg/day) decreased the ratio of heart weight to tibia length and hypertrophy markers in rats given AngII infusion. In vitro experiments demonstrated that AngII-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and proliferation of CFs were significantly inhibited by Nrg administration. Nrg inhibited activation of the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 signaling pathway stimulated by AngII. Conclusions: Nrgsupplementation prevented cardiac remodeling via down-regulating the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 signaling pathway both in cardiomyocyte and CFs, and attenuating cardiac remodeling in AngII-induced rats model.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ya Xia ◽  
Danping Fan ◽  
Xiaoya Li ◽  
Xiangchen Lu ◽  
Qinbin Ye ◽  
...  

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by an impaired articular bone immune microenvironment, which is associated with regulatory T cells (Tregs) hypofunction and osteoclasts (OCs) hyperfunction and leads to articular bone erosion and systemic bone loss. Studies have shown that Tregs slow bone loss in RA by regulating the bone resorption function of OCs and the JAK/STAT signaling pathway can regulate the immunosuppressive function of Tregs and reduce the bone erosion function of OCs. Yi Shen Juan Bi Pill (YSJB) is a classic Chinese herbal compound for the treatment of RA. However, whether YSJB regulates bone immune microenvironment homeostasis through JAK/STAT signaling pathway remains unclear. Based on in vitro OC single culture, Treg single culture and OC-Treg coculture systems, treatments were performed using drug-containing serum, AG490 and JAK2 siRNA to explore whether YSJB-containing serum regulates the homeostasis of the bone immune microenvironment through the JAK/STAT signaling pathway. In vitro, YSJB treatment decreased the number of TRAP+ cells and the areas of bone resorption and inhibited the expression of RANK, NFATc1, c-fos, JAK2, and STAT3 in both the OC single culture system and the OC-Treg coculture system. Tregs further reduced the number of TRAP+ cells and the areas of bone resorption in the coculture system. YSJB promoted the secretion of IL-10 while inhibiting the expression of JAK2 and STAT3 in Tregs. Moreover, inhibiting the expression of JAK2 with the JAK2 inhibitor AG490 and JAK2 siRNA improved the immunosuppressive functions of Treg, inhibited OC differentiation and bone resorption. Our study demonstrates that YSJB can regulate OC-mediated bone resorption and Treg-mediated bone immunity through the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. This study provides a new strategy for regulating the bone immune microenvironment in RA with traditional Chinese medicine.


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