scholarly journals Activation of STING Pathway Contributed to Cisplatin-Induced Cardiac Dysfunction via Promoting the Activation of TNF-α-AP-1 Signal Pathway

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lintao Wang ◽  
Suya Zhang ◽  
Jibo Han ◽  
Xiaoyan Nie ◽  
Yajun Qi ◽  
...  

Cardiovascular complications are a well-documented limitation of conventional cancer chemotherapy. As a notable side effect of cisplatin, cardiotoxicity represents a major obstacle to the treatment of cancer. Recently, it has been reported that cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway was associated with the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases. However, the effect of STING on cardiac damage caused by cisplatin remains unclear. In this study, cisplatin was shown to activate the cGAS-STING signaling pathway, and deficiency of STING attenuated cisplatin-induced cardiotoxicity in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, the STING-TNF-α-AP-1 axis contributed to cisplatin-induced cardiotoxicity by triggering cardiomyocyte apoptosis. In conclusion, our results indicated that STING might be a critical regulator of cisplatin-induced cardiotoxicity and be considered as a potential therapeutic target for preventing the progression of chemotherapy-associated cardiovascular complications.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaolei Liu ◽  
Shaoping Lin ◽  
Yiyue Zhong ◽  
Jiaojiao Shen ◽  
Xuedi Zhang ◽  
...  

Remimazolam is a new benzodiazepine of sedative drugs with an ultra-short-acting anesthetic effect, commonly used for critically ill patients (especially septic patients) in intensive care units (ICUs). Although some anesthetics have been reported to show certain anti-inflammatory effects, the role of remimazolam in inflammation is still remained unknown. Here, we studied the effects of remimazolam on macrophage in response to LPS both in vivo and in vitro. Interestingly, compared with LPS treatment group, remimazolam remarkably improved survival rate of endotoxemia mice and decreased the release of LPS-induced inflammatory mediators (such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β). We further found that remimazolam not only inhibited the activation of MAPK signal pathway at 15 min after LPS treatment but also disturbed Rab5a related TLR4 expression at cell surface in response to LPS at a later time. Such evidence suggests that remimazolam might be beneficial to septic patients who are suffering from uncontrolled inflammatory responses.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Guangtao Han ◽  
Yubiao Zhang ◽  
Haohuan Li

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disease characterized by cholesterol accumulation in chondrocytes, cartilage degeneration, as well as extracellular matrix (ECM) destruction, and joint dysfunction. Curcumin, a chemical that can reduce cholesterol levels in OA patients, also can inhibit the progression of OA. However, a high concentration of curcumin may also trigger apoptosis in normal chondrocytes. Besides curcumin, probucol that is found can also effectively decrease the cholesterol level in OA patients. Considering that high cholesterol is a risk factor of OA, it is speculated that the combination treatment of curcumin and probucol may be effective in the prevention of OA. To investigate the possible effects of such two chemicals on OA pathophysiology, chondrocyte apoptosis and autophagy behavior under inflammatory cytokine stress were studied, and specifically, the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway was studied. Methods. Cell proliferation, colony formation, and EdU assay were performed to identify the cytotoxicity of curcumin and probucol on chondrocytes. Transwell assay was conducted to evaluate chondrocyte migration under TNF-α inflammation stress. Immunofluorescence, JC-1, flow cytometry, RT-PCR, and western blot were used to investigate the signal variations related to autophagy and apoptosis in chondrocytes and cartilage. A histological study was carried out on OA cartilage. Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) release was determined to evaluate the ECM degradation under stress. Results. Compared with a single intervention with curcumin or probucol, a combined treatment of these two chemicals is more effective in terms of protecting chondrocytes from stress injury induced by inflammatory cytokines. The promoted protection may be attributed to the inhibition of apoptosis and the blockage of the autophagy-related PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Such results were also verified in vitro by immunofluorescence staining of OA chondrocytes and in vivo by immunohistochemistry staining of cartilage. Besides, in vivo studies also showed that when applied in combination, curcumin and probucol could block the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway; promote COL-II expression; suppress P62, MMP-3, and MMP-13 expression; and inhibit TNF-α-stimulated cartilage degradation. Moreover, the combined medication could help reduce the release of ECM GAGs in OA cartilage and alleviate the severity of OA. Conclusion. A combined treatment of curcumin and probucol could be used to protect chondrocytes from inflammatory cytokine stress via inhibition of the autophagy-related PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway both in vitro and in vivo, which might be of potential pharmaceutical value for OA prevention and therapy.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yigang Zhong ◽  
Liuying Chen ◽  
Miaofu Li ◽  
Lian Chen ◽  
Yufeng Qian ◽  
...  

Myocardial hypertrophy plays an essential role in the structural remodeling of the heart and the progression to heart failure (HF). There is an urgent need to understand the mechanisms underlying cardiac hypertrophy and to develop treatments for early intervention. Dangshen Erling decoction (DSELD) is a clinically used formula in Chinese medicine for treating coronary heart disease in patients with HF. However, the mechanism by which DSELD produces its cardioprotective effects remains largely unknown. This study explored the effects of DSELD on myocardial hypotrophy both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro studies indicated that DSELD significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the cross-sectional area of the myocardium and reduced elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-6 levels in the induced H9C2 cell model to study inflammation. In vivo experiments revealed that DSELD restores cardiac function and significantly reduces myocardial fibrosis in isoproterenol (ISO)-induced HF mouse model (p < 0.05). In addition, DSELD downregulated the expression of several inflammatory cytokines, such as granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte CSF (G-CSF), IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-3, IL-5, IL-7, IL-12, IL-13, and TNF-α in HF (p < 0.05). Further analysis of the cardiac tissue demonstrated that DSELD produces its anti-inflammatory effects via the Toll-like receptor (TLR)4 signaling pathway. The expression of TLR4 downstream proteins such as matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) and myeloid differentiation factor-88 (MyD88) was among the regulated targets. In conclusion, these observations suggest that DSELD exerts antihypertrophic effects by alleviating the inflammatory injury via the TLR4 signaling pathway in HF and thus holds promising therapeutic potentials.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
lianxiang luo ◽  
Xiaoling Li ◽  
Riming Huang ◽  
Hui Luo

Abstract BackgroundAcute lung injury (ALI) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in respiratory disease. Astaxanthin, a natural antioxidant xanthophyll carotenoid, has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory activity. However, poor evidence has been reported that whether it has protective effects against ALI.Methods A network pharmacology analysis was carried out combining the construction of the GeneCards database and the Pharmmapper database, The potential active compounds and targets were predicted by compound-target prediction, protein-protein interaction analysis, GO and KEGG pathway analysis. Then, the anti-inflammation effect of astaxanthin was investigated in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells in vitro and LPS-induced ALI mice in vivo.ResultsThe results screened by GO and KEGG enrichment analysis suggested that astaxanthin had extensive associations with 25 known therapeutic targets of ALI. These target genes were further found to be associated with pathways involved in inflammatory pathways in ALI, such as the Toll-like receptor signal pathway, TNF signal pathway, Hif signal pathway, and NF-Kappa B signal pathway. Pre-treatment with astaxanthin inhibited the TLR4/MyD88 signaling pathway and attenuated LPS-increased inflammatory factors in vitro. Furthermore, the administration of astaxanthin significantly protected lung injury in vivo. Subsequently, we validated astaxanthin binds to the TLR4 pocket using molecular docking. ConclusionTaken together, astaxanthin exerts impressively protective effects on LPS-induced ALI in vitro and in vivo via suppressing the TLR4/MyD88 signaling pathway.


BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Qiuzi Liu ◽  
Wei Wei ◽  
Guoan Zhang ◽  
Siyuan Yan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Bortezomib (BZM), alone or in combination with other chemotherapies, has displayed strong anticancer effects in several cancers. The efficacy of the combination of BZM and mitoxantrone (MTX) in treating prostate cancer remains unknown. Methods Anticancer effects of combination of BZM and MTX were determined by apoptosis and proliferation assay in vivo and in vitro. Expression of β-Catenin and its target genes were characterized by western blot and Real-time PCR. Results BZM significantly enhanced MTX-induced antiproliferation in vivo and in vitro. Mice administered a combination of BZM and MTX displayed attenuated tumor growth and prolonged survival. BZM significantly attenuated MTX-induced apoptosis. Moreover, the combination of BZM and MTX contributed to inhibition of the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway compared to monotherapy. Conclusions This study demonstrates that BZM enhances MTX-induced anti-tumor effects by inhibiting the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway in prostate cancer cells.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Tian Yu ◽  
Feng Xiaojuan ◽  
Liu Jinxi ◽  
Miao Xinyan ◽  
Xu Jie ◽  
...  

Previously, our study showed that HMGB1 was significantly elevated in the blood and located in the glomerular endothelium in LN patients. But whether extracellular HMGB1 is involved in the injury of glomerular endothelial cells (GECs) in LN still needs further investigation. Firstly, we detected the levels of SDC-1, VCAM-1, and proteinuria in LN patients and MRL/lpr mice and analyzed their correlations. Then, HMGB1 and TLR4/MyD88 were inhibited to observe the shedding of glycocalyx and injury of GECs in vivo and in vitro. Our results showed that HRGEC injury and SDC-1 shedding played an important role in the increase of permeability and proteinuria formation in LN. Additionally, inhibition of extracellular HMGB1 and/or downstream TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB/p65 signaling pathway also alleviated GEC monolayer permeability, reduced the shedding of the glomerular endothelial glycocalyx, improved the intercellular tight junction and cytoskeletal arrangement, and downregulated the NO level and VCAM-1 expression. These results suggested that extracellular HMGB1 might involve in GEC injury by activating the TLR4/MyD88 signaling pathway in LN, which provided novel insights and potential therapeutic target for the treatment of lupus nephritis.


Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 461
Author(s):  
Nen-Chung Chang ◽  
Chi-Tai Yeh ◽  
Yen-Kuang Lin ◽  
Kuang-Tai Kuo ◽  
Iat-Hang Fong ◽  
...  

Garcinol, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonist, has recently been established as an anti-inflammation agent. However, the molecular mechanism by which garcinol suppresses inflammation in the context of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains unclear. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that the administration of physiological doses of garcinol in mice with isoproterenol-induced AMI decreased the effect of lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a))-induced inflammation both in vivo and in vitro via the α7-nAChRs mediated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB) signaling pathway. We analyzed altered reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, the production of superoxide by mitochondria, cytokine expression patterns, and the role of the p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway after Lp(a)-stimulated human ventricular cardiomyocyte AC16 cells were treated with increasing doses of garcinol. C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, or tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α production were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to evaluate drug cytotoxicity. Western blots and confocal fluorescence microscopy were used to determine altered expression patterns of inflammatory biomarkers. We also examined whether the therapeutic effect of garcinol in AMI was mediated in part by α7-nAChR. Lp(a)-induced inflammatory cardiomyocytes had increased expression of membrane-bound α7-nAChRs in vitro and in vivo. Low-dose garcinol did not affect cardiomyocyte viability but significantly reduced mitochondrial ROS, CRP, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α production in Lp(a)-stimulated cardiomyocytes (p < 0.05). The Lp(a)-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPKs, CamKII, and NFκB, as well as NFκB-p65 nuclear translocation, was also suppressed (p < 0.05) by garcinol, while the inhibition of p38 MAPK by the inhibitor SB203580 decreased the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 MAPK. Garcinol protected cardiomyocytes by inhibiting apoptosis and inflammation in mice with AMI. Furthermore, garcinol also enhanced the expression of microRNA-205 that suppressed the α7-nAChR-induced p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway. Garcinol suppresses Lp(a)-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines by α7-nAChR-mediated inhibition of p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling in cardiomyocyte AC16 cells and isoproterenol-induced AMI mice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuang-Qing Liu ◽  
Chao Ren ◽  
Ren-Qi Yao ◽  
Yao Wu ◽  
Ying-Yi Luan ◽  
...  

AbstractTumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced protein 8-like 2 (TIPE2) is a newly discovered negative immunoregulatory protein that is involved in various cellular immune responses to infections. However, the underlying mechanism by which TIPE2 affects the immune function of dendritic cells (DCs) is not yet understood. This study aimed to determine the correlations among DCs TIPE2 expression, autophagic activity and immune function in the context of sepsis. In addition, the signaling pathway by which TIPE2 regulates autophagy in DCs was investigated. We reported for the first time that TIPE2 overexpression (knock-in, KI) exerted an inhibitory effect on autophagy in DCs and markedly suppressed the immune function of DCs upon septic challenge both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, TIPE2 knockout (KO) in DCs significantly enhanced autophagy and improved the immune response of DCs in sepsis. Of note, we found that the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-activated kinase-1 (TAK1)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway was inhibited by TIPE2 in DCs, resulting in downregulated autophagic activity. Collectively, these results suggest that TIPE2 can suppress the autophagic activity of DCs by inhibiting the TAK1/JNK signaling pathway and further negatively regulate the immune function of DCs in the development of septic complications.


2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shichang Yan ◽  
Huimin Ding ◽  
Junyang Peng ◽  
Xinqiang Wang ◽  
Chenglong Pang ◽  
...  

Abstract Recently, protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) has been proved to be involved in the inflammatory response including osteoarthritis (OA). In the present study, we found that PAR2 antagonist could remarkably improve the pathological condition of OA rats in vivo. In addition, we also found that PAR2 antagonist could suppress the production of inflammatory factors (TNF-α and Cox-2), decrease the levels of MMP-1 and MMP-13, and restrain the levels of P62 proteins and aggravate the expression of LC3-II both in vivo and in vitro. Besides, in vitro, PAR2 antagonist could increase the proliferation and colony formation of chondrocytes induced with IL-1β. Moreover, PAR2 antagonist could decrease the expression of expressions of p-p38, p-IκBα and p-NF-κB in vitro. However, PAR2 agonist exhibited the opposite effects. Furthermore, SB203580, a p38 MAPK inhibitor, could remarkably promote the proliferation of chondrocytes induced with IL-1β, could alleviate the production of TNF-α and Cox-2, could down-regulate the protein expressions of MMP-1 and MMP-13, and could decrease the expression of P62 and increase the expressions of LC3-II of chondrocytes induced with IL-1β. Importantly, SB203580 could reverse the effects of PAR2 agonist on the functions of chondrocytes induced with IL-1β. Taken together, the present data suggest that down-regulation of PAR2 can ameliorate OA through inducing autophagy via regulation of MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro, and PAR2 can be considered as a potential candidate to treat OA.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Jie Jin ◽  
Xinhuang Lv ◽  
Ben Wang ◽  
Chenghao Ren ◽  
Jingtao Jiang ◽  
...  

Osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative disorder, is considered to be one of the most common forms of arthritis. Limonin (Lim) is extracted from lemons and other citrus fruits. Limonin has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects, while inflammation is a major cause of OA; thus, we propose that limonin may have a therapeutic effect on OA. In this study, the therapeutic effect of limonin on OA was assessed in chondrocytes in vitro in IL-1β induced OA and in the destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) mice in vivo. The Nrf2/HO-1/NF-κB signaling pathway was evaluated to illustrate the working mechanism of limonin on OA in chondrocytes. In this study, it was found that limonin can reduce the level of IL-1β induced proinflammatory cytokines such as INOS, COX-2, PGE2, NO, TNF-α, and IL-6. Limonin can also diminish the biosynthesis of IL-1β-stimulated chondrogenic catabolic enzymes such as MMP13 and ADAMTS5 in chondrocytes. The research on the mechanism study demonstrated that limonin exerts its protective effect on OA through the Nrf2/HO-1/NF-κB signaling pathway. Taken together, the present study shows that limonin may activate the Nrf2/HO-1/NF-κB pathway to alleviate OA, making it a candidate therapeutic agent for OA.


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