scholarly journals The Multimodal MOPr/DOPr Agonist LP2 Reduces Allodynia in Chronic Constriction Injured Rats by Rescue of TGF-β1 Signalling

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annamaria Fidilio ◽  
Margherita Grasso ◽  
Rita Turnaturi ◽  
Giuseppe Caruso ◽  
Federica Maria Spitale ◽  
...  

Neuropathic pain is one of the most disabling forms of chronic pain and it is characterized by hyperalgesia and allodynia linked to an aberrant processing of pain transmission and to neuroinflammation. Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is an anti-inflammatory cytokine, which protects against neuroinflammation. It has been demonstrated that TGF-β1 and opioid receptors signalling crosstalk results in an improvement of endogenous opioid analgesia, but it is not known whether mu opioid peptide receptor (MOPr) or delta opioid peptide receptor (DOPr) agonists can positively modulate TGF-β1 pathway. In the present study, we examined the correlation between anti-allodynic effect of LP2, a dual-target MOPr/DOPr agonist, and TGF-β1 signalling in the chronic constriction injury (CCI) model. We detected a significant decrease of active TGF-β1 and of its type II receptor TGFβ-R2 levels in the spinal cord from CCI rats and a selective deficit of TGF-β1 in microglia cells both at days 11 and 21 post-ligature, as assessed by immunofluorescence analysis. LP2, when administered from the 11 days post-ligature to 21 days, was able to reduce CCI-induced mechanical allodynia by rescue of TGF-β1 and TGFβ-R2 levels. Our data suggest that the rescue of TGF-β1 signalling by dual-target MOPr/DOPr agonist LP2 could be mediated by DOPr activation in spinal microglia, thus the dual-target approach could represent a novel pharmacological approach to increase the analgesic efficacy of MOPr agonists.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 2952
Author(s):  
Tzu-Yu Hou ◽  
Shi-Bei Wu ◽  
Hui-Chuan Kau ◽  
Chieh-Chih Tsai

Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-induced myofibroblast transdifferentiation from orbital fibroblasts is known to dominate tissue remodeling and fibrosis in Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO). However, the signaling pathways through which TGF-β1 activates Graves’ orbital fibroblasts remain unclear. This study investigated the role of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in TGF-β1-induced myofibroblast transdifferentiation in human Graves’ orbital fibroblasts. The MAPK pathway was assessed by measuring the phosphorylation of p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) by Western blots. The expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and fibronectin representing fibrogenesis was estimated. The activities of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) responsible for extracellular matrix (ECM) metabolism were analyzed. Specific pharmacologic kinase inhibitors were used to confirm the involvement of the MAPK pathway. After treatment with TGF-β1, the phosphorylation levels of p38 and JNK, but not ERK, were increased. CTGF, α-SMA, and fibronectin, as well as TIMP-1 and TIMP-3, were upregulated, whereas the activities of MMP-2/-9 were inhibited. The effects of TGF-β1 on the expression of these factors were eliminated by p38 and JNK inhibitors. The results suggested that TGF-β1 could induce myofibroblast transdifferentiation in human Graves’ orbital fibroblasts through the p38 and JNK pathways.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yueyi Yang ◽  
Wenjing Liu ◽  
JieYa Wei ◽  
Yujia Cui ◽  
Demao Zhang ◽  
...  

AbstractGap junction (GJ) has been indicated to have an intimate correlation with adhesion junction. However, the direct interaction between them partially remains elusive. In the current study, we aimed to elucidate the role of N-cadherin, one of the core components in adhesion junction, in mediating connexin 43, one of the functional constituents in gap junction, via transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1) induction in osteoblasts. We first elucidated the expressions of N-cadherin induced by TGF-β1 and also confirmed the upregulation of Cx43, and the enhancement of functional gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) triggered by TGF-β1 in both primary osteoblasts and MC3T3 cell line. Colocalization analysis and Co-IP experimentation showed that N-cadherin interacts with Cx43 at the site of cell–cell contact. Knockdown of N-cadherin by siRNA interference decreased the Cx43 expression and abolished the promoting effect of TGF-β1 on Cx43. Functional GJICs in living primary osteoblasts and MC3T3 cell line were also reduced. TGF-β1-induced increase in N-cadherin and Cx43 was via Smad3 activation, whereas knockdown of Smad3 signaling by using siRNA decreased the expressions of both N-cadherin and Cx43. Overall, these data indicate the direct interactions between N-cadherin and Cx43, and reveal the intervention of adhesion junction in functional gap junction in living osteoblasts.


1998 ◽  
Vol 275 (4) ◽  
pp. L637-L644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Chen Lee ◽  
D. Eugene Rannels

Type II pulmonary epithelial cells respond to anthracite coal dust PSOC 867 with increased synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM) components. Alveolar macrophages modulate this response by pathways that may involve soluble mediators, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) or transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). The effects of TNF-α (10 ng/ml) and/or TGF-β1 (2 ng/ml) were thus investigated in dust-exposed primary type II cell cultures. In control day 1 or day 3 cultures, TNF-α and/or TGF-β1 had little or no effect on the synthesis of type II cellular proteins, independent of whether the cells were exposed to dust. With PSOC 867 exposure, where ECM protein synthesis is elevated, TNF-α and TGF-β1 further increased both the absolute and relative rates of ECM synthesis on day 3 but had little effect on day 1. Each mediator increased expression of fibronectin mRNA, as well as of ECM fibronectin content, in a manner qualitatively similar to their effects on synthesis. Thus TNF-α and TGF-β1 modulate both ECM synthesis and fibronectin content in coal dust-exposed type II cell cultures.


2001 ◽  
Vol 21 (21) ◽  
pp. 7218-7230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesc Viñals ◽  
Jacques Pouysségur

ABSTRACT Mouse capillary endothelial cells (1G11 cell line) embedded in type I collagen gels undergo in vitro angiogenesis. Cells rapidly reorganize and form capillary-like structures when stimulated with serum. Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) alone can substitute for serum and induce cell survival and tubular network formation. This TGF-β1-mediated angiogenic activity depends on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. We showed that specific inhibitors of either pathway (wortmannin, LY-294002, and PD-98059) all suppressed TGF-β1-induced angiogenesis mainly by compromising cell survival. We established that TGF-β1 stimulated the expression of TGF-α mRNA and protein, the tyrosine phosphorylation of a 170-kDa membrane protein representing the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, and the delayed activation of PI3K/Akt and p42/p44 MAPK. Moreover, we showed that all these TGF-β1-mediated signaling events, including tubular network formation, were suppressed by incubating TGF-β1-stimulated endothelial cells with a soluble form of an EGF receptor (ErbB-1) or tyrphostin AG1478, a specific blocker of EGF receptor tyrosine kinase. Finally, addition of TGF-α alone poorly stimulated angiogenesis; however, by reducing cell death, it strongly potentiated the action of TGF-β1. We therefore propose that TGF-β1 promotes angiogenesis at least in part via the autocrine secretion of TGF-α, a cell survival growth factor, activating PI3K/Akt and p42/p44 MAPK.


2012 ◽  
Vol 287 (27) ◽  
pp. 23184-23195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gang Chen ◽  
Paritosh Ghosh ◽  
Thomas O'Farrell ◽  
Rachel Munk ◽  
Louis J. Rezanka ◽  
...  

2007 ◽  
Vol 293 (3) ◽  
pp. F885-F894 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amie Traylor ◽  
Thomas Hock ◽  
Nathalie Hill-Kapturczak

Excess transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in the kidney leads to increased cell proliferation and deposition of extracellular matrix, resulting in progressive kidney fibrosis. TGF-β1, however, stabilizes and attenuates tissue injury through the activation of cytoprotective proteins, including heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). HO-1 catabolizes pro-oxidant heme into substances with anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic, anti-fibrogenic, vasodilatory and immune modulatory properties. Little is known regarding the molecular regulation of human HO-1 induction by TGF-β1 except that it is dependent on de novo RNA synthesis and requires a group of structurally related proteins called Smads. It is not known whether other DNA binding proteins are required to initiate transcription of HO-1 and, furthermore, the promoter region(s) involved in TGF-β1-mediated induction of HO-1 has not been identified. The purpose of this study was to further delineate the molecular regulation of HO-1 by TGF-β1 in human renal proximal tubular cells. Actinomycin D and nuclear run-on studies demonstrate that TGF-β1 augments HO-1 expression by increased gene transcription and does not involve increased mRNA stability. Using transient transfection, mithramycin A, small interfering RNA, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and decoy oligonucleotide experiments, a TGF-β1-responsive region is identified between 9.1 and 9.4 kb of the human HO-1 promoter. This ∼280-bp TGF-β1-responsive region contains a putative Smad binding element and specificity protein 1 binding sites, both of which are required for human HO-1 induction by TGF-β1.


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 247054701668869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy D. Coplan ◽  
Srinath Gopinath ◽  
Chadi G. Abdallah ◽  
Jeffrey Margolis ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
...  

Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is a multifunctional cytokine with anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, and neuroprotective properties. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and immune system exert bidirectional influences on each other, via cortisol and TGF-β1, but the exact nature of the interaction is not well characterized. The current study examined the effects, in bonnet macaques ( Macaca radiata), of two consecutive acute confinement stress periods in an unfamiliar room while mildly restrained, first without and then with dexamethasone pretreatment (0.01 mg/kg intramuscular). Preceding the confinement studies, a non-stress control condition obtained contemporaneous levels of cortisol and TGF-β1 in both plasma and cerebrospinal fluid to match the confinement stress studies. Subjects were reared under either normative or variable foraging demand conditions. Since there were no rearing effects at baseline or for any of the conditions tested—either for cortisol or TGF-β—the study analyses were conducted on the combined rearing groups. The stress condition increased both plasma and cerebrospinal fluid cortisol levels whereas dexamethasone pretreatment decreased cortisol concentrations to below baseline levels despite stress. The stress condition decreased TGF-β1 concentrations only in cerebrospinal fluid but not in serum. Together, the data suggested that stress-induced reductions of a centrally active neuroprotective cytokine occur in the face of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation, potentially facilitating glucocortoid-induced neurotoxicity. Stress-induced reductions of neuroprotective cytokines prompt exploration of protective measures against glucocorticoid-induced neurotoxicity.


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