scholarly journals UniPR1331: Small Eph/Ephrin Antagonist Beneficial in Intestinal Inflammation by Interfering with Type-B Signaling

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 502
Author(s):  
Carmine Giorgio ◽  
Marika Allodi ◽  
Simone Palese ◽  
Andrea Grandi ◽  
Massimiliano Tognolini ◽  
...  

Eph receptors, comprising A and B classes, interact with cell-bound ephrins generating bidirectional signaling. Although mainly related to carcinogenesis and organogenesis, the role of Eph/ephrin system in inflammation is growingly acknowledged. Recently, we showed that EphA/ephrin-A proteins can modulate the acute inflammatory responses induced by mesenteric ischemia/reperfusion, while beneficial effects were granted by EphB4, acting as EphB/ephrin-B antagonist, in a murine model of Crohn’s disease (CD). Accordingly, we now aim to evaluate the effects of UniPR1331, a pan-Eph/ephrin antagonist, in TNBS-induced colitis and to ascertain whether UniPR1331 effects can be attributed to A- or B-type signaling interference. The potential anti-inflammatory action of UniPR1331 was compared to those of the recombinant proteins EphA2, a purported EphA/ephrin-A antagonist, and of ephrin-A1-Fc and EphA2-Fc, supposedly activating forward and reverse EphA/ephrin-A signaling, in murine TNBS-induced colitis and in stimulated cultured mononuclear splenocytes. UniPR1331 antagonized the inflammatory responses both in vivo, mimicking EphB4 protection, and in vitro; EphA/ephrin-A proteins were inactive or only weakly effective. Our findings represent a further proof-of-concept that blockade of EphB/ephrin-B signaling is a promising pharmacological strategy for CD management and highlight UniPR1331 as a novel drug candidate, seemingly working through the modulation of immune responses.

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 242-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy E B Packard ◽  
Jason C Hedges ◽  
Frances R Bahjat ◽  
Susan L Stevens ◽  
Michael J Conlin ◽  
...  

Preconditioning induces ischemic tolerance, which confers robust protection against ischemic damage. We show marked protection with polyinosinic polycytidylic acid (poly-IC) preconditioning in three models of murine ischemia-reperfusion injury. Poly-IC preconditioning induced protection against ischemia modeled in vitro in brain cortical cells and in vivo in models of brain ischemia and renal ischemia. Further, unlike other Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands, which generally induce significant inflammatory responses, poly-IC elicits only modest systemic inflammation. Results show that poly-IC is a new powerful prophylactic treatment that offers promise as a clinical therapeutic strategy to minimize damage in patient populations at risk of ischemic injury.


Molecules ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 3322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuguang Li ◽  
Tianyi Yuan ◽  
Di Chen ◽  
Yucai Chen ◽  
Shuchan Sun ◽  
...  

Puerarin is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine which has been used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Recently, a new advantageous crystal form of puerarin, puerarin-V, has been developed. However, the cardioprotective effects of puerarin-V on myocardial infarction (MI) heart failure are still unclear. In this research, we aim to evaluate the cardioprotective effects of puerarin-V on the isoproterenol (ISO)-induced MI mice and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. To induce MI in C57BL/6 mice, ISO was administered at 40 mg/kg subcutaneously every 12 h for three times in total. The mice were randomly divided into nine groups: (1) control; (2) ISO; (3) ISO + puerarin injection; (4–9) ISO + puerarin-V at different doses and timings. After treatment, cardiac function was evaluated by electrocardiogram (ECG), biochemical and histochemical analysis. In vitro inflammatory responses and apoptosis were evaluated in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) challenged by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS-induced PPAR-Υ/NF-κB and subsequently activation of cytokines were assessed by the western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Administration of puerarin-V significantly inhibits the typical ST segment depression compared with that in MI mice. Further, puerarin-V treatment significantly improves ventricular wall infarction, decreases the incidence of mortality, and inhibits the levels of myocardial injury markers. Moreover, puerarin-V treatment reduces the inflammatory milieu in the heart of MI mice, thereby blocking the upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6). The beneficial effects of puerarin-V might be associated with the normalization in gene expression of PPAR-Υ and PPAR-Υ/NF-κB /ΙκB-α/ΙΚΚα/β phosphorylation. In the in vitro experiment, treatment with puerarin-V (0.3, 1 and 3 μM) significantly reduces cell death and suppresses the inflammation cytokines expression. Likewise, puerarin-V exhibits similar mechanisms. The cardioprotective effects of puerarin-V treatment on MI mice in the pre + post-ISO group seem to be more prominent compared to those in the post-ISO group. Puerarin-V exerts cardioprotective effects against ISO-induced MI in mice, which may be related to the activation of PPAR-γ and the inhibition of NF-κB signaling in vivo and in vitro. Taken together, our research provides a new therapeutic option for the treatment of MI in clinic.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengbo Sun ◽  
Yipei Ding ◽  
Jingyi Luo ◽  
Jin Zhong ◽  
Weidong Xie

Abstract BackgroundLipotoxicity plays an important role in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy and heart failure (HF). Canagliflozin (CAN), a marketed sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor, has significant beneficial effects on HF. However, the potential pharmacological mechanism is still unknown.MethodsIn this study, we evaluated the protective effects and mechanism of CAN in the hearts of a C57BL/6J diabetic mouse model induced by a high-fat diet/streptozotocin (HFD/STZ) for 12 weeks in vivo and using HL-1 cells (a type of mouse cardiomyocyte line) induced by palmitic acid (PA) in vitro.ResultsCAN could significantly alleviate lipid accumulation and inflammatory responses in the hearts of the HFD/STZ-induced diabetic mice. Furthermore, CAN significantly attenuated the inflammatory injury induced by PA in the HL-1 cells. In addition, CAN bound to the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and significantly inhibited mTOR phosphorylation and hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) expression.ConclusionCAN attenuated lipotoxicity in cardiomyocytes and protected diabetic mouse hearts by targeting the mTOR/HIF-1α pathway.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tingting Li ◽  
Qingsong Chen ◽  
Jiangwen Dai ◽  
Zuotian Huang ◽  
Yunhai Luo ◽  
...  

Abstract Hepatic ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) is a major factor affecting the prognosis of liver transplantation through a series of severe cell death and inflammatory responses. MicroRNA-141-3p (miR-141-3p) has been reported to be associated with hepatic steatosis and other liver diseases. However, the potential role of miR-141-3p in hepatic IRI is currently unknown. In the present study, we found that miR-141-3p levels were negatively correlated with alanine aminotransferase (ALT)/aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in liver transplantation patients. The results demonstrated that miR-141-3p was decreased in mouse liver tissue after hepatic IRI in mice and in hepatocytes after hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). Overexpression of miR-141-3p directly decreased Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) levels and attenuated cell apoptosis in vivo and in vitro, while inhibition of miR-141-3p facilitated apoptosis. Further experiments revealed that overexpression of miR-141-3p also attenuated oxidative stress-induced damage in hepatocytes under H/R conditions. Taken together, our results indicate that miR-141-3p plays a major role in hepatic IRI through the Keap1 signaling pathway, and the present study suggests that miR-141-3p might have a protective effect on hepatic IRI to some extent.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Zhou ◽  
Yu-Kai Wang ◽  
Cheng-Guo Zhang ◽  
Bing-Yi Wu

Abstract Background Stroke affects 3–4% of adults and kills numerous people each year. Recovering blood flow with minimal reperfusion-induced injury is crucial. However, the mechanisms underlying reperfusion-induced injury, particularly inflammation, are not well understood. Here, we investigated the function of miR-19a/b-3p/SIRT1/FoxO3/SPHK1 axis in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Methods MCAO (middle cerebral artery occlusion) reperfusion rat model was used as the in vivo model of I/R. Cultured neuronal cells subjected to OGD/R (oxygen glucose deprivation/reperfusion) were used as the in vitro model of I/R. MTT assay was used to assess cell viability and TUNEL staining was used to measure cell apoptosis. H&E staining was employed to examine cell morphology. qRT-PCR and western blot were performed to determine levels of miR-19a/b-3p, SIRT1, FoxO3, SPHK1, NF-κB p65, and cytokines like TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. EMSA and ChIP were performed to validate the interaction of FoxO3 with SPHK1 promoter. Dual luciferase assay and RIP were used to verify the binding of miR-19a/b-3p with SIRT1 mRNA. Results miR-19a/b-3p, FoxO3, SPHK1, NF-κB p65, and cytokines were elevated while SIRT1 was reduced in brain tissues following MCAO/reperfusion or in cells upon OGD/R. Knockdown of SPHK1 or FoxO3 suppressed I/R-induced inflammation and cell death. Furthermore, knockdown of FoxO3 reversed the effects of SIRT1 knockdown. Inhibition of the miR-19a/b-3p suppressed inflammation and this suppression was blocked by SIRT1 knockdown. FoxO3 bound SPHK1 promoter and activated its transcription. miR-19a/b-3p directly targeted SIRT1 mRNA. Conclusion miR-19a/b-3p promotes inflammatory responses during I/R via targeting SIRT1/FoxO3/SPHK1 axis.


Author(s):  
Anna Dahlman ◽  
Manoj Puthia ◽  
Jitka Petrlova ◽  
Artur Schmidtchen ◽  
Ganna Petruk

Infections due to the opportunistic fungus Candida have been on the rise in the last decades, especially in immunocompromised individuals and hospital settings. Unfortunately, the treatments available today are limited. Thrombin-derived C-terminal peptide (TCP-25) is an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) with antibacterial and immunomodulatory effects. In this work, we, for the first time, demonstrate TCP-25’s ability to counteract Candida in vitro and in vivo . Using a combination of viable count assay, radial diffusion assay, fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy analyses, TCP-25 was found to exert a direct fungicidal activity. An inhibitory activity of TCP-25 on NF-κB activation induced by both zymosan alone and heat-killed C. albicans was demonstrated in vitro using THP-1 cells, and in vivo using NF-κB reporter mice. Moreover, the immunomodulatory property of TCP-25 was further substantiated in vitro by analyzing cytokine responses in human blood stimulated with zymosan, and in vivo employing a zymosan-induced peritonitis model in C57BL/6 mice. The therapeutic potential of TCP-25 was demonstrated in mice infected with luminescent C. albicans . Finally, the binding between TCP-25 and zymosan was investigated using circular dichroism spectroscopy and intrinsic fluorescence analysis. Taken together, our results show that TCP-25 has a dual function by inhibiting Candida as well as the associated zymosan-induced inflammation. The latter function is accompanied by a change in secondary structure upon binding to zymosan. TCP-25, therefore, shows promise as a novel drug candidate against Candida infections.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Liu ◽  
Ken Chen ◽  
Huaixiang Wang ◽  
Ye Zhang ◽  
Xudong Duan ◽  
...  

Ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury is the primary cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). Gastrin, a gastrointestinal hormone, is involved in the regulation of kidney function of sodium excretion. However, whether gastrin has an effect on kidney I/R injury is unknown. Here we show that cholecystokinin B receptor (CCKBR), the gastrin receptor, was significantly up-regulated in I/R-injured mouse kidneys. While pre-administration of gastrin ameliorated I/R-induced renal pathological damage, as reflected by the levels of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, hematoxylin and eosin staining and periodic acid-Schiff staining. The protective effect could be ascribed to the reduced apoptosis for gastrin reduced tubular cell apoptosis both in vivo and in vitro. In vitro studies also showed gastrin preserved the viability of hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-treated human kidney 2 (HK-2) cells and reduced the lactate dehydrogenase release, which were blocked by CI-988, a specific CCKBR antagonist. Mechanistically, the PI3K/Akt/Bad pathway participates in the pathological process, because gastrin treatment increased phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt and Bad. While in the presence of wortmannin (1 μM), a PI3K inhibitor, the gastrin-induced phosphorylation of Akt after H/R treatment was blocked. Additionally, wortmannin and Akt inhibitor VIII blocked the protective effect of gastrin on viability of HK-2 cells subjected to H/R treatment. These studies reveals that gastrin attenuates kidney I/R injury via a PI3K/Akt/Bad-mediated anti-apoptosis signaling. Thus, gastrin can be considered as a promising drug candidate to prevent AKI.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. e201800229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Burrello ◽  
Gabriella Pellegrino ◽  
Maria Rita Giuffrè ◽  
Giulia Lovati ◽  
Ilaria Magagna ◽  
...  

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis has been linked to the aberrant activation of the Gut-associated lymphoid tissues against components of the intestinal microbiota. Although the contribution of CD4+ T helper cells to inflammatory processes is being increasingly acknowledged, the functional engagement of human invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells is still poorly defined. Here, we evaluated the functional characteristics of intestinal iNKT cells during IBD pathogenesis and to exploit the role of mucosa-associated microbiota recognition in triggering iNKT cells’ pro-inflammatory responses in vivo. Lamina propria iNKT cells, isolated from surgical specimens of active ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease patients and non-IBD donors, were phenotypically and functionally analyzed ex vivo, and stable cell lines and clones were generated for in vitro functional assays. iNKT cells expressing a pro-inflammatory cytokine profile were enriched in the lamina propria of IBD patients, and their exposure to the mucosa-associated microbiota drives pro-inflammatory activation, inducing direct pathogenic activities against the epithelial barrier integrity. These observations suggest that iNKT cell pro-inflammatory functions may contribute to the fuelling of intestinal inflammation in IBD patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo José Basso ◽  
Helioswilton Sales-Campos ◽  
Viviani Nardini ◽  
Murillo Duarte-Silva ◽  
Vanessa Beatriz Freitas Alves ◽  
...  

The current therapeutic options for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) are limited. Even using common anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive or biological therapies, many patients become unresponsive to the treatments, immunosuppressed or unable to restrain secondary infections. Statins are cholesterol-lowering drugs with non-canonical anti-inflammatory properties, whose underlying mechanisms of action still remain poorly understood. Here, we described that in vitro atorvastatin (ATO) treatment was not toxic to splenocytes, constrained cell proliferation and modulated IL-6 and IL-10 production in a dose-dependent manner. Mice exposed to dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) for colitis induction and treated with ATO shifted their immune response from Th17 towards Th2, improved the clinical and histological aspects of intestinal inflammation and reduced the number of circulating leukocytes. Both experimental and in silico analyses revealed that PPAR-α expression is reduced in experimental colitis, which was reversed by ATO treatment. While IBD patients also downregulate PPAR-α expression, the responsiveness to biological therapy relied on the restoration of PPAR-α levels. Indeed, the in vitro and in vivo effects induced by ATO treatment were abrogated in Ppara-/- mice or leukocytes. In conclusion, the beneficial effects of ATO in colitis are dependent on PPAR-α, which could also be a potential predictive biomarker of therapy responsiveness in IBD.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuxin Li ◽  
Rui Xu ◽  
Prahlad K. Rao ◽  
Charles K Gomes ◽  
E. Richard Moran ◽  
...  

AbstractActivation of bile acid (BA) receptor, farnesoid X receptor (FXR) has been shown to inhibit inflammatory responses and improve tissue ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). This study investigated the effect of FXR deficiency on liver IRI, using a liver warm IRI mouse model. We demonstrate that liver IRI resulted in decreased FXR expression in the liver of WT mice. FXR-/-mice displayed greater liver damage and inflammatory responses than WT mice, characterized by significant increases in liver weight, serum AST and ALT, hepatocyte apoptosis and liver inflammatory cytokines. Liver IRI increased expression of X box binding protein 1 (XBP1) and FGF21 in WT liver, but not in FXR-/- liver, which conversely increased CHOP expression, suggesting a loss of ER stress protection in the absence of FXR. FXR deficiency increased circulating total BAs and altered BA composition with reduced TUDCA and hepatic BA synthesis markers. FXR deficiency also reshaped gut microbiota composition with increased Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria and decreased Firmicutes. Curiously, Bacteroidetes were positively and Firmicutes were negatively correlated with serum ALT levels. Administration of FXR agonist CDCA inhibited NF-κB activity and TNFα expression in vitro and improved liver IRI in vivo. Our findings demonstrate that FXR signaling plays an important role in the modulation of liver IRI.


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