scholarly journals Pulmonary Toxicity and Inflammatory Response of Vape Cartridges Containing Medium-Chain Triglycerides Oil and Vitamin E Acetate: Implications in the Pathogenesis of EVALI

Toxics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thivanka Muthumalage ◽  
Joseph H. Lucas ◽  
Qixin Wang ◽  
Thomas Lamb ◽  
Matthew D. McGraw ◽  
...  

Recently, there has been an outbreak of a condition named e-cigarette or vaping products-associated lung injury (EVALI). The primary components of vaping products include tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), vitamin E acetate (VEA) and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), may be responsible for acute lung toxicity. Currently, little information is available on the physiological and biological effects of exposure to these products. We hypothesized that these CBD/counterfeit vape cartridges and their constituents (VEA and MCT) induce pulmonary toxicity, mediated by oxidative damage and inflammatory responses, leading to acute lung injury. We studied the potential mechanisms of CBD/counterfeit vape cartridge aerosol induced inflammatory response by evaluating the generation of reactive oxygen species by MCT, VEA, and cartridges and their effects on the inflammatory state of pulmonary epithelium and immune cells both in vitro and in vivo. Cells exposed to these aerosols generated reactive oxygen species, caused cytotoxicity, induced epithelial barrier dysfunction, and elicited an inflammatory response. Using a murine model, the parameters of acute toxicity to aerosol inhalation were assessed. Infiltration of neutrophils and lymphocytes was accompanied by significant increases in IL-6, eotaxin, and G-CSF in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). In mouse BALF, eicosanoid inflammatory mediators, leukotrienes, were significantly increased. Plasma from e-cig users also showed increased levels of hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETEs) and various eicosanoids. Exposure to CBD/counterfeit vape cartridge aerosols showed the most significant effects and toxicity compared to MCT and VEA. In addition, we determined SARS-CoV-2 related proteins and found no impact associated with aerosol exposures from these tested cartridges. Overall, this study demonstrates acute exposure to specific CBD/counterfeit vape cartridges induces in vitro cytotoxicity, barrier dysfunction, and inflammation and in vivo mouse exposure induces acute inflammation with elevated proinflammatory markers in the pathogenesis of EVALI.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thivanka Muthumalage ◽  
Joseph H. Lucas ◽  
Qixin Wang ◽  
Thomas Lamb ◽  
Matthew D. McGraw ◽  
...  

Abstract Recently, there has been an outbreak associated with the use of e-cigarette or vaping products, associated lung injury (EVALI). The primary components of vaping products, vitamin E acetate (VEA) and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) may be responsible for acute lung toxicity. Currently, little information is available on the physiological and biological effects of exposure to these products. We hypothesized that these e-cig cartridges and their constituents (VEA and MCT) induce pulmonary toxicity, mediated by oxidative damage and inflammatory responses, leading to acute lung injury. We studied the potential mechanisms of cartridge aerosol induced inflammatory response by evaluating the generation of reactive oxygen species by MCT, VEA, and cartridges, and their effects on the inflammatory state of pulmonary epithelium and immune cells both in vitro and in vivo. Cells exposed to these aerosols generated reactive oxygen species, caused cytotoxicity, induced epithelial barrier dysfunction, and elicited an inflammatory response. Using a murine model, the parameters of acute toxicity to aerosol inhalation were assessed. Infiltration of neutrophils and lymphocytes was accompanied by significant increases in IL-6, eotaxin, and G-CSF in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). In mouse plasma, eicosanoid inflammatory mediators, leukotrienes, were significantly increased. Plasma from e-cig users also showed increased levels of hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETEs) and various eicosanoids. Exposure to e-cig cartridge aerosols showed the most significant effects and toxicity compared to MCT and VEA. In addition, we determined at SARS-COV-2 related proteins and found no impact associated with aerosol exposures from these tested cartridges. Overall, this study demonstrates acute exposure to specific e-cig cartridges induces in vitro cytotoxicity, barrier dysfunction, and inflammation and in vivo mouse exposure induces acute inflammation with elevated pro-inflammatory markers in the pathogenesis of EVALI.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thivanka Muthumalage ◽  
Joseph H. Lucas ◽  
Qixin Wang ◽  
Thomas Lamb ◽  
Matthew D. McGraw ◽  
...  

AbstractRecently, there has been an outbreak associated with the use of e-cigarette or vaping products, associated lung injury (EVALI). The primary components of vaping products, vitamin E acetate (VEA) and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) may be responsible for acute lung toxicity. Currently, little information is available on the physiological and biological effects of exposure to these products. We hypothesized that these e-cig cartridges and their constituents (VEA and MCT) induce pulmonary toxicity, mediated by oxidative damage and inflammatory responses, leading to acute lung injury. We studied the potential mechanisms of cartridge aerosol induced inflammatory response by evaluating the generation of reactive oxygen species by MCT, VEA, and cartridges, and their effects on the inflammatory state of pulmonary epithelium and immune cells both in vitro and in vivo. Cells exposed to these aerosols generated reactive oxygen species, caused cytotoxicity, induced epithelial barrier dysfunction, and elicited an inflammatory response. Using a murine model, the parameters of acute toxicity to aerosol inhalation were assessed. Infiltration of neutrophils and lymphocytes was accompanied by significant increases in IL-6, eotaxin, and G-CSF in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). In mouse plasma, eicosanoid inflammatory mediators, leukotrienes, were significantly increased. Plasma from e-cig users also showed increased levels of hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETEs) and various eicosanoids. Exposure to e-cig cartridge aerosols showed the most significant effects and toxicity compared to MCT and VEA. In addition, we determined at SARS-COV-2 related proteins and found no impact associated with aerosol exposures from these tested cartridges. Overall, this study demonstrates acute exposure to specific e-cig cartridges induces in vitro cytotoxicity, barrier dysfunction, and inflammation and in vivo mouse exposure induces acute inflammation with elevated pro-inflammatory markers in the pathogenesis of EVALI.


2019 ◽  
Vol 294 (20) ◽  
pp. 8218-8226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuefei Dong ◽  
Shiran Yu ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Min Yang ◽  
Jie Xiong ◽  
...  

Excessive activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) provokes a series of structural and functional abnormalities, and causes ventricular remodeling and heart failure in diabetes. (Pro)renin receptor (PRR) is a component of the RAS and has been reported to be up-regulated in some cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, PRR blockade in some cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction and hypertension, has been demonstrated to reverse their pathogenesis. However, there have been few studies about the function of PRR in the pathogenesis of DCM. In this study, we hypothesized that PRR is involved in the pathogenesis of DCM and mediates myocardial injury in DCM. To explore the role of PRR in DCM, we evaluated the effects of PRR overexpression and knockdown on the DCM phenotype in vivo and in vitro. The results show that PRR overexpression exacerbates myocardial injury and the inflammatory response in rats with DCM. Conversely, PRR knockdown alleviates myocardial fibrosis, apoptosis, and the inflammatory response, reversing the cardiac dysfunction in rats with DCM. In cell experiments, PRR overexpression also up-regulated the protein expression of collagen I and fibronectin, aggravated the inflammatory response, and increased the production of reactive oxygen species, whereas PRR knockdown had the opposite effect. Thus, PRR mediates myocardial injury, apoptosis, and the inflammatory response, likely through a PRR/extracellular signal-regulated kinase/reactive oxygen species pathway.


Author(s):  
Randall G. Leeder ◽  
Elizabeth Rafeiro ◽  
James F. Brien ◽  
Colin C. Mandin ◽  
Thomas E. Massey

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuochao Liu ◽  
Hongyi Wang ◽  
Chuanzhen Hu ◽  
Chuanlong Wu ◽  
Jun Wang ◽  
...  

AbstractIn this study, we identified the multifaceted effects of atezolizumab, a specific monoclonal antibody against PD-L1, in tumor suppression except for restoring antitumor immunity, and investigated the promising ways to improve its efficacy. Atezolizumab could inhibit the proliferation and induce immune-independent apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells. With further exploration, we found that atezolizumab could impair mitochondria of osteosarcoma cells, resulting in increased release of reactive oxygen species and cytochrome-c, eventually leading to mitochondrial-related apoptosis via activating JNK pathway. Nevertheless, the excessive release of reactive oxygen species also activated the protective autophagy of osteosarcoma cells. Therefore, when we combined atezolizumab with autophagy inhibitors, the cytotoxic effect of atezolizumab on osteosarcoma cells was significantly enhanced in vitro. Further in vivo experiments also confirmed that atezolizumab combined with chloroquine achieved the most significant antitumor effect. Taken together, our study indicates that atezolizumab can induce mitochondrial-related apoptosis and protective autophagy independently of the immune system, and targeting autophagy is a promising combinatorial approach to amplify its cytotoxicity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (18) ◽  
pp. 4556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Zielinska-Blizniewska ◽  
Przemyslaw Sitarek ◽  
Anna Merecz-Sadowska ◽  
Katarzyna Malinowska ◽  
Karolina Zajdel ◽  
...  

Obesity is a complex disease of great public health significance worldwide: It entails several complications including diabetes mellitus type 2, cardiovascular dysfunction and hypertension, and its prevalence is increasing around the world. The pathogenesis of obesity is closely related to reactive oxygen species. The role of reactive oxygen species as regulatory factors in mitochondrial activity in obese subjects, molecules taking part in inflammation processes linked to excessive size and number of adipocytes, and as agents governing the energy balance in hypothalamus neurons has been examined. Phytotherapy is the traditional form of treating health problems using plant-derived medications. Some plant extracts are known to act as anti-obesity agents and have been screened in in vitro models based on the inhibition of lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells and activity of pancreatic lipase methods and in in vivo high-fat diet-induced obesity rat/mouse models and human models. Plant products may be a good natural alternative for weight management and a source of numerous biologically-active chemicals, including antioxidant polyphenols that can counteract the oxidative stress associated with obesity. This review presents polyphenols as natural complementary therapy, and a good nutritional strategy, for treating obesity without serious side effects.


2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constance Schmelzer ◽  
Mitsuaki Kitano ◽  
Gerald Rimbach ◽  
Petra Niklowitz ◽  
Thomas Menke ◽  
...  

MicroRNAs (miRs) are involved in key biological processes via suppression of gene expression at posttranscriptional levels. According to their superior functions, subtle modulation of miR expression by certain compounds or nutrients is desirable under particular conditions. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces a reactive oxygen species-/NF-κB-dependent pathway which increases the expression of the anti-inflammatory miR-146a. We hypothesized that this induction could be modulated by the antioxidant ubiquinol-10. Preincubation of human monocytic THP-1 cells with ubiquinol-10 reduced the LPS-induced expression level of miR-146a to 78.9±13.22%. In liver samples of mice injected with LPS, supplementation with ubiquinol-10 leads to a reduction of LPS-induced miR-146a expression to 78.12±21.25%. From these consistent in vitro and in vivo data, we conclude that ubiquinol-10 may fine-tune the inflammatory response via moderate reduction of miR-146a expression.


2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 2320-2332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guo Zu ◽  
Tingting Zhou ◽  
Ningwei Che ◽  
Xiangwen Zhang

Background/Aims: Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) adversely affects the intestinal mucosa. The major mechanisms of I/R are the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis. Salvianolic acid A (SalA) is suggested to be an effective antioxidative and antiapoptotic agent in numerous pathological injuries. The present study investigated the protective role of SalA in I/R of the intestine. Methods: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to intestinal I/R injury in vivo. In vitro experiments were performed in IEC-6 cells subjected to hypoxia/ reoxygenation (H/R) stimulation to simulate intestinal I/R. TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase and glutathione peroxidase levels were measured using biochemical analysis. Apoptosis was measured by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick-end labeling staining or flow cytometry in vivo and in vitro. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured by dichlorodihydrofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA) staining. Western blotting was performed to determine the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), Nrf2 and proteins associated with apoptosis. The mRNA expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1 were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in vivo and in vitro. Results: Malondialdehyde level and myeloperoxidase and glutathione peroxidase, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels group in intestinal tissue decreased significantly in the SalA pretreatment groups compared to the I/R group. SalA markedly abolished intestinal injury compared to the I/R group. SalA significantly attenuated apoptosis and increased Nrf2/HO-1 expression in vivo and in vitro. However, Nrf2 siRNA treatment partially abrogated the above mentioned effects of SalA in H/R-induced ROS and apoptosis in IEC-6 cells. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that SalA ameliorated oxidation, inhibited the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and alleviated apoptosis in I/R-induced injury and that these protective effects may partially occur via regulation of the Nrf2/ HO-1 pathways.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S41-S41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenly Ruan ◽  
Melinda Engevik ◽  
Alexandra Chang-Graham ◽  
Joseph Hyser ◽  
James Versalovic

Abstract Background Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a role in maintaining intestinal epithelial homeostasis and are normally kept at low levels via antioxidant compounds. Dysregulation of ROS can lead to intestinal inflammation and contribute to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Select gut microbes possess the enzymatic machinery to produce antioxidants whereas others can dysregulate levels of ROS. Our model microbe, Lactobacillus reuteri (ATCC PTA 6475), has been demonstrated to reduce intestinal inflammation in mice models. It contains the genes encoding two distinct GshA-like glutamylcysteine ligases. We hypothesize that L. reuteri can secrete γ-glutamylcysteine to suppress ROS, minimize NFκB activation and regulate secretion of e pithelial cytokines. Methods & Results Conditioned media from L. reuteri was analyzed via mass spectrometry to confirm the presence of γ-glutamylcysteine. All cysteine containing products including γ-glutamylcysteine were fluorescently tagged in the conditioned media and then incubated with HT29 cell monolayers as well as human jejunal enteroid (HJE) monolayers. γ-glutamylcysteine was demonstrated to enter intestinal epithelial cells based on microscopy. Next, a Thioltracker assay was used to show increased intracellular glutathione levels by L. reuteri secreted γ-glutamylcysteine. HT29 cells and HJEs were then treated with IL-1β or hydrogen peroxide, and L. reuteri metabolites as well as γ-glutamylcysteine significantly suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokine driven ROS and IL-8 production. L. reuteri secreted products also reduced activity of NFκB as determined by a luciferase reporter assay. γ-glutamylcysteine deficient mutants were generated by targeted mutagenesis of GshA genes, and these mutant L. reuteri strains had a diminished ability to suppress IL-8 production and ROS. To further test the role of L. reuteri secreted γ-glutamylcysteine in vivo, a 2,4,6-Trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)- induced mouse colitis model was used. Adolescent mice were orogavaged with PBS, L. reuteri, L. reuteri GshA2 mutant, or γ-glutamylcysteine for a week after which TNBS was rectally administered to induce colitis. We demonstrate that L. reuteri and γ-glutamylcysteine can suppress histologic inflammation compared to PBS control and L. reuteri GshA2 mutant groups. Conclusions Together these data indicate that L. reuteri secretes γ-glutamylcysteine which can enter the intestinal epithelial cells and modulate epithelial cytokine production. It acts via suppression of ROS and NFκB which then decreases IL-8 production. We are able to demonstrate this in vitro in both HT 29 cells and HJEs. We now also demonstrate this in vivo in a mouse colitis model. These experiments highlight a prominent role for ROS intermediates in microbiome-mammalian cell signaling processes involved in immune responses and intestinal inflammation.


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