INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE
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2023
·Vol. 53
·期 1
·1-11
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IF 5.4
Dongjing Jiang,Xun Liu,Rulan Tan,Ye Zhu,Li Zhang
Metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients with breast cancer, in part due to the lack of effective treatments. Euphorbia factor L2 (EFL2) is a diterpenoid extracted from Euphorbia lathyris L. seeds, which has attracted increasing attention in recent years due to its anticancer effect. However, the role and molecular mechanism of EFL2 in breast cancer liver metastasis remain unclear. In the present study, a breast cancer liver metastasis model was constructed and the effect of EFL2 on ascites generation in mice was examined. H&E staining detected inflammatory cells and tumor cells in the liver, small intestine and tumor tissues. Western blotting and reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR were used to detect the protein and mRNA expression of NLR family pyrin domain containing‑3 (NLRP3) and related molecules in tumor tissues. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the levels of CD4 and CD8 T cells in tumor tissue and immunofluorescence was used to further detect the expression level of NLRP3. Finally, the aforementioned experiments were further verified by overexpressing NLPR3. It was found that EFL2 inhibited generation of ascites in the model in a dose‑dependent manner. Furthermore, EFL2 inhibited tumor cell metastasis and enhanced immune cell infiltration. Meanwhile, EFL2 dose‑dependently downregulated the mRNA and protein expression of NLRP3 and related molecules in the model, and overexpression of NLRP3 abolished these beneficial effects of EFL2. Taken together, the present experimental data suggested that EFL2 has a significant inhibitory effect on ascites of breast cancer liver metastasis in vivo, which may inhibit tumor cell metastasis by downregulating NLRP3 expression, providing an experimental basis for treating breast cancer metastasis.
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Chinese Medicine
·
2023
·Vol. 18
·期 1
·1-16
·
IF 4.9
Wang Xiaohu,Shen Chaozhuang,Wang Xingwen,Tang Jin,Wu Zijing,Huang Yunzhe,Shao Wenxin,Geng Kuo,Xie Haitang,Pu Zhichen
Background According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, the fruit of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. (SC) is an important traditional Chinese medicine that can be used to treat diarrhea. Despite the increasing research on the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant aspects of SC, the studies on the anti-ulcerative colitis of Schisandrin (SCH), the main constituent of SC, are relatively few.Methods The mice used in the study were randomly distributed into 6 groups: control, model, 5-ASA, and SCH (20, 40, 80 mg/kg/d). The mice in the model group were administered 3% (w/v) dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) through drinking water for 7 days, and the various parameters of disease activity index (DAI) such as body weight loss, stool consistency, and gross blood were measured. ELISA was used to detect inflammatory factors, and bioinformatics combined with transcriptome analysis was done to screen and verify relevant targets. 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing was used to analyze the composition of the gut microbiota(GM), while mass spectrometry was done to analyze the changes in the content of bile acids (BAs) in the intestine.Results Mice treated with SCH experienced significant weight gain, effectively alleviating the severity of colitis, and decreasing the levels of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-18, IL-6, and other related proteins (NLRP3, Caspase-1, SGK1) in UC mice. Furthermore, the analysis of GM and BAs in mice revealed that SCH increased the relative abundance of Lactobacilli spp, reduced the relative abundance of Bacteroides, and promoted the conversion of primary BAs to secondary BAs. These effects contributed to a significant improvement in the DSS-induced GM imbalance and the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis.Conclusion It seems that there is a close relationship between the SCH mechanism and the regulation of SGK1/NLRP3 pathway and the restoration of GM balance. Therefore, it can be concluded that SCH could be a potential drug for the treatment of UC.
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
·
2023
·Vol. 24
·期 19
·14771
·
IF 5.6
Pan Lei,Zhiyang Li,Qiuwei Hua,Ping Song,Lun Gao,Long Zhou,Qiang Cai
The neuroinflammatory response after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) causes a large amount of neuronal loss, and inhibiting the inflammatory response can improve the prognosis. In previous laboratory studies and clinical trials, ursolic acid (UA) inhibited the inflammatory response, but whether it can be administered to inhibit the neuroinflammatory response after cerebral hemorrhage is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ursolic acid after cerebral hemorrhage. Online databases were used to obtain potential therapeutic targets of ursolic acid for the treatment of cerebral hemorrhage, and possible mechanisms were analyzed by KEGG, GO, and molecular docking. A rat model of cerebral hemorrhage was established using collagenase, and an in vitro cerebral hemorrhage model was constructed by adding hemin to BV2 cell culture medium. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blotting (WB), immunofluorescence, TUNEL staining, and calcein/PI staining were used to investigate the degree of microglial M1 polarization, changes in the levels of inflammatory factors, activation of the NF-κB pathway, and changes in the indicators of cellular death after ursolic acid treatment. In addition, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) was used to activate the NF-κB pathway to verify that ursolic acid exerts its anti-neuroinflammatory effects by regulating the NF-κB/NLRP3/GSDMD pathway. Network pharmacology and bioinformatics analyses revealed that ursolic acid may exert its therapeutic effects on cerebral hemorrhage through multiple pathways. Together, in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that ursolic acid inhibited microglial M1 polarization and significantly reduced the levels of p-NF-κB, GSDMD-N, cleaved caspase-1, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, which were significantly inhibited by the use of PMA. Ursolic acid inhibits microglial pyroptosis via the NF-κB/NLRP3/GSDMD pathway to alleviate neuroinflammatory responses after cerebral hemorrhage.Keywords:ursolic acid;neuroinflammation;cerebral hemorrhage;microglial;pyroptosis
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Neural Regeneration Research
·
2023
·
IF 6.1
Jing Qiu,Jun Guo,Liang Liu,Xin Liu,Xianhui Sun,Huisheng Chen
Microglia, which are the resident macrophages of the central nervous system, are an important part of the inflammatory response that occurs after cerebral ischemia. Vav guanine nucleotide exchange factor 1 ( Vav1 ) is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor that is related to microglial activation. However, how Vav1 participates in the inflammatory response after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury remains unclear. In this study, we subjected rats to occlusion and reperfusion of the middle cerebral artery and subjected the BV-2 microglia cell line to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation to mimic cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in vivo and in vitro , respectively. We found that Vav1 levels were increased in the brain tissue of rats subjected to occlusion and reperfusion of the middle cerebral artery and in BV-2 cells subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation. Silencing Vav1 reduced the cerebral infarct volume and brain water content, inhibited neuronal loss and apoptosis in the ischemic penumbra, and improved neurological function in rats subjected to occlusion and reperfusion of the middle cerebral artery. Further analysis showed that Vav1 was almost exclusively localized to microglia and that Vav1 downregulation inhibited microglial activation and the NOD-like receptor pyrin 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in the ischemic penumbra, as well as the expression of inflammatory factors. In addition, Vav1 knockdown decreased the inflammatory response exhibited by BV-2 cells after oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation. Taken together, these findings show that silencing Vav1 attenuates inflammation and neuronal apoptosis in rats subjected to cerebral ischemia/reperfusion through inhibiting the activation of microglia and NLRP3 inflammasome.
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PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH
·
2023
·
IF 7.2
Li Liang,Weiliang Sun,Xiaoxuan Wei,Li Wang,Huaqiang Ruan,Junchuan Zhang,Suyan Li,Bi Zhao,Mengshi Li,Zhengwen Cai,Jie'an Huang
Chinese herb Radix sophorae tonkinensis extract oxymatrine shows anticancer effects. This study evaluated the role of oxymatrine in colorectal cancer (CRC) and the underlying molecular events in vitro and in vivo. CRC cells were treated with different doses of oxymatrine to assess cell viability, reactive oxygen species production, gene expression, and gene alterations. Meanwhile, mouse xenograft and liver metastasis models were used to assess the effects of oxymatrine using histology examination, transmission electron microscopy, and Western blot, respectively. Our results showed that oxymatrine treatment triggered CRC cell mitophagy to inhibit CRC cell growth, migration, invasion, and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. At the gene level, oxymatrine inhibited LRPPRC to promote Parkin translocation into the mitochondria and reduce the mitophagy-activated NLRP3 inflammasome. Thus, oxymatrine had an anticancer activity through LRPPRC inhibition, mitophagy induction, and NLRP3 inflammasome suppression in the CRC cell xenograft and liver metastasis models. In conclusion, the study demonstrates the oxymatrine anti- CRC activity through its unique role in regulating CRC cell mitophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome levels in vitro and in vivo.
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Food & Function
·
2018
·Vol. 9
·期 12
·6155-6164
·
IF 3.289
Lang Zhang,Ya Fan,Hanwen Su,Li Wu,Yuying Huang,Lei Zhao,Bing Han,Guangwen Shu,Meixian Xiang,Jin-Ming Yang
The objective of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of chlorogenic acid methyl ester (CME) and the molecular mechanism involved, through using non-infectious inflammation and infectious inflammation animal models as well as lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cell models. Our results demonstrated that CME markedly inhibited ear swelling, paw swelling and granuloma swelling, and decreased intraperitoneal capillary permeability in non-infectious inflammation. Moreover, CME significantly alleviated the pathological damage of the lung tissue, reduced the levels of PGE2 and IL-1β in the serum and the protein expression levels of related-inflammatory factors in the lung tissue of LPS-induced mice with acute lung injury (ALI). In addition, CME affected the RAW264.7 cell cycle and inhibited the protein expressions of COX-2 and NLRP3 and prevented the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 in RAW264.7 cells treated with LPS. These observations not only validated the anti-inflammatory effects of CME, but also revealed the underlying molecular basis, which involves the down-regulation of the expression of inflammatory factors and blockade of the COX-2/NLRP3/NF-κB signaling pathway.
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Journal of Neuroinflammation
·
2017
·Vol. 14
·期 1
·1-18
·
IF 5.102
Zhao Hengli,Pan Pengyu,Yang Yang,Ge Hongfei,Chen Weixiang,Qu Jie,Shi Jiantao,Cui Gaoyu,Liu Xin,Feng Hua,Chen Yujie
Background Emerging studies have demonstrated the important physiological and pathophysiological roles of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) as a gasotransmitter for NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-associated neuroinflammation in the central nervous system. However, the effects of H2S on neuroinflammation after intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), especially on the NLRP3 inflammasome, remain unknown.Methods We employed a Sprague–Dawley rat of collagenase-induced ICH in the present study. The time course of H2S content and the spatial expression of cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS) after ICH, the effects of endogenous and exogenous H2S after ICH, the effects of endogenous and exogenous H2S on NLRP3 inflammasome activation under P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) overexpression after ICH, and the involvement of the P2X7R in the mechanism by which microglia-derived H2S prevented NLRP3 inflammasome activation were investigated.Results We found ICH induced significant downregulation of endogenous H2S production in the brain, which may be the result of decreasing in CBS, the predominant cerebral H2S-generating enzyme. Administration of S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM), a CBS-specific agonist, or sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), a classical exogenous H2S donor, not only restored brain and plasma H2S content but also attenuated brain oedema, microglial accumulation and neurological deficits at 1 day post-ICH by inhibiting the P2X7R/NLRP3 inflammasome cascade. Endogenous H2S production, which was derived mainly by microglia and above treatments, was verified by adenovirus-overexpressed P2X7R and in vitro primary microglia studies.Conclusion sThese results indicated endogenous H2S synthesis was impaired after ICH, which plays a pivotal role in the P2X7R/NLRP3 inflammasome-associated neuroinflammatory response in the pathogenesis of secondary brain injury. Maintaining appropriate H2S concentrations in the central nervous system may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for managing post-ICH secondary brain injury and associated neurological deficits.
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JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
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2024
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IF 5.7
Jiamin Dang,Ting Cai,Yuanrong Tuo,Siwang Peng,Jing Wang,Aiying Gu,Jialu Li,Long Ding,Shuangkui Du,Liying Wang
This study aimed to investigate the effects of corn gluten-derived soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitory peptides on nonalcoholic fatty liver fibrosis induced by a high-fat diet and carbon tetrachloride in mice. Mice treated with corn peptides at doses of 500 or 1000 mg/kg/d for 4 weeks exhibited reduced sEH activity in serum and liver, enhanced lipid metabolism, and decreased lipid accumulation and oxidative stress. Corn peptides effectively downregulated the mRNA levels of Pro-IL-1β, Pro-IL-18, NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), ASC, Pro-caspase-1, Caspase-1, and GSDMD in the liver. This hepatoprotective effect of corn peptides by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation was further validated in H2O2-induced HepG2 cells. Moreover, corn peptides restored the composition of the gut microbiota and promoted short-chain fatty acid production. This study provides evidence that corn-derived sEH inhibitory peptides have hepatoprotective activity against nonalcoholic fatty liver fibrosis by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation and modulating gut microbiota.
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JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
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2024
·
IF 5.7
Mengru Zhou,Xiaoyao Ma,Jiaqi Zhang,Xuan Lu
3,5-Dimethyl-8-methoxy-3,4-dihydro-1H-isochromen-6-ol (DMD) is a polyketide compound obtained from the endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. HJT-A-10 of Rhodiola tibetica. R. tibetica is a nourishing food and also used in traditional Chinese medicine and Xizang medicine. In dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) mice, DMD significantly alleviated the pathological symptom of UC. Network pharmacology studies have shown that nucleotide-binding domain-like receptor family pyrin domain containing (NLRP) 3 is the primary target protein of DMD associated with anti-UC. In molecular biology studies, DMD suppressed the activation of NLRP3 and decreased the expression of downstream inflammatory proteins and pro-inflammatory cytokines in UC. The finding was further verified in knockout mice. DMD lost the effect of attenuating DSS-induced UC in NLRP3–/– mice. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that DMD reduces inflammatory response and balances the barrier integrity to attenuate UC via targeting NLRP3, and DMD is a potential natural agent or dietary supplement for attenuating UC.
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JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
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2024
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IF 4.8
Sihao Zhang,Danmei Tian,Zixuan Xia,Fengge Yang,Yanhui Chen,Zhihong Yao,Yi He,Xinglong Miao,Guirong Zhou,Xinsheng Yao,Jinshan Tang
Ethnopharmacological relevance Chang-Kang-Fang (CKF), originated from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulas, has been utilized to treat diarrhea predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) based on clinical experience. However, the underlying mechanism of CKF for treating IBS-D remains unclear and need further clarification. Aim of the study The objective of this present investigation was to validate the efficacy of CKF on IBS-D model rats and to uncover its potential mechanism for the treatment of IBS-D. Materials and Methods We first established the IBS-D rat model through neonatal maternal separation (NMS) in combination with restraint stress (RS) and the administration of senna decoction via gavage. To confirm the therapeutic effect of CKF on treating IBS-D, abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) scores, the quantity of fecal pellets, and the fecal water content (FWC) were measured to evaluate the influence of CKF on visceral hypersensitivity and the severity of diarrhea symptom after the intragastric administration of CKF for 14 days. Subsequently, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to assess the effect of CKF on neuropeptides substance P (SP) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), as well as inflammatory cytokines in serum and in intestinal tissues. Further, colonic pathological changes, the amount of colonic mast cells, and the expression level of occludin in rat colon tissues, were investigated by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, toluidine blue staining, and immunohistochemistry, respectively. To explore the underlying mechanisms, alterations in colonic RNA transcriptomics for the normal, model, and CKF treatment groups were assessed using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). Subsequently, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot (WB), and immunofluorescence (IF) assays were applied to validate the effect of CKF on predicted pathways in vivo and in vitro . In addition, to elucidate the potential active compounds in CKF, 11 representative components found in CKF were selected, and their anti-inflammation potentials were evaluated using LPS-treated RAW264.7 cell models. Results CKF treatment significantly reduced the number of fecal pellets, attenuated visceral hypersensitivity, and decreased 5-HT and SP concentrations in serum and colon tissues, along with a reduction in colonic mast cell counts, correlating with improved symptoms in IBS-D rats. Meanwhile, CKF treatment reduced the colonic inflammatory cell infiltration, lowered the levels of IL-6, TNF- α , and IL-1 β in serum and colon tissues, and increased the occludin protein expression in colon tissues to improve inflammatory response and colonic barrier function. RNA-Seq, in conjugation with our previous network pharmacology analysis, indicated that CKF might mitigate the symptoms of IBS-D rats by inhibiting the Toll like receptor 4/Nuclear factor kappa-B/NLR family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (TLR4/NF- κ B/NLRP3) pathway, which was confirmed by WB, IF, and qRT-PCR experiments in vivo and in vitro . Furthermore, coptisine, berberine, hyperoside, epicatechin, and gallic acid present in CKF emerged as potential active components for treating IBS-D, as they demonstrated in vitro anti-inflammatory effects. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that CKF effectively improves the symptoms of IBS-D rats, potentially through the inhibition of the TLR4/NF- κ B/NLRP3 pathway. Moreover, this study unveils the potential bioactive components in CKF that could be applied in the treatment of IBS-D.
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EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS
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2019
·
IF 1.208
Sheng Li,Hongwei Yang,Xiaolong Chen
Sulforaphane (SFN) is abundant in cruciferous plants, providing significant protection against many chronic diseases. With the aim of clarifying the efficacy of sulforaphane in diabetic retinopathy (DR), a series of systematic studies were carried out in the present study. Male Sprague Dawley rats were intraperitoneally injected with streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg), and those with confirmed diabetes mellitus were given different doses of SFN (0.5 and 1 mg/kg/d) for 12 weeks. In vitro, Müller cells exposed to 25 mM glucose were treated with 2.5 µM SFN. The results indicated that SFN significantly reduced the generation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) and enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes (GSH, SOD, and CAT) in the retina of STZ rats. Further, SFN enhanced the nuclear accumulation of Nrf2 and increased the expression of HO-1 and NQO1, two major antioxidants downstream to Nrf2, in the injured retina. In addition, retinal expression levels of NLRP3, cleaved caspase-1 p20, IL-1β p17, and ASC were dramatically increased in STZ-induced DR, and this was abolished by SFN intervention. In vitro, high glucose-induced inflammation and oxidative stress damage in Müller cells were attenuated by SFN. SFN also exerted antioxidant effects, activated the Nrf2 pathway, and inhibited the NLRP3 inflammasome in Müller cells. In conclusion, our work demonstrates that SFN attenuates retinal inflammation and oxidative stress induced by high glucose and activates the antioxidative Nrf2 pathway and inhibits the formation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in vivo and in vitro.
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Frontiers in Pharmacology
·
2024
·
IF 4.4
Chen Mingjun,Feng Yang,Luo Dan,Zhang Chen,Zhou Jing,Dai Hengheng,Lin Mingxiong,Tong ZhanQi
Purpose: Wuwei Kushen Changrong capsule (Composite Sophora Colon-soluble Capsule, CSCC) is a Chinese patent medicine developed to treat ulcerative colitis. Studies highlight CSCC potential efficacy for ulcerative colitis (UC) but unclear mechanism limits its widely treatment for patients. We aimed to investigate the anti-colitis efficacy of CSCC and explore the mechanism by which GPR43 inhibits the NLRP3/STAT3 signaling pathway, thereby mediating the protective effects of CSCC on the intestinal barrier.Methods: The protective effects of CSCC were evaluated in a murine ulcerative colitis model induced by 3% DSS. Assessments included body weight, Disease Activity Index (DAI) score, colon length, and histopathological score. Colon tissue, cell function, and immune-inflammatory status were evaluated using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, ELISA, and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-PCR). Protein expression levels of relevant pathways and receptors were measured using Western blot. All experiments were repeated.Results: CSCC protected mice from DSS-induced colitis by upregulating Gpr43, promoting the expression of ZO-1 and Occludin tight junction proteins. Mechanistically, CSCC inhibits the MEK4/JNK1/STAT3 activation pathway, consequently suppressing the STAT3/NLRP3/IL-1β pathway and inhibiting the production of inflammatory factors such as IL-17A.Conclusion: The mechanisms through which CSCC protects against DSS-induced colitis may include upregulating Gpr43, inhibiting the STAT3/NLRP3 pathway, and suppressing inflammation factors like IL-17A. These findings highlight the mechanisms underlying CSCC’s anti-colitis effects and suggest its potential as a therapeutic candidate for managing the progression of UC.
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