BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY
·
2024
·
IF 4.5
Yi Chen,Shasha Song,Yongfang Wang,Lili Wu,Jianbing Wu,Zhengmeng Jiang,Xinyu Li
Psoriasis (PSO) is a common inflammatory skin disease caused by multiple factors. Magnolia officinalis is an important medicinal plant in China, with various values such as ecology, medicine, food, and daily chemicals. However, its diverse application potential has not been fully explored. Magnolol (MGO) is the main active compound of Magnolia officinalis with significant anti-inflammatory effect. To investigate the application potential of MGO in inflammatory skin disease, the effects and underlying mechanisms of topical MGO treating psoriasis were explored in this study. Network pharmacology and molecular docking firstly predicted that topical MGO may treat psoriasis by regulating pyroptosis pathway and acting on caspase-1 (CASP1). In vitro experiments then demonstrated that MGO could inhibit the level of inflammatory cytokines and the key protein expression of NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3)/Caspase-1 pathway in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-differentiated THP-1 cells. Meanwhile, MGO could inhibit CuSO 4 -induced neutrophils migration in Tg (mpx:EGFP) zebrafish by suppressing inflammation and pyroptosis. This study further indicated that topical application of MGO ameliorated imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis by reducing the release of inflammatory factors and decreasing the key protein expression of pyroptosis-related NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway. Metabolomics analysis revealed that topical application of MGO could significantly regulate tryptophan metabolism and affect the level of tryptophan in skin lesions. Tryptophan could also regulate inflammation-related genes and inhibit pyroptosis-related NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway in LPS-stimulated PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells. In conclusion, this study suggested that topical MGO may ameliorate psoriasis-like dermatitis by inhibiting NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway and regulating tryptophan metabolism.
研究领域:
药理学
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皮肤科
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分子生物学
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代谢组学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE
·
2024
·
IF 4.3
Xin Zhao,Chao Chen,Weina Han,Min Liang,Yuanyuan Cheng,Yingjie Chen,Defeng Pang,Haoqi Lei,Xuefei Feng,Shifeng Cao,Zhixiong Li,Jinhui Wang,Yan Zhang,Baofeng Yang
Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Recent studies have identified pyroptosis, a type of programmed cell death, as a critical process in the development and progression of lung cancer. In this study, we investigated the effect of EEBR, a new compound synthesized by our team, on pyroptosis in non-small cell lung cancer cells (NSCLC) and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Our results demonstrated that EEBR significantly reduced the proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC cells in vitro. Moreover, EEBR-induced pyroptosis in NSCLC cells, as evidenced by cell membrane rupture, the release of cytokines such as interleukin-18 and interleukin-1 beta and the promotion of Gasdermin D cleavage in a Caspase-1-dependent manner. Furthermore, EEBR promoted the nuclear translocation of NF-κB and upregulated the protein level of NLRP3. Subsequent studies revealed that EEBR-induced pyroptosis was suppressed by the inhibition of NF-κB. Finally, EEBR effectively suppressed the growth of lung cancer xenograft tumours by promoting NSCLC pyroptosis in animal models. Taken together, our findings suggest that EEBR induces Caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis through the NF-κB/NLRP3 signalling cascade in NSCLC, highlighting its potential as a candidate drug for NSCLC treatment.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
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分子生物学
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细胞生物学
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药理学
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PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY
·
2025
·Vol. 23
·期 1
·1-24
·
IF 12.6
Tong Xin-Yi,Nong Wei-Jian,Tan Run-Min,Ouyang Jian-Ming
Objective This study aimed to compare the differences in pyroptosis and polarization of macrophages induced by different sizes of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystals and discuss the mechanism of kidney stone formation. Methods COM crystals with sizes of about 100 nm, 500 nm, 2.5 μm, and 10 μm were synthesized and characterized. THP-1 cells were induced to differentiate into macrophage-like cells. The damage of COM crystals to Mφs was evaluated by CCK-8 assay. The activation of the pyroptosis signaling pathway, cell morphology, and proportion of pyroptosis cells in Mφs induced by COM crystals were detected. Finally, the proportion of M1/M2 polarization was qualitatively and quantitatively assessed. Results COM-100 nm, COM-500 nm, COM-2.5 μm, and COM-10 μm all significantly induced the pyroptosis and polarization of Mφs. Among them, at the same cell viability, COM-10 μm induced the highest pyroptosis rate. The expression of NLRP3 and GSDMD-N induced by COM-10 μm increased by 81.43 ± 11.45% and 112.00 ± 9.87%, respectively, and the rate of caspase-1/PI double-positive pyroptosis cells was 22.2%. Meanwhile, COM-10 μm induced the highest proportion of M1 polarization (M1/M2 ratio was 209.90% ± 2.54%). Conclusion COM-10 μm significantly activates the classical caspase-1-mediated pyroptosis pathway and promotes M1 polarization in Mφs. Therefore, at the same cell viability, large-sized micro-COM is more capable of inducing inflammation than nano-COM. Graphical
研究领域:
纳米技术
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泌尿科学
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免疫学
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细胞生物学
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材料科学
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PubMed
高影响因子
FOLIA HISTOCHEMICA ET CYTOBIOLOGICA
·
2023
·Vol. 61
·期 1
·47-55
·
IF 1.5
Weixing Mo Qingqing Yu Xiufeng Kuang Ting He Jun Lou Rongjun Tang Ke Zhang Lingdi Li Linfang Zhao
Introduction. Focused ultrasound (FUS) is a non-invasive tumor therapy technology emerging in recent years, which can treat various solid tumors. However, it is unclear whether FUS can affect the pyroptosis of colon cancer (CC) cells. Here, we analyzed the effect of FUS on pyroptosis in the orthotopic CC model. Material and methods. After an orthotopic CC mouse model was constructed by injecting CT26-Luc cells, BABL/C mice were allocated to the normal, tumor, FUS, and FUS + BAY11-7082 (pyroptosis inhibitor) groups. We monitored the tumor status of the mice through in vivo fluorescence image analysis. The histopathological injury of the intestinal tissue and the expression of IL-1β, IL-18, caspase-recruitment domain (ASC), cleaved caspase-1, gasdermin D (GSDMD), and NLRP3 of the CC tumors were examined utilizing hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemical assay, and Western blot. Results. FUS restrained the fluorescence intensity of the tumors in orthotopic CC mice, while FUS-mediated suppression of the bioluminescent signal of the tumors was alleviated by BAY11-7082. FUS was found to relieve the injury of the intestinal tissues in CC mice as revealed by morphology. Furthermore, the expressions of IL-1β, IL-18, GSDMD, ASC, cleaved caspase-1, and NLRP3 of the CC tumors in the FUS group were higher than those in the tumor group, while BAY11-7082 addition partly reversed the FUS’s effects on orthotopic CC model mice. Conclusions. Our results pointed out that FUS presented anti-tumor activity in experimental CC, and its mechanism was correlated with the promotion of pyroptosis.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
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生物医学工程
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分子生物学
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PubMed
高影响因子
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
·
2023
·
IF 5
Shuang Zhou,Yuhua Li,Yi Hong,Zhitao Zhong,Min Zhao
Puerarin (Pue), an isoflavone compound extracted from Pueraria, has been shown to inhibit inflammation and reduce cerebral edema. The neuroprotective effect of puerarin has attracted much attention in recent years. Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a serious complication of sepsis that causes damage to the nervous system. This study aimed to investigate the effect of puerarin on SAE and elucidate the potential underlying mechanisms. A rat model of SAE was established by cecal ligation and puncture, and puerarin was injected intraperitoneally immediately after the operation. Puerarin was found to improve the survival rate and neurobehavioral score of SAE rats, alleviate symptoms, inhibit the level of brain injury markers NSE and S100β, and improve the pathological changes in rat brain tissue. Puerarin was also found to inhibit the level of factors related to the classical pathway of pyroptosis, such as NLRP3, Caspase-1, GSDMD, ASC, IL-1β, and IL-18. Puerarin also reduced the brain water content and penetration of Evan’s Blue dye in SAE rats, and reduced the expression of MMP-9. In the in vitro experiments, we further confirmed the inhibitory effect of puerarin on neuronal pyroptosis by establishing a pyroptosis model in HT22 cells. Our findings suggest that puerarin may improve SAE by inhibiting the classical pathway of NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis and reducing blood-brain barrier damage, thus playing a role in brain protection. Our study may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for SAE.
研究领域:
神经科学
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药理学
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免疫学
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病理学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Journal of Integrative Neuroscience
·
2026
·Vol. 25
·期 5
·
IF 3.3
Hui Cai,Xinran Xu,Xuerui Zhuo,Zhe Liu,Hao Liu,Yiming Sun
Background:Epilepsy is a central nervous system disorder characterized by abnormal neuronal discharges in the brain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of a caspase-1 inhibitor on glial hyperactivation and neuronal apoptosis in epilepsy.Methods:A pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE) mouse model was established. Belnacasan (VX765), a caspase-1 inhibitor, was administered intraperitoneally. ELISA was used to detect inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in peripheral blood. Immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy were used to evaluate glial activation and neuronal damage in the hippocampus. Western blotting was performed to detect caspase-1 and Gasdermin D N-terminal (GSDMD-N) expression. In vitro, primary glial cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and the effects of glial conditioned medium on HT22 neuronal apoptosis were assessed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry. Results:In vivo experiments showed that, as epilepsy progressed, the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-6 in peripheral blood were significantly increased, consistent with findings in patients with epilepsy. At 21 days after epilepsy induction, the numbers of hyperactivated microglia and astrocytes increased significantly and exhibited activation-related features such as organelle swelling, whereas neuronal numbers were markedly reduced and displayed cytological features of apoptosis. VX765 significantly alleviated seizure frequency and severity in epileptic mice and attenuated peripheral blood levels of IL-1β and IL-6, hippocampal caspase-1 activity, glial hyperactivation, and neuronal apoptosis. In vitro experiments demonstrated that glial conditioned medium (CMG) promoted apoptosis of HT22 neurons by regulating Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) expression, whereas VX765 alleviated HT22 neuronal apoptosis by inhibiting the secretion of inflammatory factors from glial cells.Conclusions:These results indicate that inhibiting glial cell hyperactivation and neuroinflammation via caspase-1 inhibition may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for epilepsy.
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高影响因子
International Journal of Nanomedicine
·
2023
·
IF 8
Qi Lou,Lu Pan,Shengjin Xiang,Yueting Li,Jiahui Jin,Jingyang Tan,Baoshan Huang,Kaihui Nan,Sen Lin
Introduction Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) is widely employed as a preservative in eye drops, which will cause the death of corneal epithelial cells due to ROS production, DNA strand breakage, and mitochondrial dysfunction, resulting in dry eye disease (DED)-like changes in ocular surface tissues. In this study, Melatonin (MT) liposomes (TAT-MT-LIPs) designed by loading MT into TAT-modified liposomes have been developed, characterized, and used for inhibiting BAC-induced DED (BAC-DED).Methods The TAT was chemically grafted onto the Mal-PEG2000-DSPE by Michael’s addition between the sulfhydryl group in TAT and the maleimide group in Mal-PEG2000-DSPE. TAT-MT-LIPs were prepared using film dispersion followed by the extrusion method and topically treated in rats once a day. BAC-DED was induced in rats by topical administration with 0.2% BAC twice daily. Defects, edema, and inflammation of the corneas, as well as IOP, were examined. Histologic analyses of corneas were performed to assess the change of mitochondrial DNA oxidation and NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD signaling transduction.Results After topical administration, TAT-MT-LIPs significantly alleviated DED-clinical symptoms of experimental animals by inhibiting tissue inflammation and preventing the loss of the corneal epithelium and conjunctival goblet cells. Our data suggested continuous ocular surface exposure of BAC-induced NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD mediated corneal epithelium pyroptosis, which was not reported before. BAC caused substantial mt-DNA oxidation, which promoted the transduction of NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD and consequent corneal epithelium pyroptosis. TAT-MT-LIPs could efficiently suppress the BAC-induced corneal epithelium pyroptosis and inflammation by inhibiting mt-DNA oxidation and the subsequent signal transmission.Conclusion NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD mediated corneal epithelium pyroptosis is involved in the development of BAC-DED. The present study provided new insights into the adverse effects of BAC, which can serve as a new target for protecting corneal epithelium when applying BAC as a preservative in eye drops. The developed TAT-MT-LIPs can efficiently inhibit BAC-DED and give great potential to be developed as a new DED treatment.
研究领域:
眼科
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药学
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细胞生物学
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炎症
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Journal of Functional Foods
·
2022
·
IF 5.223
Yuzhe Huang,Kunfeng Zhang,Wenqiang Guo,Chan Zhang,Hao Chen,Tenglong Xu,Yongming Lu,Qingxi Wu,Yong Li,Yan Chen
Tartary buckwheat is a popular natural grain commonly used as a functional food in various countries. This study aimed to prepare buckwheat dietary fiber with improved biological activity using liquid fermentation of Aspergillus niger and to elucidate its physicochemical properties and related mechanisms. Compared with unfermented buckwheat dietary fiber, Aspergillus niger fermentation increased the soluble dietary fiber content, thereby improving dietary fiber's physical and chemical properties such as water, oil retention capacity, and swelling cholesterol-binding capacity. Fermented Tartary buckwheat dietary fiber treatment for 14 weeks significantly decreased the hepatic lipid profile, oxidative stress, and protein expression in mice. In addition, fermented Tartary buckwheat dietary fiber intervention could regulate high-fat diet-induced disorders of gut microbiota. These results suggested that fermented Tartary buckwheat dietary fiber has potential “prebiotic” effects in ameliorating obesity.
研究领域:
食品科学
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营养学
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微生物学
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分子生物学
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高影响因子
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY
·
2024
·Vol. 92
·期 1
·e13893
·
IF 2.5
Yongmei Peng,Yanan Xu,Sainan Li,Mingkun Shao,Zijia Shen,Wenjin Qi
Problem Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a common mucosal fungal infection, and Candida albicans is the main causative agent. The NLRP3 inflammasome plays an important role in VVC, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. Method of Study Vaginal epithelial cells were divided into three groups: control, C. albicans strain SC5314 (wild-type, WT), and WT+ Matt Cooper Compound 950 (MCC950, a specific NLRP3 inhibitor). After human vaginal epithelial cells were pretreated with 1 µmol/L MCC950 for 2 h, C. albicans (MOI = 1) was cocultured with the human vaginal epithelial cells for 12 h. The cell supernatants were collected, LDH was detected, and the IL-1β and IL-18 levels were determined by ELISA. The expression of the pyroptosis-related proteins NLRP3, Caspase-1 p20 and GSDMD was measured by Western blotting analysis. The protein expression of the pyroptosis-related N-terminus of GSDMD (GSDMD-N) was detected by immunofluorescence. Results In this study, we showed that the WT C. albicans strain induced pyroptosis in vaginal epithelial cells, as indicated by the LDH and proinflammatory cytokine levels and the upregulated levels of the pyroptosis-related proteins NLRP3, Caspase-1 p20, and GSDMD-N. MCC950 reversed the changes in the expression of these proteins and proinflammatory cytokines in vaginal epithelial cells. Conclusion C. albicans activated the NLRP3 inflammasome to induce vaginal epithelial cell pyroptosis. MCC950 inhibited the NLRP3 inflammasome, reduced vaginal epithelial cell pyroptosis, and decreased the release of inflammatory cytokines.
研究领域:
微生物学
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免疫学
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细胞生物学
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传染病学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
·
2023
·
IF 9.9
Zhijin Fan,Xiaoxiao Jiang,Tong Sun,Fanchu Zeng,Guojia Huang,Changhong Liang,Liming Nie
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are vital in the tumor microenvironment, contributing to immunosuppression and therapy tolerance. Despite their importance, the precise re-education of TAMs in vivo continues to present a formidable challenge. Moreover, the lack of real-time and efficient methods to comprehend the spatiotemporal kinetics of TAMs repolarization remains a significant hurdle, severely hampering the accurate assessment of treatment efficacy and prognosis. Herein, we designed a metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) based Caspase-1 nanoreporter (MCNR) that can deliver a TLR7/8 agonist to the TAMs and track time-sensitive Caspase-1 activity as a direct method to monitor the initiation of immune reprogramming. This nanosystem exhibits excellent TAMs targeting ability, enhanced tumor accumulation, and stimuli-responsive behavior. By inducing the reprogramming of TAMs, they were able to enhance T -cell infiltration in tumor tissue, resulting in inhibited tumor growth and improved survival in mice model. Moreover, MCNR also serves as an activatable photoacoustic and fluorescent dual-mode imaging agent through Caspase-1-mediated specific enzyme digestion. This feature enables non-invasive and real-time antitumor immune activation monitoring. Overall, our findings indicate that MCNR has the potential to be a valuable tool for tumor immune microenvironment remodeling and noninvasive quantitative detection and real-time monitoring of TAMs repolarization to immunotherapy in the early stage.
研究领域:
癌症生物学
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免疫学
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纳米技术
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生物医学工程
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分子生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
CYTOTECHNOLOGY
·
2026
·Vol. 78
·期 4
·156
·
IF 2.2
Zhang Yougen,Gu Li,Zhang Xiaoyang,Ran Wei,Yan Yanfeng,Gu Hongwei
Pulmonary inflammation is a key feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), contributing to disease progression and morbidity. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying therapeutic interventions remain to be fully elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms of naringenin in modulating COPD-related pulmonary inflammation. Using an integrated approach combining network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vitro/in vivo models, we systematically explored the effects of naringenin. Network pharmacology analysis identified NF-κB as a central target, which was validated through molecular docking and dynamics simulations showing stable binding between naringenin and NF-κB. In vitro, cigarette smoke extract-challenged lung epithelial cells treated with naringenin exhibited reduced cytotoxicity, downregulated TNF-α, phospho-NF-κB p65, and NLRP3 expression, inhibited Caspase-1 activation, and attenuated IL-1β maturation, and suppressed Gasdermin D cleavage. In vivo, naringenin-treated COPD mice displayed diminished pulmonary inflammatory cell infiltration, milder histopathological lung damage, decreased serum TNF-α/IL-1β levels, and inhibited activation of the NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1 axis in lung tissue. Collectively, these findings reveal that naringenin alleviates COPD pulmonary inflammation and pyroptosis by targeting the NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling cascade, providing mechanistic insights for traditional Chinese medicine-based COPD therapies. Graphical abstract
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高影响因子
Molecular Medicine Reports
·
2020
·Vol. 21
·期 6
·2466-2474
·
IF 2.1
Lu Wang,Liran Zhu,Chenfangyuan Duan,Lu Li,Guangliang Chen
Total saponins extracted from Dioscorea collettii (TSD), extracts of the Chinese herb Dioscorea, are thought to exhibit therapeutic benefit in gouty arthritis. However, its exact mechanism remains unclear. The current study aimed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms by investigating the effects of TSD on the inflammation induced by monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in THP‑1 macrophages. The viability of THP‑1 macrophages was examined using the MTT assay and the levels of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)‑1β, IL‑18 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‑α, released by the cells were quantitatively measured using ELISA kits. The results revealed that the protein level of cluster of differentiation 11b increased in THP‑1 cells treated with 100 ng/ml phorbol ester, suggesting that monocytic THP‑1 cells were successfully differentiated into macrophages. TSD decreased the levels of inflammatory cytokines, including TNF‑α, IL‑18 and IL‑1β, secreted by THP‑1 macrophages. As the release of IL‑1β and IL‑18 is dependent on the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NALP3) inflammasome and caspase‑1, the current study investigated the effect of TSD on the aforementioned proteins. The results revealed that TSD decreased the protein levels of NALP3 and apoptosis‑associated speck‑like, which serve important roles in the assembly of the NALP3 inflammasome. Furthermore, NALP3 inflammasome‑related proteins were also decreased by TSD in rotenone induced THP‑1 macrophages, TSD inhibited the activation of caspase‑1 and rotenone‑induced NALP3 inflammasome activation in THP‑1 macrophages. The results obtained in the current study revealed that TSD attenuated MSU crystal‑induced inflammation by inhibiting rotenone‑induced activation of the NALP3 inflammasome and caspase‑1, suggesting that these two proteins may be novel targets for the treatment of gouty arthritis.
研究领域:
药理学
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免疫学
·
炎症研究
·
中医药
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）