scholarly journals Forsythia Fruit Prevents Fulminant Hepatitis in Mice and Ameliorates Inflammation in Murine Macrophages

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2901
Author(s):  
Yun Hee Jeong ◽  
Youn-Hwan Hwang ◽  
Tae In Kim ◽  
You-Chang Oh ◽  
Jin Yeul Ma

Forsythia Fruit (FF), the fruit of Forsythia suspensa, has been used since ancient times as an herbal medication in East Asia to treat inflammation, gonorrhea, and pharyngitis. However, the efficacy of FF against liver damage due to inflammation has not been studied. Here, we explored the protective effects of FF in a mouse hepatitis model induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/D-galactosamine (GalN) treatment. We measured inflammatory cytokine and aminotransferase levels in mouse blood and analyzed the effects of FF on inflammatory gene and protein expression levels in liver tissue. Our results show that FF treatment effectively lowers inflammatory cytokine and serum aminotransferase levels in mice and inhibits the expression of hepatic cytokine mRNA and inflammatory proteins. Furthermore, treatment with FF activated the antioxidant pathway HO-1/Nrf-2 and suppressed severe histological alteration in the livers of LPS/D-GalN-treated mice. Further investigation of the effects of FF on inflammatory reactions in LPS-stimulated macrophages showed that pretreatment with FF inhibits inflammatory mediator secretion and activation of inflammatory mechanisms both in a mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells and in primary peritoneal macrophages. These results show that FF has potential worth as a candidate for the treatment of fulminant inflammatory reactions and subsequent liver injury.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Wei Lou ◽  
Jieping Yan ◽  
Weisi Wang

Introduction. Acute lung injury (ALI) induced by sepsis is a process related to inflammatory reactions, which involves lung cell apoptosis and production of inflammatory cytokine. Here, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was applied to stimulate the mouse or human normal lung epithelial cell line (BEAS-2B) to construct a sepsis model in vivo and in vitro, and we also investigated the effect of miR-497-5p on sepsis-induced ALI. Material and Methods. Before LPS treatment, miR-497-5p antagomir was injected intravenously into mice to inhibit miR-497-5p expression in vivo. Similarly, miR-497-5p was knocked down in BEAS-2B cells. Luciferase reporter assay was applied to predict and confirm the miR-497-5p target gene. Cell viability, apoptosis, the levels of miR-497-5p, IL2RB, SP1, inflammatory cytokine, and lung injury were assessed. Results. In BEAS-2B cells, a significant increase of apoptosis and inflammatory cytokine was shown after LPS stimulation. In septic mice, increased inflammatory cytokine production and apoptosis in lung cells and pulmonary morphological abnormalities were shown. The miR-497-5p inhibitor transfection showed antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects on BEAS-2B cells upon LPS stimulation. In septic mice, the miR-497-5p antagomir injection also alleviated ALI, apoptosis, and inflammation caused by sepsis. The downregulation of IL2RB in BEAS-2B cells reversed the protective effects of the miR-497-5p inhibitor against ALI. Conclusion. In conclusion, downregulation of miR-497-5p reduced ALI caused by sepsis through targeting IL2RB, indicating the potential effect of miR-497-5p for improving ALI caused by sepsis.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Zhu ◽  
Ann Bui ◽  
Arben Santo ◽  
Y. Robert Li

Abstract Previously, we reported that 3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione (D3T), an Nrf2 activator, acted as a potential chemoprotectant against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mortality in mice. In view of the critical involvement of macrophages in the pathogenesis of LPS-induced endotoxemia, in the present study, we investigated the protective effects of D3T on LPS-induced proinflammatory responses in cultured murine RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line and primary peritoneal macrophages and the potential involvement of antioxidant induction, NF-κB, and Nrf2. We showed that treatment with D3T resulted in increased levels of a series of antioxidants in RAW 264.7 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. These included the reduced form of glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, and NADPH:quinone oxidoreductase 1. Catalase was also potently induced by D3T which, however, did not show a concentration dependency. Concurrent with the ability to induce the above cellular antioxidants, D3T pretreatment of RAW 264.7 cells also led to a concentration-dependent suppression of LPS-induced interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) production and nitric oxide release. LPS-stimulated tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) production was also suppressed by D3T, but to a much lesser extent. Using NF-κB reporter gene-expressing RAW 264.7 cells, we further showed that D3T pretreatment also suppressed LPS-induced NF-κB activation. To investigate the potential involvement of Nrf2, a chief regulator of cellular antioxidant genes, we used peritoneal macrophages isolated from Nrf2+/+ and Nrf2−/− mice. Our results showed that D3T pretreatment suppressed LPS-induced proinflammatory responses in Nrf2+/+ macrophages, and this inhibitory effect of D3T was completely lost in Nrf2−/− macrophages. Collectively, the results of the present study demonstrated that D3T acted as a potent suppressor of LPS-induced proinflammatory responses in macrophages. Antioxidant induction, NF-κB suppression, and Nrf2 activation appeared to contribute to the anti-proinflammatory activity of D3T in macrophages.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjing Jia ◽  
Wenting Ding ◽  
Xinmiao Chen ◽  
Zhengwei Xu ◽  
Yeilin Tang ◽  
...  

Abstract Acute lung injury (ALI) characterized by a series of inflammatory reactions and served as the main cause of mortality in intensive care unit patients. Although great progress have been made in understanding the pathophysiology of ALI, there are no effective treatment in clinic. Recently, we have synthesized a selenium-containing compounds, which possess obvious anti-inflammatory activity. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the protective effects of the selenium-containing compound 34# in LPS-induced ALI in mice as well as its underlying mechanism. Compound 34# was found to inhibit LPS-induced macrophage inflammatory cytokine release. These effects were observed to be produced via suppression of the MAPKs/AP-1 pathway. Compound 34# was also noted to attenuate the LPS-induced lung inflammation in mice with ALI. The corresponding results suggested that compound 34# possesses remarkable protective effects on LPS-induced ALI. Furthermore, the MAPKs/AP-1 pathway may prove to be its the underlying mechanism. Accordingly, compound 34# may serve as a potential candidate for the prevention of ALI.


2020 ◽  
Vol 134 (19) ◽  
pp. 2549-2563
Author(s):  
Zibin Lu ◽  
Huayi Yang ◽  
Huihui Cao ◽  
Chuying Huo ◽  
Yuyao Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Acute lung injury (ALI) is a life-threatening disease without effective pharmacotherapies, so far. Forsythia suspensa is frequently used in the treatment of lung infection in traditional Chinese medicine. In search for natural anti-inflammatory components, the activity and the underlying mechanism of Forsythoside A (FA) from Forsythia suspensa were explored. In the present paper, BALB/c mice and murine RAW 264.7 cells were stimulated by LPS to establish inflammation models. Data showed that FA inhibited the production of TNF-α and IL-6 and the activation of STAT3 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Additionally, FA increased the expression level of microRNA-124 (miR-124). Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of FA on STAT3 was counteracted by the treatment of miR-124 inhibitor. Critically, FA ameliorated LPS-induced ALI pathological damage, the increase in lung water content and inflammatory cytokine, cells infiltration and activation of the STAT3 signaling pathway in BALB/c mice. Meanwhile, FA up-regulated the expression of miR-124 in lungs, while administration with miR-124 inhibitor attenuated the protective effects of FA. Our results indicated that FA alleviates LPS-induced inflammation through up-regulating miR-124 in vitro and in vivo. These findings indicate the potential of FA and miR-124 in the treatment of ALI.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haidy A. Saleh ◽  
Eman Ramdan ◽  
Mohey M. Elmazar ◽  
Hassan M. E. Azzazy ◽  
Anwar Abdelnaser

AbstractDoxorubicin (DOX) chemotherapy is associated with the release of inflammatory cytokines from macrophages. This has been suggested to be, in part, due to DOX-mediated leakage of endotoxins from gut microflora, which activate Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling in macrophages, causing severe inflammation. However, the direct function of DOX on macrophages is still unknown. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that DOX alone is incapable of stimulating inflammatory response in macrophages. Then, we compared the anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin (CUR), resveratrol (RES) and sulforaphane (SFN) against lipopolysaccharide/interferon-gamma (LPS/IFN-γ)-mediated inflammation in the absence or presence of DOX. For this purpose, RAW 264.7 cells were stimulated with LPS/IFN-γ (10 ng/mL/10 U/mL) in the absence or presence of DOX (0.1 µM). Our results showed that DOX alone is incapable of stimulating an inflammatory response in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, after 24 h of incubation with LPS/IFN-γ, a significant increase in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA levels was observed. Similarly, nitric oxide (NO) production and TNF-α and IL-6 protein levels were significantly upregulated. Moreover, in LPS/IFN-γ-treated macrophages, the microRNAs (miRNAs) miR-146a, miR-155, and miR-21 were significantly overexpressed. Interestingly, upon testing CUR, RES, and SFN against LPS/IFN-γ-mediated inflammation, only SFN was able to significantly reverse the LPS/IFN-γ-mediated induction of iNOS, TNF-α and IL-6 and attenuate miR-146a and miR-155 levels. In conclusion, SFN, at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels, exhibits potent immunomodulatory action against LPS/IFN-γ-stimulated macrophages, which may indicate SFN as a potential treatment for DOX-associated inflammation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meiling Zhang ◽  
Jinjun Cheng ◽  
Ziwei Sun ◽  
Hui Kong ◽  
Yue Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background As an emerging nanomaterial, carbon dots (CDs) have been the focus of tremendous attention for biomedical applications. However, little information is available on their bioactivity of inhibiting acute kidney injury (AKI) induced by snake venom. Methods This study reports the development of a green, one-step pyrolysis process to synthesize CDs using Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex (PCC) as the sole precursor, and their potential application as a protectant against Deinagkistrodon acutus (D. acutus) venom-induced AKI was investigated for the first time. The AKI model was established by injecting D. acutus venom into the abdominal cavity of mice and the potential protective effects of PCC Carbonisata-CDs (PCCC-CDs) on renal abnormalities including dysfunction, inflammatory reactions, tissue damage, and thrombocytopenia at six time points (1, 3, and 12 h, and 1, 2, and 5 days) were investigated. Results These results demonstrated that PCCC-CDs significantly inhibited the kidney dysfunction (reduced serum creatinine (SCR), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), urinary total protein (UTP), and microalbuminuria (MALB) concentrations) and the production of chemoattractant (monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1)), proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1β), and anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) in response to intraperitoneal injection of D. acutus venom. The beneficial effect of PCCC-CDs on the envenomed mice was similar to that on the change in renal histology and thrombocytopenia. Conclusions These results demonstrated the remarkable protective effects of PCCC-CDs against AKI induced by D. acutus venom, which would not only broaden the biomedical applications of CDs but also provide a potential target for the development of new therapeutic drugs for AKI induced by D. acutus snakebite envenomation.


Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajarajan A Thandavarayan ◽  
Darukeshwara Joladarashi ◽  
Sahana S Babu ◽  
Garikipati V Srikanth ◽  
Alexander R Mackie ◽  
...  

Clinical and experimental studies provide evidence that metabolic and inflammatory pathways are functionally interconnected to cardiovascular diseases. Dynamic changes in macrophage activation [classical M1 activation (promote inflammation) or alternative M2 activation (promote wound healing)], in response to various stress signals, modulate cardiac physiopathology in diabetes. Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6), a NAD-dependent nuclear deacetylase plays an important role in genomic stability, cellular metabolism, stress response and aging. However, the mechanism by which SIRT6 activity affects macrophage phenotype and cardiac function in diabetes is still unexplored. Mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM) exposed to high glucose (HG, 25mM D-glucose) showed reduced expression of SIRT6 as compared to low glucose (LG, 5mM D-glucose)- and osmotic control (OC, 5mM D-glucose+20mM D-mannitol)-treated cells, associated with increased expression of proinflammatory cytokine and transcription factors (NFkb, c-JUN, FOXO, SP1 and STAT1). In addition, SIRT6 level was reduced in peritoneal macrophages of both diabetic models (streptozotocin-induced and db/db mice) as compared to non-diabetic mice. SIRT6 knockdown in RAW 264.7 cells exaggerated inflammatory response when exposed to HG. In contrast, IL-4-induced increase in mRNA expression of macrophage M2 phenotype markers like Arg1, Chi4l4, Retnla and IRS-2, but not IRS-1 expression was repressed suggesting that alternative macrophage (M2) phenotype was defective in SIRT6 deficient BM-macrophages under HG condition. SIRT6 protein expression was low in myocardial infarction-induced (MI) and diabetes-affected hearts. Interestingly, mice receiving intramyocardial injection of SIRT6-deficient macrophages showed further deterioration in left ventricular function, post-MI. Taken together, these data highlight a role for SIRT6 in regulating the balance of M1/M2 polarization, therefore, modulate macrophage mediated cardiac repair and regeneration in numerous inflammatory disease states including diabetes


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 3622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyeon Nam ◽  
Li Nan ◽  
Byung Choo

Reflux esophagitis (RE) is a gastrointestinal disease caused by the reflux of gastric acid and stomach contents, and it leads to esophageal damage. Therefore, it is necessary to study the improvement of esophageal damage on a RE-induced model. The present study was accomplished to demonstrate the protective effects of a dichloromethane fraction of Geranium koreanum (DGK) plant on esophageal damage in an acute RE rat model. First, we examined the potential of anti-inflammatory effects of various fractions measured by cell cytotoxicity, morphological changes and nitric oxide (NO) production on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced Raw 264.7 macrophage cells. Then, to evaluate the protective effects on RE, rats were partitioned into the following groups: normal control, RE-induced control and RE rats pre-treated with DGK 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight. The esophageal mucosal ulcer ratio was measured by the Image J program and histological changes were examined using a hematoxylin and eosin staining of the esophageal mucosa. The expression of pro-inflammatory proteins, cytokines and tight junction proteins involved in the esophageal mucosal damage were investigated using Western blotting and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit with esophagus tissue. DGK chemical profile and phenolic contents were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The results showed that DGK exhibited anti-inflammatory effects against LPS-stimulated cells by significantly inhibiting NO production. Additionally, the results in vivo showed that improvement effects of DGK on esophageal mucosal damage. The expression of inflammatory proteins involved in nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling pathways and tight junction protein (claudin-4 and -5) were significantly decreased in esophageal mucosa. We found the potential of DGK as source of replacement therapy products for inflammatory and RE disease.


1999 ◽  
Vol 276 (3) ◽  
pp. G591-G598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenichi Ikejima ◽  
Nobuyuki Enomoto ◽  
Vitor Seabra ◽  
Ayako Ikejima ◽  
David A. Brenner ◽  
...  

CD14 is a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) receptor distributed largely in macrophages, monocytes, and neutrophils; however, the role of CD14 in activation of Kupffer cells by LPS remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine if different methods used to isolate Kupffer cells affect CD14. Kupffer cells were isolated by collagenase (0.025%) or collagenase-Pronase (0.02%) perfusion and differential centrifugation using Percoll gradients and cultured for 24 h before experiments. CD14 mRNA was detected by RT-PCR from Kupffer cell total RNA as well as from peritoneal macrophages. Western blotting showed that Kupffer cells prepared with collagenase possess CD14; however, it was absent in cells obtained by collagenase-Pronase perfusion. Intracellular calcium in Kupffer cells prepared with collagenase was increased transiently to levels around 300 nM by addition of LPS with 5% rat serum, which contains LPS binding protein. This increase in intracellular calcium was totally serum dependent. Moreover, LPS-induced increases in intracellular calcium in Kupffer cells were blunted significantly (40% of controls) when cells were treated with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C, which cleaves CD14 from the plasma membrane. However, intracellular calcium did not increase when LPS was added to cells prepared by collagenase-Pronase perfusion even in the presence of serum. These cells were viable, however, because ATP increased intracellular calcium to the same levels as cells prepared with collagenase perfusion. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) mRNA was increased in Kupffer cells prepared with collagenase perfusion 1 h after addition of LPS, an effect potentiated over twofold by serum; however, serum did not increase TNF-α mRNA in cells isolated via collagenase-Pronase perfusion. Moreover, treatment with Pronase rapidly decreased CD14 on mouse macrophages (RAW 264.7 cells) and Kupffer cells. These findings indicate that Pronase cleaves CD14 from Kupffer cells, whereas collagenase perfusion does not, providing an explanation for why Kupffer cells do not exhibit a CD14-mediated pathway when prepared with procedures using Pronase. It is concluded that Kupffer cells indeed contain a functional CD14 LPS receptor when prepared gently.


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