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At least 1,639 records · Page 91

Surfactant protein D attenuates nitric oxide-stimulated apoptosis in rat chondrocyte by suppressing p38 MAPK signaling

Innate immune molecule surfactant protein D (SP-D), a member of the C-type lectin protein family, plays an indispensable role in host defense and the regulation of inflammation in the lung and other tissues. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease of cartilage, with inflammation that causes pathologic changes and tissue damage. However, it is unknown whether there exist SP-D expression and its potential role in the pathogenesis of OA. In this study, we examined SP-D expression and explored its biological function in a sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-stimulated rat chondrocytes and surgically-induced rat OA model. We found SP-D expression in both human and rat articular chondrocytes, with higher level in normal chondrocytes compared to in OA chondrocytes. Furthermore, In vivo study demonstrated that recombinant human SP-D (rhSP-D) ameliorated cartilage degeneration in surgically-induced rat OA model. In vitro cell culture study showed that rhSP-D markedly inhibited the expression of caspase-3 as an apoptosis biomarker, and decreased phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), which resulted in maintaining normal nuclear morphology and increasing mitochondrial membrane potential in SNP-stimulated rat chondrocytes. Collectively, these findings indicate that SP-D expresses in articular chondrocytes and suppresses SNP-stimulated chondrocyte apoptosis and ameliorates cartilage degeneration via suppressing p38 MAPK activity.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Unexpected role of the IMD pathway in Drosophila gut defense against Staphylococcus aureus

Highlights: • Drosocrystallin (Dcy) is involved in resistance against oral infection with S. aureus in adult Drosophila. • The presence of S. aureus does not trigger reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the gut. • The IMD pathway is required for the clearance of ingested S. aureus. In this study, fruit fly of the genus Drosophila is utilized as a suitable model animal to investigate the molecular mechanisms of innate immunity. To combat orally transmitted pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria, the Drosophila gut is armed with the peritrophic matrix, which is a physical barrier composed of chitin and glycoproteins: the Duox system that produces reactive oxygen species (ROS), which in turn sterilize infected microbes, and the IMD pathway that regulates the expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which in turn control ROS-resistant pathogens. However, little is known about the defense mechanisms against Gram-positive bacteria in the fly gut. Here, we show that the peritrophic matrix protects Drosophila against Gram-positive bacteria S. aureus. We also define the few roles of ROS in response to the infection and show that the IMD pathway is required for the clearance of ingested microbes, possibly independently from AMP expression. These findings provide a new aspect of the gut defense system of Drosophila, and helps to elucidate the processes of gut-microbe symbiosis and pathogenesis.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Direct regulation of IL-2 by curcumin

Highlights: • Curcumin identified as a direct binding partner of IL-2. • Binding between IL-2 and IL-2 receptor alpha is reduced by curcumin. • Curcumin counteracts the side effect of IL-2, vascular leak syndrome. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a crucial growth factor for both regulatory and effector T cells. Thus, IL-2 plays a critical role in the stimulation and suppression of immune responses. Recently, anti-IL-2 antibodies (Abs) have been shown to possess strong IL-2 modulatory activities by affecting the interaction between IL-2 and IL-2 receptors. In this study, we screened an herbal library to identify a compound that regulates IL-2, which resulted in the identification of curcumin as a direct binder and inhibitor of IL-2. Curcumin is a phytochemical with well-known anti-cancer properties. In this study, curcumin mimicked or altered the binding pattern of anti-IL-2 Abs against IL-2 and remarkably inhibited the interaction of recombinant IL-2 with the IL-2 receptor α, CD25. Interestingly, curcumin neutralized the biological activities of IL-2 both in vitro and in vivo. In this report, we elucidated the unsolved mechanism of the anti-cancer effect of curcumin by identifying IL-2 as a direct molecular target. Curcumin, as a small molecule IL-2 modulator, has the potential to be used to treat IL-2 related pathologic conditions.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

GBP3 promotes glioma cell proliferation via SQSTM1/p62-ERK1/2 axis

Highlights: • GBP3, an interferon-inducible large GTPase, is highly elevated in human glioma tumors. • GBP3 promotes glioma cell growth in vitro and in vivo through the SQSTM1/p62-ERK1/2 pathway. • GBP3 expression predicts poor outcome of glioma patients. Guanylate binding proteins (GBPs) are interferon-inducible large GTPases and play a crucial role in cell-autonomous immunity. However, the biology function of GBPs in cancer remains elusive. GBP3 is specifically expressed in adult brain. Here we show that GBP3 is highly elevated in human glioma tumors and glioma cell lines. Overexpression of GBP3 dramatically increased glioma cell proliferation whereas silencing GBP3 by RNA interference produced opposite effects. We further showed that GBP3 expression was able to induce sequestosome-1(SQSTM1, also named p62) expression and activate extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2). The SQSTM1-ERK1/2 signaling cascade was essential for GBP3-promoted cell growth because depletion of SQSTM1 markedly reduced the phosphorylated ERK1/2 levels and GBP3-mediated cell growth, and inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase/ERK kinase abolished GBP3-induced glioma cell proliferation. Consistently, GBP3 overexpression significantly promoted glioma tumor growth in vivo and its expression was inversely correlated with the survival rate of glioma patients. Taken together, these results for the first time suggest that GBP3 contributes to the proliferation of glioma cells via regulating SQSTM1-ERK1/2 pathway, and GBP3 might represent as a new potential therapeutic target against glioma.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

FOXJ1 promotes bladder cancer cell growth and regulates Warburg effect

Forkhead Box J1 (FOXJ1) which belongs to Fox gene family, plays complex and crucial roles in processes of development, organogenesis, regulation of the immune system, as well as progression of several malignancies. However, how FOXJ1 functions in bladder cancer remains unclear. Here, we report that FOXJ1 is upregulated in most bladder cancer patients, and predicts poor clinical outcomes. FOXJ1 facilitates bladder cancer cell proliferation and colony formation. FOXJ1 knockdown suppresses bladder tumor growth in nude mice. Mechanistically, FOXJ1 enhances glycolysis by increasing glucose uptake, lactate production and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR), and decreasing ATP generation and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) in bladder cancer cells. Our findings provide clues regarding the role of FOXJ1 as a tumor inducer in bladder cancer and an enhancer in glycolysis. Targeting FOXJ1 could be a potential therapeutic strategy in bladder cancer.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Adipose tissue complement factor B promotes adipocyte maturation

Highlights: • Complement factor B protein is abundantly expressed in inflamed adipose tissue. • Serum complement factor B level showed a correlation with the degree of obesity. • Complement factor B promotes adipocyte maturation and lipid droplet formation. It is well-known that the complement system plays an essential role in host immunity. Observational studies have indicated that complement system-related molecules such as complement factor B (CfB) and other components are correlated with obesity and/or insulin resistance parameters. In this study, we investigated the role of adipocyte-derived CfB in adipose tissue metabolism.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

The role of N-terminal segment and membrane association in MyD88-mediated signaling

Highlights: • 21 AA MYD88 deletion mutant fails to support MyD88-mediated signaling. • WT MyD88 and 21 AA NTD peptide bind to the phosphatidic acid (PA). • Anchoring of MyD88 to cell membrane and addition of PA augments cell signaling. MyD88 is a central signaling mediator of innate immunity, composed of the N-terminal death (DD) and C-terminal Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain linked by an intermediary (INT) domain. We showed that the N-terminal domain (NTD), composed of apparently unstructured 21 amino-acid residues, is involved in localization and clustering of MyD88 and is required for the efficient signaling, since the deletion mutant is unable to reconstitute MyD88-dependent signaling. Furthermore, we found that the NTD peptide interacts with phosphatidic acid, which potentiates MyD88-mediated signaling through TLRs. Propranolol and expression of lysophosphatidyl acid acyltransferase 1, which increase the level of phosphatidic acid augment cell activation via MyD88. Moreover, anchoring of MyD88 to the cell membrane augments signaling supporting the importance of membrane localization in MyD88-mediated signaling.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Tyrosine kinase Fyn regulates iNOS expression in LPS-stimulated astrocytes via modulation of ERK phosphorylation

Highlights: • Fyn regulates LPS-induced iNOS expression in the cortices. • Fyn modulates iNOS expression and nitrite levels in LPS-stimulated astrocytes. • Fyn regulates iNOS expression in LPS-stimulated astrocytes via ERK phosphorylation. The high concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) produced by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in activated glial cells in response to neuroinflammatory stimuli have neurotoxic effects on the brain. At basal levels, iNOS expression is low, and proinflammatory stimuli induce iNOS expression in astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes. Fyn, a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, regulates iNOS expression in several types of immune cells. However, its role in stimulated astrocytes is less clear. In this study, we investigated the role of Fyn in the regulation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced iNOS expression in astrocytes from mice and rats. Intracerebroventricular LPS injections in cortical regions enhanced iNOS mRNA and protein levels, which were increased in Fyn-deficient mice. Accordingly, LPS-induced nitrite production was enhanced in primary astrocytes cultured from Fyn-deficient mice or rats. Similar results were observed in cultured astrocytes after the siRNA-induced knockdown of Fyn expression. Finally, we observed increased LPS-induced extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) activation in Fyn-deficient astrocytes. These results suggested that Fyn has a regulatory role in iNOS expression in astrocytes during neuroinflammatory responses.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

GSDME mediates caspase-3-dependent pyroptosis in gastric cancer

Highlights: • Pyroptosis can be fired in gastric cancer. • GSDME switches chemotherapy induced apoptosis to pyroptosis in GSDME high expressed gastric cancer cells. • GSDME mediates cancer cell pyroptosis dependent on caspase-3 cleavage. Gastric cancer is a malignancy that starts from the cells in the stomach with relatively low overall survival rate. Chemotherapy following resection surgery has been recommended as a curative strategy for gastric cancer. However, the mechanism of the chemotherapy drugs on gastric cancer is not completely understood. Pyroptosis is a form of programmed cell death and plays critical role in immunity. The role of pyroptosis on cancer cells is less known. In this study, we treated SGC-7901 and MKN-45 with 5-FU and found that the cell viability was significantly decreased. The release of LDH and the percentage of PI and APC Annexin-V double positive cells after 5-FU treatment were elevated compared to control group. Moreover, there were large bubbles blowing from the membrane of 5-FU-treated cells and the cleavage of GSDME but not GSDMD, which were blocked by the silence or specific inhibitor of caspase-3. Additionally, GSDME knockout by CRISPR-Cas9 switched 5-FU induced pyroptosis into apoptosis in SGC-7901. In conclusion, our findings firstly revealed that GSDME switches chemotherapy drug-induced caspase-3 dependent apoptosis into pyroptosis in gastric cancer cells.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

IL-13 regulates IL-17C expression by suppressing NF-κB-mediated transcriptional activation in airway epithelial cells

Highlights: • IL-1β markedly elevated IL-17C expression viathe NF-κB-signaling pathway in normal human bronchial epithelial cells. • IL-13 attenuated IL-1β-mediated IL-17C expression via a STAT6-signaling pathway. • IL-1β enhanced binding of the NF-κB p65 sub unit to two IL-17C promoter regions (−130/−120 and −157/−147). • IL-13 attenuated IL-1β-mediated p65 binding to IL-17C promoter regions, resulting in lower IL-17C expression. The cytokine interleukin (IL)-17C is highly expressed in epithelial tissues and involved in innate immune responses; however, the regulation of IL-17C expression in the airways remains poorly understood. Here, we show that IL-1β strongly induces both IL-17C mRNA and protein expression in primary normal human bronchial epithelial cells. Conversely, IL-13 significantly reduced the IL-1β-induced IL-17C expression. Attenuation of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB-signaling pathway using an NF-κB-subunit p65-specific small-interfering RNA (siRNA), reduced IL-1β-induced IL-17C expression, demonstrating the importance of NF-κB signaling in IL-17C regulation. The inhibitory effects of IL-13 on IL-17C expression were abolished when the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6)-signaling pathway was impaired, using either the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib or a STAT6-specific siRNA. Western blot analysis demonstrated that IL-1β promoted both IκB-α phosphorylation and degradation, and p65 nuclear translocation. Although IL-13 induced STAT6 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation, it did not affect the activation of the IL-1β-mediated NF-κB-pathway. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, we confirmed that IL-1β enhanced p65 binding to regions within the IL-17C promoter that flank putative NF-κB-binding sites (−130/−120 and −157/−147). Interestingly, IL-13 treatment reduced the IL-1β-mediated p65 binding to these regions. These findings demonstrate that NF-κB-mediated transcriptional mechanisms are critically involved in the IL-1β-mediated IL-17C induction, and that IL-13 negatively regulates this induction by suppressing NF-κB-based transcriptional activation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Apatinib inhibits migration and invasion as well as PD-L1 expression in osteosarcoma by targeting STAT3

Highlights: • The expression patterns and prognostic roles of VEGFR2 and PD-L1 in osteosarcoma are investigated. • Apatinib reduces the migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells in vitro and in vivo. • Apatinib suppresses EMT and PD-L1 expression in osteosarcoma cells in vitro and in vivo. The cure rate of osteosarcoma has not improved in the past 30 years. The new treatments and drugs is urgently needed, especially for metastatic osteosarcoma. Anti-angiogenesis therapy and immunotherapy has got promising anti-tumor effects in various tumors. It is hypothesised that combining checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapies with antiangiogenic treatment may have a synergistic effect and enhance the efficacy of both treatments. However, its underlying mechanism remain largely uninvestigated. To investigate the clinical significance of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2) and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in osteosarcoma, we analyzes their expression levels in 93 osteosarcoma specimens by immunohistochemistry. Meanwhile, we analyzes their correlation with the metastatic behavior and overall survival (OS). We also investigate the effects of Apatinib on migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells and its underlying mechanism in vitro and in vivo. In our study, the positive rates of the VEGFR2 and PD-L1 expression are 64.5% (60/93) and 35.5% (33/93), respectively. A significant correlation is detected between VEGFR2 and PD-L1 expression (P = 0.009). Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis indicates the predictive value of the two markers in tumor metastasis, and both PD-L1 and VEGFR2 are negatively correlated with OS. Transwell assays reveals that VEGFR2 inhibition attenuates migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that Apatinib attenuates migration and invasion by suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and inactivating STAT3. Additionally, Apatinib reduces PD-L1 expression in osteosarcoma cells. Apatinib markedly weakens pulmonary metastatic potential of osteosarcoma in vivo. In conclusion, our study reveals a pro-metastatic functional mechanism for VEGFR2 in osteosarcoma. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Apatinib exerts anti-tumor effect not only through antiangiogenic effect, but also via suppressing immune escape, which may represent a potential therapeutic target for metastatic osteosarcoma.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Short-term culture with IL-2 is beneficial for potent memory chimeric antigen receptor T cell production

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) has been extensively used to boost the body's immune cells, especially T cells. IL-2 is a cytokine that for many years was used to activate and amplify T cells. Due to its potent T cell growth-inducing functions in vitro, for many years, IL-2 was used for the culture and expansion of various T cell products, including tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), T cell receptors T cells (TCR T), or genetically engineered cells with chimeric antigen receptors T cells (CAR T). Despite its positive effect on T cell production, the side-effect is not well studied. Here, we reported that long-term culture with IL-2 promotes terminal differentiation and impairs rather than boosts the function of chimeric antigen receptor T cells. However, short-term culture with IL-2 predominantly generates memory CAR T cell favorable for cancer treatment.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Hepatocyte-specific clusterin overexpression attenuates diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Clusterin is a multifunctional glycoprotein that plays important roles and is up-regulated in liver diseases such as hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, little is known about the significance of clusterin in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The aim of this study is to examine the role of clusterin in progression of steatohepatitis in mice fed a methionine and choline deficient (MCD) diet. We generated hepatocyte-specific clusterin overexpression (hCLU-tg) mice, and hCLU-tg mice showed lower levels of hepatic triglycerides, less infiltration of macrophages and reduction of TNF-α, activation of Nrf-2 than wild-type littermates fed the MCD diet. Also, sustained clusterin expression in liver ameliorated hepatic fibrogenesis by reducing the activation of hepatic stellate cells by MCD diet. Sustained expression of clusterin in liver functioned as a preconditioning stimulus and prevented MCD diet-induced severe steatohepatitis injury via Nrf2 activation. These results demonstrate a novel function of clusterin as an immune preconditioning regulator in various inflammatory diseases including steatohepatitis.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Intravital imaging of neutrophil recruitment in intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury

Highlights: • Two-photon laser scanning microscopy is a powerful tool for intravital imaging. • Dynamic neutrophil recruitment can be observed during intestinal I/R. • Imaging reveals the villus height and the diameter of crypt in reperfused ileum. Neutrophils are known to be key players in innate immunity. Activated neutrophils induce local inflammation, which results in pathophysiologic changes during intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). However, most studies have been based on static assessments, and few have examined real-time intravital neutrophil recruitment. We herein report a method for imaging and evaluating dynamic changes in the neutrophil recruitment in intestinal IRI using two-photon laser scanning microscopy (TPLSM).

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

B cell activation in the cecal patches during the development of an experimental colitis model

Highlights: • Cecal patch (CP) ulcerations are seen in the oxazolone colitis model. • Th1, Th2 and Th17 responses in the colon are induced by oxazolone treatment. • Appendectomy attenuates colitis along with decrease in these Th responses. • Colitis and CP ulcerations are also attenuated by the absence of mature B cells. • Intravital imaging shows B cell activation in CP in the setting of colitis. Although previous studies have suggested that appendix seems to be involved in the colitis, the role of this in the pathogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we assessed the importance of appendiceal lymphoid follicles, specifically the cecal patches (CP) in mice, using an experimental colitis model. Treatment with oxazolone resulted in ulcerations particularly at CP with follicular expansion as well as colitis. The colitis was attenuated by either appendectomy or the absence of mature B cells. We therefore established an intravital imaging system accompanied by the fluorescence resonance energy transfer technology to analyze the dynamic immune response of CP B cells. Our observation revealed frequent Ca{sup 2+} signaling in CP B cells during the early phase of colitis development. These findings suggested that the CP B cells may be involved in the pathogenesis of colitis including inflammatory bowel diseases in humans.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

StPOTHR1, a NDR1/HIN1-like gene in Solanum tuberosum, enhances resistance against Phytophthora infestans

Highlights: • The expression of StPOTHR1 was positively correlated to the levels of potato resistance to P. infestans. • Suppression of POTHR1 does not compromise R-mediated cell death. • Overexpression of StPOTHR1 enhances resistance against P. infestans via restricting rapid pathogen proliferation. • StPOTHR1 is localized in plasma membrane and undergoes posttranslational modifications. A family of NDR1/HIN1-like (NHL) genes that shows homology to the nonrace-specific disease resistance (NDR1) and the tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) harpin-induced (HIN1) genes is reported to be involved in defense. However, little information about NHL genes is available for the potato (Solanum tuberosum). Here, we report that the expression of StPOTHR1, a member of the NHL gene family, is associated with resistance in potato against Phytophthora infestans, and is specifically induced in inoculation sites. Overexpression of StPOTHR1 enhances resistance against P. infestans via restricting rapid pathogen proliferation. Further, suppression of StPOTHR1 does not compromise R-mediated cell death. Subcellular localization and posttranscription modifications (PTMs) analysis reveals that StPOTHR1 is localized in plasma membrane (PM) and undergoes multiple PTMs. Moreover, StPOTHR1 interacts with NbMKK5L, a component of the MAP kinase signaling cascade. Taken together, our results suggest that the PM-localized StPOTHR1 contributes to potato immunity against P. infestans and may be associated with the MAP kinase signaling cascade.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

An update on oxysterol biochemistry: New discoveries in lipidomics

Highlights: • Oxysterols can regulate both the innate and adaptive immune systems. • Oxysterols can be tumour suppressors and on cometabolites. • Oxysterols can inhibit or activate the Hh signalling pathway. Oxysterols are oxidised derivatives of cholesterol or its precursors post lanosterol. They are intermediates in the biosynthesis of bile acids, steroid hormones and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D{sub 3.} Although often considered as metabolic intermediates there is a growing body of evidence that many oxysterols are bioactive and their absence or excess may be part of the cause of a disease phenotype. Using global lipidomics approaches oxysterols are underrepresented encouraging the development of targeted approaches. In this article, we discuss recent discoveries important in oxysterol biochemistry and some of the targeted lipidomic approaches used to make these discoveries.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Differences in TLR7/8 activation between monocytes and macrophages

Highlights: • Only TLR8 agonists induced NF-κB and ISG activation in monocytes. • TLR8 could inhibit TLR7-induced NF-κB activation in monocytes. • Both TLR7 and TLR8 agonists only induced NF-κB but not ISG activation in macrophages. • Differences in expression levels of molecules involved in TLR signaling between monocytes and macrophages. • Comparison between monocytes and macrophages in expression levels of molecules after TLR7/8 activation. The recognition of single-stranded RNA by TLR7/8 leads to the production of NF-κB-mediated cytokines and type I IFNs. However, the role of TLR7/8 activation in monocytes and macrophages is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in the activation of TLR7/8 between these two cell types. Microarray analysis, qRT-PCR and flow cytometry were used to analyse TLR7/8 signalling pathways in monocytes and macrophages after stimulation with agonists. Our data indicated that TLR8 agonists activated the NF-κB- and IRF-mediated pathways in THP-1 cells, whereas TLR7 agonists did not. However, silent TLR8 and enhanced TLR7 expression could increase TLR7-induced NF-κB activation in monocytes. TLR7 and TLR8 agonists induced NF-κB activation but no ISG response in PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells. The mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine were elevated upon CL075 stimulation in macrophages compared to monocytes. Thus, TLR7 and TLR8 might modulate different immune responses in monocytes and macrophages.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗