Enhancement of suppression oxidative stress and inflammation of quercetin by nano-decoration for ameliorating silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis

Use quercetin for pulmonary fibrosis: a preclinical systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is an age-related interstitial lung disease, which lacks effective drug treatment at present. Quercetin has been shown to have favorable anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties, and preliminary evidence suggests its potential efficacy and tolerability in PF patients. However, a comprehensive systematic review and evaluation of the protective effects and potential mechanisms of quercetin in PF models remains to be completed. Therefore, we conducted this study.

METHODS

The PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched up to the April 1, 2024. CAMARADES was the methodological quality assessment tool. And statistical analyses were conducted with R and Stata 16.0. Origin was used for a three-dimensional (3D) dosage-intervention duration-efficacy model for quercetin treatment of PF.

RESULTS

A total of 20 studies, encompassing 44 independent experiments and involving 1019 animals, were included in the analysis. Meta-analysis revealed that quercetin significantly mitigated lung pathological tissue scores and the expression of lung fibrosis markers in PF animal models. Furthermore, quercetin significantly ameliorated inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and myofibroblast activation, cell senescence and apoptosis, and the markers expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. Quercetin did not show significant hepatic and nephrotoxicity. The 3D dosage-intervention duration-efficacy model indicated that a dosing period over 20 days and dosages range of 5-100 mg/kg were appropriate modalities.

CONCLUSION

Herein, our study highlights the potential of quercetin in the treatment of PF and the available mechanisms.

Adeno-Associated Virus-Mediated Dickkopf-1 Gene Transduction Reduces Silica-Induced Oxidative Stress and Silicosis in Mouse Lung

Aims: Silicosis is a lung disease caused by inhalation of silica particles. Both silica-induced oxidative stress and aberrant activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway are potential targets in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. Dickkopf-1 (Dkk1), an inhibitor of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, plays regulatory roles in cell fate determination and immune responses. Our previous study demonstrated that adenoviral vector-mediated Dkk1 gene transfer alleviated the silica-induced mouse silicosis. However, the mechanism of therapeutic action of Dkk1 in silicosis is yet completely understood; together with the drawbacks of adenoviral vectors in gene therapy, we investigated the therapeutic effect and mechanisms of Dkk1 by employing an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector in a silicosis mouse model. Results: The AAV vector could efficiently transduce the Dkk1 gene in silicotic lung during both the early and the late phases of disease, resulting in an alleviation of silicotic lesions, improvement of pulmonary compliance, and radiological findings. Mechanistic studies further demonstrated that the transduction of Dkk1 inhibited the silica-activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling and reduced the silica-induced reactive oxygen species-producing enzyme NADPH oxidase 4, oxidative stress regulator nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, and signaling molecules binding immunoglobulin protein and C/EBP homologous protein. In addition, shRNA-mediated downregulation of Dkk1 exacerbated the progression of silicosis in mice, whereas the treatment of ROS scavenger n-acetylcysteine showed a comparable mitigation of silicosis that was seen in the AAV-Dkk1 treatment. Innovation and Conclusion: This study provides an insight into the mechanism by which Dkk1 inhibits the silica-induced Wnt signaling and oxidative stress to mitigate the pathogenesis of lung silicosis and evidence of the potential of AAV-mediated Dkk1 gene transfer as an alternative approach in silicosis treatment. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 42, 529-546.

The application and prospects of drug delivery systems in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an interstitial lung disease primarily affecting elderly individuals aged >65 years and has a poor prognosis. No effective treatment is currently available for IPF. The two antipulmonary fibrosis drugs nintedanib and pirfenidone approved by the FDA in the United States have somewhat decelerated IPF progression. However, the side effects of these drugs can lead to poor patient tolerance and compliance with the medications. Researchers have recently developed various methods for IPF treatment, such as gene silencing and pathway inhibitors, which hold great promise in IPF treatment. Nevertheless, the nonselectivity and nonspecificity of drugs often affect their efficacies. Drug delivery systems (DDS) are crucial for delivering drugs to specific target tissues or cells, thereby minimizing potential side effects, enhancing drug bioavailability, and reducing lung deposition. This review comprehensively summarizes the current state of DDS and various delivery strategies for IPF treatment (e.g., nano-delivery, hydrogel delivery, and biological carrier delivery) to completely expound the delivery mechanisms of different drug delivery carriers. Subsequently, the advantages and disadvantages of different DDS are fully discussed. Finally, the challenges and difficulties associated with the use of different DDS are addressed so as to accelerate their rapid clinical translation.

Quercetin: A Flavonoid with Potential for Treating Acute Lung Injury

In intensive care units, acute lung injury (ALI) is a syndrome that is frequently encountered. It is associated with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. Despite the extensive research conducted by the medical community on its treatment, no specific effective drugs have been identified. Quercetin is a natural flavonoid with many biological activities and pharmacological effects. Research indicates that Quercetin can modulate various targets and signaling pathways, inhibiting oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, ferroptosis, apoptosis, fibrosis, and bacterial and viral infections in ALI. This regulation suggests its potential therapeutic application for the condition. Currently, there is no comprehensive review addressing the application of Quercetin in the treatment of ALI. This paper begins with a classification of ALI, followed by a detailed summary of the mechanisms through which Quercetin may treat ALI to evaluate its potential as a novel therapeutic option.

Natural Products-Based Inhaled Formulations for Treating Pulmonary Diseases

Given the unique physiological and pathological characteristics of the lung, the direct, inhalable route is more conducive to pulmonary drug delivery and disease control than traditional systemic drug delivery, significantly circumventing drug loss, off-target effects, systemic and organ toxicity, etc., and is widely regarded as the preferred regimen for pulmonary drug delivery. However, very few lung diseases are currently treated with the preferred inhaled formulations, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary hypertension. And there is a lack of appropriate inhaled formulations for other critical lung diseases, such as lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis, due to the fact that the physicochemical properties of the drugs and their pharmacokinetic profiles do not match the physiology of the lung, and conventional inhalation devices are unable to deliver them to the specific parts of the lung. Phytochemicals of natural origin, due to their wide availability and clear safety profile, hold great promise for the preparation of inhalable formulations to improve the current dilemma in the treatment of lung diseases. In particular, the preparation of inhalable formulations based on nano- and microparticulate carriers for drug delivery to deep lung tissues, which overcome the shortcomings of conventional inhalation therapies while targeting the drug activity directly to a specific part of the lung, may be the best approach to change the current dilemma of lung disease treatment. In this review, we discuss recent advances in nano- and micron-carrier-based inhalation formulations for the delivery of natural products for the treatment of pulmonary diseases, which may represent an opportunity for practical clinical translation of natural products.

Catalpol ameliorates inflammation and oxidative stress via regulating Sirt1 and activating Nrf2/HO-1 signaling against acute kidney injury

BACKGROUND

Septic acute kidney injury (SAKI) is usually caused by sepsis. It has been shown that catalpol (Cat) impairs sepsis-evoked organ dysfunction to a certain degree. The current work aims to evaluate the protective effects of Cat on SAKI and potential mechanisms in vivo and in vitro.

METHODS

SAKI cellular and murine model were set up using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro and in vivo. Cell apoptosis in cells was determined by TUNEL assay. Levels of inflammatory cytokines were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The levels of the markers of oxidative injury were evaluated by corresponding commercial kits. Protein levels were assayed via western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated that LPS upregulated TNF-α, IL-6, and malondialdehyde levels, and downregulated superoxide dismutase, whereas Cat treated cells have the opposite results. Functional assays displayed that Cat remarkably reversed the LPS-challenged damage as the impairment of TNF-α and IL-6 levels, oxidative stress, and the apoptosis in HK-2 cells. Moreover, knockdown of Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) counteracted the suppressive impact of Cat on LPS-triggered inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and renal damage. Further, Cat elevated Sirt1 expression and activated the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling in LPS-engendered SAKI in vivo and in vitro.

CONCLUSION

Our study clearly proved that Cat protected against LPS-induced SAKI via synergic antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions by regulating Sirt1 and Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways.