Low-dose hydralazine improves endotoxin-induced coagulopathy and multiple organ dysfunction via its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative/nitrosative properties

Loss of plasma fibrinogen contributes to platelet hyporeactivity in rats with septic shock

INTRODUCTION

Dysregulated host response to infection causes life-threatening organ dysfunction. Excessive inflammation and abnormal blood coagulation can lead to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and multiple-organ failure in the late sepsis stages. Platelet function impairment in sepsis contributes to bleeding, secondary infection, and tissue injury. Platelet transfusion is considered in patients with sepsis with DIC and bleeding; however, its benefits are limited and of low quality. Fibrinogen plays a crucial role in platelet function, and establishing a fibrin network binds to activated integrin αIIbβ3 and promotes outside-in signaling that amplifies platelet functions. However, the role of fibrinogen in sepsis-induced platelet dysfunction remains unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We evaluated the effects of fibrinogen on platelet hyporeactivity during septic shock in adult male Wistar rats using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection and cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery. Changes in the hemodynamic, biochemical, and coagulation parameters were examined. Platelet activation and aggregation were measured using whole-blood assay, 96-well plate-based aggregometry, and light-transmission aggregometry. Additionally, platelet adhesion, spreading, and fibrin clot retraction were evaluated.

RESULTS

Rats with LPS- and CLP-induced sepsis displayed considerable decreases in plasma fibrinogen levels and platelet aggregation, adhesion, spreading, and clot retraction. The aggregation of platelets obtained from rats with sepsis was markedly augmented by fibrinogen supplementation. Additionally, fibrinogen administration improved platelet adhesion, spreading, and clot retraction in rats with sepsis.

CONCLUSIONS

Fibrinogen supplementation could serve as a potential therapeutic intervention for alleviating platelet hyporeactivity in patients with sepsis and bleeding.

Corylin alleviated sepsis-associated cardiac dysfunction via attenuating inflammation through downregulation of microRNA-214-5p

Background

Corylin, a natural flavonoid, is isolated from the fruit of Psoralea corylifolia L. Nevertheless, the effect of corylin on sepsis-associated cardiac dysfunction is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to determine the role and mechanism of corylin in sepsis related cardiac dysfunction.

Methods

Experiments were carried out on mice with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) or myocardial cell sepsis induced by LPS.

Results

Administration of corylin improved cardiac dysfunction induced by LPS or CLP in mice. Corylin inhibited the increases of interleukin-1 (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the heart of mice with LPS or CLP. LPS elevated the levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in cardiomyocytes, which were inhibited by corylin treatment. Corylin attenuated the increases of microRNA (miRNA)-214-5p in the heart of mice with LPS, CLP, LPS-treated NRCMs, H9c2 and AC16 cells. Administration of miRNA-214-5p agomiR reversed the improving effects of corylin on the damaged cardiac function and the increases of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in mice treated with LPS.

Conclusion

These outcomes indicated that corylin improved sepsis-associated cardiac dysfunction by inhibiting inflammation. And corylin inhibited inflammation of sepsis by decreasing miRNA-214-5p. Downregulation of miRNA-214-5p improved sepsis-associated cardiac dysfunction and inhibited inflammatory factors.

Targeting of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein alleviates sepsis via alleviating inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress in heart

A systemic inflammatory response is observed in patients undergoing shock and sepsis. This study aimed to explore the effects of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP) on sepsis-associated cardiac dysfunction and the underlying mechanism. In vivo and in vitro lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis models were established in mice and neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs), respectively. CRIP expressions were increased in the mouse heart and NRCMs treated with LPS. CIRP knockdown alleviated LPS-induced decreases of left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening. CIRP downregulation attenuated the increases of inflammatory factors in the LPS-induced septic mouse heart, and NRCMs. The enhanced oxidative stress in the LPS-induced septic mouse heart and NRCMs was suppressed after CIRP knockdown. By contrast, CIRP overexpression yielded the opposite results. Our current study indicates that the knockdown of CIRP protects against sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction through alleviating inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress of cardiomyocytes.

Liang-Ge-San: a classic traditional Chinese medicine formula, attenuates acute inflammation via targeting GSK3β

Sepsis is a serious life-threatening health disorder with high morbidity and mortality rates that burden the world, but there is still a lack of more effective and reliable drug treatment. Liang-Ge-San (LGS) has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and is a promising candidate for the treatment of sepsis. However, the anti-sepsis mechanism of LGS has still not been elucidated. In this study, a set of genes related to inflammatory chemotaxis pathways was downloaded from Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and integrated with sepsis patient information from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to perform differential gene expression analysis. Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) was found to be the feature gene after these important genes were examined using the three algorithms Random Forest, support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-REF), and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and then intersected with possible treatment targets of LGS found through the search. Upon evaluation, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of GSK-3β indicated an important role in the pathogenesis of sepsis. Immune cell infiltration analysis suggested that GSK-3β expression was associated with a variety of immune cells, including neutrophils and monocytes. Next, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced zebrafish inflammation model and macrophage inflammation model was used to validate the mechanism of LGS. We found that LGS could protect zebrafish against a lethal challenge with LPS by down-regulating GSK-3β mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner, as indicated by a decreased neutrophils infiltration and reduction of inflammatory damage. The upregulated mRNA expression of GSK-3β in LPS-induced stimulated RAW 264.7 cells also showed the same tendency of depression by LGS. Critically, LGS could induce M1 macrophage polarization to M2 through promoting GSK-3β inactivation of phosphorylation. Taken together, we initially showed that anti-septic effects of LGS is related to the inhibition on GSK-3β, both in vitro and in vivo.

Honokiol alleviates sepsis-associated cardiac dysfunction via attenuating inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress

OBJECTIVE

Honokiol, a natural active compound extracted from Chinese herbal medicine, can ameliorate acute lung and kidney injury of sepsis. This study was to explore the effects of honokiol on sepsis-associated cardiac dysfunction and the underlying mechanism.

METHODS

Septic mice were induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and septic HL-1 or AC16 cells were induced by LPS.

RESULTS

Honokiol improved the survival and alleviated cardiac dysfunction in mice with CLP-induced sepsis. Honokiol inhibited the increased interleukin (IL) 1-β, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the serum and heart of CLP- and LSP-induced septic mice. Honokiol treatment reversed the increased levels of IL1-β, IL-6 and TNF-α in LPS-induced HL-1 cells. Honokiol treatment also decreased the elevated levels of IL1-β, IL-6 and TNF-α in LPS-induced AC16 cells. The increased cardiac apoptosis in CLP- and LPS-induced septic mice was alleviated by honokiol. The enhancement of oxidative stress in the heart of CLP- and LPS-induced septic mice was suppressed after honokiol administration.

CONCLUSION

These results showed that honokiol could ameliorate sepsis-associated cardiac dysfunction via attenuating inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. Honokiol is a prospective drug for sepsis-associated heart damage in the future.

Tumstatin (69-88) alleviates heart failure via attenuating oxidative stress in rats with myocardial infarction

Background

This study aimed to elucidate the effects of tumstatin (69–88) on heart failure and the underlying mechanism.

Materials and methods

Myocardial infarction (MI) was induced by ligating the left coronary artery in rats to trigger heart failure.

Results

Tumstatin (69–88) can reduce cardiac insufficiency in rats with heart failure. The increased cardiac fibrosis in MI rat was attenuated by tumstatin (69–88). Increase of cardiac atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in rats with myocardial infarction, and Ang II-treated NRCMs or H9C2 cells was inhibited by tumstatin (69–88). In the heart of MI rats, and Ang II-treated NRCMs or H9C2 cells, the superoxide anions and NADPH oxidase (Nox) activity rose and the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was reduced, which was inhibited by tumstatin (69–88). Diethyldithiocarbamate, an SOD inhibitor, increased the ANP and BNP in NRCMs or H9C2 cells. Tumstatin (69–88) inhibited the Ang II-induced raises of ANP and BNP in NRCMs or H9C2 cells, which was reversed by DETC.

Conclusions

These results indicate that tumstatin (69–88) alleviates cardiac dysfunction of heart failure. Tumstatin (69–88) improves the hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes via attenuation of oxidative stress. Tumstatin (69–88) may be a potential drug for heart failure in the future.

Fibroblast growth factor 12 attenuated cardiac remodeling via suppressing oxidative stress

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) mediate key cardiac functions from development to homeostasis and disease. The current research was to explore the effects of FGF12 in the fibrosis of cardiac function and heart failure, and whether FGF12 alleviated cardiac fibrosis via inhibition of oxidative stress. Ligation of left coronary artery in mice induced heart failure and myocardial infarction (MI). Angiotensin II (Ang II) was administered to cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). FGF12 upregulation or FGF12 transgenic (Tg) mice could improve cardiac dysfunction of MI mice, and attenuated cardiac fibrosis of heart failure induced by MI in mice. FGF12 overexpression suppressed the increases of collagen I, collagen III and fibronectin which was induced by Ang II in CFs. The oxidative stress was enhanced in the heart of MI mice and CFs treated with Ang II, and these enhances were attenuated via FGF12 overexpression. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) overexpression inhibited the enhancements of collagen I, collagen III and fibronectin in the heart of MI mice, and in the CFs treated with Ang II. Overexpression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidases (Nox1) reversed the attenuating influences of FGF12 on the enhancements of collagen I, collagen III and fibronectin in the CFs induced by Ang II. These outcomes showed that FGF12 upregulation can improve cardiac dysfunction and heart fibrosis of heart failure. FGF12 attenuates oxidative stress to suppress the cardiac fibrosis.