Inhibition of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand- or lipopolysaccharide-induced osteoclast formation by conophylline through downregulation of CREB

Mechanisms of Nrf2 suppression and Camkk1 upregulation in Echinococcus granulosus-induced bone loss

Osteoclast differentiation is essential for maintaining bone metabolism, and its dysregulation, particularly in the context of Echinococcus granulosus (CE) infection, can lead to severe bone loss. This study explores a novel mechanism by which CE protoscolices (PSC) drive osteoclast differentiation through the inhibition of Nrf2, followed by the upregulation of Camkk1. Transcriptome sequencing revealed a significant down-regulation of Nrf2 in cells treated with PSC. This was confirmed by Western blot and Q-PCR assays showing reduced Nrf2 protein and gene levels. In vivo studies with Nrf2 knockout mice demonstrated that the absence of Nrf2 exacerbates bone loss induced by PSC in both the spine and lower limbs, as observed through Micro-CT imaging and TRAP staining.Further investigations identified Camkk1 as a key downstream target of Nrf2. Using high-throughput sequencing and CO-IP experiments, we established that Nrf2 directly interacts with and regulates Camkk1. Functional assays indicated that PSC-induced upregulation of Camkk1 is significantly enhanced by Nrf2 knockdown, while silencing Camkk1 alone inhibits osteoclast differentiation.The therapeutic potential of this pathway was evaluated by screening small molecule inhibitors of Camkk1, with Crenolani emerging as a potent compound. In vivo administration of Crenolani in PSC-treated mice significantly alleviated bone loss in a dose-dependent manner.These findings elucidate a crucial molecular mechanism in osteoclast differentiation driven by CE infection and propose a promising therapeutic strategy for combating CE-induced bone destruction. This study advances our understanding of bone.

The inhibitory effect of salidroside on RANKL-induced osteoclast formation via NFκB suppression

Bone fractures are a prevalent clinical issue, and recent studies highlighted the promising potential of natural bone healing agents in enhancing fracture repair and regeneration. The regulatory interaction mechanism between osteoblasts and osteoclasts is crucial for bone cell biology and bone disease. In Mongolian medicine, people have used the Rhodiola rosea (R. rosea) extract to accelerate bone healing in bone fractures. Salidroside is a bioactive compound of R. rosea. Salidroside is known to regulate bone metabolism and inhibit the activation of osteoclast cells, but how it affects the differentiation of osteoclasts is unknown. We examined the effect of R. rosea extract and its bioactive compound salidroside on the RANKL-induced osteoclast formation in RAW 264.7 cells. The present study observed that salidroside directly inhibits RANKL-induced TRAP-positive osteoclast formation. Immunoblotting analysis revealed that salidroside inhibited the expression of c-Fos and NFATc1, osteoclastogenic key transcription factors, by suppressing late activation of p65 NFκB. Further, the ethanol extracts of R. rosea significantly reduced the RANKL-induced osteoclasts in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, salidroside inhibits RANKL-induced osteoclast formation via suppressing the NFκB/c-Fos/NFATc1 signalling pathway. R. rosea, a primary source of salidroside, is helpful for bone healing via its inhibitory effect on osteoclast formation.

CaMKII(δ) regulates osteoclastogenesis through ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPKs and CREB signalling pathway

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases (CaMKs) are a group of important molecules mediating calcium signal transmission and have been proved to participate in osteoclastogenesis regulation. CaMKII, a subtype of CaMKs is expressed during osteoclast differentiation, but its role in osteoclastogenesis regulation remains controversial. In the present study, we identified that both mRNA and protein levels of CaMKII (δ) were upregulated in a time-dependent manner during osteoclast differentiation. CaMKII (δ) gene silencing significantly inhibited osteoclast formation, bone resorption, and expression of osteoclast-related genes, including nuclear factor of activated T cells c1 (NFATc1), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), and c-Src. Furthermore, CaMKII (δ) gene silencing downregulated phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), including JNK, ERK, and p38, which were transiently activated by RANKL. Specific inhibitors of ERK, JNK, and p38 also markedly inhibited expression of osteoclast-related genes, osteoclast formation, and bone resorption like CaMKII (δ) gene silencing. Additionally, CaMKII (δ) gene silencing also suppressed RANKL-triggered CREB phosphorylation. Collectively, these data demonstrate the important role of CaMKII (δ) in osteoclastogenesis regulation through JNK, ERK, and p38 MAPKs and CREB pathway.

Conophylline suppresses pancreatic cancer desmoplasia and cancer-promoting cytokines produced by cancer-associated fibroblasts

Despite recent advances in cancer treatment, pancreatic cancer is a highly malignant tumor type with a dismal prognosis and it is characterized by dense desmoplasia in the cancer tissue. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) are responsible for this fibrotic stroma and promote cancer progression. We previously reported that a novel natural compound conophylline (CnP) extracted from the leaves of a tropical plant reduced liver and pancreatic fibrosis by suppression of stellate cells. However, there have been no studies to investigate the effects of CnP on CAF, which is the aim of this work. Here, we showed that CAF stimulated indicators of pancreatic cancer malignancy, such as proliferation, invasiveness, and chemoresistance. We also showed that CnP suppressed CAF activity and proliferation, and inhibited the stimulating effects of CAF on pancreatic cancer cells. Moreover, CnP strongly decreased the various cytokines involved in cancer progression, such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12), secreted by CAF. In vivo, CAF promoted tumor proliferation and desmoplastic formation in a mouse xenograft model, CnP reduced desmoplasia of tumors composed of pancreatic cancer cells + CAF, and combination therapy of CnP with gemcitabine remarkably inhibited tumor proliferation. Our findings suggest that CnP is a promising therapeutic strategy of combination therapy with anticancer drugs to overcome refractory pancreatic cancers.

Analysis of short-term treatment with the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor tadalafil on long bone development in young rats

Cyclic GMP (cGMP) is an important intracellular regulator of endochondral bone growth and skeletal remodeling. Tadalafil, an inhibitor of the phosphodiesterase (PDE) type 5 (PDE5) that specifically hydrolyzes cGMP, is increasingly used to treat children with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), but the effect of tadalafil on bone growth and strength has not been previously investigated. In this study, we first analyzed the expression of transcripts encoding PDEs in primary cultures of chondrocytes from newborn rat epiphyses. We detected robust expression of PDE5 as the major phosphodiesterase hydrolyzing cGMP. Time-course experiments showed that C-type natriuretic peptide increased intracellular levels of cGMP in primary chondrocytes with a peak at 2 min, and in the presence of tadalafil the peak level of intracellular cGMP was 37% greater ( P < 0.01) and the decline was significantly attenuated. Next, we treated 1-mo-old Sprague Dawley rats with vehicle or tadalafil for 3 wk. Although 10 mg·kg^-1·day^-1 tadalafil led to a significant 52% ( P < 0.01) increase in tissue levels of cGMP and a 9% reduction ( P < 0.01) in bodyweight gain, it did not alter long bone length, cortical or trabecular bone properties, and histological features. In conclusion, our results indicate that PDE5 is highly expressed in growth plate chondrocytes, and short-term tadalafil treatment of growing rats at doses comparable to those used in children with PAH has neither obvious beneficial effect on long bone growth nor any observable adverse effect on growth plate structure and trabecular and cortical bone structure.

Therapeutic activity of plant-derived alkaloid conophylline on metabolic syndrome and neurodegenerative disease models

Increasing metabolic syndromes including type-2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and steatohepatitis are serious problems in most countries in the world. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases are increasing in many countries. However, therapy for these diseases is not sufficient yet. Thus, effective chemotherapy for these diseases is being expected. Conophylline is an alkaloid isolated from the leaves of Ervatamia microphylla and related plants. It was found to induce beta-cell differentiation in the precursor pancreatic cells. Oral administration of this compound ameliorated type-2 diabetes mellitus model in mice and rats. Later, fibrosis of the pancreatic islets was found to be greatly reduced by conophylline in the pancreatic islets. It also inhibited chemically induced liver cirrhosis. Further study indicated that conophylline inhibited non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in the model mice. On the one hand, loss of autophagy often causes protein aggregation to give neural cell death. Conophylline was found to activate autophagy in cultured neural cells. Activation of autophagy ameliorated cellular models of Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. Thus, conophylline is likely to be useful for the development of chemotherapy for metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases.

COMP-Ang1 prevents periodontitic damages and enhances mandible bone growth in an experimental animal model

COMP-Ang1, a chimera of angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) and a short coiled-coil domain of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), is under consideration as a therapeutic agent enhancing tissue regeneration with increased angiogenesis. However, the effect of COMP-Ang1 on periodontitic tissue damages and the related mechanisms are not yet investigated. We initially explored whether a local delivery of COMP-Ang1 protects lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/ligature-induced periodontal destruction in rats. As the results, μCT and histological analyses revealed that COMP-Ang1 inhibits LPS-mediated degradation of periodontium. COMP-Ang1 also suppressed osteoclast number and the expression of osteoclast-specific and inflammation-related molecules in the inflamed region of periodontitis rats. Implanting a COMP-Ang1-impregnated scaffold into critical-sized mandible bone defects enhanced the amount of bone in the defects with increased expression of bone-specific markers. The addition of COMP-Ang1 prevented significantly osteoclast differentiation and activation in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages and inhibited the phosphorylation of c-Jun, mitogen-activated protein kinases, and cAMP response element-binding protein in the cells. On contrary, COMP-Ang1 increased the level of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) in LPS-exposed macrophages and a pharmacological PI3K inhibitor diminished the anti-osteoclastogenic effect of COMP-Ang1. Similarly, COMP-Ang1 blocked the expression of inflammation-related molecules in LPS-stimulated human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (hPLFs). Further, the COMP-Ang1 enhanced differentiation of hPLFs into osteoblasts by stimulating the expression of bone-specific markers, Tie2, and activator protein-1 subfamily. Collectively, our findings may support the therapeutic potentials of COMP-Ang1 in preventing inflammatory periodontal damages and in stimulating new bone growth.

GSK2656157, a PERK inhibitor, reduced LPS-induced IL-1β production through inhibiting Caspase 1 activation in macrophage-like J774.1 cells

IL-1β is one of the inflammatory cytokines and is cleaved from pro-IL-1β proteolytically by activated Caspase 1. For the activation of Caspase 1, inflammasome was formed by two signals, what is called, priming and triggering signals. In this study, it was found that mouse macrophage J774.1 cells, when treated by single large amount of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), produced a significant amount of IL-1β. On the other hand, IL-1β production was not detected when treated by a single, small amount of LPS. Then, focusing on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response among stress responses induced by a large amount of LPS, when GSK2656157, a PERK inhibitor, was used for inhibition of ER stress, GSK2656157 reduced IL-1β production dose-dependently. Next, when Thapsigargin, an ER stress reagent, was added with LPS, IL-1β production increased more than by LPS alone. Thus, these results suggested that ER stress was involved in LPS-induced IL-1β production. When the activation of Caspase 1 was examined by fluorescence activated cell sorter analysis, it was found that GSK2656157 inhibited LPS-induced Caspase 1 activation. Further, it was confirmed that GSK2656157 did not affect LPS-induced TNF-α production and activation of NF-κB and specifically inhibited the PERK/eIF-2α pathway. Therefore, it was found that GSK2656157 specifically inhibited ER stress induced by large amount of LPS and reduced LPS-induced IL-1β production through inhibition of Caspase 1 activation.