5-O-methyldihydroquercetin and cilicicone B isolated from Spina Gleditsiae ameliorate lipopolysaccharide‐induced acute kidney injury in mice by inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress via the TLR4/MyD88/TRIF/NLRP3 signaling pathway

Extraction technology, component analysis, and the immunomodulatory effects in immunosuppressed broilers of total flavonoids extract from the thorns of Gleditsia sinensis Lam

Spina Gleditsiae is the dry thorns from Gleditsia sinensis Lam. (G. sinensis), exhibits the effect of reducing swelling and toxins, and draining pus. Flavonoids are the primary active constituents of Spina Gleditsiae, but their extraction technology has not been studied systematically. Relevant studies revealed that Spina Gleditsiae shown certain immunomodulatory effects, but its mechanism was still unclear. This research was carried out about the extraction process, chemical composition, and the effects on the immune function of total flavonoids extract (TFE). The extraction conditions of TFE were investigated by response surface methodology, and the major components were preliminarily analyzed and inferred by ultra performance liquid chromatography- quadrupole-time-of-flight-mass spectrum method. The immunomodulatory effect of TFE was evaluated by cyclophosphamide induced immunosuppressed broilers. The yield of TFE was 1.80 % under the following optimized conditions: ethanol concentration 50 %, extraction time 20 min, and the ratio of solvent to material 50:1 ml/g. In addition, the main chemical components in the TFE have been preliminarily identified based on related literature and mass spectrometry information. Meanwhile, the TFE could mitigate the immunosuppressive state caused by cyclophosphamide in broilers by improving the histomorphology of immune organs, increasing the index of immune organ, elevating the serum levels of IL-2, IFN-β, and IFN-γ, and raising the titer of Newcastle disease antibodies in the serum. Furthermore, the immunoregulatory effects of these flavonoids were found to be closely related to the enhancement of the relative expression level of key genes and proteins in the TLR4-MyD88/TICAM-NF-κB signaling pathway. The findings of the study suggest that TFE derived from the thorns of G. sinensis holds promise as an enhanced traditional Chinese medicine with the capability to potentially bolster immune function.

Quercetin attenuates DEHP-induced pyroptosis and programmed necrosis in chicken duodenum through regulation of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is not only popularly used as a plasticizer, but also ubiquitous in environment, causes an important risk to the lives and well-being of poultry. Quercetin (QUE) is a natural flavonoid with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and immunoregulation. Nevertheless, it's still unclear possibly DEHP causes duodenal pyroptosis and programmed necrosis in broiler chickens or perhaps QUE has a mitigating impact in this mechanism. Therefore, the present investigation was conducted to establish a model of tissue and duodenal progenitor cells models based on DEHP and QUE exposure, and in vitro experiments were added the nuclear factor-kappa-B activator1 (NF-κB Act1) and reactive oxygen species activator (Sanguinarine). The mechanism of duodenal injury was explored by immunofluorescence, Western blot and qRT-PCR. It was shown that exposure to DEHP resulted in decreased depth of the duodenal crypt, shortened cilia length, upregulation of oxidative stress markers, downregulation of antioxidant markers, and a significant increase in the promotion of ROS expression in chicken duodenum. DEHP also promoted the expression of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway, as well as the expression of genes associated with pyroptosis and programmed necrosis. While in the DEHP + QUE co-treatment group, QUE regulated the antioxidant capacity of the duodenum and inhibited the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway, which reduced DEHP-induced pyroptosis and programmed necrosis to some extent. In in vitro experiments where NF-κB Act1 and Sanguinarin were added to the co-treated treatment group, NF-κB signalling was activated and re-up-regulated the levels of genes related to cellular pyroptosis and programmed necrosis alleviated by QUE, which further demonstrated that this pathway could regulate chicken duodenal pyroptosis and programmed necrosis. Thus, quercetin alleviated DEHP-induced chicken duodenal pyroptosis and programmed necrosis via the regulation of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB. This investigation supplies a theoretical footing for the hazard valuation of the plasticizer DEHP for poultry.

Exploring the health benefits of food bioactive compounds from a perspective of NLRP3 inflammasome activation: an insight review

The food industry has been focusing on food bioactive compounds with multiple physiological and immunological properties that benefit human health. These bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, flavonoids, and terpenoids, have great potential to limit inflammatory responses especially NLRP3 inflammasome activation, which is a key innate immune platform for inflammation. Current studies have revealed numerous food bioactive compounds with promising activities for unraveling immune metabolic disorders and excessive inflammatory responses by directly and indirectly regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome activation. This review explores the food hazards, including microbial and abiotic factors, that may trigger NLRP3-mediated illnesses and inflammation. It also highlights bioactive compounds in food that can suppress NLRP3 inflammasome activation through various mechanisms, linking its activation and inhibition to different pathways. Especially, this review provided further insight into NLRP3-related targets where food bioactive compounds can interact to block the NLRP3 inflammasome activation process, as well as mechanisms on how these compounds facilitate inactivation processes.

The interplay of TapSAKI and NEAT-1 as potential modulators in gentamicin-induced acute kidney injury via orchestrating miR-22-3p/TLR4/MyD88/NF-қB/IL-1 β milieu: Novel therapeutic approach of Betanin

INTRODUCTION

Gentamicin (GNT) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that is widely prescribed in critically ill patients. However, GNT exerts deleterious effects on renal proximal tubules which could predispose to acute kidney injury (AKI).

AIM

The study aimed to investigate the interplay of TapSAKI, NEAT-1, and miR-22-3p in GNT-induced AKI via modulating the TLR4/MyD88/NF-қB/IL-1β trajectory. The study was extended to show the role of betanin (BET) in alleviating GNT-induced AKI.

METHODS

BET (25  mg/kg/day) was administered via oral route for 28 consecutive days in addition to GNT (100  mg/kg/day) i.p. during the last 8 days. TapSAKI, NEAT-1, and miR-22-3p gene expressions were measured using RT-PCR. The levels of SCr, urea were measured using colorimetric assay, whereas KIM-1, TLR4, and IL-1β were measured using ELISA technique. Additionally, histopathological examinations were done.

RESULTS

The present study revealed that the expression of TapSAKI and NEAT-1 were significantly upregulated in GNT-induced AKI group, whereas miR-22-3p was significantly downregulated. There were significant associations between the expression of these non-coding RNAs and TLR4/NF-қB/MyD88/IL-1β axis as well as malondialdehyde and glutathione levels. Favorably, BET pretreated group normalized the levels of SCr, urea, and KIM-1 and showed a significant downregulation of TapSAKI and NEAT-1 and upregulation of miR-22-3p compared with GNT-induced AKI group. Furthermore, BET showed a marked inhibition of TLR4/MyD88/NF-қB/IL-1β cascade compared with non-treated AKI rats. Moreover, BET normalized oxidative stress markers.

CONCLUSION

BET reduced GNT's toxic effects on kidneys through modulating TLR4/MyD88/NF-қB/IL-1β signaling pathway under the influence of lncRNAs TapSAKI, NEAT-1, and miRNA-22-3p, which consequently suppress oxidative stress and inflammation.

Comparative Analysis of Intestinal TLR4 Gene Expression and Functional Verification in Lepus yarkandensis and Oryctolagus cuniculus

Lepus yarkandensis live year-round in harsh desert environments and are less susceptible to enteritis. The living conditions of Oryctolagus cuniculus in captivity were suitable, but they were highly susceptible to death by Gram-negative bacteria infected with inflammatory bowel disease complex.TLR4 is closely related to the occurrence of enteritis, and the neighbor-joining topology based on the 12S rDNA sequences showed that the relationship between O. cuniculus and L. yarkandensis is as high as 98%.Therefore, we chose O. cuniculus and L. yarkandensis for comparative study.The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in the regulation of immunity and inflammation in the intestinal tract of L. yarkandensis. In this study, the TLR4 gene was cloned for the first time in the colon of L. yarkandensis. The expression of TLR4 in the intestinal tissues of L. yarkandensis and O. cuniculus was detected by histological observation, real-time fluorescence quantification PCR(qRT-PCR), and protein blotting (Western blot).An LPS-induced cell inflammation model was constructed in vitro, and ELISA was used to examine the effect of pEGFP-N1-TLR4 and siRNA knockout on the anti-inflammatory ability of the TLR4 gene. The results showed that the open reading frame of the L. yarkandensis TLR4 gene was 2520 bp in length. Compared with the sequence of O. cuniculus, there were 15 differences in the TLR4 amino acid sequence of L. yarkandensis, 12 of which occurred in the LRR domain and 2 in the TIR domain, and the sequence changed from G to D at position 298. Immunohistochemistry showed that TLR4 was mainly expressed in the epithelial cells of the colon L. yarkandensis, and the expression level of TLR4 in the cecum and colon was significantly lower compared with that of O. cuniculus. qRT-PCR and Western blot results showed that the expression level of TLR4 in the colon of L. yarkandensis was significantly lower than that of O. cuniculus. At the cellular level, ELISA showed that overexpression of the TLR4 protein in L. yarkandensis could reduce the LPS-induced inflammatory response. Therefore, according to the above results, the protein structure and function of L. yarkandensis TLR4 may be different due to the change of nucleotide, which affects its binding with LPS and the activation of downstream molecules, so that L. yarkandensis is not prone to enteritis and can adapt to the harsh desert environment for a long time. This study also laid the foundation for improving the disease resistance of O. cuniculus and promoting the development and utilization of genes in L. yarkandensis.

Corilagin alleviates LPS-induced sepsis through inhibiting pyroptosis via targeting TIR domain of MyD88 and binding CARD of ASC in macrophages

Sepsis is a dysregulated systemic inflammatory response caused by infection that leads to multiple organ injury and high mortality without effective treatment. Corilagin, a natural polyphenol extracted from traditional Chinese herbs, exhibits strong anti-inflammatory properties. However, the role for Corilagin in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis and the molecular mechanisms underlying this process have not been completely explored. Here we determine the effect of Corilagin on LPS-treated mice and use a screening approach integrating surface plasmon resonance with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SPR-LC-MS/MS) to further explore the therapeutic target of Corilagin. We discovered that Corilagin significantly prolonged the survival time of septic mice, attenuated the multi-organ injury and the expression of pyroptosis-related proteins in tissues of LPS-treated mice. In vitro studies revealed that Corilagin inhibited pyroptosis and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in LPS-treated macrophages followed with ATP stimulation, as reflected by decreased levels of GSDMD-NT and activated caspase-1, and reduced ASC specks formation. Mechanistically, Corilagin alleviated the formation of ASC specks and blocked the interaction of ASC and pro-caspase1 by competitively binding with the caspase recruitment domain (CARD) of ASC. Additionally, Corilagin interrupted the TLR4-MyD88 interaction through targeting TIR domain of MyD88, leading to the inhibition of NF-κB activation and NLRP3 production. In addition, Corilagin downregulated genes associated with several inflammatory responses and inflammasome-related signaling pathways in LPS-stimulated macrophages. Overall, our results indicate that the inhibitory effect of Corilagin on pyroptosis through targeting TIR domain of MyD88 and binding the CARD domain of ASC in macrophages plays an essential role in protection against LPS-induced sepsis.

Exploring the therapeutic mechanisms of Gleditsiae Spina acting on pancreatic cancer via network pharmacology, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive tumors and also has a low survival rate. The dried spines of Gleditsia sinensis Lam are known as "Gleditsiae Spina" and they mostly contain flavonoids, phenolic acids, terpenoids, steroids, and other chemical components. In this study, the potential active components and molecular mechanisms of Gleditsiae Spina for treating pancreatic cancer were systematically revealed by network pharmacology, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations (MDs). RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT1), cellular tumor antigen p53 (TP53), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin-6 (IL6) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) were common targets of Gleditsiae Spina, human cytomegalovirus infection signaling pathway, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, and MAPK signaling pathway were critical pathways of fisetin, eriodyctiol, kaempferol and quercetin in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Molecular dynamics simulations (MDs) results showed that eriodyctiol and kaempferol have long-term stable hydrogen bonds and high binding free energy for TP53 (-23.64 ± 0.03 kcal mol-1 and -30.54 ± 0.02 kcal mol-1, respectively). Collectively, our findings identify active components and potential targets in Gleditsiae Spina for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, which may help to explore leading compounds and potential drugs for pancreatic cancer.

Novel insights into NOD-like receptors in renal diseases

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors (NLRs), including NLRAs, NLRBs (also known as NAIPs), NLRCs, and NLRPs, are a major subfamily of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Owing to a recent surge in research, NLRs have gained considerable attention due to their involvement in mediating the innate immune response and perpetuating inflammatory pathways, which is a central phenomenon in the pathogenesis of multiple diseases, including renal diseases. NLRs are expressed in different renal tissues during pathological conditions, which suggest that these receptors play roles in acute kidney injury, obstructive nephropathy, diabetic nephropathy, IgA nephropathy, lupus nephritis, crystal nephropathy, uric acid nephropathy, and renal cell carcinoma, among others. This review summarises recent progress on the functions of NLRs and their mechanisms in the pathophysiological processes of different types of renal diseases to help us better understand the role of NLRs in the kidney and provide a theoretical basis for NLR-targeted therapy for renal diseases.

Short-Chain Fatty Acid Decreases the Expression of CEBPB to Inhibit miR-145-Mediated DUSP6 and Thus Further Suppresses Intestinal Inflammation

Intestinal inflammation is a common disease which can further lead to inflammatory bowel disease and even intestinal cancer. The increasing focus has come to the role of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) in various bowel diseases. Hence, this study was designed to explore the specific role of SCFA in intestinal inflammation. In vivo and in vitro models of intestinal inflammation were constructed by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection in mice and LPS treatment on intestinal epithelial cells. A possible regulatory mechanism involving SCFA, CCAAT enhancer-binding protein beta (CEBPB), microRNA-145 (miR-145), and dual-specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) in intestinal inflammation was verified by ChIP assay and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. To evaluate the effects of SCFA on LPS-treated intestinal epithelial cells, the expression of relevant genes and inflammatory factors (IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β) were determined. Last, the role of SCFA in vivo was explored through the scoring of disease activity index (DAI) and observation of colonic histology of LPS-treated mice. SCFA decreased the CEBPB expression in mouse colon tissues and small intestine epithelial cells induced by LPS. Furthermore, CEBPB could bind to the miR-145 promoter to inhibit its expression, thereby promoting the expression of DUSP6. In addition, SCFA improved the DAI, colonic histology, and the expression of serum inflammatory factors in LPS-treated mice and cells, noting that SCFA alleviated intestinal inflammation in vitro and in vivo. To sum up, SCFA inhibited DUSP6 by upregulating miR-145 through CEBPB repression and thus prevented the development of intestinal inflammation.

Profiling of Widely Targeted Metabolomics for the Identification of chemical composition in epidermis, xylem and pith of Gleditsiae spina

Gleditsiae spina, the thorn of Gleditsia sinensis Lam., has a long history of being used as a traditional medicine in East Asian countries. However, only a few biologically active substances have been identified from Gleditsiae spina. In this study, the epidermis, xylem and pith of Gleditsiae spina, respectively, namely Gs-E, Gs-X and Gs-P, were studied. We used a widely targeted metabolomics method to investigate the chemical composition in Gs-E, Gs-X and Gs-P. A total of 728 putative metabolites were identified from Gleditsiae spina, including 211 primary metabolites and 517 secondary metabolites. These primary and secondary metabolites could be categorized into more than 10 different classes. Flavonoids, phenolic acids, lipids, and amino acids and derivatives, and organic acids constituted the main metabolite groups. Multivariate statistical analysis showed that the Gs-E, Gs-X and Gs-P samples could be clearly separated. Differential accumulated metabolite (DAM) analysis revealed that more than half of the DAMs exhibited the highest relative concentrations in Gs-E, and most of the DAMs showed the lowest relative concentrations in Gs-X. Moreover, 11 common differential primary metabolites and 79 common differential secondary metabolites were detected in all comparison groups. These results further our understanding of chemical composition and metabolite accumulation of Gleditsiae spina.

Oleic acid alleviates LPS-induced acute kidney injury by restraining inflammation and oxidative stress via the Ras/MAPKs/PPAR-γ signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Rehmannia Glutinosa Libosch. is applied for the treatment of renal and inflammatory-related diseases, and oleic acid (OA) is a compound isolated from Rehmannia Glutinosa Libosch.. Unfortunately, the pharmacological activity of OA on LPS treated acute kidney injury (AKI) has not been investigated.

AIMS

The research is aiming to probe the activities of OA on LPS-induced AKI.

METHODS

Information of OA effect on AKI were from network pharmacology. H&E staining, creatinine (CRE) and urea nitrogen (UN) were performed to evaluate the activities of OA on kidney function. Inflammatory factors in serum were measured by cytometric bead array. Increased ratio of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in kidney and immune cells in the peripheral blood were determined by flow cytometry (FCM). PPAR-γ, MAPK and apoptotic signaling pathways were measured by Western blot. Then, a metabolomics approach was utilized to investigate OA's response to AKI. The role of salirasib (FTS, Ras inhibitor) in OA acted on ROS, Ca²⁺, MMP and Ras signaling pathway in LPS treated NRK-52e cells were investigated by FCM and In-cell western.

RESULTS

It is proved that OA effetively ameliorated renal function, alleviated inflammatory response and oxidative stress, and transformed apoptotic, MAPK and PPAR-γ signaling pathways in mice with AKI, regulated phenylalanine metabolism, purine metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, moreover, the role of OA in injury of NRK-52e was blocked by FTS.

CONCLUSION

In a word, OA could alleviate AKI by restraining inflammation and oxidative stress via regulating the Ras/MAPKs/PPAR-γ signaling pathway, phenylalanine metabolism, purine metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, which might be a useful strategy for treating AKI.

Overexpression of TRIM3 protects against LPS-induced acute kidney injury via repressing IRF3 pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome

PURPOSE

The pathological process of sepsis involves multiple system organs, including kidney. Sepsis-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) has high morbidity and high mortality. Overproduced inflammatory factors contribute to the occurrence and evolvement of AKI. Here, the role and underlying mechanism of tripartite motif containing 3 (TRIM3) and in AKI was explored.

METHODS

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used for constructing AKI model both in vitro and in vivo. RT-PCR and western blot were performed to detect TRIM3, Interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) and NLRP3-ASC-Caspase1 inflammasome. Upon selectively regulating the TRIM3 or IRF3 expression, the proliferation, apoptosis and inflammatory response were detected. The interaction between TRIM3 and IRF3 was verified by Immunoprecipitation (IP).

RESULTS

TRIM3 was down-regulated in mediated injury renal tubular epithelial cell line HK-2 treated with LPS. Overexpression of TRIM3 promoted cell viability and reduced apoptosis. In addition, overexpression of TRIM3 inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and IL-18), dampened the phosphorylation of IRF3 and repressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Furthermore, TRIM3 overexpression significantly eased the LPS-induced damage on AKI rat model and decreased the serum creatinine and urea nitrogen levels in rat kidney tissues. The results of immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot manifested that TRIM3 was increased dramatically after TRIM3 was overexpressed in the rat kidney tissues, while IRF3 and NLRP3-ASC-Caspase1 inflammasome were significantly repressed following TRIM3 upregulation in the kidney tissues. Mechanistically, TRIM3 interacted with IRF3 and inhibited its phosphorylation.

CONCLUSION

Overexpression of TRIM3 protected against LPS-induced AKI by inhibiting the IRF3 pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Phytochemical inhibitors of the NLRP3 inflammasome for the treatment of inflammatory diseases

The NLRP3 inflammasome holds a crucial role in innate immune responses. Pathogen- and danger-associated molecular patterns may initiate inflammasome activation and following inflammatory cytokine release. The inflammasome formation and its-associated activity are involved in various pathological conditions such as cardiovascular, central nervous system, metabolic, renal, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Although the mechanism behind NLRP3-mediated disorders have not been entirely illuminated, many phytochemicals and medicinal plants have been described to prevent inflammatory disorders. In the present review, we mainly introduced phytochemicals inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome in addition to NLRP3-mediated diseases. For this purpose, we performed a systematic literature search by screening PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. By compiling the data of phytochemical inhibitors targeting NLRP3 inflammasome activation, a complex balance between inflammasome activation or inhibition with NLRP3 as central player was pointed out in NLRP3-driven pathological conditions. Phytochemicals represent potential therapeutic leads, enabling the generation of chemical derivatives with improved pharmacological features to treat NLRP3-mediated inflammatory diseases.

Toll-like receptor 4: An attractive therapeutic target for acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a progressive renal complication which significantly affects the patient's life with huge economic burden. Untreated acute kidney injury eventually progresses to a chronic form and end-stage renal disease. Although significant breakthroughs have been made in recent years, there are still no effective pharmacological therapies for the treatment of acute kidney injury. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a well-characterized pattern recognition receptor, and increasing evidence has shown that TLR4 mediated inflammatory response plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury. The expression of TLR4 has been seen in resident renal cells, including podocytes, mesangial cells, tubular epithelial cells and endothelial cells. Activation of TLR4 signaling regulates the transcription of numerous pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, resulting in renal inflammation. Therefore, targeting TLR4 and its downstream effectors could serve as an effective therapeutic intervention to prevent renal inflammation and subsequent kidney damage. For the first time, this review summarizes the literature on acute kidney injury from the perspective of TLR4 from year 2010 to 2020. In the current review, the role of TLR4 signaling pathway in AKI with preclinical evidence is discussed. Furthermore, we have highlighted several compounds of natural and synthetic origin, which have the potential to avert the renal TLR4 signaling in preclinical AKI models and have shown protection against AKI. This scientific review provides new ideas for targeting TLR4 in the treatment of AKI and provides strategies for the drug development against AKI.

Eriocitrin attenuates ischemia reperfusion-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in rats with acute kidney injury by regulating the dual-specificity phosphatase 14 (DUSP14)-mediated Nrf2 and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathways

Background

Ischemia reperfusion (IR)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is accompanied by increased inflammatory response and oxidative stress. Eriocitrin is a flavonoid that is mainly derived from lemon or citrate juice. It exhibits various pharmacological effects and is known to have antioxidant and anti-steatotic benefits. However, research on the effect of eriocitrin against IR-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in AKI is limited.

Methods

In this study, an OGD/R of HK-2 cell in vitro and rat model of AKI in vivo were constructed. Then the cell or rats were treated with eriocitrin at different doses (60, 30, 10 mg/kg). The levels of apoptotic were detected by flow cytometry. Inflammatory and oxidative stress factors in supernatant in vitro and tissue in vivo. Meanwhile, Western blot was used to detect the change of dual-specificity phosphatase 14 (DUSP14), Nrf2 and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB).

Results

Eriocitrin attenuated apoptosis of the human renal tubular epithelial cell line HK-2 mediated by oxygen glucose deprivation/reperfusion via the repression of inflammation and oxidative stress in a dose-dependent manner. Eriocitrin also enhanced the levels of dual-specificity phosphatase 14 (DUSP14) and Nrf2, and decreased NF-κB phosphorylation. Furthermore, the in vivo experiments indicated that eriocitrin dose-dependently alleviated IR-induced AKI and apoptosis in rats. By elevating DUSP14, eriocitrin promoted the expression of Nrf2 and inactivated NF-κB, thereby downregulating inflammation and oxidative stress. Moreover, inhibiting DUSP14 expression with protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibitor IV reversed the kidney-protective effects of Eriocitrin.

Conclusions

Eriocitrin protected IR-induced AKI by attenuating oxidative stress and inflammation via elevating DUSP14, thereby providing a theoretical basis for the treatment of IR-induced AKI.

Macrophage stimulating 1-induced inflammation response promotes aortic aneurysm formation through triggering endothelial cells death and activating the NF-κB signaling pathway

Aortic aneurysm formation is associated with endothelial cells dysfunction through an undefined mechanism. Macrophage stimulating 1 (Mst1) and NF-κB signaling pathway have been found to be related to inflammation response in endothelial cell damage. The goal of our study is to explore the role of Mst1 in regulating endothelial cell viability with a focus on NF-κB signaling pathway and inflammation response. Endothelial cell viability and death were determined via immunofluorescence and ELISA. Agonist of NF-κB signaling pathway and siRNA against Mst1 were used. The results in our study demonstrated that Mst1 transcription and expression were significantly elevated after exposure to oxidative stress in endothelial cells. Once loss of Mst1 through transfection of siRNA (si-Mst1), endothelial cell viability and survival rate were rapidly increased in response to oxidative stress. In addition, we also found that Mst1 controlled inflammation response and mitochondrial function in endothelial cells. Re-activation of NF-κB signaling pathway was followed by an activation of inflammation response and mitochondrial dysfunction, as evidenced by increased expression of inflammation factors and decreased ATP synthesis. Altogether, our results identify Mst1 as the primary factors responsible for endothelial cells dysfunction in aneurysms formation through inducing inflammation response, endothelial apoptosis, and NF-κB signaling pathway activation.