The immunoregulatory effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester on the cytokine secretion of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from asthmatic children

The effect of coffee consumption on three main bone disorders: a Mendelian randomization trial

INTRODUCTION

Despite a large number of observational studies examining the effect of coffee consumption(CC) on bone disorders(BDs), particularly, osteoarthritis(OA), osteoportic fracture(OF), and rheumatoid arthritis(RA), the conclusions are highly controversial. Thus, it is essential to examine the causal association between CC and BDs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed to assess the causal influence of CC on OF, RA, and OA. The main endpoint was the odds ratio (OR) of the inverse variance weighted (IVW) approach. In addition, the weighted median (WM), MR-Egger regressions, MR-pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) and multivariable MR (MVMR) were included in sensitivity analyses. Furthermore, the function of causal SNPs was evaluated by gene ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, and protein-protein interaction networks.

RESULTS

Primary MR analysis based on the IVW method suggested that changes in CC alter risk of OF (OR = 1.383, 95%CI 1.079-1.853, P = 0.039), RA(OR: 1.623, 95%CI 1.042-2.527, P = 0.032) and HOA (hip osteoarthritis, OR = 1.536, 95% CI 1.044-2.259, P = 0.021). However, these causal relationships were not robust in sensitivity analyses. In contrast, there is a positive causal relationship between increased CC and the risk of KOA (knee osteoarthritis, OR: 2.094, 95%CI: 1.592-2.754, P = 1.41 × 10-7), as evidenced by the IVW using random effect. A similar effect size was observed across all MR sensitivity analyses, with no evidence of horizontal pleiotropy.

CONCLUSION

Based on our MR analysis, increased CC was causally linked to an increase in the risk of KOA. Genetic predictions suggested that CC reduction may have benefits for bone health.

Self-reported and genetically predicted effects of coffee intake on rheumatoid arthritis: Epidemiological studies and Mendelian randomization analysis

Background and aims

Causal research concerning coffee intake and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk is controversial. The objective of this study was to further explore the causal relationship between coffee intake and RA risk.

Methods

The 4,310 participants from NHANES 2003–2006 were included in an epidemiological study to assess the association between coffee intake and RA by weighted multivariate logistic regression. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method of two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR), employing genetic data from UK Biobank (428,860 cases) of coffee intake and MR-Base platform (14,361 cases and 43,923 controls) of RA, was performed to estimate the causal relationship between coffee intake and RA.

Results

Weighted multivariate logistic regression suggested no significant correlation between coffee intake and RA. Compared to the no-coffee group, the odds ratio for RA in the <1, 1–3, ≥4 cups/day group were 1.297, 1.378, and 1.125 (P = 0.204, 0.098, and 0.698, respectively). In the IVW of MR analysis, there was no causal relationship between coffee intake and RA (OR = 1.47, P = 0.218).

Conclusion

Our study did not support a causal association between coffee intake and RA risk. However, it is necessary to consider valid information on coffee intake, including brewing method, type of coffee, and quantity, in further analysis of coffee intake and RA.

The Potential Use of Propolis as a Primary or an Adjunctive Therapy in Respiratory Tract-Related Diseases and Disorders: A Systematic Scoping Review

Propolis is a resinous beehive product that is collected by the bees from plant resin and exudates, to protect and maintain hive homeostasis. Propolis has been used by humans therapeutically to treat many ailments including respiratory tract-related diseases and disorders. The aim of the present systematic scoping review is to evaluate the experimental evidence to support the use of propolis as a primary or an adjunctive therapy in respiratory tract-related diseases and disorders. After applying the exclusion criteria, 158 research publications were retrieved and identified from Scopus, Web of Science, Pubmed, and Google Scholar. The key themes of the included studies were pathogenic infection-related diseases and disorders, inflammation-related disorders, lung cancers, and adverse effects. Furthermore, the potential molecular and biochemical mechanisms of action of propolis in alleviating respiratory tract-related diseases and disorders are discussed. In conclusion, the therapeutic benefits of propolis have been demonstrated by various in vitro studies, in silico studies, animal models, and human clinical trials. Based on the weight and robustness of the available experimental and clinical evidence, propolis is effective, either as a primary or an adjunctive therapy, in treating respiratory tract-related diseases.

The first synthesis and immunomodulatory properties of p-hydroxyphenyl caffeate derived from Wedelia trilobata

Herein, we report a concise and efficient method for the synthesis of p-hydroxyphenyl caffeate, a novel natural caffeic acid ester derivative isolated from Wedelia trilobata. The key feature of this synthesis is the Verley-Doebner modification of the Knoevenagel condensation of the p-hydroxyphenyl malonate intermediate. The synthesized p-hydroxyphenyl caffeate enhanced interleukin 2 production by murine lymph node T cells, and suppressed interleukin 13 production by murine epidermal T cells. This implies that p-hydroxyphenyl caffeate might be a novel immunomodulatory drug candidate, specifically targeting T helper 2 cell type responses in skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis and vitiligo. [Formula: see text].

Toxicogenomic analysis of publicly available transcriptomic data can predict food, drugs, and chemical-induced asthma

Background

: With the increasing incidence of asthma, more attention is focused on the diverse and complex nutritional and environmental triggers of asthma exacerbations. Currently, there are no established risk assessment tools to evaluate asthma triggering potentials of most of the nutritional and environmental triggers encountered by asthmatic patients.

Purpose

 The objective of this study is to devise a reliable workflow, capable of estimating the toxicogenomic effect of such factors on key player genes in asthma pathogenesis.

Methods

Gene expression extracted from publicly available datasets of asthmatic bronchial epithelium were subjected to a comprehensive analysis of differential gene expression to identify significant genes involved in asthma development and progression. The identified genes were subjected to Gene Set Enrichment Analysis using a total of 31,826 gene sets related to chemical, toxins, and drugs to identify common agents that share similar asthma-related targets genes and signaling pathways.

Results

Our analysis identified 225 differentially expressed genes between severe asthmatic and healthy bronchial epithelium. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis of the identified genes showed that they are involved in response to toxic substances and organic cyclic compounds and are targeted by 41 specific diets, plants products, and plants related toxins (eg adenine, arachidonic acid, baicalein, caffeic acid, corilagin, curcumin, ellagic acid, luteolin, microcystin-RR, phytoestrogens, protoporphyrin IX, purpurogallin, rottlerin, and salazinic acid). Moreover, the identified chemicals share interesting inflammation-related pathways like NF-κB.

Conclusion

Our analysis was able to explain and predict the toxicity in terms of stimulating the differentially expressed genes between severe asthmatic and healthy epithelium. Such an approach can pave the way to generate a cost-effective and reliable source for asthma-specific toxigenic reports thus allowing the asthmatic patients, physicians, and medical researchers to be aware of the potential triggering factors with fatal consequences.

Extracts from Erythronium japonicum and Corylopsis coreana Uyeki reduce 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol-mediated oxidative stress in human hepatic cells

In this study, it was demonstrated that 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol (1,3-DCP) induced oxidative stress and cell death in HuH7, human hepatocytes. The protective effects of Erythronium japonicum (E. japonicum) and Corylopsis coreana Uyeki (C. coreana Uyeki) extracts against 1,3-DCP-treated cells were also investigated. First, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were diminished by the treatment of 1,3-DCP. Moreover, 1,3-DCP stimulated the expression and catalytic activity of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), an enzyme that generates reactive oxygen species in the liver. In contrast, co-treatment of 1,3-DCP with the extracts significantly decreased ROS generation and inhibited CYP2E1 activity without affecting its expression. The co-administration of extracts also restored the activities of SOD and CAT reduced by 1,3-DCP and protected against 1,3-DCP-mediated cell death. In conclusion, these results suggest that 1,3-DCP induces oxidative stress through the elevated CYP2E1 level, which is inhibited by the extracts, protecting cells against the effects of 1,3-DCP.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester is protective in experimental ulcerative colitis via reduction in levels of pro-inflammatory mediators and enhancement of epithelial barrier function

Background

Inhibition of the nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-κβ) pathway has been proposed as a therapeutic target due to its key role in the expression of pro-inflammatory genes, including pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a naturally occurring anti-inflammatory agent, found in propolis, and has been reported as a specific inhibitor of NF-κβ. However, the impact of CAPE on levels of myeloperoxidases (MPO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines during inflammation is not clear. The aims of this study were to investigate the protective efficacy of CAPE in the mouse model of colitis and determine its effect on MPO activity, pro-inflammatory cytokines levels, and intestinal permeability.

Method

Dextran sulphate sodium was administered in drinking water to induce colitis in C57/BL6 mice before treatment with intraperitoneal administration of CAPE (30 mg kg⁻¹ day⁻¹). Disease activity index (DAI) score, colon length and tissue histology levels of MPO, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and intestinal permeability were observed.

Results

CAPE-treated mice had lower DAI and tissue inflammation scores, with improved epithelial barrier protection and significant reduction in the level of MPO and pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Conclusion

Our results show that CAPE is effective in suppressing inflammation-triggered MPO activity and pro-inflammatory cytokines production while enhancing epithelial barrier function in experimental colitis. Thus, we conclude that CAPE could be a potential therapeutic agent for further clinical investigations for treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases in humans.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10787-017-0364-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Erythronium japonicum attenuates histopathological lung abnormalities in a mouse model of ovalbumin-induced asthma

Asthma is a chronic lung condition that can induce mucus hypersecretion and pulmonary obstruction and may even cause death, particularly in children and older individuals. Erythronium japonicum (E. japonicum) is a traditional herb used in Korea and East Asian countries that has been found to exert free radical scavenging activity and anti-proliferative effects in human colorectal carcinoma cells. In the present study, we evaluated the anti-asthmatic effects of an extract of E. japonicum in a mouse model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma. Female BALB/c mice were sensitized with an intraperitoneal injection of OVA and aluminum hydroxide hydrate on days 1 and 8 and then received the following treatments on days 21 to 25: i) control (no treatment), ii) sterilized tap water (given orally), iii) 1 mg/kg/day dexamethasone (administered orally), iv) 60 mg/kg/day E. japonicum extract, and v) 600 mg/kg/day E. japonicum extract. On the same days, all the mice except those in the control group were challenged 1 h later with nebulized 5% OVA for 30 min. We found that treatment with E. japonicum extract suppressed the OVA-induced increase in the number of white blood cells and decreased the IgE level in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples obtained from the mice. Histopathological analysis of the lung tissues revealed that E. japonicum attenuated the asthma-related morphological changes in the mouse lung tissue, including the increased secretion of mucus in the bronchioles, eosinophil infiltration around the bronchioles and vessels, and goblet cell and epithelial cell hyperplasia. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that treatment with E. japonicum extract suppressed the OVA-induced proliferation of T helper cells (CD4⁺) and B cells (CD19⁺) in the mouse lung tissue. Furthermore, treatment with E. japonicum extract modulated the expression of both T helper 2 cell-related factors [GATA binding protein 3 (GATA-3), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-6 and IL-13], as well as that of T helper 1 cell-related factors [(interferon-γ (IFN-γ), IL-12p35 and IL-12p40]. These findings suggest that E. japonicum may potentially be used as an anti-asthmatic treatment.