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Saeedi-Boroujeni A, Mahmoudian-Sani MR, Nashibi R, Houshmandfar S, Tahmaseby Gandomkari S, Khodadadi A. Tranilast: a potential anti-Inflammatory and NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor drug for COVID-19. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol 2021; 43:247-258. [PMID: 34015982 PMCID: PMC8146296 DOI: 10.1080/08923973.2021.1925293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is a type of beta-CoV that develops acute pneumonia, which is an inflammatory condition. A cytokine storm has been recognized as one of the leading causes of death in patients with COVID-19. ALI and ARDS along with multiple organ failure have also been presented as the consequences of acute inflammation and cytokine storm. It has been previously confirmed that SARS-CoV, as another member of the beta-CoV family, activates NLRP3 inflammasome and consequently develops acute inflammation in a variety of ways through having complex interactions with the host immune system using structural and nonstructural proteins. Numerous studies conducted on Tranilast have further demonstrated that the given drug can act as an effective anti-chemotactic factor on controlling inflammation, and thus, it can possibly help the improvement of the acute form of COVID-19 by inhibiting some key inflammation-associated transcription factors such as NF-κB and impeding NLRP3 inflammasome. Several studies have comparably revealed the direct effect of this drug on the prevention of inappropriate tissue's remodeling; inhibition of neutrophils, IL-5, and eosinophils; repression of inflammatory cell infiltration into inflammation site; restriction of factors involved in acute airway inflammation like IL-33; and suppression of cytokine IL-13, which increase mucosal secretions. Therefore, Tranilast may be considered as a potential treatment for patients with the acute form of COVID-19 along with other drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Saeedi-Boroujeni
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.,Abadan School of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran.,Immunology Today, Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad-Reza Mahmoudian-Sani
- Thalassemia and Hemoglobinopathy Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Roohangiz Nashibi
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.,Infectious Diseases & Tropical Medicine Ward, Razi Teaching Hospital, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Sheyda Houshmandfar
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Sima Tahmaseby Gandomkari
- Thalassemia and Hemoglobinopathy Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Ali Khodadadi
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
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Darakhshan S, Pour AB. Tranilast: a review of its therapeutic applications. Pharmacol Res 2014; 91:15-28. [PMID: 25447595 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2014.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 197] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2014] [Revised: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 10/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Tranilast (N-[3',4'-dimethoxycinnamoyl]-anthranilic acid) is an analog of a tryptophan metabolite. Initially, tranilast was identified as an anti-allergic agent, and used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases, such as bronchial asthma, atypical dermatitis, allergic conjunctivitis, keloids and hypertrophic scars. Subsequently, the results showed that it could be also effective in the management of a wide range of conditions. The beneficial effects of tranilast have also been seen in a variety of disease states, such as fibrosis, proliferative disorders, cancer, cardiovascular problems, autoimmune disorders, ocular diseases, diabetes and renal diseases. Moreover, several trials have shown that it has very low adverse effects and it is generally well tolerated by patients. In this review, we have attempted to accurately summarize previously published studies relating to the use of tranilast for a range of disorders and discuss the drug's possible mode of action. The major mode of the drug's efficacy appears to be the suppression of the expression and/or action of the TGF-β pathway, but the drug affects other factors as well. The findings presented in this review demonstrate the potential of tranilast for the control of a vast array of pathological situations, furthermore, it is a prescribed drug without severe side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Darakhshan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Ali Bidmeshki Pour
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
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Nagy D, Bede O, Danka J, SzÉnási Z, Sipka S. Analysis of serum cytokine levels in children with chronic cough associated withToxocara canisinfection. Parasite Immunol 2012; 34:581-8. [DOI: 10.1111/pim.12010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2012] [Accepted: 08/06/2012] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- D. Nagy
- Department of Paediatric; Faculty of Medicine; University of Szeged; Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical and Pharmaceutical Centre; Szeged; Hungary
| | - O. Bede
- Department of Paediatric; Faculty of Medicine; University of Szeged; Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical and Pharmaceutical Centre; Szeged; Hungary
| | - J. Danka
- National Centre for Epidemiology; Budapest; Hungary
| | - Z. SzÉnási
- National Centre for Epidemiology; Budapest; Hungary
| | - S. Sipka
- Department of Internal Medicine; University Medical School of Debrecen; Debrecen; Hungary
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Pilarczyk B, Doligalska MJ, Donskow-Schmelter K, Balicka-Ramisz A, Ramisz A. Selenium supplementation enhances the protective response to Toxocara canis larvae in mice. Parasite Immunol 2011; 30:394-402. [PMID: 18482223 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.2008.01039.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The effect of oral and intraperitoneal supply of sodium selenite on the immune response to, and the course of T. canis larvae infection in mice were determined. The number of worms in the host tissue was reduced but the migratory route of larvae was not affected. Selenite (Se) supplementation influences Se retention in the liver, enhanced IL-5 and eosinophil responses and evoked IL-6 production in mice infected with T. canis. The enhanced protection in mice given Se intraperitoneally was associated with high levels of parasite-specific IgE, and enhanced concentration of Th1-related cytokines such IL-12p70, TNF-α and IFN-γ. In mice given Se orally, the predominant cytokines produced were IL-10, MCP-1 and IL-6 and these mice had lower protection. In conclusion, Se supplementation increases production of specific cytokines in mice infected with T. canis and increases protection against infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Pilarczyk
- Department of Animal Hygiene and Prophylaxis, Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Breeding, Agricultural University, Szczecin, Poland
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Wang M, Zhang JJ, Jackson TL, Sun X, Wu W, Marshall J. Safety and efficacy of intracapsular tranilast microspheres in experimental posterior capsule opacification. J Cataract Refract Surg 2008; 33:2122-8. [PMID: 18053915 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrs.2007.07.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2007] [Accepted: 07/16/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a sustained-release agent designed to reduce posterior capsule opacification (PCO). SETTING Department of Ophthalmology, EENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China. METHODS Free tranilast (TFree) was incorporated into polylactic acid microspheres and then tested using a rabbit model of PCO. Twenty-nine rabbits were randomized into 5 groups treated with balanced saline solution (BSS control); TFree; or 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 mg tranilast microspheres (TMicro). Standard phacoemulsification cataract surgery, including manual aspiration of all visible soft lens matter, was performed in all groups. The selected test agent was then injected into the lens capsule. Postoperative clinical examinations were performed at 1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60, and 90 days. Posterior capsule opacification was quantified using high-resolution computer image analysis at 1, 2, and 3 months. Histological examination was performed at 3 months. RESULTS Eyes treated with TMicro had significantly less PCO than the eyes in the BSS and TFree groups. While the BSS control eyes had increased PCO over 3 months, eyes in the TMicro group had reduced PCO over time in a dose-dependent fashion. Histological examination showed reduced lens epithelial cell proliferation in the TMicro groups, with no manifest damage to the cornea, iris, or retina compared with the BSS controls. There was a transient increase in postoperative inflammation in all tranilast-treated groups compared with the BSS controls. CONCLUSION Sustained-release intracapsular tranilast reduced PCO in an experimental model of PCO, suggesting further investigation of its therapeutic potential is justified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, EENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China.
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Akao N, Ohta N. Toxocariasis in Japan. Parasitol Int 2007; 56:87-93. [PMID: 17317275 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2007.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2006] [Revised: 01/16/2007] [Accepted: 01/17/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Toxocariasis has long been considered a parasitic disease affecting pet owners and children who often play in sandboxes at public parks. Recent cases of this animal-borne infection, however, indicate that its clinical manifestations and etiologies are changing. In this article, we will describe the critical characteristic features of toxocariasis alongside the contributions of Japanese researchers to a better understanding of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuaki Akao
- Section of Environmental Parasitology, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Yushima 1-5-45, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8519 Japan.
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Pinelli E, Withagen C, Fonville M, Verlaan A, Dormans J, van Loveren H, Nicoll G, Maizels RM, van der Giessen J. Persistent airway hyper-responsiveness and inflammation in Toxocara canis-infected BALB/c mice. Clin Exp Allergy 2006; 35:826-32. [PMID: 15969676 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2005.02250.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infection with Toxocara canis, the roundworm of dogs, has been associated with asthmatic manifestations. Clinical symptoms such as wheezing, coughing and episodic airflow obstruction have been described for patients infected with this helminth. OBJECTIVE In order to characterize the effect of T. canis infection on the lungs, we monitored immune responses, pulmonary pathology and lung function over a period of 60 days in BALB/c mice. METHODS Infection was performed by a single oral administration of 1000 T. canis embryonated eggs. Airway responsiveness was measured in conscious, unrestrained mice at 7, 14, 30 and 60 days post-infection (p.i.). RESULTS Infection of mice resulted in airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) that persisted up to 30 days p.i. Pulmonary inflammation as well as increased levels of IgE and eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) persisted up to 60 days p.i. Cytokine analysis in BAL indicated increased levels of IL-5 at day 7 and 14 p.i., whereas the levels of IL-2, IFN-gamma, IL-4 and IL-10 did not differ from those of uninfected controls. Toxocara-specific stimulation of spleen cells using recombinant TES-70 protein resulted in the induction of IL-5 at day 7 and 14 p.i. and IL-10 at day 14 p.i. Production of all other cytokines did not differ from that of uninfected controls. Evaluation of larval burden revealed that T. canis was still present in the lungs of infected mice at 60 days p.i. CONCLUSION The presence of Toxocara larva in the lungs at 60 days p.i. following a single infection could explain the persistent pulmonary inflammation, airway hyper-reactivity, eosinophilia and increased IgE production observed in T. canis-infected BALB/c mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Pinelli
- Diagnostic Laboratory for Infectious Diseases and Perinatal Screening, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
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Hossen MA, Shinmei Y, Jiang S, Takubo M, Tsumuro T, Murata Y, Sugiura M, Kamei C. Effect of Lo Han Kuo (Siraitia grosvenori Swingle) on nasal rubbing and scratching behavior in ICR mice. Biol Pharm Bull 2005; 28:238-41. [PMID: 15684476 DOI: 10.1248/bpb.28.238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We studied the effect of Lo Han Kuo (Siraitia grosvenori Swingle) on histamine-induced nasal rubbing and compound 48/80-induced skin scratching behavior in ICR mice. An extract and glycoside (a complex of sweet components) of Lo Han Kuo were used in the study. Both the extract and glycoside caused no significant effect on nasal rubbing or scratching behavior, even at a dose of 1000 mg/kg when administered in a single dose. However, the effect of Lo Han Kuo became clear after repeated administration, and 300 and 1000 mg/kg of both extract and glycoside significantly inhibited nasal rubbing and skin scratching behavior after consecutive treatment for 4 weeks. Both the extract and glycoside inhibited the histamine release induced by compound 48/80 at concentrations of 300 and 1000 microg/ml. From these results, it is assumed that the inhibition of nasal rubbing and skin scratching behavior induced by Lo Han Kuo occurs through a mast cell-dependent mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Alejandra Hossen
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
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Urwin DL, Schwenger GTF, Groth DM, Sanderson CJ. Distal regulatory elements play an important role in regulation of the human IL-5 gene. Eur J Immunol 2005; 34:3633-43. [PMID: 15549733 DOI: 10.1002/eji.200425279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Eosinophil infiltration of the lung is a feature of both allergic and nonallergic asthma, and IL-5 is the key cytokine regulating the production and activation of these cells. Despite many studies focusing on the IL-5 promoter in both humans and mice there is as yet no clear picture of how the IL-5 gene is regulated. The aim of this study was to determine if distal regulatory elements contribute to appropriate regulation of the human IL-5 (hIL-5) gene. Activity of the -507/+44 hIL-5 promoter was compared to expression of the endogenous IL-5 gene in PER-117 T cells. The IL-5 promoter was not sufficient to reproduce a physiological pattern of IL-5 expression. Further, functional analysis of the 5' and 3' intergenic regions revealed a number of novel regulatory elements. We have identified a conserved enhancer located approximately 6.2 kb upstream of the hIL-5 gene. This region contains two potential GATA-3-binding sites and increases expression from the hIL-5 promoter by up to ninefold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debra L Urwin
- Western Australian Biomedical Research Institute and the School of Biomedical Sciences, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia.
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Platten M, Wick W, Wischhusen J, Weller M. N-[3,4-dimethoxycinnamoyl]-anthranilic acid (tranilast) suppresses microglial inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and activity induced by interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). Br J Pharmacol 2001; 134:1279-84. [PMID: 11704648 PMCID: PMC1573061 DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0704373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
1. Microglial cells up-regulate inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in response to various pro-inflammatory stimuli including interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), allowing for the release of nitric oxide (NO). Tranilast (N-[3,4-dimethoxycinnamoyl]-anthranilic acid) is an antiallergic compound with suppressive effects on the activation of monocytes. 2. Here, we show that N9 murine microglial cells express iNOS mRNA and protein and release nitric oxide into the culture medium in response to IFN-gamma (200 u x ml(-1)) as measured by Northern and Western blot analyses and Griess assay. 3. Exposure to non-toxic doses of tranilast (30-300 microM) leads to a concentration-dependent inhibition of IFN-gamma-induced (200 u x ml(-1)) iNOS mRNA and protein expression. This is paralleled by a suppression of NO-release into the cell culture medium. 4. Inhibition of IFN-gamma-induced iNOS mRNA expression by tranilast is paralleled by an inhibition of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation and phosphorylation of inhibitory kappaB (IkappaB) as determined by Western blot analyses and NF-kappaB reporter gene assay. 5. These results suggest that tranilast-mediated suppression of microglial iNOS activity induced by IFN-gamma involves the inhibition of NF-kappaB-dependent iNOS mRNA expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Platten
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, University of Tübingen, School of Medicine, Hoppe-Seyler Str. 3, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Author for correspondence:
| | - Wolfgang Wick
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, University of Tübingen, School of Medicine, Hoppe-Seyler Str. 3, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jörg Wischhusen
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, University of Tübingen, School of Medicine, Hoppe-Seyler Str. 3, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michael Weller
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, University of Tübingen, School of Medicine, Hoppe-Seyler Str. 3, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Author for correspondence:
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