NHWD-870 protects the kidney from ischemia/reperfusion injury by upregulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway (experimental study)

Mitigating Remote Organ-Induced Brain Injury in Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion: The Role of Oleuropein in Inhibiting Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Ferroptosis, and Apoptosis in Male Rats

Renal ischemia-reperfusion (RIR) induces brain damage as a distant organ. Oleuropein has antioxidant properties. This study aimed to explore oleuropein's protective effects against brain injury following RIR in rats. Thirty-six male Wistar rats were divided into six groups (n = 6) including sham, oleuropein (200 mg/kg), RIR, and RIR groups treated with oleuropein (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg). 48 h after injury, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels were surveyed. The western blotting analysis was performed to assay the interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells p65 (NF-κB p65), Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), cleaved caspase-3, glutathione peroxidase-4 (GPX4), nuclear factor erythroid-related factor-2 (NRF2), solute carrier family 7, member 11 (SLC7A11), and anti-acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family 4 (ACSL4) proteins in kidney and/or brain tissues. Also, malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels, the activity of GPx, catalase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were evaluated. Kidney and brain tissues damage scores (KTDS and BTDS) were determined by H&E staining method. Prussian blue staining was conducted to identify iron accumulation. RIR significantly increased BUN, serum creatinine levels, KTDS, BTDS, iron deposition, MDA concentration, Bax, cleaved caspase-3, IL-1β, TNF-α, NF-κB p65, ACSL4 proteins expression levels, while decreasing TAC content, SOD, GPx, and catalase activity, Bcl-2, GPX4, SLC7A11 and NRF2 proteins expression in kidney and/or brain tissue of RIR group versus the sham (P < 0.05). Moreover, oleuropein attenuated these indicators in the RIR + oleuropein (200 mg/kg) group versus the RIR group (P < 0.05). Our study showed that RIR induced brain damage, and oleuropein exhibited protective effects against brain injury induced by RIR, through inhibiting oxidative stress, inflammation, ferroptosis, and apoptosis mechanisms.

Potential cardioprotective effect of trimetazidine in mice model of endotoxemia: role of AMPK-Nrf2

OBJECTIVE

Aim: To clarify the potential cardioprotective effect of Trimetazidine against experimentally sepsis-caused endotoxic cardiac injury damage in mice.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Materials and Methods: 24 Mice were divided into four groups (n=6): Sham group, CLP group DMSO group, trimetazidine-treated group 50 mg/kg IP, 1hr before CLP, then the animals were sacrificed 24 hr after CLP and tissue sample was taken for measurement of TNF-α, TNF-αr1, IL-1β, HO-1, MPO, caspase-11, F2-isoprostane and serum troponin by ELISA and gene expression of AMPK-Nrf2 by qpcr and histopathological study.

RESULTS

Results: trimetazidine treated group showed significant changes as compared with clp group regarding TNF-α, TNF-αr1, IL-1β, HO-1, MPO, CASPASE-11, F2-ISOPROSTANE as well as affect tissue mRNA expression of AMPK-Nrf2 genes p<0.05.

CONCLUSION

Conclusions: We evaluate that Trimetazidine has cardio protective effects due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative action. Also, trimetazidine showed a cardio-protective effect as they affect tissue mRNA expression of AMPK-Nrf2 genes.

A BET inhibitor, NHWD-870, can downregulate dendritic cells maturation via the IRF7-mediated signaling pathway to ameliorate imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like murine skin inflammation

Psoriasis is a chronic, recurrent, inflammatory dermatosis accompanied by excessive activation of dendritic cells (DCs), which are primarily responsible for initiating an immune response. The bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) family plays a pivotal role in the transcriptional regulation of inflammation and its inhibitors can downregulate DCs maturation and activation. Here we investigated the effect of NHWD-870, a potent BET inhibitor, on inflammation in an imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like mouse model and murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and IMQ. Application of NHWD-870 significantly ameliorated IMQ-triggered skin inflammation in mice, and markers associated with DC maturation (CD40, CD80 and CD86) were decreased in skin lesions, spleen and lymph nodes. Additionally, NHWD-870 reduced LPS or IMQ induced DCs maturation and activation in vitro, with lower expression of inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-12, IL-23, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, IL-1β, chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL)9 and CXCL10]. In addition, we found that interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7) significantly increased during DCs maturation, and inhibition of IRF7 could impair BMDCs maturation and activation. What's more, IRF7 was highly expressed in both psoriatic patients and IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mice. Single-cell RNA sequencing of normal and psoriatic skin demonstrated that IRF7 expression was increased in DCs of psoriatic skin. While NHWD-870 could inhibit IRF7 and phosphorylated-IRF7 expression in vivo and in vitro. These results indicate that NHWD-870 suppresses the maturation and activation of DCs by decreasing IRF7 proteins which finally alleviates psoriasis-like skin lesions, and NHWD-870 may be a potent therapeutic drug for psoriasis.