Vitamin D3 Attenuates Viral-Induced Inflammation and Fibrotic Responses in Bronchial Smooth Muscle Cells

Oligomeric proanthocyanidin attenuates asthma severity and airway remodeling by modulating epithelial-smooth muscle cell interactions

BACKGROUND

As a significant instigator of asthma pathogenesis, the airway epithelium produces cytokines that disrupt lung homeostasis and contribute to airway remodeling. Although efforts are directed in the management of this progress but few have proved effective. Recently, there is a cue that oligomeric proanthocyanidin (OPC), a widely used antioxidant supplement extracted from grape seeds with a broad safety margin, presents potential in asthmatic mice while the mechanism remains unclear.

PURPOSE

To elucidate the impacts of OPC on asthma and the potential mechanisms that may be involved.

STUDY DESIGN

Asthma patients, OVA-sensitized mice, human bronchial epithelial (BE) cells and airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells were included to explore the effect of OPC on asthma, with a particular focus on the underlying mechanism.

METHODS

34 patients with asthma were enrolled in three treatment groups randomized to a standard budesonide/formoterol inhalation with or without the oral OPC supplementation for 8 weeks. BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged with OVA to establish an asthmatic model, pretreated with or without OPC. BE cells were stimulated with TNF-α to mimic an inflammatory epithelial state in asthma, and ASM cells were incubated with the supernatant collected from BE cells to construct a conditioned co-culture system.

RESULTS

Patients supplemented with OPC showed more improvements in asthma control test scores, forced expiratory volume in one second, and peripheral eosinophil counts. In OVA-sensitized mice, OPC administration exhibited superior benefits in airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation and remodeling, additionally with a suppression in malondialdehyde levels. Further analysis using an inflammatory epithelial cell model demonstrated that OPC reduced the secretion of epithelial-derived cytokines, including eotaxin-1 and TGF-β1. This reduction is likely due to the decreased intracellular ROS signal, which were confirmed by using H2O2 and the ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine. With the co-culture of epithelial and airway smooth muscle cells, OPC was indicated to inhibit ASM cell proliferation by reducing epithelial-derived TGF-β1, potentially through the p38 pathway.

CONCLUSION

Our findings provide the first evidence that OPC may offer a promising approach to clinical asthma management by modulating communication between airway structural cells, highlighting the potential of OPC as a potent option to mitigate airway remodeling in asthma.

Vitamin D3/VDR alleviates double-stranded RNA virus -induced biliary epithelial cell damage by inhibiting autophagy

BACKGROUND

The increased apoptosis of bile duct epithelial cells (BECs) due to some damage factors is considered the initiating factor in the occurrence and progression of biliary atresia (BA). Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is thought to play a crucial role in maintaining the intrinsic immune balance and integrity of bile duct epithelial cells (BECs). To investigate the role of VDRs in the pathogenesis and progression of BA using in vitro and in vivo models.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The VDR expression levels in intrahepatic bile duct epithelial cells (IBDECs) in pediatric patients with BA were examined using immunohistochemical analysis. The correlation of the VDR levels with the incidence of refractory cholangitis after Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE) and the autologous liver survival time was analyzed. The levels of genes and proteins involved in related pathways were examined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting, respectively. The secretory levels of inflammatory factors were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A BA mouse model was established through the intraperitoneal sequential injection of rhesus rotavirus (RRV). The role of VDR in the pathogenesis and progression of BA was examined using in vitro and in vivo models. Retrospective analysis of patients with BA to examine the therapeutic efficacy of VDR activators on BA.

RESULTS

15 pediatric BA patients exhibiting VDR downregulation in IBDECs showed a higher incidence of refractory cholangitis after Kasai portoenterostomy (p = 0.037) and a lower native liver survival time compare to 23 BA patients without VDR downregulation (p = 0.032). 1,25-VD3 inhibited the degree of autophagy induction in HIBECs by poly(I: C) (p < 0.05), mitigated poly(I: C)-induced BEC damage and apoptosis by inhibiting autophagy (p < 0.05). 1,25-VD3 significantly suppressed the poly(I: C)-induced downregulation of SRC (p < 0.05) and ERK1/2 phosphorylation (p < 0.05). 1,25-VD3 exert a protective effect against RRV-induced BEC damage by inhibiting autophagy in BA mouse model. The incidence of cholangitis and the native liver survival time after surgery in the calcitriol-treated group was significantly lower than that in the control group. (p = 0.033, p = 0.035, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

VDR activator mitigated dsRNA-induced BEC damage and apoptosis by inhibiting autophagy in vitro and in vivo. The 1,25-VD3/VDR/Src axis alleviated poly(I: C)-induced HIBEC damage and apoptosis through the PLA2/PKC/ERK pathway.

Calcitriol attenuates poly(I:C)-induced lung injury in obese mice via modulating toll-like receptor 3- and renin-angiotensin system-associated signal pathways

This study investigated the effects of calcitriol on polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C))-induced acute lung injury (ALI) and its association with Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) signal pathways in obese mice. Normal mice were fed a high-fat diet to induce obesity. Obese mice were divided into four groups: SS group, intratracheally instilled with saline and intravenous (IV) saline injection via tail vein; SD group, instilled with saline and IV calcitriol injection; PS group, instilled with poly(I:C) and IV saline injection; and PD group, instilled with poly(I:C) and IV calcitriol injection. All mice were sacrificed 12 or 24 h after poly(I:C) stimulation. The results showed that poly(I:C) instillation led to increased production of systemic inflammatory cytokines. In the lungs, the population of macrophages decreased, while more neutrophils were recruited. TLR3-associated genes including IRF3, nuclear factor-κB, interferon-β and phosphorylated IRF3 expression levels, were upregulated. The RAS-associated AT1R and ACE2 protein levels increased, whereas AT2R, Ang(1-7), and MasR levels decreased. Also, reduced tight junction (TJ) proteins and elevated lipid peroxide levels were observed 24 h after poly(I:C) stimulation. Compared to the PS group, the PD group exhibited reduced systemic and lung inflammatory cytokine levels, increased macrophage while decreased neutrophil percentages, downregulated TLR3-associated genes and phosphorylated IRF3, and polarized toward the RAS-AT2R/Ang(1-7)/MasR pathway in the lungs. Higher lung TJ levels and lower injury scores were also noted. These findings suggest that calcitriol treatment after poly(I:C) instillation alleviated ALI in obese mice possibly by downregulating TLR3 expression and tending toward the RAS-associated anti-inflammatory pathway.

The role of gut microbiome in the complex relationship between respiratory tract infection and asthma

Asthma is one of the common chronic respiratory diseases in children, which poses a serious threat to children's quality of life. Respiratory infection is a risk factor for asthma. Compared with healthy children, children with early respiratory infections have a higher risk of asthma and an increased chance of developing severe asthma. Many clinical studies have confirmed the correlation between respiratory infections and the pathogenesis of asthma, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. The gut microbiome is an important part of maintaining the body's immune homeostasis. The imbalance of the gut microbiome can affect the lung immune function, and then affect lung health and cause respiratory diseases. A large number of evidence supports that there is a bidirectional regulation between intestinal flora and respiratory tract infection, and both are significantly related to the development of asthma. The changes of intestinal microbial components and their metabolites in respiratory tract infection may affect the occurrence and development of asthma through the immune pathway. By summarizing the latest advancements in research, this review aims to elucidate the intricate connection between respiratory tract infections and the progression of asthma by highlighting its bridging role of the gut microbiome. Furthermore, it offers novel perspectives and ideas for future investigations into the mechanisms that underlie the relationship between respiratory tract infections and asthma.

The Role of Vitamin D Supplementation on Airway Remodeling in Asthma: A Systematic Review

Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease that affects millions of people worldwide, and its prevalence continues to increase. Vitamin D has been proposed as a potential environmental factor in asthma pathogenesis, due to its immunomodulatory effects. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation in order to prevent airway remodeling in asthmatic patients. Four electronic databases, namely PubMed, Embase, Clinical trails.gov, and CINAHL, were thoroughly searched to conduct a comprehensive literature review. The International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42023413798) contains a record of the registered protocol. We identified 9447 studies during the initial search; 9 studies (0.1%) met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. All included studies were experimental studies that investigated the impact of vitamin D supplementation on airway remodeling in asthma. The studies included in this review suggest that vitamin D inhibits airway smooth muscle cell contraction and remodeling, reduces inflammation, regulates collagen synthesis in the airways, and modulates the action of bronchial fibroblasts. However, one study suggests that TGF-β1 can impair vitamin D-induced and constitutive airway epithelial host defense mechanisms. Overall, vitamin D appears to have a potential role in the prevention and management of asthma.

Network pharmacology and bioinformatics to identify molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets of Ruyi Jinhuang Powder in the treatment of monkeypox

Monkeypox outbreaks across the globe has aroused widespread concern. Ruyi Jinhuang Powder (RJP), a common formula in Chinese medicine, is used to treat pox-like illnesses. This study aimed to identify the molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets of RJP for the treatment of monkeypox using network pharmacology and bioinformatics techniques. The bioactive substances and potential targets of each component of RJP were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP). The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of the monkeypox virus (MPXV) were identified from the GSE24125 by GEO2R. Key signaling pathways, bioactive components, and potential targets were obtained by bioinformatics analysis, including gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), disease ontology (DO), and protein-protein interactions (PPI) analyses. Finally, molecular docking was used to predict the interaction between active compounds and core targets. A total of 158 active ingredients and 17 drug-disease-shared targets of RJP were screened. Bioinformatics indicated that wogonin and quercetin might be potential drug candidates. Potential therapeutic targets were identified. Immune-related mechanisms that exerted antiviral effects included signaling pathways like TNF, age-rage, and c-type lectin receptor pathways. Our results illustrated the good therapeutic effect of RJP on monkeypox in terms of biological activity, potential targets, and molecular mechanism. This also offered a promising strategy to reveal the scientific basis and therapeutic mechanism of herbal formulas used to treat the disease.

Recent advances in vitamin D implications in chronic respiratory diseases

Chronic airway inflammatory and infectious respiratory diseases are the most common medical respiratory conditions, associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Vitamin D (1,25(OH)₂D₃) deficiency has been shown to be highly prevalent in patients with chronic airway inflammatory and infectious diseases, correlated with increased disease severity. It has been established that vitamin D modulates ongoing abnormal immune responses in chronic respiratory diseases and is shown to restrict bacterial and viral colonization into the lungs. On the contrary, other studies revealed controversy findings regarding vitamin D efficacy in respiratory diseases. This review aims to update the current evidence regarding the role of vitamin D in airway inflammation and in various respiratory diseases. A comprehensive search of the last five years of literature was conducted using MEDLINE and non-MEDLINE PubMed databases, Ovid MEDLINE, SCOPUS-Elsevier, and data from in vitro and in vivo experiments, including clinical studies. This review highlights the importance of understanding the full range of implications that vitamin D may have on lung inflammation, infection, and disease severity in the context of chronic respiratory diseases.

Vitamin D3 preserves blood retinal barrier integrity in an in vitro model of diabetic retinopathy

The impairment of the blood retinal barrier (BRB) represents one of the main features of diabetic retinopathy, a secondary microvascular complication of diabetes. Hyperglycemia is a triggering factor of vascular cells damage in diabetic retinopathy. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of vitamin D₃ on BRB protection, and to investigate its regulatory role on inflammatory pathways. We challenged human retinal endothelial cells with high glucose (HG) levels. We found that vitamin D₃ attenuates cell damage elicited by HG, maintaining cell viability and reducing the expression of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and ICAM-1. Furthermore, we showed that vitamin D₃ preserved the BRB integrity as demonstrated by trans-endothelial electrical resistance, permeability assay, and cell junction morphology and quantification (ZO-1 and VE-cadherin). In conclusion this in vitro study provided new insights on the retinal protective role of vitamin D₃, particularly as regard as the early phase of diabetic retinopathy, characterized by BRB breakdown and inflammation.