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Kan LLY, Chan BCL, Yue GGL, Li P, Hon SSM, Huang D, Tsang MSM, Lau CBS, Leung PC, Wong CK. Immunoregulatory and Anti-cancer Activities of Combination Treatment of Novel Four-Herb Formula and Doxorubicin in 4T1-Breast Cancer Bearing Mice. Chin J Integr Med 2024; 30:311-321. [PMID: 37594703 DOI: 10.1007/s11655-023-3745-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the in vivo immunomodulatory and anti-tumor mechanisms of the combined treatment of novel Four-Herb formula (4HF) and doxorubicin in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). METHODS Murine-derived triple-negative mammary carcinoma cell line, 4T1 cells, was cultured and inoculated into mouse mammary glands. Sixty-six mice were randomly assigned into 6 groups (n=11 in ench): naïve, control, LD 4HF (low dose 4HF), HD 4HF (high dose 4HF), LD 4HF + D (low dose and doxorubicin), and D (doxorubicin). Apart from the naïve group, each mouse received subcutaneous inoculation with 5 × 105 4T1 cells resuspended in 100 µL of normal saline in the mammary fat pads. Starting from the day of tumor cell inoculation, tumors were grown for 6 days. The LD and HD groups received daily oral gavage of 658 and 2,630 mg/kg 4HF, respectively. The LD 4HF+D group received daily oral gavage of 658 mg/kg 4HF and weekly intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin (5 mg/kg). The D group received weekly intraperitoneal injections of doxorubicin (5 mg/kg). The treatment naïve mice received daily oral gavage of 0.2 mL double distilled water and 0.1 mL normal saline via intraperitoneal injection once a week. The control group received daily oral gavage of 0.2 mL double-distilled water. The treatment period was 30 days. At the end of treatment, mice organs were harvested to analyze immunological activities via immunophenotyping, gene and multiplex analysis, histological staining, and gut microbiota analysis. RESULTS Mice treated with the combination of 4HF and doxorubicin resulted in significantly reduced tumor and spleen burdens (P<0.05), altered the hypoxia and overall immune lymphocyte landscape, and manipulated gut microbiota to favor the anti-tumor immunological activities. Moreover, immunosuppressive genes, cytokines, and chemokines such as C-C motif chemokine 2 and interleukin-10 of tumors were significantly downregulated (P<0.05). 4HF-doxorubicin combination treatment demonstrated synergetic activities and was most effective in activating the anti-tumor immune response (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The above results provide evidence for evaluating the immune regulating mechanisms of 4HF in breast cancer and support its clinical significance in its potential as an adjunctive therapeutic agent or immune supplement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Ling-Yu Kan
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ben Chung-Lap Chan
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Grace Gar-Lee Yue
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Peiting Li
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sharon Sze-Man Hon
- Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Danqi Huang
- Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Miranda Sin-Man Tsang
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- China-Australia International Research Centre for Chinese Medicine, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, STEM College, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Clara Bik-San Lau
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ping-Chung Leung
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chun-Kwok Wong
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
- Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin R & D Centre for Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong, China.
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Wang D, Zhang B, Liu X, Kan LLY, Leung PC, Wong CK. Agree to disagree: The contradiction between IL-18 and IL-37 reveals shared targets in cancer. Pharmacol Res 2024; 200:107072. [PMID: 38242220 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
IL-37 is a newly discovered member of the IL-1 cytokine family which plays an important role in regulating inflammation and maintaining physiological homeostasis. IL-37 showed a close relationship with IL-18, another key cytokine in inflammation regulation and cancer development. IL-37 affects the function of IL-18 either by binding to IL-18Rα, a key subunit of both IL-37 and IL-18 receptor, or by drastically neutralizing the IL-18 protein expression of IL-18 binding protein, an important natural inhibitory molecule of IL-18. Moreover, as another subunit receptor of IL-37, IL-1R8 can suppress IL-18Rα expression, functioning as a surveillance mechanism to prevent overactivation of both IL-18 and IL-37 signaling pathways. While IL-18 and IL-37 share the same receptor subunit, IL-18 would in turn interfere with IL-37 signal transduction by binding to IL-18Rα. It is also reported that IL-18 and IL-37 demonstrated opposing effects in a variety of cancers, such as glioblastoma, lung cancer, leukemia, and hepatocellular cancer. Although the mutual regulation of IL-18 and IL-37 and their diametrically opposed effects in cancers has been reported, IL-18 has not been taken into consideration when interpreting clinical findings and conducting mechanism investigations related to IL-37 in cancer. We aim to review the recent progress in IL-18 and IL-37 research in cancer and summarize the correlation between IL-18 and IL-37 in cancer based on their expression level and underlying mechanisms, which would provide new insights into elucidating the conflicting roles of IL-18 and IL-37 in cancer and bring new ideas for translational research related to IL-18 and IL-37.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongjie Wang
- Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Bitian Zhang
- Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaolin Liu
- Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lea Ling-Yu Kan
- Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ping-Chung Leung
- Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chun-Kwok Wong
- Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, China; Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin R & D Centre for Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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Kan LLY, Chan BCL, Leung PC, Wong CK. Natural-Product-Derived Adjunctive Treatments to Conventional Therapy and Their Immunoregulatory Activities in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Molecules 2023; 28:5804. [PMID: 37570775 PMCID: PMC10421415 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28155804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an invasive and persistent subtype of breast cancer that is likely to be resistant to conventional treatments. The rise in immunotherapy has created new modalities to treat cancer, but due to high costs and unreliable efficacy, adjunctive and complementary treatments have sparked interest in enhancing the efficacy of currently available treatments. Natural products, which are bioactive compounds derived from natural sources, have historically been used to treat or ameliorate inflammatory diseases and symptoms. As TNBC patients have shown little to no response to immunotherapy, the potential of natural products as candidates for adjuvant immunotherapy is being explored, as well as their immunomodulatory effects on cancer. Due to the complexity of TNBC and the ever-changing tumor microenvironment, there are challenges in determining the feasibility of using natural products to enhance the efficacy or counteract the toxicity of conventional treatments. In view of technological advances in molecular docking, pharmaceutical networking, and new drug delivery systems, natural products show promise as potential candidates in adjunctive therapy. In this article, we summarize the mechanisms of action of selected natural-product-based bioactive compounds and analyze their roles and applications in combination treatments and immune regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Ling-Yu Kan
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (L.L.-Y.K.); (B.C.-L.C.); (P.-C.L.)
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ben Chung-Lap Chan
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (L.L.-Y.K.); (B.C.-L.C.); (P.-C.L.)
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ping-Chung Leung
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (L.L.-Y.K.); (B.C.-L.C.); (P.-C.L.)
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chun-Kwok Wong
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (L.L.-Y.K.); (B.C.-L.C.); (P.-C.L.)
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin R & D Centre for Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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Li P, Tsang MSM, Kan LLY, Hou T, Hon SSM, Chan BCL, Chu IMT, Lam CWK, Leung PC, Wong CK. The Immuno-Modulatory Activities of Pentaherbs Formula on Ovalbumin-Induced Allergic Rhinitis Mice via the Activation of Th1 and Treg Cells and Inhibition of Th2 and Th17 Cells. Molecules 2021; 27:molecules27010239. [PMID: 35011470 PMCID: PMC8746371 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27010239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a highly prevalent allergic disease induced by immunoglobulin (Ig) E-mediated hypersensitivity reaction at the nasal epithelium against inhaled allergens. Previous studies have demonstrated that Pentaherbs formula (PHF), a modified herbal formula comprising five herbal medicines (Flos Lonicerae, Herba Menthae, Cortex Phellodendri, Cortex Moutan and Rhizoma Atractylodis), could suppress various immune effector cells to exert anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects in allergic asthma and atopic dermatitis. The present study aimed to further determine the anti-inflammatory activities of PHF in an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced AR BALB/c mouse model. Nasal symptoms such as sneezing and nose rubbing were recorded and the serum total IgE and OVA-specific IgG1, as well as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-13, chemokines CXCL9 CXCL10, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α concentrations in nasal lavage fluid (NALF) were measured during different treatments. Effects of PHF on the expression of inflammatory mediators in the sinonasal mucosa were quantified using real-time QPCR. PHF was found to suppress allergic symptoms, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and hyperplasia of goblet cells in the nasal epithelium of the OVA-induced AR mice. PHF could reduce OVA-specific IgG1 level in serum, and TNF-α and IL-10 in nasal lavage fluid (NALF), significantly up-regulate the splenic regulatory T (Treg) cell level, increase the Type 1 helper T cell (Th1)/Type 2 helper T cell (Th2) ratio, and reduce the Th17 cells (all p < 0.05). PHF could also alleviate in situ inflammation in sinonasal mucosa of OVA-induced AR mice. In conclusion, oral treatment of PHF showed immuno-modulatory activities in the OVA-induced AR mice by regulating the splenic T cell population to suppress the nasal allergy symptoms and modulating inflammatory mediators, implicating that PHF could be a therapeutic strategy for allergic rhinitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiting Li
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (P.L.); (M.S.-M.T.); (L.L.-Y.K.); (S.S.-M.H.); (B.C.-L.C.); (P.-C.L.)
| | - Miranda Sin-Man Tsang
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (P.L.); (M.S.-M.T.); (L.L.-Y.K.); (S.S.-M.H.); (B.C.-L.C.); (P.-C.L.)
- Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, China; (T.H.); (I.M.-T.C.)
| | - Lea Ling-Yu Kan
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (P.L.); (M.S.-M.T.); (L.L.-Y.K.); (S.S.-M.H.); (B.C.-L.C.); (P.-C.L.)
| | - Tianheng Hou
- Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, China; (T.H.); (I.M.-T.C.)
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Sharon Sze-Man Hon
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (P.L.); (M.S.-M.T.); (L.L.-Y.K.); (S.S.-M.H.); (B.C.-L.C.); (P.-C.L.)
| | - Ben Chung-Lap Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (P.L.); (M.S.-M.T.); (L.L.-Y.K.); (S.S.-M.H.); (B.C.-L.C.); (P.-C.L.)
| | - Ida Miu-Ting Chu
- Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, China; (T.H.); (I.M.-T.C.)
| | - Christopher Wai-Kei Lam
- Faculty of Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicines, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China;
| | - Ping-Chung Leung
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (P.L.); (M.S.-M.T.); (L.L.-Y.K.); (S.S.-M.H.); (B.C.-L.C.); (P.-C.L.)
| | - Chun-Kwok Wong
- State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (P.L.); (M.S.-M.T.); (L.L.-Y.K.); (S.S.-M.H.); (B.C.-L.C.); (P.-C.L.)
- Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, China; (T.H.); (I.M.-T.C.)
- Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin R & D Centre for Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +852-3505-2964; Fax: +852-2636-5090
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Zeng X, Tsui JCC, Shi M, Peng J, Cao CY, Kan LLY, Lau CPY, Liang Y, Wang L, Liu L, Chen Z, Tsui SKW. Genome-Wide Characterization of Host Transcriptional and Epigenetic Alterations During HIV Infection of T Lymphocytes. Front Immunol 2020; 11:2131. [PMID: 33013899 PMCID: PMC7511662 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.02131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and methods: Host genomic alterations are closely related to dysfunction of CD4+ T lymphocytes in the HIV–host interplay. However, the roles of aberrant DNA methylation and gene expression in the response to HIV infection are not fully understood. We investigated the genome-wide DNA methylation and transcriptomic profiles in two HIV-infected T lymphocyte cell lines using high-throughput sequencing. Results: Based on DNA methylation data, we identified 3,060 hypomethylated differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and 2,659 hypermethylated DMRs in HIV-infected cells. Transcription-factor-binding motifs were significantly associated with methylation alterations, suggesting that DNA methylation modulates gene expression by affecting the binding to transcription factors during HIV infection. In support of this hypothesis, genes with promoters overlapping with DMRs were enriched in the biological function related to transcription factor activities. Furthermore, the analysis of gene expression data identified 1,633 upregulated genes and 2,142 downregulated genes on average in HIV-infected cells. These differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in apoptosis-related pathways. Our results suggest alternative splicing as an additional mechanism that may contribute to T-cell apoptosis during HIV infection. We also demonstrated a genome-scale correlation between DNA methylation and gene expression in HIV-infected cells. We identified 831 genes with alterations in both DNA methylation and gene expression, which were enriched in apoptosis. Our results were validated using various experimental methods. In addition, consistent with our in silico results, a luciferase assay showed that the activity of the PDX1 and SMAD3 promoters was significantly decreased in the presence of HIV proteins, indicating the potential of these genes as genetic markers of HIV infection. Conclusions: Our results suggest important roles for DNA methylation and gene expression regulation in T-cell apoptosis during HIV infection. We propose a list of novel genes related to these processes for further investigation. This study also provides a comprehensive characterization of changes occurring at the transcriptional and epigenetic levels in T cells in response to HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Zeng
- Agricultural Bioinformatics Key Laboratory of Hubei Province, Hubei Engineering Technology Research Center of Agricultural Big Data, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Joseph Chi-Ching Tsui
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Mai Shi
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jie Peng
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Institute, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Cyanne Ye Cao
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lea Ling-Yu Kan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Carol Po-Ying Lau
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yonghao Liang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lingyi Wang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Li Liu
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Institute, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zhiwei Chen
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Institute, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Stephen Kwok-Wing Tsui
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Hong Kong Bioinformatics Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Centre for Microbial Genomics and Proteomics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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Kan LLY, Liu D, Chan BCL, Tsang MSM, Hou T, Leung PC, Lam CWK, Wong CK. The flavonoids of Sophora flavescens exerts anti-inflammatory activity via promoting autophagy of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-stimulated macrophages. J Leukoc Biol 2020; 108:1615-1629. [PMID: 32794339 DOI: 10.1002/jlb.3ma0720-682rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB), a highly infectious air-borne disease, has remained a global health problem. Conventional treatment and preventions such as antibiotics and Bacilli Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine can be unreliable. In view of the increasing prevalence of anti-TB drug resistance, adjunctive therapy may be necessary to shorten the recovery time. We have previously shown that flavonoids in the medicinal herb Sophora flavescens exhibit anti-inflammatory and bactericidal activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular and cellular characteristics of flavonoids of S. flavescens (FSF) in BCG-stimulated macrophages for assessing their roles in anti-inflammation and autophagy. Mouse alveolar macrophage (MH-S) cell line and primary mouse peritoneal macrophages were stimulated in vitro with heat-inactivated BCG and treated with FSF, with or without autophagy inhibitor Bafilomycin A1 (BafA1). Gene expression was analyzed using quantitative PCR, and cytokine/chemokine release was analyzed by Milliplex assay and ELISA. Autophagy-related proteins were quantified by Western blot and flow cytometry, and autophagolysosomes were detected using fluorescence microscopy. In both MH-S cell line and mouse peritoneal macrophages stimulated by heat-inactivated BCG, FSF was found to up-regulate autophagy-related proteins microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3) and protein 62 (p62), and suppress the induced proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α, CCL5, and IL-6. FSF actively modulates immune processes through suppressing BCG-mediated inflammation by promoting autophagy in MH-S cells and mouse peritoneal macrophages. We suggest that FSF may be useful as an adjunctive therapeutic agent for TB infection by modulating cell survival through autophagy and reducing inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Ling-Yu Kan
- Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dehua Liu
- Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ben Chung-Lap Chan
- Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Miranda Sin-Man Tsang
- Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tianheng Hou
- Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ping Chung Leung
- Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Christopher Wai-Kei Lam
- Faculty of Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicines, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
| | - Chun Kwok Wong
- Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, China.,Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin R & D Centre for Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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