JE-133 Suppresses LPS-Induced Neuroinflammation Associated with the Regulation of JAK/STAT and Nrf2 Signaling Pathways

Neuroinflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, and interrupting the microglial-mediated neuroinflammation has been suggested as a promising strategy to delay or prevent the progression of neurodegeneration. In this study, we investigated the effects of JE-133, an optically active isochroman-2H-chromene conjugate containing a 1,3-disubstituted isochroman unit, on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced microglial neuroinflammation and underlying mechanisms both in vitro and in vivo. First, JE-133 treatment decreased LPS-induced overproduction of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), nitrite, and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in BV2 microglial cells. Further study revealed that JE-133 downregulated the phosphorylation level of JAK/STAT and upregulated the protein level of Nrf2/HO-1 in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglial cells and verified that JE-133 directly bound to Keap1 by a pull-down assay. Next, JE-133 administration also inhibited neuroinflammation in vivo, as indicated by a reduced CD11b protein level and an overexpressed mRNA level of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α in the hippocampus of LPS-injected mice. Moreover, the regulative effects of JE-133 on the JAK/STAT and Nrf2/HO-1 pathways were also verified in the hippocampus of LPS-injected mice. Taken together, our study for the first time reports that JE-133 exhibits inhibitory effects against LPS-stimulated neuroinflammation both in vitro and in vivo, which might be associated with the simultaneous regulation of the JAK/STAT and Nrf2 pathways. Our findings may provide important clues for the discovery of effective drug leads/candidates against neuroinflammation-associated neurodegeneration.

Mitochondrial Homeostasis and Mast Cells in Experimental Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury of Rats

Background:

Ischemia-reperfusion injury is a histopathological event and is an important cause of morbidity and mortality after hepatobiliary surgery. We aimed to investigate the protective effect of uridine on hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Methods:

he animals were divided into 4 groups (n = 8): group I (control), group II: ischemia-reperfusion (30 minutes ischemia and 120 minutes reperfusion), group III: ischemia-reperfusion + uridine (at the beginning of reperfusion), and group IV: ischemia-reperfusion + uridine (5 minutes before ischemia-reperfusion). Uridine was administered a single dose of 30 mg/kg IV. The 3 elements of the hepatoduodenal ligament (hepatic artery, portal vein, and biliary tract) were obliterated for 30 minutes. Then hepatic reperfusion was achieved for 120 minutes.

Results:

In the ischemia-reperfusion group, both liver tissues and serum chymase activity and high-temperature requirement A2 levels were higher. Severe central vein dilatation and congestion, widening sinusoidal range, diffuse necrotic hepatocytes and dense erythrocyte accumulation in sinusoids, and strongly inducible nitric oxide synthase expression were seen in the ischemia-reperfusion group. A clear improvement was seen in both uridine co-administration and pretreatment groups.

Conclusion:

Our results revealed that uridine limits the development of liver damage under conditions of ischemia-reperfusion, thus contributing to an increase in hepatocyte viability.

Early Hypoxic Respiratory Failure in Extreme Prematurity: Mortality and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the survival and neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants at 18 to 26 months with early hypoxemic respiratory failure (HRF). We also assessed whether African American infants with early HRF had improved outcomes after exposure to inhaled nitric oxide (iNO).

METHODS

ELBW infants ≤1000 g and gestational age ≤26 weeks with maximal oxygen ≥60% on either day 1 or day 3 were labeled as "early HRF" and born between 2007 and 2015 in the Neonatal Research Network were included. Using a propensity score regression model, we analyzed outcomes and effects of exposure to iNO overall and separately by race.

RESULTS

Among 7639 ELBW infants born ≤26 weeks, 22.7% had early HRF. Early HRF was associated with a mortality of 51.3%. The incidence of moderate-severe NDI among survivors was 41.2% at 18 to 26 months. Mortality among infants treated with iNO was 59.4%. Female sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.4, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.8-3.3), birth weight ≥720 g (aOR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.7-3.1) and complete course of antenatal steroids (aOR: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.1-2.2) were associated with intact survival. African American infants had a similar incidence of early HRF (21.7% vs 23.3%) but lower exposure to iNO (16.4% vs 21.6%). Among infants with HRF exposed to iNO, intact survival (no death or NDI) was not significantly different between African American and other races (aOR: 1.5, 95% CI: 0.6-3.6).

CONCLUSIONS

Early HRF in infants ≤26 weeks' gestation is associated with high mortality and NDI at 18 to 26 months. Use of iNO did not decrease mortality or NDI. Outcomes following iNO exposure were not different in African American infants.

Inducible nitric oxide synthase involvement in the mechanism of action of Saccharomyces boulardii in castor oil-induced diarrhoea in rats

The biotherapeutic agent Saccharomyces boulardii has been shown to inhibit castor oil-induced diarrhoea in rats in a dose-response fashion, and one of the suggested mechanisms of action included involvement of the nitric oxide pathway. The present study was designed to address this mechanism of action by firstly measuring the effects of S. boulardii on the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) isoform activity in vitro. Second, the effects of S. boulardii on the increase in colonic citrulline level associated with castor oil treatment were examined. In vitro, S. boulardii showed a dose-dependent inhibition of iNOS activity with an IC50 of 0.89 mg/ml. In the rat diarrhoea model, the antidiarrhoeal effect of S. boulardii was confirmed using a single oral dose of 12 x 10(10) CFU/kg (viable cells). In this model, castor oil significantly elevated citrulline level from 2526+/-164 to 3501+/-193 nmol/g in the colon. When the rats were treated with the same antidiarrhoeal single dose of S. boulardii, no increase in citrulline level was observed. Moreover, the iNOS inhibitor 1400 W at 10 mg/kg and the inhibitor of iNOS expression dexamethasone at 1 mg/kg, administered subcutaneously, blocked the citrulline production induced by the laxative. Taken together, these findings confirm the involvement of inhibition of the inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase in the mechanism of action of S. boulardii in diarrhoea.