Objective To explore the phenotypic conversion of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the lungs of mice with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)-affected mice. Methods A total of 20 newborn C57BL/6 mice were divided into air group and hyperoxia group, with 10 mice in each group. The BPD model was established by exposing the newborn mice to hyperoxia. Lung tissues from five mice in each group were collected on postnatal days 7 and 14, respectively. Histopathological changes of the lung tissues was detected by HE staining. The expression level of surfactant protein C (SP-C) in the lung tissues was examined by Western blot analysis. Flow cytometry was performed to assess the proportion of FOXP3⁺ Tregs and RORγt⁺FOXP3⁺ Tregs in CD4⁺ lymphocytes. The concentrations of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) and IL-6 in lung homogenate were measured by using ELISA. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between FOXP3⁺Treg and the expression of SP-C and the correlation between RORγt⁺FOXP3⁺ Tregs and the content of IL-17A and IL-6. Results The hyperoxia group exhibited significantly decreased levels of SP-C and radical alveolar counts in comparison to the control group. The proportion of FOXP3⁺Tregs was reduced and that of RORγt⁺FOXP3⁺Tregs was increased. IL-17A and IL-6 concentrations were significantly increased. SP-C was positively correlated with the expression level of RORγt⁺FOXP3⁺ Tregs. RORγt⁺FOXP3⁺ Tregs and IL-17A and IL-6 concentrations were also positively correlated. Conclusion The number of FOXP3⁺ Tregs in lung tissue of BPD mice is decreased and converted to RORγt⁺ FOXP3⁺ Tregs, which may be involved in hyperoxy-induced lung injury.
Animals ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; Interleukin-17 ; Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3 ; Hyperoxia ; Interleukin-6 ; Forkhead Transcription Factors ; Lung

Objective To investigate the effect of interleukin-6 (IL-6) on the phagocytosis of MH-S alveolar macrophages and its related mechanisms. Methods A mouse acute lung injury (ALI) model was constructed by instilling lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into the airway. ELISA was used to detect the content of IL-6 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). In vitro cultured MH-S cells, in the presence or absence of signal transducer and activator 3 of transcription(STAT3) inhibitor Stattic (5 μmol/L), IL-6 (10 ng/mL~500 ng/mL) was added to stimulate for 6 hours, and then incubated with fluorescent microspheres for 2 hours. The phagocytosis of MH-S cells was detected by flow cytometry. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression levels of phosphorylated Janus kinase 2 (p-JAK2), phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3), actin-related protein 2 (Arp2) and filamentous actin (F-actin). Results The content of IL-6 in BALF was significantly increased after the mice were injected with LPS through the airway. With the increase of IL-6 stimulation concentration, the phagocytic function of MH-S cells was enhanced, and the expression levels of Arp2 and F-actin proteins in MH-S cells were increased. The expression levels of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 proteins increased in MH-S cells stimulated with IL-6(100 ng/mL). After blocking STAT3 signaling, the effect of IL-6 in promoting phagocytosis of MH-S cells disappeared completely, and the increased expression of Arp2 and F-actin proteins in MH-S cells induced by IL-6 was also inhibited. Conclusion IL-6 promotes the expression of Arp2 and F-actin proteins by activating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, thereby enhancing the phagocytic function of MH-S cells.
Animals ; Mice ; Actins ; Disease Models, Animal ; Interleukin-6 ; Janus Kinase 2 ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Macrophages, Alveolar ; Signal Transduction

Objective To explore the significance of interleukin-17C(IL-17C)-mediated follicular helper T cell (Tfh) differentiation in atopic dermatitis (AD) model. Methods BALB/c mice were divided into control group, AD model group, low-dose MOR106 (anti-IL-17C huIgG1)(MDR106-L)treatment group and high-dose MOR106 (MOR106-H) treatment group, 8 mice in each group. Except for the control group, all the other groups were treated with 2, 4- dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) to establish AD models. The low-dose and high-dose MOR106 groups were treated with 5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg MOR106 respectively. The differentiation of Tfh cell subsets in peripheral blood of mice was analyzed by flow cytometry, and the expression of Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(JAK2/STAT3) signal pathway protein in skin tissue was detected by Western blot analysis. Results Compared with the control group, the dermatitis severity score, mass difference between two ears, spleen mass and spleen index of DNCB group increased significantly, while those of MOR106-L group and MOR106-H group decreased significantly. Compared with the control group, the Tfh subgroup of AD mice showed deregulated differentiation, resulting in a significant increase in the percentage of CD4⁺CXCR5⁺IFN-γ⁺Tfh1 cells, CD4⁺CXCR5⁺IL-17A⁺Tfh17 and CD4⁺CXCR5⁺IL-21⁺Tfh21 cells, and a significant decrease in the percentage of CD4⁺CXCR5⁺IL-10⁺Tfh10 cells and CD4⁺CXCR5⁺FOXP3⁺Tfr cells in peripheral blood. The protein levels of phosphorylated JAK2(p-JAK2) and p-STAT3 were significantly increased. MOR106 effectively reversed these changes of Tfh1, Tfh10, Tfh17, Tfh21 and Tfr cells in peripheral blood of AD mice. Compared with AD group, the levels of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 protein in low-dose and high-dose MOR106 treatment groups decreased significantly. Conclusion MOR106 can reduce the inflammatory response of AD mice by blocking JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway and inhibiting the differentiation of Tfh cells mediated by IL-17C.
Animals ; Mice ; Dermatitis, Atopic/drug therapy* ; Interleukin-17 ; T Follicular Helper Cells ; Janus Kinase 2 ; Dinitrochlorobenzene ; Inflammation ; Cell Differentiation ; Signal Transduction

Objective To investigate the relationship between interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and miR-185-5p in the process of joint injury in acute gouty arthritis (AGA). Methods The serum miR-185-5p levels of 89 AGA patients and 91 healthy volunteers were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. The correlation between miR-185-5p expression level and VAS score or IL-1β expression level was evaluated by Pearson correlation coefficient method. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of miR-185-5p in AGA. THP-1 cells were induced by sodium urate (MSU) to construct an in vitro acute gouty inflammatory cell model. After the expression level of miR-185-5p in THP-1 cells was upregulated or downregulated by transfection of miR-185-5p mimics or inhibitors in vitro, inflammatory cytokines of THP-1 cells, such as IL-1β, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), were detected by ELISA. The luciferase reporter gene assay was used to determine the interaction between miR-185-5p and the 3'-UTR of IL-1β. Results Compared with the healthy control group, the expression level of serum miR-185-5p in AGA patients was significantly reduced. The level of serum miR-185-5p was negatively correlated with VAS score and IL-1β expression level. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.905, the sensitivity was 80.17% and the specificity was 83.52%. Down-regulation of miR-185-5p significantly promoted the expression of IL-1β, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), while overexpression of miR-185-5p showed the opposite results. Luciferase reporter gene assay showed that IL-1β was the target gene of miR-185-5p, and miR-185-5p negatively regulated the expression of IL-1β. Conclusion miR-185-5p alleviates the inflammatory response in AGA by inhibiting IL-1β.
Humans ; 3' Untranslated Regions ; Arthritis, Gouty/genetics* ; Interleukin-1beta/genetics* ; Interleukin-8 ; Luciferases ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Early secreted antigenic target of 6 kDa protein (ESAT-6) is the major virulence factor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), which can resist the clearance of MTB in bodies by inhibiting macrophage phagocytosis and autophagy reaction, thus impeding the immune defense function of the body against MTB infection. In addition, ESAT-6-induced apoptosis of macrophage and massive necrosis of innate immune cells can foster MTB proliferation and colonization, leading to systemic MTB infection. Moreover, ESAT-6 hampers the protective immune response of Th1 cells, reducing the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and contributing to immune dysfunction, thus accelerating the course of MTB infection. During the process, the high immunogenicity of ESAT-6 can be leveraged as a dominant antigen in the development of new TB vaccines, making it a promising candidate with broad prospects for further development.
Humans ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Vaccines ; Cytokines ; Apoptosis ; Autophagy ; Sepsis

BACKGROUND: The application of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibodies has greatly improved the clinical outcomes of lung cancer patients. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the efficacy of PD-1 antibody therapy in locally advanced non-surgical or metastatic lung cancer patients, and preliminarily explored the correlation between peripheral blood biomarkers and clinical responses. METHODS: We conducted a single center study that included 61 IIIA-IV lung cancer patients who received PD-1 antibody treatment from March 2020 to December 2021, and collected the medical record data on PD-1 antibody first-line or second-line treatment. The levels of multiple Th1 and Th2 cytokines in the patient's peripheral blood serum, as well as the phenotype of peripheral blood T cells, were detected and analyzed. RESULTS: All the patients completed at least 2 cycles of PD-1 monoclonal antibody treatment. Among them, 42 patients (68.9%) achieved partial response (PR); 7 patients (11.5%) had stable disease (SD); and 12 patients (19.7%) had progressive disease (PD). The levels of peripheral blood interferon gamma (IFN-γ) (P=0.023), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) (P=0.007) and interleukin 5 (IL-5) (P=0.002) before treatment were higher in patients of the disease control rate (DCR) (PR+SD) group than in the PD group. In addition, the decrease in absolute peripheral blood lymphocyte count after PD-1 antibody treatment was associated with disease progression (P=0.023). Moreover, the levels of IL-5 (P=0.0027) and IL-10 (P=0.0208) in the blood serum after immunotherapy were significantly increased compared to baseline. CONCLUSIONS Peripheral blood serum IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-5 in lung cancer patients have certain roles in predicting the clinical efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy. The decrease in absolute peripheral blood lymphocyte count in lung cancer patients is related to disease progression, but large-scale prospective studies are needed to further elucidate the value of these biomarkers.
Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Interleukin-5/therapeutic use* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/therapeutic use* ; Retrospective Studies ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor ; Biomarkers ; Immunotherapy ; Disease Progression ; B7-H1 Antigen

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of Tripterygium wilfordii multiglycoside (TGW) in the treatment of psoriatic dermatitis from a cellular immunological perspective. METHODS: Mouse models of psoriatic dermatitis were established by imiquimod (IMQ). Twelve male BALB/c mice were assigned to IMQ or IMQ₊TGW groups according to a random number table. Histopathological changes in vivo were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Ratios of immune cells and cytokines in mice, as well as PAM212 cell proliferation in vitro were assessed by flow cytometry. Pro-inflammatory cytokine expression was determined using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: TGW significantly ameliorated the severity of IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse skin lesions and restrained the activation of CD45⁺ cells, neutrophils and T lymphocytes (all P<0.01). Moreover, TGW significantly attenuated keratinocytes (KCs) proliferation and downregulated the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-23, tumor necrosis factor α, and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Furthermore, it reduced the number of γ δ T17 cells in skin lesion of mice and draining lymph nodes (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS TGW improved psoriasis-like inflammation by inhibiting KCs proliferation, as well as the associated immune cells and cytokine expression. It inhibited IL-17 secretion from γ δ T cells, which improved the immune-inflammatory microenvironment of psoriasis.
Male ; Animals ; Mice ; Tripterygium ; Psoriasis/drug therapy* ; Keratinocytes ; Skin Diseases/metabolism* ; Cytokines/metabolism* ; Imiquimod/metabolism* ; Dermatitis/pathology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Skin/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Danmu Extract Syrup (DMS) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice and explore the mechanism. METHODS: Seventy-two male Balb/C mice were randomly divided into 6 groups according to a random number table (n=12), including control (normal saline), LPS (5 mg/kg), LPS+DMS 2.5 mL/kg, LPS+DMS 5 mL/kg, LPS+DMS 10 mL/kg, and LPS+Dexamethasone (DXM, 5 mg/kg) groups. After pretreatment with DMS and DXM, the ALI mice model was induced by LPS, and the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were collected to determine protein concentration, cell counts and inflammatory cytokines. The lung tissues of mice were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, and the wet/dry weight ratio (W/D) of lung tissue was calculated. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1 β in BALF of mice were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The expression levels of Claudin-5, vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), phospho-protein kinase B (p-Akt) and Akt were detected by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: DMS pre-treatment significantly ameliorated lung histopathological changes. Compared with the LPS group, the W/D ratio and protein contents in BALF were obviously reduced after DMS pretreatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The number of cells in BALF and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity decreased significantly after DMS pretreatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). DMS pre-treatment decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1 β (P<0.01). Meanwhile, DMS activated the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) pathway and reversed the expressions of Claudin-5, VE-cadherin and VEGF (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS DMS attenuated LPS-induced ALI in mice through repairing endothelial barrier. It might be a potential therapeutic drug for LPS-induced lung injury.
Mice ; Male ; Animals ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Claudin-5/metabolism* ; Acute Lung Injury/chemically induced* ; Lung/pathology* ; Interleukin-6/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) is a flavin protease highly expressed in various cancer cells. NQO1 catalyzes a futile redox cycle in substrates, leading to substantial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. This ROS generation results in extensive DNA damage and elevated poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1)-mediated consumption of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺), ultimately causing cell death. Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), the rate-limiting enzyme in the NAD⁺ salvage synthesis pathway, emerges as a critical target in cancer therapy. The concurrent inhibition of NQO1 and NAMPT triggers hyperactivation of PARP1 and intensive NAD⁺ depletion. In this study, we designed, synthesized, and assessed a novel series of proqodine A derivatives targeting both NQO1 and NAMPT. Among these, compound T8 demonstrated potent antitumor properties. Specifically, T8 selectively inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells and induced apoptosis through mechanisms dependent on both NQO1 and NAMPT. This discovery offers a promising new molecular entity for advancing anticancer research.
Humans ; NAD/metabolism* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase/metabolism* ; Cytokines/metabolism* ; Quinones ; Oxidoreductases

Humans ; Arthritis, Psoriatic/drug therapy* ; Interleukin-17 ; Interleukin Inhibitors ; Antirheumatic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/therapeutic use* ; Interleukin-23/therapeutic use*