Molecular immunology
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Molecular immunology · Jul 2018
Pirfenidone ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis by blocking NLRP3 inflammasome activation.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)is a severe clinical disorder characterized by its acute onset, diffuse alveolar damage, intractable hypoxemia, and non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema. Acute lung injury(ALI) can trigger persistent lung inflammation and fibrosis through activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and subsequent secretion of mature IL-1β, suggesting that the NLRP3 inflammasome is a potential therapeutic target for ALI, for which new therapeutic approaches are needed. Our present study aims to assess whether pirfenidone,with anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory properties, can improve LPS-induced inflammation and fibrosis by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation. ⋯ In vitro, the experiments revealed that PFD significantly suppressed LPS/ATP-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased caspase-1 activation and the level of IL-1β in J774 A.1 cells. Taken together, the administration of PFD reduced LPS-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis by blocking NLRP3 inflammasome activation and subsequent IL-1β secretion. These findings indicated that PFD can down-regulate NLRP3 inflammasome activation and that it may offer a promising therapeutic approach for ARDS patients.
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Molecular immunology · Apr 2018
Immunological network analysis in HPV associated head and neck squamous cancer and implications for disease prognosis.
Human papillomavirus-positive (HPV+) head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) exhibits a better prognosis than HPV-negative (HPV-) HNSCC. This difference may in part be due to enhanced immune activation in the HPV+ HNSCC tumor microenvironment. To characterize differences in immune activation between HPV+ and HPV- HNSCC tumors, we identified and annotated differentially expressed genes based upon mRNA expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). ⋯ The infiltration of these immune cells was correlated with differentially expressed cytokine-associated genes. Enhanced infiltration of B cells and CD8+ T cells were identified as independent protective factors, while high neutrophil infiltration was a risk enhancing factor for HPV+ HNSCC patients. A schematic model of immunological network was established for HPV+ HNSCC to summarize our findings.
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Molecular immunology · Mar 2018
Anti-inflammatory effects of anisalcohol on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated BV2 microglia via selective modulation of microglia polarization and down-regulation of NF-κB p65 and JNK activation.
Inflammation plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. The inhibition of inflammation appears to be a potential therapeutic strategy for neuro-inflammatory injury after ischemic stroke. In response to cerebral ischemia, resident microglia and infiltrated macrophages from the damaged blood-brain barrier are activated. ⋯ Collectively, our data demonstrate that PMBA can inhibit M1 transformation and promote M2 transformation of microglia, thus attenuating the production of inflammatory mediators and cytokines. The modulation of microglia M1/M2 polarization may involve multiple mechanisms, mainly, the inhibition of NF-κB and MAPK activation. These findings suggest that PMBA acts as an anti-inflammatory factor and is a possible therapeutic candidate for diseases such as ischemic stroke, where inflammation is a central hallmark.
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Molecular immunology · Feb 2018
The protective effect of dexmedetomidine on LPS-induced acute lung injury through the HMGB1-mediated TLR4/NF-κB and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways.
The aim of present study was to evaluate the protective effects of dexmedetomidine (DEX) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) and investigate its possible mechanisms mediated by HMGB1. In vivo, pulmonary pathology observation and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were also examined to evaluate the protective effect of DEX in the lungs. Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), serum and lung tissues LPS-induced rats were detected. ⋯ Treatment with glycyrrhizin, an inhibitor of HMGB1, confirmed that HMGB1 was involved in the mechanism of DEX on LPS-induced ALI. The transfection of HGMB1 siRNA also confirmed these findings in vitro. In conclusion, the present study showed that DEX exerted a protective effect on LPS-induced ALI rats likely through the HMGB1-mediated TLR4/NF-κB and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways.
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Molecular immunology · Jan 2018
BMSCs-derived miR-223-containing exosomes contribute to liver protection in experimental autoimmune hepatitis.
Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic inflammatory disease in the liver with potential to the development of liver fibrosis. Recent evidences suggest that bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) may exert its therapeutic activity through exosomes. Moreover, miR-223 is highly expressed in BMSCs and plays an important role in autoimmune diseases. ⋯ Meanwhile, the expressions of cytokines, NLRP3 and caspase-1 were also downregulated by BMSCs-exo and BMSCs-exomiR-223(+) at both protein and mRNA levels in mice and hepatocytes. Moreover, BMSCs-exomiR-223(-) reverses the effects of BMSCs-exo and BMSCs-exomiR-223(+) in mouse AIH and in hepatocytes. In conclusion, bone marrow stem cell derived exosomes can protect liver injury in an experimental model of autoimmune hepatitis and the mechanism could be related to exosomal miR-223 regulation of NLRP3 and caspase-1.