Project description:To investigate the role of EZH2 in sepsis-induced acute lung injury, we established a mouse model of sepsis in which macrophages specifically knocked out EZH2.We then used RNA-seq data from lung tissues of four groups of mice for gene expression profiling.
Project description:Gene expression profiling was performed in lung tissues from an animal model of sepsis challenged with injurious and non-injurious mechanical ventilation to unravel the molecular pathways involved in acute lung injury. Sepsis was induced in male Sprague Dawley rats by means of cecal ligation and puncture. Septic rats were randomly allocated to three distinct groups: spontaneous breathing, mechanically ventilated with high tidal volume with zero positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) and with low tidal volume and 10 cmH2O of PEEP. Comparisons were performed against an unventilated control group.
Project description:Sepsis, a worldwide health crisis, is notorious for its high mortality rate, often attributed to the development of acute lung injury. The direct migration of intestinal immune cells to the lung as a mediator of acute lung injury remains unclear. Our study unveiled a process where cecal ligation and puncture-induced sepsis prompted a migration of γδT cells from the small intestine to the lung, subsequently triggering an overwhelming inflammatory response dominated by IL-17A.
Project description:Sepsis, a worldwide health crisis, is notorious for its high mortality rate, often attributed to the development of acute lung injury. The direct migration of intestinal immune cells to the lung as a mediator of acute lung injury remains unclear. Our study unveiled a process where cecal ligation and puncture-induced sepsis prompted a migration of γδT cells from the small intestine to the lung, subsequently triggering an overwhelming inflammatory response dominated by IL-17A.
Project description:The Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)/Acute Lung Injury (ALI) was described 30 years ago, yet the interaction between specific sets of genes involved in this syndrome remains incompletely understood. Experiment Overall Design: 13 patients with ALI + sepsis and 21 patients with sepsis alone were recruited from the Medical Intensive Care Unit of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center between February 2005 and June 2007. Whole blood was obtained from each patient within 48 hours of admission, and RNA was extracted for gene expression profiling, and comparison analysis.
Project description:Acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common life-threatening critical syndrome with no effective pharmacotherapy. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are considered as a new way of long-distance communication between cells. Our previous research using an ex vivo perfused human ALI model suggested that endothelial cell-derived EVs (EC-EVs) mediate the development of ALI/ARDS. However, how EC-EVs aggravate lung injury remains largely unknown. Here we demonstrated that EC-EVs released under inflammatory stimulation are preferentially taken up by monocytes and reprogram the differentiation of monocytes towards M1 type macrophage. These findings demonstrate a previously unidentified mechanism by which distant infections could lead to ALI/ARDS, providing novel targets and strategies for the prevention and treatment of sepsis-related ALI/ARDS.
Project description:Sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI), characterized by severe hypoxemia and pulmonary leakage, remains a leading cause of mortality in intensive care units. The exacerbation of ALI during sepsis is largely attributed to uncontrolled inflammatory responses and endothelial dysfunction. Emerging evidences suggest an important role of Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1) as a sensor in innate immune to drive inflammatory signaling and cell death during infections. However, the role of ZBP1 in sepsis-induced ALI has yet to be defined. We utilized ZBP1 knockout mice and combined single-cell RNA sequencing with experimental validation to investigate ZBP1's roles in the regulation of macrophages and lung endothelial cells during sepsis. We demonstrate that in sepsis, ZBP1 deficiency in macrophages reduces mitochondrial damage and inhibits glycolysis, thereby altering the metabolic status of macrophages. Consequently, this metabolic shift leads to a reduction in the differentiation of macrophages into pro-inflammatory states and decreases macrophage pyroptosis triggered by activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. These changes significantly weaken the inflammatory signaling pathways between macrophages and endothelial cells, and alleviate endothelial dysfunction and cellular damage. These findings reveal important roles for ZBP1 in mediating multiple pathological processes involved in sepsis-induced ALI by modulating the functional states of macrophages and endothelial cells, thereby highlighting its potential as a promising therapeutic target.
Project description:The activation of pulmonary endothelial cells (ECs) triggers the occurrence of lung injury and is a hallmark of sepsis-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS). Aberrant metabolism favoring glycolysis plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of sepsis-induced EC activation. Herein we demonstrate that glycolysis-related histone lactylation, represented by H3K14 lactylation (H3K14la), drives sepsis-associated EC activation and lung injury. Accordingly, H3K14la level is elevated in injured lung tissue and activated ECs. Inhibition of lactate production suppresses both H3K14la levels and EC activation in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We also show that lactate-dependent H3K14la is enriched at the promoters of ferroptosis-related genes, thereby inducing ferroptosis in ECs, and inhibiting ferroptosis effectively ameliorates EC activation. Taken together, elevated lactate in sepsis modulates EC activation and lung injury via histone lactylation and manipulation of glycolysis/H3K14la/ferroptosis axis may provide novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of sepsis-associated ARDS.
Project description:Sepsis, a worldwide health crisis, is notorious for its high mortality rate, often attributed to the development of acute lung injury. In this context, the lung, being particularly vulnerable to septic damage, emerge as a primary battleground. The possible roles of the gut-lung axis mediated by the gut microbiota and its metabolic products in the context of acute lung injury have been documented. However, the direct migration of intestinal immune cells to the lung as a mediator of acute lung injury remains unclear. Our study unveiled a process where cecal ligation and puncture-induced sepsis prompted a migration of γδ T cells from the small intestine to the lung, subsequently triggering an overwhelming inflammatory response dominated by IL-17A. Small intestinal memory γδT17 cells (CD44+ IL-7Rhigh CD8low Ly6C–) were the major subtype of γδ T cells that migrated from the small intestine to the lung and aggravated acute lung injury. Moreover, the activation of the Wnt signaling in the alveolar macrophages during sepsis was identified as a driving factor for the subsequent CCL1 upregulation, which prompted the migration of small intestinal memory γδT17 cells to the lung. S-Ketamine (S-KT) treatment demonstrated a notable capacity to alleviate acute lung injury through dampening pulmonary Wnt/β-catenin signaling-mediated migration of small intestinal γδT17 cells to the lung. Our findings highlight the significant contribution of the direct migration of immune cells from the small intestine to the lung in sepsis-induced acute lung injury, and clrify the pathological significance of the localized elevation of IL-17A in the lung.