Project description:The gram-negative bacterium lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is frequently administered to generate models of systemic inflammation. In particular, both kidney and lung are more sensitive to acute injury caused by LPS-induced systemic inflammation. However, there are several side effects and no effective treatment for LPS-induced systemic inflammation. PEGylated PDZ peptide was based on the first PDZ domain of the zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) protein. PEGylated PDZ peptide was analyzed for effects on systemic inflammation induced by LPS. PDZ peptide administration led to restoration of tissue injuries (kidney, liver, and lung) and prevented alterations in biochemical plasma markers. The production of pro-inflammatory cytokines was significantly decreased in the plasma and lung BALF in the PDZ-administered mice. Flow cytometry analysis revealed the PDZ peptide significantly inhibited inflammation, mainly by decreasing the population of M1 macrophages, neutrophils (immature and mature), and increasing M2 macrophages. Using RNA sequencing analysis, the expression levels of the NF-κB-related proteins were lower in PDZ-treated cells than in LPS-treated cells. In addition, wild-type PDZ peptide significantly increased mitochondrial membrane integrity and decreased LPS-induced mitochondria fission. Interestingly, PDZ peptide dramatically could reduce LPS-induced NF-κB signaling, ROS production, and the expression of M1 macrophage marker proteins, but increased the expression of M2 macrophage marker proteins. These results indicated that PEGylated PDZ peptide inhibits LPS-induced systemic inflammation, reducing tissue injuries and reestablishing homeostasis and may be a therapeutic candidate against systemic inflammation.
Project description:Genipin is a natural blue colorant in food industry. Inflammation is correlated with human disorders, and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is the critical molecule involved in inflammation. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effect of genipin on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute systemic inflammation in mice was evaluated by NF-κB bioluminescence-guided transcriptomic analysis. Transgenic mice carrying the NF-κB-driven luciferase genes were administered intraperitoneally with LPS and various amounts of genipin. Bioluminescent imaging showed that genipin significantly suppressed LPS-induced NF-κB-dependent luminescence in vivo. The suppression of LPS-induced acute inflammation by genipin was further evidenced by the reductions of cytokine levels in sera and organs. Microarray analysis of these organs showed that the transcripts of 79 genes were differentially expressed in both LPS and LPS/genipin groups, and one third of these genes belonged to chemokine ligand, chemokine receptor, and interferon (IFN)-induced protein genes. Moreover, network analysis showed that NF-κB played a critical role in the regulation of genipin-affected gene expression. In conclusion, we newly identified that genipin exhibited anti-inflammatory effects in a model of LPSinduced acute systemic inflammation via downregulation of chemokine ligand, chemokine receptor, and IFN-induced protein productions. A total of 25 transgenic mice (female, 6 to 8 weeks old) were randomly divided into five groups of five mice: (1) mock, no treatment; (2) LPS (4 mg/kg), (3) LPS plus genipin (1 mg/kg), (4) LPS plus genipin (10 mg/kg), and (5) LPS plus genipin (100 mg/kg). Mice were challenged intraperitoneally with LPS and then with genipin 10 min later. Four hours later, mice were imaged for the luciferase activity, and subsequently sacrificed for ex vivo imaging, RNA extraction, and immunohistochemical staining.
Project description:Red blood cells (RBCs) from Plasmodium berghei ANKA infected mice were recovered to undergo 10X Chromium, droplet-based sequencing. Additionally, scRNAseq was performed on parasitised RBCs in the presence of systemic host inflammation induced by acute parasite infection or LPS conditioning. These analyses were performed to help identify genes or pathways that may contribute to the parasite maturation defects induced by systemic host inflammation.
Project description:This is an investigation of whole genome gene expression level in tissues of mice stimulated by LPS, FK565 or LPS + FK565 in vivo and ex vivo. We show that parenteral administration of a pure synthetic Nod1 ligand, FK565, induces site-specific vascular inflammation in mice, which is prominent in aortic root including aortic valves, slight in aorta and absent in other arteries. The degree of respective vascular inflammation is associated with persistent high expression of proinflammatory chemokine/cytokine genes in each tissue in vivo by microarray analysis, and not with Nod1 expression levels. The ex vivo production of proinflammatory chemokine/cytokine by Nod1 ligand is higher in aortic root than in other arteries from normal murine vascular tissues, and also higher in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) than in human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAEC), suggesting that site-specific vascular inflammation is at least in part ascribed to an intrinsic nature of the vascular tissue/cell itself. A fourty chip study using total RNA recovered from four isolated tissues of mice which were stimulated by various reagents. Aortic root, pulmonary artery, aorta and spleen of mice in 3 groups: 1) intraperitoneal injection of 20M-NM-<g of LPS priming only, 2) oral administration of FK565 (100M-NM-<g) for consecutive days, 3) oral administration of FK565 (100M-NM-<g) for consecutive days 1 day after LPS priming, at day 2, 4, and 7. And six chip study using total RNA recovered from three isolated vascular tissues of mice which were stimulated by FK565 (10M-NM-<g/mL) ex vivo.
Project description:This is an investigation of whole genome gene expression level in tissues of mice stimulated by LPS, FK565 or LPS + FK565 in vivo and ex vivo. We show that parenteral administration of a pure synthetic Nod1 ligand, FK565, induces site-specific vascular inflammation in mice, which is prominent in aortic root including aortic valves, slight in aorta and absent in other arteries. The degree of respective vascular inflammation is associated with persistent high expression of proinflammatory chemokine/cytokine genes in each tissue in vivo by microarray analysis, and not with Nod1 expression levels. The ex vivo production of proinflammatory chemokine/cytokine by Nod1 ligand is higher in aortic root than in other arteries from normal murine vascular tissues, and also higher in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) than in human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAEC), suggesting that site-specific vascular inflammation is at least in part ascribed to an intrinsic nature of the vascular tissue/cell itself.
Project description:Acetaminophen is a widely used antipyretic and analgesic drug, and its overdose is the leading cause of drug-induced acute liver failure. This study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of Lacticaseibacillus casei Shirota (LcS), an extensively used and highly studied probiotic, on acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury. C57BL/6 mice were gavaged with LcS suspension or saline once daily for 7 days before the acute liver injury was induced via intraperitoneal injection of 300 mg/kg acetaminophen. The results showed that LcS significantly decreased acetaminophen-induced liver and ileum injury, as demonstrated by reductions in the increases in aspartate aminotransferase, total bile acids, total bilirubin, indirect bilirubin and hepatic cell necrosis. Moreover, LcS alleviated the acetaminophen-induced intestinal mucosal permeability, elevation in serum IL-1α and lipopolysaccharide, and decreased levels of serum eosinophil chemokine (eotaxin) and hepatic glutathione levels. Furthermore, analysis of the gut microbiota and metabolome showed that LcS reduced the acetaminophen-enriched levels of Cyanobacteria, Oxyphotobacteria, long-chain fatty acids, cholesterol and sugars in the gut. Additionally, the transcriptome and proteomics showed that LcS mitigated the downregulation of metabolism and immune pathways as well as glutathione formation during acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury. This is the first study showing that pretreatment with LcS alleviates acetaminophen-enriched acute liver injury, and it provides a reference for the application of LcS.
Project description:Genipin is a natural blue colorant in food industry. Inflammation is correlated with human disorders, and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is the critical molecule involved in inflammation. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effect of genipin on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute systemic inflammation in mice was evaluated by NF-κB bioluminescence-guided transcriptomic analysis. Transgenic mice carrying the NF-κB-driven luciferase genes were administered intraperitoneally with LPS and various amounts of genipin. Bioluminescent imaging showed that genipin significantly suppressed LPS-induced NF-κB-dependent luminescence in vivo. The suppression of LPS-induced acute inflammation by genipin was further evidenced by the reductions of cytokine levels in sera and organs. Microarray analysis of these organs showed that the transcripts of 79 genes were differentially expressed in both LPS and LPS/genipin groups, and one third of these genes belonged to chemokine ligand, chemokine receptor, and interferon (IFN)-induced protein genes. Moreover, network analysis showed that NF-κB played a critical role in the regulation of genipin-affected gene expression. In conclusion, we newly identified that genipin exhibited anti-inflammatory effects in a model of LPSinduced acute systemic inflammation via downregulation of chemokine ligand, chemokine receptor, and IFN-induced protein productions.
Project description:Systemic acute inflammatory signals can cause profound anorexia by disrupting the physiological appetite regulation in the hypothalamic milieu. Conversely, obesity related chronic inflammation of the hypothalamus can disturb anorexigenic signals and promote abnormal body weight control. The aim of the present study was to compare the global hypothalamic endophenotype in C57/Bl6 mice exposed to a high-fat diet or with acute illness mediated by LPS. Ten-week old male C57/Bl6 mice (n=18) were randomly divided into four groups; the control 1 group (n =3) was fed a normal diet whereas the high-fat diet (HFD) group (n =6) was fed a high-fat diet for eight weeks. The control 2 group (n=3) received an intraperitoneal injection of saline whereas the LPS group (n=6) received an intraperitoneal injection of LPS. Mice were sacrificed 18-hr post-injection. Both control 2 and LPS groups were fed a normal diet for eight weeks before the injection. The hypothalamic regions were removed and analysed using a 2D LC-MS methodology. The proteomic analysis profiled 9,235 proteins (q<0.05) across all biological states, of which 522 proteins were found modulated in the HFD group and another 579 in the LPS group. The proteomic profiles demonstrated that the systemic acute inflammation linked with anorexia induced a negative feedback loop of appetite control in the hypothalamus, suggesting an effort to re-establish homeostasis. By contrast, the chronic inflammation associated with obesity initiated a “perpetual cycle” of positive feedback enhancement of appetite regulation further exacerbating positive energy balance.
Project description:Introgressed variants from other species can be an important source of genetic variation because they may arise rapidly, can include multiple mutations on a single haplotype, and have often been pretested by selection in the species of origin. Although introgressed alleles are generally deleterious, several studies have reported introgression as the source of adaptive alleles-including the rodenticide-resistant variant of Vkorc1 that introgressed from Mus spretus into European populations of Mus musculus domesticus. Here, we conducted bidirectional genome scans to characterize introgressed regions into one wild population of M. spretus from Spain and three wild populations of M. m. domesticus from France, Germany, and Iran. Despite the fact that these species show considerable intrinsic postzygotic reproductive isolation, introgression was observed in all individuals, including in the M. musculus reference genome (GRCm38). Mus spretus individuals had a greater proportion of introgression compared with M. m. domesticus, and within M. m. domesticus, the proportion of introgression decreased with geographic distance from the area of sympatry. Introgression was observed on all autosomes for both species, but not on the X-chromosome in M. m. domesticus, consistent with known X-linked hybrid sterility and inviability genes that have been mapped to the M. spretus X-chromosome. Tract lengths were generally short with a few outliers of up to 2.7 Mb. Interestingly, the longest introgressed tracts were in olfactory receptor regions, and introgressed tracts were significantly enriched for olfactory receptor genes in both species, suggesting that introgression may be a source of functional novelty even between species with high barriers to gene flow.
Project description:Neuropathological and behavioral consequences of systemic LPS-induced infection in preterm mice: insights into neuroimmune interactions