Project description:Purpose: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a severe clinical disorder characterized by diffused capillary-alveolar barrier damage and noncardiogenic lung edema induced by excessive inflammation reactions. Nogo-B, a member of the reticulon 4 protein family, plays a critical role in modulating macrophages and neutrophils’ function in inflammation. Its role in ALI remains unclear. Methods: Pulmonary expression of Nogo-B was investigated in a LPS-induced ALI mice model. The effects and the underline mechanisms of Nogo-B expression on the severity of lung injury was assessed using histological examination, Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) protein and inflammatory cells and cytokines measurement, and microarray analysis. Results: Nogo-B was normally highly expressed in the lungs of naïve C57BL/6 mice. Intra-tracheal instillation of LPS significantly repressed the Nogo-B expression in lung tissues and BALF cells of ALI mice. In addition, over-expression of pulmonary Nogo-B using an adenovirus vector which expresses a Nogo-B-RFP-3-flag fusion protein (Ad-Nogo-B) significantly prolonged the survival time of mice challenged with lethal dose of LPS. Histological results and BALF protein measurement convinced that Ad-Nogo-B treated mice had less severity of lung injury and alveolar protein exudation, as compared with control adenovirus treated mice (Ad-RFP). They also had higher MCP-1 secretion and alveolar macrophages infiltration, but lower neutrophils infiltration. Finally, using microarray analysis, we identified a protective gene, PTX3, was highly elevated in Ad-Nogo-B treated mice. Conclusions: Nogo-B played a protective role in LPS-induced ALI, which might exert its role through modulation of inflammatory response and PTX3 secretion. A total of 12 samples from mice treated with or without LPS in the presence of Ad-Nogo-B or Ad-RFP transfection (n=3 for each group)
Project description:Purpose: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a severe clinical disorder characterized by diffused capillary-alveolar barrier damage and noncardiogenic lung edema induced by excessive inflammation reactions. Nogo-B, a member of the reticulon 4 protein family, plays a critical role in modulating macrophages and neutrophils’ function in inflammation. Its role in ALI remains unclear. Methods: Pulmonary expression of Nogo-B was investigated in a LPS-induced ALI mice model. The effects and the underline mechanisms of Nogo-B expression on the severity of lung injury was assessed using histological examination, Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) protein and inflammatory cells and cytokines measurement, and microarray analysis. Results: Nogo-B was normally highly expressed in the lungs of naïve C57BL/6 mice. Intra-tracheal instillation of LPS significantly repressed the Nogo-B expression in lung tissues and BALF cells of ALI mice. In addition, over-expression of pulmonary Nogo-B using an adenovirus vector which expresses a Nogo-B-RFP-3-flag fusion protein (Ad-Nogo-B) significantly prolonged the survival time of mice challenged with lethal dose of LPS. Histological results and BALF protein measurement convinced that Ad-Nogo-B treated mice had less severity of lung injury and alveolar protein exudation, as compared with control adenovirus treated mice (Ad-RFP). They also had higher MCP-1 secretion and alveolar macrophages infiltration, but lower neutrophils infiltration. Finally, using microarray analysis, we identified a protective gene, PTX3, was highly elevated in Ad-Nogo-B treated mice. Conclusions: Nogo-B played a protective role in LPS-induced ALI, which might exert its role through modulation of inflammatory response and PTX3 secretion.
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:Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are used to treat infectious and immune diseases and disorders; however, its mechanism(s) remain incompletely defined. Here we find that MSCs lacking Pinch1/2 proteins display dramatically reduced ability to suppress lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced inflammatory bowel disease in mice. Mice with Pinch loss in MSCs have severe defects in both immune and hematopoietic functions, resulting in premature death, which can be restored by intravenous injection of wild-type but not Pinch-deficient MSCs.
Project description:Lactoferrin (LF) is an iron-binding multifunctional cationic glycoprotein secreted by exocrine glands and neutrophils in mammals. In this study, we created a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury and explored the anti-inflammatory effect and mechanism of bovine lactoferrin (bLF) in acute lung injury using the RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology and transcriptome analysis.
Project description:Acute lung injury (ALI) and its most severe form, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), cause severe endothelial dysfunction in the lung and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is elevated in ARDS. We have found that the levels of a VEGF-regulated microRNA, microRNA-1 (miR-1) is reduced in the lung endothelium after acute injury. Pulmonary endothelial cell (EC)-specific overexpression of miR-1 protects the lung against cell death and barrier dysfunction in both murine and human models and increases the survival of mice after pneumonia-induced ALI. MiR-1 has an intrinsic protective effect in pulmonary and other types of ECs; it inhibits apoptosis and necroptosis pathways and decreases capillary leak by protecting adherens and tight junctions. Comparative gene expression analysis and RISC recruitment assays identified miR-1 targets in the context of injury, including phosphodiesterase 5A (PDE5A), angiopoetin-2 (ANGPT2), connector enhancer of kinase suppressor of ras 3 (CNKSR3) and TNF alpha induced protein 2 (TNFAIP2). We validated miR-1-mediated regulation of ANGPT2 in both mouse and human ECs and found that in a 119-patient pneumonia cohort, miR-1 correlated inversely with ANGPT2. These findings illustrate the novel role of miR-1 as a cytoprotective orchestrator of endothelial response to acute injury with prognostic and therapeutic potential.