Suppressors of cytokine signalling (SOCS)-1 inhibits neuroinflammation by regulating ROS and TLR4 in BV2 cells

Naotaifang III Protects Against Cerebral Ischemia Injury Through LPS/TLR4 Signaling Pathway in the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis

Background

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Naotaifang III is a new Chinese herbal formula to treat IS. Previous studies have shown that Astragali Radix, Puerariae Lobatae Radix, Chuanxiong Rhizoma, and Rhei Radix Et Rhizoma in Naotaifang III were able to regulate the imbalance of intestinal microbiota during cerebral ischemia injury.

Methods

Rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, normal control group, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) group, intestinal microbiota imbalance MCAO group, Naotaifang III group, and normal bacteria transplantation group, with 15 rats in each group. Then, neurological function scores and cerebral infarction volume were detected; haematoxylin and eosin staining and Golgi silver staining were used to observe morphological changes in brain tissue. Meanwhile, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and cerebral cortex interleukin (IL)-1β were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); the expressions of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) proteins were detected by immunofluorescence and Western blot. The cecal flora was detected by 16S rDNA. The results showed that gut dysbiosis aggravated cerebral ischemic injury and significantly increased the expression of LPS, TLR4, NF-κB, and IL-1β, which could be significantly reversed by Naotaifang III or normal bacterial transplantation. Naotaifang III may exert a protective effect on neuroinflammatory injury after MCAO through the LPS/TLR4 signaling pathway in the microbe-gut-brain axis. In summary, Naotaifang III may induce anti-neuroinflammatory molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways through the microbe-gut-brain axis.

Results

The results showed that gut dysbiosis aggravated cerebral ischemic injury and significantly increased the expression of LPS, TLR4, NF-κB, and IL-1β, which could be significantly reversed by Naotaifang III or normal bacterial transplantation. Naotaifang III may exert a protective effect on neuroinflammatory injury after MCAO through the LPS/TLR4 signaling pathway in the microbe-gut-brain axis.

Conclusion

Naotaifang III may induce anti-neuroinflammatory molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways through the microbe-gut-brain axis.

Regulatory Effect of JAK2/STAT3 on the Immune Function of Endotoxin-tolerant Dendritic Cells and its Involvement in Acute Liver Failure

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a potentially fatal clinical syndrome with no effective treatment. This study aimed to explore the role of Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK2/STAT3) pathway in modulating the phenotype and immune function of endotoxin-tolerant dendritic cells (ETDCs). In addition, we explored the use of EDTCs in an experimental model of ALF and investigated the associated mechanisms.

METHODS

In the in vitro experiment, ETDCs were transfected with adenovirus to induce SOCS1^+/+ETDCs and SOCS1^-/-ETDCs. Thereafter, costimulatory molecules and mixed lymphocyte reaction were assessed. Experimental mice were randomly divided into normal control, ALF, ALF+mock-ETDCs, ALF+SOCS1^+/+ETDCs, ALF+AG490, and ALF+AG490+SOCS1^+/+ETDCs groups. We examined the therapeutic effect of adoptive cellular immunotherapy by tail-vein injection of target ETDCs 12 h before ALF modeling. AG490, a JAK2/STAT3 inhibitor, was used in the in vivo experiment to further explore the protective mechanism of SOCS1^+/+ETDCs.

RESULTS

Compared with control ETDCs, SOCS1^+/+ETDCs had lower expression of costimulatory molecules, weaker allostimulatory ability, lower levels of IL-6 and TNF-α expression and higher IL-10 secretion. SOCS1^-/-ETDCs showed the opposite results. In the in vivo experiments, the ALF+SOCS1^+/+ETDCs and ALF+AG490+SOCS1^+/+ETDCs groups showed less pathological damage and suppressed activation of JAK2/STAT3 pathway. The changes were more pronounced in the ALF+AG490+SOCS1^+/+ETDCs group. Infusion of SOCS1^+/+ETDCs had a protective effect against ALF possibly via inhibition of JAK2 and STAT3 phosphorylation.

CONCLUSIONS

The SOCS1 gene had an important role in induction of endotoxin tolerance. SOCS1^+/+ETDCs alleviated lipopolysaccharide/D-galactosamine-induced ALF by downregulating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Transient Focal Cerebral Ischemia Leads to miRNA Alterations in Different Brain Regions, Blood Serum, Liver, and Spleen

Ischemic stroke is characterized by an occlusion of a cerebral blood vessel resulting in neuronal cell death due to nutritional and oxygen deficiency. Additionally, post-ischemic cell death is augmented after reperfusion. These events are paralleled by dysregulated miRNA expression profiles in the peri-infarct area. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanism in the peri-infarct region is crucial for developing promising therapeutics. Utilizing a tMCAo (transient Middle Cerebral Artery occlusion) model in rats, we studied the expression levels of the miRNAs (miR) 223-3p, 155-5p, 3473, and 448-5p in the cortex, amygdala, thalamus, and hippocampus of both the ipsi- and contralateral hemispheres. Additionally, the levels in the blood serum, spleen, and liver and the expression of their target genes, namely, Nlrp3, Socs1, Socs3, and Vegfa, were assessed. We observed an increase in all miRNAs on the ipsilateral side of the cerebral cortex in a time-dependent manner and increased miRNAs levels (miR-223-3p, miR-3473, and miR-448-5p) in the contralateral hemisphere after 72 h. Besides the cerebral cortex, the amygdala presented increased expression levels, whereas the thalamus and hippocampus showed no alterations. Different levels of the investigated miRNAs were detected in blood serum, liver, and spleen. The gene targets were altered not only in the peri-infarct area of the cortex but selectively increased in the investigated non-affected brain regions along with the spleen and liver during the reperfusion time up to 72 h. Our results suggest a supra-regional influence of miRNAs following ischemic stroke, which should be studied to further identify whether miRNAs are transported or locally upregulated.

Targeting neuroinflammation to treat cerebral ischemia - The role of TIGAR/NADPH axis

Cerebral ischemia is a disease of ischemic necrosis of brain tissue caused by intracranial artery stenosis or occlusion and cerebral artery embolization. Neuroinflammation plays an important role in the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia. Microglia, astrocytes, leukocytes and other cells that release a variety of inflammatory factors involved in neuroinflammation may play a damaging or protective role during the process of cerebral ischemia. TP53-induced glycolysis and apoptotic regulators (TIGAR) may facilitate the production of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphoric acid (NADPH) via the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) to inhibit oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. TIGAR can also directly inhibit NF-κB to inhibit neuroinflammation. TIGAR thus protect against cerebral ischemic injury. Exogenous NADPH can inhibit neuroinflammation by inhibiting oxidative stress and regulating a variety of signals. However, since NADPH oxidase (NOX) may use NADPH as a substrate to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) to mediate neuroinflammation, the combination of NADPH and NOX inhibitors may produce more powerful anti-neuroinflammatory effects. Here, we review the cells and regulatory signals involved in neuroinflammation during cerebral ischemia, and discuss the possible mechanisms of targeting neuroinflammation in the treatment of cerebral ischemia with TIGAR/NADPH axis, so as to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of cerebral ischemia.

Inhibition of let-7b-5p contributes to an anti-tumorigenic macrophage phenotype through the SOCS1/STAT pathway in prostate cancer

Background

Dysfunction of microRNAs (miRNAs) is a major cause of aberrant expression of inflammatory cytokines and contributes to macrophage polarization. Proinflammatory M1 macrophages promote T helper (Th) 1 responses and show tumoricidal activity, whereas M2 macrophages display regulatory functions in tissue repair and remodeling and promote Th2 immune responses. Previous studies have shown that miRNA let-7 is associated with cellular differentiation and that the expression of let-7b-5p is significantly augmented in M2 macrophages. However, the mechanism by which let-7b-5p regulates macrophage differentiation in prostate cancer (PCa) remains largely unknown.

Methods

Human macrophages were induced by blood monocytes from healthy male donors, and M1 macrophages were polarized by stimulating them overnight with 100 ng/ml of lipopolysaccharides and 100 ng/ml of IFN-γ. Conditioned medium from PC-3 cells was used to induce prostatic macrophages (M-CMs) in vitro, and we then transfected let-7b-5p mimics or inhibitors into M1 and M-CMs for 72 h. The expression of cluster of differentiation 206 (CD206) in each group was detected with the High-Throughput Connotation of Imaging System. We used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to examine the expression of the inflammatory cytokines IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, TNF-alpha, and let-7b in macrophages. SOCS1 protein levels were evaluated by ELISA, and the phosphorylation difference in STAT family member proteins was analyzed using CST signal-pathway chip. Phagocytosis by macrophages and the effect of macrophages on the proliferation of prostate cancer PC-3 cells were evaluated with phagocytosis assay or the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assay. The relationship between SOCS1 and let-7b-5p was confirmed with a dual-luciferase reporter.

Results

The expression of cluster of differentiation 206 (CD206, a M2-like macrophage surface molecule) was significantly increased in M1 macrophages treated with let-7b-5p mimics, while CD206 expression was decreased in M-CMs treated with let-7b-5p inhibitors. Overexpression or knockdown of let-7b-5p significantly affected the expression of inflammatory factors in macrophages-including interleukin 10 (IL-10), IL-12, IL-13, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Let-7b-5p downregulated the expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) and increased the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), STAT3, and STAT5a proteins in M-CMs and M1 macrophages with let-7b-5p mimics relative to the other groups. In addition, with the elevated expression of let-7b-5p, the phagocytosis by macrophages showed a commensurate and significant decrease. As a result, M-CMs treated with let-7b-5p inhibitors reduced the proliferation of PC-3 PCa cells.

Conclusions

Collectively, these data indicated that let-7b-5p may regulate M2 polarization through the SOCS1/STAT pathway and that reversal of M2 differentiation by let-7b-5p inhibitors enhanced macrophage phagocytosis, ultimately inhibiting the proliferation of PCa cells.