Critical role of IL-1β in the pathogenesis of Agrocybe aegerita galectin-induced liver injury through recruiting T cell to liver

Preparation and antitumor activity of selenium nanocomposite stabilized by AAGL from Agerocybe aegerita

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have limited bioavailability because of their poor stability in aqueous solutions. AAGL, a naturally active protein, extracted from Agrocybe aegerita has strong antitumor activity. However, whether AAGL can been used to stabilize SeNPs, and exerts anti-lung cancer effects remains unknown. In this study, a novel nanocomposite, AAGL-SeNPs, was prepared using AAGL-encapsulated SeNPs. The particle size of the AAGL-SeNPs was approximately 206.1 nm, which was uniform and well dispersed in aqueous solution and showed satisfactory stability. AAGL-SeNPs was non-toxic and reduced the hepatotoxicity of AAGL in mice. Importantly, AAGL-SeNPs inhibited the proliferation of lung cancer cells and suppressed tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice. AAGL-SeNPs enhanced the cytotoxic effects on lung cancer cells by stimulating immune cells. In addition, the combination of AAGL-SeNPs and osimertinib inhibited lung cancer, and AAGL-SeNPs reversed osimertinib resistance in H1975 cells. Mechanistically, Krüppel-like transcriptional factor 4 (KLF4) was identified by data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS), and its expression levels in lung cancer increased after AAGL-SeNPs treatment. This study demonstrated that nanocomposite AAGL-SeNPs is stable, safe, and has excellent antitumor efficacy, which will be a potential therapeutic drug for lung cancer treatment.

Sulforaphane, an NRF2 agonist, alleviates ferroptosis in acute liver failure by regulating HDAC6 activity

OBJECTIVE

Acute liver failure (ALF) is characterized by severe liver dysfunction, rapid progression and high mortality and is difficult to treat. Studies have found that sulforaphane (SFN), a nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRF2) agonist, has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer effects, and has certain protective effects on neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and liver fibrosis. This paper aimed to explore the protective effect of SFN in ALF and it possible mechanisms of action.

METHODS

Lipopolysaccharide and D-galactosamine were used to induce liver injury in vitro and in vivo. NRF2 agonist SFN and histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) inhibitor ACY1215 were used to observe the protective effect and possible mechanisms of SFN in ALF, respectively. Cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Fe2+, glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were detected. The expression of HDAC6, NRF2, glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) and solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) were detected by Western blotting and immunofluorescence.

RESULTS

Our results show that NRF2 was activated by SFN. LDH, Fe2+, MDA and ACSL4 were downregulated, while GSH, GPX4 and SLC7A11 were upregulated by SFN in vitro and in vivo, indicating the inhibitory effect of SFN on ferroptosis. Additionally, HDAC6 expression was decreased in the SFN group, indicating that SFN could downregulate the expression of HDAC6 in ALF. After using the HDAC6 inhibitor, ACY1215, SFN further reduced HDAC6 expression and inhibited ferroptosis, indicating that SFN may inhibit ferroptosis by regulating HDAC6 activity.

CONCLUSION

SFN has a protective effect on ALF, and the mechanism may include reduction of ferroptosis through the regulation of HDAC6. Please cite this article as: Zhang YQ, Shi CX, Zhang DM, Zhang LY, Wang LW, Gong ZJ. Sulforaphane, an NRF2 agonist, alleviates ferroptosis in acute liver failure by regulating HDAC6 activity. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(5): 464-473.

Preclinical models of acute liver failure: a comprehensive review

Acute liver failure is marked by the rapid deterioration of liver function in a previously well patient over period of days to weeks. Though relatively rare, it is associated with high morbidity and mortality. This makes it a challenging disease to study clinically, necessitating reliance on preclinical models as means to explore pathophysiology and novel therapies. Preclinical models of acute liver failure are artificial by nature, and generally fall into one of three categories: surgical, pharmacologic or immunogenic. This article reviews preclinical models of acute liver failure and considers their relevance in modeling clinical disease.

Mesenchymal stromal cell-dependent immunoregulation in chemically-induced acute liver failure

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI), which refers to liver damage caused by a drug or its metabolites, has emerged as an important cause of acute liver failure (ALF) in recent years. Chemically-induced ALF in animal models mimics the pathology of DILI in humans; thus, these models are used to study the mechanism of potentially effective treatment strategies. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) possess immunomodulatory properties, and they alleviate acute liver injury and decrease the mortality of animals with chemically-induced ALF. Here, we summarize some of the existing research on the interaction between MSCs and immune cells, and discuss the possible mechanisms underlying the immuno-modulatory activity of MSCs in chemically-induced ALF. We conclude that MSCs can impact the phenotype and function of macrophages, as well as the differentiation and maturation of dendritic cells, and inhibit the proliferation and activation of T lymphocytes or B lymphocytes. MSCs also have immuno-modulatory effects on the production of cytokines, such as prostaglandin E2 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha-stimulated gene 6, in animal models. Thus, MSCs have significant benefits in the treatment of chemically-induced ALF by interacting with immune cells and they may be applied to DILI in humans in the near future.