Anti-rheumatic activity of Phenethyl isothiocyanate via inhibition of histone deacetylase-1

Manual acupuncture ameliorates inflammatory pain by upregulating adenosine A3 receptor in complete Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis rats

BACKGROUND

Adenosine A3 receptor (A3R) exerts analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-nociceptive effects. In this study, we determined the analgesic mechanism of manual acupuncture (MA) in rats with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis and explored whether MA ameliorates inflammation in these rats by upregulating A3R.

METHODS

Sixty Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into the following groups: Control, CFA, CFA + MA, CFA + sham MA, CFA + MA + DMSO, CFA + MA + IB-MECA, and CFA + MA + Reversine groups. The arthritis rat model was induced by injecting CFA into the left ankle joints. Thereafter, the rats were subjected to MA (ST36 acupoint) for 3 days. The clinical indicators paw withdrawal latency (PWL), paw withdrawal threshold (PWT), and open field test (OFT) were used to determine the analgesic effect of MA. In addition, to explore the effect of A3R on inflammation after subjecting arthritis rats to MA, IB-MECA (A3R agonist) and Reversine (A3R antagonist) were injected into ST36 before MA.

RESULTS

MA ameliorated the pathological symptoms of CFA-induced arthritis, including the pain indicators PWL and PWT, number of rearing, total ambulatory distance, and activity trajectory. Furthermore, after MA, the mRNA and protein expression of A3R was upregulated in CFA-induced arthritis rats. In contrast, the protein levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, Rap1, and p-p65 were downregulated after MA. Interestingly, the A3R agonist and antagonist further downregulated and upregulated inflammatory cytokine expression, respectively, after MA. Furthermore, the A3R antagonist increased the degree of ankle swelling after MA.

CONCLUSION

MA can alleviate inflammatory pain by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway via upregulating A3R expression of the superficial fascia of the ST36 acupoint site in CFA-induced arthritis rats.

Suppression of neutrophil extracellular traps is responsible for the amelioration of chemotherapeutic intestinal injury by the natural compound PEITC

Intestinal injury is one of the most debilitating side effects of many chemotherapeutic agents, such as irinotecan hydrochloride (CPT-11). Accumulating evidence indicates that neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play a critical role in the symptoms of ischemia and inflammation related to chemotherapy. The present study investigated the effects and possible mechanisms of phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) in inhibiting NETs and alleviating chemotherapeutic intestinal injury. CPT-11 induced robust neutrophil activation, as evidenced by increased NETs release, intestinal ischemia, and mRNA expression of inflammatory factors. PEITC prolonged the clotting time of chemotherapeutic mice, improved the intestinal microcirculation, inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors, and protected the tight junctions of the intestinal epithelium. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments revealed that PEITC directly suppresses CPT-11-induced NETs damage to intestinal cells, resulting in significant attenuation of epithelial injury. These results suggest that PEITC may be a novel agent to relieve chemotherapeutic intestinal injury via inhibition of NETs.

Rosavin regulates bone homeostasis through HDAC1-induced epigenetic regulation of EEF2

Bioactive constituents from Rhodiola rosea L. show a myriad of pharmacological effects on diverse diseases. Rosavin has been linked to reduced osteoclastogenesis, while its role in regulating osteogenesis remains unclear. The present study investigated whether and how Rosavin alleviates ovariectomy (OVX)-induced osteoporosis (OP) in mice. Rosavin had a therapeutic effect on OP in ovariectomized mice and inhibited osteoclast viability and promoted osteoblast viability. Integrated transcriptome sequencing, GO enrichment analysis, and PPI network construction revealed that the HDAC1/EEF2 axis was an important axis of gene action for Rosavin treatment. Mechanistically, HDAC1 suppressed EEF2 expression through histone deacetylation. Rescue experiments exhibited that HDAC1 promoted osteoclast viability, while EEF2 reversed the action of HDAC1 to restore bone homeostasis. In mice with OP, HDAC1 mitigated the effects of Rosavin, resulting in enhanced bone resorption and diminished bone formation, while EEF2 contributed to reduced bone resorption and elevated bone formation in mice. NF-κB and MAPK pathways were inhibited by Rosavin, enhanced by HDAC1, and blocked again by EEF2. To summarize, our results proved that Rosavin maintained bone homeostasis in OP via regulation of histone acetylation of EEF2, thus playing a key role as a therapeutic candidate for OP treatment.

Anticancer activity of broccoli, its organosulfur and polyphenolic compounds

The use of natural bioactive constituents from various food sources for anticancer purposes has become increasingly popular worldwide. Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is on the top of the consumed vegetables by the masses. Its raw matrix contains a plethora of phytochemicals, such as glucosinolates and phenolic compounds, along with rich amounts of vitamins, and minerals. Consumption of broccoli-derived phytochemicals provides strong antioxidant effects, particularly due to its sulforaphane content, while modulating numerous molecules involved in cell cycle regulation, control of apoptosis, and tuning enzyme activity. Thus, the inclusion of broccoli in the daily diet lowers the susceptibility to developing cancers. Numerous studies have underlined the undisputable role of broccoli in the diet as a chemopreventive raw food, owing to the content in sulforaphane, an isothiocyanate produced as a result of hydrolysis of precursor glucosinolates called glucoraphanin. This review will provide evidence supporting the specific role of fresh florets and sprouts of broccoli and its key bioactive constituents in the prevention and treatment of different cancers; a number of studies carried out in the in vitro and in vivo conditions as well as clinical trials were analyzed.

Epigenetic Regulation in the Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease. The etiology of RA remains undetermined and the pathogenesis is complex. There remains a paucity of ideal therapeutic drugs and treatment strategies. The epigenetic modifications affect and regulate the function and characteristics of genes through mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modification, chromosome remodeling, and RNAi, thereby exerting a significant impact on the living state of the body. Recently, the phenomenon of epigenetic modification in RA has garnered growing research interest. The application of epigenetically modified methods is the frontier field in the research of RA pathogenesis. This review highlights the research on the pathogenesis of RA based on epigenetic modification in the recent five years, thereby suggesting new methods and strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of RA.

Ellagic Acid Alleviates Rheumatoid Arthritis in Rats through Inhibiting MTA1/HDAC1-Mediated Nur77 Deacetylation

Ellagic acid (EA) was reported to play protective roles in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It was found that the level of metastasis-associated gene 1 (MTA1)/histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) protein complex was downregulated by polyphenols in several human disorders. Notably, inhibition of MTA1 or HDAC1 has anti-inflammatory effects on RA. Therefore, our study is aimed at investigating whether EA prevents RA progression through regulating the MTA1/HDAC1 complex. Herein, the human fibroblast-like synoviocyte (FLS) cell line MH7A was treated with TNF-α to induce an inflammation model in vitro and then incubated with different concentrations of EA. Western blot analysis showed that EA reduced MTA1 expression in a dose-dependent manner in MH7A cells. Then, TNF-α-treated MH7A cells were incubated with EA alone or together with MTA1 overexpression plasmid (pcDNA-MTA1), and we found that EA inhibited proliferation, inflammation cytokine levels, and oxidative stress marker protein levels and promoted apoptosis in MH7A cells, while MTA1 overexpression abolished these effects. Moreover, coimmunoprecipitation assay verified the interaction between MTA1 and HDAC1. EA downregulated the MTA1/HDAC1 complex in MH7A cells. MTA1 knockdown inhibited proliferation, inflammation, and oxidative stress and promoted apoptosis in MH7A cells, while HDAC1 overexpression reversed these effects. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay indicated that EA inhibited HDAC1-mediated Nur77 deacetylation. Rescue experiments demonstrated that Nur77 knockdown reversed the effects of EA on MH7A cell biological behaviors. Additionally, EA treatment attenuated arthritis index, paw swelling, synovial hyperplasia, and inflammation in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats. In conclusion, EA inhibited proliferation, inflammation, and oxidative stress and promoted apoptosis in MH7A cells and alleviated the severity of RA in CIA rats though downregulating MTA1/HDAC1 complex and promoting HDAC1 deacetylation-mediated Nur77 expression.

Naringin in Combination with Isothiocyanates as Liposomal Formulations Potentiates the Anti-inflammatory Activity in Different Acute and Chronic Animal Models of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Combination of drugs is extensively used to treat chronic inflammatory disease. Naringin (NAR), sulforaphane (SFN), and phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) are nutraceuticals with promising anti-inflammatory properties. However, their clinical effectiveness gets hindered because of low aqueous solubility and poor bioavailability. In the current study, two combinations of liposome (NAR + SFN and NAR + PEITC) were prepared and studied thoroughly in different in vivo models of acute and chronic models of inflammation. The encapsulation efficiency of NAR, SFN, and PEITC in the combination liposomal formulations (CLFs) prepared with 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine/cholesterol/1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine -020CN (15:4:1 M ratio) was determined to be 79.8 ± 4.2, 46.5 ± 3.6, and 78.5 ± 3.2%, respectively. The CLFs were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The physicochemical results showed that the preparations were monodisperse (PDI 0.062-0.248) in water with an average size from 140.5 to 165.6 nm and a zeta potential of -47.3 to -53.3 mV. Dissolution studies in vitro showed a slower release of PEITC (>90%, 6 h) in comparison to that of SFN (3 h). Here, we are the first to report the antiarthritic activity of CLF of NAR + SFN and NAR + PEITC in the Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA)-induced arthritic model. At an intraperitoneal dose (375 + 375 μg/mL) for 3 weeks, the NAR + PEITC liposome significantly improves both % paw edema and arthritic score compared to their free drug combinations in FCA rats. Most importantly, hematological and biochemical results showed improved anemic conditions with significant changes in the SGOT, SGPT, and ALP levels. The ELISA results showed similar trends of increased cytokine (IL-10) and decreased inflammation markers (TNF-α, IL-6, IFN-γ). Histological evaluations showing reduction in cell infiltration, pannus formation, and bone and cartilage destruction further confirm and validate the antiarthritic activity of the CLF. This comprehensive study reveals the effectiveness of combination liposomes of poorly soluble anti-inflammatory molecules (NAR, SFN, PEITC) in the treatment of arthritis.