Anti-inflammatory Agents: Present and Future

Resolution of inflammation, an active process to restore the immune microenvironment balance: A novel drug target for treating arterial hypertension

The resolution of inflammation, the other side of the inflammatory response, is defined as an active and highly coordinated process that promotes the restoration of immune microenvironment balance and tissue repair. Inflammation resolution involves several key processes, including dampening proinflammatory signaling, specialized proresolving lipid mediator (SPM) production, nonlipid proresolving mediator production, efferocytosis and regulatory T-cell (Treg) induction. In recent years, increasing attention has been given to the effects of inflammation resolution on hypertension. Furthermore, our previous studies reported the antihypertensive effects of SPMs. Therefore, in this review, we aim to summarize and discuss the detailed association between arterial hypertension and inflammation resolution. Additional, the association between gut microbe-mediated immune and hypertension is discussed. This findings suggested that accelerating the resolution of inflammation can have beneficial effects on hypertension and its related organ damage. Exploring novel drug targets by focusing on various pathways involved in accelerating inflammation resolution will contribute to the treatment and control of hypertensive diseases in the future.

Hot under the clot: venous thrombogenesis is an inflammatory process

ABSTRACT

Venous thrombosis (VT) is a serious medical condition in which a blood clot forms in deep veins, often causing limb swelling and pain. Current antithrombotic therapies carry significant bleeding risks resulting from targeting essential coagulation factors. Recent advances in this field have revealed that the cross talk between the innate immune system and coagulation cascade is a key driver of VT pathogenesis, offering new opportunities for potential therapeutic interventions without inducing bleeding complications. This review summarizes and discusses recent evidence from preclinical models on the role of inflammation in VT development. We highlight the major mechanisms by which endothelial cell activation, Weibel-Palade body release, hypoxia, reactive oxygen species, inflammasome, neutrophil extracellular traps, and other immune factors cooperate to initiate and propagate VT. We also review emerging clinical data describing anti-inflammatory approaches as adjuncts to anticoagulation in VT treatment. Finally, we identify key knowledge gaps and future directions that could maximize the benefit of anti-inflammatory therapies in VT. Identifying and targeting the inflammatory factors driving VT, either at the endothelial cell level or within the clot, may pave the way for new therapeutic possibilities for improving VT treatment and reducing thromboembolic complications without increasing bleeding risk.

Withaferin A alleviates inflammation in animal models of arthritis by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway and cytokine release

Withaferin A, a steroid lactone from Withania somnifera, exhibits anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant properties. This study investigated the effects of withaferin A on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats, focusing on NF-κB p65 regulation and cytokine release. Withaferin A (50 mg/kg b.wt., orally) or methotrexate (0.25 mg/kg b.wt., i.p., as a reference drug) was given to CIA rats daily for 20 days postarthritis induction. Joints were removed from nonarthritic and arthritic rats to assess the levels of NO, MPO, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, COX-2, and NF-κB via ELISA. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-10, TNF-α, COX-2, iNOS, and NF-κB was also assessed through qPCR. Treatment with withaferin A significantly inhibited the levels of inflammatory cytokines and the transcription factor NF-κB; suppressed the expression of IL-1β, IL-10, TNF-α, COX-2, iNOS, and NF-κB in the joint tissue of CIA rats; and reduced cartilage and bone destruction, as shown by H&E staining. To confirm the results obtained from biochemical and molecular studies and to determine the molecular target of withaferin A, we performed a molecular simulation of the potential targets of withaferin A, which identified the NF-κB pathway as its target. These results suggested that withaferin A effectively attenuated rheumatoid arthritis progression by inhibiting the activation of the NF-κB pathway and the downstream secretion of inflammatory cytokines.

Lawsone Unleashed: A Comprehensive Review on Chemistry, Biosynthesis, and Therapeutic Potentials

Lawsone, a naturally occurring organic compound also called hennotannic acid, obtained mainly from Lawsonia inermis (Henna). It is a potential drug-like molecule with unique chemical and biological characteristics. Traditionally, henna is used in hair and skin coloring and is also a medicinal herb for various diseases. It is also widely used as a starting material for the synthesis of various drug molecules. In this review, we investigate on the chemistry, biosynthesis, physical and biological properties of lawsone. The results showed that lawsone has potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antitumor properties. It also induces cell cycle inhibition and programmed cell death in cancer, making it a potential chemotherapeutic agent. Additionally, inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine production makes it an essential treatment for inflammatory diseases. Exploration of its biosynthetic pathway can pave the way for its development into targets for new drug development. In future, well-thought-out clinical studies should be made to verify its safety and efficacy.

Gold-Catalyzed Lactone Synthesis: Advancements and Insights

Lactones represent a class of fundamental structural motifs ubiquitous in nature, holding significance across diverse scientific domains such as pharmaceuticals, natural products, drug discovery, and industry. Despite their simplicity, the synthesis of lactones has garnered considerable interest due to their pivotal roles. Gold, traditionally regarded as a noble metal, has emerged as an efficient catalyst, challenging conventional perceptions. The utilization of gold in lactone synthesis has captivated researchers, leading to the development of numerous effective methodologies. Motivated by this, we present a comprehensive compilation of reports on the gold-catalyzed synthesis of lactones, encompassing literature till date.

Pharmacological targeting of adaptor proteins in chronic inflammation

BACKGROUND

Inflammation, a biological response of the immune system, can be triggered by various factors such as pathogens, damaged cells, and toxic compounds. These factors can lead to chronic inflammatory responses, potentially causing tissue damage or disease. Both infectious and non-infectious agents, as well as cell damage, activate inflammatory cells and trigger common inflammatory signalling pathways, including NF-κB, MAPK, and JAK-STAT pathways. These pathways are activated through adaptor proteins, which possess distinct protein binding domains that connect corresponding interacting molecules to facilitate downstream signalling. Adaptor molecules have gained widespread attention in recent years due to their key role in chronic inflammatory diseases.

METHODS

In this review, we explore potential pharmacological agents that can be used to target adaptor molecules in chronic inflammatory responses. A comprehensive analysis of published studies was performed to obtain information on pharmacological agents.

CONCLUSION

This review highlights the therapeutic strategies involving small molecule inhibitors, antisense oligonucleotide therapy, and traditional medicinal compounds that have been found to inhibit the inflammatory response and pro-inflammatory cytokine production. These strategies primarily block the protein-protein interactions in the inflammatory signaling cascade. Nevertheless, extensive preclinical studies and risk assessment methodologies are necessary to ensure their safety.

An Osteoimmunomodulatory Biopatch Potentiates Stem Cell Therapies for Bone Regeneration by Simultaneously Regulating IL-17/Ferroptosis Signaling Pathways

Currently, there are still great challenges in promoting bone defect healing, a common health problem affecting millions of people. Herein an osteoimmunity-regulating biopatch capable of promoting stem cell-based therapies for bone regeneration is developed. A totally biodegradable conjugate is first synthesized, which can self-assemble into bioactive nano micelles (PPT NMs). This nanotherapy effectively improves the osteogenesis of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) under pathological conditions, by simultaneously regulating IL-17 signaling and ferroptosis pathways. Incorporation of PPT NMs into biodegradable electrospun nanofibers affords a bioactive patch, which notably improves bone formation in two rat bone defect models. A Janus bio patch is then engineered by integrating the bioactive patch with a stem cell sheet of PDLSCs. The obtained biopatch shows additionally potentiated bone regeneration capacity, by synergistically regulating osteoimmune microenvironment and facilitating stem cell differentiation. Further surface functionalization of the biopatch with tannic acid considerably increases its adhesion to the bone defect, prolongs local retention, and sustains bioactivities, thereby offering much better repair effects in rats with mandibular or cranial bone defects. Moreover, the engineered bioactive patches display good safety. Besides bone defects, this osteoimmunity-regulating biopatch strategy can be applied to promote stem cell therapies for spinal cord injury, wound healing, and skin burns.

Interleukin-1 receptor 1 deficiency worsens hepatocellular carcinoma, while gemcitabine treatment alleviates the hepatocellular carcinoma-induced increase in intra-hepatic immune cells

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Primary liver cancer, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), represents a substantial global health challenge. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors are effective in HCC treatment, several patients still experience disease progression. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) regulates immunity and inflammation. We investigate the role of IL-1 in HCC development and progression and determine the potential therapeutic impact of gemcitabine in treating HCC.

METHODS

Hydrodynamics-based transfection, employing the sleeping beauty transposase system, delivered surrogate tumor antigens, NRAS (NRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase), ShP53, and SB100 to C57BL/6 mice. A basic HCC mouse model was established. Pathogen-free animals were tested for serum and hepatotoxicity. The HCC prognosis was monitored using alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels. Liver histology immunohistochemistry and mouse splenocyte/intra-hepatic immune cell flow cytometry were conducted. IL-1β levels in human and mouse serum were assessed.

RESULTS

Interleukin-1β levels were elevated in patients with HCC compared with those in non-HCC controls. Hepatic IL-1β levels were higher in HCC mouse models than those in non-HCC mice, suggesting localized hepatic inflammation. IL-1 receptor type 1 (IL-1R1) knockout (IL-1R1-/-) mice exhibited less severe HCC progression than that in wild-type mice, despite the high intra-hepatic IL-1β concentration. IL-1R1-/- mice exhibited increased hepatic levels of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and regulatory T cells, which may exacerbate HCC. Gemcitabine significantly reduced the HCC tumor burden, improved liver conditions, and increased survival rates in HCC mouse models. Gemcitabine reduced the hepatic levels of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and regulatory T cells, potentially alleviating immune suppression in the liver.

CONCLUSIONS

Targeting IL-1 or combining gemcitabine with immunotherapy is a promising approach for treating advanced-stage HCC.

DrugSK: A Stacked Ensemble Learning Framework for Predicting Drug Combinations of Multiple Diseases

Combination therapy is an important direction of continuous exploration in the field of medicine, with the core goals of improving treatment efficacy, reducing adverse reactions, and optimizing clinical outcomes. Machine learning technology holds great promise in improving the prediction of drug synergy combinations. However, most studies focus on single disease-oriented collaborative predictive models or involve excessive feature categories, making it challenging to predict the majority of new drugs. To address these challenges, the DrugSK comprehensive model was developed, which utilizes SMILES-BERT to extract structural information from 3492 drugs and trains on reactions from 48,756 drug combinations. DrugSK is an integrated learning model capable of predicting interactions among various drug categories. First, the primary learner is trained from the initial data set. Random forest, support vector machine, and XGboost model are selected as primary learners and logistic regression as secondary learners. A new data set is then "generated" to train level 2 learners, which can be thought of as a prediction for each model. Finally, the results are filtered using logistic regression. Furthermore, the combination of the new antibacterial drug Drafloxacin with other antibacterial agents was tested. The synergistic effect of Drafloxacin and Isavuconazonium in the fight against Candida albicans has been confirmed, providing enlightenment for the clinical treatment of skin infection. DrugSK's prediction is accurate in practical application and can also predict the probability of the outcome. In addition, the tendency of Drafloxacin and antifungal drugs to be synergistic was found. The development of DrugSK will provide a new blueprint for predicting drug combination synergies.

Biomimetic Metal-Organic Framework Gated Nanoplatform for Sonodynamic Therapy against Extensively Drug Resistant Bacterial Lung Infection

Novel antimicrobial strategies are urgently needed to treat extensively drug-resistant (XDR) bacterial infections due to the high mortality rate and lack of effective therapeutic agents. Herein, nanoengineered human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs), named PMZMU, are designed as a sonosensitizer for synergistic sonodynamic-nano-antimicrobial therapy against gram-negative XDR bacteria. PMZMU is composed of a bacterial targeting peptide (UBI29-41) modified hUC-MSCs membrane (MSCm), a sonosensitizer meso-tetra(4-car-boxyphenyl) porphine doped mesoporous organo-silica nanoparticle and an acidity-responsive metal-organic framework ZIF-8. This innovative formulation enables efficient loading of polymyxin B, reduces off-target drug release, increases circulation and targeting efficacy, and generates reactive oxygen species upon ultrasound irradiation. PMZMU exhibits remarkable in vitro inhibitory activity against four XDR bacteria: Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), and Escherichia coli. Taking advantage of the bacterial targeting ability of UBI29-41 and the inflammatory chemotaxis of hUC-MSC, PMZMU can be precisely delivered to lung infection sites thereby augmenting polymyxin B concentration. PMZMU-mediated sonodynamic therapy significantly reduces bacterial burden, relieves inflammatory damage by promoting the polarization of macrophages toward M2 phenotype, and improves survival rates without introducing adverse events. Overall, this study offers promising strategies for treating deep-tissue XDR bacterial infections, and guides the design and optimization of biomimetic nanomedicine.

Chemical composition and bioactivity variability of two-step extracts derived from traditional and "QiNan" agarwood (Aquilaria spp.)

One of the primary applications for agarwood lies in the extracts, instead, there are obvious differences in the demands for agarwood components with different application fields. To obtain the rough separation and clarify each part's activity, four extracts of essential oil, hydrolat, extractum, and ethanol precipitation from traditional agarwood (TraA) and "Qinan" agarwood (QinA) were obtained by steam-solvent multistage extraction and ethanol precipitation. We investigated the chemistry and biological activity of multistage extracts using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and in vitro activity testing. The results demonstrated that two kinds of agarwood essential oils contained mainly sesquiterpenoids, yet the sesquiterpene species were remarkably diverse in two kinds of agarwood essential oils. Then, the TraA and QinA hydrolat, all predominantly aromatic and sesquiterpene, but with differences from the essential oil ingredients. Additionally, the extractum chiefly contained chromones and the ethanol precipitation method worked well to separate the impurities in the TraA extract, however, it was ineffective for the QinA extract. Ultimately, essential oils and extractums all have antioxidant properties, with extractums outperforming essential oils. Moreover, both extractums and essential oils exhibited excellent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and anti-inflammatory activity. The findings pointed to the feasibility of separating the primary components from TraA and QinA using a multi-stage extraction technique, providing a scientific basis for the efficient utilization of all components of agarwood, as well as the functional product development and differentiated utilization of extract products in incense, fragrance, perfume, and daily chemicals.

Recent Advances of Engineered Cell Membrane-Based Nanotherapeutics to Combat Inflammatory Diseases

An immune reaction known as inflammation serves as a shield from external danger signals, but an overactive immune system may additionally lead to tissue damage and even a variety of inflammatory disorders. By inheriting biological functionalities and serving as both a therapeutic medication and a drug carrier, cell membrane-based nanotherapeutics offer the potential to treat inflammatory disorders. To further strengthen the anti-inflammatory benefits of natural cell membranes, researchers alter and optimize the membranes using engineering methods. This review focuses on engineered cell membrane-based nanotherapeutics (ECMNs) and their application in treating inflammation-related diseases. Specifically, this article discusses the methods of engineering cell membranes for inflammatory diseases and examines the progress of ECMNs in inflammation-targeted therapy, inflammation-neutralizing therapy, and inflammation-immunomodulatory therapy. Additionally, the article looks into the perspectives and challenges of ECMNs in inflammatory treatment and offers suggestions as well as guidance to encourage further investigations and implementations in this area.

Paradoxical effect of anti-inflammatory drugs on IL-6 mRNA expression in patients with PTSD during treatment

The pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with the activation of the innate immune system, including cytokines like interleukin 6 (IL-6). However, the role of IL-6 in the etiology and treatment of PTSD still remains elusive. We conducted a prospective controlled trial to investigate the development of IL-6 during psychosomatic treatment in individuals with PTSD in comparison with individuals without PTSD. We assessed IL-6 mRNA expression before and after 2 months of psychosomatic treatment in individuals with and without PTSD. Severities of PTSD and depressive symptoms were assessed in parallel. Linear mixed regression was applied for statistical analysis, including the factors diagnosis PTSD and pre-post treatment after subgrouping for intake of anti-inflammatory drugs. The development of IL-6 mRNA expression during treatment was affected by the use of anti-inflammatory drugs. In the subgroup without intake of anti-inflammatory drugs, no significant statistical treatment effect in individuals with and without PTSD emerged. In the subgroup of individuals taking anti-inflammatory drugs, a significant interaction effect of the factors pre-post treatment and diagnosis PTSD was observed. Whereas IL-6 mRNA expression in individuals without PTSD decreased according to amelioration of symptoms, IL-6 mRNA expression in individuals with PTSD increased significantly during treatment, in opposite direction to symptom severity. Anti-inflammatory drugs might affect IL-6 mRNA expression in individuals with PTSD in a paradoxical way. This study offers a further piece of evidence that IL-6 could be involved in the pathophysiology of PTSD and PTSD-specific immunologic molecular mechanisms.

Extracellular Vesicle-Inspired Therapeutic Strategies for the COVID-19

Emerging infectious diseases like coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) present significant challenges to global health, extensively affecting both human society and the economy. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have demonstrated remarkable potential as crucial biomedical tools for COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment. However, due to limitations in the performance and titer of natural vesicles, their clinical use remains limited. Nonetheless, EV-inspired strategies are gaining increasing attention. Notably, biomimetic vesicles, inspired by EVs, possess specific receptors that can act as "Trojan horses," preventing the virus from infecting host cells. Genetic engineering can enhance these vesicles by enabling them to carry more receptors, significantly increasing their specificity for absorbing the novel coronavirus. Additionally, biomimetic vesicles inherit numerous cytokine receptors from parent cells, allowing them to effectively mitigate the "cytokine storm" by adsorbing pro-inflammatory cytokines. Overall, this EV-inspired strategy offers new avenues for the treatment of emerging infectious diseases. Herein, this review systematically summarizes the current applications of EV-inspired strategies in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. The current status and challenges associated with the clinical implementation of EV-inspired strategies are also discussed. The goal of this review is to provide new insights into the design of EV-inspired strategies and expand their application in combating emerging infectious diseases.

Pharmacological and behavioral investigation of putative self-medicative plants in Budongo chimpanzee diets

Wild chimpanzees consume a variety of plants to meet their dietary needs and maintain wellbeing. While some plants have obvious value, others are nutritionally poor and/or contain bioactive toxins which make ingestion costly. In some cases, these nutrient-poor resources are speculated to be medicinal, thought to help individuals combat illness. In this study, we observed two habituated chimpanzee communities living in the Budongo Forest, Uganda, and collected 17 botanical samples associated with putative self-medication behaviors (e.g., bark feeding, dead wood eating, and pith-stripping) or events (e.g., when consumer had elevated parasite load, abnormal urinalysis, or injury). In total, we selected plant parts from 13 species (nine trees and four herbaceous plants). Three extracts of different polarities were produced from each sample using n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol/water (9/1, v/v) and introduced to antibacterial and anti-inflammatory in vitro models. Extracts were evaluated for growth inhibition against a panel of multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of bacteria, including ESKAPE strains and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition activity. Pharmacological results suggest that Budongo chimpanzees consume several species with potent medicinal properties. In the antibacterial library screen, 45 out of 53 extracts (88%) exhibited ≥40% inhibition at a concentration of 256 μg/mL. Of these active extracts, 41 (91%) showed activity at ≤256μg/mL in subsequent dose-response antibacterial experiments. The strongest antibacterial activity was achieved by the n-hexane extract of Alstonia boonei dead wood against Staphylococcus aureus (IC50: 16 μg/mL; MIC: 32 μg/mL) and Enterococcus faecium (IC50: 16 μg/mL; MIC: >256 μg/mL) and by the methanol-water extract of Khaya anthotheca bark and resin against E. faecium (IC50: 16 μg/mL; MIC: 32 μg/mL) and pathogenic Escherichia coli (IC50: 16 μg/mL; MIC: 256 μg/mL). We observed ingestion of both these species by highly parasitized individuals. K. anthotheca bark and resin were also targeted by individuals with indicators of infection and injuries. All plant species negatively affected growth of E. coli. In the anti-inflammatory COX-2 inhibition library screen, 17 out of 51 tested extracts (33%) showed ≥50% COX-2 inhibition at a concentration of 5 μg/mL. Several extracts also exhibited anti-inflammatory effects in COX-2 dose-response experiments. The K. anthotheca bark and resin methanol-water extract showed the most potent effects (IC50: 0.55 μg/mL), followed by the fern Christella parasitica methanol-water extract (IC50: 0.81 μg/mL). This fern species was consumed by an injured individual, a feeding behavior documented only once before in this population. These results, integrated with associated observations from eight months of behavioral data, provide further evidence for the presence of self-medicative resources in wild chimpanzee diets. This study addresses the challenge of distinguishing preventative medicinal food consumption from therapeutic self-medication by integrating pharmacological, observational, and health monitoring data-an essential interdisciplinary approach for advancing the field of zoopharmacognosy.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: the biology of a neglected disease

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic, debilitating disease characterised by a wide range of symptoms that severely impact all aspects of life. Despite its significant prevalence, ME/CFS remains one of the most understudied and misunderstood conditions in modern medicine. ME/CFS lacks standardised diagnostic criteria owing to variations in both inclusion and exclusion criteria across different diagnostic guidelines, and furthermore, there are currently no effective treatments available. Moving beyond the traditional fragmented perspectives that have limited our understanding and management of the disease, our analysis of current information on ME/CFS represents a significant paradigm shift by synthesising the disease's multifactorial origins into a cohesive model. We discuss how ME/CFS emerges from an intricate web of genetic vulnerabilities and environmental triggers, notably viral infections, leading to a complex series of pathological responses including immune dysregulation, chronic inflammation, gut dysbiosis, and metabolic disturbances. This comprehensive model not only advances our understanding of ME/CFS's pathophysiology but also opens new avenues for research and potential therapeutic strategies. By integrating these disparate elements, our work emphasises the necessity of a holistic approach to diagnosing, researching, and treating ME/CFS, urging the scientific community to reconsider the disease's complexity and the multifaceted approach required for its study and management.

Engineering Innervated Musculoskeletal Tissues for Regenerative Orthopedics and Disease Modeling

Musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders significantly burden patients and society, resulting in high healthcare costs and productivity loss. These disorders are the leading cause of physical disability, and their prevalence is expected to increase as sedentary lifestyles become common and the global population of the elderly increases. Proper innervation is critical to maintaining MSK function, and nerve damage or dysfunction underlies various MSK disorders, underscoring the potential of restoring nerve function in MSK disorder treatment. However, most MSK tissue engineering strategies have overlooked the significance of innervation. This review first expounds upon innervation in the MSK system and its importance in maintaining MSK homeostasis and functions. This will be followed by strategies for engineering MSK tissues that induce post-implantation in situ innervation or are pre-innervated. Subsequently, research progress in modeling MSK disorders using innervated MSK organoids and organs-on-chips (OoCs) is analyzed. Finally, the future development of engineering innervated MSK tissues to treat MSK disorders and recapitulate disease mechanisms is discussed. This review provides valuable insights into the underlying principles, engineering methods, and applications of innervated MSK tissues, paving the way for the development of targeted, efficacious therapies for various MSK conditions.

Statin prevents cancer development in chronic inflammation by blocking interleukin 33 expression

Chronic inflammation is a major cause of cancer worldwide. Interleukin 33 (IL-33) is a critical initiator of cancer-prone chronic inflammation; however, its induction mechanism by environmental causes of chronic inflammation is unknown. Herein, we demonstrate that Toll-like receptor (TLR)3/4-TBK1-IRF3 pathway activation links environmental insults to IL-33 induction in the skin and pancreas inflammation. An FDA-approved drug library screen identifies pitavastatin to effectively suppress IL-33 expression by blocking TBK1 membrane recruitment/activation through the mevalonate pathway inhibition. Accordingly, pitavastatin prevents chronic pancreatitis and its cancer sequela in an IL-33-dependent manner. The IRF3-IL-33 axis is highly active in chronic pancreatitis and its associated pancreatic cancer in humans. Interestingly, pitavastatin use correlates with a significantly reduced risk of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer in patients. Our findings demonstrate that blocking the TBK1-IRF3-IL-33 signaling axis suppresses cancer-prone chronic inflammation. Statins present a safe and effective prophylactic strategy to prevent chronic inflammation and its cancer sequela.

Recent Advances in Smart Self-Assembled Bioinspired Hydrogels: A Bridging Weapon for Emerging Health Care Applications from Bench to Bedside

Stimuli-responsive low molecular weight hydrogel interventions for Biomedical challenges are a rapidly evolving paradigm in the bottom-up approach recently. Peptide-based self-assembled nano biomaterials present safer alternatives to their non-degradable counterparts as demanded for today's most urged clinical needs.Although a plethora of work has already been accomplished, programming hydrogelators with appropriate functionalities requires a better understanding as the impact of the macromolecular structure of the peptides and subsequently, their self-assembled nanostructures remain unidentified. Henceforth this review focuses on two aspects: Firstly, the underlying guidelines for building biomimetic strategies to tailor scaffolds leading to hydrogelation along with the role of non-covalent interactions that are the key components of various self-assembly processes. In the second section, it is aimed to bring together the recent achievements with designer assembly concerning their self-aggregation behaviour and applications mainly in the biomedical arena like drug delivery carrier design, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory as well as wound healing materials. Furthermore, it is anticipated that this article will provide a conceptual demonstration of the different approaches taken towards the construction of these task-specific designer hydrogels. Finally, a collective effort among the material scientists is required to pave the path for the entrance of these intelligent materials into medicine from bench to bedside.

Oregano Essential Oil in Livestock and Veterinary Medicine

With a growing global concern over food safety and animal welfare issues, the livestock and veterinary industries are undergoing unprecedented changes. These changes have not only brought challenges within each industry, but also brought unprecedented opportunities for development. In this context, the search for natural and safe products that can effectively replace traditional veterinary drugs has become an important research direction in the fields of animal husbandry and veterinary medicine. Oregano essential oil (OEO), as a natural extract, is gradually emerging in the fields of animal husbandry and veterinary medicine with its unique antibacterial, antioxidant, and multiple other biological activities. OEO not only has a wide antibacterial spectrum, effectively fighting against a variety of pathogenic microorganisms, but also, because of its natural properties, helps us to avoid traditional veterinary drugs that may bring drug residues or cause drug resistance problems. This indicates OEO has great application potential in animal disease treatment, animal growth promotion, and animal welfare improvement. At present, the application of OEO in the fields of animal husbandry and veterinary medicine has achieved preliminary results. Studies have shown that adding OEO to animal feed can significantly improve the growth performance and health status of animals and reduce the occurrence of disease. At the same time, pharmacokinetic studies in animals show that the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion processes of OEO in animals shows good bioavailability. In summary, oregano essential oil (OEO), as a substitute for natural veterinary drugs with broad application prospects, is gradually becoming a research hotspot in the field of animal husbandry and veterinary medicine. In the future, we look forward to further tapping the potential of OEO through more research and practice and making greater contributions to the sustainable development of the livestock and veterinary industries.

Tumor biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and targeted therapy

Tumor biomarkers, the substances which are produced by tumors or the body's responses to tumors during tumorigenesis and progression, have been demonstrated to possess critical and encouraging value in screening and early diagnosis, prognosis prediction, recurrence detection, and therapeutic efficacy monitoring of cancers. Over the past decades, continuous progress has been made in exploring and discovering novel, sensitive, specific, and accurate tumor biomarkers, which has significantly promoted personalized medicine and improved the outcomes of cancer patients, especially advances in molecular biology technologies developed for the detection of tumor biomarkers. Herein, we summarize the discovery and development of tumor biomarkers, including the history of tumor biomarkers, the conventional and innovative technologies used for biomarker discovery and detection, the classification of tumor biomarkers based on tissue origins, and the application of tumor biomarkers in clinical cancer management. In particular, we highlight the recent advancements in biomarker-based anticancer-targeted therapies which are emerging as breakthroughs and promising cancer therapeutic strategies. We also discuss limitations and challenges that need to be addressed and provide insights and perspectives to turn challenges into opportunities in this field. Collectively, the discovery and application of multiple tumor biomarkers emphasized in this review may provide guidance on improved precision medicine, broaden horizons in future research directions, and expedite the clinical classification of cancer patients according to their molecular biomarkers rather than organs of origin.

Emerging roles of lactate in acute and chronic inflammation

Traditionally, lactate has been considered a 'waste product' of cellular metabolism. Recent findings have shown that lactate is a substance that plays an indispensable role in various physiological cellular functions and contributes to energy metabolism and signal transduction during immune and inflammatory responses. The discovery of lactylation further revealed the role of lactate in regulating inflammatory processes. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the paradoxical characteristics of lactate metabolism in the inflammatory microenvironment and highlight the pivotal roles of lactate homeostasis, the lactate shuttle, and lactylation ('lactate clock') in acute and chronic inflammatory responses from a molecular perspective. We especially focused on lactate and lactate receptors with either proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory effects on complex molecular biological signalling pathways and investigated the dynamic changes in inflammatory immune cells in the lactate-related inflammatory microenvironment. Moreover, we reviewed progress on the use of lactate as a therapeutic target for regulating the inflammatory response, which may provide a new perspective for treating inflammation-related diseases.

Diabetes and the fabkin complex: A dual-edged sword

The Fabkin complex, composed of FABP4, ADK, and NDPKs, emerges as a novel regulator of insulin-producing beta cells, offering promising prospects for diabetes treatment. Our approach, which combines literature review and database analysis, sets the stage for future research. These findings hold significant implications for both diabetes treatment and research, as they present potential therapeutic targets for personalized treatment, leading to enhanced patient outcomes and a deeper comprehension of the disease. The multifaceted role of the Fabkin complex in glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, anti-inflammation, beta cell proliferation, and vascular function underscores its therapeutic potential, reshaping diabetes management and propelling advancements in the field.

High-performance lung-targeted bio-responsive platform for severe colistin-resistant bacterial pneumonia therapy

Polymyxins are the last line of defense against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacterial infections. However, this last resort has been threatened by the emergence of superbugs carrying the mobile colistin resistance gene-1 (mcr-1). Given the high concentration of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3) in bacterial pneumonia, limited plasma accumulation of colistin (CST) in the lung, and potential toxicity of ionic silver (Ag+), we designed a feasible clinical transformation platform, an MMP-3 high-performance lung-targeted bio-responsive delivery system, which we named "CST&Ag@CNMS". This system exhibited excellent lung-targeting ability (>80% in lungs), MMP-3 bio-responsive release property (95% release on demand), and synergistic bactericidal activity in vitro (2-4-fold minimum inhibitory concentration reduction). In the mcr-1+ CST-resistant murine pneumonia model, treatment with CST&Ag@CNMS improved survival rates (70% vs. 20%), reduced bacteria burden (2-3 log colony-forming unit [CFU]/g tissue), and considerably mitigated inflammatory response. In this study, CST&Ag@CNMS performed better than the combination of free CST and AgNO3. We also demonstrated the superior biosafety and biodegradability of CST&Ag@CNMS both in vitro and in vivo. These findings indicate the clinical translational potential of CST&Ag@CNMS for the treatment of lung infections caused by CST-resistant bacteria carrying mcr-1.

Potential of natural products in inflammation: biological activities, structure-activity relationships, and mechanistic targets

A balance between the development and suppression of inflammation can always be found in the body. When this balance is disturbed, a strong inflammatory response can damage the body. It sometimes is necessary to use drugs with a significant anti-inflammatory effect, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and steroid hormones, to control inflammation in the body. However, the existing anti-inflammatory drugs have many adverse effects, which can be deadly in severe cases, making research into new safer and more effective anti-inflammatory drugs necessary. Currently, numerous types of natural products with anti-inflammatory activity and distinct structural features are available, and these natural products have great potential for the development of novel anti-inflammatory drugs. This review summarizes 260 natural products and their derivatives with anti-inflammatory activities in the last two decades, classified by their active ingredients, and focuses on their structure-activity relationships in anti-inflammation to lay the foundation for subsequent new drug development. We also elucidate the mechanisms and pathways of natural products that exert anti-inflammatory effects via network pharmacology predictions, providing direction for identifying subsequent targets of anti-inflammatory natural products.

A review on the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and toxicity of sophocarpine

Sophocarpine is a natural compound that belongs to the quinolizidine alkaloid family, and has a long history of use and widespread distribution in traditional Chinese herbal medicines such as Sophora alopecuroides L., Sophora flavescens Ait., and Sophora subprostrata. This article aims to summarize the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity of sophocarpine, evaluate its potential pharmacological effects in various diseases, and propose the necessity for further research and evaluation to promote its clinical application. A large number of studies have shown that it has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiviral, antiparasitic, anticancer, endocrine regulatory, and organ-protective effects as it modulates various signaling pathways, such as the NF-κB, MAPK, PI3K/AKT, and AMPK pathways. The distribution of sophocarpine in the body conforms to a two-compartment model, and sophocarpine can be detected in various tissues with a relatively short half-life. Although the pharmacological effects of sophocarpine have been confirmed, toxicity and safety assessments and reports on molecular mechanisms of its pharmacological actions have been limited. Given its significant pharmacological effects and potential clinical value, further research and evaluation are needed to promote the clinical application of sophocarpine.

Structure of Polysaccharide from Dendrobium nobile Lindl. and Its Mode of Action on TLR4 to Exert Immunomodulatory Effects

Dendrobium nobile Lindl. polysaccharide (DNP1) showed good anti-inflammatory activity in our previous study. In this study, the structural characterization of DNP1 and its mode of action on TLR4 were investigated. Structural characterization suggested that DNP1 was a linear glucomannan composed of (1 → 4)-β-Manp and (1 → 4)-β-Glcp residues, and the acetyl group was linked to the C-2 of Manp. The possible repeating structural units of DNP1 were [→4)-2-OAc-β-Manp-(1→]3 →4)-β-Glcp-(1→. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) binding test results showed that DNP1 did not bind directly to TLR4. The TLR4 and MD2 receptor blocking tests confirmed that DNP1 needs MD2 and TLR4 to participate in its anti-inflammatory effect. The binding energy of DNP1 to TLR4-MD2 was -7.9 kcal/mol, indicating that DNP1 could bind to the TLR4-MD2 complex stably. Therefore, it is concluded that DNP1 may play an immunomodulatory role by binding to the TLR4-MD2 complex and inhibiting the TLR4-MD2-mediated signaling pathway.

Effect of Laurus nobilis on bacteria and human transforming growth factor-β1

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we aimed to determine the phenolic compounds, the antibacterial activity of extract from Laurus nobilis leaves, and its possible effect on transforming growth factor-β1 expression level in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

METHODS

The phenolic components of Laurus nobilis were identified by the high-performance liquid chromatography method. The antibacterial activity of this extract was determined by disk diffusion and broth microdilution methods. The transforming growth factor-β1 expression was analyzed using the RT-qPCR method.

RESULTS

Epicatechin was found in the highest amount and o-coumaric acid in the lowest amount. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was determined to be 55.17 μg/mL. The zones of inhibition and minimum inhibitory concentration for Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Klebsiella pneumoniae were 15, 14, and 8 mm and 125, 250, and 1000 μg/mL, respectively. The change in transforming growth factor-β1 expression levels was found to be statistically significant compared with the control groups (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Laurus nobilis extract was found to be effective against bacteria and altered the expression level of transforming growth factor-β1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

A Flavonoid Glycoside Compound from Siraitia grosvenorii with Anti-Inflammatory and Hepatoprotective Effects In Vitro

Inflammation is a pivotal factor in the development and advancement of conditions like NAFLD and asthma. Diet can affect several phases of inflammation and significantly influence multiple inflammatory disorders. Siraitia grosvenorii, a traditional Chinese edible and medicinal plant, is considered beneficial to health. Flavonoids can suppress inflammatory cytokines, which play a crucial role in regulating inflammation. In the present experiments, kaempferol 3-O-α-L-rhamnoside-7-O-β-D-xylosyl(1→2)-O-α-L-rhamnoside (SGPF) is a flavonoid glycoside that was first isolated from S. grosvenorii. A series of experimental investigations were carried out to investigate whether the flavonoid component has anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects in this plant. The researchers showed that SGPF has a stronger modulation of protein expression in LPS-induced macrophages (MH-S) and OA-induced HepG2 cells. The drug was dose-dependent on cells, and in the TLR4/NF-κB/MyD88 pathway and Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, SGPF regulated all protein expression. SGPF has a clear anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective function in inflammatory conditions.

Research Progress on Sesquiterpene Compounds from Artabotrys Plants of Annonaceae

Artabotrys, a pivotal genus within the Annonaceae family, is renowned for its extensive biological significance and medicinal potential. The genus's sesquiterpene compounds have attracted considerable interest from the scientific community due to their structural complexity and diverse biological activities. These compounds exhibit a range of biological activities, including antimalarial, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory analgesic, and anti-tumor properties, positioning them as promising candidates for medical applications. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge on the variety, species, and structural characteristics of sesquiterpene compounds isolated from Artabotrys plants. Furthermore, it delves into their pharmacological activities and underlying mechanisms, offering a comprehensive foundation for future research.

The efficacy of vitamin E in preventing arthrofibrosis after joint replacement

BACKGROUND

Arthrofibrosis is a joint disorder characterized by excessive scar formation in the joint tissues. Vitamin E is an antioxidant with potential anti-fibroblastic effect. The aim of this study was to establish an arthrofibrosis rat model after joint replacement and assess the effects of vitamin E supplementation on joint fibrosis.

METHODS

We simulated knee replacement in 16 male Sprague-Dawley rats. We immobilized the surgical leg with a suture in full flexion. The control groups were killed at 2 and 12 weeks (n = 5 per group), and the test group was supplemented daily with vitamin E (0.2 mg/mL) in their drinking water for 12 weeks (n = 6). We performed histological staining to investigate the presence and severity of arthrofibrosis. Immunofluorescent staining and α2-macroglobulin (α2M) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to assess local and systemic inflammation. Static weight bearing (total internal reflection) and range of motion (ROM) were collected for functional assessment.

RESULTS

The ROM and weight-bearing symmetry decreased after the procedure and recovered slowly with still significant deficit at the end of the study for both groups. Histological analysis confirmed fibrosis in both lateral and posterior periarticular tissue. Vitamin E supplementation showed a moderate anti-inflammatory effect on the local and systemic levels. The vitamin E group exhibited significant improvement in ROM and weight-bearing symmetry at day 84 compared to the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

This model is viable for simulating arthrofibrosis after joint replacement. Vitamin E may benefit postsurgical arthrofibrosis, and further studies are needed for dosing requirements.

Pyridazine and pyridazinone derivatives: Synthesis and in vitro investigation of their anti-inflammatory potential in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages

New pyridazine and pyridazinone derivatives 3a-g, 4a-f, 6a, and 6b were designed and synthesized. Cell viability of all compounds was established based on the viability of lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 macrophage cells determined via the MTT assay. In vitro inhibition assays on human COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes were conducted to probe the newly synthesized compounds' anti-inflammatory activity. The half maximal inhibitory concentration values for the most active compounds, 3d, 3e, and 4e towards COX-2 were 0.425, 0.519, and 0.356 µM, respectively, in comparison with celecoxib. The newly synthesized compounds' ability to inhibit the production of certain proinflammatory cytokines, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and prostaglandin-E2, was also estimated in lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophages (RAW264.7 cells). Compounds 3d and 3e were identified as the most potent cytokine production inhibitors. The results of molecular modeling studies suggested that these compounds were characterized by a reasonable binding affinity toward the active site of COX-2, when compared to a reference ligand. These results might be taken into consideration in further investigations into new anti-inflammatory agents.

Linker-Based Pharmacophoric Design and Semisynthesis of Labdane Conjugates Active against Multi-Faceted Inflammatory Targets

Prolonged inflammation leads to the genesis of various inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, Alzheimer's, etc. The uncontrolled inflammatory response is characterized by the excessive release of pro-inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1alpha (IL-1α), and inflammatory enzymes such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Hence, the downregulation of these inflammatory mediators is an active therapy to control aberrant inflammation and tissue damage. To address this, herein, we present the rational design and synthesis of novel phytochemical entities (NPCEs) through strategic linker-based molecular hybridization of aromatic/heteroaromatic fragments with the labdane dialdehyde, isolated from the medicinally and nutritionally significant rhizomes of the plant Curcuma amada. To validate the anti-inflammatory potential, we employed a comprehensive in vitro study assessing its inhibitory effect on the COX-2 enzyme and other inflammatory mediators, viz., NO, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1α, in bacterial lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages, as well as in-silico molecular modeling studies targeting the inflammation regulator COX-2 enzyme. Among the synthesized novel compounds, 5f exhibited the highest anti-inflammatory potential by inhibiting the COX-2 enzyme (IC50 = 17.67 ± 0.89 μM), with a 4-fold increased activity relative to the standard drug indomethacin (IC50 = 67.16 ± 0.17 μM). 5f also significantly reduced the levels of LPS-induced NO, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1α, much better than the positive control. Molecular mechanistic studies revealed that 5f suppressed the expression of COX-2 and pro-inflammatory cytokine release dose-dependently, which was associated with the inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway. This infers that the labdane derivative 5f is a promising lead candidate as an anti-inflammatory agent to further explore its therapeutic landscape.

COVID-19 cooling: Nanostrategies targeting cytokine storm for controlling severe and critical symptoms

As severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants continue to wreak havoc worldwide, the "Cytokine Storm" (CS, also known as the inflammatory storm) or Cytokine Release Syndrome has reemerged in the public consciousness. CS is a significant contributor to the deterioration of infected individuals. Therefore, CS control is of great significance for the treatment of critically ill patients and the reduction of mortality rates. With the occurrence of variants, concerns regarding the efficacy of vaccines and antiviral drugs with a broad spectrum have grown. We should make an effort to modernize treatment strategies to address the challenges posed by mutations. Thus, in addition to the requirement for additional clinical data to monitor the long-term effects of vaccines and broad-spectrum antiviral drugs, we can use CS as an entry point and therapeutic target to alleviate the severity of the disease in patients. To effectively combat the mutation, new technologies for neutralizing or controlling CS must be developed. In recent years, nanotechnology has been widely applied in the biomedical field, opening up a plethora of opportunities for CS. Here, we put forward the view of cytokine storm as a therapeutic target can be used to treat critically ill patients by expounding the relationship between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and CS and the mechanisms associated with CS. We pay special attention to the representative strategies of nanomaterials in current neutral and CS research, as well as their potential chemical design and principles. We hope that the nanostrategies described in this review provide attractive treatment options for severe and critical COVID-19 caused by CS.

Serum visfatin level in β-thalassemia and its correlation with disease severity

Thalassemia is a group of genetic hematological conditions characterized by the defective synthesis of one or more hemoglobin chains. This genetic anomaly alters globin chain balance, causing hemolysis, ineffective erythropoiesis, and chronic inflammatory diseases. The proinflammatory adipocytokine visfatin is predominantly produced in visceral adipose tissue. Its evaluation in individuals with thalassemia may provide valuable insights into the assessment of disease severity. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of visfatin in the development of β-thalassemia and its association with the severity of the illness. The study included 40 patients with β-thalassemia and ten healthy individuals matched by age and sex. Serum visfatin level was measured using ELISA. We found that individuals with β-thalassemia major had significantly higher levels of serum visfatin than those with β-thalassemia minor and the control group (P < 0.001). A receiver operating characteristic curve revealed that serum visfatin levels were different in the three groups. Our results suggest that the serum level of visfatin is significantly correlated with the severity of β-thalassemia.

Arenarialins A-F, Anti-inflammatory Meroterpenoids with Rearranged Skeletons from the Marine Sponge Dysidea arenaria

Six new sesquiterpene quinone/hydroquinone meroterpenoids, arenarialins A-F (1-6), were isolated from the marine sponge Dysidea arenaria collected from the South China Sea. Their chemical structures and absolute configurations were determined by HRMS and NMR data analyses coupled with DP4+ and ECD calculations. Arenarialin A (1) features an unprecedented tetracyclic 6/6/5/6 carbon skeleton, whereas arenarialins B-D (2-4) possess two rare secomeroterpene scaffolds. Arenarialins A-F showed inhibitory activity on the production of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages with arenarialin D regulating the NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathway.

Association between statin use and tuberculosis risk in patients with bronchiectasis: a retrospective population-based cohort study in Taiwan

BACKGROUND

Chronic airway diseases have been associated with an increased risk of tuberculosis (TB); however, data in patients with bronchiectasis is limited. Statins have been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects by modulating the inflammatory response. This study investigated whether statin treatment could reduce the risk of TB in patients with bronchiectasis.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using a nationwide population database of patients with bronchiectasis who did or did not receive statin treatment. The defined daily dose (DDD) of statin, current or past statin user and statin exposure time were measured for the impact of statin use. The primary outcome was the incidence of new-onset TB. Considering of potential immortal time bias due to stain exposure time, Cox regression models with time-dependent covariates were employed to estimate HRs with 95% CIs for TB incidence among patients with bronchiectasis.

RESULTS

Patients with bronchiectasis receiving statin treatment had a decreased risk of TB. After adjusting for age, sex, income, comorbidities and Charlson Comorbidity Index, statin users had a 0.59-fold lower risk of TB incidence compared with non-statin users (95% CI 0.40 to 0.88; p=0.0087). Additionally, compared with non-statin users, statin treatment was a protective factor against TB in users with a cumulative DDD greater than 180 per year, with an HR of 0.32 (95% CI 0.12 to 0.87; p=0.0255).

CONCLUSIONS

Statin treatment demonstrated a dose-dependent protective effect and was associated with a reduced risk of TB in patients with bronchiectasis. These findings suggest that statins may play a role in lowering TB risk by modulating airway inflammation in this patient population.

Ex Vivo Patient-Derived Explant Model for Neurofibromatosis Type 1-Related Cutaneous Neurofibromas

Cutaneous neurofibromas (CNFs) are benign tumors that occur in the dermis of individuals with the inherited tumor predisposition disorder, neurofibromatosis type 1. CNFs cause disfigurement, pain, burning, and itching, resulting in substantially reduced QOL in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1. CNFs are benign tumors that exhibit cellular and molecular heterogeneity, making it difficult to develop tractable in vitro or in vivo models. As a result, CNF research and drug discovery efforts have been limited. To address this need, we developed a reproducible patient-derived explant (PDE) ex vivo culture model using CNF tumors from patients with neurofibromatosis type 1. CNF PDEs remain viable in culture for over 9 days and recapitulate the cellular composition and molecular signaling of CNFs. Using CNF PDEs as a model system, we found that proliferation was associated with increased T-cell infiltration. Furthermore, we identified a pattern of reciprocal inflammatory signaling in CNF PDEs in which tumors rely on prostaglandin or leukotriene-mediated signaling pathways. As proof of principle, we show that ex vivo glucocorticoid treatment reduced the expression of proinflammatory genes, confirming that CNF PDEs are a useful model for both mechanistic studies and preclinical drug testing.

Naphthoquinone derivatives as potential immunomodulators: prospective for COVID-19 treatment

Inflammation plays a crucial role in COVID-19, and when it becomes dysregulated, it can lead to severe outcomes, including death. Naphthoquinones, a class of cyclic organic compounds widely distributed in nature, have attracted significant interest due to their potential biological benefits. One such naphthoquinone is 3,5,8-trihydroxy-6-methoxy-2-(5-oxohexa-1,3-dienyl)-naphthanthene-1,4-dione (3,5,8-TMON), a compound produced by fungi. Despite its structural similarity to shikonin, limited research has been conducted to investigate its biological properties. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of 3,5,8-TMON and its synthetic derivatives in the context of inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro using cell cultures. 3,5,8-TMON was obtained by acid treatment of crude extracts of fermentation medium from Cordyceps sp., and two derivatives were accessed by reaction with phenylhydrazine under different conditions. The results revealed that the crude extract of the fungi (C. Ex) inhibited the activity of transcription factor NF-kB, as well as the production of nitric oxide (NO) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) when LPS induced it in RAW 264.7 cells. This inhibitory effect was observed at effective concentrations of 12.5 and 3.12 μg mL-1. In parallel, 3,5,8-TMON and the new derivatives 3 and 4 demonstrated the ability to decrease IL-6 production while increasing TNF, with a specific effect depending on the concentration. These concentration-dependent agonist and antagonist effects were observed in THP-1 cells. Furthermore, 3,5,8-TMON inhibited IL-6 production at concentrations of 12.5 and 3.12 μg mL-1 in Calu-3 cells during SARS-CoV-2 viral infection. These findings present promising opportunities for further research into the therapeutic potential of this class of naphthoquinone in the management of inflammation and viral infections.

JunD functions as a transcription factor of IL-10 to regulate bacterial infectious inflammation in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

IL-10 is a key anti-inflammatory mediator ensuring the protection of a host from excessive inflammation in response to pathogen infections, whose transcription or expression levels are tightly linked to the onset and progression of infectious diseases. An AP-1 family member called CiJunD was shown to be a transcription factor of IL-10 in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in the current study. CiJunD protein harbored the conserved Jun and bZIP domains. Mutant experiments demonstrated that CiJunD bound to three specific sites on IL-10 promoter, i.e., 5'-ATTATTCATA-3', 5'-AGATGAGACATCT-3', and 5'-ATTATTCATC-3', mainly relying on the bZIP domain, and initiated IL-10 transcription. Expression data from the grass carp spleen infected by Aeromonas hydrophila and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenged spleen leukocytes indicated that the expressions of CiJunD and IL-10 were positively correlated, while the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IFN-γ, and TNF-α, showed an overall downward trend when CiJunD and IL-10 peaked. The ability of CiJunD to down-regulate the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and up-regulate the expression of IL-10, both with and without LPS stimulation, was confirmed by overexpression experiments. Meanwhile, the subcellular fractionation assay revealed that the nuclear translocation of CiJunD was significantly enhanced after the LPS challenge. Moreover, in vivo administration of grass carp with Oxamflatin, a potent agonist of JunD activity, could promote IL-10 but suppress the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Intriguingly, tissue inflammation lesions and the survival rates of grass carp infected with A. hydrophila were also significantly improved by Oxamflatin administration. This work sheds light on the regulation mechanism by JunD of IL-10 expression and bacterial infectious inflammation for the first time, and it may present a viable method for preventing infectious diseases in fish by regulating IL-10 expression and inflammatory response.

Regulatory mechanisms of Gentiopicroside on human diseases: a brief review

Gentiopicroside (GPS), a single compound isolated from Gentiana lutea L. and the crucial representative of secoiridoid constituent, has been permitted for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine. GPS and its metabolites have been increasingly used in the search for clinical management with therapeutic properties and fewer side effects. The objective of this review was to provide a comprehensive overview of the involvement of molecular pathways in the therapeutic effects of GPS on human diseases and chronic conditions. This study presents a meticulously conducted comprehensive search of the PubMed and Google Scholar databases (from 1983 to 2023), aimed at identifying articles relating to regulatory mechanisms of GPS on human diseases and the pharmacokinetics of GPS. The inclusion criteria were meticulously and precisely defined to encompass original research papers that explicitly focused on elucidating the regulatory mechanisms of GPS in various human diseases through in vitro and animal studies. Notably, these studies were mandated to integrate specific genetic markers or pathways as essential components of their research inquiries. The evaluated pharmacokinetic parameters included maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), time to reach maximum plasma concentration (Tmax), area under the curve (AUC), clearance, and plasma half-life (t1/2). Subsequently, through a rigorous screening process of titles and abstracts, studies conducted in vitro or on animals, as well as those reporting pharmacokinetic data related to drugs other than GPS or language barriers, were systematically excluded. Drawing from the data and studies pertaining to this review, we conducted a thorough and informative analysis of the pharmacological characteristics and biological functions of GPS. These encompassed a wide range of effects, including hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, antioxidant, analgesic, antitumor, and immunomodulatory properties. The analysis provided a comprehensive and insightful understanding of GPS's pharmacological profile and its diverse activities. Enhancing theoretical and experimental methodologies could prove advantageous in expanding the clinical applications of GPS. This could involve optimizing the bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of GPS, uncovering additional biomarkers and potential biotransformation pathways, and investigating its combined effects with standard-of-care medications.

Study on quality difference between Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC and Iris tectorum Maxim. based on chemical chromatogram analysis, biological activity evaluation and in vivo distribution rule

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC. (BC) and Iris tectorum Maxim. (ITM) have been widely used in recent years due to their remarkable curative effects on sore throat, cough and asthma. but they are often misused due to their similar appearance. A comprehensive comparison of the chemical composition, biological activity, pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution between the two active differential components has not been performed. Differences in their specific effects have not been fully elucidated.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This work aims at differentiating between BC and ITM in terms of appearance, chemical composition, biological activity, pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, the HPLC-FP method was used to find the differences between the chemical components of BC and ITM. The pharmacological experiments were used to compare the differences in activity, including in vitro anti-inflammatory activity with LPS-induced inflammation model of RAW 264.7 cells, inhibition of AChE activity, and the regulation of isolated small intestinal smooth muscle in mice. The pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution profiles were used to analyze the differences between the two in rats.

RESULTS

The types of isoflavones in BC and ITM are basically the same, but their contents in ITM is much higher than that in BC. At the same doses, the release of TNF-α, NO, IL-1β and IL-6 from RAW 264.7 cells in the ITM group was lower than that of the BC group, and the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of ITM was stronger than that of BC. Meanwhile, ITM had stronger inhibition ability to inhibit AChE activity than BC. The BC extract exhibited an inhibitory effect on the isolated small intestinal smooth muscle of mice, and the ITM extract showed stimulatory effect at low concentration and inhibitory effect at high concentration. There were significant differences in drug-time profiles, kinetic parameters and tissue distribution.

CONCLUSIONS

There are significant differences in the multidimensional aspects of appearance, chemical composition, biological activity, pharmacokinetics, and tissue distribution between BC and ITM. This study provides a theoretical basis for the quality control, pharmacological efficacy and clinical application of the two herbs.

In Vitro Anti-Inflammatory Study of Limonoids Isolated from Chisocheton Plants

Chisocheton plants from the family Meliaceae have traditionally been used to treat several diseases; however, scientific evidence is limited. The most abundant chemical constituents of this plant are the limonoids, which are known for their various biological activities, including anti-inflammatory effects. However, the anti-inflammatory effects and underlying mechanisms of action of the constituents of Chisocheton plants have not been fully explored. In this report, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of 17 limonoid compounds from Chisocheton plant primarily by measuring their inhibitory effects on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and MCP-1, in LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells using an ELISA assay. Compounds 3, 5, 9, and 14-17 exhibited significant activity in inhibiting the evaluated pro-inflammatory markers, with IC50 values less than 20 µM and a high selectivity index (SI) range. Compounds 3, 5, 9, and 15 significantly suppressed the expression of phosphorylated p38 MAPK in THP-1 cells stimulated with LPS. These findings support the use of limonoids from Chisocheton plants as promising candidates for anti-inflammatory therapy.

Buddleja officinalis Maxim.: A review of its botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutic potential for ophthalmic diseases

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Buddleja officinalis Maxim. (B. officinalis), commonly known as "Menghua" "Yangerduo" is a widely recognized traditional herbal medicine in China, Korea, and Vietnam. For thousands of years, it has been used to treat dry eye disease, conjunctivitis, keratitis, eye ulcers, eye pain, cough, asthma, hemoptysis, and other medical conditions.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

This review article aims to provide a concise summary of the botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, medicinal potential, and application of B. officinalis in treating ophthalmic diseases and critically evaluates the existing literature to establish a scientific basis for its reasonable utilization and further investigation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The information reviewed in this study was collected from various electronic resources, including the Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar.

RESULTS

To date, 80 structurally diverse compounds have been isolated and characterized from B. officinalis, primarily flavonoids, phenylethanoids, triterpenoids, and monoterpenes. Extracts and compounds derived from B. officinalis have been reported to possess broad pharmacological effects including anti-dry eye disease, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, anti-diabetes, anti-obesity, improving osteoporosis and treatment of skin diseases. This review provides a reference for the future studies on of B. officinalis.

CONCLUSIONS

As a natural medicinal plant, B. officinalis is worthy of further development in botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutic potential for ophthalmic diseases. Although some components have demonstrated multiple pharmacological activities, their mechanisms of action remain unclear. Further studies on the underlying molecular basis and mechanism of action are warranted.

Phytochemical and biological studies of Panicum antidotale aerial parts ethanol extract supported by molecular docking study

Panicum antidotale has traditionally been used as a poultice to alleviate local inflammation and painful diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, analgesic, and antipyretic potential of its ethanol extract (PAAPEE) in vivo for the first time. In vitro antioxidant assays of Panicum antidotale using a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay revealed that it showed IC50 of 62.50 ± 6.85 μg/mL in contrast to standard, ascorbic acid, that showed IC50 of 85.51 ± 0.38 μg/mL. Administration of PAAPEE at a dose of 500 mg/kg (PAAPEE-500) displayed 78.44% and 75.13% inhibition of paw edema in carrageenen and histamine-induced edema models. respectively, 6 h post-treatment compared to that of the untreated group. Furthermore, it showed 68.78% inhibition of Freund's complete adjuvant-induced edema 21 days after treatment. It reduced the animal's rectal temperature in the yeast-induced fever model to 99.45 during the fourth h post-treatment. It significantly inhibited abnormal writhing by 44% in the acetic acid-induced pain model. PAE-500 also showed enhancement in wound closure by 72.52% with respect to that of the untreated group on the 10th day post-treatment using the excision healing of wound model. Histopathological examination of skin samples confirmed this improvement, showing enhanced tissue architecture with minimal infiltration of inflammatory cells. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of PAAPEE revealed the presence of quercetin, gallic, p-coumaric, benzoic, chlorogenic, syringic, ferulic, cinnamic, and sinapic acids. Molecular docking of 5-lipoxygenase and glycogen synthase kinase-3 β protein indicated their potential interaction within the active sites of both enzymes. Thus, P. antidotale serves as an effective natural wound-healing, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic agent.

VEGF and EGFR signaling pathways are involved in the baicalein attenuation of OVA-induced airway inflammation and airway remodeling in mice

BACKGROUND

Although Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been used for treating asthma for centuries, the understanding of its mechanism of action is still limited. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the possible therapeutic effects, and underlying mechanism of baicalein in the treatment of asthma.

METHODS

Freely availabled atabases (e.g. OMIM, TTD, Genecards, BATMAN-TCM, STITCH 5.0, SEA, SwissTargetPrediction) and software (e.g. Ligplot 2.2.5 and PyMoL) were used for disease drug target prediction and molecular docking by network pharmacology. The efficacy and mechanism of action of baicalein in the treatment of asthma were validated using an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma mouse model and molecular biology techniques.

RESULTS

A total of 1655 asthma-related genes and 161 baicalein-related targets were identified from public databases. Utilizing common databases and software for network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis, seven potential target proteins for the therapeutic effects of baicalein on asthma were selected, including v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1 (AKT1), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src (SRC), mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 (MAPK3), matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9), and MAPK1. In vivo, baicalein treatment via intraperitoneal injection at a dose of 50 mg/kg significantly reduced airway inflammation, collagen deposition, smooth muscle thickness, lung interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 levels, peripheral blood immunoglobulin (Ig)E levels, as well as the count and ratio of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in an OVA-induced asthma mouse model. Further validation by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blotting analysis revealed that the VEGF and EGFR signaling pathways involving VEGFA, MAPK1, MAPK3, and EGFR were inhibited by baicalein in the asthma mouse model.

CONCLUSION

Baicalein attenuates airway inflammation and airway remodeling through inhibition of VEGF and EGFR signaling pathways in an OVA-induced asthma mouse model. This will provide a new basis for the development of baicalein as a treatment for asthma and highlights the potential of network pharmacology and molecular docking in drug discovery and development.

Monocyte (THP-1) Response to Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized with Rumex hymenosepalus Root Extract

The study, synthesis, and application of nanomaterials in medicine have grown exponentially in recent years. An example of this is the understanding of how nanomaterials activate or regulate the immune system, particularly macrophages. In this work, nanoparticles were synthesized using Rumex hymenosepalus as a reducing agent (AgRhNPs). According to thermogravimetric analysis, the metal content of nanoparticles is 55.5% by weight. The size of the particles ranges from 5-26 nm, with an average of 11 nm, and they possess an fcc crystalline structure. The presence of extract molecules on the nanomaterial was confirmed by UV-Vis and FTIR. It was found by UPLC-qTOF that the most abundant compounds in Rh extract are flavonols, flavones, isoflavones, chalcones, and anthocyanidins. The viability and apoptosis of the THP-1 cell line were evaluated for AgRhNPs, commercial nanoparticles (AgCNPs), and Rh extract. The results indicate a minimal cytotoxic and apoptotic effect at a concentration of 12.5 μg/mL for both nanoparticles and 25 μg/mL for Rh extract. The interaction of the THP-1 cell line and treatments was used to evaluate the polarization of monocyte subsets in conjunction with an evaluation of CCR2, Tie-2, and Arg-1 expression. The AgRhNPs nanoparticles and Rh extract neither exhibited cytotoxicity in the THP-1 monocyte cell line. Additionally, the treatments mentioned above exhibited anti-inflammatory effects by maintaining the classical monocyte phenotype CD14++CD16, reducing pro-inflammatory interleukin IL-6 production, and increasing IL-4 production.

Survival and Success of Dental Implants in Patients with Autoimmune Diseases: a Systematic Review

Objectives

The purpose of this systematic review is to disclose the impact of autoimmune diseases and their medical treatment on dental implant survival and success.

Material and Methods

A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE (PubMed), The Cochrane Library and Embase up to December 6th, 2021. Any clinical study on patients with an autoimmune disease in whom implant therapy was performed was eligible. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. For each autoimmune disease group, data synthesis was divided into three groups: 1) overall results of the autoimmune disease, 2) overall results of corresponding control groups and 3) overall results of the autoimmune disease with a concomitant autoimmune disease (a subgroup of group 1). Descriptive statistics were used.

Results

Of 4,865 identified articles, 67 could be included and mainly comprising case reports and retrospective studies with an overall low quality. Implant survival rate was 50 to 100% on patient and implant level after a weighted mean follow-up of 17.7 to 68.1 months. Implant success was sporadically reported. Data on immunosuppressive medication were too heterogeneously reported to allow detailed analysis.

Conclusions

Overall, a high implant survival rate was reported in patients with autoimmune diseases. However, the identified studies were characterized by a low quality. No conclusions could be made regarding implant success and the effect of immunosuppressants due to heterogeneous reporting.

Amlodipine Ocular Delivery Restores Ferning Patterns and Reduces Intensity of Glycosylated Peak of Carrageenan-Induced Tear Fluid: An In-Silico Flexible Docking with IL-β1

BACKGROUND

The tear ferning test can be an easy clinical procedure for the evaluation and characterization of the ocular tear film.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to examine the restoration of tear ferning patterns and reduction of glycosylation peak after amlodipine application in carrageenan-induced conjunctivitis.

METHODS

At the rabbit's upper palpebral region, carrageenan was injected for cytokine-mediated conjunctivitis. Ferning pattern and glycosylation of the tear fluid were characterized using various instrumental analyses. The effect of amlodipine was also examined after ocular instillation and flexible docking studies.

RESULTS

Optical microscopy showed a disrupted ferning of the tear collected from the inflamed eye. FTIR of the induced tear fluid exhibited peaks within 1000-1200 cm-1, which might be due to the protein glycosylation absent in the normal tear spectrogram. The glycosylation peak reduced significantly in the tear sample collected from the amlodipine-treated group. Corresponding energy dispersive analysis showed the presence of sulphur, indicating protein leakage from the lacrimal gland in the induced group. The disappearance of sulphur from the treated group indicated its remedial effect. The flexible docking studies revealed a stronger binding mode of amlodipine with Interleukin-1β (IL-1β). The reduction in the intensity of the glycosylated peak and the restoration offering are probably due to suppression of IL-1β.

CONCLUSION

This study may be helpful in obtaining primary information for drug discovery to be effective against IL-1β and proving tear fluid as a novel diagnostic biomarker.

Inhibition of EphA2 protects against atherosclerosis by synergizing with statins to mitigate macrophage inflammation

Statins are highly prevalent in patients with coronary artery disease. Statins exert their anti-inflammatory effects on the vascular wall and circulating levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, increasing attention revealed the exacerbation of macrophage inflammation induced by statins, and a clear mechanistic explanation of whether the detrimental effects of statins on macrophage inflammatory phenotypes outweigh the beneficial effects is has not yet been established. Here, RNA-sequencing and RT-qPCR analyses demonstrated that statins significantly upregulated EphA2, Nlrp3, IL-1β and TNF-α expression in macrophages. Mechanistically, we found that atorvastatin reduced KLF4 binding to the EphA2 promoter using KLF4-chromatin immunoprecipitation, suppressed HDAC11-mediated deacetylation and subsequently led to enhanced EphA2 transcription. The 4D-label-free proteomics analysis further confirmed the upregulated EphA2 and inflammatory signals. Furthermore, the proinflammatory effect of atorvastatin was neutralized by an addition of recombinant Fc-ephrinA1, a selective Eph receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (ALW-II-41-27) or EphA2-silencing adenovirus (siEphA2). In vivo, EphA2 was identified a proatherogenic factor and apoE-/- mice placed on a high-fat diet following gastric gavage with atorvastatin exhibited a consistent elevation in EphA2 expression. We further observed that the transfection with siEphA2 in atorvastatin-treated mice significantly attenuated atherosclerotic plaque formation and abrogated statin-orchestrated macrophages proinflammatory genes expression as compared to that in atorvastatin alone. Increased plaque stability index was also observed following the addition of siEphA2, as evidenced by increased collagen and smooth muscle content and diminished lipid accumulation and macrophage infiltration. The data suggest that blockage of EphA2 provides an additional therapeutic benefit for further improving the anti-atherogenic effects of statins.