Penehyclidine hydrochloride decreases pulmonary microvascular permeability by upregulating beta arrestins in a murine cecal ligation and puncture model

Penehyclidine hydrochloride alleviates lung ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting pyroptosis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this research was to examine how penehyclidine hydrochloride (PHC) impacts the occurrence of pyroptosis in lung tissue cells within a rat model of lung ischemia-reperfusion injury.

METHODS

Twenty-four Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, weighing 250 g to 270 g, were randomly distributed into three distinct groups as outlined below: a sham operation group (S group), a control group (C group), and a test group (PHC group). Rats in the PHC group received a preliminary intravenous injection of PHC at a dose of 3 mg/kg. At the conclusion of the experiment, lung tissue and blood samples were collected and properly stored for subsequent analysis. The levels of malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and myeloperoxidase in the lung tissue, as well as IL-18 and IL-1β in the blood serum, were assessed using an Elisa kit. Pyroptosis-related proteins, including Caspase1 p20, GSDMD-N, and NLRP3, were detected through the western blot method. Additionally, the dry-to-wet ratio (D/W) of the lung tissue and the findings from the blood gas analysis were also documented.

RESULTS

In contrast to the control group, the PHC group showed enhancements in oxygenation metrics, reductions in oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions, and a decrease in lung injury. Additionally, the PHC group exhibited lowered levels of pyroptosis-associated proteins, including the N-terminal segment of gasdermin D (GSDMD-N), caspase-1p20, and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3).

CONCLUSION

Pre-administration of PHC has the potential to mitigate lung ischemia-reperfusion injuries by suppressing the pyroptosis of lung tissue cells, diminishing inflammatory reactions, and enhancing lung function. The primary mechanism behind anti-pyroptotic effect of PHC appears to involve the inhibition of oxidative stress.

Penehyclidine hydrochloride alleviates lipopolysaccharide‑induced acute respiratory distress syndrome in cells via regulating autophagy‑related pathway

Acute progressive hypoxic respiratory failure caused by various predisposing factors is known as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Although penehyclidine hydrochloride (PHC), an anticholinergic drug, is widely applied in clinical practice, the specific mechanisms underlying PHC in the treatment of ARDS are not completely understood. In the present study, BEAS-2B cells were treated with 10 ng/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to establish an ARDS cell model and a rat model of acute lung injury (ALI). The influences of PHC and/or autophagy inhibitor (3-methyladenine (3-MA)) on the morphology, autophagy, proliferation and apoptosis of cells and tissues were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin staining, Cell Counting Kit-8 assays, Hoechst staining, TUNEL staining, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence assays, ELISAs and scanning electron microscopy. The expression levels of apoptosis- and autophagy-related proteins were measured via western blotting. The results indicated that PHC enhanced proliferation and autophagy, and decreased apoptosis and the inflammatory response in LPS-induced BEAS-2B cells and ALI model rats. In addition, 3-MA reversed the effects of PHC on proliferation, inflammation, apoptosis and autophagy in LPS-induced BEAS-2B cells. Therefore, the present study suggested that PHC demonstrated a protective effect in LPS-induced ARDS by regulating an autophagy-related pathway.

Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1: A Potential Target to Treat Acute Lung Injury

Acute lung injury (ALI) is an acute hypoxic respiratory insufficiency caused by various intra- and extrapulmonary injury factors. Presently, excessive inflammation in the lung and the apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells are considered to be the key factors in the pathogenesis of ALI. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is an oxygen-dependent conversion activator that is closely related to the activity of reactive oxygen species (ROS). HIF-1 has been shown to play an important role in ALI and can be used as a potential therapeutic target for ALI. This manuscript will introduce the progress of HIF-1 in ALI and explore the feasibility of applying inhibitors of HIF-1 to ALI, which brings hope for the treatment of ALI.

Penehyclidine hydrochloride defends against LPS-induced ALI in rats by mitigating endoplasmic reticulum stress and promoting the Hes1/Notch1 pathway

Penehyclidine hydrochloride (PHC) is a novel anticholinergic drug applied broadly in surgeries as a preanesthetic medication. A substantial amount of research indicates that PHC has lung defensive properties. Considering that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress exerts a crucial function in cell apoptosis associated with the lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) model, we aimed to determine whether regulation of ER stress in the LPS-induced ALI model was associated with the lung defensive role of PHC. Adult male SD rats were administered LPS (5 mg/kg, intratracheally) followed by PHC (1.0 mg/kg, intravenously) for 24 h. The NR8383 alveolar macrophages were randomly separated into Sham, LPS (100 ng/mL), and PHC (1, 2.5, or 5 μg/mL) + LPS groups. PHC (1, 2.5, or 5 μg/mL) + LPS groups were treated with PHC alone for 1 h after LPS exposure. Posttreatment with PHC relieved LPS-induced pulmonary impairment and blocked LPS-mediated lung apoptosis, indicated by the downregulation of the lung apoptotic indicators malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase in serum at 24 h after LPS-induced ALI. PHC (1-5 μg/mL) did not influence the activity of cultivated NR8383 alveolar macrophages in vitro. However, postconditioning with PHC dosage-dependently reduced LPS-mediated cell apoptosis. Additionally, many studies have indicated that PHC administration inhibits ER stress and initiates hairy and enhancer of split 1 (Hes1)/(Notch1) signaling by decreasing phosphorylated α subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (p-eIF2α)/eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) and Phospho-protein kinase R-like ER kinase (p-PERK)/ protein kinase R-like ER kinase (PERK) proportions; inhibiting C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP), activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), caspase-3, and Bcl2-associated x (Bax) activity; and enhancing notch1 intracellular domain (NICD), Notch1, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), and Hes1 activity in vivo and in vitro. In addition, the defensive functions of PHC on LPS-activated NR8383 alveolar macrophages were abrogated through the Notch1 pathway antagonist [(3,5-difluorophenacetyl)-1-alanyl] -phenylglycine-butyl ester (DAPT). In conclusion, PHC alleviates LPS-induced ALI by ameliorating ER stress-mediated apoptosis and promoting Hes1/Notch1 signaling in vivo and in vitro.

Effects of penehyclidine hydrochloride on severe acute pancreatitis-associated acute lung injury in rats

Penehyclidine hydrochloride (PHC) is a selective M₁ and M₃ receptor antagonist. This study was designed to investigate the effect of PHC on acute lung injury (ALI) induced by severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) and the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in rats. A total of 45 healthy adult male SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: an S group, sham operation; an ALI group, pancreatitis-associated acute lung injury (PALI); and a P group, PALI treated with PHC. Rats from the ALI and P groups were used to establish a model of acute lung injury associated with SAP by retrograde injection of 4% sodium taurocholate into the biliopancreatic duct. Rats in the P group, reflecting acute lung injury caused by SAP, were treated with PHC immediately following SAP. Rats in the S and ALI groups were injected with the same amount of 0.9% sodium chloride solution. After modeling, the rats were sacrificed at 12h. The wet/dry weight (W/D) ratios of lung tissue were calculated. Pathological changes in pancreatic and lung tissues were scored. The expression levels of TLR4 and NF-κB p65 in lung tissue were detected by Western blot. RT-PCR was used to detect HIF-1α mRNA in lung tissue. The HIF-1α, IL-1β, and IL-6 expression levels in lung tissues and serum amylase levels were detected by ELISA. The results showed extensive infiltration of neutrophils, alveolar hemorrhage and necrosis and fat necrosis in the pancreatic tissue of rats in the PALI and P groups. Their pancreatic tissue injury scores were significantly higher than the score of the S group (P<0.01). However, no statistically significant difference was observed in the serum amylase levels of the P and ALI groups (P>0.05). The W/D ratios of lung tissue in the ALI and P group rats were significantly higher than those in the S group (P<0.05). Compared with those of the ALI group rats, the lung tissue pathological changes of the P group were significantly improved, and the lung W/D value was significantly lower than that of the ALI group (P<0.05). Compared with those of the S group, the TLR4, NF-κB p65, HIF-1α mRNA, and HIF-1α expression levels in the lung tissue of the ALI and P groups were significantly higher (P<0.01), and the TLR4, NF-κB p65, HIF-1α mRNA, HIF-1α, IL-1β and IL-6 expression levels in the P group were significantly lower than those in the ALI group (P<0.05). The current work indicates that PHC could not alleviate the damage to pancreatic tissue caused by SAP. However, PHC did suppress HIF-1α, IL-1β and IL-6 expression levels and reduced the acute lung injury induced by SAP in rats, which might depend on suppression of the expression of inflammatory factors, such as HIF-1α.

Penehyclidine hydrochloride post-conditioning reduces ischemia/reperfusion-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis in rats

Ischemic heart disease is a major cause of mortality and disability worldwide. Timely reperfusion is currently the most effective method of treating ischemic heart disease; however, abrupt reperfusion may cause ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Apoptosis serves an important role in the progression of myocardial I/R injury and it has been demonstrated that the mitochondria are the center of regulation for apoptosis. Penehyclidine hydrochloride (PHC) is used during surgery and has recently been identified as a new type of anticholinergic drug. It has been demonstrated in vivo that pretreatment with PHC reduces myocardial apoptosis in rat hearts. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of PHC post-conditioning on myocardial cell apoptosis in a rat model of myocardial I/R and to determine whether the mitochondria-induced pathway was activated. Male Wistar rats were evenly and randomly categorized into 4 experimental groups as follows: i) Sham group; ii) I/R group; iii) PHC+sham group; and iv) PHC+I/R group. A PHC (1 mg/kg) post-conditioning approach (5 min before reperfusion) was used in addition to I/R in the PHC-treated groups. Following 3 h reperfusion, flow cytometry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining were performed to measure myocardial cell apoptosis. A JC-1 staining method was performed to measure the mitochondrial membrane potential of myocardial cells. The expression of Bax, Bcl-2, voltage dependent anion-selective channel protein 1 (VDAC1), cytosol cytochrome c (cyt-c) and cleaved caspase-3 was analyzed using western blotting. PHC post-conditioning significantly reduced apoptosis in cardiomyocytes, significantly downregulated the expression of Bax, VDAC1, cytosol cytochrome c and cleaved caspase-3 but significantly upregulated the expression of Bcl-2. PHC post-conditioning also restored the mitochondrial membrane potential. Thus, the present study demonstrated that PHC post-conditioning protects cardiomyocytes against apoptosis in the rat model of myocardial I/R by inhibiting the mitochondria-induced intrinsic pathway.

Cardioprotective time-window of Penehyclidine hydrochloride postconditioning: A rat study

Pharmacological postconditioning offers a clinical perspective for all patients with ischemic heart disease. Penehyclidine hydrochloride (PHC) is a new type of anticholinergic drug. We previously reported that PHC preconditioning protects against I/R injury in rat hearts in vivo. Ischemic heart disease often occurs suddenly, so postconditioning is more significant than preconditioning. However, studies evaluating myocardial protective effects of PHC postconditioning are unavailable. We explored the effects and time-window of cardioprotection of PHC postconditioning in myocardial I/R injury. PHC was administered by intravenous at various times (t = -5, 0, 5, 10, 15, or 30min) after the onset of reperfusion in addition to I/R rat. We observed five different indicators including infarct size, inflammatory response, myocardial enzyme, oxidative stress, and Ca²⁺ overload to quantify the effect of cardioprotection. Evans blue and TTC staining were used to measure myocardial infarct size. The expression of NF-κ B and IκB-α was analyzed using Western blot. ELISA was conducted to detect inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators. The Ca²⁺ level was determined using assay kit. PHC postconditioning (from -5 to 10min after the onset of reperfusion) significantly reduced infarct size, downregulated NF-κ B expression, and decreased the release of inflammatory mediators, while significantly upregulating IκB-α expression and increasing the release of anti-inflammatory mediators. All PHC postconditioning groups significantly reduced Ca²⁺ level. PHC postconditioning is cardioprotective over a larger time-window (from -5 to 10min after the onset of reperfusion). The probable mechanism is inhibition of NF-кB regulated inflammatory response pathway.