Anti-inflammatory effects of 6S-5-methyltetrahydrofolate‑calcium on RAW264.7 cells and zebrafish

Angesinenolide B, A Phthalide Dimeric Peroxide, Exerts Anti-Inflammatory Properties by Suppressing MAPK/STATs Signaling Pathways and ROS Production

Purpose

Angesinenolide B (ASB), a phthalide dimer with a peroxy bridge, is uniquely isolated from Chinese medicine Angelica sinensis radix and demonstrates significant anti-inflammatory properties. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory function of ASB and the potential mechanism in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages and CuSO4-induced zebrafish models.

Methods

The level of nitric oxide (NO), a proinflammatory mediator, in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells was quantified using Griess method. ELISA was employed to investigate the generation of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), while qRT-PCR was utilized to analyze the mRNA expressions of TNF-α, IL-6, inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry were employed for the determination of ROS generation. Western blot and immunofluorescence techniques were utilized to assess the impact of ASB on iNOS and COX-2, and on the NF-κB, MAPK and STATs signaling pathways. Moreover, the affinities between ASB and the target proteins were verified by molecular docking analysis. In vivo, ROS generation was explored using fluorescent probe DCFH-DA, and the TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA expressions were also evaluated in CuSO4-induced zebrafish inflammation model.

Results

ASB treatment was found to suppress the levels of NO, TNF-α, IL-6 and ROS, restrain the expressions of iNOS and COX-2 proteins and mRNA, as well as down-regulate MAPK and STATs signaling pathways in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, the administration of ASB effectively attenuated the overproduction ROS and the high mRNA expressions of TNF-α and IL-6 in a zebrafish model of inflammation induced by CuSO4.

Conclusion

ASB has the potentiality to reduce the levels of proinflammatory mediators and cytokines, decrease ROS production, and also down-regulate the MAPK and STATs signaling pathways, thereby exerting an anti-inflammatory effect. This implies that ASB could potentially serve as a viable approach for addressing inflammatory conditions.

Drug screening for ischemic stroke using larvae and adult zebrafish model: a review

Ischemic stroke (IS) is the most recorded case of stroke that is caused by decreased blood flow to the brain. Nowadays, therapeutical agents for IS are limited and they have not shown maximum clinical results. Therefore, the exploration of new candidates for IS treatment continues to be done. Zebrafish as one of the animal models has its advantages and currently is being developed to be incorporated into the drug discovery pipeline of IS. This review explores the latest applications of the zebrafish model in screening potential therapeutic agents for IS. Key factors related to the experimental design such as developmental stage and strain, routes of drug administration, induction methods, and experimental parameters are also elaborated. Finally, this review offers future recommendations for the use of zebrafish in the pre-clinical study of IS. This review is beneficial as a reference for establishing drug screening protocols using the zebrafish IS model.

Dexmedetomidine suppressed the biological behavior of RAW264.7 cells treated with LPS by down-regulating HOTAIR

Background

Previous studies have revealed dexmedetomidine have potential protective effects on vital organs by inhibiting the release of inflammatory cytokines. To investigate the effects of dexmedetomidine on sepsis, especially in the initial inflammatory stage of sepsis. RAW264.7 cells were used as the cell model in this study to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Methods

In this study, we conducted several assays to investigate the mechanisms of dexmedetomidine and HOTAIR in sepsis. Cell viability was assessed using the CCK-8 kit, while inflammation responses were measured using ELISA for IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Additionally, we employed qPCR, MeRIP, and RIP to further explore the underlying mechanisms.

Results

Our findings indicate that dexmedetomidine treatment enhanced cell viability and reduced the production of inflammatory cytokines in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, we observed that the expression of HOTAIR was increased in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells, which was then decreased upon dexmedetomidine pre-treatment. Further investigation demonstrated that HOTAIR could counteract the beneficial effects of dexmedetomidine on cell viability and cytokine production. Interestingly, we discovered that YTHDF1 targeted HOTAIR and was upregulated in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells, but reduced in dexmedetomidine treatment. We also found that YTHDF1 increased HOTAIR and HOTAIR m6A levels.

Conclusions

Collectively, our results suggest that dexmedetomidine downregulates HOTAIR and YTHDF1 expression, which in turn inhibits the biological behavior of LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells. This finding has potential implications for the prevention and treatment of sepsis-induced kidney injury.