Interleukin-22 deficiency alleviates doxorubicin-induced oxidative stress and cardiac injury via the p38 MAPK/macrophage/Fizz3 axis in mice

A longitudinal evaluation of oxidative stress - mitochondrial dysfunction - ferroptosis genes in anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity

BACKGROUND

Antineoplastic medications, including doxorubicin, idarubicin, and epirubicin, have been found to adversely affect the heart due to oxidative stress - mitochondrial dysfunction - ferroptosis (ORMFs), which act as contributing attributes to anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. To better understand this phenomenon, the time-resolved measurements of ORMFS genes were analyzed in this study.

METHODS

The effect of three anthracycline drugs on ORMFs genes was studied using a human 3D cardiac microtissue cell model. Transcriptome data was collected over 14 days at two doses (therapeutic and toxic). WGCNA identified key module-related genes, and functional enrichment analysis investigated the biological processes quantified by ssGSEA, such as immune cell infiltration and angiogenesis. Biopsies were collected from heart failure patients and control subjects. GSE59672 and GSE2965 were collected for validation. Molecular docking was used to identify anthracyclines's interaction with key genes.

RESULTS

The ORMFs genes were screened in vivo or in vitro. Using WGCNA, six co-expressed gene modules were grouped, with MEblue emerging as the most significant module. Eight key genes intersecting the blue module with the dynamic response genes were obtained: CD36, CDH5, CHI3L1, HBA2, HSD11B1, OGN, RPL8, and VWF. Compared with control samples, all key genes except RPL8 were down-regulated in vitro ANT treatment settings, and their expression levels varied over time. According to functional analyses, the key module-related genes were engaged in angiogenesis and the immune system pathways. In all ANT-treated settings, ssGSEA demonstrated a significant down-regulation of angiogenesis score and immune cell activity, including Activated CD4 T cell, Immature B cell, Memory B cell, Natural killer cell, Type 1 T helper cell, and Type 2 T helper cell. Molecular docking revealed that RPL8 and CHI3L1 show significant binding affinity for anthracyclines.

CONCLUSION

This study focuses on the dynamic characteristics of ORMFs genes in both human cardiac microtissues and cardiac biopsies from ANT-treated patients. It has been highlighted that ORMFs genes may contribute to immune infiltration and angiogenesis in cases of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. A thorough understanding of these genes could potentially lead to improved diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors and the cancer patient: from diabetes to cardioprotection and beyond

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), a new drug class initially designed and approved for treatment of diabetes mellitus, have been shown to exert pleiotropic metabolic and direct cardioprotective and nephroprotective effects that extend beyond their glucose-lowering action. These properties prompted their use in two frequently intertwined conditions, heart failure and chronic kidney disease. Their unique mechanism of action makes SGLT2i an attractive option also to lower the rate of cardiac events and improve overall survival of oncological patients with preexisting cardiovascular risk and/or candidate to receive cardiotoxic therapies. This review will cover biological foundations and clinical evidence for SGLT2i modulating myocardial function and metabolism, with a focus on their possible use as cardioprotective agents in the cardio-oncology settings. Furthermore, we will explore recently emerged SGLT2i effects on hematopoiesis and immune system, carrying the potential of attenuating tumor growth and chemotherapy-induced cytopenias.

Sodium-Glucose Co-Transporter-2 Inhibitor Empagliflozin Attenuates Sorafenib-Induced Myocardial Inflammation and Toxicity

Environmental antineoplastics such as sorafenib may pose a risk to humans through water recycling, and the increased risk of cardiotoxicity is a clinical issue in sorafenib users. Thus, developing strategies to prevent sorafenib cardiotoxicity is an urgent work. Empagliflozin, as a sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor for type 2 diabetes control, has been approved for heart failure therapy. Still, its cardioprotective effect in the experimental model of sorafenib cardiotoxicity has not yet been reported. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), immunoblot, and immunohistochemical analyses were applied to study the effect of sorafenib exposure on cardiac SGLT2 expression. The impact of empagliflozin on cell viability was investigated in the sorafenib-treated cardiomyocytes using Alamar blue assay. Immunoblot analysis was employed to delineate the effect of sorafenib and empagliflozin on ferroptosis/proinflammatory signaling in cardiomyocytes. Ferroptosis/DNA damage/fibrosis/inflammation of myocardial tissues was studied in mice with a 28-day sorafenib ± empagliflozin treatment using histological analyses. Sorafenib exposure significantly promoted SGLT2 upregulation in cardiomyocytes and mouse hearts. Empagliflozin treatment significantly attenuated the sorafenib-induced cytotoxicity/DNA damage/fibrosis in cardiomyocytes and mouse hearts. Moreover, GPX4/xCT-dependent ferroptosis as an inducer for releasing high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) was also blocked by empagliflozin administration in the sorafenib-treated cardiomyocytes and myocardial tissues. Furthermore, empagliflozin treatment significantly inhibited the sorafenib-promoted NFκB/HMGB1 axis in cardiomyocytes and myocardial tissues, and sorafenib-stimulated proinflammatory signaling (TNF-α/IL-1β/IL-6) was repressed by empagliflozin administration. Finally, empagliflozin treatment significantly attenuated the sorafenib-promoted macrophage recruitments in mouse hearts. In conclusion, empagliflozin may act as a cardioprotective agent for humans under sorafenib exposure by modulating ferroptosis/DNA damage/fibrosis/inflammation. However, further clinical evidence is required to support this preclinical finding.

Bioinformatics and experimental studies jointly reveal that Sacubitril Valsartan improves myocardial oxidative stress and inflammation by regulating the MAPK signaling pathway to treat chemotherapy related cardiotoxicity

BACKGROUND

CRC is a common but serious complication or sequela of tumor treatment, and new coping strategies are urgently needed. SV is a classic clinical cardiovascular protective drug, which has been widely used in the treatment of heart failure, hypertension and other diseases. It has good therapeutic effect in other cardiovascular diseases such as diabetes cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy and vascular disease, but it has not been proved by research that SV can prevent and treat CRC.

METHOD

In this study, DOX was used to induce a rat CRC model and evaluate the therapeutic effect of SV on it. Subsequently, R software was applied to analyze the control group, SV group, and DOX group in databases GSE207283 and GSE22369, and to screen for common differentially expressed genes. Use the DAVID website for enrichment analysis and visualization. Use STRING website to analyze and visualize protein interaction networks of key genes. Finally, experimental verification was conducted on key genes.

RESULT

Our research results show that SV has a protective effect on DOX induced myocardial injury by alleviating Weight loss, increasing Ejection fraction, and reducing the level of biomarkers of myocardial injury. Meanwhile, SV can effectively alleviate the above abnormalities. Bioinformatics and KEGG pathway analysis showed significant enrichment of metabolic and MAPK signaling pathways, suggesting that they may be the main regulatory pathway for SV treatment of CRC. Subsequent studies have also confirmed that SV can inhibit DOX induced myocardial injury through the MAPK signaling pathway, and alleviate DOX induced oxidative stress and inflammatory states.

CONCLUSION

Our research indicates that SV is a potential drug for treating CRC and preliminarily elucidates its molecular mechanism of regulating the MAPK pathway to improve oxidative stress and inflammation.

DEL-1 deficiency aggravates pressure overload-induced heart failure by promoting neutrophil infiltration and neutrophil extracellular traps formation

Recent studies have shown that neutrophils play an important role in the development and progression of heart failure. Developmental endothelial locus-1 (DEL-1) is an anti-inflammatory glycoprotein that has been found to have protective effects in various cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of DEL-1 in chronic heart failure is not well understood. In a mouse model of pressure overload-induced non-ischemic cardiac failure, we found that neutrophil infiltration in the heart increased and DEL-1 levels decreased in the early stages of heart failure. DEL-1 deficiency worsened pressure overload-induced cardiac dysfunction and remodeling in mice. Mechanistically, DEL-1 deficiency promotes neutrophil infiltration and the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) through the regulation of P38 signaling. In vitro experiments showed that DEL-1 can inhibit P38 signaling and NETs formation in mouse neutrophils in a MAC-1-dependent manner. Depleting neutrophils, inhibiting NETs formation, and inhibiting P38 signaling all reduced the exacerbation of heart failure caused by DEL-1 deletion. Overall, our findings suggest that DEL-1 deficiency worsens pressure overload-induced heart failure by promoting neutrophil infiltration and NETs formation.

IL-30 protects against sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction by inhibiting pro-inflammatory macrophage polarization and pyroptosis

Cardiac dysfunction is a well-recognized complication of sepsis and seriously affects the prognosis of sepsis patients. IL-30 has been reported to exert anti-inflammatory effects in various diseases. However, the role of IL-30 in sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction (SIMD) remains unclear. Here, we explored the protective role of IL-30 in cecum ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced SIMD mice. IL-30 expression increased in the cardiac tissues of septic mice and was mainly derived from macrophages. IL-30 deletion or neutralization aggravated sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction and injury, whereas recombinant IL-30 treatment significantly ameliorated it. Mechanistically, IL-30 deficiency exerts pro-inflammatory effects by promoting Ly6Chigh macrophage polarization and pyroptosis. Inhibiting NLRP3 with MCC950 significantly reversed cardiac dysfunction, macrophage polarization and pyroptosis aggravated by IL-30 deficiency. Recombinant IL-30 inhibited pro-inflammatory macrophage polarization and pyroptosis in vivo and vitro. Taken together, these results suggest that IL-30 protects against SIMD by inhibiting pro-inflammatory macrophage polarization and pyroptosis.

A bifunctional fusion protein protected against diabetic nephropathy by suppressing NLRP3 activation

Diabetic nephropathy (DN), the principal pathogeny of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), is related to metabolic disorders, chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress. It was reported that high expression of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) was intimately related to the progression of DN, and targeting IL-17A exhibited regulating effects on inflammation and autoimmunity but had only limited impact on the oxidative stress damage in DN. Recent studies showed that interleukin-22 (IL-22) could inhibit mitochondrial damage and inflammatory response. Thus, the cytokine IL-22 was first fused to anti-IL-17A antibody for endowing the antibody with the anti-hyperglycemia and anti-inflammation activity. Our study demonstrated that the fusion molecule, anti-IL17A/IL22 fusion protein, could not only lead to the increase of M1 macrophages and the decrease of M2 macrophages, further improving the immune microenvironment, but also prevent the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential by reducing the production of ROS in murine DN model. In addition, the fusion protein could block TRAF6/NF-κB and AKT/ROS/TXNIP signaling pathways, further synergistically restraining the production of NLRP3, thus suppressing the inflammatory response and playing beneficial effect on slowing down the progression of DN. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that the bifunctional IL-17A antibody and IL-22 fusion protein were of great benefit to DN, which highlighted a potential therapeutic strategy. KEY POINTS: • Anti-IL17A/IL22 fusion protein could improve the immune microenvironment and reduce the production of ROS. • Anti-IL17A/IL22 fusion protein could block TRAF6/NF-κB and AKT/ROS/TXNIP signaling pathways and then restrain the activation of NLRP3.

IL-27p28 knockout aggravates Doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by regulating Macrophage polarization

BACKGROUND

Several interleukins (ILs) have been demonstrated to participate in cardiac injury. This study aimed to investigate whether IL-27p28 plays a regulatory role in doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiac injury by regulating inflammation and oxidative stress.

METHODS

Dox was used to establish a mouse cardiac injury model, and IL-27p28 was knocked out to observe its role in cardiac injury. In addition, monocytes were adoptively transferred to clarify whether monocyte-macrophages mediate the regulatory role of IL-27p28 in DOX-induced cardiac injury.

RESULTS

IL-27p28 knockout significantly aggravated DOX-induced cardiac injury and cardiac dysfunction. IL-27p28 knockout also upregulated the phosphorylation levels of p65 and STAT1 and promoted M1 macrophage polarization in DOX-treated mice, which increased cardiac inflammation and oxidative stress. Moreover, IL-27p28-knockout mice that were adoptively transferred WT monocytes exhibited worse cardiac injury and cardiac dysfunction and higher cardiac inflammation and oxidative stress.

CONCLUSIONS

IL-27p28 knockdown aggravates DOX-induced cardiac injury by worsening the M1 macrophage/M2 macrophage imbalance and its associated inflammatory response and oxidative stress.

A novel peptide HSP-17 ameliorates oxidative stress injury and apoptosis in H9c2 cardiomyocytes by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway

Background

Oxidative stress and cell apoptosis play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of doxorubicin (DOX)-induced myocardial injury. Heat shock protein-derived peptide (HSP-17) is a peptide which is low-expressed in DOX treated mouse heart tissue. It has high bioactivity and interspecies sequence consistency, and is predicted to have myocardial protective effect.

Methods

Firstly, we added 1 µM DOX to H9c2 cell culture medium for 24 hours to construct the myocardial cytotoxicity model. Then we detected the effect of HSP-17 on DOX induced H9c2 cardiomyocyte injury by measuring cell viability and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level. In addition, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and tetraethylbenzimidazolylcarbocyanine iodide kits are used to evaluate the effect of the HSP-17 peptide on DOX-induced oxidative stress injury to cardiomyocytes, and the detection of apoptosis related proteins and flow cytometry were applied to detect the level of apoptosis. Furthermore, the protein expression levels [phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) and phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K)] of the PI3K/Akt pathway were also detected by western blotting.

Results

We found that the HSP-17 peptide can increase cell viability, protect mitochondrial potential, reduce LDH levels, and reduce ROS and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. In addition, we also observed that HSP-17 upregulated the expression level of p-Akt, and LY294002, a typical inhibitor of PI3K/Akt, was found to eliminate the protective roles of HSP-17.

Conclusions

In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the HSP-17 peptide protected H9c2 cells against oxidative stress and apoptosis via PI3K/Akt pathway activation, which provides a new idea for the treatment of DOX-induced myocardial injury.

The Innate Immune System in Cardiovascular Diseases and Its Role in Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity

Innate immune cells are the early responders to infection and tissue damage. They play a critical role in the initiation and resolution of inflammation in response to insult as well as tissue repair. Following ischemic or non-ischemic cardiac injury, a strong inflammatory response plays a critical role in the removal of cell debris and tissue remodeling. However, persistent inflammation could be detrimental to the heart. Studies suggest that cardiac inflammation and tissue repair needs to be tightly regulated such that the timely resolution of the inflammation may prevent adverse cardiac damage. This involves the recognition of damage; activation and release of soluble mediators such as cytokines, chemokines, and proteases; and immune cells such as monocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils. This is important in the context of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity as well. Doxorubicin (Dox) is an effective chemotherapy against multiple cancers but at the cost of cardiotoxicity. The innate immune system has emerged as a contributor to exacerbate the disease. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of the role of innate immunity in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and dox-induced cardiotoxicity and provide potential therapeutic targets to alleviate the damage.

Interleukin-22 protects from endotoxemia by inducing suppressive F4/80+Ly6GhiLy6Chi cells population

Background

Excessive inflammatory response is the primary cause of early death in patients with endotoxemia. Interleukin 22 (IL-22) has been shown to play critical roles in the modulation of infectious diseases, but its function in regulating immune responses during endotoxemia remains unclear.

Methods

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to induce endotoxemia mouse model with or without a recombinant fusion protein containing human IL-22 (F-652). IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, and MCP-1 were measured by ELISA assays. The type of macrophage was assessed by flow cytometry. Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of S100A9.

Results

We found that F-652 injection significantly improved the survival rates and reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-a, IL-1β, MCP-1) in LPS-induced endotoxemia mice. However, the mice injected with F-652 had a higher number of infiltrated immune cells after LPS treatment, suggesting an impaired immune response. Flow cytometry analysis showed a higher number of F4/80⁺Ly6G^hiLy6C^hi cells that highly expressed M2-like macrophage markers (Ym1, Arg, CCL17) in the peritoneal cavity of the F-652-treated endotoxemia mice. Further investigation found that these suppressive M2 macrophages might be induced by F-652 since the F-652 treatment could increase S100A9 in vitro.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that IL-22 has a protective role against endotoxemia by inducing the development of immunosuppressive cells through S100A9.

IL-12p40 deletion aggravates lipopolysaccharide-induced cardiac dysfunction in mice

Background

Cardiac dysfunction is one of the most common complications of sepsis and is associated with the adverse outcomes and high mortality of sepsis patients. IL-12p40, the common subunit of IL-12 and IL-23, has been shown to be involved in a variety of inflammation-related diseases, such as psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease. However, the role of IL-12p40 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cardiac dysfunction remains obscure. This study aimed to explore the role of IL-12p40 in LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction and its potential mechanisms.

Methods

In this study, mice were treated with LPS and the cardiac expression of IL-12p40 was determined. Then, IL-12p40–/– mice were used to detect the role and mechanisms of IL-12p40 in LPS-induced cardiac injury. In addition, monocytes were adoptively transferred to IL-12p40–/– mice to explore their effects on LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction.

Results

The results showed that cardiac IL-12p40 expression was significantly increased after treated with LPS. In addition, IL-12p40 deletion significantly aggravated LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction, evidenced by the increased serum levels of cardiomyocyte injury markers and heart injury scores, as well as by the deteriorated cardiac function. Moreover, IL-12p40 deletion increased LPS-induced monocyte accumulation and cardiac expression of inflammatory cytokines, as well as enhanced the activation of the NF-κB and MAPK pathways. Furthermore, adoptive transfer WT mouse monocytes to IL-12p40−/− mice alleviated LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction and decreased the phosphorylation of p65.

Conclusion

IL-12p40 deletion significantly aggravated LPS-induced cardiac injury and cardiac dysfunction in mice by regulating the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways, and this process was related to monocytes. Therefore, IL-12p40 show a protective role in SIC, and IL-12p40 deficiency or anti-IL-12p40 monoclonal antibodies may be detrimental to patients with SIC.

Guilingji Protects Against Spermatogenesis Dysfunction From Oxidative Stress via Regulation of MAPK and Apoptotic Signaling Pathways in Immp2l Mutant Mice

Male infertility is a major health issue with an estimated prevalence of 4.2% of male infertility worldwide. Oxidative stress (OS) is one of the main causes of male infertility, which is characterized by excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) or lack of antioxidants. Meanwhile, it is reported that oxidative stress plays an important role in the spermatogenic impairment in Inner mitochondrial membrane peptidase 2-like (Immp2l) mutant mice. In this study, we focused on the potential mechanism of Guilingji in protecting the spermatogenic functions in Immp2l mutant mice. The results revealed that Immp2l mutant mice exhibit impaired spermatogenesis and histology shows seminiferous tubules with reduced spermatogenic cells. After administration of Guilingji [150 mg/kg per day intragastric gavage], however, alleviated spermatogenesis impairment and reversed testis histopathological damage and reduced apoptosis. What’s more, western blotting and the levels of redox classic markers revealed that Guilingji can markedly reduce reactive oxygen species. Moreover, Guilingji treatment led to inhibition of the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), regulated apoptosis in the cells. In summary, Guilingji can improve spermatogenesis in Immp2l mutant mice by regulating oxidation-antioxidant balance and MAPK pathway. Our data suggests that Guilingji may be a promising and effective antioxidant candidate for the treatment of male infertility.

Resolvin D1 Attenuates Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity by Inhibiting Inflammation, Oxidative and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

Resolvin D1 (RvD1) is a lipid mediator that promotes resolution of inflammation. However, the function of RvD1 in doxorubicin- (Dox-) induced cardiotoxicity remains to be clarified. This study aimed to investigate whether RvD1 could attenuate Dox-induced cardiac injury. The mice were divided into three groups: control, Dox (20 mg/kg, once, intraperitoneally), and Dox + RvD1. RvD1 (2.5 μg/kg, intraperitoneally) was injected daily for 5 days. Echocardiography was performed to evaluate the cardiac function, and the heart tissue and serum samples were collected for further analyses. The results showed that RvD1 attenuated the decreased ratio of heart weight/body weight and heart weight/tibia length, the increased level of creatine kinase and activity of lactate dehydrogenase after Dox treatment. RvD1 improved the ejection fraction and fractional shortening of left ventricular and attenuated the severity of apoptosis induced by Dox. As for the underlying pathways, the results showed that RvD1 reduced the expression of IL-1 and IL-6, and attenuated the phosphorylation of P65 in cardiac tissue. RvD1 attenuated the oxidative stress induced by Dox, as demonstrated by the attenuated levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and malondialdehyde, decreased expression of Nox-2 and Nox-4 and increased expression of Nrf-2 and HO-1. In addition, RvD1 also inhibited the endoplasmic reticulum stress induced by Dox. These results indicate the potential therapeutic benefits of RvD1 in Dox-induced cardiotoxicity in mice, and the mechanism may be related to the attenuated inflammation, oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Artemisia capillaris Thunb. water extract attenuates adriamycin-induced renal injury by regulating apoptosis through the ROS/MAPK axis

Artemisia capillaris Thunb. is widely used in the treatment of kidney diseases, but the underlying mechanism remain elusive. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the mechanism of Artemisia capillaris Thunb. in alleviating renal injury. And renoprotective effects of freeze-dried powder of Artemisia capillaris Thunb. water extract (WAC) were assessed using adriamycin (ADR)-induced renal injury to the NRK-52E cells and ADR-induced renal injury Sprague-Dawley rats (SD rats) models. The results show that WAC could alleviate ADR-induced renal injury in SD rats and the NRK-52E cell line, improved renal function (BUN 9.73 ± 0.35 vs 7.13 ± 0.15, SCR 80.60 ± 1.68 vs 60.50 ± 1.42, ACR 11.50 ± 0.50 vs 8.526 ± 0.15) or cell viability (IC₅₀ = 1.08 µg/ml (ADR), cell viability increase 36.38% ± 6.74% (added 4 mg/ml WAC)), and reduced the apoptosis. Moreover, WAC inhibited the MAPK signal transduction, increased the expression of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), and decreased the production of ROS. The treatment of N-acetylcysteine (NAC, antioxidant) in vitro showed that NAC inhibited apoptosis and alleviated renal injury by inhibiting oxidative stress and reducing the phosphorylation of proteins related to the MAPK signaling pathway. Therefore, these results suggested that WAC can alleviate ADR-induced renal injury and apoptosis by regulating the ROS/MAPK axis and has potential to be used as a renoprotective drug. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Artemisia capillaris Thunb., which is a medicinal and edible plant, is widely used to treat kidney diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. The present research examined the renal protective effect of Artemisia capillaris Thunb. The results show that Artemisia capillaris Thunb. can effectively reduce renal tubular cell apoptosis through the ROS/MAPK axis in vivo and in vitro. In general, Artemisia capillaris Thunb. can be used as a potential herb to attenuate renal injury and further research can be conducted to explore its renoprotective mechanisms.

Interleukin-22: a potential therapeutic target in atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND

Atherosclerosis is recognized as a chronic immuno-inflammatory disease that is characterized by the accumulation of immune cells and lipids in the vascular wall. In this review, we focus on the latest advance regarding the regulation and signaling pathways of IL-22 and highlight its impacts on atherosclerosis.

MAIN BODY

IL-22, an important member of the IL-10 family of cytokines, is released by cells of the adaptive and innate immune system and plays a key role in the development of inflammatory diseases. The binding of IL-22 to its receptor complex can trigger a diverse array of downstream signaling pathways, in particular the JAK/STAT, to induce the expression of chemokines and proinflammatory cytokines. Recently, numerous studies suggest that IL-22 is involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis by regulation of VSMC proliferation and migration, angiogenesis, inflammatory response, hypertension, and cholesterol metabolism.

CONCLUSION

IL-22 promotes the development of atherosclerosis by multiple mechanisms, which may be a promising therapeutic target in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.

Phosphocreatine attenuates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by inhibiting oxidative stress and activating TAK1 to promote myocardial survival in vivo and in vitro

Myocardial apoptosis and necroptosis are the major etiological factor during doxorubicin (DOX) induced cardiotoxicity, and one of the important reasons that limit the drug's clinical application. Up to date, its mechanism has not been fully elucidated. The protective role of phosphocreatine (PCr) in heart surgery and medical cardiology has been observed in numerous clinical trials. This study aimed to evaluate cardioprotective actions of PCr against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and investigate the underlying mechanism involving in transforming growth factor β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) mediated myocardial survive signaling pathway. Male Sprague-Dawleyrats were intraperitoneally (ip) injected with normal saline (NS) or DOX (2 mg/kg) alone or DOX with PCr (200 mg/kg) used as animal model. The data showed that DOX significantly impaired cardiac function and structure, induced oxidative stress, myocardial apoptosis and necroptosis, and dramatically down-regulated the expression level of TAK1, while the intervention of PCr obviously attenuated cardiac dysfunction, oxidative stress, myocardial apoptosis and necroptosis, especially alleviated the decrease of TAK1 expression. In vitro analysis, after H9c2 cells were pretreated with or without PCr (0.5 mM) or N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC, 0.5 mM) or 5Z-7-oxozeaenol (5z-7-Ox, 1 μM) for 1 h, subsequently treated with DOX (1 μM) for 24 h. The results revealed that inhibition of TAK1 further deteriorated apoptotic and necroptotic cell death induced by DOX in H9c2 cells, but didn't affect oxidative stress. While the pretreatment of PCr or NAC enhanced antioxidant activity to reduce oxidative stress, significantly alleviated apoptotic and necroptotic cell death induced by DOX in H9c2 cells. Consistent with the results in vivo, PCr or NAC significantly inhibited the decrease of TAK1 expression induced by DOX. In conclusion, oxidative stress induced by DOX inhibits the expression of TAK1, and leads to myocardial apoptotic and necroptotic death, while the intervention of PCr increases antioxidant activity to alleviate oxidative stress, which in turn activates TAK1 signaling pathway to promote myocardial survival, and finally attenuate DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.

Interleukin-9 deficiency affects lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophage-related oxidative stress and myocardial cell apoptosis via the Nrf2 pathway both in vivo and in vitro

Previous studies showed that interleukin-9 (IL-9) is involved in cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension and cardiac fibrosis. This study aimed to investigate the role of IL-9 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced myocardial cell (MC) apoptosis. Mice were treated with LPS, and IL-9 expression was measured and the results showed that compared with WT mice, LPS-treated mice exhibited increased cardiac Mø-derived IL-9. Additionally, the effects of IL-9 deficiency (IL-9-/-) on macrophage (Mø)-related oxidative stress and MC apoptosis were evaluated, the results showed that IL-9 knockout significantly exacerbated cardiac dysfunction, inhibited Nrf2 nuclear transfer, promoted an imbalance in M1 and M2 Møs, and exacerbated oxidative stress and MC apoptosis in LPS-treated mice. Treatment with ML385, a specific nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway inhibitor significantly alleviated the above effects in LPS-treated IL-9-/- mice. Bone marrow-derived Møs from wild-type (WT) mice and IL-9-/- mice were treated with LPS, and the differentiation and oxidative stress levels of Møs were measured. The effect of Mø differentiation on mouse MC apoptosis was also analyzed in vitro. The results showed that LPS-induced M1 Mø/M2 Mø imbalance and Mø-related oxidative stress were alleviated by IL-9 knockout but were exacerbated by ML385 treatment. The protective effects of IL-9 deficiency on the MC apoptosis mediated by LPS-treated Møs were reversed by ML-385. Our results suggest that deletion of IL-9 decreased the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 in Møs, which further aggravated Mø-related oxidative stress and MC apoptosis. IL-9 may be a target for the prevention of LPS-induced cardiac injury.

Anti-Interleukin-16-Neutralizing Antibody Attenuates Cardiac Inflammation and Protects against Cardiac Injury in Doxorubicin-Treated Mice

Background

Interleukin-16 (IL-16) is an important inflammatory regulator and has been shown to have a powerful effect on the regulation of the inflammatory response. Cardiac inflammation has been reported to be closely related to doxorubicin- (DOX-) induced cardiac injury. In this study, the role of IL-16 in DOX-induced cardiac injury and the possible mechanisms were examined.

Methods

Cardiac IL-16 levels were first measured in DOX- or saline-treated mice. Additionally, mice were pretreated with the anti-IL-16-neutralizing antibody (nAb) or isotype IgG for 1 day and further administered DOX or saline for 5 days. Then, cardiac injury, cardiac M1 macrophage levels, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis were analyzed. The effects of the anti-IL-16 nAb on macrophage differentiation and cardiomyocyte apoptosis were also investigated in vitro.

Results

DOX administration increased IL-16 expression in cardiac macrophages compared with that of saline treatment. The anti-IL-16 nAb significantly decreased serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), myocardial-bound creatine kinase (CK-MB), and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and elevated cardiac function in DOX-induced mice. Treatment with the anti-IL-16 nAb also reduced p65 pathway activation, decreased M1 macrophage-related marker and cytokine expression, and protected against cardiomyocyte apoptosis in DOX-induced mice. In cell studies, the anti-IL-16 nAb also reduced DOX-induced M1 macrophage differentiation and alleviated apoptosis in cardiomyocytes cocultured with macrophages.

Conclusions

The anti-IL-16 nAb protects against DOX-induced cardiac injury by reducing cardiac inflammation, and IL-16 may be a promising target to prevent DOX-related cardiac injury.

The role of interleukin-10 family members in cardiovascular diseases

Interleukin (IL)-10 cytokine family members, including IL-10, IL-19, IL-20, IL-22, IL-24, IL-26 and the distantly related IL-28A, IL-28B, and IL-29, play critical roles in the regulation of inflammation. The occurrence and progression of cardiovascular diseases closely correlate with the regulation of inflammation, which may provide novel strategies for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In recent years, studies have focused on the association between the IL-10 cytokine family and the physiological and pathological progression of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this review is to summarize relevant studies and clarify whether the IL-10 cytokine family contributes to the regulation of cardiovascular diseases.

Anti-Interleukin-16 Neutralizing Antibody Treatment Alleviates Sepsis-Induced Cardiac Injury and Dysfunction via the Nuclear Factor Erythroid-2 Related Factor 2 Pathway in Mice

Several interleukin (IL) members have been reported to participate in sepsis. In this study, the effects of IL-16 on sepsis-induced cardiac injury and dysfunction were examined, and the related mechanisms were detected. IL-16 expression in septic mice was first measured, and the results showed that both cardiac and serum IL-16 expression levels were increased in mice with sepsis induced by LPS or cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) compared with control mice. Then, IL-16 was neutralized, and the effects on lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced cardiac injury were detected. The results showed that an anti-IL-16 neutralizing antibody (nAb) significantly reduced mortality and increased serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase myocardial bound (CK-MB), and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) levels while improving cardiac function in mice with LPS-induced sepsis. Neutralization of IL-16 also increased the activation of antioxidant pathways and the expression of antioxidant factors in septic mice while decreasing the activation of prooxidant pathways and the expression of prooxidants. Treatment with the anti-IL-16 nAb increased mitochondrial apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) expression, decreased nuclear AIF and cleaved poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) expression, and decreased TUNEL-positive cell percentages in LPS-treated mice. Additionally, treatment with CPUY192018, the nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway, significantly increased mortality and reversed the above effects in mice treated with LPS and the anti-IL-16 nAb. Our results showed that the anti-IL-16 nAb regulates oxidative stress through the Nrf2 pathway and participates in the regulation of cardiac injury in septic mice. Neutralization of IL-16 may be a beneficial strategy for the prevention of cardiac injury and dysfunction in sepsis patients.

Interleukin-5 deletion promotes sepsis-induced M1 macrophage differentiation, deteriorates cardiac dysfunction, and exacerbates cardiac injury via the NF-κB p65 pathway in mice

Inflammation plays a crucial role in sepsis-induced cardiac injury. The purpose of this study was to determine whether interleukin-5 (IL-5) affected lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cardiac injury by regulating the inflammatory response. First, the expression level and source of cardiac IL-5 were examined, and the results showed that LPS treatment and cecal ligation decreased cardiac IL-5 expression in macrophages. In addition, LPS was used to establish a mouse sepsis model, and the effects of IL-5 deletion on cardiac injury, M1 macrophage differentiation and myocardial cell apoptosis were analyzed. The results showed that IL-5 deficiency significantly increased cardiac injury marker expression, worsened cardiac dysfunction, promoted M1 macrophage differentiation and exacerbated myocardial cell apoptosis in LPS-induced septic mice. The nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65 pathway was inhibited by JSH-23, and the results showed that treatment with JSH-23 inhibited M1 macrophage differentiation and alleviated cardiac injury in LPS-treated IL-5-knockout mice. Furthermore, the effects of IL-5 deficiency on M1 macrophage differentiation and myocardial cell apoptosis were measured in vitro. The IL-5-mediated promotion of M1 macrophage differentiation was also reversed by S31-201, and the pro-apoptotic effect of IL-5 knockout on macrophage-mediated myocardial cell apoptosis was also reversed by JSH-23. In conclusion, we found that IL-5 knockout may exacerbate sepsis-induced cardiac injury by promoting M1 macrophage differentiation in mice. IL-5 may be a potential target for the clinical prevention of sepsis-related cardiac injury.