Oxadiazon affects the expression and activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase and acylphosphatase in human striatal precursor cells: A possible role in neurotoxicity

Versatile properties of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. flowers: In vitro exploration of antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities, network pharmacology analysis, and In-silico molecular docking simulation

Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. has been used in folk medicine against several diseases. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the chemical composition of the methanolic extract of O. ficus-indica (L.) Mill. flowers and their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. Besides, network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to explore the potential antitumor effect of active metabolites of O. ficus-indica (L.) Mill. against breast and liver cancer. The results revealed many bioactive components known for their antimicrobial and anticancer properties. Furthermore, scavenging activity was obtained, which indicated strong antioxidant properties. The plant extract exhibited antimicrobial activities against Aspergillus brasiliensis (MIC of 0.625 mg/mL), Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at MICs of 1.25 mg/mL. The results revealed proapoptotic activities of the O. ficus-indica (L.) Mill. extract against MCF7, MDA-MB-231, and HepG2 cell lines, where it induced significant early apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at sub-G1 phases, besides increasing the expression levels of p53, cyclin D1, and caspase 3 (p <0.005). The network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis revealed that the anticancer components of O. ficus-indica (L.) Mill. flower extract targets the PI3K-Akt pathway. More investigations might be required to test the mechanistic pathways by which O. ficus-indica (L.) Mill. might exhibit its biological activities in vivo.

Ligand-dependent folding and unfolding dynamics and free energy landscapes of acylphosphatase

Acylphosphatase (AcP) is an enzyme which catalyses the hydrolysis of acylphosphate. The binding with the phosphate ion (Pi) assumes significance in preserving both the stability and enzymatic activity of AcP. While previous studies using single molecule force spectroscopy explored the mechanical properties of AcP, the influence of Pi on its folding and unfolding dynamic behaviors remains unexplored. In this work, using stable magnetic tweezers, we measured and compared the force-dependent folding and unfolding rates of AcP in the Tris buffer and phosphate buffer within a force range from 2 pN to 40 pN. We found that Pi exerts no discernible effect on the folding dynamics but consistently decreases the force-dependent unfolding rate of AcP by a constant ratio across the entire force spectrum. The free energy landscapes of AcP in the absence and presence of Pi are constructed. Our results reveal that Pi selectively binds to the native state of AcP, stabilizing it and suggesting the general properties of specific ligand-receptor interactions.

The Protective Role of Oleuropein Aglycone against Pesticide-Induced Toxicity in a Human Keratinocytes Cell Model

The extensive use of agricultural pesticides to improve crop quality and yield significantly increased the risk to the public of exposure to small but repeated doses of pesticides over time through various routes, including skin, by increasing the risk of disease outbreaks. Although much work was conducted to reduce the use of pesticides in agriculture, little attention was paid to prevention, which could reduce the toxicity of pesticide exposure by reducing its impact on human health. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), a major component of the Mediterranean diet, exerts numerous health-promoting properties, many of which are attributed to oleuropein aglycone (OleA), the deglycosylated form of oleuropein, which is the main polyphenolic component of EVOO. In this work, three pesticides with different physicochemical and biological properties, namely oxadiazon (OXA), imidacloprid (IMID), and glyphosate (GLYPHO), were compared in terms of metabolic activity, mitochondrial function and epigenetic modulation in an in vitro cellular model of human HaCaT keratinocytes to mimic the pathway of dermal exposure. The potential protective effect of OleA against pesticide-induced cellular toxicity was then evaluated in a cell pre-treatment condition. This study showed that sub-lethal doses of OXA and IMID reduced the metabolic activity and mitochondrial functionality of HaCaT cells by inducing oxidative stress and altering intracellular calcium flux and caused epigenetic modification by reducing histone acetylation H3 and H4. GLYPHO, on the other hand, showed no evidence of cellular toxicity at the doses tested. Pretreatment of cells with OleA was able to protect cells from the damaging effects of the pesticides OXA and IMID by maintaining metabolic activity and mitochondrial function at a controlled level and preventing acetylation reduction, particularly of histone H3. In conclusion, the bioactive properties of OleA reported here could be of great pharmaceutical and health interest, as they could be further studied to design new formulations for the prevention of toxicity from exposure to pesticide use.

Selected herbicides screened for toxicity and analysed as inhibitors of both cholinesterases

Sets of 346 herbicides in use and 163 outdated no longer in use were collected from open access online sources and compared in silico with cholinesterases inhibitors (ChI) and drugs in terms of physicochemical profile and estimated toxic effects on human health. The screening revealed at least one potential adverse consequence for each herbicide class assigned according to their mode of action on weeds. The classes with most toxic warnings were K1, K3/N, F1 and E. The selection of 11 commercial herbicides for in vitro biological tests on human acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), the enzymes involved in neurotoxicity and detoxification of various xenobiotics, respectively, was based mainly on the structural similarity with inhibitors of cholinesterases. Organophosphate anilofos and oxyacetanilide flufenacet were the most potent inhibitors of AChE (25 μM) and BChE (6.4 μM), respectively. Glyphosate, oxadiazon, tembotrione and terbuthylazine were poor inhibitors with an estimated IC₅₀ above 100 μM, while for glyphosate the IC₅₀ was above 1 mM. Generally, all of the selected herbicides inhibited with a slight preference towards BChE. Cytotoxicity assays showed that anilofos, bensulide, butamifos, piperophos and oxadiazon were cytotoxic for hepatocytes (HepG2) and neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y). Time-independent cytotoxicity accompanied with induction of reactive oxygen species indicated rapid cell death in few hours. Our results based on in silico and in vitro analyses give insight into the potential toxic outcome of herbicides in use and can be applied in the design of new molecules with a less hazardous impact on humans and the environment.

Gene targeting in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using causality-based feature selection and machine learning

BACKGROUND

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects upper and lower motor neurons. As the molecular basis of the disease is still elusive, the development of high-throughput sequencing technologies, combined with data mining techniques and machine learning methods, could provide remarkable results in identifying pathogenetic mechanisms. High dimensionality is a major problem when applying machine learning techniques in biomedical data analysis, since a huge number of features is available for a limited number of samples. The aim of this study was to develop a methodology for training interpretable machine learning models in the classification of ALS and ALS-subtypes samples, using gene expression datasets.

METHODS

We performed dimensionality reduction in gene expression data using a semi-automated preprocessing systematic gene selection procedure using Statistically Equivalent Signature (SES), a causality-based feature selection algorithm, followed by Boosted Regression Trees (XGBoost) and Random Forest to train the machine learning classifiers. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP values) were used for interpretation of the machine learning classifiers. The methodology was developed and tested using two distinct publicly available ALS RNA-seq datasets. We evaluated the performance of SES as a dimensionality reduction method against: (a) Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), and (b) Local Outlier Factor (LOF).

RESULTS

The proposed methodology achieved 85.18% accuracy for the classification of cerebellum or frontal cortex samples as C9orf72-related familial ALS, sporadic ALS or healthy samples. Importantly, the genes identified as the most determinative have also been reported as disease-associated in ALS literature. When tested in the evaluation dataset, the methodology achieved 88.89% accuracy for the classification of sporadic ALS motor neuron samples. When LASSO was used as feature selection method instead of SES, the accuracy of the machine learning classifiers ranged from 74.07 to 96.30%, depending on tissue assessed, while LOF underperformed significantly (77.78% accuracy for the classification of pooled cerebellum and frontal cortex samples).

CONCLUSIONS

Using SES, we addressed the challenge of high dimensionality in gene expression data analysis, and we trained accurate machine learning ALS classifiers, specific for the gene expression patterns of different disease subtypes and tissue samples, while identifying disease-associated genes.

[18F]KS1, a novel ascorbate-based ligand images ROS in tumor models of rodents and nonhuman primates

Over production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused by altered redox regulation of signaling pathways is common in many types of cancers. While PET imaging is recognized as the standard tool for cancer imaging, there are no clinically-approved PET radiotracers for ROS-imaging in cancer diagnosis and treatment. An ascorbate-based radio ligand promises to meet this urgent need. Our laboratory recently synthesized [18F] KS1, a fluoroethoxy furanose ring-containing ascorbate derivative, to track ROS in prostate tumor-bearing mice. Here we report cell uptake assays of [18F]KS1 with different ROS-regulating agents, PET imaging in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) mice, and doxorubicin-induced rats; PET imaging in healthy and irradiated hepatic tumor-bearing rhesus to demonstrate its translational potential. Our preliminary evaluations demonstrated that KS1 do not generate ROS in tumor cells at tracer-level concentrations and tumor-killing properties at pharmacologic doses. [18F]KS1 uptake was low in HNSCC pretreated with ROS blockers, and high with ROS inducers. Tumors in high ROS-expressing SCC-61 took up significantly more [18F]KS1 than rSCC-61 (low-ROS expressing HNSCC); high uptake in doxorubicin-treated rats compared to saline-treated controls. Rodent biodistribution and PET imaging of [18F]KS1 in healthy rhesus monkeys demonstrated its favorable safety, pharmacokinetic properties with excellent washout profile, within 3.0 h of radiotracer administration. High uptake of [18F]KS1 in liver tumor tissues of the irradiated hepatic tumor-bearing monkey showed target selectivity. Our strong data in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo here supports the high translational utility of [18F]KS1 to image ROS.

Protective effect of plant compounds in pesticides toxicity

INTRODUCTION

The relationship between pesticide exposure and the occurrence of many chronic diseases, including cancer, is confirmed by literature data.

METHODS

In this review, through the analysis of more than 70 papers, we explore an increase in oxidative stress level caused by exposure to environmental pollutants and the protective effects of plant-origin antioxidants.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

One of the molecular mechanisms, by which pesticides affect living organisms is the induction of oxidative stress. However, recently many plant-based dietary ingredients with antioxidant properties have been considered as a chemopreventive substances due to their ability to remove free radicals. Such a food component must meet several conditions: eliminate free radicals, be easily absorbed and function at an appropriate physiological level. Its main function is to maintain the redox balance and minimize the cellular damage caused by ROS. Therefore, it should be active in aqueous solutions and membrane domains. These properties are characteristic for phenolic compounds and selected plant hormones. Phenolic compounds have proven antioxidant properties, while increasing number of compounds from the group of plant hormones with a very diverse chemical structure turn out to act as antioxidants, being potential food ingredients that can eliminate negative effects of pesticides.

Association Study and Meta-Analysis of Polymorphisms and Blood mRNA Expression of the ALDH2 Gene in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Background:

Late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) is a complex disease in which neuroinflammation plays an important pathophysiological role, and exposure to neurotoxic substrates such as aldehydes may contribute. Blood mRNA expression levels of neuroinflammation-related genes appear to be potential biological markers of LOAD. A relationship between ALDH2 and LOAD has been suggested.

Objective:

Our objective was to examine blood ALDH2 expression in Japanese LOAD patients, conduct a genetic association study, and add new studies to an extended meta-analysis of the Asian population.

Methods:

A blood expression study (45 AD subjects, 54 controls) in which total RNA was isolated from whole peripheral blood samples and ALDH2 expression measured was conducted. In addition, a genetic association study (271 AD subjects, 492 controls) using genomic DNA from whole peripheral blood samples was conducted. Finally, a meta-analysis examined the relationship between ALDH2^*2 frequency and the risk of LOAD.

Results:

ALDH2 mRNA expression was significantly higher in LOAD than in controls, and also higher in men with LOAD than in women with LOAD (p = 0.043). The genotypes in the two classified groups and the allele frequency were significantly different between AD and control subjects. The meta-analysis showed a significant difference in the ALDH2^*2 allele, with an increased AD risk (OR = 1.38; 95% CI = 1.02–1.85; p = 0.0348, I² = 81.1%).

Conclusion:

There was a significant increase in blood ALDH2 expression, and a genetic association with ALDH2^*2 in LOAD. ALDH2 may have significant roles in the pathogenesis of LOAD in the Asian population.

Graphene oxide-coated porous titanium for pulp sealing: an antibacterial and dentino-inductive restorative material

Pulp treatment techniques such as pulp capping, pulpotomy and pulp regeneration are all based on the principle of preserving vital pulp. However, specific dental restorative materials that can simultaneously protect pulp vitality and repair occlusal morphology have not been developed thus far. Traditional pulp capping materials cannot be used as dental restorative materials due to their long-term solubility and poor mechanical behavior. Titanium (Ti) is used extensively in dentistry and is regarded as a promising material for pulp sealing because of its favorable biocompatibility, processability and mechanical properties. Originally, we proposed the concept of "odontointegration", which represents direct dentin-like mineralization contact between pulp and the surface of the pulp sealing material; herein, we report the fabrication of a novel antibacterial and dentino-inductive material via micro-arc oxidation (MAO), incorporating self-assembled graphene oxide (GO) for Ti surface modification. The hierarchical micro/nanoporous structure of the MAO coating provides a suitable microenvironment for odontogenic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells, and GO loading contributes to antibacterial activity. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy were employed for structure and elemental analysis. In vitro studies, including cell adhesion, Live/Dead and CCK-8 assays, alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium deposition assay, real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining were used to examine cell adhesion, viability, proliferation, mineralization, and odontogenic differentiation ability. Antibacterial properties against Streptococcus mutans were analyzed by SEM, spread plate, Live/Dead and Alamar blue tests. The Ti-MAO-1.0 mg mL-1 GO group exhibited excellent cell adhesion, odontoblast differentiation, mineralization, and antibacterial ability, which are beneficial to odontointegration.

Urolithin A induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by inhibiting Bcl-2, increasing p53-p21 proteins and reactive oxygen species production in colorectal cancer cells

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common gastrointestinal cancer globally. Prevention of tumor cell proliferation and metastasis is vital for prolonging patient survival. Polyphenols provide a wide range of health benefits and prevention from cancer. In the gut, urolithins are the major metabolites of polyphenols. The objective of our study was to elucidate the molecular mechanism of the anticancer effect of urolithin A (UA) on colorectal cancer cells. UA was found to inhibit the cell proliferation of CRC cell lines in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner in HT29, SW480, and SW620 cells. Exposure to UA resulted in cell cycle arrest in a dose-dependent manner along with alteration in the expression of cell cycle-related protein. Treatment of CRC cell lines with UA resulted in the induction of apoptosis. Treatment of HT29, SW480, and SW620 with UA resulted in increased expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins, p53 and p21. Similarly, UA treatment inhibited the anti-apoptotic protein expression of Bcl-2. Moreover, exposure of UA induced cytochrome c release and caspase activation. Furthermore, UA was found to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in CRC cells. These findings indicate that UA possesses anticancer potential and may be used therapeutically for the treatment of CRC.

Immobilized algae-based treatment of herbicide-contaminated groundwater

Scenedesmus species, immobilized on alginate gel, was found effective in removing nitrate, atrazine, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, oxadiazon, and triallate from groundwater in a continuous flow reactor. The laboratory-scale experiments with synthetic groundwater, made of 8.8 mg/L NO₃ -N and 90 µg/L atrazine, were performed at a hydraulic retention time of 7 days and the temperatures of 20 and 35°C. The highest uptake of nitrate and atrazine was observed at 20°C (97% and 70%, respectively). When tested in actual groundwater, 92% of nitrate, 100% of magnesium, 99.9% of phosphorus, and 92% of zinc were successfully removed at the end of 29 days' treatment operations. The algal beads removed 100% of oxadiazon and triallate in the first 10 days, but some of the herbicides diffused back into the solution toward the end of the treatment process. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Immobilized algae-alginate beads can remove nitrate, atrazine, oxadiazon, and triallate from groundwater in continuous flow reactor. The uptake rate of nitrate and atrazine is higher in room temperature (20°C). Same algae beads could be reused for herbicide uptake for the average of 10 days. The immobilized system is a natural sustainable alternative that can be used in groundwater pump and treat.

Environment permissible concentrations of glyphosate in drinking water can influence the fate of neural stem cells from the subventricular zone of the postnatal mouse

The developing nervous system is highly vulnerable to environmental toxicants especially pesticides. Glyphosate pesticide induces neurotoxicity both in humans and rodents, but so far only when exposed to higher concentrations. A few studies, however, have also reported the risk of general toxicity of glyphosate at concentrations comparable to allowable limits set up by environmental protection authorities. In vitro data regarding glyphosate neurotoxicity at concentrations comparable to maximum permissible concentrations in drinking water is lacking. In the present study, we established an in vitro assay based upon neural stem cells (NSCs) from the subventricular zone of the postnatal mouse to decipher the effects of two maximum permissible concentrations of glyphosate in drinking water on the basic neurogenesis processes. Our results demonstrated that maximum permissible concentrations of glyphosate recognized by environmental protection authorities significantly reduced the cell migration and differentiation of NSCs as demonstrated by the downregulation of the expression levels of the neuronal ß-tubulin III and the astrocytic S100B genes. The expression of the cytoprotective gene CYP1A1 was downregulated whilst the expression of oxidative stresses indicator gene SOD1 was upregulated. The concentration comparable to non-toxic human plasma concentration significantly induced cytotoxicity and activated Ca2+ signalling in the differentiated culture. Our findings demonstrated that the permissible concentrations of glyphosate in drinking water recognized by environmental protection authorities are capable of inducing neurotoxicity in the developing nervous system.

Multiple neuroprotective features of Scutellaria pinnatifida-derived small molecule

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders with no precise etiology. Multiple lines of evidence support that environmental factors, either neurotoxins or neuroinflammation, can induce Parkinsonism. In this study, we purified an active compound, neobaicalein (Skullcapflavone II), from the roots of Scutellaria pinnatifida (S. pinnatifida). Neobaicalein not only had protective impacts on rotenone-induced neurotoxicity but in glial cultures, it dampened the inflammatory response when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Neobaicalein had high antioxidant activity without any obvious toxicity. In addition, it could raise the cell viability, decrease early apoptosis, reduce the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and keep the neurite's length normal in the treated SH-SY5Y cells. Pathway enrichment analysis (PEA) and target prediction provided insights into the PD related genes, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and the key proteins enriched in the signaling pathways. Furthermore, docking simulation (DS) on the proteins of the PD-PPI network revealed that neobaicalein might interact with the key proteins involved in PD pathology, including MAPK14, MAPK8, and CASP3. It also blocks the destructive processes, such as cell death, inflammation, and oxidative stress pathways. Our results demonstrate that neobaicalein alleviates pathological effects of factors related to PD, and may provide new insight into PD therapy.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in telomere length-related genes are associated with hepatocellular carcinoma risk in the Chinese Han population

Background

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in telomere-related genes are associated with a high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we investigated the SNPs of telomere length-related genes and their correlation with HCC risk in the Chinese Han population.

Materials and methods

A total of 473 HCC patients and 564 healthy volunteers were recruited. Overall, 42 SNPs distributed in telomere-related genes were selected and identified. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

Results

We found rs6713088 (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.07-1.52, p = 0.007), rs843711 (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.09-1.54, p = 0.004) and rs843706 (OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.09-1.55, p = 0.003) in the ACYP2 gene, rs10936599 (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.02-1.44, p = 0.032) in the TERC gene and rs7708392 (OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.00-1.52, p = 0.042) in the TNIP1 gene were associated with high HCC risk (OR > 1). In contrast, rs1682111 (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.64-0.94, p = 0.008) in the ACYP2 gene, rs2320615 (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.64-0.99, p = 0.038) in the NAF1 gene, rs10069690 (OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.59-0.96, p = 0.021) and rs2242652 (OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.55-0.90, p = 0.004) in the TERT gene were associated with low HCC risk (OR < 1). Based on genotype frequency distributions, rs6713088, rs843645, rs843711 and rs843706 located in the ACYP2 gene as well as rs10936599 in the TERC gene were associated with a high incidence of HCC (p < 0.05). In addition, SNPs in these genes could form a linkage imbalance haplotype. Specifically, the haploid 'GC' formed by rs10069690 and rs2242652 within the TERT gene increased the risk of HCC (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

SNPs in ACYP2, TERC, TERT and other genes were correlated with HCC risk in the Chinese Han population. These data may provide new insights into early diagnosis and screening of HCC.

Oxidative stress: Noradrenaline as an integrator of responses in the neuroendocrine and immune systems of the ascidian Phallusia nigra

Neurotransmitters play key roles in regulating the homeostasis of organisms in stressful environments. Noradrenaline (NA) is the main neurotransmitter known to modulate immunological parameters, and is important in the crosstalk between the neuroendocrine and immune systems. In this study, using the ascidian Phallusia nigra, we analyzed the level of catecholamines (CA) in the plasma after mechanical stress, and the effect of NA on the oxidative stress (OS) displayed by immune cells. We measured the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and analyzed whether α- and/or β-adrenoreceptors (ARs) are involved in ROS modulation, lipid peroxidation (LPO), antioxidant capacity against peroxyl radicals (ACAP), and activity of the enzymes catalase (CAT) and glutathione S transferase (GST) in immune cells after incubation with different concentrations of NA, with or without zymosan (ZnA) challenge. The results showed that NA reduced ROS production, even in immune cells challenged with ZnA, and that this modulation occurred through α₁-and β₁-ARs. ACAP levels showed different responses, depending on whether immune cells were challenged or not with ZnA, and also depending on the NA concentration: 1.0 μM NA increased ACAP levels, but 10.0 μM reduced ACAP levels. NA enhanced the activity of CAT and GST in ZnA-challenged and non-challenged immune cells, while 1.0 and 10.0 μM NA effectively reduced LPO. Taken together, these results show that NA can protect cells from ROS damage, decreasing ROS production and LPO, and enhancing ACAP as well as the activity of CAT and GST. The approach used here with this model contributes to understanding the relationship between the neuroendocrine and immune systems, revealing new effects of NA on OS regulation in ascidians.

A novel marine halophenol derivative attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 cells via activating phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathway

BACKGROUND

2,4',5'-Trihydroxyl-5,2'-dibromo diphenylmethanone (LM49), a novel active halophenol derivative synthesized by our group from marine plants, exhibits strong anti-inflammatory activities. However, molecular machineries involved in its effect have not been fully identified. The study was aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of LM49 on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and its underlying mechanism.

METHODS

RAW264.7 cells were treated with LPS (10 μg/mL) and then exposed to different concentrations of LM49 (i.e., 5, 10, and 15 μM) for 24 h. Cytokine release in culture medium of RAW264.7 cells was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Phagocytic capacity (FITC-dextran uptake) was determined by flow cytometry. The protein level of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), AKT and p-AKT was measured by western blot analysis.

RESULTS

Our findings revealed that LM49 reduced the production and mRNA levels of cytokines related to inflammation such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and increased the level of IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine. In addition, LM49 decreased the production of nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species. Moreover, flow cytometry showed that LM49 significantly enhanced the phagocytic capacity (FITC-dextran uptake) of macrophages. The effects of LM49 were significantly inhibited by the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, LY294002. In particular, LY294002 attenuated the phagocytic capacity of RAW264.7 cells induced by LM49 and prevented the effects on cytokines.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that LM49 possesses anti-inflammatory activity on LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, in which the PI3K/Akt pathway plays an essential role. LM49 may have clinical utility as an anti-inflammatory agent. In this study, we demonstrated that a halophenol derivative (LM49) could possess anti-inflammatory activity on LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines and enhancing the phagocytic capacity, in which the PI3K/Akt pathway plays an essential role. LM49 may have clinical utility as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle Transcriptome Response to Heat Stress in Kenyan Chicken Ecotypes Adapted to Low and High Altitudes Reveal Differences in Thermal Tolerance and Stress Response

Heat stress (HS) negatively affects chicken performance. Agricultural expansion will happen in regions that experience high ambient temperatures, where fast-growing commercial chickens are vulnerable. Indigenous chickens of such regions, due to generations of exposure to environmental challenges, might have higher thermal tolerance. In this study, two indigenous chicken ecotypes, from the hot and humid Mombasa (lowland) and the colder Naivasha (highland) regions, were used to investigate the effects of acute (5 h, 35°C) and chronic (3 days of 35°C for 8 h/day) HS on the cardiac and skeletal muscle, through RNA sequencing. The rectal temperature gain and the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) [False Discovery Rate (FDR) < 0.05] were two times higher in the acute stage than in the chronic stage in both ecotypes, suggesting that cyclic exposure to HS can lead to adaptation. A tissue- and stage-specific difference in response to HS was observed, with peroxisome proliferator-activated-receptor (PPAR) signaling and mitogen-activate protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, enriched in heart and skeletal muscle, respectively, and the p53 pathway enriched only in the acute stage in both tissues. The acute and chronic stage DEGs were integrated by a region-specific gene coexpression network (GCN), and genes with the highest number of connections (hub genes) were identified. The hub genes in the lowland network were CCNB2, Crb2, CHST9, SESN1, and NR4A3, while COMMD4, TTC32, H1F0, ACYP1, and RPS28 were the hub genes in the highland network. Pathway analysis of genes in the GCN showed that p53 and PPAR signaling pathways were enriched in both low and highland networks, while MAPK signaling and protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum were enriched only in the gene network of highland chickens. This shows that to dissipate the accumulated heat, to reduce heat induced apoptosis, and to promote DNA damage repair, the ecotypes activated or suppressed different genes, indicating the differences in thermal tolerance and HS response mechanisms between the ecotypes. This study provides information on the HS response of chickens, adapted to two different agro climatic environments, extending our understanding of the mechanisms of HS response and the effect of adaptation in counteracting HS.