A Novel Risk Signature with Seven Pyroptosis-Related Genes for Prognosis Prediction in Glioma

Botulinum toxin type A ameliorates rat dorsal root ganglia neuron pyroptosis in postherpetic neuralgia by upregulating cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide to inhibit neutrophil elastase

Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A) has exhibited efficacy in postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) treatment, and this study aims to uncover its underlying mechanisms. Resiniferatoxin (RTX)-induced PHN rats were given BoNT/A. Rat postoperative pain behaviors were assessed by Von Frey test. Cleaved-synaptosomal protein 25 kDa (cl-SNAP-25) or cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) expression in rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG) was detected by immunofluorescence or immunohistochemistry. Healthy rat-derived DRG neurons were transfected, incubated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS)/adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) to stimulate pyroptosis and treated with BoNT/A. The CCK-8, Western blot, ELISA, and qRT-PCR were used to assess the viability, levels of pyroptosis-related proteins proinflammatory cytokine levels, as well as CAMP and ELANE mRNA levels. BoNT/A (30 U/kg) promoted cl-SNAP-25 expression in rat DRG and reversed RTX-induced decrease of rat paw withdrawal thresholds and CAMP expression and increase of pyroptosis-associated protein and inflammatory factor expression in rat DRG. CAMP interacted with ELANE in rat DRG neurons. BoNT/A attenuated LPS/ATP-stimulated inhibition of viability and CAMP expression and upregulation of inflammatory mediators, pyroptosis-related proteins, and ELANE expression in rat DRG neurons, which was counteracted by CAMP silencing. However, ELANE knockdown offset the effect of CAMP silencing in LPS/ATP/BoNT/A-treated rat DRG neurons. On the whole, BoNT/A alleviates rat DRG neuron pyroptosis during PHN by upregulating CAMP to inhibit ELANE.

CASP8 Is a Potential Therapeutic Target and Is Correlated with Pyroptosis in Traumatic Brain Injury

BACKGROUND

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of neurological and psychological problems, especially long-term disability. The purpose of this article is to explore molecular mechanisms linking TBI and pyroptosis with the aim of providing a promising target for future therapeutic interventions.

METHODS

GSE104687 microarray dataset was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database to obtain differential expressed genes. Meanwhile, pyroptosis-related genes were screened from GeneCards database, and the overlapped genes were considered as the pyroptosis-related genes in TBI. The immune infiltration analysis was conducted to quantify lymphocyte infiltration levels. Moreover, we researched the relevant microRNAs (miRNAs) and transcription factors and investigated the interactions and functions of miRNAs. In addition, the validation set and in vivo experiment further verified the expression of hub gene.

RESULTS

Altogether, we found 240 differential expressed genes in GSE104687 and 254 pyroptosis-related genes in the GeneCards database, and the overlapped gene was caspase 8 (CASP8). Immune Infiltration Analysis suggested the abundance of Tregs cells was significantly higher in TBI group. The NKT and CD8+ Tem were positively correlated with the expression levels of CASP8. The most significant term regarding CASP8 in Reactome pathways analysis was related to NF-kappaB. A total of 20 miRNAs and 25 transcription factors associated with CASP8 were obtained. After investigating the interactions and functions of miRNAs, the NF-kappaB-related signaling pathway was still enriched with a relatively low P-value. The validation set and in vivo experiment further verified the expression of CASP8.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed the potential role of CASP8 in pathogenesis of TBI, which may provide a new target for individualized therapy and drug development.

A Novel Classification Model for Lower-Grade Glioma Patients Based on Pyroptosis-Related Genes

Recent studies demonstrated that pyroptosis plays a crucial role in shaping the tumor-immune microenvironment. However, the influence of pyroptosis on lower-grade glioma regarding immunotherapy and targeted therapy is still unknown. This study analyzed the variations of 33 pyroptosis-related genes in lower-grade glioma and normal tissues. Our study found considerable genetic and expression alterations in heterogeneity among lower-grade gliomas and normal brain tissues. There are two pyroptosis phenotypes in lower-grade glioma, and they exhibited differences in cell infiltration characteristics and clinical characters. Then, a PyroScore model using the lasso-cox method was constructed to measure the level of pyroptosis in each patient. PyroScore can refine the lower-grade glioma patients with a stratified prognosis and a distinct tumor immune microenvironment. Pyscore may also be an effective factor in predicting potential therapeutic benefits. In silico analysis showed that patients with a lower PyroScore are expected to be more sensitive to targeted therapy and immunotherapy. These findings may enhance our understanding of pyroptosis in lower-grade glioma and might help optimize risk stratification for the survival and personalized management of lower-grade glioma patients.