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Jiang P, Zhang C, Wang H, Li P, Du X, Wang Y, Lyukmanova E, Lin C, Wang X. Nicotine Enantioselectively Targets Myeloid Differentiation Protein 2 and Inhibits the Toll-like Receptor 4 Signaling. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:5253-5261. [PMID: 38973303 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Psychoactive substances, including morphine and methamphetamine, have been shown to interact with the classic innate immune receptor Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and its partner protein myeloid differentiation protein 2 (MD2) in a nonenantioselective manner. (-)-Nicotine, the primary alkaloid in tobacco and a key component of highly addictive cigarettes, targets the TLR4/MD2, influencing TLR4 signaling pathways. Existing as two enantiomers, the stereoselective recognition of nicotine by TLR4/MD2 in the context of the innate immune response remains unclear. In this study, we synthesized (+)-nicotine and investigated its effects alongside (-)-nicotine on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced TLR4 signaling. (-)-Nicotine dose-dependently inhibited proinflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). In contrast, (+)-nicotine showed no such inhibitory effects. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that (-)-nicotine exhibited a stronger affinity with the TLR4 coreceptor MD2 than (+)-nicotine. Additionally, in silico simulations revealed that both nicotine enantiomers initially attach to the entrance of the MD2 cavity, creating a metastable state before they fully enter the cavity. In the metastable state, (-)-nicotine established more stable interactions with the surrounding residues at the entrance of the MD2 cavity compared to those of (+)-nicotine. This highlights the crucial role of the MD2 cavity entrance in the chiral recognition of nicotine. These findings provide valuable insights into the distinct interactions between nicotine enantiomers and the TLR4 coreceptor MD2, underscoring the enantioselective effect of nicotine on modulating TLR4 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Jiang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, , Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Cong Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, , Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Hongshuang Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, , Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Penghui Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology and Ecology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Xiubo Du
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology and Ecology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Yibo Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, , Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Ekaterina Lyukmanova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119997, Russia
- Biological Department, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Cong Lin
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, , Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, , Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
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Gao J, Zhang C, Xu H, Zhang T, Wang H, Wang Y, Wang X. Dissecting the Role of the Hydroxyl Moiety at C14 in (+)-Opioid-Based TLR4 Antagonists via Wet-Lab Experiments and Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:5273-5284. [PMID: 38921627 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is pivotal as an innate immune receptor, playing a critical role in mediating neuropathic pain and drug addiction through its regulation of the neuroinflammatory response. The nonclassical (+)-opioid isomers represent a unique subset of TLR4 antagonists known for their effective blood-brain barrier permeability. Despite growing interest in the structure-activity relationship of these (+)-opioid-based TLR4 antagonists, the specific impact of heteroatoms on their TLR4 antagonistic activities has not been fully explored. This study investigated the influence of the hydroxyl group at C14 in six (+)-opioid TLR4 antagonists (1-6) using wet-lab experiments and in silico simulations. The corresponding C14-deoxy derivatives (7-12) were synthesized, and upon comparison with their corresponding counterparts (1-6), it was discovered that their TLR4 antagonistic activities were significantly diminished. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that the (+)-opioid TLR4 antagonists (1-6) possessed more negative binding free energies to the TLR4 coreceptor MD2, which was responsible for ligand recognition. This was primarily attributed to the formation of a hydrogen bond between the hydroxyl group at the C-14 position of the antagonists (1-6) and the R90 residue of MD2 during the binding process. Such an interaction facilitated the entry and subsequent binding of these molecules within the MD2 cavity. In contrast, the C14-deoxy derivatives (7-12), lacking the hydroxyl group at the C-14 position, missed this crucial hydrogen bond interaction with the R90 residue of MD2, leading to their egression from the MD2 cavity during simulations. This study underscores the significant role of the C14 hydroxyl moiety in enhancing the effectiveness of (+)-opioid TLR4 antagonists, which provides insightful guidance for designing future (+)-isomer opioid-derived TLR4 antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwei Gao
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, Jilin, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, China
| | - Cong Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, Jilin, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, China
| | - Hangyu Xu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, Jilin, China
| | - Tianshu Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, Jilin, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, China
| | - Hongshuang Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, Jilin, China
| | - Yibo Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, Jilin, China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, Jilin, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
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Gao J, Lin C, Zhang C, Zhang X, Wang Y, Xu H, Zhang T, Li H, Wang H, Wang X. Exploring the Function of (+)-Naltrexone Precursors: Their Activity as TLR4 Antagonists and Potential in Treating Morphine Addiction. J Med Chem 2024; 67:3127-3143. [PMID: 38306598 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Disruptions in the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway are linked to chronic inflammation, neuropathic pain, and drug addiction. (+)-Naltrexone, an opioid-derived TLR4 antagonist with a (+)-isomer configuration, does not interact with classical opioid receptors and has moderate blood-brain barrier permeability. Herein, we developed a concise 10-step synthesis for (+)-naltrexone and explored its precursors, (+)-14-hydroxycodeinone (1) and (+)-14-hydroxymorphinone (3). These precursors exhibited TLR4 antagonistic activities 100 times stronger than (+)-naltrexone, particularly inhibiting the TLR4-TRIF pathway. In vivo studies showed that these precursors effectively reduced behavioral effects of morphine, like sensitization and conditioned place preference by suppressing microglial activation and TNF-α expression in the medial prefrontal cortex and ventral tegmental area. Additionally, 3 displayed a longer half-life and higher oral bioavailability than 1. Overall, this research optimized (+)-naltrexone synthesis and identified its precursors as potent TLR4 antagonists, offering potential treatments for morphine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwei Gao
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Cong Lin
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Cong Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Xiaozheng Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Yibo Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Hangyu Xu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Tianshu Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Haohong Li
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China
| | - Hongshuang Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
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Zhang X, Li R, Xu H, Wu G, Wu S, Wang H, Wang Y, Wang X. Dissecting the innate immune recognition of morphine and its metabolites by TLR4/MD2: an in silico simulation study. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:29656-29663. [PMID: 37882236 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03715k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
A toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 2 complex (TLR4/MD2) has been identified as a non-classical opioid receptor capable of recognizing morphine isomers and activating microglia in a non-enantioselective manner. Additionally, morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G) and morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G), the major metabolites of morphine, possess similar chemical structures but exhibit distinct effects on TLR4 signaling. However, the specific mechanisms by which morphine isomers and morphine metabolites are recognized by the innate immune receptor TLR4/MD2 are not well understood. Herein, molecular dynamics simulations were performed to dissect the molecular recognition of TLR4/MD2 with morphine isomers, M3G and M6G. Morphine and its (+)-enantiomer, dextro-morphine ((+)-morphine), were found to have comparable binding free energies as well as similar interaction modes when interacting with (TLR4/MD2)2. Binding with morphine and (+)-morphine caused the motion of the F126 loop towards the inside of the MD2 cavity, which stabilizes (TLR4/MD2)2 with similar dimerization interfaces. The binding free energies of M3G and M6G with (TLR4/MD2)2, while lower than those of morphine isomers, were comparable to each other. However, the binding behaviors of M3G and M6G exhibited contrasting patterns when interacting with (TLR4/MD2)2. The glucuronide group of M3G bound to the gating loop of MD2 and formed strong interactions with TLR4*, which stabilizes the active heterotetrameric complex. In contrast, M6G was situated in cavity A of MD2, where the critical interactions between M6G and the residues of TLR4* were lost, resulting in fluctuation of (TLR4/MD2)2 away from the active conformation. These results indicate that the pivotal interactions at the dimerization interface between MD2 and TLR4* in M6G-bound (TLR4/MD2)2 were considerably weaker than those in M3G-bound (TLR4/MD2)2, which partially explains why M6G fails to activate TLR4 signaling. The discoveries from this study will offer valuable insights for the advancement of next-generation TLR4 small molecule modulators based on opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and Prevention (Shanxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030001, China
| | - Ran Li
- Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and Prevention (Shanxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030001, China
| | - Haoran Xu
- Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and Prevention (Shanxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030001, China
| | - Guicai Wu
- Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and Prevention (Shanxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030001, China
| | - Siru Wu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, China.
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China.
| | - Hongshuang Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, China.
| | - Yibo Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, China.
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, China.
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China.
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
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Niazi SK. The Coming of Age of AI/ML in Drug Discovery, Development, Clinical Testing, and Manufacturing: The FDA Perspectives. Drug Des Devel Ther 2023; 17:2691-2725. [PMID: 37701048 PMCID: PMC10493153 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s424991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) represent significant advancements in computing, building on technologies that humanity has developed over millions of years-from the abacus to quantum computers. These tools have reached a pivotal moment in their development. In 2021 alone, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received over 100 product registration submissions that heavily relied on AI/ML for applications such as monitoring and improving human performance in compiling dossiers. To ensure the safe and effective use of AI/ML in drug discovery and manufacturing, the FDA and numerous other U.S. federal agencies have issued continuously updated, stringent guidelines. Intriguingly, these guidelines are often generated or updated with the aid of AI/ML tools themselves. The overarching goal is to expedite drug discovery, enhance the safety profiles of existing drugs, introduce novel treatment modalities, and improve manufacturing compliance and robustness. Recent FDA publications offer an encouraging outlook on the potential of these tools, emphasizing the need for their careful deployment. This has expanded market opportunities for retraining personnel handling these technologies and enabled innovative applications in emerging therapies such as gene editing, CRISPR-Cas9, CAR-T cells, mRNA-based treatments, and personalized medicine. In summary, the maturation of AI/ML technologies is a testament to human ingenuity. Far from being autonomous entities, these are tools created by and for humans designed to solve complex problems now and in the future. This paper aims to present the status of these technologies, along with examples of their present and future applications.
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Brown KT, Levis SC, O'Neill CE, Levy C, Rice KC, Watkins LR, Bachtell RK. Toll-like receptor 4 antagonists reduce cocaine-primed reinstatement of drug seeking. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:1587-1600. [PMID: 37286899 PMCID: PMC10732226 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06392-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Cocaine can increase inflammatory neuroimmune markers, including chemokines and cytokines characteristic of innate inflammatory responding. Prior work indicates that the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) initiates this response, and administration of TLR4 antagonists provides mixed evidence that TLR4 contributes to cocaine reward and reinforcement. OBJECTIVE These studies utilize (+)-naltrexone, the TLR4 antagonist, and mu-opioid inactive enantiomer to examine the role of TLR4 on cocaine self-administration and cocaine seeking in rats. METHODS (+)-Naltrexone was continuously administered via an osmotic mini-pump during the acquisition or maintenance of cocaine self-administration. The motivation to acquire cocaine was assessed using a progressive ratio schedule following either continuous and acute (+)-naltrexone administration. The effects of (+)-naltrexone on cocaine seeking were assessed using both a cue craving model and a drug-primed reinstatement model. The highly selective TLR4 antagonist, lipopolysaccharide from Rhodobacter sphaeroides (LPS-Rs), was administered into the nucleus accumbens to determine the effectiveness of TLR4 blockade on cocaine-primed reinstatement. RESULTS (+)-Naltrexone administration did not alter the acquisition or maintenance of cocaine self-administration. Similarly, (+)-naltrexone was ineffective at altering the progressive ratio responding. Continuous administration of (+)-naltrexone during forced abstinence did not impact cued cocaine seeking. Acute systemic administration of (+)-naltrexone dose-dependently decreased cocaine-primed reinstatement of previously extinguished cocaine seeking, and administration of LPS-Rs into the nucleus accumbens shell also reduced cocaine-primed reinstatement of cocaine seeking. DISCUSSION These results complement previous studies suggesting that the TLR4 plays a role in cocaine-primed reinstatement of cocaine seeking, but may have a more limited role in cocaine reinforcement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle T Brown
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Center for Neuroscience, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Sophia C Levis
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Center for Neuroscience, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Casey E O'Neill
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Center for Neuroscience, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Catherine Levy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Center for Neuroscience, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Kenner C Rice
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Linda R Watkins
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Center for Neuroscience, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Ryan K Bachtell
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Center for Neuroscience, Boulder, CO, USA.
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
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Serafin P, Kowalczyk P, Mollica A, Stefanucci A, Laskowska AK, Zawadzka M, Kramkowski K, Kleczkowska P. Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activities against Various E. coli Strains of a Novel Hybrid Peptide-LENART01. Molecules 2023; 28:4955. [PMID: 37446618 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28134955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Finding the ideal antimicrobial drug with improved efficacy and a safety profile that eliminates antibiotic resistance caused by pathogens remains a difficult task. Indeed, there is an urgent need for innovation in the design and development of a microbial inhibitor. Given that many promising antimicrobial peptides with excellent broad-spectrum antibacterial properties are secreted by some frog species (e.g., bombesins, opioids, temporins, etc.), our goal was to identify the antimicrobial properties of amphibian-derived dermorphin and ranatensin peptides, which were combined to produce a hybrid compound. This new chimera (named LENART01) was tested for its antimicrobial activity against E. coli strains K12 and R1-R4, which are characterized by differences in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core oligosaccharide structure. The results showed that LENART01 had superior activity against the R2 and R4 strains compared with the effects of the clinically available antibiotics ciprofloxacin or bleomycin (MIC values). Importantly, the inhibitory effect was not concentration dependent; however, LENART01 showed a time- and dose-dependent hemolytic effect in hemolytic assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Serafin
- Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, 01-163 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Paweł Kowalczyk
- Department of Animal Nutrition, The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences, 05-110 Jabłonna, Poland
| | - Adriano Mollica
- Department of Pharmacy, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Azzurra Stefanucci
- Department of Pharmacy, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Anna K Laskowska
- Centre for Preclinical Research and Technology (CePT), Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena Zawadzka
- Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, 01-163 Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health Lodz, Medical University of Lodz, 90-419 Lodz, Poland
| | - Karol Kramkowski
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-089 Białystok, Poland
| | - Patrycja Kleczkowska
- Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, 01-163 Warsaw, Poland
- Maria Sklodowska-Curie Medical Academy in Warsaw, 03-411 Warsaw, Poland
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Margolis EB, Moulton MG, Lambeth PS, O'Meara MJ. The life and times of endogenous opioid peptides: Updated understanding of synthesis, spatiotemporal dynamics, and the clinical impact in alcohol use disorder. Neuropharmacology 2023; 225:109376. [PMID: 36516892 PMCID: PMC10548835 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The opioid G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) strongly modulate many of the central nervous system structures that contribute to neurological and psychiatric disorders including pain, major depressive disorder, and substance use disorders. To better treat these and related diseases, it is essential to understand the signaling of their endogenous ligands. In this review, we focus on what is known and unknown about the regulation of the over two dozen endogenous peptides with high affinity for one or more of the opioid receptors. We briefly describe which peptides are produced, with a particular focus on the recently proposed possible synthesis pathways for the endomorphins. Next, we describe examples of endogenous opioid peptide expression organization in several neural circuits and how they appear to be released from specific neural compartments that vary across brain regions. We discuss current knowledge regarding the strength of neural activity required to drive endogenous opioid peptide release, clues about how far peptides diffuse from release sites, and their extracellular lifetime after release. Finally, as a translational example, we discuss the mechanisms of action of naltrexone (NTX), which is used clinically to treat alcohol use disorder. NTX is a synthetic morphine analog that non-specifically antagonizes the action of most endogenous opioid peptides developed in the 1960s and FDA approved in the 1980s. We review recent studies clarifying the precise endogenous activity that NTX prevents. Together, the works described here highlight the challenges and opportunities the complex opioid system presents as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyssa B Margolis
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Madelyn G Moulton
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Philip S Lambeth
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Matthew J O'Meara
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
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9
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Yang K, Jin H, Gao X, Wang GC, Zhang GQ. Elucidating the molecular determinants in the process of gastrin C-terminal pentapeptide amide end activating cholecystokinin 2 receptor by Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics simulations. Front Pharmacol 2023; 13:1054575. [PMID: 36756145 PMCID: PMC9899899 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1054575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastrin plays important role in stimulating the initiation and development of many gastrointestinal diseases through interacting with the cholecystokinin 2 receptor (CCK2R). The smallest bioactive unit of gastrin activating CCK2R is the C-terminal tetrapeptide capped with an indispensable amide end. Understanding the mechanism of this smallest bioactive unit interacting with CCK2R on a molecular basis could provide significant insights for designing CCK2R antagonists, which can be used to treat gastrin-related diseases. To this end, we performed extensive Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the interaction between gastrin C-terminal pentapeptide capped with/without amide end and CCK2R. The amide cap influences the binding modes of the pentapeptide with CCK2R by weakening the electrostatic attractions between the C-terminus of the pentapeptide and basic residues near the extracellular domain in CCK2R. The C-terminus with the amide cap penetrates into the transmembrane domain of CCK2R while floating at the extracellular domain without the amide cap. Different binding modes induced different conformational dynamics of CCK2R. Residue pairs in CCK2R had stronger correlated motions when binding with the amidated pentapeptide. Key residues and interactions important for CCK2R binding with the amidated pentagastrin were also identified. Our results provide molecular insights into the determinants of the bioactive unit of gastrin activating CCK2R, which would be of great help for the design of CCK2R antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kecheng Yang
- National Supercomputing Center in Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China,*Correspondence: Kecheng Yang,
| | - Huiyuan Jin
- School of International Studies, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xu Gao
- National Supercomputing Center in Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Gang-Cheng Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospitalof Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Guo-Qiang Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospitalof Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
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10
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Worsley AL, Lui DH, Ntow-Boahene W, Song W, Good L, Tsui J. The importance of inflammation control for the treatment of chronic diabetic wounds. Int Wound J 2022. [PMID: 36564054 DOI: 10.1111/iwj.14048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Diabetic chronic wounds cause massive levels of patient suffering and economic problems worldwide. The state of chronic inflammation arises in response to a complex combination of diabetes mellitus-related pathophysiologies. Advanced treatment options are available; however, many wounds still fail to heal, exacerbating morbidity and mortality. This review describes the chronic inflammation pathophysiologies in diabetic ulcers and treatment options that may help address this dysfunction either directly or indirectly. We suggest that treatments to reduce inflammation within these complex wounds may help trigger healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L Worsley
- Royal Veterinary College, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, London, UK.,UCL Centre for Biomaterials in Surgical Reconstruction and Regeneration, Department of Surgical Biotechnology, UCL Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Dennis H Lui
- UCL Centre for Biomaterials in Surgical Reconstruction and Regeneration, Department of Surgical Biotechnology, UCL Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Winnie Ntow-Boahene
- Royal Veterinary College, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, London, UK.,UCL Centre for Biomaterials in Surgical Reconstruction and Regeneration, Department of Surgical Biotechnology, UCL Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Wenhui Song
- UCL Centre for Biomaterials in Surgical Reconstruction and Regeneration, Department of Surgical Biotechnology, UCL Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Liam Good
- Royal Veterinary College, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, London, UK
| | - Janice Tsui
- UCL Centre for Biomaterials in Surgical Reconstruction and Regeneration, Department of Surgical Biotechnology, UCL Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK
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11
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Kwilasz AJ, Clements MA, Larson TA, Harris KM, Litwiler ST, Woodall BJ, Todd LS, Schrama AEW, Mitten EH, Maier SF, Van Dam AM, Rice KC, Watkins LR. Involvement of TLR2-TLR4, NLRP3, and IL-17 in pain induced by a novel Sprague-Dawley rat model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH 2022; 3:932530. [PMID: 36176709 PMCID: PMC9513159 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2022.932530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Up to 92% of patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) experience pain, most without adequate treatment, and many report pain long before motor symptoms associated with MS diagnosis. In the most commonly studied rodent model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), motor impairments/disabilities caused by EAE can interfere with pain testing. In this study, we characterize a novel low-dose myelin-oligodendrocyte-glycoprotein (MOG)-induced Sprague-Dawley (SD) model of EAE-related pain in male rats, optimized to minimize motor impairments/disabilities. Adult male SD rats were treated with increasing doses of intradermal myelin-oligodendrocyte-glycoprotein (MOG1-125) (0, 4, 8, and 16 μg) in incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) vehicle to induce mild EAE. Von Frey testing and motor assessments were conducted prior to EAE induction and then weekly thereafter to assess EAE-induced pain and motor impairment. Results from these studies demonstrated that doses of 8 and 16 μg MOG1-125 were sufficient to produce stable mechanical allodynia for up to 1 month in the absence of hindpaw motor impairments/disabilities. In the follow-up studies, these doses of MOG1-125, were administered to create allodynia in the absence of confounded motor impairments. Then, 2 weeks later, rats began daily subcutaneous injections of the Toll-like receptor 2 and 4 (TLR2-TLR4) antagonist (+)-naltrexone [(+)-NTX] or saline for an additional 13 days. We found that (+)-NTX also reverses EAE-induced mechanical allodynia in the MOG-induced SD rat model of EAE, supporting parallels between models, but now allowing a protracted timecourse to be examined completely free of motor confounds. Exploring further mechanisms, we demonstrated that both spinal NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) and interleukin-17 (IL-17) are necessary for EAE-induced pain, as intrathecal injections of NLRP3 antagonist MCC950 and IL-17 neutralizing antibody both acutely reversed EAE-induced pain. Finally, we show that spinal glial immunoreactivity induced by EAE is reversed by (+)-NTX, and that spinal demyelination correlates with the severity of motor impairments/disabilities. These findings characterize an optimized MOG-induced SD rat model of EAE for the study of pain with minimal motor impairments/disabilities. Finally, these studies support the role of TLR2-TLR4 antagonists as a potential treatment for MS-related pain and other pain and inflammatory-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Kwilasz
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
- The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Madison A. Clements
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
- The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Tracey A. Larson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
- The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Kevin M. Harris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
- The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Scott T. Litwiler
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
- The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Brodie J. Woodall
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
- The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Laurel S. Todd
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
- The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Anouk E. W. Schrama
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
- The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Eric H. Mitten
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
- The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Steven F. Maier
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
- The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Anne-Marie Van Dam
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Kenner C. Rice
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Linda R. Watkins
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
- The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
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12
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Zhang Y, Liang X, Bao X, Xiao W, Chen G. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) inhibitors: Current research and prospective. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 235:114291. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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13
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Thomas JHL, Lui L, Abell A, Tieu W, Somogyi AA, Bajic JE, Hutchinson MR. Toll-like receptors change morphine-induced antinociception, tolerance and dependence: Studies using male and female TLR and signalling gene KO mice. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 102:71-85. [PMID: 35131445 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLR) have been proposed as a site of action that alters opioid pharmacodynamics. However, a comprehensive assessment of acute opioid antinociception, tolerance and withdrawal behaviours in genetic null mutant strains with altered innate immune signalling has not been performed. Nor has the impact of genetic deletion of TLR2/4 on high-affinity opioid receptor binding. Here we show that diminished TLR signalling potentiates acute morphine antinociception equally in male and female mice. However, only male TIR8 null mutant mice showed reduced morphine analgesia. Analgesic tolerance was prevented in TLR2 and TLR4 null mutants, but not MyD88 animals. Withdrawal behaviours were only protected in TLR2-/- mice. In silico docking simulations revealed opioid ligands bound preferentially to the LPS binding pocket of MD-2 rather than TLR4. There was no binding of [3H](-)-naloxone or [3H]diprenorphine to TLR4 in the concentrations explored. These data confirm that opioids have high efficacy activity at innate immune pattern recognition binding sites but do not bind to TLR4 and identify critical pathway and sex-specific effects of the complex innate immune signalling contributions to opioid pharmacodynamics. These data further support the behavioural importance of the TLR-opioid interaction but fail to demonstrate direct evidence for high-affinity binding of the TLR4 signalling complex to ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob H L Thomas
- Discipline of Pharmacology, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; Discipline of Physiology, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Liang Lui
- Discipline of Pharmacology, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Andrew Abell
- Discipline of Physiology, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; ARC Centre for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - William Tieu
- Discipline of Chemistry, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Andrew A Somogyi
- Discipline of Pharmacology, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Juliana E Bajic
- Discipline of Physiology, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; ARC Centre for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Mark R Hutchinson
- Discipline of Physiology, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; ARC Centre for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
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14
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Martin SJ, McAnally HB, Okediji P, Rogosnitzky M. Low-dose naltrexone, an opioid-receptor antagonist, is a broad-spectrum analgesic: a retrospective cohort study. Pain Manag 2022; 12:699-709. [DOI: 10.2217/pmt-2021-0122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: To evaluate the use of low-dose naltrexone (LDN) as a broad-spectrum analgesic. Methods: Retrospective cohort study from a single pain management practice using data from 2014 to 2020. Thirty-six patients using LDN for ≥2 months were matched to 42 controls. Pain scores were assessed at initial visit and at most recent/final documented visit using a 10-point scale. Results: Cases reported significantly greater pain reduction (-37.8%) than controls (-4.3%; p < 0.001). Whole sample multivariate modeling predicts 33% pain reduction with LDN, with number needed to treat (for 50% pain reduction) of 3.2. Patients with neuropathic pain appeared to benefit even more than those with ‘nociceptive’/inflammatory pain. Conclusion: LDN is effective in a variety of chronic pain states, likely mediated by TLR-4 antagonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J Martin
- Northern Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, 10928 Eagle River Rd. #240, Eagle River, AK 99577, USA
- Loma Linda University School of Medicine, 11175 Campus St., Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
| | - Heath B McAnally
- Northern Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, 10928 Eagle River Rd. #240, Eagle River, AK 99577, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific St., Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Paul Okediji
- MedInsight Research Institute, Pekeris 4, Weizmann Science Park, Rehovot, 7670204, Israel
| | - Moshe Rogosnitzky
- MedInsight Research Institute, Pekeris 4, Weizmann Science Park, Rehovot, 7670204, Israel
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15
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Mustafa S, Evans S, Barry B, Barratt D, Wang Y, Lin C, Wang X, Hutchinson MR. Toll-Like Receptor 4 in Pain: Bridging Molecules-to-Cells-to-Systems. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2022; 276:239-273. [PMID: 35434749 DOI: 10.1007/164_2022_587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Pain impacts the lives of billions of people around the world - both directly and indirectly. It is complex and transcends beyond an unpleasant sensory experience to encompass emotional experiences. To date, there are no successful treatments for sufferers of chronic pain. Although opioids do not provide any benefit to chronic pain sufferers, they are still prescribed, often resulting in more complications such as hyperalgesia and dependence. In order to develop effective and safe medications to manage, and perhaps even treat pain, it is important to evaluate novel contributors to pain pathologies. As such, in this chapter we review the role of Toll-like receptor 4, a receptor of the innate immune system, that continues to gain substantial attention in the field of pain research. Positioned in the nexus of the neuro and immune systems, TLR4 may provide one of the missing pieces in understanding the complexities of pain. Here we consider how TLR4 enables a mechanistical understanding of pain as a multidimensional biopsychosocial state from molecules to cells to systems and back again.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanam Mustafa
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
| | - Samuel Evans
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Benjamin Barry
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Daniel Barratt
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Yibo Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Cong Lin
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Mark R Hutchinson
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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16
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González-Fernández C, Basauri A, Fallanza M, Bringas E, Oostenbrink C, Ortiz I. Fighting Against Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide-Caused Infections through Molecular Dynamics Simulations: A Review. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:4839-4851. [PMID: 34559524 PMCID: PMC8549069 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Lipopolysaccharide
(LPS) is the primary component of the outer
leaflet of Gram-negative bacterial outer membranes. LPS elicits an
overwhelming immune response during infection, which can lead to life-threatening
sepsis or septic shock for which no suitable treatment is available
so far. As a result of the worldwide expanding multidrug-resistant
bacteria, the occurrence and frequency of sepsis are expected to increase;
thus, there is an urge to develop novel strategies for treating bacterial
infections. In this regard, gaining an in-depth understanding about
the ability of LPS to both stimulate the host immune system and interact
with several molecules is crucial for fighting against LPS-caused
infections and allowing for the rational design of novel antisepsis
drugs, vaccines and LPS sequestration and detection methods. Molecular
dynamics (MD) simulations, which are understood as being a computational
microscope, have proven to be of significant value to understand LPS-related
phenomena, driving and optimizing experimental research studies. In
this work, a comprehensive review on the methods that can be combined
with MD simulations, recently applied in LPS research, is provided.
We focus especially on both enhanced sampling methods, which enable
the exploration of more complex systems and access to larger time
scales, and free energy calculation approaches. Thereby, apart from
outlining several strategies for surmounting LPS-caused infections,
this work reports the current state-of-the-art of the methods applied
with MD simulations for moving a step forward in the development of
such strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina González-Fernández
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, ETSIIT, University of Cantabria, Avda. Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Arantza Basauri
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, ETSIIT, University of Cantabria, Avda. Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Marcos Fallanza
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, ETSIIT, University of Cantabria, Avda. Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Eugenio Bringas
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, ETSIIT, University of Cantabria, Avda. Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Chris Oostenbrink
- Institute for Molecular Modeling and Simulation, BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Inmaculada Ortiz
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, ETSIIT, University of Cantabria, Avda. Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
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17
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Interaction of Opioids with TLR4-Mechanisms and Ramifications. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13215274. [PMID: 34771442 PMCID: PMC8582379 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Recent evidence indicates that opioids can be active at a receptor that is abundantly expressed on innate immune cells as well as cancer cells: the receptor is termed toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). TLR4 is increasingly recognised as playing key roles in tumour biology and anticancer defences. However, the issue of whether TLR4 mediates some of the effects of opioids on tumour growth and metastasis is entirely unknown. We review existing evidence, mechanisms, and functional consequences of the action of opioids at TLR4. This opens new avenues of research on the role of opioids in cancer. Abstract The innate immune receptor toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is known as a sensor for the gram-negative bacterial cell wall component lipopolysaccharide (LPS). TLR4 activation leads to a strong pro-inflammatory response in macrophages; however, it is also recognised to play a key role in cancer. Recent studies of the opioid receptor (OR)-independent actions of opioids have identified that TLR4 can respond to opioids. Opioids are reported to weakly activate TLR4, but to significantly inhibit LPS-induced TLR4 activation. The action of opioids at TLR4 is suggested to be non-stereoselective, this is because OR-inactive (+)-isomers of opioids have been shown to activate or to inhibit TLR4 signalling, although there is some controversy in the literature. While some opioids can bind to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding cleft of the Myeloid Differentiation factor 2 (MD-2) co-receptor, pharmacological characterisation of the inhibition of opioids on LPS activation of TLR4 indicates a noncompetitive mechanism. In addition to a direct interaction at the receptor, opioids affect NF-κB activation downstream of both TLR4 and opioid receptors and modulate TLR4 expression, leading to a range of in vivo outcomes. Here, we review the literature reporting the activity of opioids at TLR4, its proposed mechanism(s), and the complex functional consequences of this interaction.
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18
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Huang T, Li Y, Hu W, Yu D, Gao J, Yang F, Xu Y, Wang Z, Zong L. Dexmedetomidine attenuates haemorrhage-induced thalamic pain by inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB/ERK1/2 pathway in mice. Inflammopharmacology 2021; 29:1751-1760. [PMID: 34643849 PMCID: PMC8643300 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-021-00877-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thalamic pain, a neuropathic pain syndrome, frequently occurs after stroke. This research aimed to investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine (DEX) on thalamic pain. METHODS The cellular localization of the TLR4 protein was determined by immunostaining. The expression of Iba1, GFAP and protein associated with the TLR4/NF-κB/ERK1/2 pathway was measured by Western blotting. Continuous pain hypersensitivity was evaluated by behavioural tests. The results were analysed by one-way ANOVA, two-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test. RESULTS The results demonstrated that DEX obviously alleviated thalamic pain induced by haemorrhage on the ipsilateral side and delayed the development of pain hypersensitivity. Furthermore, the expression levels of Iba1, GFAP and proteins associated with the TLR4/NF-κB/ERK1/2 signalling pathway were greatly increased in mice with thalamic pain, but these effects were reversed by DEX. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that DEX alleviates the inflammatory response during thalamic pain through the TLR4/NF-κB/ERK1/2 signalling pathway and might be a potential therapeutic agent for thalamic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianfeng Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Clinical Medical College of Yangzhou University, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital Affiliated with Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Clinical Medical College of Yangzhou University, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital Affiliated with Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenqing Hu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Changzhi People's Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Changzhi Medical College, Shanxi, No. 502 Changxing Middle Road, Luzhou District, Changzhi, 046000, People's Republic of China
| | - Dapeng Yu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Clinical Medical College of Yangzhou University, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital Affiliated with Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Ju Gao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Clinical Medical College of Yangzhou University, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital Affiliated with Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Central Laboratory, Changzhi People's Hospital, Shanxi, The Affiliated Hospital of Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingying Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Yizheng People's Hospital, Clinical Medical College, Yangzhou University, No. 61 Dongyuan South Road, Yangzhou, 211400, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zehua Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heji Hospital Affiliated To Changzhi Medical College, No. 271 Taihang East Road, Changzhi, 046000, Shanxi, People's Republic of China.
| | - Liang Zong
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Changzhi People's Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Changzhi Medical College, Shanxi, No. 502 Changxing Middle Road, Luzhou District, Changzhi, 046000, People's Republic of China. .,Department of Central Laboratory, Changzhi People's Hospital, Shanxi, The Affiliated Hospital of Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, People's Republic of China.
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19
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Zhang X, Wang H, Wang Y, Li H, Wu S, Gao J, Zhang T, Xie J, Wang X. Nalmefene non-enantioselectively targets myeloid differentiation protein 2 and inhibits toll-like receptor 4 signaling: wet-lab techniques and in silico simulations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:12260-12269. [PMID: 34013938 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp00237f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Nalmefene is an opiate derivative having a similar structure to naltrexone. Recent evidence suggests that nalmefene, acting as the innate immune protein toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) antagonist, effectively reduces the injury of lung ischemia-reperfusion and prevents neuroinflammation. However, the molecular recognition mechanism, especially the enantioselectivity, of nalmefene by the innate immune receptor is not well understood. Herein in vitro assays and in silico simulations were performed to dissect the innate immune recognition of nalmefene at the atomic, molecular, and cellular levels. Biophysical binding experiments and molecular dynamic simulations provide direct evidence that (-)-nalmefene and (+)-nalmefene bind to the hydrophobic cavity of myeloid differentiation protein 2 (MD-2) and behave similarly, which is primarily driven by hydrophobic interactions. The inhibition activity and the calculated binding free energies show that no enantioselectivity was observed during the interaction of nalmefene with MD-2 as well as the inhibition of TLR4 signaling. Interestingly, nalmefene showed ∼6 times better TLR4 antagonisic activity than naltrexone, indicating that the bioisosteric replacement with the methylene group is critical for the molecular recognition of nalmefene by MD-2. In all, this study provides molecular insight into the innate immune recognition of nalmefene, which demonstrates that nalmefene is non-enantioselectively sensed by MD-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozheng Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China.
| | - Hongshuang Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China.
| | - Yibo Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China.
| | - Hongyuan Li
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China.
| | - Siru Wu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China. and Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
| | - Jingwei Gao
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China. and Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
| | - Tianshu Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China.
| | - Jun Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China.
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China. and Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
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20
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Abstract
This paper is the forty-second consecutive installment of the annual anthological review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, summarizing articles published during 2019 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides and receptors as well as effects of opioid/opiate agonists and antagonists. The review is subdivided into the following specific topics: molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (1), the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia in animals (2) and humans (3), opioid-sensitive and opioid-insensitive effects of nonopioid analgesics (4), opioid peptide and receptor involvement in tolerance and dependence (5), stress and social status (6), learning and memory (7), eating and drinking (8), drug abuse and alcohol (9), sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (10), mental illness and mood (11), seizures and neurologic disorders (12), electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (13), general activity and locomotion (14), gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (15), cardiovascular responses (16), respiration and thermoregulation (17), and immunological responses (18).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY, 11367, United States.
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21
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Structure-activity relationship study of dihydroartemisinin C-10 hemiacetal derivatives as Toll-like receptor 4 antagonists. Bioorg Chem 2021; 114:105107. [PMID: 34175717 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a natural product isolated from the traditional Chinese herb Artemisia annua and one of the clinical frontline drugs against malarial infections, has recently been discovered as a Toll-like Receptor 4 (TLR4) antagonist. However, the TLR4 antagonistic activity of DHA is modest and it exhibits cellular toxicity. In this work, the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of DHA as TLR4 antagonist was explored. Since destroying the sesquiterpene endoperoxide scaffold substantially compromised the TLR4 antagonistic activity and molecular dynamics analysis showed that the C-10 hydroxyl group formed a hydrogen bond with E72 of myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD2) to prevent it moving deeper into MD2, SAR of DHA was focused on the C-10 hemiacetal position. With extending the length of the linear alkane chain at C10 position, the TLR4 antagonistic activity of DHA analogs increased first and then decreased with the best TLR4 antagonism occurring at the length of the carbon chain of 3-4 carbons. In contrast, the cellular toxicity of DHA analogs was raised with the increasing length of the linear alkane chain. The TLR4 antagonistic activity of DHA derivatives with substituted halogen as the terminal functional group decreased with the decrease of electronegativity of the substituted halogen, which implies the electron-rich functional group at the end of the alkane chain appears preferred. Therefore, DHA derivative 2k with alkynyl as the end functional group, exhibited 14 times more potent TLR4 antagonistic activity than DHA. Moreover, 2k showed less cellular toxicity than DHA. Cellular signaling characterizations indicated that 2k inhibited LPS-induced TLR4 dimerization and endocytosis and suppressed LPS-induced NF-κB but not MAPKs activation, culminating in blocking LPS-induced TLR4 signaling downstream pro-inflammatory factors NO and IL-1β. Further, 2k was active in vivo; it significantly increased and prolonged morphine analgesia. Collectively, this study provides a structural guidance to reposition DHA derivatives as TLR4 antagonists.
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22
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Li H, Peng Y, Lin C, Zhang X, Zhang T, Wang Y, Li Y, Wu S, Wang H, Hutchinson MR, Watkins LR, Wang X. Nicotine and its metabolite cotinine target MD2 and inhibit TLR4 signaling. Innovation (N Y) 2021; 2:100111. [PMID: 34557761 PMCID: PMC8454564 DOI: 10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicotine is the principal alkaloid of tobacco often manufactured into cigarettes and belongs to a highly addictive class of drugs. Nicotine attenuates the neuroinflammation induced by microglial activation. However, the molecular target(s) underlying anti-inflammatory action of nicotine has not been fully understood. Considering the psychoactive substances morphine, cocaine, and methamphetamine act as xenobiotic-associated molecular patterns and can be specifically sensed by the innate immune receptor Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), here we sought to delineate whether nicotine and/or its metabolite cotinine may be recognized by the innate immune system via myeloid differentiation protein 2 (MD2), an accessory protein of TLR4 that is responsible for ligand recognition. MD2-intrinsic fluorescence titrations, surface plasmon resonance, and competitive displacement binding assays with curcumin (MD2 probe) demonstrated that both nicotine and cotinine targeted the lipopolysaccharide (LPS; TLR4 agonist) binding pocket of MD2 with similar affinities. The cellular thermal shift assay indicated that nicotine binding increased, while cotinine binding decreased, MD2 stability. These biophysical binding results were further supported by in silico simulations. In keeping with targeting MD2, both nicotine and cotinine inhibited LPS-induced production of nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and blocked microglial activation. Neither a pan nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) inhibitor nor RNAi for nAChRs abolished the suppressive effect of nicotine- and cotinine-induced neuroinflammation. These data indicate that TLR4 inhibition by nicotine and cotinine at the concentrations tested in BV-2 cells is independent of classic neuronal nAChRs and validate that MD2 is a direct target of nicotine and cotinine in the inhibition of innate immunity. Nicotine and cotinine bind to MD2 in microglia cell Nicotine and cotinine inhibit the expression of pro-inflammatory factors The activity of nicotine and cotinine in microglia is independent of nAChRs
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyuan Li
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Yinghua Peng
- Institute of Special Animal and Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jilin 130112, China
| | - Cong Lin
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Xiaozheng Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Tianshu Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Yibo Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Yuanpeng Li
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Siru Wu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Hongshuang Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Mark R Hutchinson
- Discipline of Physiology, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale Biophotonics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Linda R Watkins
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, and the Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jilin 130022, China.,Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
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23
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Kwilasz AJ, Green Fulgham SM, Duran-Malle JC, Schrama AEW, Mitten EH, Todd LS, Patel HP, Larson TA, Clements MA, Harris KM, Litwiler ST, Harvey LO, Maier SF, Chavez RA, Rice KC, Van Dam AM, Watkins LR. Toll-like receptor 2 and 4 antagonism for the treatment of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)-related pain. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 93:80-95. [PMID: 33358978 PMCID: PMC8475740 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is a major symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) with up to 92% of patients reporting bodily pain, and 85% reporting pain severe enough to cause functional disability. None of the available therapeutics target MS pain. Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 (TLR2/TLR4) have emerged as targets for treating a wide array of autoimmune disorders, including MS, as well as having demonstrated success at suppressing pain in diverse animal models. The current series of studies tested systemic TLR2/TLR4 antagonists in males and females in a low-dose Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model, with reduced motor dysfunction to allow unconfounded testing of allodynia through 50+ days post-MOG. The data demonstrated that blocking TLR2/TLR4 suppressed EAE-related pain, equally in males and females; upregulation of dorsal spinal cord proinflammatory gene expression for TLR2, TLR4, NLRP3, interleukin-1β, IkBα, TNF-α and interleukin-17; and upregulation of dorsal spinal cord expression of glial immunoreactivity markers. In support of these results, intrathecal interleukin-1 receptor antagonist reversed EAE-induced allodynia, both early and late after EAE induction. In contrast, blocking TLR2/TLR4 did not suppress EAE-induced motor disturbances induced by a higher MOG dose. These data suggest that blocking TLR2/TLR4 prevents the production of proinflammatory factors involved in low dose EAE pathology. Moreover, in this EAE model, TLR2/TLR4 antagonists were highly effective in reducing pain, whereas motor impairment, as seen in high dose MOG EAE, is not affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Kwilasz
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States; The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States.
| | - Suzanne M Green Fulgham
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States; The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Julissa Chante Duran-Malle
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States; The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Anouk E W Schrama
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States; The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Eric H Mitten
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States; The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Laurel S Todd
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States; The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Hardik P Patel
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States; The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Tracey A Larson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States; The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Madison A Clements
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States; The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Kevin M Harris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States; The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Scott T Litwiler
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States; The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Lewis O Harvey
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States; The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Steven F Maier
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States; The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | | | - Kenner C Rice
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Anne-Marie Van Dam
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Linda R Watkins
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States; The Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
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24
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Zhang L, Wei X, Zhang R, Koci M, Si D, Ahmad B, Guo H, Hou Y. C-Terminal Amination of a Cationic Anti-Inflammatory Peptide Improves Bioavailability and Inhibitory Activity Against LPS-Induced Inflammation. Front Immunol 2021; 11:618312. [PMID: 33613547 PMCID: PMC7892475 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.618312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been implicated as a major cause of inflammation and an uncontrolled LPS response increases the risk of localized inflammation and sepsis. While some native peptides are helpful in the treatment of LPS-induced inflammation, the use of these peptides is limited due to their potential cytotoxicity and poor anti-inflammatory activity. Hybridization is an effective approach for overcoming this problem. In this study, a novel hybrid anti-inflammatory peptide that combines the active center of Cathelicidin 2 (CATH2) with thymopentin (TP5) was designed [CTP, CATH2 (1–13)-TP5]. CTP was found to have higher anti-inflammatory effects than its parental peptides through directly LPS neutralization. However, CTP scarcely inhibited the attachment of LPS to cell membranes or suppressed an established LPS-induced inflammation due to poor cellular uptake. The C-terminal amine modification of CTP (CTP-NH2) was then designed based on the hypothesis that C-terminal amidation can enhance the cell uptake by increasing the hydrophobicity of the peptide. Compared with CTP, CTP-NH2 showed enhanced anti-inflammatory activity and lower cytotoxicity. CTP-NH2 not only has strong LPS neutralizing activity, but also can significantly inhibit the LPS attachment and the intracellular inflammatory response. The intracellular anti-inflammatory effect of CTP-NH2 was associated with blocking of LPS binding to the Toll-like receptor 4-myeloid differentiation factor 2 complex and inhibiting the nuclear factor-kappa B pathway. In addition, the anti-inflammatory effect of CTP-NH2 was confirmed using a murine LPS-induced sepsis model. Collectively, these findings suggest that CTP-NH2 could be developed into a novel anti-inflammatory drug. This successful modification provides a design strategy to improve the cellular uptake and anti-inflammatory activity of peptide agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xubiao Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Rijun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Matthew Koci
- Prestage Department of Poultry Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Dayong Si
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Baseer Ahmad
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Henan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanfei Hou
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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25
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Zhang T, Zhang X, Lin C, Wu S, Wang F, Wang H, Wang Y, Peng Y, Hutchinson MR, Li H, Wang X. Artemisinin inhibits TLR4 signaling by targeting co-receptor MD2 in microglial BV-2 cells and prevents lipopolysaccharide-induced blood-brain barrier leakage in mice. J Neurochem 2021; 157:611-623. [PMID: 33453127 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Artemisinin and its derivatives have been the frontline drugs for treating malaria. In addition to the antiparasitic effect, accumulating evidence shows that artemisinins can alleviate neuroinflammatory responses in the central nervous system (CNS). However, the precise mechanisms underlying their anti-neuroinflammatory effects are unclear. Herein we attempted to delineate the molecule target of artemisinin in microglia. In vitro protein intrinsic fluorescence titrations and saturation transfer difference (STD)-NMR showed the direct binding of artemisinin to Toll-like receptor TLR4 co-receptor MD2. Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) showed that artemisinin binding increased MD2 stability, which implies that artemisinin directly binds to MD2 in the cellular context. Artemisinin bound MD2 showed much less collapse during the molecular dynamic simulations, which supports the increased stability of MD2 upon artemisinin binding. Flow cytometry analysis showed artemisinin inhibited LPS-induced TLR4 dimerization and endocytosis in microglial BV-2 cells. Therefore, artemisinin was found to inhibit the TLR4-JNK signaling axis and block LPS-induced pro-inflammatory factors nitric oxide, IL-1β and TNF-α in BV-2 cells. Furthermore, artemisinin restored LPS-induced decrease of junction proteins ZO-1, Occludin and Claudin-5 in primary brain microvessel endothelial cells, and attenuated LPS-induced blood-brain barrier disruption in mice as assessed by Evans blue. In all, this study unambiguously adds MD2 as a direct binding target of artemisinin in its anti-neuroinflammatory function. The results also suggest that artemisinin could be repurposed as a potential therapeutic intervention for inflammatory CNS diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianshu Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation, Ministry of Education, Yantai University, Yantai, China
| | - Xiaozheng Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Cong Lin
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Siru Wu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Fanfan Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China.,State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Guangxi, Normal University, Guilin, China
| | - Hongshuang Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Yibo Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Yinghua Peng
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Special Economic Animal, Institute of Special Animal and Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Mark R Hutchinson
- Discipline of Physiology, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale Biophotonics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Hongyuan Li
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China.,Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
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26
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Muscat SM, Deems NP, D'Angelo H, Kitt MM, Grace PM, Andersen ND, Silverman SN, Rice KC, Watkins LR, Maier SF, Barrientos RM. Postoperative cognitive dysfunction is made persistent with morphine treatment in aged rats. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 98:214-224. [PMID: 33341652 PMCID: PMC7870544 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is the collection of cognitive impairments, lasting days to months, experienced by individuals following surgery. Persistent POCD is most commonly experienced by older individuals and is associated with a greater vulnerability to developing Alzheimer's disease, but the underlying mechanisms are not known. It is known that laparotomy (exploratory abdominal surgery) in aged rats produces memory impairments for 4 days. Here we report that postsurgical treatment with morphine extends this deficit to at least 2 months while having no effects in the absence of surgery. Indeed, hippocampal-dependent long-term memory was impaired 2, 4, and 8 weeks postsurgery only in aged, morphine-treated rats. Short-term memory remained intact. Morphine is known to have analgesic effects via μ-opioid receptor activation and neuroinflammatory effects through Toll-like receptor 4 activation. Here we demonstrate that persistent memory deficits were mediated independently of the μ-opioid receptor, suggesting that they were evoked through a neuroinflammatory mechanism and unrelated to pain modulation. In support of this, aged, laparotomized, and morphine-treated rats exhibited increased gene expression of various proinflammatory markers (IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα, NLRP3, HMGB1, TLR2, and TLR4) in the hippocampus at the 2-week time point. Furthermore, central blockade of IL-1β signaling with the specific IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), at the time of surgery, completely prevented the memory impairment. Finally, synaptophysin and PSD95 gene expression were significantly dysregulated in the hippocampus of aged, laparotomized, morphine-treated rats, suggesting that impaired synaptic structure and/or function may play a key role in this persistent deficit. This instance of long-term memory impairment following surgery closely mirrors the timeline of persistent POCD in humans and may be useful for future treatment discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Muscat
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Nicholas P Deems
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Heather D'Angelo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Meagan M Kitt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Peter M Grace
- Laboratories of Neuroimmunology, Department of Symptom Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nathan D Andersen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Shaelyn N Silverman
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Kenner C Rice
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Linda R Watkins
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Steven F Maier
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Ruth M Barrientos
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Chronic Brain Injury Program, Discovery Themes Initiative, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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27
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Lacagnina MJ, Li J, Lorca S, Rice KC, Sullivan K, O’Callaghan JP, Grace PM. A role for neuroimmune signaling in a rat model of Gulf War Illness-related pain. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 91:418-428. [PMID: 33127584 PMCID: PMC7749855 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
More than a quarter of veterans of the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War suffer from Gulf War Illness (GWI), a chronic, multi-symptom illness that commonly includes musculoskeletal pain. Exposure to a range of toxic chemicals, including sarin nerve agent, are a suspected root cause of GWI. Moreover, such chemical exposures induce a neuroinflammatory response in rodents, which has been linked to several GWI symptoms in rodents and veterans with GWI. To date, a neuroinflammatory basis for pain associated with GWI has not been investigated. Here, we evaluated development of nociceptive hypersensitivity in a model of GWI. Male Sprague Dawley rats were treated with corticosterone in the drinking water for 7 days, to mimic high physiological stress, followed by a single injection of the sarin nerve agent surrogate, diisopropyl fluorophosphate. These exposures alone were insufficient to induce allodynia. However, an additional sub-threshold challenge (a single intramuscular injection of pH 4 saline) induced long-lasting, bilateral allodynia. Such allodynia was associated with elevation of markers for activated microglia/macrophages (CD11b) and astrocytes/satellite glia (GFAP) in the lumbar dorsal spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Additionally, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mRNA was elevated in the lumbar dorsal spinal cord, while IL-1β and IL-6 were elevated in the lumbar dorsal spinal cord, DRG, and gastrocnemius muscle. Demonstrating a casual role for such neuroinflammatory signaling, allodynia was reversed by treatment with either minocycline, the TLR4 inhibitor (+)-naltrexone, or IL-10 plasmid DNA. Together, these results point to a role for neuroinflammation in male rats in the model of musculoskeletal pain related to GWI. Therapies that alleviate persistent immune dysregulation may be a strategy to treat pain and other symptoms of GWI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Lacagnina
- Laboratories of Neuroimmunology, Department of Symptom Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jiahe Li
- Laboratories of Neuroimmunology, Department of Symptom Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sabina Lorca
- Laboratories of Neuroimmunology, Department of Symptom Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kenner C. Rice
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kimberly Sullivan
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - James P. O’Callaghan
- Health Effects Laboratory Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Peter M. Grace
- Laboratories of Neuroimmunology, Department of Symptom Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Corresponding author: Peter M. Grace, PhD, 6565 MD Anderson Blvd, Houston TX, 77030, T: 713-792-6673,
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28
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Romerio A, Peri F. Increasing the Chemical Variety of Small-Molecule-Based TLR4 Modulators: An Overview. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1210. [PMID: 32765484 PMCID: PMC7381287 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) is one of the receptors of innate immunity. It is activated by Pathogen- and Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs and DAMPs) and triggers pro-inflammatory responses that belong to the repertoire of innate immune responses, consequently protecting against infectious challenges and boosting adaptive immunity. Mild TLR4 stimulation by non-toxic molecules resembling its natural agonist (lipid A) provided efficient vaccine adjuvants. The non-toxic TLR4 agonist monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) has been approved for clinical use. This suggests the development of other TLR4 agonists as adjuvants or drugs for cancer immunotherapy. TLR4 excessive activation by a Gram-negative bacteria lipopolysaccharide (LPS) leads to sepsis, while TLR4 stimulation by DAMPs is a common mechanism in several inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. TLR4 inhibition by small molecules and antibodies could therefore provide access to innovative therapeutics targeting sepsis as well as acute and chronic inflammations. The potential use of TLR4 antagonists as anti-inflammatory drugs with unique selectivity and a new mechanism of action compared to corticosteroids or other non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs fueled the search for compounds of natural or synthetic origin able to block or inhibit TLR4 activation and signaling. The wide spectrum of clinical settings to which TLR4 inhibitors can be applied include autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases), vascular inflammation, neuroinflammations, and neurodegenerative diseases. The last advances (from 2017) in TLR4 activation or inhibition by small molecules (molecular weight <2 kDa) are reviewed here. Studies on pre-clinical validation of new chemical entities (drug hits) on cellular or animal models as well as new clinical studies on previously developed TLR4 modulators are reported. Innovative TLR4 modulators discovered by computer-assisted drug design and an artificial intelligence approach are described. Some "old" TLR4 agonists or antagonists such as MPLA or Eritoran are under study for repositioning in different pharmacological contexts. The mechanism of action of the molecules and the level of TLR4 involvement in their biological activity are critically discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Romerio
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Peri
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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29
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Ahmad B, Hanif Q, Wei X, Zhang L, Sabir N, Li Z, Cheng J, Khan SA, Basit A, Shahid M, Rehman AU, Si D, Zhang R. In vitro Impact of Yeast Expressed Hybrid Peptide CATH-2TP5 as a Prophylactic Measure Toward Sepsis and Inflammation. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:454. [PMID: 32582649 PMCID: PMC7283555 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
CATH-2TP5 is a linear cationic hybrid peptide, consequent from naturally occurring antimicrobial peptide (AMPs) Cathelicidin-2 (CATH-2) and Immunomodulatory peptide Thymopentin (TP5) having dynamic and potent anti-inflammatory activities without hemolytic effect. The biocompatible mechanism of CATH-2TP5 is favored to explore new methodologies in the direction of biomedical applications. In this retrospectively study, an antiendotoxin and anti-inflammatory hybrid peptide CATH-2TP5 was emulated into pPICZα-A and successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris (P. pastoris). The recombinant CATH-2TP5 was purified through the Ni-affinity column and reversed-phase HPLC. The purified CATH-2TP5 peptide exhibited robust anti-endotoxin activity and significantly (p < 0.05) neutralized the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Furthermore, the down-regulated effect of CATH-2TP was more pronounced (p < 0.05) on LPS-induced cytotoxic effects, nitric oxide secretion and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) in murine RAW264.7 macrophages. As associated to control and parental peptide the number of apoptotic cells was also contracted with the treatment of CATH-2TP5. Thus, we concluded that CATH-2TP5 peptide may be used in various biomedical applications as a therapeutic drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baseer Ahmad
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Sciences, Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Quratulain Hanif
- National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Department of Biotechnology, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nilore, Pakistan
| | - Xubiao Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Sciences, Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Lulu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Sciences, Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Naveed Sabir
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhongxuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Sciences, Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Junhao Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Sciences, Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shahzad Akbar Khan
- Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Abdul Basit
- College of Life Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Muhammad Shahid
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Amin ur Rehman
- College of Life Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Dayong Si
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Sciences, Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Rijun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Sciences, Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Wang Y, Zhang S, Li H, Wang H, Zhang T, Hutchinson MR, Yin H, Wang X. Small-Molecule Modulators of Toll-like Receptors. Acc Chem Res 2020; 53:1046-1055. [PMID: 32233400 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.9b00631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are the "gatekeepers" of the immune system in humans and other animals to protect the host from invading bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms. Since TLR4 was discovered as the receptor for endotoxin in the late 1990s, significant progress has been made in exploiting an understanding of the function of TLRs. The TLR-signaling pathway is crucial for the induction and progression of various diseases. Dysregulation of TLR signaling contributes to numerous pathological conditions, including chronic inflammation, sepsis, cancers, asthma, neuropathic pain, drug addiction, and autoimmune diseases. Therefore, manipulation of TLR signaling is promising to halt their activity in inflammatory diseases, to enhance their signaling to fight cancers, to modulate their role in autoimmune diseases, and to suppress them to treat drug addiction. TLR agonists have demonstrated great potential as antimicrobial agents and vaccine adjuvants, whereas TLR antagonists are being developed as reagents and drugs to dampen immune responses. Because of their pivotal potential therapeutic applications, fruitful small-molecule compounds and peptide fragments have been discovered, and many of them have advanced to various stages of clinical trials (though only two have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): MPLA as a TLR4 agonist and imiquimod as a TLR7 agonist).In this Account, we focus on the progress in developing TLR signaling pathway modulators (mainly focused on the Yin and Wang laboratories) over the past decade and highlight the accomplishments and currently existing challenges in the development of TLR modulators. First, we briefly describe the members of the human TLR family along with their natural modulators. Second, we illustrate our endeavors to discover TLR-targeted agents using comprehensive approaches. Specifically, a discussion of identification and characterization of new chemical entities, determination of modes of action, and further applications is presented. For instance, the TLR3 antagonist was first discovered through in silico screening, and the inhibitory activity was confirmed in murine cells. Considering the glycosylation on TLR3, a new direction for TLR3 modulator design was pointed out to target asparagine glycosylation. We have particularly focused on the discovery of TLR4 antagonists and have assessed their great potential in the clinical treatment of drug addiction and alcohol use disorders. In addition, we discuss multiple other popular and robust techniques for modulator discovery. Not only small organic modulators but also stapled peptides and peptidomimetics will attract more and more attention in the future. Finally, current challenges, opportunities, and future perspectives for TLR-targeted agents are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibo Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Shuting Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University−Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100082, China
| | - Hongyuan Li
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Hongshuang Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Tianshu Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Mark R. Hutchinson
- Discipline of Physiology, Adelaide Medical School, and ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Hang Yin
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University−Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100082, China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
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Zhang X, Wang Y, Wang H, Li H, Zhang T, Peng Y, Wang X. Exploring Methamphetamine Nonenantioselectively Targeting Toll-like Receptor 4/Myeloid Differentiation Protein 2 by in Silico Simulations and Wet-Lab Techniques. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:1607-1613. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.9b01040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozheng Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Yibo Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Hongshuang Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Hongyuan Li
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Tianshu Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Yinghua Peng
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Special Economic Animals, Institute of Special Animal and Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130112, China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
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Peng Y, Zhang X, Zhang T, Grace PM, Li H, Wang Y, Li H, Chen H, Watkins LR, Hutchinson MR, Yin H, Wang X. Lovastatin inhibits Toll-like receptor 4 signaling in microglia by targeting its co-receptor myeloid differentiation protein 2 and attenuates neuropathic pain. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 82:432-444. [PMID: 31542403 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing interest in drug repositioning to find new therapeutic indications for drugs already approved for use in people. Lovastatin is an FDA approved drug that has been used clinically for over a decade as a lipid-lowering medication. While lovastatin is classically considered to act as a hydroxymethylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA reductase inhibitor, the present series of studies reveal a novel lovastatin effect, that being as a Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) antagonist. Lovastatin selectively inhibits lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced TLR4-NF-κB activation without affecting signaling by other homologous TLRs. In vitro biophysical binding and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) show that lovastatin is recognized by TLR4's coreceptor myeloid differentiation protein 2 (MD-2). This finding is supported by molecular dynamics simulations that lovastatin targets the LPS binding pocket of MD-2 and lovastatin binding stabilizes the MD-2 conformation. In vitro studies of BV-2 microglial cells revealed that lovastatin inhibits multiple effects of LPS, including activation of NFkB; mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor-a, interleukin-6 and cyclo-oxygenase 2; production of nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species; as well as phagocytic activity. Furthermore, intrathecal delivery of lovastatin over lumbosacral spinal cord of rats attenuated both neuropathic pain from sciatic nerve injury and expression of the microglial activation marker CD11 in lumbar spinal cord dorsal horn. Given the well-established role of microglia and proinflammatory signaling in neuropathic pain, these data are supportive that lovastatin, as a TLR4 antagonist, may be productively repurposed for treating chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinghua Peng
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Special Economic Animals, Institute of Special Animal and Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130112, China; Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation, Ministry of Education, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
| | - Xiaozheng Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Tianshu Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Peter M Grace
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, and the Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Hongyuan Li
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Yibo Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Hang Li
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Hongqian Chen
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Linda R Watkins
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, and the Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Mark R Hutchinson
- Discipline of Physiology, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale Biophotonics, University of Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Hang Yin
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100082, China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation, Ministry of Education, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China; Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China; Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
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Wang X, Northcutt AL, Cochran TA, Zhang X, Fabisiak TJ, Haas ME, Amat J, Li H, Rice KC, Maier SF, Bachtell RK, Hutchinson MR, Watkins LR. Methamphetamine Activates Toll-Like Receptor 4 to Induce Central Immune Signaling within the Ventral Tegmental Area and Contributes to Extracellular Dopamine Increase in the Nucleus Accumbens Shell. ACS Chem Neurosci 2019; 10:3622-3634. [PMID: 31282647 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.9b00225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Methamphetamine (METH) is a globally abused, highly addictive stimulant. While investigations of the rewarding and motivational effects of METH have focused on neuronal actions, increasing evidence suggests that METH can also target microglia, the innate immune cells of the central nervous system, causing release of proinflammatory mediators and therefore amplifying the reward changes in the neuronal activity induced by METH. However, how METH induces neuroinflammatory responses within the central nervous system (CNS) is unknown. Herein, we provide direct evidence that METH creates neuroinflammation, at least in part, via the activation of the innate immune Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Biophysical studies revealed that METH bound to MD-2, the key coreceptor of TLR4. Molecular dynamics simulations showed METH binding stabilized the active heterotetramer (TLR4/MD-2)2 conformation. Classic TLR4 antagonists LPS-RS and TAK-242 attenuated METH induced NF-κB activation of microglia, whereas added MD-2 protein boosted METH-induced NF-κB activation. Systemically administered METH (1 mg/kg) was found to specifically up-regulate expression of both CD11b (microglial activation marker) and the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 6 (IL-6) mRNAs in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), but not in either the nucleus accumbens shell (NAc) or prefrontal cortex (PFC). Systemic administration of a nonopioid, blood-brain barrier permeable TLR4 antagonist (+)-naloxone inhibited METH-induced activation of microglia and IL-6 mRNA overexpression in VTA. METH was found to increase conditioned place preference (CPP) as well as extracellular dopamine concentrations in the NAc, with both effects suppressed by the nonopioid TLR4 antagonist (+)-naloxone. Furthermore, intra-VTA injection of LPS-RS or IL-6 neutralizing antibody suppressed METH-induced elevation of extracellular NAc dopamine. Taken together, this series of studies demonstrate that METH-induced neuroinflammation is, at least in part, mediated by TLR4-IL6 signaling within the VTA, which has the downstream effect of elevating dopamine in the NAc shell. These results provide a novel understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying acute METH reward that includes a critical role for central immune signaling and offers a new target for medication development for treating drug abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Alexis L. Northcutt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Thomas A. Cochran
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Xiaozheng Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Timothy J. Fabisiak
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Mackenzie E. Haas
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Jose Amat
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Hongyuan Li
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Kenner C. Rice
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Steven F. Maier
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Ryan K. Bachtell
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | | | - Linda R. Watkins
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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Zhang L, Wei X, Zhang R, Si D, Petitte JN, Ahmad B, Zhang M. A Novel Peptide Ameliorates LPS-Induced Intestinal Inflammation and Mucosal Barrier Damage via Its Antioxidant and Antiendotoxin Effects. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E3974. [PMID: 31443263 PMCID: PMC6720008 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20163974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Intestinal inflammation is an inflammatory disease resulting from immune dysregulation in the gut. It can increase the risk of enteric cancer, which is a common malignancy globally. As a new class of anti-inflammatory agents, native peptides have potential for use in the treatment of several intestinal inflammation conditions; however, their potential cytotoxicity and poor anti-inflammatory activity and stability have prevented their development. Hybridization has been proposed to overcome this problem. Thus, in this study, we designed a hybrid peptide (LL-37-TP5, LTP) by combing the active centre of LL-37 (13-36) with TP5. The half-life and cytotoxicity were tested in vitro, and the hybrid peptide showed a longer half-life and lower cytotoxicity than its parental peptides. We also detected the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanisms of LTP on Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal inflammation in murine model. The results showed that LTP effectively prevented LPS-induced weight loss, impairment of intestinal tissues, leukocyte infiltration, and histological evidence of inflammation. Additionally, LTP decreased the levels of tumour necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma, and interleukin-6; increased the expression of zonula occludens-1 and occludin; and reduced permeability in the jejunum of LPS-treated mice. Notably, LTP appeared to be more potent than the parental peptides LL-37 and TP5. The anti-inflammatory effects of LTP may be associated with the neutralization of LPS, inhibition of oxidative stress, and inhibition of the NF-κB signalling pathway. The findings of this study suggest that LTP might be an effective therapeutic agent for treating intestinal inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Zhang
- Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xubiao Wei
- Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Rijun Zhang
- Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Dayong Si
- Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - James N Petitte
- Prestage Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Baseer Ahmad
- Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Manyi Zhang
- Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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Zhang X, Peng Y, Grace PM, Metcalf MD, Kwilasz AJ, Wang Y, Zhang T, Wu S, Selfridge BR, Portoghese PS, Rice KC, Watkins LR, Hutchinson MR, Wang X. Stereochemistry and innate immune recognition: (+)-norbinaltorphimine targets myeloid differentiation protein 2 and inhibits toll-like receptor 4 signaling. FASEB J 2019; 33:9577-9587. [PMID: 31162938 PMCID: PMC6988860 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201900173rrr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Deregulation of innate immune TLR4 signaling contributes to various diseases including neuropathic pain and drug addiction. Naltrexone is one of the rare TLR4 antagonists with good blood-brain barrier permeability and showing no stereoselectivity for TLR4. By linking 2 naltrexone units through a rigid pyrrole spacer, the bivalent ligand norbinaltorphimine was formed. Interestingly, (+)-norbinaltorphimine [(+)-1] showed ∼25 times better TLR4 antagonist activity than naltrexone in microglial BV-2 cell line, whereas (-)-norbinaltorphimine [(-)-1] lost TLR4 activity. The enantioselectivity of norbinaltorphimine was further confirmed in primary microglia, astrocytes, and macrophages. The activities of meso isomer of norbinaltorphimine and the molecular dynamic simulation results demonstrate that the stereochemistry of (+)-1 is derived from the (+)-naltrexone pharmacophore. Moreover, (+)-1 significantly increased and prolonged morphine analgesia in vivo. The efficacy of (+)-1 is long lasting. This is the first report showing enantioselective modulation of the innate immune TLR signaling.-Zhang, X., Peng, Y., Grace, P. M., Metcalf, M. D., Kwilasz, A. J., Wang, Y., Zhang, T., Wu, S., Selfridge, B. R., Portoghese, P. S., Rice, K. C., Watkins, L. R., Hutchinson, M. R., Wang, X. Stereochemistry and innate immune recognition: (+)-norbinaltorphimine targets myeloid differentiation protein 2 and inhibits toll-like receptor 4 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozheng Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yinghua Peng
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Special Economic Animals, Institute of Special Wild Economic Animals and Plants, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Peter M. Grace
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Matthew D. Metcalf
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Andrew J. Kwilasz
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Yibo Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Tianshu Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Siru Wu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Brandon R. Selfridge
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Philip S. Portoghese
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Kenner C. Rice
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Linda R. Watkins
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Mark R. Hutchinson
- Discipline of Physiology, Adelaide Medical School and Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale Biophotonics, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
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