1
|
Li S, Gao X, Han Y, Song Y, Wu W, Fan Y, Ren C, Hao L. Dynamic whole-transcriptome landscape of acute bilirubin encephalopathy in newborns. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2024; 247:116250. [PMID: 38850848 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2024.116250] [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: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Hyperbilirubinemia in newborns may progress to acute bilirubin encephalopathy (ABE), posing short- and long-term health risks. Despite extensive research identifying numerous mRNAs, lncRNAs, circRNAs, and miRNAs associated with brain injury, their roles in neonatal bilirubin-induced brain injury remain elusive. This study employed whole-transcriptome sequencing to ascertain the differentially expressed (DE) RNA profiles in a newborn ABE rat model, followed by bioinformatic analysis. A time-series competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network was established, and the expression trends of 9 arbitrarily chosen RNAs were verified through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR). In comparison with the control group, we identified 595, 888, and 1448 DE mRNAs; 22, 37, and 37 DE miRNAs; 1945, 1869, and 1997 DE lncRNAs; and 31, 28, and 36 DE circRNAs at 6 h, 12 h, and 24 h, respectively. Predominantly, these DERNAs contribute to biological functions and pathways associated with inflammation, immunity, metabolism, cell death, and neurodevelopmental regulation. Moreover, we constructed ceRNA networks of DE lncRNA/circRNA-DE miRNA-DE mRNA based on time series. The qRT-PCR expression trends for the selected 9 RNAs were generally similar to the RNA-seq outcomes. This investigation uniquely delineated the temporal expression patterns of mRNA and non-coding RNA in ABE, establishing ceRNA networks and identifying potential molecular mechanisms underlying bilirubin-induced hippocampal damage. Nonetheless, further studies are warranted to corroborate these findings in humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shangbin Li
- Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China
| | - Xiong Gao
- Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China
| | - Yiwei Han
- Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China
| | - Yankun Song
- Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China
| | - Wenhui Wu
- Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China
| | - Yuqing Fan
- Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China
| | - Changjun Ren
- Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China.
| | - Ling Hao
- Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Li L, Li S, Pan Z, Zhang Y, Hua Z. Bilirubin impacts microglial autophagy via the Akt-mTOR signaling pathway. J Neurochem 2023; 167:582-599. [PMID: 37858960 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Bilirubin encephalopathy is a severe complication of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. With elevation of serum unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) levels, UCB crosses the blood-brain barrier and possibly leads to neurological dysfunction. Neuroinflammation is recognized as a prominent pathological feature in bilirubin encephalopathy. Recent studies have suggested that autophagy plays a crucial role in the inflammatory response. However, the potential effect of microglial autophagy in the pathogenesis of bilirubin encephalopathy remains uncertain. The in vitro findings verified that in primary cultured microglia, UCB significantly reduced the ratio of LC3B-II to LC3B-I and downregulated the expression of ATG5, Beclin-1, and ATG7, while increasing the expression of p62/SQSTM1. The results showed that UCB could decrease the number of mCherry-EGFP-LC3 positive puncta, even when chloroquine (CQ) was applied to block the microglial autophagy flux. Mechanistically, UCB was found to upregulate the expression of TLR4 and increase the phosphorylation levels of Akt and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Promoting microglial autophagy by treatment with Rapamycin (RAPA), an mTOR inhibitor, decreased the levels of NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome components and IL-1β, rescued microglial overactivation, and improved neurological functions. These data indicated that UCB could impact microglial autophagy via the Akt-mTOR signaling pathway and synergistically promote neuroinflammatory responses. Enhancing autophagy might disrupt the assembly of NLRP3 inflammasome, attenuate UCB-induced neuroinflammation, and improve the prognosis of model rats with bilirubin encephalopathy. In conclusion, this study implies that regulating microglial autophagy might be a promising therapeutic strategy for bilirubin encephalopathy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ling Li
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing, China
- China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Infection and Immunity, Chongqing, China
| | - Siyu Li
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing, China
- China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Infection and Immunity, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhifan Pan
- China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Infection and Immunity, Chongqing, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Infection and Immunity, Chongqing, China
| | - Ziyu Hua
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing, China
- China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Chongqing, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sun S, Yu S, Yu H, Yao G, Guo X, Zhao F, Li J, Wang P. The pyroptosis mechanism of ototoxicity caused by unconjugated bilirubin in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 165:115162. [PMID: 37467648 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115162] [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: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
When activated by unconjugated bilirubin (UCB), inflammatory mediators such as IL - 18 and TNF contribute to the neurotoxicity and ototoxicity observed in severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. However, in cell and molecular level, the regulation and mechanism of UCB-induced ototoxicity are remained unclear. In this study, 7-day-old mammary rats were exposed to various concentrations of UCB to imitate the infant auditory damage. The auditory brainstem response result (ABR) indicated severe hearing loss, which occurred with increasing concentration. Morphological analysis of organotypic cochlear cultures treated with different concentrations of UCB indicated that auditory nerve fibers (ANF) were demyelinated and the density of spiral ganglion neurons (SGN) were decreased. In addition, HEI-OC1 cells treated with different concentrations of UCB showed severe necrosis by Flow Cytometry. The morphologic feature of pyroptosis has been observed by scanning electronic microscope. Cleaved Caspase-1, GSDMD and NLRP3 expression were significantly increased in cochlear explants with UCB-induced. To further clarify the molecular mechanism of UCB-induced inner ear cell pyroptosis, specific inhibitors of pyroptosis were applied, the protein associated with pyrotosis such as Cleaved Caspase-1, GSDMD, ASC, IL-18 and NLRP3 were significantly lower than the group with UCB alone. All the data above indicated that ERK /NLRP3/GSDMD signaling pathway involved in UCB-induced ototoxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shihan Sun
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; Bethune First Clinical Medical College, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Shuyuan Yu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Hong Yu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Gang Yao
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Xinyi Guo
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Fengyang Zhao
- Bethune First Clinical Medical College, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Jiannan Li
- Bethune First Clinical Medical College, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Li S, Huang H, Zhang Y, Li L, Hua Z. Bilirubin Induces A1-Like Reactivity of Astrocyte. Neurochem Res 2023; 48:804-815. [PMID: 36346495 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-022-03810-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes play an important role in the pathogenesis of bilirubin neurotoxicity, and activated astrocytes might be potential mediators of neuroinflammation processes contributing to neuronal cell death and tissue injury. Recent studies have reported that activated microglia induce two types of reactive astrocytes. A1 astrocytes could cause neuronal death and synaptic damage, as well as impaired phagocytosis. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether unconjugated bilirubin (UCB)-induced A1-like astrocytes take on a neuroinflammation type and the underlying regulatory mechanisms. In this study, primary cortical astrocytes were treated with UCB in vitro. We detected the expression of complement component 3 (C3), S100 calcium binding protein A10 (S100A10), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), activated caspase-1, gasdermin D N-terminal (GSDMD-N), PSD95, synaptophysin (SYP), the transcription levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18, and the survival rate of astrocytes after UCB treatment. The results showed that an increase in C3 was accompanied by a decrease in S100A10, and that A1-like astrocytes were functionally expressed after UCB stimulation. Meanwhile, the NF-κB and caspase-1 pathways were activated after UCB stimulation. After adding the NF-κB-specific inhibitor trans-activator of transcriptional-NEMO-binding domain (TAT-NBD) and caspase-1 specific inhibitor VX-765, the survival rate of astrocytes and neurons increased, whereas the protein expression of C3, NF-κB, NLRP3, activated caspase-1, and GSDMD-N decreased, and the mRNA levels of IL-1β and IL-18 reduced. Thus, we concluded that UCB stimulates the activation of A1-like astrocytes. Inhibition of NF-κB and caspase-1 alleviated A1-like astrocytes and exerted anti-inflammatory protective effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Li
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Infection and Immunity, Chongqing, 400014, China
| | - Hongmei Huang
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Infection and Immunity, Chongqing, 400014, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Infection and Immunity, Chongqing, 400014, China
| | - Ling Li
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Infection and Immunity, Chongqing, 400014, China
| | - Ziyu Hua
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Infection and Immunity, Chongqing, 400014, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Liu D, Yu Q, Li Z, Zhang L, Hu M, Wang C, Liu Z. UGT1A1 dysfunction increases liver burden and aggravates hepatocyte damage caused by long-term bilirubin metabolism disorder. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 190:114592. [PMID: 33961837 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
UGT1A1 is the only enzyme that can metabolize bilirubin, and its encoding gene is frequently mutated. UGT1A1*6 (G71R) is a common mutant in Asia which leads to the decrease of UGT1A1 activity and abnormal bilirubin metabolism. However, it is not clear whether low UGT1A1 activity-induced bilirubin metabolism disorder increases hepatocyte fragility. ugt1a+/- mice were used to simulate the UGT1A1*6 (G71R) population. Under the same CCl4 induction condition, ugt1a+/- mice showed severer liver damage and fibrosis, indicating that ugt1a1 dysfunction increased liver burden and aggravated hepatocyte damage. In the animal experiment with a continuous intraperitoneal injection of bilirubin, the ugt1a+/- mice livers had more serious unconjugated bilirubin accumulation. The accumulated bilirubin leads to hyperphosphorylation of IκB-α, Ikk-β, and p65 and a significant increase of inflammatory factor. The α-SMA and Collagen I proteins markedly up-regulated in the ugt1a+/- mice livers. Immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy showed that hepatic stellate cells and Kupffer cells were activated in ugt1a+/- mice. Comprehensive results show that there was a crosstalk relationship between low UGT1A1 activity-bilirubin-liver damage. Furthermore, cell experiments confirmed that unconjugated bilirubin activated the NF-κB pathway and induced DNA damage in hepatocytes, leading to the significant increase of inflammatory factors. UGT1A1 knockdown in hepatocytes aggravated the toxicity of unconjugated bilirubin. Conversely, overexpression of UGT1A1 had a protective effect on hepatocytes. Finally, Schisandrin B, an active ingredient with hepatoprotective effects, extracted from a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, which could protect the liver from bilirubin metabolism disorders caused by ugt1a1 deficiency by downregulating p65 phosphorylation, inhibiting Kupffer cells, reducing inflammation levels. Our data clarified the mechanism of liver vulnerability caused by cross-talk between low UGT1A1 activity bilirubin, and provided a reference for individualized prevention of liver fragility in Gilbert's syndrome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Liu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine, Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China; Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210028, China
| | - Qi Yu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine, Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Zibo Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine, Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine, Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Ming Hu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine, Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China; Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Caiyan Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine, Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China.
| | - Zhongqiu Liu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine, Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Huang HM, He CM, Li SY, Zhang Y, Hua ZY. [Role of pyroptosis in bilirubin-induced microglial injury]. ZHONGGUO DANG DAI ER KE ZA ZHI = CHINESE JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY PEDIATRICS 2020; 22:1027-1033. [PMID: 32933638 PMCID: PMC7499435 DOI: 10.7499/j.issn.1008-8830.2003175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study whether pyroptosis is involved in the bilirubin-induced injury of primary cultured rat cortical microglial cells. METHODS Primary cultured rat cortical microglial cells were randomly administered with 30 μmol/L bilirubin (bilirubin group), 30 μmol/L bilirubin following 30 μmol/L VX-765 pretreatment (VX-765+bilirubin group), or an equal volume of dimethyl sulfoxide (control group). Modified MTT assay was used to measure the viability of microglial cells. Western blot was used to measure the expression of the pyroptosis-related proteins Caspase-1 and gasdermin D (GSDMD). Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)-release assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of microglial cells. EtBr/EthD2 with different molecular weights (394 Da/1 293 Da) was used to measure the size of plasma membrane pores. ELISA was used to measure the level of the inflammatory factor interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in culture supernatant. RESULTS After bilirubin stimulation, the viability of microglial cells decreased and LDH release increased, both in a time-dependent manner. Compared with the control group, the bilirubin group had a significantly higher positive rate of small-molecule EtBr passing through the cell membrane (P<0.001), while there was no significant difference in the pass rate of large-molecule EthD2 between groups (P>0.05). The expression of activated Caspase-1 significantly increased at 0.5 hour after bilirubin stimulation (P<0.05), and that of activated GSDMD significantly increased at 6 hours after bilirubin stimulation (P<0.05). The release of IL-1β significantly increased at 6 hours after bilirubin stimulation and reached the peak at 24 hours (P<0.001). Compared with the bilirubin group, the VX-765+bilirubin group had a significant increase in cell viability (P<0.05) and significant reductions in the expression of activated GSDMD, the pass rate of EtBr, and the release of LDH and IL-1β (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Pyroptosis is involved in bilirubin-induced injury of primary cultured microglial cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Mei Huang
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University/Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders/National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders/China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders/Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Infection and Immunity, Chongqing 400013, China.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|