Reversible S-glutathionylation of human 6-pyruvoyl tetrahydropterin synthase protects its enzymatic activity

Based on mRNA Sequencing Techniques to Explore the Molecular Mechanism of Buzhong Yiqi Decoction for Autoimmune Thyroiditis

OBJECTIVE

Autoimmune diseases (AD) account for a high percentage of the population. One of the most prevalent is autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT). However, the therapeutic effects of Buzhong Yiqi (BZYQ) decoction on AIT have not been studied yet. The majority of the present study was conducted on NOD.H-2h4 mice in an attempt to ascertain the therapeutic effects of BZYQ decoction on AIT.

METHODS

The 0.05% sodium iodide water (NaI)-induced AIT mice model was established. A total of nine NOD.H-2h4 mice were randomly divided into three groups: the normal group provided with regular water, the model group drinking freely 0.05% NaI, and the treatment group treated with BZYQ decoction (9.56 g/kg) after NaI supplementation (NaI + BZYQ). BZYQ decoction was administered orally once daily for eight weeks. The thyroid histopathology test was used to measure the severity of lymphocytic infiltration. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the levels of anti-thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-17. The Illumina HiSeq X sequencing platform was utilized to analyze the thyroid tissue by mRNA expression profiles. Bioinformatics analysis was used to investigate the biological function of the differentially expressed mRNAs. In addition, the expression of Carbonyl Reductase 1 (CBR1), 6-Pyruvoyltetrahydropterin Synthase (PTS), Major Histocompatibility Complex, Class II (H2-EB1), Interleukin 23 Subunit Alpha (IL-23A), Interleukin 6 Receptor (IL-6RA), and Janus Kinase 1 (JAK1) was measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR).

RESULTS

The treatment group exhibited significantly lower rates of thyroiditis and lymphocyte infiltration compared to the model group. Serum levels of TgAb, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17 were significantly higher in the model group, but they fell dramatically after BZYQ decoction administration. According to our results, 495 genes showed differential expression in the model group compared to the control group. Six hundred twenty-five genes were significantly deregulated in the treatment group compared to the model group. Bioinformatic analysis showed that most mRNAs were associated with immune-inflammatory responses and were involved in multiple signaling pathways, including folate biosynthesis and the Th17 cell differentiation pathway. CBR1, PTS, H2-EB1, IL- 23A, IL-6RA and JAK1 mRNA participated in folate biosynthesis and the Th17 cell differentiation pathway. The qRT-PCR analysis confirmed that the above mRNAs were regulated in the model group compared to the treatment group Conclusion: The results of this investigation have revealed novel insights into the molecular mechanism of action of BZYQ decoction against AIT. The mechanism may be partially attributed to the regulation of mRNA expression and pathways.

Comparison of the levels of neopterin, CRP, and IL-6 in patients infected with and without SARS-CoV-2

Background

Neopterin (NP) is a biomarker for activated cellular immunity and is elevated in diseases including viral and bacterial infections, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. However, the clinical assessment of neopterin has not been used for these disorders because the physiological significance of measuring NP is obscure. It would be important to compare the NP profiles with those of other inflammation markers especially in relatively early phase of patients to reveal the significance of NP measurements in pathological states.

Methods

Plasma NP, biopterin, CRP, and IL-6 levels were measured in 46 patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and 23 patients with non-COVID-19 disorders. The correlations between these markers were analyzed in the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients independently.

Results

The NP levels were significantly higher in the COVID-19 patients than in the non-COVID-19 patients, while biopterin, CRP and IL-6 were not changed significantly. The NP levels were found to show a weak negative correlation against the days after onset in the COVID-19 patients (rs = -0.348, p = 0.0192), suggesting that the elevation of NP would be an early event of viral infection. Correlations between NP and CRP, or between NP and IL-6 in COVID-19 patients were weaker than that between CRP and IL-6.

Conclusions

The elevation of NP levels was supposed to be distinct from those of CRP and IL-6 in relatively early and mild COVID-19 patients. Our data suggest that NP is produced at the early phase of infection by different signaling pathways and/or cells from those of CRP and IL-6. Further study on the signaling pathway to induce NP is expected.

The Utility of Genomic Testing for Hyperphenylalaninemia

Hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA), the most common amino acid metabolism disorder, is caused by defects in enzymes involved in phenylalanine metabolism, with the consequent accumulation of phenylalanine and its secondary metabolites in body fluids and tissues. Clinical manifestations of HPA include mental retardation, and its early diagnosis with timely treatment can improve the prognosis of affected patients. Due to the genetic complexity and heterogeneity of HPA, high-throughput molecular technologies, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), are becoming indispensable tools to fully characterize the etiology, helping clinicians to promptly identify the exact patients’ genotype and determine the appropriate treatment. In this review, after a brief overview of the key enzymes involved in phenylalanine metabolism, we represent the wide spectrum of genes and their variants associated with HPA and discuss the utility of genomic testing for improved diagnosis and clinical management of HPA.

S-glutathionylation, friend or foe in cardiovascular health and disease

Glutathione is a low molecular weight thiol that is present at high levels in the cell. The high levels of glutathione in the cell make it one of the most abundant antioxidants contributing to cellular redox homeostasis. As a general rule, throughout cardiovascular disease and progression there is an imbalance in redox homeostasis characterized by reactive oxygen species overproduction and glutathione underproduction. As research into these imbalances continues, glutathione concentrations are increasingly being observed to drive various physiological and pathological signaling responses. Interestingly in addition to acting directly as an antioxidant, glutathione is capable of post translational modifications (S-glutathionylation) of proteins through both chemical interactions and enzyme mediated events. This review will discuss both the chemical and enzyme-based S-glutathionylation of proteins involved in cardiovascular pathologies and angiogenesis.