The effect of captopril on the expression of MMP-9 and the prognosis of neurological function in herpes simplex encephalitis mice

The assessment of usefulness of cytokines and other soluble mediators as the predictors of sequalae development in various forms of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)

AIM

The aim of the study was to assess the usefulness of cytokines and other soluble mediators in differentiation between severe and mild course of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) as well as the predictor of sequalae development.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

122 patients (mean age 47.66 ± 14.77 years, 43 females, 79 males) with TBE were included in the study. Concentrations of 82 cytokines, growth factors, selectins, matrix metalloproteinases and other soluble mediators were measured in serum and CSF samples according to the manufacturer's instruction on a Bio-Plex 200 System using the custom made Luminex assays. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for the quantitative detection of human IL-26, IL-29 IL-22, CXCL12 were performed.

RESULTS

No significant differences between serum concentrations of examined factors between group with sequelae and group with complete recovery were observed. In the CSF the concentrations of GM-CSF, Il-1α, Il-2, Il-4, Il-6, Il-12p70, Il-17A, CXCL1, CXCL6, Il-8, CCL4, CCL20, TRAIL, CD40L, MMP8 were significantly higher in patients who developed sequelae than in patients with complete recovery. For TRAIL concentration over 26.65 pg/ml in CSF the probability of sequalae development was 10.5 higher. In case of CCL20 - the concentration over 21.38 pg/ml in CSF the odds ratio was 6.429 times. For MMP-8 over 4210.54 pg/ml, the odds ratio was 11.222 times.

CONCLUSIONS

TRAIL, CCL-20 and MMP-8 are promising biomarkers of prediction of the sequalae development of TBE. Pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-8, IL-1, IL-2, IL-12, IL-17A also associate well with the risk of sequelae and could be further evaluated as prognostic markers in TBE, individually or as elements of a larger model.

Comprehensive Analysis of the Systemic Transcriptomic Alternations and Inflammatory Response during the Occurrence and Progress of COVID-19

The pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed huge threats to healthcare systems and the global economy. However, the host response towards COVID-19 on the molecular and cellular levels still lacks full understanding and effective therapies are in urgent need. Here, we integrate three datasets, GSE152641, GSE161777, and GSE157103. Compared to healthy people, 314 differentially expressed genes were identified, which were mostly involved in neutrophil degranulation and cell division. The protein-protein network was established and two significant subsets were filtered by MCODE: ssGSEA and CIBERSORT, which comprehensively revealed the alternation of immune cell abundance. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) as well as GO and KEGG analyses unveiled the role of neutrophils and T cells during the progress of the disease. Based on the hospital-free days after 45 days of follow-up and statistical methods such as nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF), submap, and linear correlation analysis, 31 genes were regarded as the signature of the peripheral blood of COVID-19. Various immune cells were identified to be related to the prognosis of the patients. Drugs were predicted for the genes in the signature by DGIdb. Overall, our study comprehensively revealed the relationship between the inflammatory response and the disease course, which provided strategies for the treatment of COVID-19.

Usage of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor or Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker in Hypertension Intracerebral Hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

Inflammation plays an essential role in secondary brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) have been suggested to suppress neuroinflammation after central nervous system (CNS) damage in animal models. However, the role of ACEIs and ARBs in ICH patients with hypertension remains unresolved in clinic. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of ACEIs/ARBs on ICH patients with hypertension using a retrospective, single-center data analysis.

METHODS

ICH patients diagnosed by computerized tomographic (CT) at Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University were included in the present research from January 2015 to December 2019. According to the medical history for the usage of antihypertensive drugs, patients were assigned into either ACEIs/ARBs group or non-ACEIs/ARBs group. Demographics, clinical baseline, radiological documents and treatments were collected and these data were statistically analyzed between the two groups.

RESULTS

A total of 635 ICH patients with hypertension were included and allocated into 2 groups according to the usage of antihypertensive drugs: 281 in the ACEIs/ARBs group and 354 in the non-ACEIs/ARBs group. The results presented that the 3-months mortality and prevalence of ICH-associated pneumonia were lower in ACEIs/ARBs group than that in non-ACEIs/ARBs group (5.0% vs 11.9%, p=0.002; 58.4% vs 66.7%, p=0.031). While, there was no significant difference in favorable outcome (40.2% vs 33.9%, p=0.101) between the two groups. Furthermore, patients in ACEIs/ARBs group exhibited significantly less perihematomal edema volume on days 3 (23.5 ± 14.4 versus 28.7 ± 20.1 mL, p=0.045) and 7 (21.0 ± 13.7 versus 25.7 ± 17.6 mL, p=0.044), compared to that in non- ACEIs/ARBs group.

CONCLUSION

The usage of ACEIs/ARBs helps decrease mortality, perihematomal edema volume, and prevalence of ICH-associated pneumonia in ICH patients with hypertension.

Immunomodulatory Strategies in Herpes Simplex Virus Encephalitis

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) can be responsible for life-threatening HSV encephalitis (HSE). The mortality rate of patients with HSE who do not receive antiviral treatment is 70%, with most survivors suffering from permanent neurological sequelae. The use of intravenous acyclovir together with improved diagnostic technologies such as PCR and magnetic resonance imaging has resulted in a reduction in the mortality rate to close to 20%. However, 70% of surviving patients still do not recover complete neurological functions. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop more effective treatments for a better clinical outcome. It is well recognized that cerebral damage resulting from HSE is caused by viral replication together with an overzealous inflammatory response. Both of these processes constitute potential targets for the development of innovative therapies against HSE. In this review, we discuss recent progress in therapy that may be used to ameliorate the outcome of patients with HSE, with a particular emphasis on immunomodulatory agents. Ideally, the administration of adjunctive immunomodulatory drugs should be initiated during the rise of the inflammatory response, and its duration should be limited in time to reduce undesired effects. This critical time frame should be optimized by the identification of reliable biomarkers of inflammation.

β-Arrestin 2 protects against neurological function defects in HSV-1-induced encephalitis mice

The pathogenesis of herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) needs to be fully explored. β-Arrestin 2 (Arrb2) is highly expressed in brain tissues and plays a key role in the regulation of systemic immune reactions by modulating various signaling pathways. However, the expression of Arrb2 in microglial cells and its influence on HSE prognosis is still undefined. We explore the pathophysiological effect of Arrb2 in the brain using experimental HSE mice. The expression of Arrb2 in microglia was decreased significantly 48 hours following HSV-1 infection. Arrb2 overexpression transgenic (TG) mice had a significantly lower mortality and survival rate was improved by 40% compared to wild-type mice. Arrb2 suppressed the generation of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 and increased anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 and IL-4 expression. Arrb2 also inhibited the activation of the transcription factor NF-κB in microglial cells. Arrb2 TG mice attenuated the blood-brain barrier breakdown and relieved cerebral edema, meanwhile, Arrb2 improved mice neurological function compared with wild-type mice. Overall, Arrb2 favored microglia of the M2 phenotype, attenuated brain proinflammatory responses, protected the blood vessel wall integrity, reduced HSV-1-induced neurological impairment, and improved the survival rate in HSE mice.

Mechanisms of Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption in Herpes Simplex Encephalitis

Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is often caused by infection with herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), a neurotropic double-stranded DNA virus. HSE infection always impacts the temporal and frontal lobes or limbic system, leading to edema, hemorrhage, and necrotic changes in the brain parenchyma. Additionally, patients often exhibit severe complications following antiviral treatment, including dementia and epilepsy. HSE is further associated with disruptions to the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which consists of microvascular endothelial cells, tight junctions, astrocytes, pericytes, and basement membranes. Following an HSV-1 infection, changes in BBB integrity and permeability can result in increased movement of viruses, immune cells, and/or cytokines into the brain parenchyma. This leads to an enhanced inflammatory response in the central nervous system and further damage to the brain. Thus, it is important to protect the BBB from pathogens to reduce brain damage from HSE. Here, we discuss HSE and the normal structure and function of the BBB. We also discuss growing evidence indicating an association between BBB breakdown and the pathogenesis of HSE, as well as future research directions and potential new therapeutic targets. Graphical Abstract During herpes simplex encephalitis, the functions and structures of each composition of BBB have been altered by different factors, thus the permeability and integrity of BBB have been broken. The review aim to explore the potential mechanisms and factors in the process, probe the next research targets and new therapeutic targets.

Antitumor effects of baicalin on ovarian cancer cells through induction of cell apoptosis and inhibition of cell migration in vitro

Baicalin, an active flavone isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, has been demonstrated to induce various beneficial biochemical effects such as anti‑inflammatory, anti‑viral, and antitumor effects. However, the antitumor mechanism of baicalin is not well understood. In the present study, baicalin was demonstrated to inhibit the viability and migration of a widely used ovarian cancer cell line, A2780, in a dose‑dependent manner. MTT assays revealed that cell viability significantly decreased in ovarian cancer cells treated with baicalin compared with untreated cells, without effect on normal ovarian cells. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that baicalin suppressed cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis. The underlying mechanisms involved were indicated to be downregulation of the anti‑apoptotic protein B‑cell lymphoma 2 apoptosis regulator and activation of caspase‑3 and ‑9. In addition, wound healing and transwell assays revealed that cell migratory potential and expression of matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)‑2 and MMP‑9 were significantly inhibited when cells were exposed to baicalin, compared with untreated cells. The present study therefore suggested that baicalin has the potential to be used in novel anti‑cancer therapeutic formulations for treatment of ovarian cancer.