Nrf2 regulates downstream genes by targeting miR-29b in severe asthma and the role of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract in a murine model of steroid-insensitive asthma

SPIN: sex-specific and pathway-based interpretable neural network for sexual dimorphism analysis

Sexual dimorphism in prevalence, severity and genetic susceptibility exists for most common diseases. However, most genetic and clinical outcome studies are designed in sex-combined framework considering sex as a covariate. Few sex-specific studies have analyzed males and females separately, which failed to identify gene-by-sex interaction. Here, we propose a novel unified biologically interpretable deep learning-based framework (named SPIN) for sexual dimorphism analysis. We demonstrate that SPIN significantly improved the C-index up to 23.6% in TCGA cancer datasets, and it was further validated using asthma datasets. In addition, SPIN identifies sex-specific and -shared risk loci that are often missed in previous sex-combined/-separate analysis. We also show that SPIN is interpretable for explaining how biological pathways contribute to sexual dimorphism and improve risk prediction in an individual level, which can result in the development of precision medicine tailored to a specific individual's characteristics.

LINC00158 modulates the function of BEAS-2B cells via targeting BCL11B and ameliorates OVA-LPS-induced severe asthma in mice models

Persistent type (T) 2 airway inflammation plays an important role in the development of severe asthma. However, the molecular mechanisms leading to T2 severe asthma have yet to be fully clarified. Human normal lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B cells) were transfected with LINC00158/BCL11B plasmid/small interfering RNA (siRNA). Levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related markers were measured using real-time qPCR (RT-qPCR) and western blot. A dual luciferase reporter assay was used to validate the targeting relationship between LINC00158 and BCL11B. The effects of LINC00158-lentivirus vector-mediated overexpression and dexamethasone on ovalbumin (OVA)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced severe asthma were investigated in mice in vivo. Our study showed that overexpression of LINC00158/BCL11B inhibited the levels of EMT-related proteins, apoptosis, and promoted the proliferation of BEAS-2B cells. BCL11B was a direct target of LINC00158. And LINC00158 targeted BCL11B to regulate EMT, apoptosis, and cell proliferation of BEAS-2B cells. Compared with severe asthma mice, LINC00158 overexpression alleviated OVA/LPS-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and airway inflammation, including reductions in T helper 2 cells factors in lung tissue and BALF, serum total- and OVA-specific IgE, inflammatory cell infiltration, and goblet cells hyperplasia. In addition, LINC00158 overexpression alleviated airway remodeling, including reduced plasma TGF-β1 and collagen fiber deposition, as well as suppression of EMT. Additionally, overexpression of LINC00158 enhanced the therapeutic effect of dexamethasone in severe asthmatic mice models. LINC00158 regulates BEAS-2B cell biological function by targeting BCL11B. LINC00158 ameliorates T2 severe asthma in vivo and provides new insights into the clinical treatment of severe asthma.

Integration of transcriptomics and metabolomics to reveal the effect of ginsenoside Rg3 on allergic rhinitis in mice

Increasing studies have demonstrated that ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of various diseases, including allergic lower airway inflammation such as asthma. To investigate the role of Rg3 in allergic upper airway disease, the effect and therapeutic mechanism of Rg3 in allergic rhinitis (AR) were studied. Ovalbumin-induced AR model mice were intragastrically administered with Rg3. Nasal symptoms, levels of IgE, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, SOD and MDA in serum, and histopathological analysis of nasal mucosa were used to evaluate the effect of Rg3 on ameliorating AR in mice. Moreover, nasal mucosa samples from the normal control group, AR model group and high dosage of Rg3 were collected to perform omics analysis. The differentially expressed genes and significantly changed metabolites were screened based on transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses, respectively. Integrative analysis was further performed to confirm the hub genes, metabolites and pathways. After Rg3 intervention, the nasal symptoms and inflammatory infiltration were effectively improved, the levels of IgE, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and MDA were significantly reduced, and the level of SOD was obviously increased. The results of the qRT-PCR assay complemented the transcriptomic findings. Integrated analysis showed that Rg3 played an anti-AR role mainly by regulating the interaction network, which was constructed by 12 genes, 8 metabolites and 4 pathways. Our findings suggested that Rg3 had a therapeutic effect on ovalbumin-induced AR in mice by inhibiting inflammation development and reducing oxidative stress. The present study could provide a potential natural agent for the treatment of AR.

The Protective Role of Grape Seed in Obesity and Lipid Profile: An Updated Narrative Overview of Preclinical and Clinical Studies

Obesity and dyslipidemia are common disorders universally. According to the acquired outcomes of recent studies, dietary supplementations which have great content of phenolic compounds exert protective effects against obesity and dyslipidemia. Grape [Vitis vinifera] seeds are considered attractive sources of phenolic compounds with anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory effects. There are also various experimental studies describing hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-aging, cardioprotective, and anti-carcinogenic effects of polyphenols isolated from grape seed, highlighting the therapeutic and biological aspects of proanthocyanidins. The present review article first discusses pharmacological, botanical, toxicological, and phytochemical characteristics of Vitis vinifera seeds and afterward designates the protective properties which are attributed to the intake of grape seeds in obesity and hyperlipidemia. Overall valuable and updated findings of this study display that polyphenol of grape seeds has meaningful impacts on the regulation of lipid profile levels and management of obesity.

Protective Effects of Herba Houttuyniae Aqueous Extract against OVA-Induced Airway Hyperresponsiveness and Inflammation in Asthmatic Mice

Herba Houttuyniae is the well-knownfood-medicine herb with the special taste and smell. It is also widely used in south China for prevention of various chronic pulmonary inflammatory diseases including asthma. However, the active ingredients and therapeutic mechanism of this herb remain obscure. In this study, network pharmacology technology was employed to investigate the effects of Herba Houttuyniae aqueous extract (HHAE) on OVA-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation. The results showed that six compounds (isoramanone, kaempferol, 1-methyl-2-nonacosyl-4-quinolone, C09747, spinasterol, and quercetin) were found to be mainly responsible for the therapeutic effects of the herb, which totally regulated the expressions of 168 asthma-related proteins. All those targets involved in the signal transduction of the prolactin signaling pathway, central carbon metabolism in cancer, EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance, endocrine resistance, and VEGF signaling pathway. The in vivo experiment also revealed that orally administrated with HHAE alleviated airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation in OVA-induced asthmatic mice. It significantly decreased the counts of neutrophils, eosinophils, and lymphocytes as well as the levels of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-13 in BALF of asthmatic mice. Mechanically, HHAE downregulated both the mRNA and protein expressions of p38 MAPK, PI3K, AKT, and VEGF in the lung tissues of asthmatic mice. Therefore, HHAE improved OVA-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation in mice and could be a potential supplement for asthma treatment.

Thioredoxin-1: A Promising Target for the Treatment of Allergic Diseases

Thioredoxin-1 (Trx1) is an important regulator of cellular redox homeostasis that comprises a redox-active dithiol. Trx1 is induced in response to various stress conditions, such as oxidative damage, infection or inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, irradiation, and chemical exposure. It has shown excellent anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects in the treatment of various human inflammatory disorders in animal models. This review focused on the protective roles and mechanisms of Trx1 in allergic diseases, such as allergic asthma, contact dermatitis, food allergies, allergic rhinitis, and drug allergies. Trx1 plays an important role in allergic diseases through processes, such as antioxidation, inhibiting macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), regulating Th1/Th2 immune balance, modulating allergic inflammatory cells, and suppressing complement activation. The regulatory mechanism of Trx1 differs from that of glucocorticoids that regulates the inflammatory reactions associated with immune response suppression. Furthermore, Trx1 exerts a beneficial effect on glucocorticoid resistance of allergic inflammation by inhibiting the production and internalization of MIF. Our results suggest that Trx1 has the potential for future success in translational research.