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Ding M, Jin L, Zhao J, Yang L, Cui S, Wang X, He J, Chang F, Shi M, Ma J, Song S, Jin H, Liu A. Add-on sirolimus for the treatment of mild or moderate systemic lupus erythematosus via T lymphocyte subsets balance. Lupus Sci Med 2024; 11:e001072. [PMID: 38351097 PMCID: PMC10868177 DOI: 10.1136/lupus-2023-001072] [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: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The efficacy of sirolimus in treating severe or refractory systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been confirmed by small-scale clinical trials. However, few studies focused on mild or moderate SLE. Therefore, in this study we elucidated clinical efficacy of add-on sirolimus in patients with mild or moderate SLE. METHODS Data of 17 consecutive patients with SLE were retrospectively collected. SLE Disease Activity Index-2000 (SLEDAI-2K), clinical manifestation, laboratory data and peripheral T lymphocyte subsets with cytokines were collected before and 6 months after sirolimus add-on treatment. T cell subsets were detected by flow cytometry and cytokines were determined by multiplex bead-based flow fluorescent immunoassay simultaneously. Twenty healthy controls matched with age and sex were also included in our study. RESULTS (1) The numbers of peripheral blood lymphocytes, T cells, T helper (Th) cells, regulatory T (Treg) cells, Th1 cells, Th2 cells and Treg/Th17 ratios in patients with SLE were significantly lower, while the numbers of Th17 cells were evidently higher than those of healthy control (p<0.05). (2) After 6 months of sirolimus add-on treatment, urinary protein, pancytopenia, immunological indicators and SLEDAI-2K in patients with SLE were distinctively improved compared with those before sirolimus treatment (p<0.05). (3) The numbers of peripheral blood lymphocytes, T cells, Th cells, Treg cells, Th2 cells and the ratios of Treg/Th17 in patients with SLE after treatment were clearly higher than those before (p<0.05). (4) The levels of plasma interleukin (IL)-5, IL-6 and IL-10 in patients with SLE decreased notably, conversely the IL-4 levels increased remarkably compared with pretreatment (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS (1) Patients with SLE presented imbalanced T cell subsets, especially the decreased ratio of Treg/Th17. (2) Sirolimus add-on treatment ameliorated clinical involvement, serological abnormalities and disease activity without adverse reactions in patients with SLE. (3) The multi-target therapy facilitates the enhanced numbers of Treg cells, Treg/Th17 imbalance and anti-inflammatory cytokines, simultaneously, reducing inflammatory cytokines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Ding
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Lu Jin
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Jinwen Zhao
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Lin Yang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Shaoxin Cui
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Jingjing He
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Fei Chang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Min Shi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Jun Ma
- Department of Anatomy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
- Hebei Research Center for Stem Cell Medical Translational Engineering, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Shuran Song
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Hongtao Jin
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Aijing Liu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
- Hebei Research Center for Stem Cell Medical Translational Engineering, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
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Wang Y, Sun X, Yang Q, Guo C. Cucurbitacin IIb attenuates cancer cachexia induced skeletal muscle atrophy by regulating the IL-6/STAT3/FoxO signaling pathway. Phytother Res 2023; 37:3380-3393. [PMID: 37073890 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
The main features of cancer cachexia include skeletal muscle atrophy, which can significantly reduce the quality of life of patients. Clinical treatment of cancer cachexia is mainly based on nutritional therapy and physical exercise; medication only improves appetite but does not reverse the symptoms of skeletal muscle wasting. In this work, we systematically studied the underlying molecular mechanisms by which cucurbitacin IIb (CuIIb) ameliorates muscle wasting in cancer cachexia both in vitro and in vivo. CuIIb significantly ameliorated the chief features of cancer cachexia in vivo, alleviating weight loss, food intake, muscle wasting, adipose tissue depletion, and organ weight reductions. In vitro, CuIIb (10 and 20 μM) dose-dependently attenuated conditioned medium (CM)-induced C2C12 myotube atrophy. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that CuIIb prevented the upregulation of the E3 ubiquitin ligase muscle atrophy Fbox protein (MAFbx), myosin heavy chain (MyHC), and myogenin (MyoG) and impacted protein synthesis and degradation. In addition, CuIIb decreased the phosphorylation of Tyr705 in STAT3 by regulating the IL-6/STAT3/FoxO pathway to reduce skeletal muscle atrophy in cancer cachexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaxian Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xipeng Sun
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Quanjun Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng Guo
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Zhong W, Feng L, Tian W, Qu H, Xu H, Ning K, Liu L, Liu W, Gong X, Chen H. SMURF1 inhibits the Th17 and Th17.1 polarization and improves the Treg/Th17 imbalance in systemic lupus erythematosus through the ubiquitination of RORγt. Mol Immunol 2023; 157:186-194. [PMID: 37054520 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2023.03.024] [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: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease. This study aimed to investigate the role of SMAD specific E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 (SMURF1) in the Th17 and Th17.1 differentiation and Treg/Th17 imbalance, which are major factors contributing to the pathogenesis of SLE. SLE patients and healthy individuals were recruited to detect the SMURF1 levels in naïve CD4+ cells from peripheral blood. Purified and expanded naïve CD4+ T cells were employed to evaluate the effects of SMURF1 on Th17 and Th17.1 polarization in vitro. MRL/lpr lupus model was employed to explore the disease phenotype as well as Treg/Th17 balance in vivo. The results showed that SMURF1 was down-regulated in naïve CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood of patients with SLE and in spleen of MRL/lpr mice. SMURF1 overexpression suppressed the polarization of naïve CD4+ T cells toward Th17 and Th17.1 phenotype and down-regulated the expression of retinoid-related orphan receptor-gammat (RORγt). Subsequently, SMURF1 down-regulation aggravated the disease phenotype, inflammation, and the Treg/Th17 imbalance in MRL/lpr mice. Furthermore, we found that SMURF overexpression promoted the ubiquitination and decreases the stability of RORγt. In conclusion, SMURF1 inhibited the polarization of Th17 and Th17.1 cells and improved the Treg/Th17 imbalance in SLE, which was mediated as least partly by the ubiquitination of RORγt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhong
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Hospital of Qiqihar, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, PR China; Affiliated Qiqihar Hospital, Southern Medical University, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, PR China
| | - Leheng Feng
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Hospital of Qiqihar, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, PR China; Affiliated Qiqihar Hospital, Southern Medical University, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, PR China
| | - Wei Tian
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Hospital of Qiqihar, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, PR China; Affiliated Qiqihar Hospital, Southern Medical University, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, PR China
| | - Hongbo Qu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Hospital of Qiqihar, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, PR China; Affiliated Qiqihar Hospital, Southern Medical University, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, PR China
| | - Haibo Xu
- Affiliated Qiqihar Hospital, Southern Medical University, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, PR China; Department of Endocrinology, The First Hospital of Qiqihar, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, PR China
| | - Ke Ning
- Department of International Medical Service, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian City, Liaoning Province, PR China
| | - Li Liu
- Affiliated Qiqihar Hospital, Southern Medical University, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, PR China; Department of Imaging, The First Hospital of Qiqihar, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, PR China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Qinhuangdao Jungong Hospital, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, PR China
| | - Xiaowei Gong
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Hospital of Qiqihar, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, PR China; Affiliated Qiqihar Hospital, Southern Medical University, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, PR China
| | - Hong Chen
- Affiliated Qiqihar Hospital, Southern Medical University, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, PR China; TCM Geriatric Department, The First Hospital of Qiqihar, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, PR China; Heilongjiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, PR China.
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Delgado-Tiburcio EE, Cadena-Iñiguez J, Santiago-Osorio E, Ruiz-Posadas LDM, Castillo-Juárez I, Aguiñiga-Sánchez I, Soto-Hernández M. Pharmacokinetics and Biological Activity of Cucurbitacins. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:1325. [PMID: 36355498 PMCID: PMC9696414 DOI: 10.3390/ph15111325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Cucurbitacins are a class of secondary metabolites initially isolated from the Cucurbitaceae family. They are important for their analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, and anticancer biological actions. This review addresses pharmacokinetic parameters recently reported, including absorption, metabolism, distribution, and elimination phases of cucurbitacins. It includes recent studies of the molecular mechanisms of the biological activity of the most studied cucurbitacins and some derivatives, especially their anticancer capacity, to propose the integration of the pharmacokinetic profiles of cucurbitacins and the possibilities of their use. The main botanical genera and species of American origin that have been studied, and others whose chemo taxonomy makes them essential sources for the extraction of these metabolites, are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jorge Cadena-Iñiguez
- Innovation in Natural Resource Management, Postgraduate College, Campus San Luis Potosí, Salinas de Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí 78622, Mexico
| | - Edelmiro Santiago-Osorio
- Hematopoiesis and Leukemia Laboratory, Research Unit on Cell Differentiation and Cancer, FES Zaragoza, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 09230, Mexico
| | - Lucero del Mar Ruiz-Posadas
- Botany Department, Postgraduate College, Campus Montecillo, km 36.5 Carretera México-Texcoco, Texcoco 56230, Mexico
| | - Israel Castillo-Juárez
- Botany Department, Postgraduate College, Campus Montecillo, km 36.5 Carretera México-Texcoco, Texcoco 56230, Mexico
| | - Itzen Aguiñiga-Sánchez
- Hematopoiesis and Leukemia Laboratory, Research Unit on Cell Differentiation and Cancer, FES Zaragoza, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 09230, Mexico
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, FES Zaragoza, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 09230, Mexico
| | - Marcos Soto-Hernández
- Botany Department, Postgraduate College, Campus Montecillo, km 36.5 Carretera México-Texcoco, Texcoco 56230, Mexico
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