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Dai Y, Liang Y, Liu C, Liu T, Chen L, Li Y. Can artemisinin and its derivatives treat malaria in a host-directed manner? Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 225:116260. [PMID: 38705539 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116260] [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: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Malaria is caused by an apicomplexan protozoan parasite, Plasmodium, and is transmitted through vectors. It remains a substantial health burden, especially in developing countries, leading to significant socioeconomic losses. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has approved various antimalarial medications in the past two decades, the increasing resistance to these medications has worsened the situation. The development of drug resistance stems from genetic diversity among Plasmodium strains, impeding eradication efforts. Consequently, exploring innovative technologies and strategies for developing effective medications based on the host is crucial. Artemisinin and its derivatives (artemisinins) have been recommended by the WHO for treating malaria owing to their known effectiveness in killing the parasite. However, their potential to target the host for malaria treatment has not been investigated. This article concisely reviews the application of host-directed therapeutics, potential drug candidates targeting the host for treating malaria, and usage of artemisinins in numerous diseases. It underscores the importance of host-directed interventions for individuals susceptible to malaria, suggests the potential utility of artemisinins in host-directed malaria treatments, and posits that the modulation of host proteins with artemisinins may offer a means of intervening in host-parasite interactions. Further studies focusing on the host-targeting perspective of artemisinins can provide new insights into the mechanisms of artemisinin resistance and offer a unique opportunity for new antimalarial drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Dai
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; Artemisinin Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Yan Liang
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; Artemisinin Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Chengcheng Liu
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; Artemisinin Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Tuo Liu
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; Artemisinin Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Lina Chen
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; Artemisinin Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
| | - Yujie Li
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
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Ying Q, Rong J, Hong M, Heng Z, Zhang Z, Xu Y. The emerging role of adaptor proteins in regulating innate immunity of sepsis. Pharmacol Res 2024; 205:107223. [PMID: 38797359 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Sepsis is a life-threatening syndrome caused by a dysregulated immune response. A large number of adaptor proteins have been found to play a pivotal role in sepsis via protein-protein interactions, thus participating in inflammatory cascades, leading to the generation of numerous inflammatory cytokines, as well as oxidative stress and regulated cell death. Although available strategies for the diagnosis and management of sepsis have improved, effective and specific treatments are lacking. This review focuses on the emerging role of adaptor proteins in regulating the innate immunity of sepsis and evaluates the potential value of adaptor protein-associated therapeutic strategy for sepsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoyu Ying
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Jiabing Rong
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Min Hong
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Zetao Heng
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Zhaocai Zhang
- Department of Intensive Care Unit, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China.
| | - Yinchuan Xu
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China.
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Wang L, Li W, Li Y, Chen G, Zhao L, Li W, Wang S, Wang C, Feng Y, Zhang Y. Dried tangerine peel polysaccharide (DTPP) alleviates hepatic steatosis by suppressing TLR4/MD-2-mediated inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Bioorg Chem 2024; 147:107369. [PMID: 38640721 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107369] [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: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a complex pathogenic metabolic syndrome characterized by increased inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress. In recent years, natural polysaccharides derived from traditional Chinese medicine have shown significant anti-inflammatory effects, making them an attractive therapeutic option. However, little research has been conducted on the therapeutic potential of dried tangerine peel polysaccharide (DTPP) - one of the most important medicinal resources in China. The results of the present study showed that DTPP substantially reduced macrophage infiltration in vivo and suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory factors and endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes. Additionally, surface plasmon resonance analysis revealed that DTPP had a specific affinity to myeloid differentiation factor 2, which consequently suppressed lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation via interaction with the toll-like receptor 4 signaling pathway. This study provides a potential molecular mechanism underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of DTPP on NAFLD and suggests DTPP as a promising therapeutic strategy for NAFLD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingzhi Wang
- School of Pharmacy and Food Engineering, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China; Department of Cell Biology & Institute of Biomedicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, Jinan University, Guangdong Provincial Biotechnology Drug & Engineering Technology Research Center, National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenxi Li
- School of Pharmacy and Food Engineering, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China
| | - Yinggang Li
- School of Pharmacy and Food Engineering, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China
| | - Gengrui Chen
- School of Pharmacy and Food Engineering, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China
| | - Lijuan Zhao
- School of Pharmacy and Food Engineering, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China
| | - Wu Li
- School of Pharmacy and Food Engineering, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China
| | - Shengwei Wang
- School of Pharmacy and Food Engineering, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China
| | - Chunming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Yanxian Feng
- School of Pharmacy and Food Engineering, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China.
| | - Yibo Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology & Institute of Biomedicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, Jinan University, Guangdong Provincial Biotechnology Drug & Engineering Technology Research Center, National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
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Xie K, Li Z, Zhang Y, Wu H, Zhang T, Wang W. Artemisinin and its derivatives as promising therapies for autoimmune diseases. Heliyon 2024; 10:e27972. [PMID: 38596057 PMCID: PMC11001780 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Artemisinin, a traditional Chinese medicine with remarkable antimalarial activity. In recent years, studies demonstrated that artemisinin and its derivatives (ARTs) showed anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory effects. ARTs have been developed and gradually applied to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. However, their role in the treament of patients with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases in particular is less well recognized. This review will briefly describe the history of ARTs use in patients with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, the theorized mechanisms of action of the agents ARTs, their efficacy in patients with autoinmmune and inflammatory diseases. Overall, ARTs have numerous beneficial effects in patients with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and have a good safety profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaidi Xie
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Zhen Li
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for HIV/ AIDS Research, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for HIV/ AIDS Research, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for HIV/ AIDS Research, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for HIV/ AIDS Research, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Wen Wang
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for HIV/ AIDS Research, Beijing, 100069, China
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Ji Y, Sun K, Yang Y, Wu Z. Dihydroartemisinin ameliorates innate inflammatory response induced by Streptococcussuis-derived muramidase-released protein via inactivation of TLR4-dependent NF-κB signaling. J Pharm Anal 2023; 13:1183-1194. [PMID: 38024861 PMCID: PMC10657969 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpha.2023.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Muramidase-released protein (MRP) is now being recognized as a critical indicator of the virulence and pathogenicity of Streptococcus suis (S. suis). However, the identification of viable therapeutics for S. suis infection was hindered by the absence of an explicit mechanism for MRP-actuated inflammation. Dihydroartemisinin (DhA) is an artemisinin derivative with potential anti-inflammatory activity. The modulatory effect of DhA on the inflammatory response mediated by the virulence factor MRP remains obscure. This research aimed to identify the signaling mechanism by which MRP triggers the innate immune response in mouse spleen and cultured macrophages. With the candidate mechanism in mind, we investigated DhA for its ability to dampen the pro-inflammatory response induced by MRP. The innate immune response in mice was drastically triggered by MRP, manifesting as splenic and systemic inflammation with splenomegaly, immune cell infiltration, and an elevation in pro-inflammatory cytokines. A crucial role for Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in coordinating the MRP-mediated inflammatory response via nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activation was revealed by TLR4 blockade. In addition, NF-κB-dependent transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) activation was required for the inflammatory signal transduction engendered by MRP. Intriguingly, we observed an alleviation effect of DhA on the MRP-induced immune response, which referred to the suppression of TLR4-mediated actuation of NF-κB-STAT3/MAPK cascades. The inflammatory response elicited by MRP is relevant to TLR4-dependent NF-κB activation, followed by an increase in the activity of STAT3 or MAPKs. DhA mitigates the inflammation process induced by MRP via blocking the TLR4 cascade, highlighting the therapeutic potential of DhA in targeting S. suis infection diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Kaiji Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Ying Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zhenlong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
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Li Y, Zeng ZW, Chen D, Gu ZC, Yan WL, Yue LY, Zhu RG, Zhao YL, Chen L, Zhao QJ, He B. Facilitated Drug Repurposing with Artemisinin-Derived PROTACs: Unveiling PCLAF as a Therapeutic Target. J Med Chem 2023; 66:11335-11350. [PMID: 37552639 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Artemisinin, a prominent anti-malaria drug, is being investigated for its potential as a repurposed cancer treatment. However, its effectiveness in tumor cell lines remains limited, and its mechanism of action is unclear. To make more progress, the PROteolysis-TArgeting chimera (PROTAC) technique has been applied to design and synthesize novel artemisinin derivatives in this study. Among them, AD4, the most potent compound, exhibited an IC50 value of 50.6 nM in RS4;11 cells, over 12-fold better than that of its parent compound, SM1044. This was supported by prolonged survival of RS4;11-transplanted NOD/SCID mice. Meanwhile, AD4 effectively degraded PCLAF in RS4;11 cells and thus activated the p21/Rb axis to exert antitumor activity by directly targeting PCLAF. The discovery of AD4 highlights the great potential of using PROTACs to improve the efficacy of natural products, identify therapeutic targets, and facilitate drug repurposing. This opens a promising avenue for transforming other natural products into effective therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal, Plants Engineering Research Center for the Development and Application of Ethnic Medicine and TCM (Ministry of Education), Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, School of Basic Medical Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China
| | - Zi Wei Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal, Plants Engineering Research Center for the Development and Application of Ethnic Medicine and TCM (Ministry of Education), Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, School of Basic Medical Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China
| | - Di Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal, Plants Engineering Research Center for the Development and Application of Ethnic Medicine and TCM (Ministry of Education), Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, School of Basic Medical Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China
| | - Zhi Cheng Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal, Plants Engineering Research Center for the Development and Application of Ethnic Medicine and TCM (Ministry of Education), Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, School of Basic Medical Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China
| | - Wan Li Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal, Plants Engineering Research Center for the Development and Application of Ethnic Medicine and TCM (Ministry of Education), Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, School of Basic Medical Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China
| | - Ling Yun Yue
- Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Ren Guang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal, Plants Engineering Research Center for the Development and Application of Ethnic Medicine and TCM (Ministry of Education), Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, School of Basic Medical Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China
| | - Yong Long Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal, Plants Engineering Research Center for the Development and Application of Ethnic Medicine and TCM (Ministry of Education), Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, School of Basic Medical Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China
| | - Lei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal, Plants Engineering Research Center for the Development and Application of Ethnic Medicine and TCM (Ministry of Education), Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, School of Basic Medical Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China
| | - Qing Jie Zhao
- The Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine (IRI), Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Bin He
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal, Plants Engineering Research Center for the Development and Application of Ethnic Medicine and TCM (Ministry of Education), Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, School of Basic Medical Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China
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Tu Y, Tan L, Tao H, Li Y, Liu H. CETSA and thermal proteome profiling strategies for target identification and drug discovery of natural products. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 116:154862. [PMID: 37216761 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.154862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Monitoring target engagement at various stages of drug development is essential for natural product (NP)-based drug discovery and development. The cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) developed in 2013 is a novel, broadly applicable, label-free biophysical assay based on the principle of ligand-induced thermal stabilization of target proteins, which enables direct assessment of drug-target engagement in physiologically relevant contexts, including intact cells, cell lysates and tissues. This review aims to provide an overview of the work principles of CETSA and its derivative strategies and their recent progress in protein target validation, target identification and drug lead discovery of NPs. METHODS A literature-based survey was conducted using the Web of Science and PubMed databases. The required information was reviewed and discussed to highlight the important role of CETSA-derived strategies in NP studies. RESULTS After nearly ten years of upgrading and evolution, CETSA has been mainly developed into three formats: classic Western blotting (WB)-CETSA for target validation, thermal proteome profiling (TPP, also known as MS-CETSA) for unbiased proteome-wide target identification, and high-throughput (HT)-CETSA for drug hit discovery and lead optimization. Importantly, the application possibilities of a variety of TPP approaches for the target discovery of bioactive NPs are highlighted and discussed, including TPP-temperature range (TPP-TR), TPP-compound concentration range (TPP-CCR), two-dimensional TPP (2D-TPP), cell surface-TPP (CS-TPP), simplified TPP (STPP), thermal stability shift-based fluorescence difference in 2D gel electrophoresis (TS-FITGE) and precipitate supported TPP (PSTPP). In addition, the key advantages, limitations and future outlook of CETSA strategies for NP studies are discussed. CONCLUSION The accumulation of CETSA-based data can significantly accelerate the elucidation of the mechanism of action and drug lead discovery of NPs, and provide strong evidence for NP treatment against certain diseases. The CETSA strategy will certainly bring a great return far beyond the initial investment and open up more possibilities for future NP-based drug research and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbei Tu
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, China
| | - Lihua Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR 999078, China
| | - Hongxun Tao
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, China
| | - Yanfang Li
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China.
| | - Hanqing Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, China.
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Neurobehavioral and biochemical responses to artemisinin-based drug and aflatoxin B 1 co-exposure in rats. Mycotoxin Res 2023; 39:67-80. [PMID: 36701108 DOI: 10.1007/s12550-023-00474-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Populations in malaria endemic areas are frequently exposed to mycotoxin-contaminated diets. The possible toxicological outcome of co-exposure to dietary aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and artemisinin-based combination therapy warrants investigation to ascertain amplification or attenuation of cellular injury. Here, we investigated the neurobehavioral and biochemical responses associated with co-exposure to anti-malarial drug coartem, an artemether-lumefantrine combination (5 mg/kg body weight, twice a day and 3 days per week) and AFB1 (35 and 70 µg/kg body weight) in rats. Motor deficits, locomotor incompetence, and anxiogenic-like behavior induced by low AFB1 dose were significantly (p < 0.05) assuaged by coartem but failed to rescue these behavioral abnormalities in high AFB1-dosed group. Coartem administration did not alter exploratory deficits typified by reduced track plot densities and greater heat map intensity in high AFB1-dosed animals. Furthermore, the reduction in cerebral and cerebellar acetylcholinesterase activity, anti-oxidant enzyme activities, and glutathione and thiol levels were markedly assuaged by coartem administration in low AFB1 group but not in high AFB1-dosed animals. The significant attenuation of cerebral and cerebellar oxidative stress indices namely reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, xanthine oxidase activity, and lipid peroxidation by coartem administration was evident in low AFB1 group but not high AFB1 dose. Although coartem administration abated nitric oxide level, activities of myeloperoxidase, caspase-9, and caspase-3 in animals exposed to both doses of AFB1, these indices were significantly higher than the control. Coartem administration ameliorated histopathological and mophometrical changes due to low AFB1 exposure but not in high AFB1 exposure. In conclusion, contrary to AFB1 alone, behavioral and biochemical responses were not altered in animals singly exposed to coartem. Co-exposure to coartem and AFB1 elicited no additional risk but partially lessened neurotoxicity associated with AFB1 exposure.
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Du Y, Li C, Zhang Y, Xiong W, Wang F, Wang J, Zhang Y, Deng L, Li X, Chen W, Cui W. In Situ-Activated Phospholipid-Mimic Artemisinin Prodrug via Injectable Hydrogel Nano/Microsphere for Rheumatoid Arthritis Therapy. RESEARCH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2022; 2022:0003. [PMID: 39290968 PMCID: PMC11407526 DOI: 10.34133/research.0003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 09/19/2024]
Abstract
In situ-activated therapy is a decent option for localized diseases with improved efficacies and reduced side effects, which is heavily dependent on the local conversion or activation of bioinert components. In this work, we applied a phospholipid-mimic artemisinin prodrug (ARP) for preparing an injectable nano/microsphere to first realize an in situ-activated therapy of the typical systemically administrated artemisinin-based medicines for a localized rheumatoid arthritis (RA) lesion. ARP is simultaneously an alternative of phospholipids and an enzyme-independent activable prodrug, which can formulate "drug-in-drug" co-delivery liposomes with cargo of partner drugs (e.g., methotrexate). To further stabilize ARP/methotrexate "drug-in-drug" liposomes (MTX/ARPL) for a long-term intra-articular retention, a liposome-embedded hydrogel nano/microsphere (MTX/ARPL@MS) was prepared. After the local injection, the MTX/ARPL could be slowly released because of imine hydrolysis and targeted to RA synovial macrophages and fibroblasts simultaneously. ARP assembly is relatively stable before cellular internalization but disassembled ARP after lysosomal escape and converted into dihydroartemisinin rapidly to realize the effective in situ activation. Taken together, phospholipid-mimic ARP was applied for the firstly localized in situ-activated RA therapy of artemisinin-based drugs, which also provided a brand-new phospholipid-mimic strategy for other systemically administrated prodrugs to realize a remodeling therapeutic schedule for localized diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yawei Du
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Chao Li
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai 200025, China
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, No. 139 Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang 050051, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Juan Wang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yingze Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, No. 139 Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang 050051, China
| | - Lianfu Deng
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Xinsong Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 Southeast University Road, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, No. 139 Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang 050051, China
| | - Wenguo Cui
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai 200025, China
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10
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Wang X, Lin C, Wu S, Zhang T, Wang Y, Jiang Y, Wang X. Cannabidivarin alleviates neuroinflammation by targeting TLR4 co-receptor MD2 and improves morphine-mediated analgesia. Front Immunol 2022; 13:929222. [PMID: 36032146 PMCID: PMC9399816 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.929222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a pattern-recognition receptor (PRR) that regulates the activation of immune cells, which is a target for treating inflammation. In this study, Cannabidivarin (CBDV), an active component of Cannabis, was identified as an antagonist of TLR4. In vitro, intrinsic protein fluorescence titrations revealed that CBDV directly bound to TLR4 co-receptor myeloid differentiation protein 2 (MD2). Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) showed that CBDV binding decreased MD2 stability, which is consistent with in silico simulations that CBDV binding increased the flexibility of the internal loop of MD2. Moreover, CBDV was found to restrain LPS-induced activation of TLR4 signaling axes of NF-κB and MAPKs, therefore blocking LPS-induced pro-inflammatory factors NO, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α. Hot plate test showed that CBDV potentiated morphine-induced antinociception. Furthermore, CBDV attenuated morphine analgesic tolerance as measured by the formalin test by specifically inhibiting chronic morphine-induced glial activation and pro-inflammatory factors expression in the nucleus accumbent. This study confirms that MD2 is a direct binding target of CBDV for the anti-neuroinflammatory effect and implies that CBDV has great translational potential in pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Cong Lin
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
- *Correspondence: Cong Lin, ; Yanfang Jiang, ; Xiaohui Wang,
| | - Siru Wu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Tianshu Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yibo Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Yanfang Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, Genetic Diagnosis Centre, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- *Correspondence: Cong Lin, ; Yanfang Jiang, ; Xiaohui Wang,
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Cong Lin, ; Yanfang Jiang, ; Xiaohui Wang,
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11
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Li Z, Hu J, Wang X, Du Y, Yin J, Gao J, Han B, Cui S, Liu Y, Liu J. Effects of Artemisinin on Escherichia coli–Induced Mastitis in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells and Mice. Vet Sci 2022; 9:vetsci9080381. [PMID: 35893774 PMCID: PMC9330913 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9080381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Bovine mastitis is a persistent and inflammatory reaction of the udder tissue that is usually caused by microbial infection, which can result in substantial losses due to reduced milk yield. Escherichia coli is considered a causative environmental pathogen and has been reported as a common cause of bovine mastitis worldwide. Because of its pathogenicity, Escherichia coli is always an important problem to the dairy industry worldwide and also poses a threat to food safety and public health, and with the widespread use of antibiotics, the resistance of Escherichia coli is increasing. Despite considerable research on bovine mastitis, the disease still remains one of the most prevalent and costly diseases of the dairy industry. The need to control mastitis is driven by multiple considerations, including milk quality, reductions in antimicrobial use, and animal welfare. Artemisinin is an antimalarial drug that was developed from a Chinese traditional herb, Qinghao. In recent years, other effects of artemisinin (including antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, etc.) have been increasingly discovered and applied. In this study, we demonstrated that artemisinin possesses a protective effect toward Escherichia coli–induced mastitis, thus providing a practical approach for the clinical control of mastitis. Abstract Bovine mastitis is an important disease affecting dairy farming, and it causes large economic losses to the dairy industry. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is considered to be a causative environmental pathogen and frequently enters into mammary glands, causing inflammation. Artemisinin is a highly effective malaria remedy and is not easy to develop drug resistance to. In recent years, other effects of artemisinin (including antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, etc.) have been increasingly discovered and applied. The current study aimed to investigate whether artemisinin could attenuate E. coli–induced inflammation. Through the E. coli mastitis model in MAC-T cells and mice, the protective effects of artemisinin were analyzed by CCK-8 (Cell Counting Kit-8), Western blot, and RT-qPCR. The results showed that artemisinin reversed the decrease of cell viability and upregulated TLR4 (toll-like receptor 4)/NF-κB (nuclear factor κB) and MAPK (mitogen activated protein kinase)/p38 signaling pathways, as well as restrained the expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β mRNA caused by E. coli. Meanwhile, artemisinin also alleviated mammary tissue damage, reduced inflammatory cells’ infiltration, and decreased the levels of inflammatory factors in a mice mastitis model. This study demonstrated that artemisinin alleviated the inflammatory response of mouse mastitis and MAC-T cells induced by E. coli, thus providing a practical approach for the clinical control of mastitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoming Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China; (Z.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (Y.D.)
| | - Jiaqing Hu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China; (Z.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (Y.D.)
| | - Xiaozhou Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China; (Z.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (Y.D.)
- Research Center for Animal Disease Control Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China
| | - Yongzhen Du
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China; (Z.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (Y.D.)
| | - Jinhua Yin
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China;
| | - Jian Gao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (J.G.); (B.H.)
| | - Bo Han
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (J.G.); (B.H.)
| | - Shuai Cui
- Modern Animal Husbandry Development Service Center of Dongying City, Dongying 257091, China;
| | - Yongxia Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China; (Z.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (Y.D.)
- Correspondence: (Y.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Jianzhu Liu
- Research Center for Animal Disease Control Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China
- Correspondence: (Y.L.); (J.L.)
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12
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Zhang T, Lin C, Wu S, Jin S, Li X, Peng Y, Wang X. ACT001 Inhibits TLR4 Signaling by Targeting Co-Receptor MD2 and Attenuates Neuropathic Pain. Front Immunol 2022; 13:873054. [PMID: 35757727 PMCID: PMC9218074 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.873054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is a common and challenging neurological disease, which renders an unmet need for safe and effective new therapies. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) expressed on immune cells in the central nervous system arises as a novel target for treating neuropathic pain. In this study, ACT001, an orphan drug currently in clinical trials for the treatment of glioblastoma, was identified as a TLR4 antagonist. In vitro quenching titrations of intrinsic protein fluorescence and saturation transfer difference (STD)-NMR showed the direct binding of ACT001 to TLR4 co-receptor MD2. Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) showed that ACT001 binding affected the MD2 stability, which implies that MD2 is the endogenous target of ACT001. In silico simulations showed that ACT001 binding decreased the percentage of hydrophobic area in the buried solvent-accessible surface areas (SASA) of MD2 and rendered most regions of MD2 to be more flexible, which is consistent with experimental data that ACT001 binding decreased MD2 stability. In keeping with targeting MD2, ACT001 was found to restrain the formation of TLR4/MD2/MyD88 complex and the activation of TLR4 signaling axes of NF-κB and MAPKs, therefore blocking LPS-induced TLR4 signaling downstream pro-inflammatory factors NO, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β. Furthermore, systemic administration of ACT001 attenuated allodynia induced by peripheral nerve injury and activation of microglia and astrocyte in vivo. Given the well-established role of neuroinflammation in neuropathic pain, these data imply that ACT001 could be a potential drug candidate for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianshu Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China.,School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Cong Lin
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China.,School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Siru Wu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China.,School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Sha Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Xiaodong Li
- Beijing Changping Huayou Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yinghua Peng
- Institute of Special Animal and Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China.,School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Beijing, China
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13
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Wu X, Yang X, Geng X, Ji X, Zhang X, Yue H, Li G, Sang N. Bisphenol A Analogs Induce Cellular Dysfunction in Human Trophoblast Cells in a Thyroid Hormone Receptor-Dependent Manner: In Silico and In Vitro Analyses. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:8384-8394. [PMID: 35666658 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c08161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) and its analogs are frequently detected in human daily necessities and environmental media. Placental thyroid hormone plays an important role in fetal development. Herein, we followed the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) to explore the toxic mechanisms of BPA and its analogs toward placental thyroid hormone receptor (TR). First, the TOX21 database was used, and the interactions between BPA analogs and the ligand-binding domains (LBDs) of two subtypes of TR (TRα and TRβ) were subjected to in silico screening using molecular docking (MD) and molecular dynamics simulation (MDS). Fluorescence spectra and circular dichroism (CD) showed that BPA and its analogs interfere with TRs as a molecular initiation event (MIE), including static fluorescence quenching and secondary structural content changes in TR-LBDs. Key events (KEs) of the AOP, including the toxicity induced in placental chorionic trophoblast cells (HTR-8/SVneo) by an inverted U-shaped dose effect and changes in ROS levels, were tested in vitro. BPA, BPB, and BPAF significantly changed the expression level of TRβ, and only BPAF significantly downregulated the expression level of TRα. In conclusion, our study contributes to the health risk assessment of BPA and its analogs regarding placental adverse outcomes (AOs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyun Wu
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, P. R. China
| | - Xiaowen Yang
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, P. R. China
| | - Xilin Geng
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, P. R. China
| | - Xiaotong Ji
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, P. R. China
| | - Xiaozheng Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030001, P. R. China
| | - Huifeng Yue
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, P. R. China
| | - Guangke Li
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, P. R. China
| | - Nan Sang
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, P. R. China
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14
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Wu S, Lin C, Zhang T, Zhang B, Jin Y, Wang H, Li H, Wang Y, Wang X. Pentamidine Alleviates Inflammation and Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Sepsis by Inhibiting TLR4 Activation via Targeting MD2. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:835081. [PMID: 35281916 PMCID: PMC8905599 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.835081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a pattern-recognition receptor (PRR) that can recognize lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and initiate the immune response, to protect the body from infection. However, excessive activation of TLR4 induced by LPS leads to substantial release of pro-inflammatory factors, which may bring a cytokine storm in the body and cause severe sepsis. Existing molecules specialized in sepsis therapy are either in clinical trials or show mediocre effects. In this study, pentamidine, an approved drug used in the treatment of trypanosomiasis, was identified as a TLR4 antagonist. Saturation transferred difference (STD)-NMR spectra indicated that pentamidine directly interacted with TLR4's co-receptor myeloid differentiation protein 2 (MD2) in vitro. Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) showed that pentamidine binding decreased MD2 stability, which was supported by in silico simulations that pentamidine binding rendered most regions of MD2 more flexible. Pentamidine was found to inhibit the formation of the TLR4/MD2/MyD88 complex and the activation of the TLR4 signaling axes of NF-κB and MAPKs, therefore blocking LPS-induced TLR4 signaling downstream of the pro-inflammatory factors NO, TNF-α, and IL-1β. The bioisosteric replacement of the methylene group at the center 13' site of pentamidine by the ether oxygen group significantly decreased its interactions with MD2 and abolished its TLR4 antagonist activity. Furthermore, pentamidine enhanced the survival rate of septic mice and exerted an anti-inflammatory effect on organs. All these data provide strong evidence that pentamidine may be an effective drug in alleviating inflammation and sepsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siru Wu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China.,Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Cong Lin
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Tianshu Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China.,Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China.,Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yushan Jin
- Department of Immunology and Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hongshuang Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Hongyuan Li
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Yibo Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China.,Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Beijing, China
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15
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Poh Yen K, Stanslas J, Zhang T, Li H, Wang X, Kok Meng C, Kok Wai L. Synthesis of small molecules targeting paclitaxel-induced MyD88 expression in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines. Bioorg Med Chem 2021; 49:116442. [PMID: 34600241 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2021.116442] [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: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Acquired paclitaxel (PTX) chemoresistance in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) can be inferred from the overexpression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88) proteins and the activation of the TLR4/MyD88 cascading signalling pathway. Finding a new inhibitor that can attenuate the activation of this pathway is a novel strategy for reducing PTX chemoresistance. In this study, a series of small molecule compounds were synthesised and tested in combination with PTX against TNBC cells. The trimethoxy-substituted compound significantly decreased MyD88 overexpression and improved PTX activity in MDA-MB-231TLR4+ cells but not in HCCTLR4- cells. On the contrary, the trifluoromethyl-substituted compound with PTX synergistically improved the growth inhibition in both TNBC subtypes. The fluorescence titrations indicated that both compounds could bind with MD2 with good and comparable binding affinities. This was further supported by docking analysis, in which both compounds fit perfectly well and form some critical binding interactions with MD2, an essential lipid-binding accessory to TLR4 involved in activating the TLR-4/MyD88-dependent pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khor Poh Yen
- Faculty Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Royal College of Medicine Perak, 3, Jalan Greentown, 30450 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia; Drugs and Herbal Research Centre, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Johnson Stanslas
- Pharmacotherapeutics Unit, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Tianshu Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China; Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Hongyuan Li
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China; Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Chan Kok Meng
- Center for Toxicology and Health Risk Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Lam Kok Wai
- Drugs and Herbal Research Centre, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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16
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Qiao S, Zhang H, Sun F, Jiang Z. Molecular Basis of Artemisinin Derivatives Inhibition of Myeloid Differentiation Protein 2 by Combined in Silico and Experimental Study. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26185698. [PMID: 34577169 PMCID: PMC8469597 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26185698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Artemisinin (also known as Qinghaosu), an active component of the Qinghao extract, is widely used as antimalarial drug. Previous studies reveal that artemisinin and its derivatives also have effective anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, but the direct molecular target remains unknown. Recently, several reports mentioned that myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD-2, also known as lymphocyte antigen 96) may be the endogenous target of artemisinin in the inhibition of lipopolysaccharide signaling. However, the exact interaction between artemisinin and MD-2 is still not fully understood. Here, experimental and computational methods were employed to elucidate the relationship between the artemisinin and its inhibition mechanism. Experimental results showed that artemether exhibit higher anti-inflammatory activity performance than artemisinin and artesunate. Molecular docking results showed that artemisinin, artesunate, and artemether had similar binding poses, and all complexes remained stable throughout the whole molecular dynamics simulations, whereas the binding of artemisinin and its derivatives to MD-2 decreased the TLR4(Toll-Like Receptor 4)/MD-2 stability. Moreover, artemether exhibited lower binding energy as compared to artemisinin and artesunate, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. Leu61, Leu78, and Ile117 are indeed key residues that contribute to the binding free energy. Binding free energy analysis further confirmed that hydrophobic interactions were critical to maintain the binding mode of artemisinin and its derivatives with MD-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sennan Qiao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China;
| | - Hansi Zhang
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China;
| | - Fei Sun
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China;
- Correspondence: (F.S.); (Z.J.)
| | - Zhenyan Jiang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China;
- Correspondence: (F.S.); (Z.J.)
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17
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Structure-activity relationship study of dihydroartemisinin C-10 hemiacetal derivatives as Toll-like receptor 4 antagonists. Bioorg Chem 2021; 114:105107. [PMID: 34175717 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a natural product isolated from the traditional Chinese herb Artemisia annua and one of the clinical frontline drugs against malarial infections, has recently been discovered as a Toll-like Receptor 4 (TLR4) antagonist. However, the TLR4 antagonistic activity of DHA is modest and it exhibits cellular toxicity. In this work, the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of DHA as TLR4 antagonist was explored. Since destroying the sesquiterpene endoperoxide scaffold substantially compromised the TLR4 antagonistic activity and molecular dynamics analysis showed that the C-10 hydroxyl group formed a hydrogen bond with E72 of myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD2) to prevent it moving deeper into MD2, SAR of DHA was focused on the C-10 hemiacetal position. With extending the length of the linear alkane chain at C10 position, the TLR4 antagonistic activity of DHA analogs increased first and then decreased with the best TLR4 antagonism occurring at the length of the carbon chain of 3-4 carbons. In contrast, the cellular toxicity of DHA analogs was raised with the increasing length of the linear alkane chain. The TLR4 antagonistic activity of DHA derivatives with substituted halogen as the terminal functional group decreased with the decrease of electronegativity of the substituted halogen, which implies the electron-rich functional group at the end of the alkane chain appears preferred. Therefore, DHA derivative 2k with alkynyl as the end functional group, exhibited 14 times more potent TLR4 antagonistic activity than DHA. Moreover, 2k showed less cellular toxicity than DHA. Cellular signaling characterizations indicated that 2k inhibited LPS-induced TLR4 dimerization and endocytosis and suppressed LPS-induced NF-κB but not MAPKs activation, culminating in blocking LPS-induced TLR4 signaling downstream pro-inflammatory factors NO and IL-1β. Further, 2k was active in vivo; it significantly increased and prolonged morphine analgesia. Collectively, this study provides a structural guidance to reposition DHA derivatives as TLR4 antagonists.
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