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Quagliariello V, Berretta M, Bisceglia I, Giacobbe I, Iovine M, Giordano V, Arianna R, Barbato M, Izzo F, Maurea C, Canale ML, Paccone A, Inno A, Scherillo M, Gabrielli D, Maurea N. The sGCa Vericiguat Exhibit Cardioprotective and Anti-Sarcopenic Effects through NLRP-3 Pathways: Potential Benefits for Anthracycline-Treated Cancer Patients. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1487. [PMID: 38672567 PMCID: PMC11047880 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16081487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathies and sarcopenia are frequently seen in cancer patients, affecting their overall survival and quality of life; therefore, new cardioprotective and anti-sarcopenic strategies are needed. Vericiguat is a new oral guanylate cyclase activator that reduces heart failure hospitalizations or cardiovascular death. This study highlighted the potential cardioprotective and anti-sarcopenic properties of vericiguat during anthracycline therapy. Human cardiomyocytes and primary skeletal muscle cells were exposed to doxorubicin (DOXO) with or without a pre-treatment with vericiguat. Mitochondrial cell viability, LDH, and Cytochrome C release were performed to study cytoprotective properties. Intracellular Ca++ content, TUNEL assay, cGMP, NLRP-3, Myd-88, and cytokine intracellular levels were quantified through colorimetric and selective ELISA methods. Vericiguat exerts significant cytoprotective and anti-apoptotic effects during exposure to doxorubicin. A drastic increase in cGMP expression and reduction in NLRP-3, MyD-88 levels were also seen in Vericiguat-DOXO groups vs. DOXO groups (p < 0.001) in both cardiomyocytes and human muscle cells. GCa vericiguat reduces cytokines and chemokines involved in heart failure and sarcopenia. The findings that emerged from this study could provide the rationale for further preclinical and clinical investigations aimed at reducing anthracycline cardiotoxicity and sarcopenia in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Quagliariello
- Division of Cardiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (I.G.); (M.I.); (R.A.); (M.B.); (F.I.); (A.P.); (N.M.)
| | - Massimiliano Berretta
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy;
| | - Irma Bisceglia
- Servizi Cardiologici Integrati, Dipartimento Cardio-Toraco-Vascolare, Azienda Ospedaliera San Camillo Forlanini, 00152 Rome, Italy;
| | - Ilaria Giacobbe
- Division of Cardiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (I.G.); (M.I.); (R.A.); (M.B.); (F.I.); (A.P.); (N.M.)
| | - Martina Iovine
- Division of Cardiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (I.G.); (M.I.); (R.A.); (M.B.); (F.I.); (A.P.); (N.M.)
| | - Vienna Giordano
- Division of Cardiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (I.G.); (M.I.); (R.A.); (M.B.); (F.I.); (A.P.); (N.M.)
| | - Raffaele Arianna
- Division of Cardiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (I.G.); (M.I.); (R.A.); (M.B.); (F.I.); (A.P.); (N.M.)
| | - Matteo Barbato
- Division of Cardiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (I.G.); (M.I.); (R.A.); (M.B.); (F.I.); (A.P.); (N.M.)
| | - Francesca Izzo
- Division of Cardiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (I.G.); (M.I.); (R.A.); (M.B.); (F.I.); (A.P.); (N.M.)
| | - Carlo Maurea
- ASL NA1, U.O.C. Neurology and Stroke Unit, Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy;
| | | | - Andrea Paccone
- Division of Cardiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (I.G.); (M.I.); (R.A.); (M.B.); (F.I.); (A.P.); (N.M.)
| | - Alessandro Inno
- Medical Oncology, IRCCS Ospedale Sacro Cuore Don Calabria, 37024 Negrar di Valpolicella, Italy;
| | - Marino Scherillo
- Cardiologia Interventistica e UTIC, A.O. San Pio, Presidio Ospedaliero Gaetano Rummo, 82100 Benevento, Italy;
| | - Domenico Gabrielli
- U.O.C. Cardiologia, Dipartimento Cardio-Toraco-Vascolare, Azienda Ospedaliera San Camillo Forlanini, Roma-Fondazione per Il Tuo Cuore-Heart Care Foundation, 00152 Roma, Italy;
| | - Nicola Maurea
- Division of Cardiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (I.G.); (M.I.); (R.A.); (M.B.); (F.I.); (A.P.); (N.M.)
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Saquib M, Agnihotri P, Sarkar A, Malik S, Mann S, Chakraborty D, Joshi L, Malhotra R, Biswas S. Functional Significance of miR-4693-5p in Targeting HIF1α and Its Link to Rheumatoid Arthritis Pathogenesis. Noncoding RNA 2024; 10:22. [PMID: 38668380 PMCID: PMC11053697 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna10020022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that causes joint inflammation and destruction with an unknown origin. Our study aims to elucidate the molecular mechanism behind HIF1α overexpression in RA. Dysregulated miRNA expressions are known to influence gene behavior, thereby enhancing cell proliferation, inflammation, and resistance to apoptosis, contributing to RA development. Our earlier finding indicated that exogenous miRNA similar to miR-4693-5p may modulate RA-related targets. However, the specific role of miR-4693-5p and its targets in RA remain unexplored. In this study, we found that miR-4693-5p was significantly reduced in PBMCs of RA patients, with evidence suggesting it targets the 3' UTR of HIF1α, thereby potentially contributing to its overexpression in RA. In vitro overexpression of miR-4693-5p leads to the knockdown of HIF1α, resulting in inhibited expression of Survivin to disrupt apoptosis resistance, inflammation suppression, and a reduction in the total cellular ROS response in SW982 and RAFLS cells. The results were validated using the CIA Rat model. In conclusion, this study provides a crucial foundation for understanding the functional role of miR-4693-5p. These findings improve our understanding and provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying RA pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Saquib
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi University Campus, Mall Road, Delhi 110007, India; (M.S.); (P.A.); (A.S.); (S.M.); (S.M.); (D.C.); (L.J.)
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Prachi Agnihotri
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi University Campus, Mall Road, Delhi 110007, India; (M.S.); (P.A.); (A.S.); (S.M.); (S.M.); (D.C.); (L.J.)
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Ashish Sarkar
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi University Campus, Mall Road, Delhi 110007, India; (M.S.); (P.A.); (A.S.); (S.M.); (S.M.); (D.C.); (L.J.)
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Swati Malik
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi University Campus, Mall Road, Delhi 110007, India; (M.S.); (P.A.); (A.S.); (S.M.); (S.M.); (D.C.); (L.J.)
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Sonia Mann
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi University Campus, Mall Road, Delhi 110007, India; (M.S.); (P.A.); (A.S.); (S.M.); (S.M.); (D.C.); (L.J.)
| | - Debolina Chakraborty
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi University Campus, Mall Road, Delhi 110007, India; (M.S.); (P.A.); (A.S.); (S.M.); (S.M.); (D.C.); (L.J.)
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Lovely Joshi
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi University Campus, Mall Road, Delhi 110007, India; (M.S.); (P.A.); (A.S.); (S.M.); (S.M.); (D.C.); (L.J.)
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Rajesh Malhotra
- All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India;
| | - Sagarika Biswas
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi University Campus, Mall Road, Delhi 110007, India; (M.S.); (P.A.); (A.S.); (S.M.); (S.M.); (D.C.); (L.J.)
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
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Heils L, Schneemann M, Gerhard R, Schulzke JD, Bücker R. CDT of Clostridioides difficile Induces MLC-Dependent Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction in HT-29/B6 Epithelial Cell Monolayers. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:54. [PMID: 36668874 PMCID: PMC9866553 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15010054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Clostridioides difficile binary toxin (CDT) defines the hypervirulence of strains in nosocomial antibiotic-induced colitis with the highest mortality. The objective of our study was to investigate the impact of CDT on the intestinal epithelial barrier and to enlighten the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods: Functional measurements of epithelial barrier function by macromolecular permeability and electrophysiology were performed in human intestinal HT-29/B6 cell monolayers. Molecular analysis of the spatial distribution of tight junction protein and cytoskeleton was performed by super-resolution STED microscopy. Results: Sublethal concentrations of CDT-induced barrier dysfunction with decreased TER and increased permeability for 332 Da fluorescein and 4 kDa FITC-dextran. The molecular correlate to the functional barrier defect by CDT was found to be a tight junction protein subcellular redistribution with tricellulin, occludin, and claudin-4 off the tight junction domain. This redistribution was shown to be MLCK-dependent. Conclusions: CDT compromised epithelial barrier function in a human intestinal colonic cell model, even in sublethal concentrations, pointing to barrier dysfunction in the intestine and leak flux induction as a diarrheal mechanism. However, this cannot be attributed to the appearance of apoptosis and necrosis, but rather to an opening of the paracellular leak pathway as the result of epithelial tight junction alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Heils
- Clinical Physiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, 12203 Berlin, Germany
| | - Martina Schneemann
- Clinical Physiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, 12203 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ralf Gerhard
- Institute of Toxicology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jörg-Dieter Schulzke
- Clinical Physiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, 12203 Berlin, Germany
| | - Roland Bücker
- Clinical Physiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, 12203 Berlin, Germany
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A Natural Botanical Product, Resveratrol, Effectively Suppresses Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Infection In Vitro. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10061231. [PMID: 34204270 PMCID: PMC8234721 DOI: 10.3390/plants10061231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Numerous natural phytochemicals such as resveratrol are acknowledged as potent botanical agents in regulating immune responses. However, it is less understood whether such immunomodulatory phytochemicals are appropriate for use as direct treatments in veterinary viral diseases. In the present study, we investigated the efficacy of resveratrol in suppressing vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infection. Outbreaks of VSV can cause massive economic loss in poultry and livestock husbandry farming, and VSV treatment is in need of therapeutic development. We utilized a recombinant VSV that expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) to measure viral replication in cells treated with resveratrol. Our findings revealed that resveratrol treatment affords a protective effect, shown by increased viability and reduced viral replication, as indicated by a reduction in fluorescent signals. Additionally, we found that resveratrol inhibition of VSV infection occurs via suppression of the caspase cascade. Structural analysis also indicated that resveratrol potentially interacts with the active sites of caspase-3 and -7, facilitating antiviral activity. The potential effect of resveratrol on reducing VSV infection in vitro suggests that resveratrol should be further investigated as a potential veterinary therapeutic or prophylactic agent.
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Zhou Y, Yamamoto Y, Takeshita F, Yamamoto T, Xiao Z, Ochiya T. Delivery of miR-424-5p via Extracellular Vesicles Promotes the Apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 TNBC Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22020844. [PMID: 33467725 PMCID: PMC7831022 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) overexpressed on cancer cells has emerged as a key inhibitor that maintains the immunosuppressive microenvironment through its interaction with the PD-1 receptor in cancer. Here, we demonstrated that miR-424-5p delivery via extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from adipose tissue-mesenchymal stromal cells (AT-MSCs) partly promotes proinflammation and enhances antitumor cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) exhibits increased expression of PD-L1, and PD-L1 is positively correlated with the overall survival of patients with TNBC. PD-L1 shows relatively higher expression in MDA-MB-231 (MM231) cells and can be downregulated by miR-424-5p. Furthermore, miR-424-5p transported by EVs can increase the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, decrease the secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines and promote the apoptosis of tumor cells. The intratumoral administration of miR-424-5p-EVs significantly slowed tumor growth. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that EVs may serve as a delivery system for novel immunotherapies for TNBC through the miR-424-5p/PD-L1 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueyuan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China;
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; (Y.Y.); (T.Y.)
| | - Yusuke Yamamoto
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; (Y.Y.); (T.Y.)
| | - Fumitaka Takeshita
- Department of Functional Analysis, FIOC, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan;
| | - Tomofumi Yamamoto
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; (Y.Y.); (T.Y.)
| | - Zhongdang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China;
- Correspondence: (Z.X.); (T.O.); Tel.: +86-025-83790820 (Z.X.); +81-3-3342-6111 (ext. 6168) (T.O.)
| | - Takahiro Ochiya
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; (Y.Y.); (T.Y.)
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo Medical University, 6-1-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan
- Correspondence: (Z.X.); (T.O.); Tel.: +86-025-83790820 (Z.X.); +81-3-3342-6111 (ext. 6168) (T.O.)
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Famojuro TI, Elufioye TO, Olajide OA, Dybek M, Adejare A. New cytotoxic compounds from the leaves of Caesalpinia benthamiana (Baill.) Herend. & Zarucchi (Fabaceae). AVICENNA JOURNAL OF PHYTOMEDICINE 2021; 11:54-67. [PMID: 33628720 PMCID: PMC7885006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The incidence of multi-drug resistant cancer and the adverse effects associated with available chemotherapy have necessitated the search for new drug candidates. This study investigates the cytotoxic activity of Caesalpinia benthamiana. MATERIALS AND METHODS Column chromatography (CC) and preparative thin layer chromatography (PTLC) were used to isolate compounds. Structural elucidation was done by spectroscopic analysis. MTT assay was used to evaluate cytotoxicity of the compounds against three human adenocarcinoma cells, using methotrexate and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as positive and negative controls, respectively. CyQuant direct cell proliferation and caspase-3/7 green detection assays were used to investigate the dichloromethane fraction. IC50 values of isolated compounds were determined from sigmoidal dose-response curve. RESULTS Four new cytotoxic compounds, benthamianoate (2), benthamiacone (3), benthamianin (5) and benthamianol (6), and two known compounds, methyl gallate (1) and 2-methoxyacrylic acid (4) were identified. All the compounds were active with the new monoterpenoid characterized as benthamiacone exhibiting the highest activity (IC50 13.23-21.97 μg/ml) across cancer cell lines investigated. CyQuant direct cell proliferation assay showed significant reduction in the number of live carcinoma cells, while caspase-3/7 green detection assay showed significant increase in the number of dead carcinoma cells. CONCLUSION This study revealed potential cytotoxic compounds which are here reported for the first time from C. benthamiana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tayo I. Famojuro
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria,Department of Pharmacy, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England
| | - Taiwo O. Elufioye
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria,Corresponding Author: Tel: +234 8033850773,
| | - Olumayokun A. Olajide
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England
| | - Michael Dybek
- Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, University of Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Adeboye Adejare
- Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, University of Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Nozhat Z, Khalaji MS, Hedayati M, Kia SK. Different Methods for Cell Viability and Proliferation Assay: Essential Tools in Pharmaceutical Studies. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2020; 22:703-712. [PMID: 33390140 DOI: 10.2174/1871520621999201230202614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The ratio of live cells to total cells in a sample is a definition for cell viability or cell toxicity. The assessment of the viable cells plays a critical role in all processes of the cell culture workflows. Overall, they are used to evaluate the survival of cells and also to optimize culture or experimental conditions following treatment with different agents or compounds, like during a drug screen. In most cases, the measurement of cell viability is the primary purpose of the experiments, for example, in pharmaceutical studies to evaluate agents' toxicity. METHODS A literature research was conducted on cell viability assays in MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science and Scopus. RESULTS There is a wide range of cell viability assays and different parameters such as cost, speed, and complexity of a test effect to determine the choosing method. However each method has some advantages and disadvantages and none of them is not 100% perfect method. CONCLUSION Accordingly, it seems that the simultaneous utility of at least two assays will cover each other disadvantages to demonstrate the effects of different agents on different cell types. For instance, when one assay measures cell metabolic health, the other one checks cells permeability. Therefore by this strategy a researcher can report with more confidence the effective doses of the examined therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Nozhat
- Cellular and Molecular Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute of Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, . Iran
| | - Mina S Khalaji
- Microbiological Engineering and Industrial Biotechnology Group, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620,. China
| | - Mehdi Hedayati
- Cellular and Molecular Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute of Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, . Iran
| | - Sima K Kia
- Laboratory for Red Blood Cell Diagnostics, Sanquin, Amsterdam,. Netherlands
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Abstract
AbstractAn analysis of biological effects induced by environmental toxins and exposure-related evaluation of potential risks for health and environment represent central tasks in classical biomonitoring. While epidemiological data and population surveys are clearly the methodological frontline of this scientific field, cellbased in vitro assays provide information on toxin-affected cellular pathways and mechanisms, and are important sources for the identification of relevant biomarkers. This review provides an overview on currently available in vitro methods based on cultured cells, as well as some limitations and considerations that are of specific interest in the context of environmental toxicology. Today, a large number of different endpoints can be determined to pinpoint basal and specific toxicological cellular effects. Technological progress and increasingly refined protocols are extending the possibilities of cell-based in vitro assays in environmental toxicology and promoting their increasingly important role in biomonitoring.
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Zilbermintz L, Leonardi W, Tran SH, Zozaya J, Mathew-Joseph A, Liem S, Levitin A, Martchenko M. Cross-inhibition of pathogenic agents and the host proteins they exploit. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34846. [PMID: 27703274 PMCID: PMC5050486 DOI: 10.1038/srep34846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The major limitations of pathogen-directed therapies are the emergence of drug-resistance and their narrow spectrum of coverage. A recently applied approach directs therapies against host proteins exploited by pathogens in order to circumvent these limitations. However, host-oriented drugs leave the pathogens unaffected and may result in continued pathogen dissemination. In this study we aimed to discover drugs that could simultaneously cross-inhibit pathogenic agents, as well as the host proteins that mediate their lethality. We observed that many pathogenic and host-assisting proteins belong to the same functional class. In doing so we targeted a protease component of anthrax toxin as well as host proteases exploited by this toxin. We identified two approved drugs, ascorbic acid 6-palmitate and salmon sperm protamine, that effectively inhibited anthrax cytotoxic protease and demonstrated that they also block proteolytic activities of host furin, cathepsin B, and caspases that mediate toxin's lethality in cells. We demonstrated that these drugs are broad-spectrum and reduce cellular sensitivity to other bacterial toxins that require the same host proteases. This approach should be generally applicable to the discovery of simultaneous pathogen and host-targeting inhibitors of many additional pathogenic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Josue Zozaya
- Keck Graduate Institute, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | | | - Spencer Liem
- Keck Graduate Institute, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
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Bithionol blocks pathogenicity of bacterial toxins, ricin, and Zika virus. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34475. [PMID: 27686742 PMCID: PMC5043268 DOI: 10.1038/srep34475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Diverse pathogenic agents often utilize overlapping host networks, and hub proteins within these networks represent attractive targets for broad-spectrum drugs. Using bacterial toxins, we describe a new approach for discovering broad-spectrum therapies capable of inhibiting host proteins that mediate multiple pathogenic pathways. This approach can be widely used, as it combines genetic-based target identification with cell survival-based and protein function-based multiplex drug screens, and concurrently discovers therapeutic compounds and their protein targets. Using B-lymphoblastoid cells derived from the HapMap Project cohort of persons of African, European, and Asian ancestry we identified host caspases as hub proteins that mediate the lethality of multiple pathogenic agents. We discovered that an approved drug, Bithionol, inhibits host caspases and also reduces the detrimental effects of anthrax lethal toxin, diphtheria toxin, cholera toxin, Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A, Botulinum neurotoxin, ricin, and Zika virus. Our study reveals the practicality of identifying host proteins that mediate multiple disease pathways and discovering broad-spectrum therapies that target these hub proteins.
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