Epigenetic regulations of inflammatory cyclooxygenase-derived prostanoids: molecular basis and pathophysiological consequences

The Anesthetic Modality but Not the Mode of Delivery Seem to Modulate the Methylation Status of Cyclooxygenase-2 Promoter of the Newborns

OBJECTIVE

Cesarean section (CS) rates are high. Epidemiological data supports increased risk of inflammatory conditions in the offspring born by CS. Epigenetic alterations occurring during the perinatal period may account for this risk. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) has strong implications for inflammatory diseases. The methylation of COX2 of newborn infants was compared with respect to their mode of delivery.

STUDY DESIGN

Ninety healthy term infants born by vaginal delivery (VD), planned cesarean section (PCS), or emergency CS (ECS) were recruited (30 infants in each group). For obstetric anesthesia, local (LA), regional (RA), or general (GA) anesthesia were used. Carefully selected exclusion criteria were implemented to eliminate any confounders with potential epigenetic effects. Umbilical artery blood samples were collected. Demographic and clinical characteristics, folate and CRP levels, and mean methylation levels of the COX2 gene promoter were determined.

RESULTS

Except the birth weight and maternal age parameters, VD, PCS, and ECS were similar. The methylation percentage of COX2 was higher in ECS (16.9 ± 5.1) than VD (14.5 ± 4.1) and PCS (14.8 ± 2.9), albeit p was 0.064. Because of the dual anesthetic modality populations (RA and GA) in PCS and ECS and the recent literature on anesthetics and epigenetics, the anesthetic modality groups were also analyzed. The methylation percentage of COX2 was significantly different between LA, RA, and GA groups (14.5 ± 4.1, 13.9 ± 2.8, and 17.0 ± 4.6, respectively, p = 0.012).

CONCLUSION

When the mode of delivery is the question of debate, the anesthetic modality should be remembered as an important epigenetic modulator.

KEY POINTS

· Perinatal period is a vulnerable time period for epigenetic modulations.. · The mode of delivery is influential in any potential epigenetic alterations occurring perinatally.. · The obstetric anesthetic modality should be remembered as an important epigenetic modulator..

The Potential of Vouacapanes from Pterodon emarginatus Vogel Against COVID-19 Cytokine Storm

Purpose: The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the search for potential therapeutic responses for various aspects of this disease. Fruits of Pterodon emarginatus Vogel (Fabaceae), sucupira, have been used in Brazilian traditional medicine because of their anti-inflammatory properties, which have been proven in vivo, in vitro, and in silico. Therefore, the aim of this work is to evaluate P. emarginatus oleoresin and isolated diterpenes by in vitro anti-inflammatory models. Methods: In this study, the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory activity of P. emarginatus oleoresin and vouacapanes 6α,19β-diacetoxy-7β,14β-dihydroxyvouacapan (V1), 6α-acetoxy-7β,14β-dihydroxyvouacapan (V2), and methyl 6α-acetoxy-7β-hydroxyvouacapan-17β-oate (V3) were investigated in HaCaT cells. Results: Oleoresin, V2, and V3 inhibited phospholipase A2 (30.78%, 24.96%, and 77.64%, respectively). Both vouacapanes also inhibited the expression of COX-2 (28.3% and 33.17%, respectively). The production of interleukin 6 (IL-6) was inhibited by oleoresin by 35.47%. However, oleoresin did not interfere with Nrf-2 expression or IL-8 production. Conclusion: The results support the ethnomedicinal use of P. emarginatus oleoresin as an anti-inflammatory herbal medicine, and also highlight P. emarginatus oleoresin and isolated vouacapanes as an attractive therapeutic approach for COVID-19 through the reduction or chronological control of the inflammatory mediators IL-6, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), phospholipase A2, and INF-y (indirectly) during the SARS-CoV-2 infection process.

Systems biology network reveals the correlation between COX-2 expression and Ch 7q copy number alterations in Ch 11q-deleted pediatric neuroblastoma tumors

Tumor-associated inflammation and chromosomal aberrations can play crucial roles in cancer development and progression. In neuroblastoma (NB), the enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is associated with copy number alterations on the long arm of chromosome 11 (Ch 11q), defining an aggressive disease subset. This retrospective study included formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor samples collected from nine patients during diagnosis at the pediatric Pequeno Principe Hospital, Curitiba, PR, Brazil, and post-chemotherapy (CT). COX-2 expression was evaluated using immunohistochemistry and correlated with the genome profile of paired pre- and post-CT samples, determined by array comparative genomic hybridization. A systems biology approach elucidated the PTGS2 network interaction. The results showed positive correlations between pre-CT Ch 7q gain and COX-2 expression (ρ = 0.825; p-value = 0.006) and negative correlations between Ch 7q gain and Ch 11q deletion (ρ = −0.919; p-value = 0.0005). Three samples showed Ch 11q deletion and Ch 7q gain. Network analysis identified a direct connection between CAV-1 (Ch 7q) and COX-2 in NB tumors and highlighted the connection between amplified genes in Ch 7q and deleted ones in 11q. The identification of hub-bottleneck-switch genes provides new biological insights into this connection between NB, tumorigenesis, and inflammation.

Prenatal Activation of Glucocorticoid Receptors Induces Memory Impairment in a Sex-Dependent Manner: Role of Cyclooxygenase-2

Prenatal exposure to dexamethasone (DEX) results in long-lasting effects on cognitive functions such as learning and memory impairment. However, the mechanisms underlying these DEX-induced deleterious effects are not well known. Here, we assessed whether cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is involved in the impact of prenatal exposure to DEX on learning and memory during adulthood. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats received daily injections of either DEX (0.2 mg/kg; i.p.) or saline from gestation day (GD) 14 until GD21. Gene and protein expression of COX-2, as well as presynaptic (synaptophysin) and postsynaptic (postsynaptic density protein-95) proteins, were monitored in the dorsal and ventral hippocampi of adult male and female offspring. A different cohort of adult male and female rat offspring was given daily injections of either vehicle or a specific COX-2 inhibitor (celecoxib 10 mg/kg, i.p.) for 5 consecutive days and was subsequently subjected to Morris water maze memory test. Prenatal DEX enhanced the expression of COX-2 protein and cox-2 mRNA in the dorsal hippocampus of adult female but not male rats. This enhanced COX-2 expression was associated with reduced expression in pre- and postsynaptic proteins and altered memory acquisition and retention. Administration of COX-2-specific inhibitor alleviated prenatal DEX-induced memory impairment in adult female rats. This study suggests that prenatal activation of glucocorticoid receptors stimulates COX-2 gene and protein expression and impairs hippocampal-dependent spatial memory in female but not male rat offspring. Furthermore, COX-2 selective inhibitors can be used to alleviate the long-lasting deleterious effects of corticosteroid medication during pregnancy.

Crosstalk Between Inflammatory Signaling and Methylation in Cancer

Inflammation is an intricate immune response against infection and tissue damage. While the initial immune response is important for preventing tumorigenesis, chronic inflammation is implicated in cancer pathogenesis. It has been linked to various stages of tumor development including transformation, proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Immune cells, through the production of inflammatory mediators such as cytokines, chemokines, transforming growth factors, and adhesion molecules contribute to the survival, growth, and progression of the tumor in its microenvironment. The aberrant expression and secretion of pro-inflammatory and growth factors by the tumor cells result in the recruitment of immune cells, thus creating a mutual crosstalk. The reciprocal signaling between the tumor cells and the immune cells creates and maintains a successful tumor niche. Many inflammatory factors are regulated by epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation and histone modifications. In particular, DNA and histone methylation are crucial forms of transcriptional regulation and aberrant methylation has been associated with deregulated gene expression in oncogenesis. Such deregulations have been reported in both solid tumors and hematological malignancies. With technological advancements to study genome-wide epigenetic landscapes, it is now possible to identify molecular mechanisms underlying altered inflammatory profiles in cancer. In this review, we discuss the role of DNA and histone methylation in regulation of inflammatory pathways in human cancers and review the merits and challenges of targeting inflammatory mediators as well as epigenetic regulators in cancer.

Epigenetic enzymes: A role in aging and prospects for pharmacological targeting

The development of interventions aimed at improving healthspan is one of the priority tasks for the academic and public health authorities. It is also the main objective of a novel branch in biogerontological research, geroscience. According to the geroscience concept, targeting aging is an effective way to combat age-related disorders. Since aging is an exceptionally complex process, system-oriented integrated approaches seem most appropriate for such an interventional strategy. Given the high plasticity and adaptability of the epigenome, epigenome-targeted interventions appear highly promising in geroscience research. Pharmaceuticals targeted at mechanisms involved in epigenetic control of gene activity are actively developed and implemented to prevent and treat various aging-related conditions such as cardiometabolic, neurodegenerative, inflammatory disorders, and cancer. In this review, we describe the roles of epigenetic mechanisms in aging; characterize enzymes contributing to the regulation of epigenetic processes; particularly focus on epigenetic drugs, such as inhibitors of DNA methyltransferases and histone deacetylases that may potentially affect aging-associated diseases and longevity; and discuss possible caveats associated with the use of epigenetic drugs.

Fetal programming effects of pentaerythritol tetranitrate in a rat model of superimposed preeclampsia

Abstract

Preeclampsia is a common medical condition during pregnancy and a major cause of maternal and prenatal mortality. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of maternal treatment with pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) in Dahl salt-sensitive rats (DSSR), a model of superimposed preeclampsia. F0 parental DSSR were treated with PETN (50 mg/kg) from the time point of mating to the end of lactation. Maternal PETN treatment improved fetal growth and had no effect on blood pressure in DSSR offspring fed with normal chow or high-salt diet. Upon high-fat diet (HFD) feeding, offspring from PETN-treated mother showed improved glucose tolerance despite similar weight gain. Unexpectedly, maternal PETN treatment significantly potentiated the HFD-induced blood pressure elevation in male DSSR offspring. Endothelium-derived hyperpolarization factor (EDHF)-mediated vasodilation was similar between NCD-fed and HFD-fed control offspring but was markedly reduced in HFD-fed PETN offspring. EDHF genes were downregulated in the vasculature of HFD-fed PETN offspring, which was associated with epigenetic changes in histone modifications. In conclusion, maternal PETN treatment in DSSR shows both beneficial and unfavorable effects. It improves fetal growth and ameliorates glucose tolerance in the offspring. Although maternal PETN treatment has no effect on blood pressure in offspring fed with normal chow or high-salt diet, the offspring is at higher risk to develop HFD-induced hypertension. PETN may potentiate the blood pressure response to HFD by epigenetic modifications of EDHF genes.

Key messages

The core findings of this article suggest that maternal PETN treatment of DSSR, a rat model of a spontaneous superimposed preeclampsia, leads to

• Improvement of fetal growth;

• No changes of maternal blood pressure or markers of preeclampsia;

• Amelioration of HFD-induced glucose intolerance in adult offspring;

• No changes in blood pressure development of the offspring on normal chow or high salt-diet;

• Potentiation of blood pressure elevation of the offspring on HFD.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s00109-020-01949-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Trained Immunity for Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy: Current Knowledge and Future Opportunities

Memory formation, guided by microbial ligands, has been reported for innate immune cells. Epigenetic imprinting plays an important role herein, involving histone modification after pathogen-/danger-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs/DAMPs) recognition by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Such "trained immunity" affects not only the nominal target pathogen, yet also non-related targets that may be encountered later in life. The concept of trained innate immunity warrants further exploration in cancer and how these insights can be implemented in immunotherapeutic approaches. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of innate immune memory and we reference new findings in this field, highlighting the observations of trained immunity in monocytic and natural killer cells. We also provide a brief overview of trained immunity in non-immune cells, such as stromal cells and fibroblasts. Finally, we present possible strategies based on trained innate immunity that may help to devise host-directed immunotherapies focusing on cancer, with possible extension to infectious diseases.

Effect of Celastrus orbiculatus in inhibiting Helicobacter pylori induced inflammatory response by regulating epithelial mesenchymal transition and targeting miR-21/PDCD4 signaling pathway in gastric epithelial cells

Background

The extract of Celastrus orbiculatus (COE) have been studied for anti-Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) activity and anti-cancer effects in vitro and in vivo. However, the molecular mechanism by which COE inhibits H. pylori-induced inflammatory response has not been fully elucidated so far.

Methods

The effects of COE on viability, morphological changes, inflammatory cytokine secretion, protein and mRNA expression were analyzed by MTT assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence, western blot and real-time PCR (RT-PCR), respectively. The methylation level of programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) promoter was investigated by methylation-specific PCR.

(MSP) .

Results

COE effectively inhibited the H.pylori-induced inflammatory response by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The methylation level of PDCD4 promoter was suppressed by COE, which increased the expression ofPDCD4. Moreover, COE could inhibit microRNA-21 (miR-21) expression, as shown by an enhancement of its target gene PDCD4. Furthermore, both miR-21 over-expression and PDCD4 silencing attenuated the anti-inflammatory effect.

of COE.

Conclusions

COE inhibits H. pylori induced inflammatory response through regulating EMT, correlating with inhibition of miR-21/PDCD4 signal pathways in gastric epithelial cells.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12906-019-2504-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Comparison of Different Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors in Attenuating Inflammatory Pain in Rats

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs), which interfere with the epigenetic process of histone acetylation, have shown analgesic effects in animal models of persistent pain. The HDAC family comprises 18 genes; however, the different effects of distinct classes of HDACIs on pain relief remain unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of these HDACIs on attenuating thermal hyperalgesia in persistent inflammatory pain. Persistent inflammatory pain was induced by injecting Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) into the left hind paw of rats. Then, HDACIs targeting class I (entinostat (MS-275)) and class IIa (sodium butyrate, valproic acid (VPA), and 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA)), or class II (suberoylanilide hydoxamic acid (SAHA), trichostatin A (TSA), and dacinostat (LAQ824)) were administered intraperitoneally once daily for 3 or 4 days. We found that the injection of SAHA once a day for 3 days significantly attenuated CFA-induced thermal hyperalgesia from day 4 and lasted 7 days. In comparison with SAHA, suppression of hyperalgesia by 4-PBA peaked on day 2, whereas that by MS-275 occurred on days 5 and 6. Fatigue was a serious side effect seen with MS-275. These findings will be beneficial for optimizing the selection of specific HDACIs in medical fields such as pain medicine and neuropsychiatry.

Novel betulin derivatives inhibit IFN-γ and modulates COX-2 expression

Betulin (BE) is a pentacyclic triterpenes, obtained from natural sources and with several biological activities described, such as anti-tumoral and anti-inflammatory activities. The BE esterification at hydroxyl group (C-3 and C-28) resulted in five new ester derivatives with different numbers of carbons or halogens (chlorine and fluorine). Among these BE derivatives, two (2a e 2c) were able to significantly decrease IFN-g (*p = 0.0391; **p = 0.0156) and 2c modulated the expression of COX-2 better than Dexamethasone (DEXA). Regarding to cytotoxic assay, the best results were obtained for BE without modifications, with emphasis on tumoral cell lines Raji and MCF-7. The derivatives 2a and 2c showed immunomodulation activity (for the cytokines IFN-g). The presence of chorine in BE seems to be important for the ability of modulate COX-2 expression, since the ester chloride derivative 2c at 100 μM is more powerful inhibitor of COX-2 than DEXA.

Perinatal Endotoxemia Induces Sustained Hepatic COX-2 Expression through an NFκB-Dependent Mechanism

BACKGROUND

Exposure to perinatal infection is associated with the multiple morbidities complicating preterm birth. How a relatively immature innate immune response contributes to this is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine if the perinatal innate immune response to endotoxemia induces a unique pattern of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression via an NFκB-dependent mechanism.

METHODS

Hepatic and pulmonary COX-2 mRNA expression was assessed following perinatal (at embryonic days 15 and 19 and after birth) or adult endotoxemia. Hepatic NFκB activity was assessed by cytosolic inhibitory protein degradation and subunit nuclear translocation. Immunohistochemistry and isolated cell preparations determined hepatic macrophage COX-2 expression, and the effect of pharmacologic and genetic inhibition of NFκB activity was tested.

RESULTS

Perinatal endotoxemia induced sustained hepatic macrophage COX-2 expression and NFκB activity compared to in exposed adults. Isolated hepatic macrophages and immunohistochemistry demonstrated enriched LPS-induced COX-2 expression that was sensitive to pharmacologic and genetic approaches to attenuate NFκB activity. Finally, pharmacologic inhibition of endotoxemia-induced NFκB activity in neonatal mice prevented hepatic NFκB activity and attenuated COX-2 expression.

CONCLUSION

Our findings of sustained neonatal hepatic NFκB activity and COX-2 expression in response to endotoxemia support a robust perinatal innate immune response. This may represent a link between the innate immune response and the pathogenesis of diseases associated with preterm birth.