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Abdelrahman BA, Hammam OA, El-Khatib AS, Attia YM. The role of vitamin D3 in modulating the interplay between NLRP3 inflammasome and autophagy in NASH. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 688:149122. [PMID: 37951152 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.149122] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Abstract
Damage-associated molecular patterns released upon hepatocyte injury ensuing non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) can stimulate innate immunity by activating NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, thereby triggering pro-inflammatory cascades in the liver. Aberrant NLRP3 activation allied to compromised autophagic clearance of its components contributes to the progression of multiple inflammatory diseases. Such intricate interplay, however, was not fully deciphered in NASH. Prior studies have illuminated the ability of vitamin D3 to temper inflammasome activation in several contexts, prompting us to probe the impact of vitamin D3, particularly its active form, calcitriol (CAL), on NLRP3 overactivation in a high-fat diet (HFD)-based NASH model and its potential dependence on autophagy. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), an autophagy inhibitor, was co-administered with CAL to examine the likely modulation of the NLRP3/autophagy crosstalk. Our results showed that treatment with CAL countervailed the histopathological derangement reported in the livers of HFD-fed mice that paralleled a restoration of vitamin D receptor gene expression and reduction in sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c levels. Moreover, p62 was curtailed with CAL treatment indicating autophagy induction. CAL also prompted a reduction in NLRP3, caspase-1, gasdermin D, and IL-18 protein levels along with the apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC) gene expression. Treatment with CAL also reduced IL-1β and caspase-3 immunoreactivities compared to control. Intriguingly, CAL modulatory effects on inflammasome activation were curbed in the group that received HCQ, suggesting a potential autophagy dependency. Accordingly, the current study suggests that CAL was capable of ameliorating NASH via inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation in an autophagy-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basma A Abdelrahman
- Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, The British University in Egypt, Cairo, Egypt; The Center for Drug Research and Development (CDRD), Faculty of Pharmacy, The British University in Egypt, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Olfat A Hammam
- Pathology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Aiman S El-Khatib
- Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Egypt.
| | - Yasmeen M Attia
- Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, The British University in Egypt, Cairo, Egypt; The Center for Drug Research and Development (CDRD), Faculty of Pharmacy, The British University in Egypt, Cairo, Egypt
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Ppia is the most stable housekeeping gene for qRT-PCR normalization in kidneys of three Pkd1-deficient mouse models. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19798. [PMID: 34611276 PMCID: PMC8492864 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99366-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is the most common inherited renal disorder, characterized by renal cyst development leading to end-stage renal disease. Although the appropriate choice of suitable reference is critical for quantitative RNA analysis, no comparison of frequently used “housekeeping” genes is available. Here, we determined the validity of 7 candidate housekeeping genes (Actb, Actg1, B2m, Gapdh, Hprt, Pgam1 and Ppia) in kidney tissues from mouse models orthologous to ADPKD, including a cystic mice (CY) 10–12 weeks old (Pkd1flox/flox:Nestincre/Pkd1flox/−:Nestincre, n = 10) and non-cystic (NC) controls (Pkd1flox/flox/Pkd1flox/-, n = 10), Pkd1-haploinsufficient (HT) mice (Pkd1+/−, n = 6) and wild-type (WT) controls (Pkd1+/+, n = 6) and a severely cystic (SC) mice 15 days old (Pkd1V/V, n = 7) and their controls (CO, n = 5). Gene expression data were analyzed using six distinct statistical softwares. The estimation of the ideal number of genes suggested the use of Ppia alone as sufficient, although not ideal, to analyze groups altogether. Actb, Hprt and Ppia expression profiles were correlated in all samples. Ppia was identified as the most stable housekeeping gene, while Gapdh was the least stable for all kidney samples. Stat3 expression level was consistent with upregulation in SC compared to CO when normalized by Ppia expression. In conclusion, present findings identified Ppia as the best housekeeping gene for CY + NC and SC + CO groups, while Hprt was the best for the HT + WT group.
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Junior, Lai YS, Nguyen HT, Salmanida FP, Chang KT. MERTK +/hi M2c Macrophages Induced by Baicalin Alleviate Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10604. [PMID: 34638941 PMCID: PMC8508959 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common liver diseases worldwide. An accumulation of fat, followed by inflammation, is the major cause of NAFLD progression. During inflammation, macrophages are the most abundant immune cells recruited to the site of injury. Macrophages are classified into "proinflammatory" M1 macrophages, and "anti-inflammatory" M2 macrophages. In NAFLD, M1 macrophages are the most prominent macrophages that lead to an excessive inflammatory response. Previously, we found that baicalin could polarize macrophages into anti-inflammatory M2c subtype macrophages with an increased level of MERTK expression. Several studies have also shown a strong correlation between MERTK expression and cholesterol efflux, efferocytosis, as well as phagocytosis capability. Therefore, in this study, we aim to elucidate the potential and efficacy of mononuclear-cell (MNC)-derived MERTK+/hi M2c macrophages induced by baicalin as a cell-based therapy for NAFLD treatment. In our results, we have demonstrated that a MERTK+/hi M2c macrophage injection to NAFLD mice contributes to an increased level of serum HDL secretion in the liver, a decline in the circulating CD4+CD25- and CD8+CD25- T cells and lowers the total NAFLD pathological score by lessening the inflammation, necrosis, and fibrosis. In the liver, profibrotic COL1A1 and FN, proinflammation TNFα, as well as the regulator of lipid metabolism PPARɣ expression, were also downregulated after injection. In parallel, the transcriptomic profiles of the injected MERTK+/hi M2c macrophages showed that the various genes directly or indirectly involved in NAFLD progression (e.g., SERPINE1, FADS2) were also suppressed. Downregulation of cytokines and inflammation-associated genes, such as CCR5, may promote a pro-resolving milieu in the NAFLD liver. Altogether, cell-based therapy using MERTK+/hi M2c macrophages is promising, as it ameliorates NAFLD in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junior
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan; (J.); (H.T.N.); (F.P.S.)
| | - Yin-Siew Lai
- Research Center for Animal Biologics, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan;
| | - Huyen Thi Nguyen
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan; (J.); (H.T.N.); (F.P.S.)
| | - Farrah P. Salmanida
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan; (J.); (H.T.N.); (F.P.S.)
| | - Ko-Tung Chang
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan; (J.); (H.T.N.); (F.P.S.)
- Research Center for Animal Biologics, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan;
- Flow Cytometry Center, Precision Instruments Center, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan
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Phenethylamine in chlorella alleviates high-fat diet-induced mouse liver damage by regulating generation of methylglyoxal. NPJ Sci Food 2021; 5:22. [PMID: 34301957 PMCID: PMC8302609 DOI: 10.1038/s41538-021-00105-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
This study examined the effects of oral administration of water extract of chlorella (WEC) (100 mg/kg bodyweight) and phenethylamine (10 μg/kg bodyweight) on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced liver damage in mice. Phenethylamine significantly mitigated HFD-induced lipid oxidation (generation of malondialdehyde) and liver damage without markedly decreasing hepatic lipid accumulation. WEC exerted similar effects although with decreased efficacy. In addition, WEC and phenethylamine decreased the methylglyoxal levels and increased the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) protein levels in the liver. Methylglyoxal is generated from substrates of GAPDH, dihydroxyacetone phosphate and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. These facts indicate that methylglyoxal triggers oxidation of accumulated lipid, which generates malondialdehyde and consequently induces liver damage. Suppression of generation of toxic aldehydes by WEC and phenethylamine was also confirmed by maintaining hepatic cysteine, highly reactive to aldehydes. Thus, trace amounts of phenethylamine alleviate HFD-induced liver damage by regulating methylglyoxal via increase of GAPDH.
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Fetal programming by androgen excess impairs liver lipid content and PPARg expression in adult rats. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2021; 13:300-309. [PMID: 34275515 DOI: 10.1017/s2040174421000416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
It is known that prenatal hyperandrogenization induces alterations since early stages of life, contributing to the development of polycystic ovary syndrome affecting the reproductive axis and the metabolic status, thus promoting others associated disorders, such as dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, liver dysfunction, and even steatosis. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of fetal programming by androgen excess on the hepatic lipid content and metabolic mediators at adult life. Pregnant rats were hyperandrogenized with daily subcutaneous injections of 1 mg of free testosterone from days 16 to 19 of pregnancy. The prenatally hyperandrogenized (PH) female offspring displayed two phenotypes: irregular ovulatory phenotype (PHiov) and anovulatory phenotype (PHanov), with different metabolic and endocrine features. We evaluated the liver lipid content and the main aspect of the balance between fatty acid (FA) synthesis and oxidation. We investigated the status of the peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) alpha and gamma, which act as lipid mediators, and the adipokine chemerin, one marker of liver alterations. We found that prenatal hyperandrogenization altered the liver lipid profile with increased FAs levels in the PHanov phenotype and decreased cholesterol content in the PHiov phenotype. FA metabolism was also disturbed, including decreased mRNA and protein PPARgamma levels and impaired gene expression of the main enzymes involved in lipid metabolism. Moreover, we found low chemerin protein levels in both PH phenotypes. In conclusion, these data suggest that prenatal hyperandrogenization exerts a negative effect on the liver and alters lipid content and metabolic mediators' expression at adult age.
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Fan X, Yao H, Liu X, Shi Q, Lv L, Li P, Wang R, Tang T, Qi K. High-Fat Diet Alters the Expression of Reference Genes in Male Mice. Front Nutr 2020; 7:589771. [PMID: 33330591 PMCID: PMC7732482 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2020.589771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantitative PCR (qPCR), the most accurate and sensitive technique for quantifying mRNA expression, and choice of appropriate reference genes for internal error controlling in qPCR are essential to understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive the obesity epidemic and its comorbidities. In this study, using the high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mouse model, we assessed the expression of 10 commonly used reference genes to validate gene-expression stability in adipose tissue, liver, and muscle across different time points (4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks after HFD feeding) during the process of obesity. The data were analyzed by the GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and Delta-Ct method, and the results showed that the most stable reference genes were different for a specific organ or tissue in a specific time point; however, PPIA, RPLP0, and YWHAZ were the top three most stable reference genes in qPCR experiments on adipose, hepatic tissues, and muscles of mice in diet-induced obesity. In addition, the mostly used genes ACTB and GAPDH were more unstable in the fat and liver, the ACTB mRNA levels were increased in four adipose tissues, and the GAPDH mRNA levels were decreased in four adipose tissues and liver after HFD feeding. These results suggest that PPIA, RPLP0, or YWHAZ may be more appropriate to be used as reference gene than ACTB and GAPDH in the adipose tissue and liver of mice during the process of high-fat diet-induced obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuqin Fan
- Laboratory of Nutrition and Development, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, China
| | - Hongyang Yao
- Laboratory of Nutrition and Development, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, China
| | - Xuanyi Liu
- Laboratory of Nutrition and Development, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, China
| | - Qiaoyu Shi
- Laboratory of Nutrition and Development, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, China
| | | | - Ping Li
- Laboratory of Nutrition and Development, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Laboratory of Nutrition and Development, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, China
| | - Tiantian Tang
- Laboratory of Nutrition and Development, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, China
| | - Kemin Qi
- Laboratory of Nutrition and Development, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, China
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Validation of Reference Genes for Gene Expression Studies by RT-qPCR in HepaRG Cells during Toxicity Testing and Disease Modelling. Cells 2020; 9:cells9030770. [PMID: 32245194 PMCID: PMC7140694 DOI: 10.3390/cells9030770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene expression analysis by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is routinely used in biomedical studies. The reproducibility and reliability of the data fundamentally depends on experimental design and data interpretation. Despite the wide application of this assay, there is significant variation in the validation process of gene expression data from research laboratories. Since the validity of results depends on appropriate normalisation, it is crucial to select appropriate reference gene(s), where transcription of the selected gene is unaffected by experimental setting. In this study we have applied geNorm technology to investigate the transcription of 12 ‘housekeeping’ genes for use in the normalisation of RT-qPCR data acquired using a widely accepted HepaRG hepatic cell line in studies examining models of pre-clinical drug testing. geNorm data identified a number of genes unaffected by specific drug treatments and showed that different genes remained invariant in response to different drug treatments, whereas the transcription of ‘classical’ reference genes such as GAPDH (glyceralde- hyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) was altered by drug treatment. Comparing data normalised using the reference genes identified by geNorm with normalisation using classical housekeeping genes demonstrated substantial differences in the final results. In light of cell therapy application, RT-qPCR analyses has to be carefully evaluated to accurately interpret data obtained from dynamic cellular models undergoing sequential stages of phenotypic change.
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