Attenuating effect of pretreatment with Yiqifumai on lipopolysaccharide-induced intestine injury and survival rate in rat

Injection of YiQiFuMai powder protects against heart failure via inhibiting p38 and ERK1/2 MAPKs activation

CONTEXT

Injection of YiQiFuMai (YQFM) powder, a modern Chinese plant-derived medical preparation, has a therapeutic effect in heart failure (HF). However, its therapeutic mechanism remains largely unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the molecular mechanisms of YQFM in HF.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Kinase inhibition profiling assays with 2 mg/mL YQFM were performed against a series of 408 kinases. In addition, the effects of kinase inhibition were validated in cardiomyocyte cell line H9c2. In vivo, HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) was induced by permanent left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery ligation for 6 weeks in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Then, HFrEF mice were treated with 0.46 g/kg YQFM or placebo once a day for 2 weeks. Echocardiography, immunohistochemistry, histological staining and Western blotting analysis were performed to assess the myocardial damage and molecular mechanisms.

RESULTS

Kinase inhibition profiling analysis demonstrated that mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) mediated the signalling cascades of YQFM during HF therapy. Meanwhile, p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) were inhibited after YQFM treatment in H9c2 cells. In rats, the control group had lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at 37 ± 1.7% compared with the YQFM group at 54 ± 1.1% (p < 0.0001). Cardiac fibrosis levels in control group rats were significantly higher than YQFM group (30.5 ± 3.0 vs. 14.1 ± 1.0, p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our collective in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that YQFM improves left ventricular (LV) function and inhibits fibrosis in HFrEF rats by inhibiting MAPK signalling pathways.

Comparative Efficacy of Chinese Herbal Injections for Septic Shock: A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background: Septic shock is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Studies have reported that Chinese herbal injections (CHIs) in combination with Western medicine (WM) were more favorable. However, the debate on optimal CHIs is ongoing. The objective of this study is to explore the comparative effectiveness of CHIs for septic shock.

Methods: We retrieved data from the English and Chinese databases with retrieval time from database inception to 30 September 2021. Network meta-analysis was performed, with evaluation of methodological quality among the included studies and assessment of strength of evidence among the outcomes.

Results: A total of 77 RCTs with 5,647 patients were included. All the studies were rated as some concerns. In terms of 28-days-mortality, Yiqifumai injection (YQFM)+WM, Shuxuetong injection (SXT)+WM, Xuebijing injection (XBJ)+WM, and Shenfu injection (SF)+WM were better than WM; YQFM + WM and SXT + WM were superior for Shenmai injection (SM)+WM; YQFM + WM was superior for SF + WM; YQFM + WM ranked first. Regarding ICU length of stay, SF + WM and XBJ + WM were better than WM; XBJ + WM was superior for SF + WM; XBJ + WM ranked first. Concerning hospital length of stay, Shenqifuzheng injection (SQFZ)+WM, Shengmai injection (SGM)+WM, and XBJ + WM had greater potential than WM and SF + WM; SQFZ + WM ranked first. As for SOFA score at 7-days, XBJ + WM and SF + WM were superior for WM; XBJ + WM was superior for SF + WM; XBJ + WM ranked first. Regarding procalcitonin level at 7-days, SF + WM, SM + WM, and Xiyanping injection (XYP)+WM were better than WM; XYP + WM was superior for SF + WM, SGM + WM, SM + WM, Danshen injection (DS)+WM, and XBJ + WM; XYP + WM ranked first. Concerning serum lactate level at 7-days, SF + WM and SM + WM were more effective than XBJ + WM and WM; SM + WM ranked first. The comparisons were rated as moderate (15.05%), low (40.86%), and very low quality (44.09%); the strength of evidence of ranking probability for hospital length of stay was low whereas the remaining outcomes were rated as very low.

Conclusions: CHIs combined with WM might have higher efficacies for septic shock than WM alone. YQFM, XBJ, SQFZ, XYP, SM, SGM, and SF may be the potential optimal CHIs for septic shock. More and better evidence is needed to validate the conclusions.

Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?, identifier CRD42021282958.

Phenyl lactic acid alleviates Samonella Typhimurium-induced colitis via regulating microbiota composition, SCFA production and inflammatory responses

Colitis caused by non-typhoidal Salmonella (NST) infection is increasingly serious and widespread, so new effective treatment strategies with little or no side-effects are urgently needed. Our previous research found that phenyl lactic acid (PLA) derived from Lactobacillus plantarum ZJ316 can effectively inhibit Salmonella enterica Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium). In this study, we further investigated the protective effects of this PLA against S. Typhimurium-induced colitis in mice. An infection model was established using female C57BL/6J mice by oral administration of 109 CFU mL-1 of S. Typhimurium, and PLA was supplied for 10 days after infection. In colitic mice, PLA administration reduced the disease activity index, prevented the colon shortening and spleen enlargement, decreased liver enzyme (AST and ALT) activities, and alleviated the colonic tissue damage. RT-qPCR analysis showed that PLA significantly down-regulated the levels of NF-κB, TLR4 and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-1β and TNF-α), but stimulated the mRNA expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Changes in intestinal microecology were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. PLA modulated colonic microbiota dysbiosis by increasing the abundance of Lactobacillus, Butyricicoccus and Roseburia, and reducing Salmonella and Alloprevotella at the genus level. In addition, PLA significantly increased the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the colon, especially propionic acid and butyric acid. These findings revealed that PLA has potential benefits on alleviating S. Typhimurium-induced colitis mainly through intestinal microbiota regulation and inflammation elimination, providing a new perspective for the NTS infection treatment strategy.

YQFM Alleviates Side Effects Caused by Dasatinib through the ROCK/MLC Pathway in Mice

Dasatinib, as a second-generation broad-spectrum tyrosine kinase inhibitor, presents an antitumor effect by inhibiting tyrosine kinases. However, dasatinib causes serious side effects, such as gastrointestinal bleeding and liver toxicity, possibly through the activation of ROCK kinase and MLC phosphorylation. At present, there is no effective prevention and treatment method. Previous research studies have shown that YQFM (YiQiFuMai powder injection) protects the blood-brain barrier by inhibiting the ROCK/MLC signaling pathway; whether YQFM can alleviate the side effects of dasatinib is unknown. In this study, dasatinib was injected (i.p. 70 mg/kg) and YQFM (i.p. 0.336 g/kg, 0.672 g/kg, 1.342 g/kg) was given in advance for 3 days to mice, to explore the effect of YQFM on side effects induced by Dasatinib. The results confirmed that YQFM significantly decreased Evans blue leakage in the small intestine and increased intestinal blood flow, increased the expression of ZO-1, Occludin, and VE-cadherin, and reduced the contents of D-lactic acid, s-VE-cadherin, Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in serum. Finally, YQFM inhibited the expression of ROCK-1 and phosphorylation of MLC induced by Dasatinib. These findings suggested that YQFM could improve the side effects caused by Dasatinib linked with the ROCK/MLC signaling pathway, as shown in the graphical abstract.

Effects of NaHS and hydroxylamine on the expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptors in rats after cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation

BACKGROUND

H₂S can also protect nerve cells. The objective of the study is to investigate the effects of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) on the expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptors, tyrosine protein kinase B (TrkB) and p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR), in brain tissues of rats with cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CA/CPR) following the restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC).

METHODS

Rats (n = 240) with CA/CPR were divided into three groups: Intervention (n = 80) that received sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS, 14 μmoL/kg·d) intervention after ROSC; Inhibition (n = 80) that received hydroxylamine (40 μmoL/kg·d) intervention after ROSC; and Control (n = 80) that received saline after ROSC. Kaplan-Meyer analysis was used to analyze the survival data. Quantitative real-time PCR (q-PCR), Western blot, immunohistochemistry and IODs (integrated optical density) were performed to determine the mRNA and protein expressions of BDNF, TrkB and p75NTR in rat brain tissues.

RESULTS

Survival rate of the three groups had significant difference (χ² = 28.376, p = 0.000). The Intervention group had the highest survival rate (82.5%), while the Inhibition group had the lowest survival rate (62.5%). The mRNA and protein levels of BDNF and TrkB in the Intervention group were significantly higher compared to the Control group (p < 0.05); while the mRNA and protein levels of BDNF and TrkB in the Inhibition group was significantly lower than the Control group (p < 0.05) on days 1, 3, and 7. However, the mRNA and protein levels of p75NTR in the Intervention group were significantly lower than the Control group (p < 0.05); while the mRNA and protein levels of p75NTR in the Inhibition group were significantly higher than the Control group (p < 0.05) on days 1, 3, and 7.

CONCLUSION

NaHS treatment increases the survival rate of rats after CA and ROSC by upregulating the expression and activation of BDNF and its receptor TrkB, and down-regulating p75NTR expression.

Yiqi Fumai lyophilized injection attenuates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity in rats by inhibition of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis

Doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the most effective antineoplastic drugs, however, its organ toxicity inhibits the clinical utility. This study was aimed at investigating the protective effects of Yiqi Fumai lyophilized injection (YQFM) against DOX-induced tissue injury and exploring the mechanisms which mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS), inflammation and apoptosis. The experiment was as follows: rats were subjected to an intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) of YQFM (0.481 g kg-1, i.p.) for 12 days; DOX (5 mg kg-1, i.p.) was administered on the 4th, 8th and 12th days to achieve a cumulative dose of 15 mg kg-1. Pretreatment of YQFM significantly ameliorated intracellular damage and dysfunction of the heart, liver and kidneys via decreasing activities of injury indexes. The levels of lipid peroxidation and glutathione depletion were clearly reduced following YQFM pretreatment, meanwhile the activities of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase were elevated. Additionally administering YQFM could mitigate the cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity via reducing levels of inflammatory factors and decreasing apoptosis. Accordingly, this study indicated that YQFM attenuated DOX-induced toxicity by ameliorating organ function, decreasing ROS production, and preventing excessive inflammation and apoptosis.

YiQiFuMai lyophilized injection attenuates particulate matter-induced acute lung injury in mice via TLR4-mTOR-autophagy pathway

Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are the serious diseases that are characterized by a severe inflammatory response of lung injuries and damage to the microvascular permeability, frequently resulting in death. YiQiFuMai (YQFM) lyophilized injection powder is a redeveloped preparation based on the well-known traditional Chinese medicine formula Sheng-Mai-San which is widely used in clinical practice in China, mainly for the treatment of microcirculatory disturbance-related diseases. However, there is little information about its role in ALI/ARDS. The aim of this study was to determine the protective effect of YQFM on particulate matter (PM)-induced ALI. The mice were intratracheally instilled with 50 mg/kg body weight of Standard Reference Material1648a (SRM1648a) in the PM-induced group. The mice in the YQFM group were given YQFM (three doses: 0.33, 0.67, and 1.34 g/kg) by tail vein injection 30 min after the intratracheal instillation of PM. The results showed that YQFM markedly reduced lung pathological injury and the lung wet/dry weight ratios induced by PM. Furthermore, we also found that YQFM significantly inhibited the PM-induced myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in lung tissues, decreased the PM-induced inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), reduced nitric oxide (NO) and total protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF), and effectively attenuated PM-induced increases lymphocytes in BALF. In addition, YQFM increased mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) phosphorylation and dramatically suppressed the PM-stimulated expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), MyD88, autophagy-related protein LC3Ⅱand Beclin 1 as well as autophagy. In conclusion, these findings indicate that YQFM had a critical anti-inflammatory effect due to its ability to regulate both TLR4-MyD88 and mTOR-autophagy pathways, and might be a possible therapeutic agent for PM-induced ALI.

Analysis of microRNA Expression Profiles Induced by Yiqifumai Injection in Rats with Chronic Heart Failure

Background: Yiqifumai Injection (YQFM) is clinically used to treat various cardiovascular diseases including chronic heart failure (CHF). The efficacy of YQFM for treating heart failure has been suggested, but the mechanism of action for pharmacological effects of YQFM is unclear. Methods: Echocardiography detection, left ventricular intubation evaluation, histopathology and immunohistochemical examination were performed in CHF rats to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of YQFM. Rat miRNA microarray and bioinformatics analysis were employed to investigate the differentially expressed microRNAs. In vitro models of AngII-induced hypertrophy and t-BHP induced oxidative stress in H9c2 myocardial cells were used to validate the anti-hypertrophy and anti-apoptosis effects of YQFM. Measurement of cell surface area, ATP content and cell viability, Real-time PCR and Western blot were performed. Results: YQFM significantly improved the cardiac function of CHF rats by increasing left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening, decreasing left ventricular internal diameter and enhancing cardiac output. Seven microRNAs which have a reversible regulation by YQFM treatment were found. Among them, miR-21-3p and miR-542-3p are related to myocardial hypertrophy and cell proliferation, respectively and were further verified by RT-PCR. Target gene network was established and potential related signaling pathways were predicted. YQFM could significantly alleviate AngII induced hypertrophy in cellular model. It also significantly increased cell viabilities and ATP content in t-BHP induced apoptotic cell model. Western blot analysis showed that YQFM could increase the phosphorylation of Akt. Conclusion: Our findings provided scientific evidence to uncover the mechanism of action of YQFM on miRNAs regulation against CHF by miRNA expression profile technology. The results indicated that YQFM has a potential effect on alleviate cardiac hypertrophy and apoptosis in chronic heart failure.

YiQiFuMai Powder Injection Protects against Ischemic Stroke via Inhibiting Neuronal Apoptosis and PKCδ/Drp1-Mediated Excessive Mitochondrial Fission

YiQiFuMai (YQFM) powder injection has been reported to be used in cardiovascular and nervous system diseases with marked efficacy. However, as a treatment against diseases characterized by hypoxia, lassitude, and asthenia, the effects and underlying mechanisms of YQFM in neuronal mitochondrial function and dynamics have not been fully elucidated. Here, we demonstrated that YQFM inhibited mitochondrial apoptosis and activation of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) in cerebral ischemia-injured rats, producing a significant improvement in cerebral infarction and neurological score. YQFM also attenuated oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis through increasing ATP level and mitochondria membrane potential (Δψm), inhibiting ROS production, and regulating Bcl-2 family protein levels in primary cultured neurons. Moreover, YQFM inhibited excessive mitochondrial fission, Drp1 phosphorylation, and translocation from cytoplasm to mitochondria induced by oxidative stress. We provided the first evidence that YQFM inhibited the activation, association, and translocation of PKCδ and Drp1 upon oxidative stress. Taken together, we demonstrate that YQFM ameliorates ischemic stroke-induced neuronal apoptosis through inhibiting mitochondrial dysfunction and PKCδ/Drp1-mediated excessive mitochondrial fission. These findings not only put new insights into the unique neuroprotective properties of YQFM associated with the regulation of mitochondrial function but also expand our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of ischemic stroke.

YiQiFuMai Powder Injection ameliorates the oxygen-glucose deprivation-induced brain microvascular endothelial barrier dysfunction associated with the NF-κB and ROCK1/MLC signaling pathways

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

YiQiFuMai Powder Injection (YQFM) is a modern preparation derived from Sheng-mai San, a traditional Chinese prescription, widely used for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, its potential molecular mechanism remains unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The present study was designed to observe the effect of YQFM on oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced the brain microvascular endothelial barrier dysfunction and to explore the underlying pathways in vitro.

METHODS

A mouse brain microvascular endothelial cell line (bEnd.3) was subjected to OGD (2-9h) to examine the efficacy and molecular mechanisms in the presence or absence of YQFM (100, 200 and 400 μg/ml).

RESULTS

The results of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and Trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER) assays demonstrated that treatment with YQFM increased the cell viability and TEER value, decreased even blue (EB) albumin leakage after OGD in bEnd.3 cells. Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining showed that YQFM reduced the breakage and translocation of Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and claudin-5 after 4h of OGD and decreased the expression of these proteins after 9h of OGD. Moreover, YQFM significantly inhibited the expression, phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of NF-κB/p65 and decreased the expression of intercellular adhesionmolecule-1 (ICAM-1) and cyclooxygenase (COX-2) as well as production of nitric oxide (NO). In addition, real time-PCR results revealed that YQFM suppressed the mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) after 4h of OGD. Furthermore, YQFM markedly inhibited both the phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC) and cytoskeletal reorganization and reduced the expression of cleaved-ROCK1 in bEnd.3 cells subjected to OGD.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that YQFM ameliorates the OGD-induced brain microvascular endothelial cell barrier disruption associated with the NF-κB/p65 and ROCK1/MLC signaling pathways. These data provide new insights into the use of this preparation for treating cerebrovascular diseases.

YiQiFuMai Powder Injection Ameliorates Cerebral Ischemia by Inhibiting Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Mediated Neuronal Apoptosis

YiQiFuMai (YQFM) powder injection as a modern preparation derived from Sheng Mai San, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, its neuroprotective effect and underlying mechanism in cerebral ischemia remain to be explored. The present study was designed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of YQFM on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated neuronal apoptosis in the permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion- (MCAO-) injured mice and the oxygen-glucose deprivation- (OGD-) induced pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. The results showed that single administration of YQFM (1.342 g/kg, i.p.) could reduce the brain infarction and improve the neurological deficits and the cerebral blood flow (CBF) after MCAO for 24 h in mice. Moreover, incubation with YQFM (100, 200, and 400 μg/mL) could increase the cell viability, decrease the caspase-3 activity, and inhibit the cell apoptosis in OGD-induced PC12 cells for 12 h. In addition, YQFM treatment could significantly modulate cleaved caspase-3 and Bcl-2 expressions and inhibit the expressions of ER stress-related marker proteins and signaling pathways in vivo and in vitro. In conclusion, our findings provide the first evidence that YQFM ameliorates cerebral ischemic injury linked with modulating ER stress-related signaling pathways, which provided some new insights for its prevention and treatment of cerebral ischemia diseases.

YiQiFuMai powder injection ameliorates blood-brain barrier dysfunction and brain edema after focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice

YiQiFuMai powder injection (YQFM) is a modern preparation derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Sheng-Mai-San. YQFM is widely used in clinical practice in the People’s Republic of China, mainly for the treatment of microcirculatory disturbance-related diseases. However, little is known about its role in animals with ischemic stroke. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of YQFM on brain edema and blood–brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction induced by cerebral ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury. Male C57BL/6J mice underwent right middle cerebral artery occlusion for 1 hour with a subsequent 24-hour reperfusion to produce I/R injury. YQFM (three doses: 0.336, 0.671, and 1.342 g/kg) was then given intraperitoneally (IP). The results demonstrated that YQFM significantly decreased infarct size, improved neurological deficits, reduced brain water content, and increased cerebral blood flow after I/R injury. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose micro-positron emission tomography imaging and hematoxylin and eosin staining results indicated that YQFM is able to ameliorate brain metabolism and histopathological damage after I/R. Moreover, YQFM administration reduced BBB leakage and upregulated the expression of zona occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin, which was confirmed by Evans Blue extravasation, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence assay. Our findings suggest that YQFM provides protection against focal cerebral I/R injury in mice, possibly by improving BBB dysfunction via upregulation of the expression of tight junction proteins.

Immunomodulation of Lactobacillus reuteri CRL1324 on Group B Streptococcus Vaginal Colonization in a Murine Experimental Model

PROBLEM

Maternal Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonization is a risk factor for infectious disease in newborns. One promising strategy is the modulation of vaginal defense to increase the host's ability to combat infection.

METHOD OF STUDY

The effect of intravaginal (i.va.) Lactobacillus reuteri CRL1324 inoculation on different immune cell populations, cytokines, and immunoglobulin isotypes in a murine model of GBS vaginal colonization was evaluated.

RESULTS

Seven i.va. inoculations of L. reuteri CRL1324 previous to GBS challenge showed an immunomodulatory effect on the cells and mediators of innate immunity, decreasing the number of neutrophils induced by the pathogen and increasing the activated macrophage population. Moreover, increases in B lymphocytes and IgA and IgG subclasses were observed in mice inoculated with L. reuteri CRL1324 and then challenged with GBS.

CONCLUSION

Lactobacillus reuteri CRL1324 shows a protective effect against GBS colonization that could be mediated by the modulation of the immune response.

Attenuating effect of Ginsenoside Rb1 on LPS-induced lung injury in rats

BACKGROUND

Sepsis causes neutrophil sequestration in the lung which leads to acute lung injury (ALI). Radix Ginseng (RG), a traditional herb used as herbal remedy in eastern Asia for thousands of years, which has been traditionally used in China to improve blood circulation and ameliorate pathological hemostasis. This study investigated whether Ginsenoside Rb1, the main components of RG, can attenuate ALI induced by LPS.

METHODS

In vivo, 30 male Wistar rats were divided into three groups (n = 10 each groups) on the basis of the reagent used, which were subjected to LPS injection with or without Ginsenoside Rb1 (5 mg/kg) treatments to induce ALI model. Lung injury was assessed by pulmonary histology, lung wet-weight to dry-weight (W/D) ratio, the number of myeloperoxidase (MPO) positive cells, immunohistochemical analysis of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), gene expression of ICAM-1, ultrastructure changes of pulmonary microvasculature, concentration of inflammatory markers and in plasma. In vitro, pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVECs) were stimulated with LPS in the presence and absence of Ginsenoside Rb1 (50 mM), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 was measured by immunocytochemistry staining and western blotting.

RESULTS

Infusion of LPS induced lung injury, in vivo, as demonstrated by pulmonary edema with infiltration of neutrophils and hemorrhage, the increase in lung W/D ratio, the number of MPO positive cells, the level of inflammatory markers such as TNF-α, MCP-1 and IL-8, enhanced expression of ICAM-1 and ICAM-1 gene. Moreover, resulted in the changes of intercellular junctions in the endothelial cells of pulmonary microvasculature. In vitro, the significant increased release of NF-κB p65 and its subsequent translocation into the nucleus in PMVECs were observed. In contrast, Ginsenoside Rb1 treatment significantly ameliorated the LPS-induced lung injury, as judged by the marked improvement in all these indices.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that Ginsenoside Rb1 attenuated LPS-induced lung injury through an inhibition of the inflammatory signaling pathway, besides the direct inhibitory effect on proinflammatory molecules.

Oral administration of a probiotic Lactobacillus modulates cytokine production and TLR expression improving the immune response against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium infection in mice

Background

Diarrheal infections caused by Salmonella, are one of the major causes of childhood morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Salmonella causes various diseases that range from mild gastroenteritis to enteric fever, depending on the serovar involved, infective dose, species, age and immune status of the host. Probiotics are proposed as an attractive alternative possibility in the prevention against this pathogen infection. Previously we demonstrated that continuous Lactobacillus casei CRL 431 administration to BALB/c mice before and after challenge with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) decreased the severity of Salmonella infection. The aim of the present work was to deep into the knowledge about how this probiotic bacterium exerts its effect, by assessing its impact on the expression and secretion of pro-inflammatory (TNFα, IFNγ) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines in the inductor and effector sites of the gut immune response, and analyzing toll-like receptor (TLR2, TLR4, TLR5 and TLR9) expressions in both healthy and infected mice.

Results

Probiotic administration to healthy mice increased the expression of TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 and improved the production and secretion of TNFα, IFNγ and IL-10 in the inductor sites of the gut immune response (Peyer's patches). Post infection, the continuous probiotic administration, before and after Salmonella challenge, protected the host by modulating the inflammatory response, mainly in the immune effector site of the gut, decreasing TNFα and increasing IFNγ, IL-6 and IL-10 production in the lamina propria of the small intestine.

Conclusions

The oral administration of L. casei CRL 431 induces variations in the cytokine profile and in the TLRs expression previous and also after the challenge with S. Typhimurium. These changes show some of the immune mechanisms implicated in the protective effect of this probiotic strain against S. Typhimurium, providing an alternative way to reduce the severity of the infection.