Functional expression of CCL8 and its interaction with chemokine receptor CCR3

Inverse Regulation of C-C Chemokine Receptor 3 Oligomerization by Downstream Proteins Indicates Biased Signal Transduction Pathways

Oligomerization is one of the important mechanisms for G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to modulate their activity in signal transduction. However, details of how and why the oligomerization of GPCRs regulates their functions under physiological conditions remain largely unknown. Here, using single-molecule photobleaching technology, we show that chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) and chemokine ligand 8 (CCL8) are similar to the previously reported chemokine ligand 11 (CCL11) and chemokine ligand 24 (CCL24), which can regulate the oligomerization of chemokine receptor 3 (CCR3). Our results further demonstrate that downstream proteins, β-arrestin 2 and Gi protein complex, on the CCR3 signal transduction pathway, can inversely regulate the oligomeric states of CCR3 induced by its binding ligands. This unexpected discovery suggests complex relationships between the oligomeric behaviors of CCR3 and the components of ligands-CCR3-downstream proteins, reflecting the potentially functional impact of the oligomerization on the multiple activation pathways of GPCR, such as biased activation.

Detecting tipping points of complex diseases by network information entropy

The progression of complex diseases often involves abrupt and non-linear changes characterized by sudden shifts that trigger critical transformations. Identifying these critical states or tipping points is crucial for understanding disease progression and developing effective interventions. To address this challenge, we have developed a model-free method named Network Information Entropy of Edges (NIEE). Leveraging dynamic network biomarkers, sample-specific networks, and information entropy theories, NIEE can detect critical states or tipping points in diverse data types, including bulk, single-sample expression data. By applying NIEE to real disease datasets, we successfully identified critical predisease stages and tipping points before disease onset. Our findings underscore NIEE's potential to enhance comprehension of complex disease development.

Chemokine Receptors-Structure-Based Virtual Screening Assisted by Machine Learning

Chemokines modulate the immune response by regulating the migration of immune cells. They are also known to participate in such processes as cell-cell adhesion, allograft rejection, and angiogenesis. Chemokines interact with two different subfamilies of G protein-coupled receptors: conventional chemokine receptors and atypical chemokine receptors. Here, we focused on the former one which has been linked to many inflammatory diseases, including: multiple sclerosis, asthma, nephritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Available crystal and cryo-EM structures and homology models of six chemokine receptors (CCR1 to CCR6) were described and tested in terms of their usefulness in structure-based drug design. As a result of structure-based virtual screening for CCR2 and CCR3, several new active compounds were proposed. Known inhibitors of CCR1 to CCR6, acquired from ChEMBL, were used as training sets for two machine learning algorithms in ligand-based drug design. Performance of LightGBM was compared with a sequential Keras/TensorFlow model of neural network for these diverse datasets. A combination of structure-based virtual screening with machine learning allowed to propose several active ligands for CCR2 and CCR3 with two distinct compounds predicted as CCR3 actives by all three tested methods: Glide, Keras/TensorFlow NN, and LightGBM. In addition, the performance of these three methods in the prediction of the CCR2/CCR3 receptor subtype selectivity was assessed.

Role of chemokines in HPV-induced cancers

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) cause cancers of the uterine cervix, oropharynx, anus, and vulvovaginal tract. Low-risk HPVs, such as HPV6 and 11, can also cause benign mucosal lesions including genital warts, and in patients with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, lesions in the larynx, and on occasion, in the lungs. However, both high and less tumorigenic HPVs share a striking commonality in manipulating both innate and adaptive immune responses in HPV- infected keratinocytes, the natural host for HPV infection. In addition, immune/inflammatory cell infiltration into the tumor microenvironment influences cancer growth and prognosis, and this process is tightly regulated by different chemokines. Chemokines are small proteins and exert their biological effects by binding with G protein-coupled chemokine receptors (GPCRs) that are found on the surfaces of select target cells. Chemokines are not only involved in the establishment of a pro-tumorigenic microenvironment and organ-directed metastases but also involved in disease progression through enhancing tumor cell growth and proliferation. Therefore, having a solid grasp on chemokines and immune checkpoint modulators can help in the treatment of these cancers. In this review, we discuss the recent advances on the expression patterns and regulation of the main chemokines found in HPV-induced cancers, and their effects on both immune and non-immune cells in these lesions. Importantly, we also present the current knowledge of therapeutic interventions on the expression of specific chemokine and their receptors that have been shown to influence the development and progression of HPV-induced cancers.

Cytokine responses to LPS in reprogrammed monocytes are associated with the transcription factor PU.1

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are functionally immunosuppressive cells that arise and expand during extensive inflammatory conditions by increased hematopoietic output or reprogramming of immune cells. In sepsis, an increase of circulating MDSCs is associated with adverse outcomes, but unique traits that can be used to identify increased activity of MDSCs are lacking. By using endotoxin tolerance as a model of sepsis-induced monocytic MDSCs (M-MDSC-like cells), this study aims to identify the mediator and transcriptional regulator profile associated with M-MDSC activity. After analyzing 180 inflammation-associated proteins, a profile of differentially expressed cytokines was found in M-MDSC-like cells versus normal monocytes stimulated with LPS. These cytokines were associated with 5 candidate transcription factors, where particularly PU.1 showed differential expression on both transcriptional and protein levels in M-MDSC-like cells. Furthermore, inhibition of PU.1 led to increased production of CXCL5 and CCL8 in M-MDSC-like cells indicating its role in regulating the ability of M-MDSC-like cells to recruit other immune cells. Taken together, the study identifies a unique profile in the pattern of immune mediators defining M-MDSC activity upon LPS stimulation, which offers a functional link to their contribution to immunosuppression.

Aberrant messenger RNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is associated with gouty arthritis

AIM

Gouty arthritis (GA) is a type of self-limiting inflammatory arthritis caused by deposition of monosodium urate (MSU). This study aimed to analyze the expression variation of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in GA patients and investigated the role of mRNAs in GA pathogenesis.

METHODS

Five patients with acute GA (AGA), 5 with non-acute GA (NAGA), and 5 healthy controls (HC) were recruited to examine differential mRNA expression profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and explore whether mRNA is involved in the pathogenesis of AGA. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases were used to study the biological functions of differentially expressed mRNA and the relationship between genes and signal pathways.

RESULTS

Compared with HC, the AGA group had 1456 differentially expressed mRNAs, while the NAGA group had 437 differentially expressed mRNAs and compared with the NAGA group, 115 differentially expressed mRNAs were found in the AGA group. GO analysis showed that the differentially expressed mRNA in the AGA group was mainly enriched in processes related to leukocyte activation and immune response, while KEGG analysis showed that "Staphylococcus aureus infection" and "Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction" are enriched in the up-regulated mRNAs in the AGA group.

CONCLUSION

This study identified genes and pathways that are differentially expressed during the onset of AGA, which might reveal part of the pathogenesis of the disease and provide clues to explaining the severe pain associated with disease onset and the rapid development of inflammatory response that subsides by itself.

Unveiling of brain transcriptome of masked palm civet (Paguma larvata) with chronic infection of Toxoplasma gondii

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the transcriptomic changes that occur in a wild species when infected with Toxoplasma gondii. The masked palm civet, an artifically domesticated animal, was used as the model of a wild species. Transcriptome analysis was used to study alterations in gene expression in the domesticated masked palm civet after chronic infection with T. gondii.

METHODS

Masked palm civets were infected with 10⁵ T. gondii cysts and their brain tissue collected after 4 months of infection. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was used to gain insight into the spectrum of genes that were differentially expressed due to infection. Quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) was also used to validate the level of expression of a set of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) obtained by sequencing.

RESULTS

DEGs were screened from the sequencing results and analyzed. A total of 2808 DEGs were detected, of which 860 were upregulated and 1948 were downregulated. RNA-Seq results were confirmed by qRT-PCR. DEGs were mainly enriched in cellular process and metabolic process based on gene ontology enrichment analysis. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis showed that transcriptional changes in the brain of infected masked palm civets evolved over the course of infection and that DEGs were mainly enriched in the signal transduction, immune system processes, transport and catabolic pathways. Finally, 10 essential driving genes were identified from the immune signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed novel host genes which may provide target genes for the development of new therapeutics and detection methods for T. gondii infection in wild animals.

Implication of the IL-10-Expression Signature in the Pathogenicity of Leptospira-Infected Macrophages

Leptospirosis, an emerging infectious disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp., occurs in ecoregions with heavy rainfall and has public health implications. Macrophages are the major anti-Leptospira phagocytes that infiltrate the kidneys during renal leptospirosis, which is caused by leptospires residing in the renal tubules. The pathogenicity of Leptospira spp. in immune effector cells such as macrophages is not well understood. To evaluate this pathogenesis, we characterized and compared the transcriptome-wide alterations in macrophages infected with pathogenic and nonpathogenic Leptospira spp. Using transcriptome data and quantitative reverse transcription PCR analysis, at 2 h postinfection, the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α-dependent glycolysis pathway was implicated in pathogenic Leptospira-infected macrophages but not in nonpathogenic leptospiral infections. Immune-related biological processes were mostly activated in pathogenic Leptospira-infected macrophages, and flow cytometry investigations revealed that classically activated macrophages represent the predominant polarization status. At 24 h after infection, biological pathways associated with interleukin-10, IL-10, signaling the induction of macrophage tolerance, as well as higher levels of IL-10 mRNA and protein expression, were observed in nonpathogenic Leptospira-infected macrophages compared to in pathogenic leptospiral infection. Following leptospiral infection of macrophages, strong IL-10-expressing transcriptome signatures were observed following nonpathogenic leptospiral infection. The transcriptional programs generated in Leptospira-infected macrophages revealed an inflammatory milieu following the production of a critical anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, which is implicated in controlling the pathogenicity of activated macrophages. These findings imply that IL-10-mediated anti-inflammatory responses and tolerance in activated macrophages induced by nonpathogenic Leptospira spp. infection reduce inflammation and tissue damage, thus providing a potential therapeutic target for leptospirosis. IMPORTANCE Activation of macrophages by Leptospira spp. infection is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of leptospirosis. To evaluate the innate macrophage responses to Leptospira spp., specifically pathogenic versus nonpathogenic Leptospira spp., we characterized the entire transcriptome-wide alterations in infected macrophages. We showed that hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and immune-related pathways are activated in pathogenic leptospiral-infected macrophages. We confirmed the significantly high levels of IL-10-expressing signatures and tolerance in activated macrophages caused by nonpathogenic Leptospira infection. Furthermore, nonpathogenic leptospiral infections attenuated macrophage activation responses. These findings suggest a potential therapeutic strategy for the immune microenvironment caused by macrophage activation driven by IL-10 overexpression, which may contribute to regulating inflammation in leptospirosis.

Functional Roles of Chemokine Receptor CCR2 and Its Ligands in Liver Disease

Chemokines are a family of cytokines that orchestrate the migration and positioning of immune cells within tissues and are critical for the function of the immune system. CCR2 participates in liver pathology, including acute liver injury, chronic hepatitis, fibrosis/cirrhosis, and tumor progression, by mediating the recruitment of immune cells to inflammation and tumor sites. Although a variety of chemokines have been well studied in various diseases, there is no comprehensive review presenting the roles of all known chemokine ligands of CCR2 (CCL2, CCL7, CCL8, CCL12, CCL13, CCL16, and PSMP) in liver disease, and this review aims to fill this gap. The introduction of each chemokine includes its discovery, its corresponding chemotactic receptors, physiological functions and roles in inflammation and tumors, and its impact on different immune cell subgroups.

Emerging Role of miR-345 and Its Effective Delivery as a Potential Therapeutic Candidate in Pancreatic Cancer and Other Cancers

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive malignancy with high mortality, poor prognosis, and palliative treatments, due to the rapid upregulation of alternative compensatory pathways and desmoplastic reaction. miRNAs, small non-coding RNAs, have been recently identified as key players regulating cancer pathogenesis. Dysregulated miRNAs are associated with molecular pathways involved in tumor development, metastasis, and chemoresistance in PDAC, as well as other cancers. Targeted treatment strategies that alter miRNA levels in cancers have promising potential as therapeutic interventions. miRNA-345 (miR-345) plays a critical role in tumor suppression and is differentially expressed in various cancers, including pancreatic cancer (PC). The underlying mechanism(s) and delivery strategies of miR-345 have been investigated by us previously. Here, we summarize the potential therapeutic roles of miR-345 in different cancers, with emphasis on PDAC, for miRNA drug discovery, development, status, and implications. Further, we focus on miRNA nanodelivery system(s), based on different materials and nanoformulations, specifically for the delivery of miR-345.

Morphological landscapes from high content imaging reveal cytokine priming strategies that enhance mesenchymal stromal cell immunosuppression

Successful clinical translation of mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) products has not been achieved in the United States and may be in large part due to MSC functional heterogeneity. Efforts have been made to identify "priming" conditions that produce MSCs with consistent immunomodulatory function; however, challenges remain with predicting and understanding how priming impacts MSC behavior. The purpose of this study was to develop a high throughput, image-based approach to assess MSC morphology in response to combinatorial priming treatments and establish morphological profiling as an effective approach to screen the effect of manufacturing changes (i.e., priming) on MSC immunomodulation. We characterized the morphological response of multiple MSC lines/passages to an array of Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-⍺ (TNF-⍺) priming conditions, as well as the effects of priming on MSC modulation of activated T cells and MSC secretome. Although considerable functional heterogeneity, in terms of T-cell suppression, was observed between different MSC lines and at different passages, this heterogeneity was significantly reduced with combined IFN-γ/TNF-⍺ priming. The magnitude of this change correlated strongly with multiple morphological features and was also reflected by MSC secretion of immunomodulatory factors, for example, PGE2, ICAM-1, and CXCL16. Overall, this study further demonstrates the ability of priming to enhance MSC function, as well as the ability of morphology to better understand MSC heterogeneity and predict changes in function due to manufacturing.

C-C Motif Chemokine 8 promotes angiogenesis in vascular endothelial cells

OBJECTIVES

Angiogenesis is an important progress associated with several pathological situations. Several chemokines have been reported to act as regulators of angiogenesis. The current study aimed to find whether C-C Motif Chemokine 8 is involved in angiogenesis regulation.

METHODS

To verify whether C-C Motif Chemokine 8 is related to angiogenesis in plaques, carotid plaques were collected from patients with severe carotid stenosis and analysed using CD31 immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR. To further clarify the relation between C-C Motif Chemokine 8 and angiogenesis, human umbilical vein endothelium cells and human dermal microvascular endothelial cells were treated with C-C Motif Chemokine 8 in the presence or absence of C-C motif chemokine receptor 2-Ab and extracellular regulated MAP kinase 1/2 inhibition (FR180204). Proliferation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelium cells and human dermal microvascular endothelial cells were examined with Cell Counting Kit-8 and Transwell chamber assay, respectively. In vitro angiogenesis stimulated by C-C Motif Chemokine 8 was examined using tube formation assay. Ex vivo and in vivo angiogenesis were assessed by mice aortic ring assay and Matrigel plug assay, respectively. C-C motif chemokine receptors of human umbilical vein endothelium cells were examined with real-time PCR, and C-C motif chemokine receptor 1, C-C motif chemokine receptor 2, extracellular regulated MAP kinase 1/2 and phosphorylation-extracellular regulated MAP kinase 1/2 were examined with western blotting assay.

RESULTS

C-C Motif Chemokine 8 was increased in carotid plaques with severe angiogenesis in both RNA and protein level. C-C Motif Chemokine 8 (5 ng/ml) weakly increased human umbilical vein endothelium cell proliferation, but not on human dermal microvascular endothelial cells. Migration and tube formation could be induced by C-C Motif Chemokine 8 in both human umbilical vein endothelium cells and human dermal microvascular endothelial cells. In mice aortic ring assay and Matrigel plug assay, C-C Motif Chemokine 8 could promote angiogenesis compared to vehicle groups. Phosphorylation of extracellular regulated MAP kinase 1/2 was increased with C-C Motif Chemokine 8 stimulation. The migration and tube formation promoted by C-C Motif Chemokine 8 could be largely blocked by C-C motif chemokine receptor 2-Ab or extracellular regulated MAP kinase 1/2 inhibition (FR180204).

CONCLUSIONS

C-C Motif Chemokine 8 could promote both in vitro and in vivo angiogenesis. C-C motif chemokine receptor 2 played an important role in the activation of C-C Motif Chemokine 8 and extracellular regulated MAP kinase 1/2 signalling pathway was involved in this mechanism.

C-C motif ligand 8 promotes atherosclerosis via NADPH oxidase 2/reactive oxygen species-induced endothelial permeability increase

Chemokines have been reported to play important roles in atherosclerotic development. Recently, we found C-C motif ligand 8 (CCL8), a rarely studied chemokine in atherosclerosis, was highly expressed in the endothelium of advanced human carotid plaques. We hypothesized whether CCL8 promotes atherosclerosis through endothelial dysfunction. Apolipoprotein E-deficient mice under the Western diet were used to construct atherosclerosis models. Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) with CCL8 and the CCL8-antibody were injected into mice respectively to conduct CCL8 overexpression and suppression. The results showed that atherosclerotic lesions were significantly increased in the AAV-CCL8 group, while, lesions in the aortic sinus were reduced in the CCL8-antibody group. With CCL8 treatment (200 ng/ml, 24 h) in vitro, the permeability of human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) increased and the expression of junctional proteins Zonula occluden-1, and Vascular endothelial cadherin were decreased. This effect was dependent on reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, which could be blocked by l-Ascorbic acid and Apocynin. Results showed that NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) expression also increased with CCL8 stimulation and the ROS, and permeability increase of HAECs could be inhibited when NOX2 interfered with the specific siRNA. Additionally, we further found ERK1/2, PI3K-AKT, and NF-κB pathways were involved in the activation of CCL8. Our results indicated that CCL8 might also play important roles in atherosclerosis and this effect, at least in part, was caused by NOX2/ROS-induced endothelial permeability increase. This study might contribute to a deeper understanding of the connection between chemokines and atherosclerosis.

Chemokines in allergic conjunctivitis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Chemokines are a large group of low molecular weight cytokines that attract and activate leukocytes throughout the body and therefore have a key role in the framework of late-phase allergic responses. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the main chemokines involved in allergic conjunctivitis, their primary functions and their physiological roles, and therapies targeted at chemokines and their receptors for ocular allergic diseases.

RECENT FINDINGS

In recent years, there have been considerable advances in the understanding of ocular pathophysiology of ocular surface inflammatory diseases including both allergic eye diseases and dry eye syndrome. Several therapies being developed for dry eye inflammation are recognized as possible therapies for ocular allergic diseases as there are often common chemokines involved in both disease spectra.

SUMMARY

Chemokines represent an integral part of the late-phase cascade of ocular allergic inflammation. A deep understanding of specific chemokines and their interactions will help in targeting therapies to effectively manage ocular clinical findings and symptoms of allergic eye disease.

Lactobacillus plantarum-derived extracellular vesicles induce anti-inflammatory M2 macrophage polarization in vitro

Probiotics offer various health benefits. Lactobacillus plantarum has been used for decades to enhance human intestinal mucosal immunity and improve skin barrier integrity. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells have been recognized as efficient carriers for delivery of biomolecules to recipient cells, and to efficiently regulate human pathophysiology. However, the mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of probiotic bacteria-derived EVs on human skin is unclear. Herein, we investigated how L. plantarum-derived EVs (LEVs) exert beneficial effects on human skin by examining the effect of LEVs on cutaneous immunity, particularly on macrophage polarization. LEVs promoted differentiation of human monocytic THP1 cells towards an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype, especially M2b, by inducing biased expression of cell-surface markers and cytokines associated with M2 macrophages. Pre- or post-treatment with LEVs under inflammatory M1 macrophage-favouring conditions, induced by LPS and interferon-γ, inhibited M1-associated surface marker, HLA-DRα expression. Moreover, LEV treatment significantly induced expression of macrophage-characteristic cytokines, IL-1β, GM-CSF and the representative anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, in human skin organ cultures. Hence, LEVs can trigger M2 macrophage polarization in vitro, and induce an anti-inflammatory phenomenon in the human skin, and may be a potent anti-inflammatory strategy to alleviate hyperinflammatory skin conditions.

VapBC22 toxin-antitoxin system from Mycobacterium tuberculosis is required for pathogenesis and modulation of host immune response

Virulence-associated protein B and C toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are widespread in prokaryotes, but their precise role in physiology is poorly understood. We have functionally characterized the VapBC22 TA system from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Transcriptome analysis revealed that overexpression of VapC22 toxin in M. tuberculosis results in reduced levels of metabolic enzymes and increased levels of ribosomal proteins. Proteomics studies showed reduced expression of virulence-associated proteins and increased levels of cognate antitoxin, VapB22 in the ΔvapC22 mutant strain. Furthermore, both the ΔvapC22 mutant and VapB22 overexpression strains of M. tuberculosis were susceptible to killing upon exposure to oxidative stress and showed attenuated growth in guinea pigs and mice. Host transcriptome analysis suggests upregulation of the transcripts involved in innate immune responses and tissue remodeling in mice infected with the ΔvapC22 mutant strain. Together, we demonstrate that the VapBC22 TA system belongs to a key regulatory network and is essential for M. tuberculosis pathogenesis.

Silencing CCL8 inhibited the proliferation and migration of PDGF-BB-stimulated human aortic smooth muscle cells

C-C motif Chemokine ligand 8 (CCL8) has been found in diseases' pathogenesis. But its molecular mechanism in atherosclerosis (AS) remains to be elucidated. Human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) were stimulated by PDGF-BB to establish cell model. α-SMA in PDGF-BB-stimulated HASMCs was measured by immunofluorescence staining. Relative gene expressions in PDGF-BB-stimulated HASMCs were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot. HASMCs proliferation, migration, and cell cycle were assessed by cell counting kit-8, wound-healing assay, and flow cytometry. HASMCs viability was increased after PDGF-BB stimulation, with α-SMA downregulation yet CCL8 upregulation. Silencing CCL8 inhibited PDGF-BB-stimulated HASMCs proliferation and migration, and increased cells percentage in G1 phases but decreased those in S phase. Also, silencing CCL8 decreased OPN and cyclinD1 expressions and AKT and ERK1/2 phosphorylation while increased those of α-SMA and Sm22α. However, upregulating CCL8 led to opposite effects, suggesting CCL8 could be an atherosclerosis therapeutic target.

Molecular dissection of Chagas induced cardiomyopathy reveals central disease associated and druggable signaling pathways

Chagas disease, the clinical presentation of T. cruzi infection, is a major human health concern. While the acute phase of Chagas disease is typically asymptomatic and self-resolving, chronically infected individuals suffer numerous sequelae later in life. Cardiomyopathies in particular are the most severe consequence of chronic Chagas disease and cannot be reversed solely by parasite load reduction. To prioritize new therapeutic targets, we unbiasedly interrogated the host signaling events in heart tissues isolated from a Chagas disease mouse model using quantitative, multiplexed proteomics. We defined the host response to infection at both the proteome and phospho-proteome levels. The proteome showed an increase in the immune response and a strong repression of several mitochondrial proteins. Complementing the proteome studies, the phospho-proteomic survey found an abundance of phospho-site alterations in plasma membrane and cytoskeletal proteins. Bioinformatic analysis of kinase activity provided substantial evidence for the activation of NDRG2 and JNK/p38 kinases during Chagas disease. A significant activation of DYRK2 and AMPKA2 and the inhibition of casein family kinases were also predicted. We concluded our analyses by linking the diseased heart proteome profile to known therapeutic interventions, uncovering a potential to target mitochondrial proteins, secreted immune effectors and core kinases for the treatment of chronic Chagas disease. Together, this study provides molecular insight into host proteome and phospho-proteome responses to T. cruzi infection in the heart for the first time, highlighting pathways that can be further validated for functional contributions to disease and suitability as drug targets.

CCL8 secreted by tumor-associated macrophages promotes invasion and stemness of glioblastoma cells via ERK1/2 signaling

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) constitute a large population of glioblastoma and facilitate tumor growth and invasion of tumor cells, but the underlying mechanism remains undefined. In this study, we demonstrate that chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 8 (CCL8) is highly expressed by TAMs and contributes to pseudopodia formation by GBM cells. The presence of CCL8 in the glioma microenvironment promotes progression of tumor cells. Moreover, CCL8 induces invasion and stem-like traits of GBM cells, and CCR1 and CCR5 are the main receptors that mediate CCL8-induced biological behavior. Finally, CCL8 dramatically activates ERK1/2 phosphorylation in GBM cells, and blocking TAM-secreted CCL8 by neutralized antibody significantly decreases invasion of glioma cells. Taken together, our data reveal that CCL8 is a TAM-associated factor to mediate invasion and stemness of GBM, and targeting CCL8 may provide an insight strategy for GBM treatment.

MicroRNA-181 inhibits glioblastoma cell growth by directly targeting CCL8

MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs), including miR-181, are closely linked to the development and progression of glioblastoma. However, the function of miR-181 in glioblastoma has not been fully clarified. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of miR-181 in glioblastoma. miR-181 was revealed to be downregulated in glioblastoma tissues and cell lines, and associated with poor prognosis in patients with glioblastoma. Overexpression of miR-181 inhibited glioblastoma cell proliferation, invasion and migration, arrested glioblastoma cell cycle in the G1 phase and induced glioblastoma cell apoptosis. miR-181 was demonstrated to decrease expression of C-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CCL8) by directly interacting with its 3′-untranslated region. Overexpression of CCL8 inversely reversed the proliferation, invasion and migration-promoting effects of miR-181 in glioblastoma cells. Furthermore, CCL8 was upregulated in glioblastoma tissues and was negatively correlated with miR-181 expression. These results indicate that miR-181 is a potential molecular biomarker or therapeutic target in the clinical management of glioblastoma.

MiR-345-5p functions as a tumor suppressor in pancreatic cancer by directly targeting CCL8

BACKGROUND

Increasing evidence has demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of human diseases and can serve as prognostic markers for several cancers, such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Previous studies have revealed various functions for miR-345-5p in several cancers. However, the role and potential mechanism of miR-345-5p in PDAC have not been resolved.

METHODS

Quantitative RT-PCR was performed to investigate the expression levels of miR-345-5p in pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines, and the effect of miR-345-5p on the proliferation and invasiveness of pancreatic cancer was examined in Transwell assays with miR-345-5p overexpression. We used Western blot assay to explore the underlying mechanisms. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to examine changes in the cytoskeleton of PANC-1 cells in response to miR-345-5p. Luciferase assays were used to clarify the target and regulation mechanism of miR-345-5p.

RESULTS

miR-345-5p expression was downregulated in PDAC cells and tissues. Upregulated miR-345-5p expression inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of PDAC cells. We identified CCL8 as a direct target of miR-345-5p and found CCL8 expression was inversely correlated with miR-345-5p expression in PDAC samples. CCL8 could activate the NF-κB signaling pathway to promote the proliferation and invasiveness of PDAC cells. These results suggested that miR-345-5p inhibited PDAC progression by inactivating NF-κB signaling.

CONCLUSIONS

Here we demonstrated that miR-345-5p was a tumor-suppressive miRNA in pancreatic cancer progression by targeting CCL8. Our results suggest miR-345-5p may be a potential therapeutic biomarker for pancreatic cancer treatment.

Phagocytosis of Leptospira by leukocytes from mice with different susceptibility to leptospirosis and possible role of chemokines

Background

Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonosis caused by pathogenic prokaryotic microbes of the genus Leptospira. Although there are several reports in the literature, host-pathogen interaction is still poorly understood. The role of chemokine expression is important on the chemotaxis, activation and regulation of immune cells. Recent studies have shown that their expression profiles play an important role on the severity of leptospirosis outcome. We evaluated the phagocytosis of Leptospira by spleens cells from C3H/HeJ, C3H/HePas and BALB/c mouse strains, respectively susceptible, intermediate and resistant to leptospirosis, and by RAW 264.7 macrophages. Besides, we evaluated the effects of CCL2 treatment on the phagocytosis. The cells were incubated with or without CCL2 chemokine, and infected with virulent L. interrogans sv Copenhageni. Cells and culture supernatants were collected for subsequent analysis.

Results

The number of leptospires was higher in BALB/c cells, CCL2 pre-treated or only infected groups, when compared to C3H/HeJ and C3H/HePas cells. Indeed, CCL2 activation did not interfere in the phagocytosis of Leptospira. Expression of chemokines CXCL5 and CCL8 levels were significantly inhibited in infected BALB/c cells when compared to the non-infected control.

Conclusions

Higher ability to phagocytosis and early modulation of some chemokines correlated with the resistance to leptospirosis disease. Exposure to CCL2 did not interfere on phagocytosis of Leptospira in our experimental conditions, but acted in the modulation of chemokines expression during Leptospira infection.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12866-018-1371-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

MicroRNA-146a-5p attenuates visceral hypersensitivity through targeting chemokine CCL8 in the spinal cord in a mouse model of colitis

Visceral pain, observed in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, is a challenging medical problem and remains poorly understood because the mechanisms underlying it are unclear. Emerging evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic pain. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential role of miR-146a-5p (the mature form of miR-146a) in a mouse model of colitis induced by intracolonic injection of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). We found that induction of colitis resulted in visceral hyperalgesia manifested by a decreased pain threshold to colorectal distension and upregulation of miR-146a-5p expression in the lumbosacral spinal cord. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry results showed that miR-146a-5p was colocalized with neuronal marker NeuN, but not with astrocytic marker GFAP or microglial marker IBA-1. Dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-146a-5p directly targeted the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of CCL8, which was previously identified as an important regulator of visceral pain. In cultured Neuro-2a cells, TNF-α-induced CCL8 upregulation was decreased by transfection of miR-146a-5p mimic dose-dependently. In vivo, exogenous supplementation of miR-146a-5p by intrathecal miR-146a-5p agomir significantly alleviated visceral pain and decreased CCL8 expression in colitis mice. Furthermore, inhibition of CCL8 expression by CCL8 siRNA relieved colitis-induced visceral nociception. Finally, in naïve mice intrathecal miR-146a-5p antagomir upregulated CCL8 expression and induced visceral pain hypersensitivity, which could be partially rescued by neutralization of CCL8. Taken together, the present findings indicate that miR-146a-5p may be an endogenous suppressor of visceral pain and exogenous supplementation of miR-146a-5p could exert an analgesic effect at least partly by targeting spinal CCL8 expression. Thus, miR-146a-5p may serve as a novel therapeutic target for visceral pain intervention in the context of colitis.