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Liu W, Yu H, Gurbazar D, Rinchindorj D, Kang W, Qi C, Chen H, Chang X, You H, Han Y, Li Z, R. G. A, Dong W. Anti-inflammatory effects and beneficial effects of the feed additive Urtica cannabina L. in zebrafish. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0307269. [PMID: 39018284 PMCID: PMC11253947 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Urtica cannabina L. (UL) has been used clinically for centuries because of its anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms and anti-inflammatory effects of different UL concentrations in zebrafish. To elucidate UL's anti-inflammatory properties, two inflammation zebrafish models were designed 1) by severing the zebrafish's caudal fin to assess the repairing effect of UL on the tail inflammation, and 2) by inducing lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-mediated intestinal inflammation to assess the protective and reparative effects of UL on intestinal inflammation at the histological and genetic levels. Furthermore, the effect of UL on the LPS-induced intestinal flora changes was also assessed. After caudal fin resection, a scar formed on the tail of the zebrafish, and the area of the caudal fin increased by 1.30 times as much as that of the control group (P < 0.01). Moreover, this tail scar was alleviated after 10 mg/g UL supplementation but not after 30 mg/g UL dose. LPS decreased the feed intake and body weight of the zebrafish; however, these effects were reversed after 10 and 30 mg/g doses of UL. In addition, the LPS treatment also reduced the intestinal goblet cells by 49% in the zebrafish when compared with the control, which was significantly restored after 10 and 30 mg/g UL treatments. At the genetics level, the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine genes (TNF-α, IL6, and IL8) showed that 10 and 30 mg/g UL doses could rescue LPS-induced expression. The gut microbiota analysis revealed changes in the abundance of four major bacterial phyla in the 10 and 30 mg/g UL-treated groups, with an increased probiotic Bacteroidota and decreased pathogenic bacteria. These results indicate that UL strongly inhibits inflammation caused by caudal fin removal and LPS-induced inflammatory changes in the zebrafish intensity, suggesting that UL is a feed additive that could be developed to improve resistance to inflammation in livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wuyun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Agriculture in Horqin Sandy Land, State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Wuhan, China
- College of Agriculture, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, China
- Mongolian University of Life Sciences, School of Animal science & Biotechnology, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Toxicant Monitoring and Toxicology, College of Animal Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Huarong Yu
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Agriculture in Horqin Sandy Land, State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Wuhan, China
- College of Agriculture, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - D. Gurbazar
- Mongolian University of Life Sciences, School of Animal science & Biotechnology, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - D. Rinchindorj
- Mongolian University of Life Sciences, School of Animal science & Biotechnology, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Wei Kang
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Toxicant Monitoring and Toxicology, College of Animal Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Chelimuge Qi
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Toxicant Monitoring and Toxicology, College of Animal Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Hongsong Chen
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Toxicant Monitoring and Toxicology, College of Animal Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Xu Chang
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Toxicant Monitoring and Toxicology, College of Animal Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Huan You
- Tongliao Animal Husbandry Development Center, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Yongmei Han
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Toxicant Monitoring and Toxicology, College of Animal Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Zhigang Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Agriculture in Horqin Sandy Land, State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Wuhan, China
- College of Agriculture, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Ahmed R. G.
- Faculty of Science, Zoology Department, Division of Anatomy and Embryology, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Wu Dong
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Toxicant Monitoring and Toxicology, College of Animal Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, China
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Lu JW, Lin LI, Sun Y, Liu D, Gong Z. Effect of Lipopolysaccharides on Liver Tumor Metastasis of twist1a/krasV12 Double Transgenic Zebrafish. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10010095. [PMID: 35052775 PMCID: PMC8773574 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10010095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The poor prognosis of patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is directly associated with the multi-step process of tumor metastasis. TWIST1, a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor, is the most important epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) gene involved in embryonic development, tumor progression, and metastasis. However, the role that TWIST1 gene plays in the process of liver tumor metastasis in vivo is still not well understood. Zebrafish can serve as a powerful model for cancer research. Thus, in this study, we crossed twist1a+ and kras+ transgenic zebrafish, which, respectively, express hepatocyte-specific mCherry and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP); they also drive overexpression of their respective transcription factors. This was found to exacerbate the development of metastatic HCC. Fluorescence of mCherry and EGFP-labeled hepatocytes revealed that approximately 37.5% to 45.5% of the twist1a+/kras+ double transgenic zebrafish exhibited spontaneous tumor metastasis from the liver to the abdomen and tail areas, respectively. We also investigated the inflammatory effects of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on the hepatocyte-specific co-expression of twist1a+ and kras+ in double transgenic zebrafish. Following LPS exposure, co-expression of twist1a+ and kras+ was found to increase tumor metastasis by 57.8%, likely due to crosstalk with the EMT pathway. Our results confirm that twist1a and kras are important mediators in the development of metastatic HCC. Taken together, our in-vivo model demonstrated that co-expression of twist1a+/kras+ in conjunction with exposure to LPS enhanced metastatic HCC offers a useful platform for the study of tumor initiation and metastasis in liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeng-Wei Lu
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore;
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10048, Taiwan;
- Correspondence: (J.-W.L.); (Z.G.); Tel.: +65-6516-2860 (Z.G.)
| | - Liang-In Lin
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10048, Taiwan;
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 10048, Taiwan
| | - Yuxi Sun
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore;
- Brain Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China;
| | - Dong Liu
- Brain Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China;
| | - Zhiyuan Gong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore;
- Correspondence: (J.-W.L.); (Z.G.); Tel.: +65-6516-2860 (Z.G.)
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Lai CY, Yeh KY, Liu BF, Chang TM, Chang CH, Liao YF, Liu YW, Her GM. MicroRNA-21 Plays Multiple Oncometabolic Roles in Colitis-Associated Carcinoma and Colorectal Cancer via the PI3K/AKT, STAT3, and PDCD4/TNF-α Signaling Pathways in Zebrafish. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:5565. [PMID: 34771727 PMCID: PMC8583575 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a high risk of developing CRC. Inflammatory cytokines are regulated by complex gene networks and regulatory RNAs, especially microRNAs. MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is amongst the most frequently upregulated microRNAs in inflammatory responses and cancer development. miR-21 has become a target for genetic and pharmacological regulation in various diseases. However, the association between inflammation and tumorigenesis in the gut is largely unknown. Hence, in this study, we generated a zebrafish model (ImiR-21) with inducible overexpression of miR-21 in the intestine. The results demonstrate that miR-21 can induce CRC or colitis-associated cancer (CAC) in ImiR-21 through the PI3K/AKT, PDCD4/TNF-α, and IL-6/STAT3 signaling network. miR-21 activated the PI3K/AKT and NF-κB signaling pathways, leading to initial inflammation; thereafter, miR-21 and TNF-α repressed PDCD4 and its tumor suppression activity. Eventually, active STAT3 stimulated a strong inflammatory response and activated the invasion/metastasis process of tumor cells. Hence, our findings indicate that miR-21 is critical for the development of CRC/CAC via the PI3K/AKT, STAT3, and PDCD4/TNF-α signaling networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Yu Lai
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan; (C.-Y.L.); (B.-F.L.); (Y.-W.L.)
| | - Kun-Yun Yeh
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang-Chung Memorial Hospital, Keelung 204, Taiwan;
| | - Bi-Feng Liu
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan; (C.-Y.L.); (B.-F.L.); (Y.-W.L.)
| | - Tzu-Ming Chang
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan; (T.-M.C.); (C.-H.C.)
| | - Chuan-Hsun Chang
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan; (T.-M.C.); (C.-H.C.)
- Division of General Surgery, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Feng Liao
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, ICOB 238, 128 Sec. 2 Academia Rd., Taipei 11529, Taiwan;
| | - Yi-Wen Liu
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan; (C.-Y.L.); (B.-F.L.); (Y.-W.L.)
| | - Guor Mour Her
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan; (C.-Y.L.); (B.-F.L.); (Y.-W.L.)
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