Modulation of Chemokine- and Adhesion-Molecule Gene Expression and Recruitment of Neutrophil Granulocytes in Rat and Mouse Liver after a Single Gadolinium Chloride or Zymosan Treatment

Neutrophil extracellular traps in homeostasis and disease

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), crucial in immune defense mechanisms, are renowned for their propensity to expel decondensed chromatin embedded with inflammatory proteins. Our comprehension of NETs in pathogen clearance, immune regulation and disease pathogenesis, has grown significantly in recent years. NETs are not only pivotal in the context of infections but also exhibit significant involvement in sterile inflammation. Evidence suggests that excessive accumulation of NETs can result in vessel occlusion, tissue damage, and prolonged inflammatory responses, thereby contributing to the progression and exacerbation of various pathological states. Nevertheless, NETs exhibit dual functionalities in certain pathological contexts. While NETs may act as autoantigens, aggregated NET complexes can function as inflammatory mediators by degrading proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. The delineation of molecules and signaling pathways governing NET formation aids in refining our appreciation of NETs' role in immune homeostasis, inflammation, autoimmune diseases, metabolic dysregulation, and cancer. In this comprehensive review, we delve into the multifaceted roles of NETs in both homeostasis and disease, whilst discussing their potential as therapeutic targets. Our aim is to enhance the understanding of the intricate functions of NETs across the spectrum from physiology to pathology.

Impact of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 during Periodontitis and Cardiovascular Diseases

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) has been shown to play a key role in endothelial function and perhaps pivotal in the correlation between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD). For the study, the impact of MMP-9 of periodontitis and CVD on serum and saliva concentrations was analyzed. For the study patients with periodontitis (n = 31), CVD (n = 31), periodontitis + CVD (n = 31), and healthy patients (n = 31) were enrolled. Clinical and demographic characteristics as well as serum and salivary MMP-9 were evaluated. MMP-9 concentrations in serum and saliva were statistically elevated in patients with CVD (p < 0.01) and in patients with periodontitis plus CVD (p < 0.001) compared to patients with periodontitis and healthy subjects. Multivariate regression analysis showed that c-reactive protein (hs-CRP) was the only significant predictor for MMP-9 serum (p < 0.001), whereas hs-CRP (p < 0.001) and total cholesterol (p = 0.029) were the statistically significant salivary MMP-9 predictors. This study evidenced that patients with CVD and periodontitis + CVD presented elevated MMP-9 concentrations in serum and saliva compared to patients with periodontitis and healthy subjects. Furthermore, hs-CRP was a negative predictor of serum and salivary MMP-9.

Neutrophil-Associated Inflammatory Changes in the Pre-Diabetic Pancreas of Early-Age NOD Mice

A growing body of evidence indicates that neutrophils are the first major leukocyte population accumulating inside the pancreas even before the onset of a lymphocytic-driven impairment of functional beta cells in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D). In humans, pancreata from T1D deceased donors exhibit significant neutrophil accumulation. We present a time course of previously unknown inflammatory changes that accompany neutrophil and neutrophil elastase accumulation in the pancreas of the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse strain as early as 2 weeks of age. We confirm earlier findings in NOD mice that neutrophils accumulate as early as 2 weeks of age. We also observe a concurrent increase in the expression of neutrophil elastase in this time period. We also detect components of neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) mainly in the exocrine tissue of the pancreas during this time as well as markers of vascular pathology as early as 2 weeks of age. Age- and sex-matched C57BL/6 mice do not exhibit these features inside the pancreas. When we treated NOD mice with inhibitors of myeloperoxidase and neutrophil elastase, two key effectors of activated neutrophil activity, alone or in combination, we were unable to prevent the progression to hyperglycemia in any manner different from untreated control mice. Our data confirm and add to the body of evidence demonstrating neutrophil accumulation inside the pancreas of mice genetically susceptible to T1D and also offer novel insights into additional pathologic mechanisms involving the pancreatic vasculature that have, until now, not been discovered inside the pancreata of these mice. However, inhibition of key neutrophil enzymes expressed in activated neutrophils could not prevent diabetes. These findings add to the body of data supporting a role for neutrophils in the establishment of early pathology inside the pancreas, independently of, and earlier from the time at onset of lymphocytic infiltration. However, they also suggest that inhibition of neutrophils alone, acting via myeloperoxidase and neutrophil elastase only, in the absence of other other effector cells, is insufficient to alter the natural course of autoimmune diabetes, at least in the NOD model of the disease.

Baicalin and its nanoliposomes ameliorates nonalcoholic fatty liver disease via suppression of TLR4 signaling cascade in mice

As a natural flavonoid compound, baicalin(BA)has been reported to exhibit hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the characteristic of poor solubility and low bioavailability greatly limits its application. In addition, the effects and underlying mechanisms of BA in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remain elusive. In this study, Methionine and choline deficient diet (MCD)-induced NAFLD mice were treated with baicalin or baicalin-loaded nanoliposomes (BA-NL), then hepatic histopathological changes, biochemical parameters and inflammatory molecules were observed. We found that mice in MCD group showed significant increases in plasma transaminase, hepatocyte apoptosis, hepatic lipid accumulation, liver fibrosis, and infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages compared with control group, however, BA and BA-NL markedly attenuated MCD-induced the above changes. Besides, further analysis indicated that BA and BA-NL also inhibited the up-regulation of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signal and the production of inflammatory mediators in MCD mice. Importantly, BA-NL was found to be more effective than baicalin on MCD-induced NAFLD in mice. These data suggested that BA and its nanoliposomes BA-NL could effectively protect mice against MCD-induced NAFLD, which might be mediated through inhibiting TLR4 signaling cascade.