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Agarwal V, Kaushik AS, Chaudhary R, Rehman M, Srivastava S, Mishra V. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation ameliorates cardiac abnormalities in chronically stressed rats. NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY 2024; 397:281-303. [PMID: 37421431 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-023-02611-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Chronically stressed patients often have low vagal tone and increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines, which increase their risk for developing cardiac dysfunction. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a way to activate the parasympathetic system, which has the ability to reduce inflammation and antagonize excessive sympathetic responses. However, the effectiveness of taVNS in treating cardiac dysfunction caused by chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) has not been studied. To investigate this, we first validated a rat model of CUS, in which the rats were exposed to random stressors daily for 8 weeks. Post CUS, the rats were treated with taVNS (1.0 ms, 6 V, 6 Hz, for 40 min × 2 weeks, alternatively) and their cardiac function and cholinergic flow were evaluated. Furthermore, serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI), cardiac caspase-3, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 expression in rats were also assessed. The chronically stressed rats showed depressed behavior with increased levels of serum corticosterone and proinflammatory cytokines. Electrocardiogram (ECG) and heart rate variability (HRV) studies revealed elevated heart rate, diminished vagal tone, and altered sinus rhythm in CUS rats. Furthermore, the CUS rats demonstrated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis with increased caspase-3, iNOS, and TGF-β expression in their myocardium and increased levels of serum cTnI. Interestingly, alternate taVNS therapy for 2 weeks, post CUS, helped alleviate these cardiac abnormalities. These suggest that taVNS could be a useful adjunctive and non-pharmacological approach for managing CUS induced cardiac dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vipul Agarwal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, (A Central University), Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow, U.P., 226025, India
| | - Arjun Singh Kaushik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, (A Central University), Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow, U.P., 226025, India
| | - Rishabh Chaudhary
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, (A Central University), Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow, U.P., 226025, India
| | - Mujeeba Rehman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, (A Central University), Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow, U.P., 226025, India
| | - Siddhi Srivastava
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, (A Central University), Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow, U.P., 226025, India
| | - Vikas Mishra
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, (A Central University), Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow, U.P., 226025, India.
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Zhu N, Yang X, Liu Q, Chen Y, Wang X, Li H, Gao H. “Iron triangle” of regulating the uterine microecology: Endometrial microbiota, immunity and endometrium. Front Immunol 2022; 13:928475. [PMID: 36016947 PMCID: PMC9396262 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.928475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The uterus is the core place for breeding new life. The balance and imbalance of uterine microecology can directly affect or even dominate the female reproductive health. Emerging data demonstrate that endometrial microbiota, endometrium and immunity play an irreplaceable role in regulating uterine microecology, forming a dynamic iron triangle relationship. Up to nowadays, it remains unclear how the three factors affect and interact with each other, which is also a frontier topic in the emerging field of reproductive tract microecology. From this new perspective, we aim to clarify the relationship and mechanism of the interaction of these three factors, especially their pairwise interactions. Finally, the limitations and future perspectives of the current studies are summarized. In general, these three factors have a dynamic relationship of mutual dependence, promotion and restriction under the physiological or pathological conditions of uterus, among which the regulatory mechanism of microbiota and immunity plays a role of bridge. These findings can provide new insights and measures for the regulation of uterine microecology, the prevention and treatment of endometrial diseases, and the further multi-disciplinary integration between microbiology, immunology and reproductive medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Zhu
- Department of Nursing, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
- School of Nursing, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Xuyan Yang
- Department of Nursing, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Qiao Liu
- School of Nursing, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Yahui Chen
- School of Nursing, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Xiaolan Wang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Huanhuan Li
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Hong Gao
- Department of Nursing, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
- *Correspondence: Hong Gao,
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Reichardt SD, Amouret A, Muzzi C, Vettorazzi S, Tuckermann JP, Lühder F, Reichardt HM. The Role of Glucocorticoids in Inflammatory Diseases. Cells 2021; 10:cells10112921. [PMID: 34831143 PMCID: PMC8616489 DOI: 10.3390/cells10112921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
For more than 70 years, glucocorticoids (GCs) have been a powerful and affordable treatment option for inflammatory diseases. However, their benefits do not come without a cost, since GCs also cause side effects. Therefore, strong efforts are being made to improve their therapeutic index. In this review, we illustrate the mechanisms and target cells of GCs in the pathogenesis and treatment of some of the most frequent inflammatory disorders affecting the central nervous system, the gastrointestinal tract, the lung, and the joints, as well as graft-versus-host disease, which often develops after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In addition, an overview is provided of novel approaches aimed at improving GC therapy based on chemical modifications or GC delivery using nanoformulations. GCs remain a topic of highly active scientific research despite being one of the oldest class of drugs in medical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sybille D. Reichardt
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Immunology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany; (S.D.R.); (A.A.); (C.M.)
| | - Agathe Amouret
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Immunology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany; (S.D.R.); (A.A.); (C.M.)
| | - Chiara Muzzi
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Immunology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany; (S.D.R.); (A.A.); (C.M.)
| | - Sabine Vettorazzi
- Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (S.V.); (J.P.T.)
| | - Jan P. Tuckermann
- Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (S.V.); (J.P.T.)
| | - Fred Lühder
- Institute for Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Research, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany;
| | - Holger M. Reichardt
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Immunology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany; (S.D.R.); (A.A.); (C.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-551-3963365
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Prasad Singh N, Nagarkatti M, Nagarkatti P. From Suppressor T cells to Regulatory T cells: How the Journey That Began with the Discovery of the Toxic Effects of TCDD Led to Better Understanding of the Role of AhR in Immunoregulation. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21217849. [PMID: 33105907 PMCID: PMC7660163 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21217849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) was identified in the early 1970s as a receptor for the ubiquitous environmental contaminant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD, dioxin), which is a member of halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (HAHs). TCDD was found to be highly toxic to the immune system, causing thymic involution and suppression of a variety of T and B cell responses. The fact that environmental chemicals cause immunosuppression led to the emergence of a new field, immunotoxicology. While studies carried out in early 1980s demonstrated that TCDD induces suppressor T cells that attenuate the immune response to antigens, further studies on these cells were abandoned due to a lack of specific markers to identify such cells. Thus, it was not until 2001 when FoxP3 was identified as a master regulator of Regulatory T cells (Tregs) that the effect of AhR activation on immunoregulation was rekindled. The more recent research on AhR has led to the emergence of AhR as not only an environmental sensor but also as a key regulator of immune response, especially the differentiation of Tregs vs. Th17 cells, by a variety of endogenous, microbial, dietary, and environmental ligands. This review not only discusses how the role of AhR emerged from it being an environmental sensor to become a key immunoregulator, but also confers the identification of new AhR ligands, which are providing novel insights into the mechanisms of Treg vs. Th17 differentiation. Lastly, we discuss how AhR ligands can trigger epigenetic pathways, which may provide new opportunities to regulate inflammation and treat autoimmune diseases.
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Abarca-Zabalía J, García MI, Lozano Ros A, Marín-Jiménez I, Martínez-Ginés ML, López-Cauce B, Martín-Barbero ML, Salvador-Martín S, Sanjurjo-Saez M, García-Domínguez JM, López Fernández LA. Differential Expression of SMAD Genes and S1PR1 on Circulating CD4+ T Cells in Multiple Sclerosis and Crohn's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21020676. [PMID: 31968593 PMCID: PMC7014376 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21020676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2019] [Revised: 01/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The Th17 immune response plays a key role in autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Expression of Th17-related genes in inflamed tissues has been reported in autoimmune diseases. However, values are frequently obtained using invasive methods. We aimed to identify biomarkers of MS in an accessible sample, such as blood, by quantifying the relative expression of 91 Th17-related genes in CD4+ T lymphocytes from patients with MS during a relapse or during a remitting phase. We also compared our findings with those of healthy controls. After confirmation in a validation cohort, expression of SMAD7 and S1PR1 mRNAs was decreased in remitting disease (-2.3-fold and -1.3-fold, respectively) and relapsing disease (-2.2-fold and -1.3-fold, respectively). No differential expression was observed for other SMAD7-related genes, namely, SMAD2, SMAD3, and SMAD4. Under-regulation of SMAD7 and S1PR1 was also observed in another autoimmune disease, Crohn's disease (CD) (-4.6-fold, -1.6-fold, respectively), suggesting the presence of common markers for autoimmune diseases. In addition, expression of TNF, SMAD2, SMAD3, and SMAD4 were also decreased in CD (-2.2-fold, -1.4-fold, -1.6-fold, and -1.6-fold, respectively). Our study suggests that expression of SMAD7 and S1PR1 mRNA in blood samples are markers for MS and CD, and TNF, SMAD2, SMAD3, and SMAD4 for CD. These genes could prove useful as markers of autoimmune diseases, thus obviating the need for invasive methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Abarca-Zabalía
- Servicio de Farmacia, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, 28007 Madrid, Spain; (J.A.-Z.); (M.L.M.-B.); (S.S.-M.); (M.S.-S.)
| | - Ma Isabel García
- Servicio de Farmacia, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, 28007 Madrid, Spain; (J.A.-Z.); (M.L.M.-B.); (S.S.-M.); (M.S.-S.)
| | - Alberto Lozano Ros
- Servicio de Neurología, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, 28007 Madrid, Spain; (A.L.R.); (M.L.M.-G.)
| | - Ignacio Marín-Jiménez
- Unidad de Enfermedad Inflamatoria Intestinal, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, 28007 Madrid, Spain; (I.M.-J.); (B.L.-C.)
| | - Maria L. Martínez-Ginés
- Servicio de Neurología, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, 28007 Madrid, Spain; (A.L.R.); (M.L.M.-G.)
| | - Beatriz López-Cauce
- Unidad de Enfermedad Inflamatoria Intestinal, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, 28007 Madrid, Spain; (I.M.-J.); (B.L.-C.)
| | - María L. Martín-Barbero
- Servicio de Farmacia, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, 28007 Madrid, Spain; (J.A.-Z.); (M.L.M.-B.); (S.S.-M.); (M.S.-S.)
| | - Sara Salvador-Martín
- Servicio de Farmacia, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, 28007 Madrid, Spain; (J.A.-Z.); (M.L.M.-B.); (S.S.-M.); (M.S.-S.)
| | - María Sanjurjo-Saez
- Servicio de Farmacia, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, 28007 Madrid, Spain; (J.A.-Z.); (M.L.M.-B.); (S.S.-M.); (M.S.-S.)
| | - Jose M. García-Domínguez
- Servicio de Neurología, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, 28007 Madrid, Spain; (A.L.R.); (M.L.M.-G.)
- Correspondence: (J.M.G.-D.); (L.A.L.F.)
| | - Luis A. López Fernández
- Servicio de Farmacia, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, 28007 Madrid, Spain; (J.A.-Z.); (M.L.M.-B.); (S.S.-M.); (M.S.-S.)
- Correspondence: (J.M.G.-D.); (L.A.L.F.)
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Cari L, De Rosa F, Nocentini G, Riccardi C. Context-Dependent Effect of Glucocorticoids on the Proliferation, Differentiation, and Apoptosis of Regulatory T Cells: A Review of the Empirical Evidence and Clinical Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E1142. [PMID: 30845709 PMCID: PMC6429178 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20051142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are widely used to treat several diseases because of their powerful anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects on immune cells and non-lymphoid tissues. The effects of GCs on T cells are the most relevant in this regard. In this review, we analyze how GCs modulate the survival, maturation, and differentiation of regulatory T (Treg) cell subsets into both murine models and humans. In this way, GCs change the Treg cell number with an impact on the mid-term and long-term efficacy of GC treatment. In vitro studies suggest that the GC-dependent expansion of Treg cells is relevant when they are activated. In agreement with this observation, the GC treatment of patients with established autoimmune, allergic, or (auto)inflammatory diseases causes an expansion of Treg cells. An exception to this appears to be the local GC treatment of psoriatic lesions. Moreover, the effects on Treg number in patients with multiple sclerosis are uncertain. The effects of GCs on Treg cell number in healthy/diseased subjects treated with or exposed to allergens/antigens appear to be context-dependent. Considering the relevance of this effect in the maturation of the immune system (tolerogenic response to antigens), the success of vaccination (including desensitization), and the tolerance to xenografts, the findings must be considered when planning GC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Cari
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia I-06129, Italy.
| | - Francesca De Rosa
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia I-06129, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Nocentini
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia I-06129, Italy.
| | - Carlo Riccardi
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia I-06129, Italy.
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