Effects of curcumin on artery blood gas index of rats with pulmonary fibrosis caused by paraquat poisoning and the expression of Smad 4, Smurf 2, interleukin-4 and interferon-γ

Protective effects and mechanism of curcumin in animal models of pulmonary fibrosis: a preclinical systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: At present, there is a lack of effective treatment for pulmonary fibrosis (PF), and a number of studies have confirmed that curcumin (CUR) has a good effect on PF. Research Qusetion: Is CUR effective in preclinical trials for PF and what is its mechanism of action? Methods: Animal reports of PF treated with CUR were searched from Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library from 1 January 2000 to 19 April 2023 to compare CUR treatment of PF with a no-intervention model group. A previous registration (nsply registration number: INPLASY202360084) of this review protocol was undertaken. Results: The meta-analysis included 27 publications and 29 studies involving 396 animals. CUR significantly improved the degree of fibrosis, levels of inflammation, and oxidative imbalances in lung tissue in animal models of PF. In terms fibrosis, such as HYP content (SMD = -4.96; 95% CI = -6.05 to -3.87; p = 0.000).In terms of inflammatory indicators, such as MPO activity (SMD = -2.12; 95% CI = -4.93 to 0.69; p = 0.000). In terms of oxidation index, such as MDA (SMD = -5.63; 95% CI = -9.66 to -1.6; p = 0.000). Conclusion: CUR significantly improved the degree of fibrosis, levels of inflammation, and oxidative imbalances in lung tissue in animal models of PF. Due to the quantitative and qualitative limitations of current research, more high-quality studies are needed to verify the above conclusion.

A systematic review of the research progress of traditional Chinese medicine against pulmonary fibrosis: from a pharmacological perspective

Pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic progressive interstitial lung disease caused by a variety of etiologies. The disease can eventually lead to irreversible damage to the lung tissue structure, severely affecting respiratory function and posing a serious threat to human health. Currently, glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants are the main drugs used in the clinical treatment of pulmonary fibrosis, but their efficacy is limited and they can cause serious adverse effects. Traditional Chinese medicines have important research value and potential for clinical application in anti-pulmonary fibrosis. In recent years, more and more scientific researches have been conducted on the use of traditional Chinese medicine to improve or reduce pulmonary fibrosis, and some important breakthroughs have been made. This review paper systematically summarized the research progress of pharmacological mechanism of traditional Chinese medicines and their active compounds in improving or reducing pulmonary fibrosis. We conducted a systematic search in several main scientific databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, using keywords such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, interstitial pneumonia, natural products, herbal medicine, and therapeutic methods. Ultimately, 252 articles were included and systematically evaluated in this analysis. The anti-fibrotic mechanisms of these traditional Chinese medicine studies can be roughly categorized into 5 main aspects, including inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, improvement of extracellular matrix deposition, mediation of apoptosis and autophagy, and inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress. The purpose of this article is to provide pharmaceutical researchers with information on the progress of scientific research on improving or reducing Pulmonary fibrosis with traditional Chinese medicine, and to provide reference for further pharmacological research.

Cytokine changes in fatal cases of paraquat poisoning

Cytokine-mediated inflammation is involved in the pathophysiology of paraquat toxicity. Nevertheless, few human studies have examined fluctuations in circulating cytokine levels. Blood samples were obtained from 21 patients with paraquat poisoning and compared to those of 18 healthy controls. All paraquat patients received a standard detoxification protocol composed of hemoperfusion, pulse therapies of methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide, followed by dexamethasone therapy. Nonsurvivors not only had higher scores for the severity index of paraquat poisoning (P=0.004) but also presented with higher white blood cell counts (P=0.046) than survivors. Multiplex immunoassays revealed higher circulating levels of interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 9 (IL-9), interleukin 10 (IL-10) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 beta (MIP-1β) in survivors than in healthy controls. Furthermore, the circulating levels of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), IL-2, interleukin 5 (IL-5), interleukin 8 (IL-8), IL-9, IL-10, interleukin 12 (IL-12 p70), interleukin 17A (IL-17A), eotaxin, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10) and MIP-1β were higher in nonsurvivors than in healthy controls. Finally, the circulating levels of IL-1β and MCP-1 were higher in nonsurvivors than in survivors. Therefore, the observation of cytokine-mediated inflammation is in line with the detoxification protocol because glucocorticoids and cyclophosphamide are potent anti-inflammatory agents. Additionally, circulating levels of IL-1β and MCP-1 could serve as promising prognostic markers for patients with paraquat poisoning.

The Ubiquitin Proteasome System and Skin Fibrosis

The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is a highly conserved way to regulate protein turnover in cells. The UPS hydrolyzes and destroys variant or misfolded proteins and finely regulates proteins involved in differentiation, apoptosis, and other biological processes. This system is a key regulatory factor in the proliferation, differentiation, and collagen secretion of skin fibroblasts. E3 ubiquitin protein ligases Parkin and NEDD4 regulate multiple signaling pathways in keloid. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factor 4 (TRAF4) binding with deubiquitinase USP10 can induce p53 destabilization and promote keloid-derived fibroblast proliferation. The UPS participates in the occurrence and development of hypertrophic scars by regulating the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β/Smad signaling pathway. An initial study suggests that TNFα-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3) polymorphisms may be significantly associated with scleroderma susceptibility in individuals of Caucasian descent. Sumoylation and multiple ubiquitin ligases, including Smurfs, UFD2, and KLHL42, play vital roles in scleroderma by targeting the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. In the future, drugs targeting E3 ligases and deubiquitinating enzymes have great potential for the treatment of skin fibrosis.

The Protective Effect of Aspirin Eugenol Ester on Paraquat-Induced Acute Liver Injury Rats

Aspirin eugenol ester (AEE) possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects. The study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of AEE on paraquat-induced acute liver injury (ALI) in rats. AEE was against ALI by decreasing alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase levels in blood, increasing superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase levels, and decreasing malondialdehyde levels in blood and liver. A total of 32 metabolites were identified as biomarkers by using metabolite analysis of liver homogenate based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, which belonged to purine metabolism, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, glycerophospholipid metabolism, primary bile acid biosynthesis, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, histidine metabolism, pantothenate, and CoA biosynthesis, ether lipid metabolism, beta-Alanine metabolism, lysine degradation, cysteine, and methionine metabolism. Western blotting analyses showed that Bax, cytochrome C, caspase-3, caspase-9, and apoptosis-inducing factor expression levels were obviously decreased, whereas Bcl-2 expression levels obviously increased after AEE treatment. AEE exhibited protective effects on PQ-induced ALI, and the underlying mechanism is correlated with antioxidants that regulate amino acid, phospholipid and energy metabolism metabolic pathway disorders and alleviate liver mitochondria apoptosis.

The Potential Effects of Curcumin on Pulmonary Fibroblasts of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)-Approaching with Next-Generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and progressive interstitial lung disease. Currently, therapeutic options are limited for this fatal disease. Curcumin, with its pleiotropic effects, has been studied for its potential therapeutic utilities in various diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis. However, the detailed mechanisms have not been studied comprehensively. We conducted a next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics study to investigate changes in the profiles of mRNA and microRNA after curcumin treatment in IPF fibroblasts. We identified 23 downregulated and 8 upregulated protein-coding genes in curcumin-treated IPF fibroblasts. Using STRING and IPA, we identified that suppression of cell cycle progression was the main cellular function associated with these differentially expressed genes. We also identified 13 downregulated and 57 upregulated microRNAs in curcumin-treated IPF fibroblasts. Further analysis identified a potential microRNA-mediated gene expression alteration in curcumin-treated IPF fibroblasts, namely, downregulated hsa-miR-6724-5p and upregulated KLF10. Therefore, curcumin might decrease the level of hsa-miR-6724-5p, leading to increased KLF10 expression, resulting in cell cycle arrest in curcumin-treated IPF fibroblasts. In conclusion, our findings might support the potential role of curcumin in the treatment of IPF, but further in-depth study is warranted to confirm our findings.

Aspirin Eugenol Ester Attenuates Paraquat-Induced Hepatotoxicity by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress

Aspirin eugenol ester (AEE) is a new potential drug with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant stress pharmacological activity. Paraquat (PQ) is an effective and commercially important herbicide that is widely used worldwide. However, paraquat is highly toxic and can cause various complications and acute organ damage, such as liver, kidney and lung damage. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether AEE has a protective effect on hepatotoxicity induced by PQ in vivo and in vitro. Cell viability, apoptosis rate, mitochondrial function and intracellular oxidative stress were detected to evaluate the protective effect of AEE on PQ-induced BRL-3A (normal rat hepatocytes) cytotoxicity in vitro. In vivo, AEE pretreatment could attenuate oxidative stress and histopathological changes in rat liver induced by PQ. The results showed that AEE could reduce the hepatotoxicity induced by PQ in vivo and in vitro. AEE reduced PQ-induced hepatotoxicity by inhibitingoxidative stress and maintaining mitochondrial function. This study proved that AEE is an effective antioxidant and can reduce the hepatotoxicity of PQ.