Targeting NF-κB pathway for the anti-inflammatory potential of Bhadradarvadi kashayam on stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages

Macrophage-arbitrated inflammation is associated with the regulation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Low risk and better efficiency are steered herbal drugs more credible than conventional medicines in RA management. Bhadradarvadi (BDK) concoction has been traditionally used for rheumatism in Ayurveda. However, the mechanisms at the molecular level are still elusive. This study was designed to inspect the process of immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory properties of BDK in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages for the first time. BDK concoction was prepared and evaluated with the stimulated murine macrophage-like RAW 264.7 cell lines. TNF-α, IL6, and PGE2 were quantified by ELISA. The normalization of the fold change in the expression of the target gene mRNA was done by comparing the values of the β-actin housekeeping gene using the 2-ΔΔCt comparative cycle threshold. The expression of TNF-α, IL6, iNOS, and COX-2 in the RAW 264.7 macrophage cells was analyzed using flow cytometry. Our results showed that BDK (150-350 μl/ml) treatment significantly decreased the inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, and IL-6) and inflammatory mediators (PGE2) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. The pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) expression, inflammatory enzymes (iNOS and COX-2), and NF-κBp65 were significantly downregulated at transcriptome level in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. The flow cytometry analysis revealed that BDK treatment diminished the TNF-α, IL-6, iNOS, and COX-2 expression at the proteome level, as well as obstruction of NF-κB-p65 nuclear translocation was observed by immunofluorescence analysis in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Collectively, BDK can intensely augment the anti-inflammatory activities via inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway trigger for treating autoimmune disorders including RA.

Infectivity and Progression of COVID-19 Based on Selected Host Candidate Gene Variants

Introduction: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread around the globe. Susceptibility has been associated with age, biological sex, and other prior existing health conditions. However, host genes are involved in viral infectivity and pathogenicity, and polymorphisms in these could be responsible for the interethnic/interindividual variability observed in infection and progression of COVID-19. Materials and Methods: Clinical exome data of 103 individuals was analyzed to identify sequence variants in five selected candidate genes: ACE2, TMPRSS2, CD209, IFITM3, and MUC5B to assess their prevalence and role to understand the COVID-19 infectivity and progression in our population. Results: A total of 497 polymorphisms were identified in the five selected genes in the exomes analyzed. Thirty-eight polymorphisms identified in our cohort have been reported earlier in literature and have functional significance or association with health conditions. These variants were classified into three groups: protective, susceptible, and responsible for comorbidities. Discussion and Conclusion: The two polymorphisms described in literature as risk inducing are rs35705950 in MUC5B gene and TMPRSS2 haplotype (rs463727, rs34624090, rs55964536, rs734056, rs4290734, rs34783969, rs11702475, rs35899679, and rs35041537) were absent in our cohort explaining the slower infectivity of the disease in this part of India. The 38 functional variants identified can be used as a predisposition panel for the COVID-19 infectivity and progression and stratify individuals as "high or low risk," which would help in planning appropriate surveillance and management protocols. A larger study from different regions of India is warranted to validate these results.