Exploration of Spectrum-effect Relationship of Zhuriheng Dropping Pills Against Macrophage Foaming Based on UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveThrough the correlation analysis between intestinal absorption profile and inhibition of macrophage foaming， the pharmacodynamic components of Zhuriheng dripping pills（ZRH） were explored to provide a basis for establishing its quality standard. MethodIntestinal absorption fluids with 0， 5， 10， 15， 20 times clinical equivalent doses were prepared by a rat everted gut sac（EGS）， and the oxidized low density lipoprotein（ox-LDL）-induced RAW264.7 macrophage foaming model was used to investigate the effect of intestinal absorption fluid with different doses on the accumulation of lipids in RAW264.7 cells by oil red O staining and cholesterol content determination， and to screen for the optimal dose. Ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS） was used to analyze and identify intestinal absorption fractions of ZRH intestinal absorption fluids， and partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） were performed on different doses of ZRH intestinal absorption fluids using SIMCA 13.0 with peak area as the independent variable and the pharmacodynamic indicators as the dependent variables to screen the compounds with variable importance in the projection（VIP） value>1.0 as contributing components， and Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the spectral effect relationship， determined the compounds and positive correlation with pharmacodynamic were as active ingredients. Molecular docking was used to verify the binding energy of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α（PPARα）， PPARγ， PPARβ， human retinoid X receptor α（RXRA） and nuclear transcription factor-κB（NF-κB） with the active ingredients in ZRH intestinal absorption fluids. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was performed to detect the mRNA levels of PPARγ， scavenger receptor A1（SRA1） and adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter A1（ABCA1） in RAW264.7 cells， Westen blot was used to detect the expression level of PPARγ protein in RAW264.7 cells， and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） was used to detect the levels of interleukin（IL）-1β and NF-κB in RAW264.7 cells. ResultAccording to the results of oil red O staining and cholesterol content determination， the ZRH intestinal absorption fluids could significantly reduce macrophage foaming， and intestinal absorption fluids with 15， 20 times clinical equivalent doses had the best effect， the 15-fold ZRH intestinal absorption fluid was finally determined as the study subject. Spectral effect relationship showed that 52 corresponding peaks in the ZRH-containing intestinal fluid were positively correlated with the efficacy， including organic acids， phenylpropanoids， iridoids， flavonoids， bile acids， coumarins and chromones. Target validation results showed that 86.9%-96.2% of the total components processed good binding activities with the key targets of PPARα， PPARγ， PPARβ， RXRA and NF-κB， and the docking energy values were all less than -6.0 kcal·mol-1（1 cal≈4.19 J）. The results of validation showed that， compared with the normal group， the model group showed a significant increase in the levels of SRA1 and PPARγ mRNA expression， a significant decrease in ABCA1 mRNA expression， a significant increase in the level of PPARγ protein expression， and a significant increase in the levels of IL-1β and NF-κB（P<0.01）， compared with the model group， the 15-fold intestinal absorption fluid group showed a significant decrease in the levels of SRA1 and PPARγ mRNA expression（P<0.05， P<0.01）， ABCA1 mRNA expression level was significantly up-regulated， the levels of IL-1β and NF-κB were significantly reduced（P<0.01）， and PPARγ protein expression level was significantly reduced（P<0.05）. ConclusionThis study identifies 52 components and their metabolites in ZRH intestinal absorption fluid that are positively correlated with the inhibition of macrophage foaming， which may be related to the regulation of the PPARs pathway in cells and the reduction of the levels of inflammatory factors， and can provide a reference for the quality control and clinical application of ZRH.

Recombinant Human Peroxiredoxin-5 Improves Anti-tumor Immunity by Inducing Macrophage Polarization / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Tumor cells can use different strategies to suppress the immune system and disable them for killing tumor cells. Previous studies have shown that recombinant human peroxiredoxin-5 (hPRDX5) can activate the normal anti-tumor immune, so as to control and eliminate the tumor cells, but its exact mechanism of action needs to be studied in depth. The study aimed to investigate whether hPRDX5 exerts its anti-tumor activity by activating or reversing the polarization state of mouse macrophages RAW264. 7 cells. The results of CCK8 showed that different doses of hPRDX5 could significantly enhance the viability of macrophage compared with the control group (P < 0. 001); The results of Nitric oxide (NO) test showed that hPRDX5 significantly enhanced NO secretion levels in RAW264. 7 cells (P < 0. 001); ELISA experiments revealed that hPRDX5 promotes TNF-α (P<0. 01) and IL-6 (P<0. 001) secretion in RAW264. 7 cells; Flow cytometry revealed that hPRDX5 increased the expression of antigen differentiation cluster (CD) 80 (P < 0. 01) and inducible nitric oxide oxide synthase (iNOS) (P < 0. 001) in RAW264. 7 cells, and reduced the expression of CD206 (P < 0. 001) in RAW264. 7 cells induced by tumor conditional culture solution (TCS); Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) experiments revealed that hPRDX5 can increase the killing activity of mouse macrophages on mouse pancreatic cancer Panc02 cells. hPRDX5 is able to activate mouse macrophage RAW264. 7 cells, promotes its M1-type polarization, reverses M2-type polarization, and exerts antitumor activity through the immune-enhancing effect.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptors regulate pyocyanin-induced inflammatory factor expression in macrophages via p38MAPK/p65NF-κB signaling pathway / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the effect of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) on the expression of inflammatory factors in macrophages RAW264. 7 induced by pyocyanin (PCN) and the regulatory mechanism of its signaling pathway. Methods RAW264. 7 cells were treated with different concentrations of PCN for 24 h, respectively, and the effect of PCN on cell activity was detected by CCK8 assay to determine the optimal PCN concentration for manufacturing infection models. The cells were divided into the control group (given 0. 1% dimethyl sulfoxide DMSO), PCN group, PCN + AhR inhibitor (CH223191) group, and PCN + AhR agonist (FICZ) group, and the expression of AhR was detected by immunofluorescence. The expression levels of inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α) were detected by ELISA. The protein expression of AhR, pp38 MAPK and p-p65NF-κB, was detected by Western blotting. Results PCN induced a significant quantitative effect on AhR expression in RAW264. 7 cells. CH223191 increased PCN-induced inflammatory factor secretion and enhanced the phosphorylation of p38MAPK and p65NF-κB compared with the control group. FICZ decreased PCN-induced inflammatory factor production and reduced the phosphorylation of p38MAPK and p65NF-κB phosphorylation capacity. Conclusions AhR can regulate PCN-induced inflammatory factor expression in RAW264. 7 cells, and the p38MAPK/p65NF-κB signaling pathway may be an essential pathway for the involvement of AhR in immune regulation.

The protective effect of L-Shikonin on LPS/D-GalN-induced acute liver injury in mice via inhibiting NF-κB inflammatory signaling pathway / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of L-Shikonin ( SK ) on lipopolysaccharide ( LPS)-induced RAW 264. 7 macrophages in vitro and its protective effect on LPS/D-GalN-induced acute liver injury. Methods The mouse model of acute liver in¬jury was established in vivo experiments by LPS/D- GalN. The survival rate of the mice and the changes of liver and spleen indices in each group were examined. The levels of AST, ALT and AKP in serum and NO, superoxide dismutase ( SOD ) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver tissue homogenate were measured, and the histopathological sections of the liver of each group were observed by H&E staining. M I T colorimet- ric assay was used for cell viability in vitro experi¬ments, Griess method for the detection of NO content, RT-PCR assay and Western blot assay for examining the effect of levulinic acid on the expression levels of mRNA and related pathway proteins of pro-inflammato¬ry factors in LPS-induced RAW264. 7 cells. Results The results of in vivo experiments showed that L-SK significantly improved the liver and spleen indices, de¬creased AST, ALT and AKP levels in serum, de¬creased NO and MDA in liver homogenate, and in¬creased SOD activity in mice with acute liver injury. The results of in vitro experiments showed that L-SK significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of INOS, COX2, I FN-(3 and pro-inflammatory factors 1L-6, TNF-a and IL-10 in LPS-induced RAW264. 7 cells, and significantly inhibited the protein expression of IN¬OS, COX2 and the NF-kB signaling pathway. Conclu¬sions L-SK has good anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-induced inflammation in RAW 264. 7 cells in vitro. Il inhibits the protein expression of phosphorylated P65 and IKKaαβ in the NF-kB signaling pathway, thereby suppressing the anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and L- Shikonin has protective effects against acute liver injury in mice.

Peptide P3 ameliorates foam cell formation in RAW264.7 cells and its molecular mechanisms / 中国药理学通报

Aim To examine the effect of peptide P3 on lipid accumulation in RAW264.7 cells and the underlying molecular mechanism. Methods MTT method was used to screen the concentration of peptide P3 and oxidized low density lipoprotein(ox-LDL),and RAW.264.7 cells were induced to form foam cells by ox-LDL with 80 mg·L

Six new coumarins from the roots of Toddalia asiatica and their anti-inflammatory activities / 中国天然药物

We reported the discovery of six novel coumarins, toddasirins A-F (1-6), each endowed with modified isoprenyl or geranyl side chains, derived from the roots of Toddalia asiatica. Comprehensive structural elucidation was achieved through multispectroscopic analyses, single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments, and advanced quantum mechanical electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory activity of these compounds was assessed. Notably, compounds 1-3 and 6 demonstrated notable inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells, with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 3.22, 4.78, 8.90, and 4.31 μmol·L-1, respectively.

Lycium barbarum Polysaccharide Regulates Activation of RAW264.7 Macrophages Through MGL/TLR Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides （LBP） in promoting the activation of RAW264.7 macrophages. MethodRAW264.7 macrophages were stimulated with LBP at different concentrations （50， 100， 200 mg·L-1）， and those stimulated with lipopolysaccharide （LPS） at 100 μg·L-1 and galactose （Gal） at 100 mg·L-1 as positive controls. After 24 h of LBP stimulation， the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） was used to detect the survival rate of RAW264.7 macrophages treated with LBP （0， 50， 100， 200， 400， 800 mg·L-1）. The levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6） and interleukin-12 （IL-12） in cell culture supernatant were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The protein and mRNA expression of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）， extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK）， c-Jun N-terminal kinase （JNK）， and nuclear factor κB （NF-κB） in Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）/Toll-like receptor 2 （TLR2）/macrophage galactose-type lectin （MGL） pathway of RAW264.7 macrophages was detected by Real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot. ResultCCK-8 results showed that compared with the results in the blank group， the survival rate of RAW264.7 macrophages decreased in the 400， 800 mg·L-1 LBP groups （P<0.05）. ELISA results showed that compared with the blank group， 50 mg·L-1 LBP could promote the secretion of IL-12 in RAW264.7 macrophages （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， 100 mg·L-1 LBP and 200 mg·L-1 LBP could promote the secretion of IL-6 in RAW264.7 macrophages （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Western blot results showed that compared with the blank group， the LBP groups （50， 100， 200 mg·L-1） enhanced protein expression levels of MAPK key molecules （p-p38 MAPK， p-ERK， p-NF-κB， and p-JNK） in TLR4， TLR2， and MGL pathways （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the 200 mg·L-1 LBP group could promote the expression level of p-NF-κB protein in RAW264.7 macrophages （P<0.01）. Real-time PCR results showed that compared with the blank group， the LBP groups （50， 100， and 200 mg·L-1） enhanced the mRNA expression levels of MAPK key molecules （p38 MAPK， ERK， NF-κB， and JNK） in TLR4 and TLR2 pathways （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the 50 and 200 mg·L-1 LBP groups could promote the mRNA expression levels of JNK and ERK2 in RAW264.7 macrophages （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionLBP can regulate the activation of RAW264.7 macrophages and participate in the immune response through the TLR2/TLR4/MGL pathway.

Mechanism of Buyang Huanwutang in Regulating Macrophage Cell Polarization Based on TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Buyang Huanwutang in regulating macrophage polarization based on the Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4） / nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） / nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor 3 （NLRP3） pathway. MethodRAW264.7 macrophages were intervened with lipopolysaccharide （LPS） of different concentrations （0， 1.25， 2.5， 5， 10， 20， 40， and 80 mg·L-1） for 24 hours. Cell Counting Kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was used to determine the cell viability of RAW264.7 macrophages. The optimal concentration was chosen to establish an in vitro inflammation model induced by LPS. Cells were divided into a blank group （20% blank serum）， a model group （20% blank serum + 10 mg·L-1 LPS）， a model control group （20% FBS + 10 mg·L-1 LPS）， low-， medium-， and high-dose （5%， 10%， and 20%） Buyang Huanwutang-containing serum groups， a high-dose （20%） Buyang Huanwutang combined with NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 （50 μmol·L-1） group， a high-dose （20%） Buyang Huanwutang combined with reactive oxygen species （ROS） inhibitor NAC （10 μmol·L-1） group， and a high-dose （20%） Buyang Huanwutang combined with NF-κB inhibitor PDTC （10 μmol·L-1） group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the expression of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-18 （IL-18）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in RAW264.7 macrophages. Flow cytometry was employed to measure ROS levels in macrophages. Western blot was used to determine the protein expression of M1-type macrophage-related factors inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS） and TNF-α， M2-type macrophage-related factors arginase-1 （Arg-1） and interleukin-10 （IL-10）， as well as the proteins in the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway. ResultCCK-8 results indicated that under 10 mg·L-1 LPS stimulation， RAW264.7 macrophages exhibited the highest cell viability （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， the model group showed significantly increased levels of IL-1β， IL-18， and TNF-α （P<0.05，P<0.01）， increased ROS expression （P<0.05，P<0.01）， increased protein expression of M1-type macrophage factors iNOS and TNF-α （P<0.01）， decreased protein expression of M2-type macrophage factors Arg-1 and IL-10 （P<0.05，P<0.01）， and upregulated expression levels of TLR4， myeloid differentiation factor 88 （MyD88）， phosphorylated inhibitor of NF-κB （p-IκB）/NF-κB inhibitor （IκB）， phosphorylated NF-κB （p-NF-κB） p65/NF-κB p65， NLRP3， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD （ASC）， and pro-Caspase-1 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all Buyang Huanwutang-treated groups and inhibitor groups significantly reduced levels of IL-1β， IL-18， and TNF-α （P<0.01）， suppressed the expression of inflammatory factors in RAW264.7 macrophages， decreased cellular ROS expression levels （P<0.01）， downregulated M1-type macrophages iNOS and TNF-α protein expression （P<0.01）， upregulated M2-type macrophages Arg-1 and IL-10 protein expression （P<0.01）， and lowered protein expression levels of TLR4， MyD88， p-IκB/IκB， p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65， NLRP3， ASC， and pro-Caspase-1 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionBuyang Huanwutang can improve macrophage inflammation， potentially by reducing macrophage ROS levels， inhibiting RAW264.7 macrophage polarization， and downregulating the protein expression levels of the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway.

Mechanism of Qilongtian Capsules in treatment of acute lung injury based on network pharmacology prediction and experimental validation / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to explore the mechanism of Qilongtian Capsules in treating acute lung injury(ALI) based on network pharmacology prediction and in vitro experimental validation. Firstly, UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS was used to analyze the main chemical components of Qilongtian Capsules, and related databases were used to obtain its action targets and ALI disease targets. STRING database was used to build a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network. Metascape database was used to conduct enrichment analysis of Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG). AutoDock software was used to perform molecular docking verification on the main active components and key targets. Then, the RAW264.7 cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide(LPS) for in vitro experiments. Cell viability was measured by MTT and ROS level was measured by DCFH-DA. NO content was measured by Griess assay, and IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α mRNA expression was detected by RT-PCR. The predicted targets were preliminarily verified by investigating the effect of Qilongtian Capsules on downstream cytokines. Eighty-four compounds were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Through database retrieval, 44 active components with 589 target genes were screened out. There were 560 ALI disease targets, and 65 intersection targets. PPI network topology analysis revealed 10 core targets related to ALI, including STAT3, JUN, VEGFA, CASP3, and MMP9. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that Qilongtian Capsules mainly exerted an anti-ALI effect by regulating cancer pathway, AGE-RAGE, MAPK, and JAK-STAT signaling pathways. The results of molecular docking showed that the main active components in Qilongtian Capsules, including crenulatin, ginsenoside F_1, ginsenoside Rb_1, ginsenoside Rd, ginsenoside Rg_1, ginsenoside Rg_3, notoginsenoside Fe, notoginsenoside G, notoginsenoside R_1, notoginsenoside R_2, and notoginsenoside R_3, had good binding affinities with the corresponding protein targets STAT3, JUN, VEGFA, CASP3, and MMP9. Cellular experiments showed that Qilongtian Capsules at 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 mg·mL~(-1) reduced the release of NO, while Qilongtian Capsules at 0.25 and 0.5 mg·mL~(-1) reduced ROS production, down-regulated mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and inhibited the inflammatory cascade. In summary, Qilongtian Capsules may exert therapeutic effects on ALI through multiple components and targets.

Myeloid-derived growth factor inhibits the inflammatory response and osteoclast differentiation of RAW264.7 cells / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of myeloid-derived growth factor(MYDGF) on inflammatory response and osteoclast differentiation of RAW264.7 cells.Methods:The RAW264.7 osteoclast precursor cells were cultured and treated with different concentrations of recombinant MYDGF protein(rMYDGF), and their cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay. RAW264.7 cells were induced with lipopolysaccharide(LPS) to induce inflammation, and the expression of inflammatory mediators and cell polarization were observed after intervention with rMYDGF. The RAW264.7 cells were induced for osteoclast differentiation using receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand(RANKL), and rMYDGF was added for intervention. Osteoclast differentiation was evaluated by tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase(TRAP) staining. The osteoclast resorption pits and the number of actin rings(F-actin rings) were observed under a microscope. Reverse transcription PCR was performed to detect the expression of activated T cell nuclear factor 1(Nfatc1), cathepsin K(CTSK), and c-Fos genes during osteoclast differentiation. The protein phosphorylation levels of nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB) signaling pathway proteins were detected using Western blotting.Results:MTT assay showed that rMYDGF did not significantly inhibit the viability of RAW264.7 cell when the concentration was lower than 100 ng/mL. Moreover, rMYDGF inhibited the expression levels of inflammatory factors and M1 cell polarization after LPS stimulation. Compared with the control group, the number and area of TRAP positive cells, the number and area of bone resorption pit were decreased in rMYDGF intervention group respectively, as well as the area of the F-actin ring was reduced and its shape was incomplete after rMYDGF intervention. Furthermore, rMYDGF reduced the expression levels of osteoclast-specific marker genes and inhibited the phosphorylation of NF-κB signaling pathway protein IκBα during osteoclast differentiation.Conclusion:MYDGF inhibits the inflammatory response and osteoclast differentiation of RAW264.7 cells.

Anti-oxidant and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Ethanol Extract from Polygala sibirica L. var megalopha Fr. on Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated RAW264.7 Cells / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of ethanol extract of Polygala sibirica L. var megalopha Fr. (EEP) on RAW264.7 mouse macrophages.@*METHODS@#RAW264.7 cells were pretreated with 0-200 µg/mL EEP or vehicle for 2 h prior to exposure to 1 µg/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 24 h. Nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin (PGE2) production were determined by Griess reagent and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. The mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), and IL-6 were determined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Western blot assay was used to determine the protein expressions of iNOS, COX-2, phosphorylation of extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), inhibitory subunit of nuclear factor Kappa B alpha (Iκ B-α) and p38. Immunofluorescence was used to observe the nuclear expression of nuclear factor-κ B p65 (NF-κ B p65). Additionally, the anti-oxidant potential of EEP was evaluated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl (OH), superoxide anion (O2-) radical and nitrite scavenging activity were also measured.@*RESULTS@#The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of EEP were 23.50±2.16 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g and 43.78±3.81 mg rutin equivalent/100 g. With EEP treatment (100 and 150 µg/mL), there was a notable decrease in NO and PGE2 production induced by LPS in RAW264.7 cells by downregulation of iNOS and COX-2 mRNA and protein expressions (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Furthermore, with EEP treatment (150 µg/mL), there was a decrease in the mRNA expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, as well as in the phosphorylation of ERK, JNK and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK, P<0.01 or P<0.05), by blocking the nuclear translocation of NF-κ B p65 in LPS-stimulated cells. In addition, EEP (100 and 150 µg/mL) led to an increase in the anti-oxidant enzymes activity of SOD and CAT, with a concomitant decrease in ROS production (P<0.01 or P<0.05). EEP also indicated the DPPH, OH, O2- radical and nitrite scavenging activity.@*CONCLUSION@#EEP inhibited inflammatory responses in activated macrophages through blocking MAPK/NF-κ B pathway and protected against oxidative stress.

Interleukin-1 alpha induces osteoclast activation and bone loss / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-1 is an important pro-inflammatory cytokine that has been documented in the regulation of bone inflammation and bone remodeling. A previous study has demonstrated that interleukin-1α can induce apoptosis while inhibiting osteoblast differentiation in MC3T3-E1 cells. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role and mechanism of interleukin-1α on osteoclast activation and bone loss in mice. METHODS: (1) Cell test: RAW264.7 cells were either treated with interleukin-1α alone or with receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) for 1 and 4 days. Cell viability was tested by cell counting kit-8 assay. The number of multinuclear osteoclasts was detected by tartrate resistant acid phosphatase assay. The mRNA and protein levels of osteoclast-specific genes and genes related to nuclear factor-κB pathway and Wnt/β-catenin pathway were tested by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, immunofluorescence staining or western blot. Bone marrow-derived macrophages were either treated with interleukin-1α alone or with RANKL and macrophage colony-stimulating factor for 7 days. The number of multinuclear osteoclasts was detected by tartrate resistant acid phosphatase assay. The protein levels of osteoclast-specific genes were tested by western blot. (2) Animal test: Twenty-four male C57BL/6J mice (6-8 weeks old) were assigned into two groups at random: control group and test group. Mice were subsequently treated with interleukin-1α solution or PBS by intraperitoneal injection twice a week for 5 weeks. Bone tissues from the femurs were performed with micro-computed tomography analysis and hematoxylin-eosin staining, tartrate resistant acid phosphatase, and immunofluorescence analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Cell test: Interleukin-1α alone significantly increased RAW264.7 cell proliferation, but stimulated cell differentiation into osteoclasts in combination with RANKL (P < 0.05). Interleukin-1α significantly increased the expression of osteoclast-related markers and the number of tartrate resistant acid phosphatase-positive multinuclear cells in RAW264.7 cells and bone marrow-derived macrophages in the existence of RANKL or RANKL+macrophage colony-stimulating factor (both P < 0.05). Interleukin-1α was found to significantly enhance the nuclear factor-κB and Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in RAW264.7 cells (P < 0.05). Blocking of nuclear factor-κB or Wnt3 signaling not only reversed the activation of nuclear factor-κB and Wnt3 signaling but also weakened the enhanced expression of osteoclast-specific genes induced by interleukin-1α in RAW264.7 cells (P < 0.05). Animal test: interleukin-1α induced bone loss in mice while also upregulating the expression of osteoclast-specific markers, RANK, TRAF6 and p65, and Wnt3 in vivo (P < 0.05). The findings indicate that interleukin-1α can induce osteoclast activation and bone loss by promoting the nuclear factor-κB and Wnt signaling pathways.

A new benzaldehyde from the coral-derived fungus Aspergillus terreus C23-3 and its anti-inflammatory effects via suppression of MAPK signaling pathway in RAW264.7 cells / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Marine fungi are important members of the marine microbiome, which have been paid growing attention by scientists in recent years. The secondary metabolites of marine fungi have been reported to contain rich and diverse compounds with novel structures (Chen et al., 2019). Aspergillus terreus, the higher level marine fungus of the Aspergillus genus (family of Trichocomaceae, order of Eurotiales, class of Eurotiomycetes, phylum of Ascomycota), is widely distributed in both sea and land. In our previous study, the coral-derived A. terreus strain C23-3 exhibited potential in producing other biologically active (with antioxidant, acetylcholinesterase inhibition, and anti-inflammatory activity) compounds like arylbutyrolactones, territrems, and isoflavones, and high sensitivity to the chemical regulation of secondary metabolism (Yang et al., 2019, 2020; Nie et al., 2020; Ma et al., 2021). Moreover, we have isolated two different benzaldehydes, including a benzaldehyde with a novel structure, from A. terreus C23-3 which was derived from Pectinia paeonia of Xuwen, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China.

Xiaojindan Extract Modulated Macrophage Polarization by Targeting PI3K/Akt Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the effect and mechanism of Xiaojindan extract （XJD） on macrophage polarization. MethodLipopolysaccharide （LPS） and interleukin-4 （IL-4） were used to induce M1 and M2 polarization of RAW264.7 cells. The influence of 10-80 mg·L-1 XJD on cell proliferation was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 （CCK-8） assay. Nitric oxide （NO） and interleukin-6 （IL-6） release was explored by Griess assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， respectively. The mRNA expression of M1 and M2 macrophage markers was measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and the CD206+ expression was determined by flow cytometry. The activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） pathway was analyzed by western blot. Result10-80 mg·L-1 XJD showed no marked cytotoxicity in LPS （0.5 mg·L-1）- or IL-4 （20 μg·L-1）-induced RAW264.7 cells. Compared with the control group， LPS significantly promoted the expression of M1 macrophage markers （P<0.01）， including increased NO and IL-6 release （P<0.01） and upregulated mRNA expression of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）， cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） （P<0.01）. Compared with LPS-induced group， 20-80 mg·L-1 XJD decreased the release of NO and IL-6 in a dose-dependent manner （P<0.01）， and similarly 10-80 mg·L-1 XJD suppressed the mRNA expression of IL-1β， iNOS， COX-2 and TNF-α （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group， IL-4 obviously increased the expression of M2 macrophage markers （P<0.01）， including increased CD206+ cell population and upregulated mRNA expression of arginine-1 （Arg-1）， interleukin-10 （IL-10）， interleukin-13 （IL-13） and transforming growth factor-β1 （TGF-β1）. Compared with IL-4-induced group， 10-80 mg·L-1 XJD dose-dependently decreased CD206+ cell population （P<0.01） and inhibited the mRNA expression of Arg-1， IL-10， IL-13 and TGF-β1 （P<0.01）. Western blot showed that XJD significantly downregulated the activation of PI3K/Akt pathway as compared to LPS- and IL-4-induced groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionXJD significantly inhibited the macrophage polarization in the LPS- and IL-4-induced RAW264.7 cells by targeting PI3K/Akt pathway.

MFN1 ubiquitination mediates lipopolysaccharide-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and pyroptosis in Raw264.7 mouse macrophages / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective:To investigate the regulatory effects of mitofusin 1 (MFN1) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced Raw264.7 mouse macrophages pyroptosis and to provide reference for further study on the prevention of inflammation and fibrosis caused by macrophage dysfunction.Methods:Raw264.7 mouse macrophages were cultured in vitro and used to construct a model of LPS-induced pyroptosis. CCK-8 staining, PI staining, LDH release assay and Western blot were used to verify the Raw264.7 pyroptosis induced by LPS. MFN1 expression was detected by Western blot. DCFH-DA probe was used to detect the synthesis of total reactive oxygen species (ROS); Mito-SOX was used to detect mitochondrial ROS; JC-1 mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by fluorescence probe to reflect mitochondrial damage. Based on Ubibrowser database, it was predicted that MFN1 could bind to a variety of E3 ubiquitin ligases. Then, immunofluorescence and co-immunoprecipitation (CO-IP) were used to analyze MFN1 ubiquitination. An overexpression plasmid for MFN1 was constructed and transfected into Raw264.7 cells to detect the changes in pyroptosis and mitochondrial function. Results:LPS could induce the pyroptosis of Raw264.7 cells and mitochondrial dysfunction. MFN1 expression was decreased after LPS stimulation. Ubiquitinated MFN1 was detected by CO-IP. Ubiquitination inhibitor MG-132 inhibited LPS-induced expression of pyroptosis-related proteins including NLRP3, Pro-caspase-1, Caspase-1, IL-1β and IL-18 and improved mitochondrial function. MFN1 overexpression relieved the mitochondrial dysfunction and pyroptosis of Raw264.7 cells induced by LPS.Conclusions:The ubiquitination of MFN1 induced by LPS was involved in mitochondrial dysfunction and macrophage pyroptosis, suggesting that MFN1 was a potential target for the treatment of macrophage-induced inflammation and related diseases.

Macrophage Activation Induced by TMAO through CD147 / MMPs / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a metabolite of intestinal flora, can promote Atherosclerosis (AS) in various ways. Current studies have found that it has a close relationship with plaque stability in clinical practice, but its molecular mechanism remains unclear at present. Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducers (CD147) / matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) regulate a signal pathway highly related to plaque stability, which can promote plaque instability and lead to cardiovascular adverse events by weakening the thickness of the fibrous cap. Therefore, in this study, the mouse macrophageRAW264. 7 was stimulated by TMAO to establish a cell model to observe the effects on CD147, MMP2, and MMP9, and the CD147 gene silencing model was further constructed by using the siRNA transfection method to explore the interaction between CD147 and MMP2 and MMP9. Rt-qPCR and Western blotting results showed that there was no significant change in the gene expression level of CD147 in mouse macrophage RAW264. 7, but significantly increased in protein levels (P < 0. 05), while MMP2 andMMP9 were increased in mRNA and protein levels (P<0. 05). The expression of CD147, MMP2, andMMP9 was significantly inhibited in CD147 siRNA transfected cells (P<0. 05). In conclusion, TMAO significantly increases the expression of MMP2 and MMP9 in mouse macrophages RAW264. 7, and this effect may be partially realized through the CD147/ MMP pathway.

The anti-inflammation effects of Aesculetin from Viola tianshanica Maxim via NF-kB and MAPK signaling pathways in RAW 264.7 ceils stimulated by LPS and its mechanism / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of Aesculetin from Viola tianshanica Maxim in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and the underlying mechanism.Methods RAW 264.7 cells were divided into control group, model group( LPS), 0.16, 0.8, 4, 20 μmol·L-1 AESN groups( different concentrations of AESN + LPS)and positive control group(10 μmol·L-1 Indomethacin+LPS).LPS(1 mg·L-1)was used to stimulate RAW 264.7 cells for 24 h to establish inflammatory model.MTS assay was used to detemine cytotoxicity of Aesculetin in RAW 264.7 cells.Griess method was used to detect NO secretion in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells.ELISA was applied to determine the contents of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β in cell culture supernatant.qRT-PCR was employed to detect the mRNA expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β and iNOS.Immunofluorescence assay was used to evaluated the protein expressions of iNOS, p-NF-κB p65, IκBα, p-p38 and p-ERK1/2.Enzyme assay was used to detect the inhibition activity of Aesculetin on cyclooxygenase 1/2(COX 1/2).Results Aesculetin significantly inhibited the secretion of inflammatory mediator NO, mRNA and protein expression of iNOS in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 at 0.16, 0.8, 4 and 20 μmol·L-1.The contents of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β in supernatant significantly decreased, and the mRNA expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β were also reduced by Aesculetin.Aesculetin also obviously inhibited the protein degradation of IκBα and inhibited the nuclear translocation of p-NF-κB p65, p-p38, p-ERK1/2.In addition, Aesculetin had significant inhibitory activities on COX-1 and COX-2, and the IC50 was 28.1 μmol·L-1, 2.3 μmol·L-1, respectively.Conclusions AESN has good anti-inflammatory effect, and its mechanism is closely related to the inhibition of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways

Screening of Anti-inflammatory Active Sites of Water Extract of Iris halophila Root and Analysis of Its Chemical Constituents / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of water extract of the<italic> Iris halophila</italic> root on lipopolysaccharide（LPS） stimulated RAW264.7 cells and analyze its chemical constituents. Method:The supernatant of YWG prepared by water extraction and alcohol precipitation was separated by AB-8 macroporous adsorption resin column chromatography to obtain ethanol eluates with different concentrations （YWG，YWG-0%，YWG-20%，YWG-40%，and YWG-60%）. Cell counting kit-8（CCK-8） assay was used to determine the effects of YWG-0%，YWG-20%，YWG-40%，and YWG-60% on the viability of RAW264.7 cells. Griess assay was employed to detect the nitric oxide （NO） level in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The release of tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-<italic>α</italic>，interleukin（IL）-6，IL-10，and IL-1<italic>β</italic> was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. YWG and the elution site with the most robust anti-inflammatory activity were identified and compared by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry （UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS）. Result:Ethanol eluates with different concentrations inhibited the release of NO，TNF-α，IL-1<italic>β</italic>， and IL-6 in the supernatant of LPS induced RAW264.7 cells （<italic>P<</italic>0.05），and promoted the release of IL-10 （<italic>P<</italic>0.05）. YWG-60% displayed a highly significant effect （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. A total of 127 constituents were detected from the comparison of YWG and YWG-60% by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS in the positive and negative ion modes，including 61 flavonoids. YWG-60% contained 25 flavonoids with elevated content as compared with YWG. Conclusion:YWG-60% showed potent anti-inflammatory effect，and the effective anti-inflammatory constituents were presumedly flavonoids. The findings of this study are expected to provide a scientific theoretical basis for the basic research on the medicinal effect of the water extract of YWG.

Inhibitory Effect and Mechanism of Jingulian Extract on LPS-induced RAW264.7 Cell Inflammatory Response Based on PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the inhibitory effect and mechanism of Jingulian extract （JGL） on inflammation. Method:The following groups were set up in this study： a control group （10% fetal bovine serum）， a lipopolysaccharide （LPS） model group （0.5 mg·L^-1）， and JGL groups （10， 20， 40， 60， 80， 120， 160， 200， 250， 300 mg·L^-1 + 0.5 mg·L^-1LPS）. The RAW264.7 cells were cultured for 24 hours. Cell proliferation was detected by cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay. Nitric oxide （NO） release was detected by Griess assay. The release of cytokines interleukin （IL）-1<italic>β</italic>， IL-6， IL-10， and tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-<italic>α</italic> was determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS） and intraprostaglandin peroxidase synthase 2 （PTGS2）/cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2） was measured by real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and the activation of key proteins in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway by Western blot. Result:Compared with the control group， LPS （0.5 mg·L^-1）could promote the proliferation of RAW264.7 cells after stimulation for 24 hours （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the model group， JGL had no significant effect on cell proliferation. Compared with the control group， LPS （0.5 mg·L^-1）increased the release of NO， IL-1<italic>β</italic>， IL-6， IL-10， and TNF-<italic>α</italic> （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the model group， JGL （20-300 mg·L^-1）inhibited the release of NO in a dose-dependent manner after stimulation for 24 hours （<italic>P</italic><0.05） and reduced IL-1<italic>β</italic>， IL-6， and IL-10 （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）， but no obvious inhibition on the release of TNF-<italic>α</italic> was observed. LPS （0.5 mg·L^-1） could induce the expression of iNOS and PTGS2/COX-2 genes as compared with the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. JGL could down-regulate the mRNA expression of iNOS and PTGS2/COX-2 genes as compared with the model group （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. LPS （0.5 mg·L^-1） could activate the PI3K/Akt pathway （<italic>P</italic><0.01） as compared with the control group， while JGL （10， 20， 40， and 80 mg·L^-1） decreased the expression of PI3K-p110， p-p85， and p-Akt （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and inhibited the activation of PI3K/Akt pathway. Conclusion:JGL extract could significantly inhibit the inflammatory response and activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway induced by LPS in RAW264.7 cells. The anti-inflammatory effect was related to the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Biological Evaluation for Quality Control of Water Extract of Qingjin Huatantang Based on Phagocytic and Secretory Functions of Macrophages / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To establish a method for evaluating the biological activity of water extract lyophilized powder of Qingjin Huatantang based on the phagocytic and secretory functions of macrophages， and to control the quality of this formula from the biological activity level. Method:The phagocytic and inflammation models of RAW264.7 macrophages were established， the inhibition rates of water extract lyophilized powder of Qingjin Huatantang on interleukin-6 （IL-6） secretion and phagocytic index of neutral red of RAW264.7 macrophages were chosen as indicators to investigate the biological activity of Qingjin Huatantang， and the biological limit was searched. Result:The optimal inoculation density of RAW264.7 macrophages was 3×10⁵ pcs/mL， and the concentration of lipopolysaccharide （LPS） was 1 mg·L^-1 after treatment for 24 h. When the concentration was 500 mg·L^-1， water extract lyophilized powder of Qingjin Huatantang had no toxicity and no obvious promotion effect on the proliferation of RAW264.7 macrophages， and at this concentration， the phagocytosis of RAW264.7 macrophages for neutral red was significantly promoted， the phagocytic index was >113%. In addition， the lyophilized powder had a significant and stable inhibitory effect on IL-6 secretion of RAW264.7 macrophages induced by LPS， the inhibitory rate was >45%. Conclusion:Combined with the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of Qingjin Huatantang， this study establishes an <italic>in vitro </italic>biological limit method for evaluating the quality of water extract of Qingjin Huatantang based on the phagocytic and secretory functions of RAW264.7 macrophages， and 500 mg·L^-1 was confirmed as the limit concentration. Under the limit concentration， Qingjin Huatantang water extract can significantly promote the phagocytic index of macrophages or significantly inhibit the secretion of IL-6 of RAW264.7 macrophages induced by LPS， which can be judged as qualified.