Catalpol ameliorates LPS-induced endometritis by inhibiting inflammation and TLR4/NF-κB signaling / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Catalpol is the main active ingredient of an extract from Radix rehmanniae, which in a previous study showed a protective effect against various types of tissue injury. However, a protective effect of catalpol on uterine inflammation has not been reported. In this study, to investigate the protective mechanism of catalpol on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced bovine endometrial epithelial cells (bEECs) and mouse endometritis, in vitro and in vivo inflammation models were established. The Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway and its downstream inflammatory factors were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot (WB), and immunofluorescence techniques. The results from ELISA and qRT-PCR showed that catalpol dose-dependently reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6, and chemokines such as C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8) and CXCL5, both in bEECs and in uterine tissue. From the experimental results of WB, qRT-PCR, and immunofluorescence, the expression of TLR4 and the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 were markedly inhibited by catalpol compared with the LPS group. The inflammatory damage to the mouse uterus caused by LPS was greatly reduced and was accompanied by a decline in myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. The results of this study suggest that catalpol can exert an anti-inflammatory impact on LPS-induced bEECs and mouse endometritis by inhibiting inflammation and activation of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Analysis of cardiovascular disease-related NF-κB-regulated genes and microRNAs in TNFα-treated primary mouse vascular endothelial cells / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Activated nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) plays an important role in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) through its regulated genes and microRNAs (miRNAs). However, the gene regulation profile remains unclear. In this study, primary mouse vascular endothelial cells (pMVECs) were employed to detect CVD-related NF-κB-regulated genes and miRNAs. Genechip assay identified 77 NF-κB-regulated genes, including 45 upregulated and 32 downregulated genes, in tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)-treated pMVECs. Ten of these genes were also found to be regulated by NF-κB in TNFα-treated HeLa cells. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay confirmed the up-regulation of Egr1, Tnf, and Btg2 by NF-κB in the TNFα-treated pMVECs. The functional annotation revealed that many NF-κB-regulated genes identified in pMVECs were clustered into classical NF-κB-involved biological processes. Genechip assay also identified 26 NF-κB-regulated miRNAs, of which 21 were upregulated and 5 downregulated, in the TNFα-treated pMVECs. Further analysis showed that nine of the identified genes are regulated by seven of these miRNAs. Finally, among the identified NF-κB-regulated genes and miRNAs, 5 genes and 12 miRNAs were associated with CVD by miRWalk and genetic association database analysis. Taken together, these findings show an intricate gene regulation network raised by NF-κB in TNFα-treated pMVECs. The network provides new insights for understanding the molecular mechanism underlying the progression of CVD.

Topoisomerase inhibitor upregulates MICA/B expression in breast cancer cells through ATM/ATR and NF-κB pathway / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of chemotherapeutic agents widely used in clinical practice on major histocompatibility complex class I-related chain A and B (MICA/B) expression in breast cancer cells, and to explore the molecular mechanisms involved.@*METHODS@#We examined MICA/B mRNA and surface protein expressions in breast cancer cells treated with chemotherapeutic agents by real-time RT-PCR and flow cytometry respectively. The blocking effects of ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3-related kinase (ATM/ATR) inhibitor caffeine and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) inhibitor pynolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) on etoposide-upregulated MICA/B mRNA and surface protein expressions were investigated. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was taken to investigate whether etoposide enhanced the binding of NF-κB to MICA/B gene promoter.@*RESULTS@#Three topoisomerase inhibitors etoposide, camptothecin and doxorubicine upregulated MICA and MICB mRNA expressions in breast cancer cell MCF-7. Comparing to no-drug-treated cells, MICA mRNA levels increased to (1.68±0.17), (2.54±0.25) and (3.42±0.15) fold, and levels of MICB mRNA increased to (1.82±0.24), (1.56±0.05) and (5.84±0.57) fold respectively in cancer cells treated by etoposide at the concentrations of 5, 20 and 100 μmol/L (P<0.05). MICA and MICB mRNA levels also increased significantly when MCF-7 cells were incubated with camptothecin or doxorubicine at the specific concentrations (P<0.05). MICB mRNA expression also increased slightly in another breast cancer cell SK-BR-3 treated by topoisomerase II inhibitors etoposide and camptothecin (P<0.05). Furthermore, etoposide and camptothecin upregulated MICA/B surface protein expression in MCF-7 cells (P<0.05), and the upregulation was found in both living and apoptotic cells. Our study showed that etoposide induced-MICA/B expression in MCF-7 was inhibited by caffeine at different concentrations. When cancer cells were treated by caffeine with 1, 5 and 10 mmol/L, MICA mRNA levels decreased from (3.75±0.25) to (0.89±0.05), (0.81±0.02) and (0.48±0.04) fold respectively (P<0.001), and MICB mRNA levels decreased from (6.85±0.35) to (1.36±0.13), (0.76±0.06) and (0.56±0.03) fold (P<0.05), while MICA/B protein levels decreased from (3.42±0.05) to (1.32±0.03), (1.21±0.06) and (1.14±0.03) fold (P<0.001), indicating that etoposide-induced MICA/B expression was inhibited by ATM/ATR inhibitor. Similarly, NF-κB inhibitor PDTC also inhibited MICA/B mRNA and protein expressions induced by etoposide significantly when MCF-7 cells were incubated with PDTC at the concentrations of 10, 50 and 100 μmol/L (P<0.05), indicating that NF-κB was also involved in this process. EMSA showed that the binding of NF-κB to MICA/B promoter enhanced in MCF-7 cells after etoposide treatment.@*CONCLUSION@#Topoisomerase inhibitor increased MICA/B mRNA and protein expressions in breast cancer cells, indicating that chemotherapeutic agents might increase the recognizing and killing ability of immunocytes to breast cancer cells. ATM/ATR and NF-κB pathways might be involved in it.

Glycyrrhizic acid activates chicken macrophages and enhances their Salmonella-killing capacity in vitro / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

OBJECTIVE@#Salmonella enterica remains a major cause of food-borne disease in humans, and Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) contamination of poultry products is a worldwide problem. Since macrophages play an essential role in controlling Salmonella infection, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of glycyrrhizic acid (GA) on immune function of chicken HD11 macrophages.@*METHODS@#Chicken HD11 macrophages were treated with GA (0, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, or 800 μg/ml) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 500 ng/ml) for 3, 6, 12, 24, or 48 h. Evaluated responses included phagocytosis, bacteria-killing, gene expression of cell surface molecules (cluster of differentiation 40 (CD40), CD80, CD83, and CD197) and antimicrobial effectors (inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), NADPH oxidase-1 (NOX-1), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α factor (LITAF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-10), and production of nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).@*RESULTS@#GA increased the internalization of both fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran and ST by HD11 cells and markedly decreased the intracellular survival of ST. We found that the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of cell surface molecules (CD40, CD80, CD83, and CD197) and cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-6, and IL-10) of HD11 cells was up-regulated following GA exposure. The expression of iNOS and NOX-1 was induced by GA and thereby the productions of NO and H2O2 in HD11 cells were enhanced. Notably, it was verified that nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathways were responsible for GA-induced synthesis of NO and IFN-γ gene expression.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Taken together, these results suggested that GA exhibits a potent immune regulatory effect to activate chicken macrophages and enhances Salmonella-killing capacity.

Engagement of Toll-Like Receptor 3 Induces Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Interleukin-8 in Human Rheumatoid Synovial Fibroblasts

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Angiogenesis, which is a critical step in the initiation and progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), involves pro-angiogenic factors, including interleukin (IL)-8 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). We investigated the role of Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) in the regulation of pro-angiogenic factors in RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). METHODS: FLS were isolated from RA synovial tissues and stimulated with the TLR3 ligand, poly (I:C). The levels of VEGF and IL-8 in the culture supernatants were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and the mRNA levels were assessed by semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The expression patterns of VEGF and IL-8 in the RA synovium and osteoarthritis (OA) synovium were compared using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The expression levels of TLR3, VEGF, and IL-8 were significantly higher in the RA synovium than in the OA synovium. VEGF and IL-8 production were increased in the culture supernatants of RA FLS stimulated with poly (I:C), and the genes for these proteins were up-regulated at the transcriptional level after poly (I:C) treatment. Treatment with inhibitors of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), i.e., pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate and parthenolide, abrogated the stimulatory effect of poly (I:C) on the production of VEGF and IL-8 in RA FLS. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the activation of TLR3 in RA FLS promotes the production of proangiogenic factors, in a process that is mediated by the NF-kappaB signaling pathway. Therefore, targeting the TLR3 pathway may be a promising approach to preventing pathologic angiogenesis in RA.

NFkB y su importancia en artritis e inflamación / NFkB and its importance in arthritis and inflammation

El factor de transcripción NFkB tiene una participación muy importante en el desarrollo y mantención de una serie de patologías humanas, principalmente aquellas con un componente inflamatorio, como la artritis reumatoide (AR). Al mismo tiempo participa en procesos tan diversos como la regulación de la respuesta inmune y el desarrollo embrionario. Una mejor comprensión de los mecanismos y funciones de NFkB permitiría el desarrollo de drogas específicas y efectivas para el tratamiento de patologías inflamatorias y autoinmunes, tratando de no interferir con las funciones normales de este sistema.

Transcription factor NFkB has an important role in development and maintenance of a lot of human pathologies, mainly those with an inflammatory component, for example rheumatoid arthritis (RA). At the same time, it participates in processes as diverse as development and immune response. A better understanding of NFkB mechanisms and functions will allow the development of more specific and effective drugs for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, without interfering with normal functions of this system.

Effect of platelet-activating factor on cell proliferation & NF-kappaB activation in airway smooth muscle cells in rats.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Despite the established pro-inflammatory actions of platelet activating factor (PAF) observed on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), its action on airway remodeling has been still unclear. It has been reported that nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) activity is necessary for ASMC proliferation. Further, PAF has been identified as the proximal inducer of NF-kappaB. The present study was thus aimed to investigate the effect of PAF on airway smooth muscle cells (ASMC) proliferation and to evaluate the potential role of NF-kappaB in this regulation. METHODS: Healthy male Sprague-Dowley rats of 6-8 wk age were used for obtaining ASMCs. 3-(4,5- dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium-bromide (MTT) assay was to investigate the effects of PAF on ASMC proliferation and to confirm its optimum concentration for action. Additionally, cell proliferation was also examined using cell cycle assay by flow cytometry and immunocytochemical staining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). And NF-kappaB DNA-binding activity was assayed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). RESULTS: PAF stimulated ASMC proliferation with its peak at 100 nM. At this optimum concentration, PAF significantly increased the cell proliferation index (PI) and the PCNA-positive rate in the ASMCs, as well as NF-kappaB DNA- binding activity. Whereas, 20 mM N-acetylcysteine (NAC) pre-treatment effectively blocked all of these events. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The present findings demonstrated that PAF could promote ASMC proliferation, suggesting its potential involvement in airway remodeling. Our study also suggested the promising action of 20 mM NAC on the alleviation of airway remodeling due to direct inhibition of ASMC proliferation. The involved mechanism would be relevant to the change of NF-kappaB activation in ASMCs.

Role of nuclear factor kappa B and reactive oxygen species in the tumor necrosis factor-a-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition of MCF-7 cells

The microenvironment of the tumor plays an important role in facilitating cancer progression and activating dormant cancer cells. Most tumors are infiltrated with inflammatory cells which secrete cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). To evaluate the role of TNF-alpha in the development of cancer we studied its effects on cell migration with a migration assay. The migrating cell number in TNF-alpha-treated group is about 2-fold of that of the control group. Accordingly, the expression of E-cadherin was decreased and the expression of vimentin was increased upon TNF-alpha treatment. These results showed that TNF-alpha can promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of MCF-7 cells. Further, we found that the expression of Snail, an important transcription factor in EMT, was increased in this process, which is inhibited by the nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB) inhibitor aspirin while not affected by the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger N-acetyl cysteine. Consistently, specific inhibition of NFkB by the mutant IkBalpha also blocked the TNF-alpha-induced upregulation of Snail promoter activity. Thus, the activation of NFkB, which causes an increase in the expression of the transcription factor Snail is essential in the TNF-alpha-induced EMT. ROS caused by TNF-alpha seemed to play a minor role in the TNF-alpha-induced EMT of MCF-7 cells, though ROS per se can promote EMT. These findings suggest that different mechanisms might be responsible for TNF-alpha - and ROS-induced EMT, indicating the need for different strategies for the prevention of tumor metastasis induced by different stimuli.

Nuclear factor-kB in thyroid carcinogenesis and progression: a novel therapeutic target for advanced thyroid cancer

Apoptosis is an essential physiological process of elimination of destined cells during the development and differentiation or after damage from external stresses such as ionizing radiation or chemotherapeutic agents. Disruption of apoptosis is proved to cause various diseases including cancer. Among numerous molecules involved in diverse anti- or pro-apoptotic signaling pathways, NF-kappaB is one of the key factors controlling anti-apoptotic responses. Its anti-apoptotic effect is thought to be mediated through not only transcriptional activation of dependent genes but also by crosstalking with the JNK pathway. Oncogenic proteins such as Ret/PTC, Ras and BRAF can induce NF-kappaB activation making it an important change in thyroid cancer. A number of specific or non-specific NF-kappaB inhibitors have been tried to take over the cascade in in vitro and in vivo experiments. These agents can induce massive apoptosis especially in combination with radio- or chemotherapy. Current results suggest that the inhibition of the NF-kappaB may be a promising strategy for advanced thyroid cancer treatment but further investigations are warranted to develop specific and clinically effective NF-kappaB inhibitors in future.

A apoptose é um processo fisiológico essencial destinado a eliminar células durante o desenvolvimento e diferenciação ou após danos decorrentes de estresses externos com a radiação ionizante ou agentes quimioterápicos. Distúrbios na apoptose têm sido demonstrados como causadores de várias doenças, incluindo câncer. Entre as inúmeras moléculas envolvidas nas várias vias de sinalização anti- ou pró-apoptoticas, NF-kapaB é um dos fatores-chave que controlam as respostas anti-apoptóticas. Acredita-se que seu efeito anti-apoptótico seja mediado não apenas pela ativação transcricional de genes dependentes mas também por crosstalking com a via JNK. Proteínas oncogênicas como Ret/PTC, Ras e BRAF podem induzir ativação de NF-kapaB promovendo importante transformação no câncer da tireóide. Uma série de inibidores específicos e não-específicos do NF-kapaB tem sido usada em experimentos in vitro e in vivo procurando inibir a cascata. Esses agentes podem induzir apoptose maciça especialmente em combinação com radio ou quimioterapia. Resultados atuais sugerem que a inibição de NF-kapaB pode ser uma estratégia promissora no tratamento do câncer da tireóide avançado, mas novas investigações são necessárias para desenvolver inibidores específicos e clinicamente efetivos do NF-kapaB.

Papel inmunológico de la progesterona en el mantenimiento del embarazo / Immunological role of progesterone in the maintenance of pregnancy

Progesterone is an essential hormone for pregnancy maintenance. This hormone acts by binding to its intracellular receptor or by rapid non-genomic actions to regulate a wide variety of biological functions in the feto-placental unit. Progesterone regulates blastocyst implantation and placental development by inducing immunosupression through type Th2 cytokines secretion. This review summarizes current research about the role of progesterone as critical regulator of expression and secretion of cytokines by T-cell and other placental cells.

La progesterona es una hormona esteroide muy versátil y esencial para el mantenimiento del embarazo. El principal mecanismo de acción de la progesterona es el clásico, vía receptor intracelular, regulando diversas funciones, aspectos celulares y vías moleculares implicadas en el proceso de la implantación. Asimismo existen mecanismos adicionales que no dependen de la interacción del complejo hormona receptor con la maquinaria transcripcional y que son capaces de regular rápidamente cascadas de señalización que determinarán la respuesta de la célula. En particular se ha demostrado que la progesterona ejerce efectos inmunosupresores durante la gestación al favorecer la secreción de citocinas de tipo Th2 por los linfocitos T, evento importante para regular el sistema inmunológico materno y evitar el rechazo de la placenta. El objetivo de esta revisión se centra en analizar la influencia de la progesterona en la interfase materno-fetal sobre la expresión y secreción de citocinas por las células T y no T como es el caso del trofoblasto.

El papel del factor de transcripción NF-κB en la célula cardíaca / Role of the transcription factor NF-κB in the cardiac cell

Para la biología de hoy las vías de señalización intracelular que controlan los procesos entre la vida y la muerte celular son de gran interés. Al respecto, el NF-κB destaca como un factor de transcripción decisivo de respuesta rápida que participa en la activación de las vías de señalización de la muerte celular programada. Lo relevante es que sus efectos tienen consecuencias en el desarrollo normal y/o la homeostasis en muchas células o tejidos, que incluyen entre otros al sistema inmune, los folículos capilares, apéndices epidermales, el riñon y el sistema nervioso. En esta revisión analizamos el papel central que juega el factor de transcripción NF-κB en el funcionamiento normal de la célula cardíaca y sus implicaciones en algunas de las patologías cardíacas más frecuentes como: el daño por isquemia-reperfusión, la isquemia precondicionada, la hipertrofia, la aterosclerosis, y el paro cardíaco. El NF-κB comúnmente funciona como un agente citoprotector, aunque hay algunos casos en los cuales resulta ser pro-apoptótico dependiendo del estímulo y del contexto celular. Se han logrado avances significativos a nivel molecular, que han permitido entender su modo de acción y el papel interactivo que juega con otros factores claves. Estos estudios han identificado muchos genes anti-apoptóticos y pro-apoptóticos regulados por la actividad del NF-κB abriendo novedosas aproximaciones que se pueden hacer sobre sus efectos en el desarrollo de patologías cardíacas.

The signaling pathways that control the life-death switch of a cell are a prime interest in Modern Biology. To this respect, NF-κB has emerged as a decisive transcription factor in the cell's response to apoptotic challenge and its effects on apoptosis have far-reaching consequences for normal development and/or homeostasis in many cells and tissues, including the immune system, hair follicles, and epidermal appendages, the liver, and nervous system. In this review we analyze the pivotal role of the transcription factor NF-κB in the normal functioning of the cardiac cell and its implication on some of the most frequent cardiac pathologies, such as ischemia-reperfusion injury, ischemic precondition, hypertrophy, atherosclerosis and cardiac arrest. While NF-κB is commonly found to be cytoprotective, there are a number of instances where it is proapoptotic depending on the inducing stimulus and the cell context. Significant progress has been made in understanding its mode of action and its interplay with other key factors. These studies identified many anti- and pro-apoptotic NF-κB regulated genes that mediate its activity, these important new insights fuel hope that novel approaches will be developed to control the effects of NF-κB in cardiac pathologies.

The maternal JAK/STAT pathway of Drosophila regulates embryonic dorsal-ventral patterning

Activation of NFkappaB plays a pivotal role in many cellular processes such as inflammation, proliferation and apoptosis. In Drosophila, nuclear translocation of the NFkappaB-related transcription factor Dorsal is spatially regulated in order to subdivide the embryo into three primary dorsal-ventral (DV) domains: the ventral presumptive mesoderm, the lateral neuroectoderm and the dorsal ectoderm. Ventral activation of the Toll receptor induces degradation of the IkappaB-related inhibitor Cactus, liberating Dorsal for nuclear translocation. In addition, other pathways have been suggested to regulate Dorsal. Signaling through the maternal BMP member Decapentaplegic (Dpp) inhibits Dorsal translocation along a pathway parallel to and independent of Toll. In the present study, we show for the first time that the maternal JAK/STAT pathway also regulates embryonic DV patterning. Null alleles of loci coding for elements of the JAK/STAT pathway, hopscotch (hop), marelle (mrl) and zimp (zimp), modify zygotic expression along the DV axis. Genetic analysis suggests that the JAK kinase Hop, most similar to vertebrate JAK2, may modify signals downstream of Dpp. In addition, an activated form of Hop results in increased levels of Cactus and Dorsal proteins, modifying the Dorsal/Cactus ratio and consequently DV patterning. These results indicate that different maternal signals mediated by the Toll, BMP and JAK/STAT pathways may converge to regulate NFkappaB activity in Drosophila.

Nuclear transcription factor NF-kappa B: role in biology and medicine.

The inducible transcription factor nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) plays a central role in regulation of many immune, inflammatory and carcinogenic responses. While normal activation of NF-kappaB is required for cell survival and immunity, aberrant regulation of NF-kappaB leads to development of many pathological states especially those involved in acute inflammation. Recent advances in our knowledge of the signaling mechanisms those control the activation of NF-kappaB highlights the intriguing aspect of NF-kappaB regulation, namely the ability of many different signal transduction pathways originating from a wide variety of inducing mechanisms to converge on a single target, the NF-kappaB/IkappaB complex. In this review we summarize our current understanding of the NF-kappaB signaling pathways, their role in various cellular responses and the potential of using NF-kappaB as a therapeutic target in modern medicine.

Influence of NF-kappa B on the development and regulation of neural system / 法医学杂志

Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) plays an important role in controlling infection, immunity responses, cellar differentiation and apoptosis. It is of characteristics especially in neural system. NF-kappa B exist widely in neural cells and transfer from plasma into nucleolus through diversified activation passages. in addition, NF-kappa B is also a key factor in the development of the neural system, anti-apoptosis and modulating the activity of glia cells. It is of great significance in the forensic science.