Research progress on molecular mechanism of transcription factor C/EBPβ in lung diseases / 中华危重病急救医学

CCAAT enhancer binding protein β (C/EBPβ), as a nuclear transcription factor necessary for the development of liver, airway epithelium, and adipose tissue, plays a vital role in physiological processes related to cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. However, the up-regulation of C/EBPβ activates signal pathways related to inflammatory response, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, cell proliferation and invasion, immune response, and angiogenesis by regulating a series of downstream genes transcription promotes the development of lung diseases. Therefore, targeting C/EBPβ may be a potential treatment strategy for lung diseases. This paper summarizes the regulatory effects of C/EBPβ and related signaling pathways in lung infection, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung injury, pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer to provide a theoretical basis for the precision medicine of lung diseases.

Serpins as important protective factors in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome / 中华危重病急救医学

Acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) is a common respiratory disease in clinic, and with a pathological manifestation of pulmonary edema, decreased pulmonary compliance as well as pulmonary epithelial/endothelial cells injury. At present, it was suggested that systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) caused by various causes which play an important role in the occurrence and development of ALI/ARDS. Widely activated neutrophils can migrate to lung tissue and release plenty of proteases in the procedure of SIRS, including neutrophil serine proteases (NSPs), lysozyme, myeloperoxidase and collagenase, which can induce severe lung injury. Meanwhile, NSPs, such as neutrophil elastase (NE), cathepsin G (CG), proteinase 3 (PR3) and neutrophil serine proteinase 4 (NSP4), are important in the pathogenesis of ALI/ARDS. Therefore, Serpins may protect lung tissue by inhibiting NSPs. However, the specific mechanism of Serpins is not totally clear. In this article, we will discuss the mechanism of action of NSPs in the inflammatory response of ALI/ARDS, the structural overview of Serpins, the primary role of Serpins in ALI/ARDS,such as the inhibition of NSPs activity, other roles of Serpins in ALI/ARDS, such as the inhibition of inflammatory factor release, regulation of apoptosis and protection of vascular endothelial cells and pulmonary surfactant-associated glycoprotein D (SP-D), and the clinical application of exogenous Serpins in ALI/ARDS to explore the role of Serpins in the pathogenesis of ALI/ARDS. The aim is to provide new ideas and strategies for the clinical treatment of ALI/ARDS.

Effects of IL-1β on expression of AQP4 and its role in attack of seizure / 实用医学杂志

Objective To observe the effects of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) induced acute epilepsy and the dynamic expression of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) in hippocampus. To explore the role of IL-1β in the pathogenesis of epilepsy by regulating AQP4. Methods All rats were randomly divided into control group, IL-1β group, PTZ group, IL-1ra + PTZ group and dexamethasone + PTZ group. Observe the behavior of the rats within 60 minutes after injection and record seizure score in each group. Then immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR were used to detect the expression of AQP4 at at 6 , 12, 24 and 36 h. Results Almost of rats in IL-1β group and PTZ group showed severe degree seizure. The rats in control group and dexamethasone + PTZ group showed no obvious seizure. The seizure of rats were more remarkable serious in PTZ group than that in the IL-1ra + pentylenetetrazole group (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR Show: the expression of AQP4 in hippocampus in PTZ group increased gradually after 12 h (P < 0.05), then reached in the peak after 24 h (P < 0.001). The expression of AQP4 in IL-1ra + PTZ group was lower compare with PTZ group in each time (P < 0.05). Although the expression of AQP4 in dexamethasone + PTZ group higher than the control group, it was not significantly different (P < 0.05). Conclusion The proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β break the balance of water in brain and increasing the concentration of extracellular excitatory amino acids or ions by upregulate the expression of AQP4 in order to promote the excitatory of neurons.