Inhibiting pyroptosis: novel immune evasion strategies for pathogens.

Pyroptosis is a type of programmed cell death mediated by the Gasdermin family. It is triggered in response to pathogen infection or other danger signals. The activation of Gasdermins leads to pyroptosis and the release of large amounts of inflammatory cytokines. Pyroptosis plays a crucial role in combating pathogen infections, as it helps to eliminate infected cells and activate the immune system. However, pathogens have already developed sophisticated strategies to evade or inhibit pyroptosis, allowing them to persist and facilitate infection. This review provides an overview of the discovery of pyroptosis and its importance in anti-infectious immunity. We also discuss several new strategies for inhibiting pyroptosis by pathogens. A thorough learning of the occurrence and regulation of pyroptosis may reveal the pathogenesis of related infectious diseases and contribute to developing effective anti-infective therapeutic strategies.

Augmenter of Liver Regeneration Protects Against Acetaminophen-Induced Acute Liver Injury in Mice by Promoting Autophagy.

Most cases of acute liver failure are caused by acetaminophen (APAP) overdose. Oxidative stress is a key factor in APAP toxicity. Although augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR) has both antioxidative and antiapoptotic effects, its therapeutic potential in APAP hepatotoxicity remains unknown. The current study assessed the protective effects and associated mechanisms of ALR against APAP-induced acute liver injury in female BALB/c mice. We found that serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, intrahepatic hemorrhage and necrosis were increased at 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after 600 mg/kg APAP i.p. injection. During the early stages (before 12 h) of acute liver injury, ALR levels increased significantly, followed by a decrease to control level at 24 h after APAP administration. ALR treatment increased autophagosomes, promoted the conversion of LC3 I to LC3 II, and the degradation of p62. ALR attenuated APAP-stimulated increases in ALT, AST, myeloperoxidase (MPO), malondialdehyde (MDA), and reactive oxidative species (ROS) levels; intrahepatic hemorrhage; and necrosis as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Glutathione (GSH) depletion. We found that APAP caused release of the mitochondrial intermembrane proteins apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and cytochrome c and that ALR inhibited this change. Meanwhile, ALR decreased expression of cleaved-caspase 3 and apoptotic cells. Subsequently, we investigated the significance of autophagy in APAP-induced acute liver injury by treatment with 3-methyladenine (3-MA), which were classical pharmaceuticals for suppressing autophagy. ALR directly induced autophagy flux; and the inhibition of autophagy reversed the beneficial effects of ALR on hepatotoxicity. Our findings suggest that ALR protects against APAP hepatotoxicity by activating the autophagy pathway.

[Regulatory mechanism underlying pathogen biofilm formation and potential drug targets].

Bacterial communities usually develop biofilms abound in nature niche. The development of biofilm is a highly dynamic and complex process coordinated by multiple mechanisms, of which two-component system and quorum sensing are two well-defined systems. Biofilm is involved in the virulence of many pathogens. Therefore, targeting the key factors involved in the biofilm formation represents a novel and promising avenue for developing better antibiotics.