Mitochondrial (mt)DNA-cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling promotes pyroptosis of macrophages via interferon regulatory factor (IRF)7/IRF3 activation to aggravate lung injury during severe acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Macrophage proinflammatory activation contributes to the pathology of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) and, simultaneously, macrophage functional changes, and increased pyroptosis/necrosis can further exacerbate the cellular immune suppression during the process of SAP, where cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) plays an important role. However, the function and mechanism of cGAS-STING in SAP-induced lung injury (LI) remains unknown. METHODS: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was combined with caerulein-induced SAP in wild type, cGAS -/- and sting -/- mice. Primary macrophages were extracted via bronchoalveolar lavage and peritoneal lavage. Ana-1 cells were pretreated with LPS and stimulated with nigericin sodium salt to induce pyroptosis in vitro. RESULTS: SAP triggered NOD-, LRR-, and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation-mediated pyroptosis of alveolar and peritoneal macrophages in mouse model. Knockout of cGAS/STING could ameliorate NLRP3 activation and macrophage pyroptosis. In addition, mitochondrial (mt)DNA released from damaged mitochondria further induced macrophage STING activation in a cGAS- and dose-dependent manner. Upregulated STING signal can promote NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated macrophage pyroptosis and increase serum interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels and, thus, exacerbate SAP-associated LI (SAP-ALI). Downstream molecules of STING, IRF7, and IRF3 connect the mtDNA-cGAS-STING axis and the NLRP3-pyroptosis axis. CONCLUSIONS: Negative regulation of any molecule in the mtDNA-cGAS-STING-IRF7/IRF3 pathway can affect the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes, thereby reducing macrophage pyroptosis and improving SAP-ALI in mouse model.

Baicalein improves the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome by mitigating oxidative stress and ferroptosis in the ovary and gravid placenta.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome is a metabolic and hormonal disorder that is closely linked to oxidative stress. Within individuals diagnosed with PCOS, changes occur in the ovaries, resulting in an excessive buildup of iron and peroxidation of lipids, both of which may be associated with the occurrence of ferroptosis. Baicalein, a flavonoid found in the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis and widely known as Chinese skullcap, is known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-ferroptotic properties, which protect against various diseases. Nevertheless, there has been no investigation into the impact of baicalein on polycystic ovary syndrome. PURPOSE: This study aimed to correlate ferroptosis with polycystic ovary syndrome and to assess the effects of baicalein on ovarian dysfunction and placental development in pregnant patients. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Polycystic ovary syndrome was induced in a rat model through the administration of dehydroepiandrosterone, and these rats were treated with baicalein. Oxidative stress and inflammation levels were assessed in serum and ovaries, and tissue samples were collected for histological and protein analyses. Furthermore, different groups of female rats were mated with male rats to observe pregnancy outcomes and tissue samples were obtained for histological, protein, and RNA sequencing. Then, RNA sequencing of the placenta was performed to determine the key genes involved in ferroptosis negative regulation (FNR) signatures. RESULTS: Baicalein was shown to reduce ovarian oxidative stress and pathology. Baicalein also ameliorated polycystic ovary syndrome by decreasing lipid peroxidation and chronic inflammation and modulating mitochondrial functions and ferroptosis in the ovaries. Specifically, glutathione peroxidase and ferritin heavy chain 1 were considerably downregulated in polycystic ovary syndrome gravid rats compared to their expression in the control group, and most of these differences were reversed after baicalein intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings, initially, indicated that baicalein could potentially enhance the prognosis of individuals suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome by reducing oxidative stress and ferroptosis, thus potentially influencing the formulation of a therapeutic approach to address this condition.

The Role and Potential Regulatory Mechanism of STING Modulated Macrophage Apoptosis and Differentiation in Severe Acute Pancreatitis-Associated Lung Injury.

This study aims to investigate the role of STING in promoting macrophage apoptosis and regulating macrophage polarization in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP)-associated lung injury in vitro and in vivo. A murine model was established by intraperitoneal injection of caerulein and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Meanwhile, ANA-1 cells were stimulated with LPS to induce apoptosis in vitro. More primary alveolar macrophages underwent apoptosis and M1 macrophage polarization in the SAP group compared with the control group, which was reversed by inhibiting STING. When ANA-1 cells were induced into M2-type macrophages, the reduction of M1 macrophage markers was accompanied by a decrease of LPS-induced apoptosis. Finally, the inhibitory effect of C-176 on STING ameliorates lung injury and inflammation by adjusting macrophage polarization and rescuing apoptosis. Therefore, inhibiting STING could be a new therapeutic strategy for treating acute pancreatitis-associated lung injury.

Exosome and virus infection.

Exosomes are messengers of intercellular communication in monolayer vesicles derived from cells. It affects the pathophysiological process of the body in various diseases, such as tumors, inflammation, and infection. It has been confirmed that exosomes are similar to viruses in biogenesis, and exosome cargo is widely involved in many viruses' replication, transmission, and infection. Simultaneously, virus-associated exosomes can promote immune escape and activate the antiviral immune response of the body, which bidirectionally modulates the immune response. This review focuses on the role of exosomes in HIV, HBV, HCV, and SARS-CoV-2 infection and explores the prospects of exosome development. These insights may be translated into therapeutic measures for viral infections and reduce the disease burden.

Role of stem cell derivatives in inflammatory diseases.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are pluripotent stem cells of mesodermal origin with the ability of self-renewal and multidirectional differentiation, which have all the common characteristics of stem cells and the ability to differentiate into adipocytes, osteoblasts, neuron-like cells and other cells. Stem cell derivatives are extracellular vesicles(EVs) released from mesenchymal stem cells that are involved in the process of body's immune response, antigen presentation, cell differentiation, and anti-inflammatory. EVs are further divided into ectosomes and exosomes are widely used in degenerative diseases, cancer, and inflammatory diseases due to their parental cell characteristics. However, most diseases are closely related to inflammation, and exosomes can mitigate the damage caused by inflammation in terms of suppressing the inflammatory response, anti-apoptosis and promoting tissue repair. Stem cell-derived exosomes have become an emerging modality for cell-free therapy because of their high safety and ease of preservation and transportation through intercellular communication. In this review, we highlight the characteristics and functions of MSCs-derived exosomes and discuss the regulatory mechanisms of MSCs-derived exosomes in inflammatory diseases and their potential applications in clinical diagnosis and therapy.