Sanguinarine Regulates Tumor-Associated Macrophages to Prevent Lung Cancer Angiogenesis Through the WNT/ß-Catenin Pathway.

Tumor-associated macrophage (TAM)-mediated angiogenesis in the tumor microenvironment is a prerequisite for lung cancer growth and metastasis. Therefore, targeting TAMs, which block angiogenesis, is expected to be a breakthrough in controlling the growth and metastasis of lung cancer. In this study, we found that Sanguinarine (Sang) inhibits tumor growth and tumor angiogenesis of subcutaneously transplanted tumors in Lewis lung cancer mice. Furthermore, Sanguinarine inhibited the proliferation, migration, and lumen formation of HUVECs and the expression of CD31 and VEGF by regulating the polarization of M2 macrophages in vitro. However, the inhibitory effect of Sanguinarine on angiogenesis remained in vivo despite the clearance of macrophages using small molecule drugs. Further high-throughput sequencing suggested that WNT/ß-Catenin signaling might represent the underlying mechanism of the beneficial effects of Sanguinarine. Finally, the ß-Catenin activator SKL2001 antagonized the effect of Sanguinarine, indicating that Sanguinarine can regulate M2-mediated angiogenesis through the WNT/ß-Catenin pathway. In conclusion, this study presents the first findings that Sanguinarine can function as a novel regulator of the WNT/ß-Catenin pathway to modulate the M2 macrophage polarization and inhibit angiogenesis, which has potential application value in immunotherapy and antiangiogenic therapy for lung cancer.

Integrating Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking, and Experimental Validation to Investigate the Mechanism of (-)-Guaiol Against Lung Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common type of lung cancer, which poses a serious threat to human life and health. -(-)Guaiol, an effective ingredient of many medicinal herbs, has been shown to have a high potential for tumor interference and suppression. However, knowledge of pharmacological mechanisms is still lacking adequate identification or interpretation. MATERIAL AND METHODS The genes of LUAD patients collected from TCGA were analyzed using limma and WGCNA. In addition, targets of (-)-Guaiol treating LUAD were selected through a prediction network. Venn analysis was then used to visualize the overlapping genes, which were further condensed using the PPI network. GO and KEGG analyses were performed sequentially, and the essential targets were evaluated and validated using molecular docking. In addition, cell-based verification, including the CCK-8 assay, cell death assessment, apoptosis analysis, and western blot, was performed to determine the mechanism of action of (-)-Guaiol. RESULTS The genes included 959 differentially-expressed genes, 6075 highly-correlated genes, and 480 drug-target genes. Through multivariate analysis, 23 hub genes were identified and functional enrichment analyses revealed that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was the most significant. Experiment results showed that -(-)Guaiol can inhibit LUAD cell growth and induce apoptosis. Additional evidence suggested that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway established an inseparable role in the antitumor processes of -(-)Guaiol, which is consistent with network pharmacology results. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that the effect of (-)-Guaiol in LUAD treatment involves the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, providing a useful reference and medicinal value in the treatment of LUAD.

Solasonine Causes Redox Imbalance and Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress of Ferroptosis in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Ferroptosis, a type of iron-dependent oxidative cell death caused by excessive lipid peroxidation, is emerging as a promising cancer therapeutic strategy. Solasonine has been reported as a potential compound in tumor suppression, which is closely linked to ferroptosis. However, ferroptosis caused by solasonine is insufficiently identified and elaborated in lung adenocarcinoma, a fatal disease with high morbidity and mortality rates. First, the biochemical and morphological changes in Calu-1 and A549 cells exposed to solasonine are observed using a cell death assay and a microscope. The cell viability assay is performed after determining the executive concentration of solasonine to assess the effects of solasonine on tumor growth in Calu-1 and A549 cells. The ferroptosis is then identified by using ferroptosis-related reagents on CCK-8, lipid peroxidation assessment, Fe2+, and ROS detection. Furthermore, the antioxidant system, which includes GSH, Cys, GPx4, SLC7A11, and mitochondrial function, is measured to identify the potential pathways. According to the results, solasonine precisely exerts antitumor ability in lung adenocarcinoma cells. Ferroptosis is involved in the solasonine-induced cell death, as well as the accumulation of lipid peroxide, Fe2+, and ROS. Moreover, the failures of antioxidant defense and mitochondrial damage are considered to make a significant contribution to the occurrence of ferroptosis caused by solasonine. The study describes the potential process of ferroptosis caused by solasonine when dealing with lung adenocarcinoma. This encouraging evidence suggests that solasonine may be useful in the treatment of lung cancer.

Antibacterial Mechanism of Liangguoan against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

This study examined the antibacterial activity of the biological pesticide Liangguoan against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as a potential replacement for chemical pesticide use in the fruit and vegetable industry. We measured the minimum inhibitory concentration and observed the changes in bacterial morphology, mortality, conductivity, nucleic acid content, and ATP content in response to the bactericide. The minimum inhibitory concentration of Liangguoan was 20 mg/mL for S. aureus and 40 mg/mL for E. coli. After treatment with Liangguoan, the mortality rates of S. aureus and E. coli reached 78.3% and 63.7%, respectively. We observed that the cells were scattered and that the cell morphology was altered in that the cells shortened. The interconnection effect and ATP content decreased, whereas cell conductivity and the nucleic acid content increased. In summary, Liangguoan inhibited S. aureus and E. coli by destroying their cell structure and disrupting their metabolism.

T cell inhibition by pogostone from Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth: In vitro and in vivo immunosuppressive analysis.

Various plant-derived compounds exhibit immunosuppressive activity in pre­clinical investigations, suggesting that they may serve as natural alternatives for the prevention of inflammatory disorders and autoimmune diseases. The aim of the current study was to explore the immunosuppressive potential of pogostone (PO) derived from Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth. Carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester­labeled cell tracking demonstrated that PO (20­80 µM) inhibited Concanavalin A (ConA)­stimulated lymphocyte proliferation, which was mediated by G0/G1 phase arrest and accompanied by significant decreases in the expression of CD69 (early­stage activation marker) and CD25 (mid­stage activation marker) in T cells, as indicated by flow cytometry analysis. Furthermore, the proliferation blocking ability of PO (5­80 µM) was not associated with cytotoxicity in normal lymphocytes or apoptosis in ConA­stimulated lymphocytes. The inflammatory cytokine profile determination using a cytometric beads assay revealed that PO inhibited release of anti­inflammatory interleukin (IL)­10 and pro­inflammatory IL­6 from the stimulated lymphocytes. Furthermore, PO (10, 20 or 40 mg/kg) ameliorated the T­cell mediated delayed type hypersensitivity response in Balb/c mice by reducing leukocyte infiltration and tissue edema, providing a further validation of the direct immunosuppressive activity of PO. Together, the present data suggest that PO would suppress T cell response via a direct non­cytotoxic inactivation at the early stage, accompanied by regulation of the inflammatory cytokine profile, which highlights clinical implications for treatment of immune-based disorders.

[Intraperitoneal transplantation of acellular extracellular matrix-derived biomaterial has no response to innate immunity in mice].

Objective To explore the effect of acellular extracellular matrix (ECM) transplantation on the innate immunity (including macrophages and neutrophils) of mice, and establish a method evaluating the immunogenicity of acellular ECM material in mice as experimental animals. Methods Fresh membrane material and newly-processed acellular ECM material without DNA were separately intraperitoneally transplanted into mice. Seven days later, samples were collected to measure spleen index. The absolute numbers of neutrophils in peripheral blood and macrophages in peritoneal fluid were determined by BD Trucount tubes. The concentrations of interleukin 2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-6, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), IL-17A and IL-10 in the plasma and peritoneal fluid were detected by BD(TM) Cytometric Bead Array (CBA) mouse Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokine kit. Results Compared with sham group, the body mass is not increased in the mice transplanted with fresh membrane material, but the spleen index increased. The fresh material could dramatically increase the numbers of neutrophils in peripheral blood and macrophages in peritoneal fluid, and increase IL-6 and IFN-γ production. However, acellular ECM material prepared by improved technique only had minor or even no effect on those parameters. Conclusion Acellular ECM material with DNA removed has no obvious response to the inherent immunity in mice.

Slow resolution of inflammation in severe adult dengue patients.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of severe dengue has not been fully elucidated. The inflammatory response plays a critical role in the outcome of dengue disease. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the levels of 17 important inflammation mediators in plasma collected from mild or severe adult dengue patients at different time points to understand the contribution of inflammation to disease severity and to seek experimental evidence to optimize the existing clinical treatment strategies. Patients were simply classified as mild and severe dengue according to the 2009 WHO classification. Plasma was collected on day 3-5, 6-7, 8-10 and 14-17 of illness. Levels of 17 inflammation mediators including TNF-α, IL-1α, IFN-γ, IL-6, IFN-α, MIF, IL-10, IL-1RA, IL-8, IP-10, MCP-1, RANTES, GRO, eotaxin-1, sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 were determined by a multiplex Luminex® system. Different trends of inflammation mediators throughout the disease were compared between mild and severe patients. RESULTS: Inflammation mediators including IL-1α, IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-8, IP-10, MCP-1 and sVCAM-1 displayed significant differences on day 8-10 of illness between mild and severe dengue patients. Their concentrations were higher in severe patients than mild ones at the same time points. Moreover, those cytokines decreased gradually in mild patients but not in severe patients. CONCLUSION: Our results revealed the coexistence of excessive inflammatory response and slow resolution of inflammation in severe adult dengue patients. Hence suppression and/or pro-resolution of inflammation could be a potential therapeutic approach for treatment of severe dengue.

The improvement effects of edible bird's nest on proliferation and activation of B lymphocyte and its antagonistic effects on immunosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide.

Edible bird's nest (EBN) is regarded as an immune-enhancing food in the People's Republic of China. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the efficiency of EBN in improving the immunity of mouse both in vivo and in vitro. We observed the effects of EBN on spleen lymphocytes proliferation and activation, as well as immunoglobulin isotypes as indicators. In addition, we evaluated the content of total sIgA in the intestinal juice to assess mucosal immunity. The results showed that EBN could promote the proliferation and activation of B-cells and increase IgE, IgA, IgM, and IgG3 levels. We also found that EBN extract can promote the secretion of sIgA in the small intestine. Using cyclophosphamide (CY), we established an immunosuppressed mouse model in which we identified a reversal influence on the ratio of CD3(+)/CD19(+) cells, which indicates that EBN also protects B-cells from the damage induced by CY. We also applied polymyxin B to exclude the interference of lipopolysaccharide throughout the experiment. In conclusion, we found that EBN can reduce the intestinal immune injury induced by CY by accelerating the proliferation and activation of B-cells and enhancing antibody secretion of B-cells.

Protective effects of ginsenoside Rg1 on astrocytes and cerebral ischemic-reperfusion mice.

Ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1), one of the active ingredients in Panax ginseng, has been known to regulate many cellular processes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of Rg1 on apoptosis in mouse cultured astrocytes in vitro and a mouse model of cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in vivo. The cell apoptosis was measured by fluorescence microplate reader and xCELLigence system and the Ca(2+) overload was recorded by confocal microscopy. The mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were determined by flow cytometry. BALB/c mice were subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and randomly divided into four groups: Sham (sham-operated +0.9% saline), MCAO (MCAO+0.9% saline), Rg1-L (MCAO+Rg1 20 mg/kg) and Rg1-H (MCAO+Rg1 40 mg/kg). Neurological deficit scores, brain water content and infarct volume were evaluated at 24 h after reperfusion. The results showed that Rg1 significantly attenuated H2O2-induced apoptosis in astrocytes. Rg1 efficiently inhibited intracellular Ca(2+) overload, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and ROS production in astrocytes. In vivo study, it was also observed that Rg1 markedly reduced the neurological deficit scores, brain edema, and infarct volume in the model mice. These results suggest that Rg1 possesses significant neuroprotective effects, which might be related to the prevention of astrocytes from apoptosis.

The Hsp90 inhibitor SNX-2112 induces apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells: the role of ER stress.

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) has been predicted to be involved in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) therapy; however, the mechanisms of action remain elusive. SNX-2112 is an Hsp90 inhibitor showing broad antitumor activity. Here we aim to determine the role of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in SNX-2112-induced apoptosis in HCC cells. In general, three HCC cells (i.e., HepG2, Huh7, and SK-Hep1) were used in our experiments. The cell viability was determined by the CCK-8 assay. The apoptosis was analyzed using flow cytometry, laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSM) and Western blotting. The efficacy and mechanisms of action of SNX-2112 were also evaluated in a mouse xenograft model. We found that SNX-2112 showed stronger inhibition on cell growth than 17-AAG, a classical Hsp90 inhibitor. SNX-2112 treatment led to the caspase-dependent apoptosis. Interestingly, SNX-2112 decreased the expression levels of the ER chaperone proteins calnexin and immunoglobulin binding protein (BiP). It also inhibited all three ER stress sensors, namely, inositol-requiring gene 1 (IRE1), PKR-like ER kinase (PERK), and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF-6) in vitro and/or in vivo. However, the ER stress inducer tunicamycin strongly enhanced SNX-2112-induced apoptosis, whereas the IRE1 knockdown did not. Taken together, we for the first time indicated the possible apoptotic pathways of SNX-2112 in HCC cells, raising the possibility that the induction of ER stress might be favorable for SNX-2112-induced apoptosis.

[Protective effect of anhydroicaritin against peritonitis in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of anhydroicaritin (AHI) against zymosan-induced peritonitis in mice. METHODS: Peritonitis was induced in mice by intraperitoneal injection of zymosan. All mice were monitored for systemic toxicity and mortality for 13 d after zymosan or saline administration. In another set of experiments, the peritoneal exudates were collected. The leukocyte numbers and the production of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, MCP-1) were determined by flow cytometry. The release of nitric oxide (NO) was measured by a Griess reagent system. The Ca(2+); influx in bone marrow-derived macrophages was recorded by laser scanning confocal microscopy with Fluo4-AM loading. The expression of iNOS was determined by Western blotting. RESULTS: AHI (4 mg/kg) prolonged survival of peritonitis mice, inhibited massive leukocyte transmigration into the peritoneal cavity, and decreased the overproduction of NO, IL-10, TNF-α, MCP-1 and IL-6. In LPS-stimulated mouse macrophages, AHI (5 µmol/L) pretreatment significantly inhibited the elevation of intracellular Ca(2+);, and markedly decreased iNOS protein expression. CONCLUSION: AHI possesses significant protective effects on the zymosan-induced peritonitis mice, which might be associated with the regulation of Ca(2+); influx in macrophages and iNOS expression.

Icaritin exhibits anti-inflammatory effects in the mouse peritoneal macrophages and peritonitis model.

Icaritin, an intestinal metabolite of prenylflavonoids from Herba Epimedii, has been known to regulate many cellular processes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of icaritin on inflammation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro and zymosan induced peritonitis model in vivo. The release of Nitric oxide (NO) was measured by a Griess reagent system. The phagocytosis, the expression of CD69, the production of inflammatory cytokines and the leukocytes numbers were determined by flow cytometry. The Ca(2+) influx was recorded by confocal microscopy. The phosphorylation of p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) was determined by Western blot. The results showed that icaritin significantly inhibited the NO, IL-6, IL-10 TNF-α, and MCP-1 production both in vitro and in vivo. Icaritin efficiently diminished the uptake of nonopsonized pHrodo™-labeled Escherichia coli bacteria on the LPS-stimulated macrophages. In addition, icaritin significantly inhibited the expression of CD69 on CD11b(+) macrophages. Icaritin pretreatment significantly inhibited the elevation of intracellular Ca(2+) induced by LPS. Furthermore, icaritin markedly decreased phospho-p38 and JNK protein expression in LPS-stimulated mouse peritoneal macrophages. In vivo study, it was also observed that icaritin prolonged survival of peritonitis mice, and inhibited massive leukocyte influx into the peritoneal cavity. These results suggest that icaritin possesses significant anti-inflammatory effects that may be mediated through the regulation of inflammatory cytokines and phosphorylation of p38 and JNK.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) downregulates the cell surface expression of the CD4 molecule.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) has been implicated in preventing the fetus from undergoing maternal T cell-mediated immune responses, yet the mechanism underlying these kinds of IDO-mediated immune responses has not been fully elucidated. Since the CD4 molecule plays a central role in the onset and regulation of antigen-specific immune responses, and T cell is sensitive in the absence of tryptophan, we hypothesize that IDO may reduce cell surface CD4 expression. To test this hypothesis, an adenoviral vector-based construct IDO-EGFP was generated and the effect of IDO-EGFP on CD4 expression was determined on recombinant adenoviral infected C8166 and MT-2 cells, by flow cytometry and/or Western blot analysis. The results revealed a significant downregulation of cell membrane CD4 in pAd-IDOEGFP infected cells when compared to that of mock-infected cells or infection with empty vector pAd-EGFP. Further experiments disclosed that either an addition of tryptophan or IDO inhibitor could partly restore CD4 expression in pAd-IDOEGFP infected C8166 cells. Our findings suggest that downregulation of CD4 by IDO might be one of the mechanisms through which IDO regulates T cell-mediated immune responses.

Rapamycin preconditioning attenuates transient focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice.

Rapamycin, an mTOR inhibitor and immunosuppressive agent in clinic, has protective effects on traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases. But, its effects on transient focal ischemia/reperfusion disease are not very clear. In this study, we examined the effects of rapamycin preconditioning on mice treated with middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion operation (MCAO/R). We found that the rapamycin preconditioning by intrahippocampal injection 20 hr before MCAO/R significantly improved the survival rate and longevity of mice. It also decreased the neurological deficit score, infracted areas and brain edema. In addition, rapamycin preconditioning decreased the production of NF-κB, TNF-α, and Bax, but not Bcl-2, an antiapoptotic protein in the ischemic area. From these results, we may conclude that rapamycin preconditioning attenuate transient focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury and inhibits apoptosis induced by MCAO/R in mice.

Topographical and biological evidence revealed FTY720-mediated anergy-polarization of mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells in vitro.

Abnormal inflammations are central therapeutic targets in numerous infectious and autoimmune diseases. Dendritic cells (DCs) are involved in these inflammations, serving as both antigen presenters and proinflammatory cytokine providers. As an immuno-suppressor applied to the therapies of multiple sclerosis and allograft transplantation, fingolimod (FTY720) was shown to affect DC migration and its crosstalk with T cells. We posit FTY720 can induce an anergy-polarized phenotype switch on DCs in vitro, especially upon endotoxic activation. A lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cell (BMDC) activation model was employed to test FTY720-induced phenotypic changes on immature and mature DCs. Specifically, methods for morphology, nanostructure, cytokine production, phagocytosis, endocytosis and specific antigen presentation studies were used. FTY720 induced significant alterations of surface markers, as well as decline of shape indices, cell volume, surface roughness in LPS-activated mature BMDCs. These phenotypic, morphological and topographical changes were accompanied by FTY720-mediated down-regulation of proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, TNF-α, IL-12 and MCP-1. Together with suppressed nitric oxide (NO) production and CCR7 transcription in FTY720-treated BMDCs with or without LPS activation, an inhibitory mechanism of NO and cytokine reciprocal activation was suggested. This implication was supported by the impaired phagocytotic, endocytotic and specific antigen presentation abilities observed in the FTY720-treated BMDCs. In conclusion, we demonstrated FTY720 can induce anergy-polarization in both immature and LPS-activated mature BMDCs. A possible mechanism is FTY720-mediated reciprocal suppression on the intrinsic activation pathway and cytokine production with endpoint exhibitions on phagocytosis, endocytosis, antigen presentation as well as cellular morphology and topography.

Bererine induces peripheral lymphocytes immune regulations to realize its neuroprotective effects in the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion mice.

Previous studies have shown that Bererine (Ber) has significant neuroprotective effects and the present article aimed to investigate its mechanism from the aspect of peripheral immune system. We evaluated the effects of Ber 24 h after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) on histologic injury in BALB/C mice and NOD-SCID (severe combined immunodeficient) mice lacking T and B cells. Infarct volume, neurological scores and brain water content were strikingly reduced by Ber in BALB/C mice versus NOD-SCID mice. Which suggested that Ber induces peripheral immune regulations to realize its neuroprotective effects in the cerebral I/R mice. Then we tested the lymphocytes from BALB/C lymph nodes (LNs) with their survival, activation, proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis and differentiation induced by cytokine secretion to provide direct evidences that Ber realized its neuroprotective effects by regulating I/R-induced peripheral lymphocytes early immunoactivation and following immunotolerance and to better understand the importance of peripheral immune system following I/R insults.

[Effects of anhydroicaritin on the immunologic function of mouse macrophages].

AIM: To investigate the effects of anhydroicaritin (AHI) on the immunologic function of mouse macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro and its related immunosuppressive mechanism. METHODS: Mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages were isolated. Then, the drug toxicology of different concentrations of AHI on macrophages was measured by CCK-8 assay. The amount of NO produced in macrophages was detected by Griess kit. The phagocytosis of macrophages to E.coli BioParticles was assayed by flow cytometry (FCM). The expression of CD69, which was the marker of early activation of macrophages, was measured by FCM combined with two-color immunofluorescent staining of cell surface antigen. Cytometric bead array (CBA) kit was used to detect the production of cytokines of macrophages stimulated by LPS. RESULTS: AHI (2.5, 5, 10 µmol/L) significantly reduced the production of NO in macrophages stimulated by LPS, and inhibited the phagocytosis of activated macrophages. The results of FCM analysis showed that AHI decreased proportions of CD69 on LPS-stimulated macrophages. Furthermore, AHI downregulated the secretion of cytokines of LPS-induced macrophages. CONCLUSION: AHI, which exhibits immunosuppressive effect on the mouse macrophages stimulated by LPS, is promising to be developed as an immunosuppressive reagent.

FTY720 mediates activation suppression and G(0)/G (1) cell cycle arrest in a concanavalin A-induced mouse lymphocyte pan-activation model.

OBJECTIVE: FTY720 is a potent drug for multiple sclerosis treatment. To biologically address its possible applications to more generalized diseases with aberrant inflammation, we are testing whether FTY720 can function as a lymphocyte cell cycle blocker and activation suppressor via a concanavalin A (ConA)-mediated mouse lymphocyte pan-activation model. METHODS: Mouse lymphocytes were obtained from lymph nodes and subjected to ConA and/or FTY720 treatment. Cell viability was assayed by MTT and mitochondrial assays. Early and late activation, cell cycle, proliferation and intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) were analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: At concentrations of less than 500 nM, FTY720 significantly down-regulated both CD69 and CD25 expressions of T cells, as well as inhibiting proliferation of activated lymphocytes. In addition, FTY720 blocked the ConA-induced mitogenesis, exhibiting lymphocyte G(0)/G(1) phase cell cycle arrest with significant reduction of cells in S and G(2)/M phases. Meanwhile, a significant decline in [Ca(2+)](i) was observed. The correlation of [Ca(2+)](i) and cell cycle arrest were validated by employing a [Ca(2+)](i) inhibitor SK&F 96365 and testing with and without FTY720 treatment. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that FTY720 induces G(0)/G(1) phase cell cycle arrest, resulting in proliferation inhibition upon lymphocyte pan-activation, which may be related to reduction of overall intracellular Ca(2+) load.

Comparative proteomic analysis of rat hepatic stellate cell activation: a comprehensive view and suppressed immune response.

UNLABELLED: Elucidation of the molecular events underlying hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation is an essential step toward understanding the biological properties of HSC and clarifying the potential roles of HSCs in liver fibrosis and other liver diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma. High-throughput comparative proteomic analysis based on isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) labeling combined with online two-dimensional nanoscale liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (2D nano-LC-MS/MS) were performed on an in vitro HSC activation model to obtain a comprehensive view of the protein ensembles associated with HSC activation. In total, 2,417 proteins were confidently identified (false discovery rate <1%), of which 2,322 proteins were quantified. Compared with quiescent HSCs, 519 proteins showed significant differences in activated HSCs (≥ 3.0-fold). Bioinformatics analyses using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed that the 319 up-regulated proteins represented multiple cellular functions closely associated with HSC activation, such as extracellular matrix synthesis and proliferation. In addition to the well-known markers for HSC activation, such as α-smooth muscle actin and collagen types 1 and 3, some novel proteins potentially associated with HSC activation were identified, while the 200 down-regulated proteins were primarily related to immune response and lipid metabolism. Most intriguingly, the top biological function, top network, and top canonical pathway of down-regulated proteins were all involved in immune responses. The expression and/or biological function of a set of proteins were properly validated, especially Bcl2-associated athanogene 2, BAG3, and B7H3. CONCLUSION: The present study provided the most comprehensive proteome profile of rat HSCs and some novel insights into HSC activation, especially the suppressed immune response.

Calcium influx blocked by SK&F 96365 modulates the LPS plus IFN-γ-induced inflammatory response in murine peritoneal macrophages.

A rise in intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) is crucial for the activation of macrophages, however, the mechanisms and consequences of this [Ca(2+)](i) increase remain unclear. This study investigated the role of calcium in mouse peritoneal macrophages stimulated with LPS plus IFN-γ by using the store-operated Ca(2+) channel (SOCC) blocker SK&F 96365. Our results showed that SK&F 96365 pretreatment significantly inhibited the elevation of [Ca(2+)](i) induced by ionomycin, thapsigargin, and LPS plus IFN-γ, respectively. Phagocytosis analyzing results showed that SK&F 96365 efficiently diminished the uptake of nonopsonized 1 µM yellow-green beads or pHrodo™-labeled Escherichia coli bacteria both on the resting and LPS plus IFN-γ-stimulated macrophages. In addition, SK&F 96365 significantly inhibited the LPS plus IFN-γ-induced brisk uptake of NO and ROS. The CBA analyzing results showed that SK&F 96365 pretreatment efficiently inhibited the production of LPS plus IFN-γ-induced inflammatory cytokines of IL-6, MCP-1, TNF, INF-γ, and IL-10. However, SK&F 96365 pretreatment did not inhibit but augment the production of LPS plus IFN-γ-induced IL-1ß secretion. Furthermore, SK&F 96365 pretreatment inhibited the LPS plus IFN-γ-induced translocation of NF-κB to the nucleus, and induced a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) in LPS plus IFN-γ-activated macrophages. This study provides insight into the role of calcium in the activation of peritoneal macrophages induced by LPS plus IFN-γ, and blocking the calcium influx by SK&F 96365 exhibited a domain inhibitory effect on the LPS plus IFN-γ-induced inflammatory response in macrophages.