Potent anti-inflammatory responses: Role of hydrogen in IL-1α dominated early phase systemic inflammation.

Introduction: It has been proven that hydrogen has obvious anti-inflammatory effects in animal experiments and clinical practice. However, the early dynamic process of the inflammatory response caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the anti-inflammatory effect of hydrogen has not been definitively reported. Methods: Inflammation in male C57/BL6J mice or RAW264.7 cells was induced with LPS, for which hydrogen was immediately administered until samples were taken. Pathological changes in lung tissue were assessed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Levels of inflammatory factors in serum were determined using liquid protein chip. The mRNA levels of chemotactic factors in lung tissues, leukocytes, and peritoneal macrophages were measured by qRT-PCR. The expression levels of IL-1α and HIF-1α were measured by immunocytochemistry. Results: Hydrogen alleviated LPS-induced inflammatory infiltration in the lung tissues of mice. Among the 23 inflammatory factors screened, LPS-induced upregulation of IL-1α etc. was significantly inhibited by hydrogen within 1 hour. The mRNA expression of MCP-1, MIP-1α, G-CSF, and RANTES was inhibited obviously by hydrogen at 0.5 and 1 h in mouse peritoneal macrophages. In addition, hydrogen significantly blocked LPS or H2O2-induced upregulation of HIF-1α, and IL-1α in 0.5 h in RAW264.7 cells. Discussion: The results suggested that hydrogen is potentially inhibitive against inflammation by inhibiting HIF-1α and IL-1α release at early occurrence. The target of the inhibitive LPS-induced-inflammatory action of hydrogen is chemokines in macrophages in the peritoneal cavity. This study provides direct experimental evidence for quickly controlling inflammation with the translational application of a hydrogen-assisted protocol.

Cationic amino acid transporter-1 (CAT-1) promotes fibroblast-like synoviocyte proliferation and cytokine secretion by taking up L-arginine in rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal proliferation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) in the synovial lining layer is the primary cause of synovial hyperplasia and joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Currently, the relationship between metabolic abnormalities and FLS proliferation is a new focus of investigation. However, little is known regarding the relationship between amino acid metabolism and RA. METHODS: The concentrations of amino acids and cytokines in the synovial fluid of RA (n = 9) and osteoarthritis (OA, n = 9) were detected by LC-MS/MS and CBA assay, respectively. The mRNA and protein expression of cationic amino acid transporter-1 (CAT-1) were determined in FLSs isolated from RA and OA patients by real-time PCR and western blotting. MTT assay, cell cycle, apoptosis, invasion, and cytokine secretion were determined in FLSs knocked down of CAT-1 using siRNA or treated with D-arginine under normoxic and hypoxic culture conditions. A mouse collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model was applied to test the therapeutic potential of blocking the uptake of L-arginine in vivo. RESULTS: L-rginine was upregulated in the synovial fluid of RA patients and was positively correlated with the elevation of the cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-8. Further examination demonstrated that CAT-1 was the primary transporter for L-arginine and was overexpressed on RA FLSs compared to OA FLSs. Moreover, knockdown of CAT-1 using siRNA or inhibition of L-arginine uptake using D-arginine significantly suppressed L-arginine metabolism, cell proliferation, migration, and cytokine secretion in RA FLSs under normoxic and hypoxic culture conditions in vitro but increased cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, in vivo assays revealed that an L-arginine-free diet or blocking the uptake of L-arginine using D-arginine suppressed arthritis progression in CIA mice. CONCLUSION: CAT-1 is upregulated and promotes FLS proliferation by taking up L-arginine, thereby promoting RA progression.

Blockade of the amino acid transporter SLC6A14 suppresses tumor growth in colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The amino acid transporter SLC6A14, which transports 18 of the 20 proteinogenic amino acids, is too low to be detected in healthy normal tissues but is significantly increased in some solid cancers. However, little is known about the roles of SLC6A14 in colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: The mRNA and protein levels of SLC6A14 were detected using TCGA database, real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and tissue microarrays, respectively. Amino acids concentration was determined by LC-MS/MS. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were determined using MTT assay and flow cytometry. Transwell invasion assay and wound healing assay were employed to analyze cell migration and invasion. The protein levels of Akt-mTOR signaling pathway and MMPs proteins were detected by western blot. RESULTS: Both of the mRNA and protein levels of SLC6A14 were upregulated in CRC tissues, and the protein levels of SLC6A14 were closely related to the tumor cells differentiation: the higher the expression of SLC6A14 was, the poorer the differentiation of the tumor cells was. Further knockdown SLC6A14 with siRNA or treatment with α-MT in CRC cell lines reduced cell proliferation and migration in vitro and inhibited xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, SLC6A14 was demonstrated to regulate the expression and phosphorylation of Akt-mTOR, which mediates the promoting tumor growth function of SLC6A14. Blockade of SLC6A14 with α-MT inhibited the activation of mTOR signaling. CONCLUSION: SLC6A14 was upregulated in CRC and could promote tumor progression by activating the Akt-mTOR signaling pathway, which may serve as an effective molecular target for the treatment of CRC.

Elevation of EIF4G1 promotes non-small cell lung cancer progression by activating mTOR signalling.

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4 gamma 1 (EIF4G1), as the key component of the transcription initiation factor complex EIF4F, is significantly upregulated in multiple solid tumours, including lung cancer. However, the function and mechanism of EIF4G1 in the regulation of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain unclear. Here, using the clinical samples and the comprehensive survival analysis platforms Kaplan-Meier plotter, we observed aberrant upregulation of EIF4G1 in NSCLC tissues; furthermore, high expression of EIF4G1 showed association with low differentiation of lung cancer cells and poor overall survival in NSCLC patients. Non-small-cell lung cancer cell line A549 and H1703 stably infected with EIF4G1 shRNA were used to determine the function of EIF4G1 in regulating cell proliferation and tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo. The results demonstrated that EIF4G1 promoted the G1/S transition of the cell cycle and tumour cell proliferation in non-small cell lung cancer. Mechanistically, EIF4G1 was found to regulate the expression and phosphorylation of mTOR (Ser2448), which mediates the tumorigenesis-promoting function of EIF4G1. The inhibition of mTOR attenuated the EIF4G1-induced development and progression of tumours. These findings demonstrated that EIF4G1 is a new potential molecular target for the clinical treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

Remote Control of Mechanical Forces via Mitochondrial-Targeted Magnetic Nanospinners for Efficient Cancer Treatment.

In cells, mechanical forces play a key role in impacting cell behaviors, including adhesion, differentiation, migration, and death. Herein, a 20 nm mitochondria-targeted zinc-doped iron oxide nanocube is designed as a nanospinner to exert mechanical forces under a rotating magnetic field (RMF) at 15 Hz and 40 mT to fight against cancer. The nanospinners can efficiently target the mitochondria of cancer cells. By means of the RMF, the nanocubes assemble in alignment with the external field and produce a localized mechanical force to impair the cancer cells. Both in vitro and in vivo studies show that the nanospinners can damage the cancer cells and reduce the brain tumor growth rate after the application of the RMF. This nanoplatform provides an effective magnetomechanical approach to treat deep-seated tumors in a spatiotemporal fashion.

6-Butyl-5-(4-methoxy-phen-oxy)-3-phenyl-3H-1,2,3-triazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidin-7(6H)-one.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(21)H(21)N(5)O(3), consists of two geometrically similar mol-ecules. The fused rings of the triazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidine system are nearly coplanar, making dihedral angels of 1.48 (18) and 1.34 (16)°, and the phenyl rings are twisted by 12.3 (1) and 8.7 (1)° with respect to the triazolopyrimidine plane. The ethyl groups of the n-butyl side chains are disordered over two sites in each of the independent mol-ecules, the ratios of occupancies being 0.60:0.40 and 0.61:0.39.

6-Allyl-3-(6-chloro-3-pyridylmeth-yl)-6,7-dihydro-3H-1,2,3-triazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidin-7-imine.

The title compound, C(13)H(12)ClN(7), crystallizes with two independent mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit, each with similar geometries. The dihedral angles between the triazole and pyrimidine rings are 0.45 (9) and 1.00 (10)° in the two mol-ecules. A number of N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds co-operate with C-H⋯N contacts, forming a supra-molecular array in the ab plane. C-H⋯π inter-actions are also present. One of the vinyl groups was found to be disordered so that the C(H)=CH(2) atoms were resolved over two positions with the major component having a site occupancy factor of 0.539 (4).

Ethyl 1-[(2-chloro-1,3-thia-zol-5-yl)methyl]-5-methyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxylate.

In the title compound, C(10)H(11)ClN(4)O(2)S, the triazole ring carries methyl and ethoxy-carbonyl groups and is bound via a methyl-ene bridge to a chloro-thia-zole unit. There is also evidence for significant electron delocalization in the triazolyl system. Intra- and inter-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds together with strong π-π stacking inter-actions [centroid-centroid distance 3.620 (1) Å] stabilize the structure.

3-(2-Hydroxy-ethyl)-2-(p-tolyl-amino)-quinazolin-4(3H)-one.

In the title compound, C(17)H(17)N(3)O(2), the quinazolinone ring system is essentially planar. The benzene ring is twisted with respect to it by a dihedral angle of 32.7 (5)°. The mol-ecular conformation is stabilized by an N-H⋯O hydrogen bond, and the crystal structure is stabilized by inter-molecular O-H⋯N inter-actions.

2,2'-Bis(4-fluoro-anilino)-3,3'-(3,6-dioxa-octane-1,8-di-yl)diquinazolin-4(3H)-one.

In the centrosymmetric title compound, C(34)H(30)F(2)N(6)O(4), the dihedral angle between the quinazolinone and fluorobenzene ring planes are 71.00 (2) and 74.94 (2)° and an intra-molecular N-H⋯O interaction stabilizes the conformation. In the crystal, C-H⋯F and C-H⋯O links help to establish the packing.