[Expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-reduced oxidase-4/reactive oxygen species and cystathionine-γ-lyase/hydrogen sulfide in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-related pulmonary hypertension].

Objective: To observe the levels of serum reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hydrogen sulfide(H(2)S) in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-reduced (NADPH) oxidase 4 (NOX4) and cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) in lung tissue of patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: (1) A total of 60 patients with AECOPD admitted to the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Ningxia Hui People's Hospital from November 2015 to December 2016 were recruited. According to the results of pulmonary function and echocardiography, the participants were divided into AECOPD-related pulmonary hypertension (PH) group(A) and AECOPD non-PH group (B).Other 30 healthy subjects were selected as the control group (C).Serum ROS and H(2)S of group A, B and C were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).(2)The lung tissues of patients undergoing lobectomy for lung cancer from November 2012 to April 2017 were collected, who were divided into COPD-related PH group (D), COPD non-PH group (E) and negative control (F). The expression of NOX4 and CSE protein in lung tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry and the thickness of pulmonary arteriole wall was measured. Results: (1)The serum ROS level in group A was higher than group B and C which were (613.52±69.66)IU/ml,(565.76±71.33)IU/ml, (294.63±60.39)IU/ml, respectively with that in group B higher than that in group C (P<0.05). Serum H(2)S level in group A was lower than group B and C, with that in group B lower than group C [(18.59±5.50) nmol/ml, (20.49±4.97) nmol/ml, (38.03±4.43) nmol/ml, respectively P<0.05]. ROS level was positively correlated with pulmonary systolic pressure (PASP) (r=0.59, P<0.05), H(2)S level was negatively correlated with PASP(r=-0.62, P<0.05).(2)The lung tissue expression of NOX4 in group D was higher than group E and F (P<0.05), which were 0.08±0.01,0.06±0.01,0.03±0.01, respectively,while the level of NOX4 in group E was higher than group F (P<0.05). The expression of CSE between group D, E and F were all significantly different (P<0.05),which were 0.03±0.01, 0.07±0.02,0.12±0.02, respectively.(3)Smooth muscle thickness of pulmonary arterioles as a percentage of vascular diameter (WT%) between group D, E and F was all different(P<0.05), which were (40.58±6.63)%,(36.87±5.60)%,(31.27±6.24)%, respectively; so was smooth muscle area of pulmonary arterioles as a percentage of total vascular area(WA%) with (32.33±6.27)%, (30.20±5.28)%, (25.20±4.31)%, respectively (P<0.05). (4)The expression of NOX4 was positively correlated with WT% and WA%, r was 0.81 and 0.66, respectively (P<0.05). The expression of CSE was negatively correlated with WT% and WA%, r was -0.55 and -0.39 respectively (P<0.05). Conclusions: NOX4/ROS and CSE/H(2)S signaling pathways may play an important role in the pathogenesis of COPD related PH.

Mechanisms of oxidative stress effects of the NADPH oxidase-ROS-NF-κB transduction pathway and VPO1 on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease combined with pulmonary hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored the oxidative stress effects of the NADPH oxidase-ROS-NF-κB transduction pathway and vascular peroxidase 1 (VPO1) on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) combined with pulmonary hypertension (PH). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 30 patients with pure COPD and 30 patients with stable COPD combined with PH, who were admitted to our hospital from January 2015 to December 2015, were enrolled as the control group and the observation group, respectively. NADPH oxidase activity in mononuclear cells, reactive oxygen species (ROS), NF-κB, VPO1 levels in serum, and further oxidative stress-related indices were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: Systolic pulmonary pressure (SPAP) (63.65±9.47 mmHg) of the observation group was higher than SPAP (53.13±7.52 mmHg) of the control group (p<0.05); malondialdehyde (MDA) (7.81±2.24 nmol/l) of the observation group was lower than MDA (9.54±3.38 nmol/l) of the control group (p<0.05); superoxide dismutase (SOD) (406.73±147.35 U/ml) of the observation group was higher than SOD (295.16±106.73 U/ml) of the control group (p<0.05). NADPH oxidase activity, ROS and NF-κB levels of the observation group were higher than those of the control group (p<0.05). The average level of serum VPO1 in the observation group (236.71±42.35) ng/L was significantly higher than that of the control group (122.56±34.62) ng/L (p<0.05). In the observation group, the level of SPAP was positively correlated with the concentration of VPO1 (r=0.615, p<0.05), the serum levels VPO1 were negatively correlated with MDA levels (r=-0.537, p<0.05), MDA and ROS levels were negatively correlated (r=-0.482, p<0.05), and the levels of SOD were positively correlated with NF-κB (r=0.427, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The NADPH oxidase-ROS-NF-κB transduction pathway, VPO1, oxidative stress and their complicated interactions are implicated in the occurrence and development of COPD combined with PH.

Essential role of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1-bearing CD8+CD44+CCR7+ T cells in acute skin allograft rejection.

A subset of naturally formed sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P1)-bearing CD8(+)CD44(+)CCR7(+) memory T cells has been identified in transplant recipient BALB/c (H-2(d)) mice. The frequency of this subset of memory T cells is significantly increased in the spleen, lymph nodes and skin grafts in the recipient BALB/c mice during acute skin allograft rejections. The immune-reconstitution with CD8(+)CD44(+)CCR7(+)S1P1(+) memory T cells facilitates acute skin allograft rejection in SCID mice. Being Th1-polarized and cytotoxic, CD8(+)CD44(+)CCR7(+)S1P1(+) memory T cells proliferate and differentiate immediately into effectors upon encountering allo-antigens. A siRNA against S1P1 inhibits CD8(+)CD44(+)CCR7(+)S1P1(+) memory T cell-mediated acute skin allograft rejection in SCID mice by means of knocking-down S1P1-expression. CCL21 mutant (CCL21-DeltaCT) has been used to compete with wild-type CCL21 in the course of binding to CCR7. Combined administration of siRNA S1P1 and CCL21-DeltaCT significantly prolongs the survival of skin allograft in the recipient BALB/c mice by means of inhibiting accumulation of CD8(+)CD44(+)CCR7(+)S1P1(+) memory T cells in the spleen and the skin grafts. Our data provide direct evidence that S1P1 and CCR7 are involved in the proliferation and trafficking of CD8(+)CD44(+)CCR7(+)S1P1(+) memory T cells. S1P1 may serve as a functional marker for CD8(+)CD44(+)CCR7(+) memory T cells. Targeting CD8(+)CD44(+)CCR7(+)S1P1(+) T cells may be a useful strategy to prolong the survival of allograft transplant.