Search PubMedSearch

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “INFLAMMATORY MECHANISMS”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Therapeutic effect and anti-inflammatory mechanism of modified Shoutai pills against lipopolysaccharide-induced miscarriage in mice.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of modified Shoutai pills (, MSTP) in miscarriages, we performed transcriptome sequencing on the decidua and placental tissues of pregnancy mice. METHODS: The therapeutic effects and anti-inflammatory mechanisms of MSTP were studied in mice with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced miscarriage. First, the effects of MSTP on pregnancy outcomes and the maternal-fetal interface, in LPS-induced miscarriage mice were examined. RNA sequencing was used to further investigate gene expression changes in LPS-induced miscarriage mice and to assess the effects of MSTP intervention. Finally, the expression levels of inflammation-related genes in the decidua and placental tissues were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: A high dose of MSTP significantly decreased the resorption rate (P < 0.05) and reduced apoptosis of the decidua and placental tissues in mice. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses showed that inflammatory and immune-related signals were enriched. qRT-PCR results confirmed that in decidual and placental tissues, MSTP reduced the gene expression levels of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-&#x3ba;B), c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1, p38, and tumor necrosis factor-&#x3b1;. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we demonstrated that MSTP effectively prevented embryo loss with an anti-inflammatory mechanism through downregulation of the TLR4-NF-&#x3ba;B/ MAPK signaling pathway, in LPS-induced miscarriage mice model. To our knowledge, this is the first study to reveal the therapeutic mechanism of MSTP in LPS-induced miscarriage in mice.

Animals

[Mechanism of anti-inflammatory action of 2-(2-fluoro-4-biphenylyl) propionic acid (flurbiprofen)].

Anti-inflammatory mechanism of 2-(2-fluoro-4-biphenylyl) propionic acid (Flurbiprofen, FP-70) was studied by various analysis in comparison with other drugs. It was found in the test of rat edema induced by various phlogists that carrageenin and yeast-induced edemas were markedly inhibited by FP-70, whereas dextran, formalin, serotonin and bradykinin-induced edemas were scarcely inhibited by FP-70. The action of FP-70 was similar to that of soy bean trypsin inhibitor. However, FP-70 showed no effects on kinin synthetase and kininase. FP-70 showed a marked inhibition on prostaglandin synthesis. The inhibitory effect of FP-70 was 10.1, 96.5 and 2280.6 times as large as indomethacin, ibuprofen and acetylsalicylic acid, respectively. FP-70 did not inhibit the permeability of dye induced by prostaglandin E2 in the rat skin. FP-70 inhibited the acid phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase activities of isolated lysosome of rat liver and also suppressed the release of acid phosphatase from the lysosome. These effects were similar to those of indomethacin. On the other hand, FP-70 suppressed markedly the heat-induced hemolysis of dog erythrocytes. The effect was similar to that of indomethacin and was 10 times stronger than those of ibuprofen, ibufenac and phenylbutazone. Activation of rat liver mitochondrial ATPase by FP-70 at a concentration of 10 muM was 74.7%, while indomethacin showed 37.8% activation at the same concentration. FP-70 as well as ibuprofen and phenylbutazone uncoupled the oxidative phosphorylation in rat liver mitochondria. From the above and previously reported results, it is suggested that the potent anti-inflammatory action of FP-70 is the result of the following effects; inhibition on the protein and leucocyte migration, inhibition on the prostaglandin synthesis, stabilization of the cell membrane and activation of ATPase.

Animals

[Phagocytosis--a central mechanism in inflammatory reaction (author's transl)].

It is attempted to describe the complex pathogenesis of the inflammatory reaction by analysing the mechanisms of several reactions involved. Phagocytosis is a central phenomenon of host defense mechanisms responding to an invasion of foreign bodies. The induction of secondary reactions following phagocytosis is looked at. Several pathogenetic mechanisms responsible for a switch from acute to chronic inflammation are suggested. Known principles of the autonomous regulation of cell effector functions are discussed in relation to their participation in inflammatory reactions.

Acute Disease

Degradation of basic protein in myelin by neutral proteases secreted by stimulated macrophages: a possible mechanism of inflammatory demyelination.

In inflammatory demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis and experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, myelin destruction occurs in the vicinity of infiltrating mononuclear cells. The observations that myelin can be altered prior to phagocytosis and in areas not contiguous with inflammatory cells suggests a common mechanism for the initial stages of demyelination. Because stimulated macrophages secrete several neutral proteases, including plasminogen activator, we have investigated the possibility that myelinolysis could be mediated directly or indirectly by these enzymes. Isolated myelin was incubated with conditioned media from cultures of thioglycollate-stimulated mouse peritoneal macrophages in the presence and absence of plasminogen. Myelin appeared to be vulnerable to attack by at least two proteolytic activities secreted by the macrophages, a plasminogen-dependent and a plasminogen-independent activity; of the major proteins in myelin, the basic protein was most susceptible. The direct myelinolytic activity of macrophage-conditioned media was abolished by EDTA, and the plasminogen-dependent hydrolysis was abolished by p-nitrophenylguanidinobenzoate, an inhibitor of plasminogen activator and plasmin. These results suggest that the plasminogen activator released by the stimulated macrophages generated plasmin which hydrolyzed basic protein in intact myelin. This interpretation was confirmed by the observation that urokinase, a plasminogen activator, in the presence of plasminogen brought about marked degradation of basic protein in myelin. We propose that the release of neutral proteases by stimulated macrophages involved in cell-mediated reactions, and its amplification by the plasminogen-plasmin system, may play a significant role in the demyelination observed in several inflammatory demyelinating diseases.

Animals

Neutral proteinases secreted by macrophages degrade basic protein: a possible mechanism of inflammatory demyelination.

In the inflammatory demyelinating diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, Landry-Guillain-Barré syndrome and experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, demyelination occurs in the vicinity of infiltrating mononuclear cells. Although the histopathology is characteristic of each disease, the general observation that myelin destruction in inflammatory lesions begins prior to phagocytosis suggests a common mechanism for myelinolysis in these diseases. Recent studies show that stimulated macrophages secrete several neutral proteinases, including plasminogen (Plg) activator. We have tested the possibility that these proteinases could, directly or indirectly, initiate myelin destruction. Isolated brain myelin was incubated with supernatant media from cultures of stimulated mouse peritoneal macrophages in the presence and absence of Plg. Cell supernatants alone caused some degradation of basic protein (BP) in myelin. The amount degraded was considerably enhanced in the presence of Plg. The other myelin proteins remained essentially intact. While the Plg-independent proteolytic activity in the supernatants was abolished by EDTA, known to inhibit the neutral proteinases, the Plg-dependent hydrolysis was inhibited by p-nitrophenylguanidinobenzoate, an inhibitor of Plg activator and plasmin. These results suggested that the Plg activator secreted by the macrophages generated plasmin, which selectively degraded BP. This interpretation was confirmed by the observation that urokinase, a Plg activator, plus Plg was effective in degrading BP in myelin. We propose that the action of neutral proteinases released by stimulated macrophages, and its amplification by the Plg-plasmin system, may play a significant role in several inflammatory demyelinating diseases; and that the relative specificity of these reactions for myelin lies in the extreme susceptibility of BP to proteolysis.

Animals

Reduced R-loop abundance at proinflammatory loci: a shared epigenetic mechanism in inflammatory and metabolic diseases.

INTRODUCTION: R-loops, RNA-DNA hybrid structures with a displaced single-stranded DNA loop, are key regulators of transcriptional control, chromatin architecture, and genome stability and have emerging roles in inflammatory signaling. However, the relationship between R-loop abundance and strongly modulated inflammatory effector genes in metabolic inflammation and influenza virus infection remains underexplored. METHODS: We performed a locus-centric integrative analysis combining robust differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from multiple inflammatory and infection-related murine and human transcriptomic disease models with experimentally validated multi-cell R-loop annotations from the reference atlas RLoopBase. Our correlation framework evaluated the directional relationship between R-loop abundance and inflammatory gene expression rather than assuming disease-sample-matched R-loop measurements. We further analyzed R-loop regulatory proteins, NRF2-associated R-loop regulators, and overlaps between R-loop regulators and CRISPRi-identified mitochondrial and cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulators. RESULTS: In angiotensin II-infused apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice, a model of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), genomic regions encoding the top significantly upregulated genes exhibited significantly fewer R-loops than those encoding downregulated genes at days 14 and 28. Similarly, in atherosclerotic ApoE-/- mice fed a high-fat diet for 32 and 78 weeks, upregulated genes were associated with fewer R-loops than downregulated genes. Reduced R-loop abundance was also observed in genomic regions encoding the top significantly upregulated genes in liver tissues from patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), as well as in monosodium urate (MSU)-stimulated lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) and influenza virus-infected human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). R-loop regulatory proteins upregulated during metabolic inflammation were enriched in immune and inflammatory pathways. NRF2 was identified as a regulator of 27 R-loop regulatory proteins, including 10 positively and 17 negatively regulated proteins. Furthermore, 54 R-loop regulatory proteins overlapped with CRISPRi-identified mitochondrial and cellular ROS regulators, suggesting potential reciprocal regulation between R-loop homeostasis and ROS signaling. Disease-associated changes in pro-ROS and anti-ROS R-loop regulatory proteins further linked R-loop regulation to inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways. DISCUSSION: These findings identify reduced R-loop abundance at genomic regions encoding strongly upregulated inflammatory genes as a shared feature across multiple models of metabolic inflammation and influenza virus infection. The results further suggest that immune-associated R-loop regulatory proteins and the NRF2-ROS axis may contribute to R-loop remodeling during inflammatory disease. This integrative framework provides new insight into the potential role of R-loops and ROS-sensitive R-loop regulators in inflammatory and metabolic diseases and identifies candidate pathways for future mechanistic investigation and therapeutic targeting.

R-loop regulatory proteins

Back pain: mechanical or inflammatory?

The majority of patients with a recent onset of back pain that developed rapidly over a few hours have nonspecific spinal disease. The disorder is likely to be self-limited. In contrast, patients presenting with an insidious onset of pain that has lasted for several weeks may have ankylosing spondylitis. Since management differs for the two types of disease, the correct diagnosis is mandatory. The diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis is confirmed radiologically.

Adolescent

Histamine, norepinephrine and serotonin content of nasal polyps.

Histamine, norepinephrine and serotonin were assayed and localized by fluorescence histochemistry in normal mucosa and nasal polyps because of their possible role in the development of inflammation and edema. Histamine was present in greater concentration in nasal polyps than in normal mucosa. Norepinephrine was present primarily in the base of nasal polyps and in greater concentration than in normal mucosa. Patients with aspirin sensitivity and asthma had much lower histamine concentrations in their nasal polyps than all other patients with nasal polyps. A proposal for a possible mechanism of formation of nasal polyps based on vascular and inflammatory mechanisms and incorporative roles for histamine and norepinephrine is presented.

Adolescent

Spatially Distinct Bone Marrow Sites Are Asymmetrically Impacted by Inflammatory Cardiovascular Disease.

Cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of mortality globally, is increasingly recognized to involve complex bone marrow-driven inflammatory mechanisms, yet the impact on spatially distinct bone marrow sites and comorbidities remains poorly understood. To address this, we developed MarrowMet, a methodology for whole-body, site-specific quantification of bone marrow activity. The approach involves intravenously injecting the metabolic tracer 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) in mice, followed by bone excision to quantify site-specific bone marrow activity, with values then superimposed on a whole-body mouse atlas. After establishing that 18F-FDG bone marrow uptake strongly correlated with inflammatory activity, we applied MarrowMet to map site-specific activation patterns across diverse cardiovascular pathologies, including mouse models of inflammatory atherosclerosis, acute ischemic events, acute respiratory distress syndrome, metabolic syndrome, and aging. MarrowMet guided the selection of bone marrow regions of interest for in-depth mass cytometric analyses, with the skull and sternum emerging as critical sites exhibiting distinct immune and metabolic profiles in cardiovascular disease. These results challenge the prevailing view that femoral marrow represents systemic activity. Together, this work lays a foundation for whole-body exploration of bone marrow heterogeneity, yielding critical insights into cardiovascular disease and associated inflammatory responses, and MarrowMet can be readily adopted to profile other immune mechanisms in a variety of pathologies, including cancer and autoimmune diseases.

(18)F-FDG

Effects of anti-inflammatory drugs on the carrageenin-induced hind paw inflammation of rats deprived of endogenous precursors of prostaglandins.

The carrageenin-induced paw oedema was used to study anti-inflammatory drugs in normal rats and in those deprived of endogenous precursors of prostaglandins. The latter condition was achieved by permanently keeping the rats on essential fatty acid deficient (EFAD) food. Indomethacin inhibited the carrageenin-oedema in normal rats, but failed to further suppress the poorly developed delayed phase of the carrageenin-induced inflammation in EFAD rats. In contrast, aspirin exhibited equal inhibition of the carrageenin oedema in both normal and EFAD rats. The anti-inflammatory effect of dexamethasone was also indentical in both normal and EFAD rats. Since in EFAD rats the inflammatory role of an increased output of prostaglandins is of negligible importance, the results with aspirin and dexamethasone shed some doubt on such views, that suppression of the release of prostaglandins alone explains the acute anti-inflammatory effects of these drugs. The inflammatory response of EFAD rats is a model situation appearing to be useful in studying anti-inflammatory mechanisms which, under normal conditions, might be masked by interference with the release of prostaglandins.

Animals

Measurement of prostaglandin E2 in an inflammatory exudate: effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents.

A method was developed for extracting and measuring nanogram quantities of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) from carrageenan-induced abscess in the rat. PGE2 concentration, quantitated by radioimmunoassay, was 42.5 and 92.9 ng/g of abscess in two studies. Anti-inflammatory activity, based on reduction in abscess weight, was observed with indomethacin, phenylbutazone, SC-19220 and A-22981; however, only indomethacin (10 mg/kg i.p.) significantly reduced PGE2 levels in the abscess tissue. Dose-related anti-inflammatory activity of indomethacin (1-10 mg/kg i.p.) was directly correlated with reductions of PGE2 content in the abscess. These data support the theory that the anti-inflammatory activity of indomethacin in the carrageenan abscess model involves inhibition of prostaglandin formation. Dose-related suppression of abscess formation by SC-19220 (7.5-30 mg/kg i.p.) was not related to changes in PGE2 levels at the inflammatory site, which suggests that the anti-inflammatory mechanism of SC-19220 is not mediated via inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis.

Abscess

Brucellar spondylitis is associated with disturbance in gut microbiota and histamine metabolism associated inflammation.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of brucellar spondylitis (BLS) has traditionally been considered to be primarily limited to local osteoarticular lesions. With the proposal of the "gut-spine axis" concept, the role of intestinal microecological dysbiosis in inflammatory spinal diseases has attracted in an increase of attention. The overactivated inflammatory cytokine network not only mediates bone destruction and intervertebral disc damage, but also forms a bidirectional interaction with gut microbiota dysbiosis through the "gut-spine axis," collectively driving disease progression. However, the inflammatory mechanism by which gut microbiota participates in the pathological process of BLS remains largely unclear. METHODS: This study recruited 20 BLS patients and 20 healthy donors. Multi-omics analysis including metagenomics, untargeted metabolomics, and targeted short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) analysis, were used to compare the structural differences in gut microbiota between the two groups and screen for signature differential bacterial species. Plasma levels of histamine and histidine decarboxylase were measured by ELISA to clarify the role of differential histidine metabolic pathway in the disease. Additionally, plasma levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and inflammatory cytokines (IL-1&#x3b2;, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, TNF-&#x3b1;) were detected by ELISA. The correlation between gut microbiota and inflammatory indicators was further analyzed. RESULTS: Compared to the healthy control group, the &#x3b1;-diversity of the gut microbiota in BLS patients was significantly reduced, with the microbial community structure exhibiting increased homogeneity. Beta diversity analysis revealed significant differences, suggesting that disease progression is associated with an overall imbalance in the gut microbiota and the deterioration of its specific structural composition. At the phylum level, the abundances of Actinomycetota, unclassified_d_Viruses, and Fusobacteriota were significantly increased in the gut microbiota of BLS patients compared to the control group, while the abundances of Bacillota and Pseudomonadota were significantly decreased. Further analysis revealed that, compared to the control group, the generic abundance of Enterococcus was significantly increased, while the proportions of Blautia, Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, Agathobacter, Roseburia, Clostridium, Eubacterium, Alistipes and Anaerobutyricum were significantly decreased. At the species level, the abundances of Enterococcus sp and Enterococcus-faecium were increased, whereas Blautia sp, Ruminococcus sp, Faecalibacterium sp, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Agathobacter rectalis, Eubacterium sp, Agathobacter sp, and Roseburia sp were decreased. Furthermore, untargeted metabolomics revealed that metabolites were enriched in the histidine metabolic pathway, and the levels of SCFAs including butyrate, isobutyrate, valerate, and 4-methylvalerate in the intestinal contents were reduced in BLS. Functional KEGG profiling revealed that key KOs involved in butyrate synthesis (e.g., K00074, K00172, K01640) and transport were globally downregulated in the patient group, whereas histidine decarboxylase KOs (K01693, K11755, K19787) that convert histidine to pro-inflammatory histamine were significantly enriched. The loss of butyrate-producing symbionts led to SCFAs deficiency and mucosal barrier disruption, creating ecological niches for facultatively anaerobic Enterococcus, which further exacerbated local inflammation via proteolytic fermentation and histamine production. Compared with the control group, BLS patients showed decreased plasma levels of IL-10, while levels of IL-1&#x3b2;, IL-6, IL-17A, and TNF-&#x3b1; were increased, and LPS levels were elevated. In addition, significantly elevated plasma pro-inflammatory LPS levels in patients with BLS suggest disruption of intestinal integrity and permeability. Correlation analysis indicated a close relationship between gut microbiota and inflammation. CONCLUSION: BLS is associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis and alterations in microbial metabolites, which may be linked to inflammatory responses and histamine metabolism. The differential microbial taxa identified in this study could be developed into a stool-based non-invasive diagnostic panel to facilitate early differentiation of BLS from other spinal disorders. Furthermore, restoring gut microbial balance through probiotic supplementation or dietary modulation may represent a promising adjunctive strategy to enhance the efficacy of standard antibiotic therapy and reduce disease recurrence.

Humans

Interleukin-6 related signaling pathways as the intersection between chronic diseases and sepsis.

Sepsis is associated with immune dysregulated and organ dysfunction due to severe infection. Clinicians aim to restore organ function, rather than prevent diseases that are prone to sepsis, resulting in high mortality and a heavy public health burden. Some chronic diseases can induce sepsis through inflammation cascade reaction and Cytokine Storm (CS). Interleukin (IL)-6, the core of CS, and its related signaling pathways have been considered as contributors to sepsis. Therefore, it is important to study the relationship between IL-6 and its related pathways in sepsis-related chronic diseases. This review generalized the mechanism of sepsis-related chronic diseases via IL-6 related pathways with the purpose to take rational management for these diseases. IL-6 related signaling pathways were sought in Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and retrieved protein-protein interaction in the Search for Interaction Genes tool (STRING). In PubMed and Google Scholar, the studies were searched out, which correlating to IL-6 related pathways and associating with the pathological process of sepsis. Focused on the interactions of sepsis and IL-6 related pathways, some chronic diseases have been studied for association with sepsis, containing insulin resistance, Alcoholic liver disease (ALD), Alzheimer disease (AD), and atherosclerosis. This article summarized the inflammatory mechanisms of IL-6 cross-talked with other mediators of some chronic diseases in vitro, animal models, and human experiments, leading to the activation of pathways and accelerating the progression of sepsis. The clinicians should be highlight to this kind of diseases and more clinical trials are needed to provide more reliable theoretical basis for health policy formulation.

Humans

Candidate biomarker identification for blood stasis syndrome among coronary artery disease patients using the Olink proteomics platform.

OBJECTIVE: To identify candidate biomarkers of blood stasis syndrome (BSS) associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) and explore the underlying inflammatory mechanisms. METHODS: Using the Olink Target 96 Inflammation panel, we identified plasma proteins in a group of 88 patients comprised of healthy controls (HCs), those with CAD and BSS (CAD-BSS), those with CAD without BSS (CAD-non-BSS), and those with BSS without CAD (non-CAD-BSS) (n = 22 in each group). Protein molecules that were specifically expressed in CAD or BSS were identified by differential expression analyses. Subsequently, potential protein biomarkers were identified using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression to enable CAD and BSS differentiation. The potential functional mechanisms of identified proteins were then determined by Gene Ontology enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses. RESULTS: Patients with CAD had 31/92 upregulated and 4/92 downregulated proteins compared with those without. Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 11 (CCL11), CUB domain-containing protein 1, hepatocyte growth factor, sirtuin 2 (SIRT2), eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1), CCL25, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) showed the strongest upregulation (all P <0.0001). Patients with BSS had 8/92 downregulated proteins, specifically CCL28, CCL11, cystatin D, STAM-binding protein, 4E-BP1, matrix metalloproteinase-10, SIRT2, and monocyte chemotactic protein 4, compared with those without (all P < 0.05). The CAD-BSS group had one interleukin-17 (IL-17) upregulated and 10/92 downregulated proteins compared with the CAD-non-BSS group. When compared with the non-CAD-BSS group, the CAD-BSS group had 8 upregulated proteins but only 2 downregulated proteins, namely interleukin-10 receptor subunit alpha (IL-10RA) and TNF-related activation-induced cytokine (both P < 0.05). Totally 10 proteins were identified as potential candidate biomarkers of BSS in CAD patients. After least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis, two proteins that distinguished between BSS and non-BSS individuals among CAD patients were identified (SIRT2 and 4E-BP1). These proteins are primarily associated with the mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling pathway, which regulates inflammation and oxidative stress. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that the inflammatory response and mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling pathway participate in CAD and BSS development, and that SIRT2 and 4E-BP1 are prospective protein biomarkers for patients with CAD and BSS.

Humans

11-O-galloylbergenin alleviates LPS-stimulated inflammation in RAW 264.7 macrophages by targeting Grb2, RhoA, and Cdc42 in the RAS signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the anti-inflammatory mechanism of 11-O-galloylbergenin in macrophages. METHODS: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages were treated with 11-O-galloylbergenin. Cytotoxicity was assessed by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and cytokine secretion was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assay. Data-independent acquisition (DIA)-based proteomics, Gene Ontology (GO)/Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, western blotting, and molecular docking were also performed. RESULTS: 11-O-Galloylbergenin (&#x2264;50&#x202f;&#x3bc;g/mL) was non-cytotoxic and significantly suppressed tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-&#x3b1;) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion. Proteomics analysis identified 209 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) that showed opposite expression trends before and after 11-O-galloylbergenin treatment. Seven of these DEPs were enriched in the RAS pathway: RhoA, Cdc42, Grb2, RalB, Calm3, Gnb2, and Pla2g4a. Western blotting confirmed that 11-O-galloylbergenin downregulated RhoA, Cdc42, and Grb2 expression. Molecular docking revealed good binding affinity of 11-O-galloylbergenin to RhoA, Cdc42, and Grb2. CONCLUSION: 11-O-Galloylbergenin alleviates LPS-stimulated inflammation in RAW 264.7 macrophages by inhibiting the RAS signaling pathway.

Animals

Anti-inflammatory activity of an IL-6 missense variant against crystal-induced inflammatory response.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has an important modulator effect on inflammation and immunity and is involved in the progression of nephrolithiasis (kidney stone). However, whether IL-6 genetic variants affect the pathogenesis of kidney stones remains unclear. The present study conducted a combined investigation of candidate gene-driven screening and systematic screening on whole exome sequencing data from 28 patients of calcium oxalate stones, identifying a non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs13306435 in IL-6 as a candidate research locus, which was further validated using HRM genotyping in an expanded cohort comprising 241 cases and 229 healthy subjects. Western blotting and qRT-PCR were used to assess the effects of this variant on crystal-induced inflammation, while molecular dynamics simulation was employed to analyze structural alterations in the receptor binding complex. In individuals aged &#x2264;40&#xa0;years, the A allele of rs13306435 was nominally associated with a reduced risk of stone formation, but no association was observed for the whole population. This missense variant causes an aspartate-to-glutamate substitution (D/E), inhibiting calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM)-triggered JAK2/STAT3 activation and inflammatory responses. However, it decreased the binding energy of IL-6/IL-6R/gp130 complex by increasing hydrogen bonds and salt brigdge at remote interfaces, suggesting that enhanced receptor binding does not necessarily translate to increased downstream signaling. Although this variant is not associated with general stone susceptibility, it exhibits notable anti-inflammatory activity by attenuating COM-induced JAK2/STAT3 activation and may influence the progression of stones through this pathway. These findings provide new insights into the role of anti-inflammatory mechanisms in nephrolithiasis.

Humans

TNF&#x3b1;-dependent modulation of WT1-MMP9 regulatory axis links developmental and inflammatory pathways in glaucoma.

Glaucomas are heterogeneous optic neuropathies associated with extracellular matrix dysregulation, abnormal ocular morphogenesis, and inflammatory signaling. Targeted deep sequencing of 586 primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) cases and 1,757 controls identified rare pathogenic variants in multiple genes, including WT1 and MMP9. Notably, WT1 variants clustered within the nuclear export sequence. Further, functional analyses showed that combined wt1-pax6 suppression in zebrafish disrupted ocular morphogenesis, highlighting developmental interdependence. In human trabecular meshwork cells, WT1 acted as a transcriptional repressor of MMP9, while TNF-&#x3b1; signaling triggered nitric oxide-dependent nuclear export of WT1, resulting in delayed MMP9 upregulation. This effect was reversible by inhibiting nuclear export or nitric oxide synthase. A patient-derived mutation in the nuclear-export region of WT1, disrupted this regulatory switch, causing abnormal MMP9 expression. These findings position WT1 as an important regulator linking developmental and inflammatory mechanisms in glaucoma pathogenesis.

anterior segment dysgenesis