-
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2024Estrogen (17β-estradiol) deficiency post-menopause alters bone homeostasis whereby bone resorption by osteoclasts exceeds bone formation by osteoblasts, leading to...
Estrogen (17β-estradiol) deficiency post-menopause alters bone homeostasis whereby bone resorption by osteoclasts exceeds bone formation by osteoblasts, leading to osteoporosis in females. We established an in vitro model to examine the consequences of estrogen withdrawal (E2-WD) on osteoclasts derived from the mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cell line and utilized it to investigate the mechanism behind the enhanced osteoclast activity post-menopause. We found that a greater population of osteoclasts that underwent E2-WD contained a podosome belt necessary for osteoclasts to adhere and resorb bone and possessed elevated resorptive activity compared to osteoclasts exposed to estrogen (E2) continuously. Our results show that compared to osteoclasts that received E2 continuously, those that underwent E2-WD had a faster rate of microtubule (MT) growth, reduced RhoA activation, and shorter podosome lifespan. Thus, altered podosome and MT dynamics induced by the withdrawal of estrogen supports podosome belt assembly/stability in osteoclasts, which may explain their enhanced bone resorption activity.
Topics: Animals; Osteoclasts; Mice; RAW 264.7 Cells; Estrogens; Bone Resorption; Podosomes; Microtubules; Female; rhoA GTP-Binding Protein; Estradiol; Cell Culture Techniques
PubMed: 38892322
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116134 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024We aimed to determine whether monitoring tumor-derived exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) could be used to assess radiotherapeutic sensitivity in patients with locally advanced...
We aimed to determine whether monitoring tumor-derived exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) could be used to assess radiotherapeutic sensitivity in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). RNA sequencing was employed to conduct a comparative analysis of miRNA expression levels during radiotherapy, focusing on identifying miRNAs associated with progression. Electron microscopy confirmed the existence of exosomes, and co-cultivation assays and immunofluorescence validated their capacity to infiltrate macrophages. To determine the mechanism by which exosomal miR-143-3p regulates the interplay between ESCC cells and M2 macrophages, ESCC cell-derived exosomes were co-cultured with macrophages. Serum miR-143-3p and miR-223-3p were elevated during radiotherapy, suggesting resistance to radiation and an unfavorable prognosis for ESCC. Increased levels of both miRNAs independently predicted shorter progression-free survival ( = 0.015). We developed a diagnostic model for ESCC using serum microRNAs, resulting in an area under the curve of 0.751. Radiotherapy enhanced the release of miR-143-3p from ESCC cell-derived exosomes. Immune cell infiltration analysis at the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database revealed that ESCC cell-derived miR-143-3p triggered M2 macrophage polarization. Mechanistically, miR-143-3p upregulation affected chemokine activity and cytokine signaling pathways. Furthermore, ESCC cell exosomal miR-143-3p could be transferred to macrophages, thereby promoting their polarization. Serum miR-143-3p and miR-223-3p could represent diagnostic and prognostic markers for patients with ESCC undergoing radiotherapy. Unfavorable prognosis could be linked to the increased levels of ESCC cell-derived exosomal miR-143-3p, which might promote tumor progression by interacting with macrophages.
Topics: MicroRNAs; Humans; Exosomes; Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; Macrophages; Radiation Tolerance; Esophageal Neoplasms; Cell Line, Tumor; Male; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Aged; Macrophage Activation
PubMed: 38892269
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116082 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a life-threatening condition characterized by the uncontrolled activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, NK cells, and... (Review)
Review
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a life-threatening condition characterized by the uncontrolled activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, NK cells, and macrophages, resulting in an overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines. A primary and a secondary form are distinguished depending on whether or not it is associated with hematologic, infectious, or immune-mediated disease. Clinical manifestations include fever, splenomegaly, neurological changes, coagulopathy, hepatic dysfunction, cytopenia, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperferritinemia, and hemophagocytosis. In adults, therapy, although aggressive, is often unsuccessful. We report the case of a 41-year-old man with no apparent history of previous disease and an acute onset characterized by fever, fatigue, and weight loss. The man was from Burkina Faso and had made trips to his home country in the previous five months. On admission, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, increased creatinine and transaminases, LDH, and CRP with a normal ESR were found. The patient also presented with hypertriglyceridemia and hyperferritinemia. An infectious or autoimmune etiology was ruled out. A total body CT scan showed bilateral pleural effusion and hilar mesenterial, abdominal, and paratracheal lymphadenopathy. Lymphoproliferative disease with HLH complication was therefore suspected. High doses of glucocorticoids were then administered. A cytologic analysis of the pleural effusion showed anaplastic lymphoma cells and bone marrow aspirate showed hemophagocytosis. An Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) DNA load of more than 90000 copies/mL was found. Bone marrow biopsy showed a marrow localization of peripheral T lymphoma. The course was rapidly progressive until the patient died. HLH is a rare but usually fatal complication in adults of hematologic, autoimmune, and malignant diseases. Very early diagnosis and treatment are critical but not always sufficient to save patients.
Topics: Humans; Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic; Male; Adult; Macrophage Activation Syndrome
PubMed: 38892108
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115921 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024The pancreas is an organ with both exocrine and endocrine functions, comprising a highly organized and complex tissue microenvironment composed of diverse cellular and... (Review)
Review
The pancreas is an organ with both exocrine and endocrine functions, comprising a highly organized and complex tissue microenvironment composed of diverse cellular and non-cellular components. The impairment of microenvironmental homeostasis, mediated by the dysregulation of cell-to-cell crosstalk, can lead to pancreatic diseases such as pancreatitis, diabetes, and pancreatic cancer. Macrophages, key immune effector cells, can dynamically modulate their polarization status between pro-inflammatory (M1) and anti-inflammatory (M2) modes, critically influencing the homeostasis of the pancreatic microenvironment and thus playing a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of the pancreatic disease. This review aims to summarize current findings and provide detailed mechanistic insights into how alterations mediated by macrophage polarization contribute to the pathogenesis of pancreatic disorders. By analyzing current research comprehensively, this article endeavors to deepen our mechanistic understanding of regulatory molecules that affect macrophage polarity and the intricate crosstalk that regulates pancreatic function within the microenvironment, thereby facilitating the development of innovative therapeutic strategies that target perturbations in the pancreatic microenvironment.
Topics: Humans; Macrophages; Animals; Pancreatic Diseases; Cellular Microenvironment; Pancreas; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Macrophage Activation
PubMed: 38891952
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115765 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Functional foods enriched with plant polyphenol anthocyanins attract particular attention due to their health-promoting properties, including antitumor activity. We...
Functional foods enriched with plant polyphenol anthocyanins attract particular attention due to their health-promoting properties, including antitumor activity. We evaluated the effects of a grain diet rich in anthocyanins in a mouse model of Lewis lung carcinoma. Mice of the C57BL/6 strain were fed with wheat of near-isogenic lines differing in the anthocyanin content for four months prior to tumor transplantation. Although a significant decrease in the size of the tumor and the number of metastases in the lungs was revealed in the groups with both types of grain diet, the highest percentage of animals without metastases and with attenuated cell proliferation in the primary tumor were observed in the mice with the anthocyanin-rich diet. Both grain diets reduced the body weight gain and spleen weight index. The antitumor effects of the grain diets were associated with the activation of different mechanisms: immune response of the allergic type with augmented interleukin(IL)-9 and eotaxin serum levels in mice fed with control grain vs. inhibition of the IL-6/LIF system accompanied by a decrease in the tumor-associated M2 macrophage marker arginase 1 gene mRNA levels and enhanced autophagy in the tumor evaluated by the mRNA levels of Beclin 1 gene. Thus, anthocyanin-rich wheat is suggested as a promising source of functional nutrition with confirmed in vivo antitumor activity.
Topics: Animals; Anthocyanins; Carcinoma, Lewis Lung; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Disease Models, Animal; Diet; Cell Proliferation; Lung Neoplasms; Edible Grain; Antineoplastic Agents; Triticum
PubMed: 38891915
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115727 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Skin macrophages are critical to maintain and restore skin homeostasis. They serve as major producers of cytokines and chemokines in the skin, participating in diverse...
Skin macrophages are critical to maintain and restore skin homeostasis. They serve as major producers of cytokines and chemokines in the skin, participating in diverse biological processes such as wound healing and psoriasis. The heterogeneity and functional diversity of macrophage subpopulations endow them with multifaceted roles in psoriasis development. A distinct subpopulation of skin macrophages, characterized by high expression of CD169, has been reported to exist in both mouse and human skin. However, its role in psoriasis remains unknown. Here, we report that CD169 macrophages exhibit increased abundance in imiquimod (IMQ) induced psoriasis-like skin lesions. Specific depletion of CD169 macrophages in CD169-ditheria toxin receptor (CD169-DTR) mice inhibits IMQ-induced psoriasis, resulting in milder symptoms, diminished proinflammatory cytokine levels and reduced proportion of Th17 cells within the skin lesions. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis uncovers enhanced activity in CD169 macrophages when compared with CD169 macrophages, characterized by upregulated genes that are associated with cell activation and cell metabolism. Mechanistically, CD169 macrophages isolated from IMQ-induced skin lesions produce more proinflammatory cytokines and exhibit enhanced ability to promote Th17 cell differentiation in vitro. Collectively, our findings highlight the crucial involvement of CD169 macrophages in psoriasis development and offer novel insights into the heterogeneity of skin macrophages in the context of psoriasis.
Topics: Animals; Psoriasis; Macrophages; Mice; Skin; Sialic Acid Binding Ig-like Lectin 1; Imiquimod; Cytokines; Disease Models, Animal; Th17 Cells; Cell Differentiation; Mice, Inbred C57BL
PubMed: 38891893
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115705 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024is an emerging foodborne pathogenic bacterium that can cause severe cholera-like diarrhea and various extraintestinal infections, posing challenges to public health and...
is an emerging foodborne pathogenic bacterium that can cause severe cholera-like diarrhea and various extraintestinal infections, posing challenges to public health and food safety worldwide. The arginine deiminase (ADI) pathway plays an important role in bacterial environmental adaptation and pathogenicity. However, the biological functions and regulatory mechanisms of the pathway in remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that L-arginine upregulates the expression of the ADI gene cluster and promotes the growth of . The ADI gene cluster, which we proved to be comprised of two operons, and , significantly enhances the survival of in acidic environments both in vitro (in culture medium and in macrophage) and in vivo (in mice). The mRNA level and reporter gene fusion analyses revealed that ArgR, a transcriptional factor, is necessary for the activation of both and transcriptions. Bioinformatic analysis predicted the existence of multiple potential ArgR binding sites at the and promoter regions that were further confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay, DNase I footprinting, or point mutation analyses. Together, our study provides insights into the important role of the ArgR-ADI pathway in the survival of under acidic conditions and the detailed molecular mechanism. These findings will deepen our understanding of how environmental changes and gene expression interact to facilitate bacterial adaptations and virulence.
Topics: Animals; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Bacterial Proteins; Mice; Hydrolases; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Operon; Repressor Proteins; Vibrio; Arginine; Multigene Family; Virulence; Microbial Viability
PubMed: 38891866
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115679 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the major leading cause of mortality worldwide, is a progressive and irreversible respiratory condition characterized by... (Review)
Review
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the major leading cause of mortality worldwide, is a progressive and irreversible respiratory condition characterized by peripheral airway and lung parenchymal inflammation, accompanied by fibrosis, emphysema, and airflow limitation, and has multiple etiologies, including genetic variance, air pollution, and repetitive exposure to harmful substances. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of COPD have not been identified. Recent multiomics-based evidence suggests that the plasticity of alveolar macrophages contributes to the onset and progression of COPD through the coordinated modulation of numerous transcription factors. Therefore, this review focuses on understanding the mechanisms and functions of macrophage polarization that regulate lung homeostasis in COPD. These findings may provide a better insight into the distinct role of macrophages in COPD pathogenesis and perspective for developing novel therapeutic strategies targeting macrophage polarization.
Topics: Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Humans; Macrophages, Alveolar; Animals; Macrophage Activation; Macrophages; Lung
PubMed: 38891820
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115631 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... May 2024The inflammasome is a vital part of the host's innate immunity activated by cellular infection or stress. Our previous research identified the bovine SP110c isoform...
The inflammasome is a vital part of the host's innate immunity activated by cellular infection or stress. Our previous research identified the bovine SP110c isoform (bSP110c) as a novel activator of the inflammasome that promoted the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 in macrophages infected with or stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). However, the exact molecular mechanism for inhibiting bSP110c-induced inflammasome activation requires further clarification. Here, the researchers identified bovine DDX3X (bDDX3X) as an NLRP3-associated protein and an inhibitor of the bSP110c-induced inflammasome in the human THP1 macrophage cell line. Immunoprecipitation showed that bDDX3X interacted with the bSP110c CARD domain via its helicase domain. The co-expression of bSP110c and bDDX3X in THP1 macrophages significantly prevented the bSP110c-induced activation of inflammasomes. In addition, both bDDX3X and bSP110c interacted with bovine NLRP3 (bNLRP3), and bDDX3X enhanced the interaction between bSP110c and bNLRP3. The expression of bDDX3X in nigericin-stimulated THP1 macrophages significantly suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation, ASC speck formation, and pyroptosis. These findings demonstrate that bDDX3X negatively regulates the bSP110c-mediated inflammatory response by restricting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. This discovery unveils a novel regulatory mechanism involving bDDX3X and bSP110c in coordinating inflammasome activation and subsequent cell-fate decisions in LPS-treated macrophages and, in turn, constitutes a step forward toward the implementation of marker-assisted selection in breeding programs aimed at utilizing cattle's immune defenses.
PubMed: 38891697
DOI: 10.3390/ani14111650 -
Cells Jun 2024Binge drinking in obese patients positively correlates with accelerated liver damage and liver-related death. However, the underlying mechanism and the effect of alcohol...
Binge drinking in obese patients positively correlates with accelerated liver damage and liver-related death. However, the underlying mechanism and the effect of alcohol use on the progression of metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) remain unexplored. Here, we show that short-term feeding of a metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) diet plus daily acute alcohol binges for three days induce liver injury and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. We identify that a MASH diet plus acute alcohol binges promote liver inflammation via increased infiltration of monocyte-derived macrophages, neutrophil recruitment, and NET release in the liver. Our results suggest that both monocyte-derived macrophages and neutrophils are activated via NLRP3, while the administration of MCC950, an NLRP3 inhibitor, dampens these effects.In this study, we reveal important intercellular communication between hepatocytes and neutrophils. We discover that the MASH diet plus alcohol induces IL-1β via NLRP3 activation and that IL-1β acts on hepatocytes and promotes the production of CXCL1 and LCN2. In turn, the increase in these neutrophils recruits chemokines and causes further infiltration and activation of neutrophils in the liver. In vivo administration of the NLRP3 inhibitor, MCC950, improves the early phase of MetALD by preventing liver damage, steatosis, inflammation, and immune cells recruitment.
Topics: NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; Animals; Liver; Interleukin-1beta; Neutrophil Infiltration; Male; Neutrophils; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice; Inflammasomes; Binge Drinking; Hepatocytes; Cell Communication; Sulfones; Sulfonamides; Macrophages; Furans; Humans; Indenes; Diet; Signal Transduction; Extracellular Traps; Fatty Liver; Sulfoxides
PubMed: 38891092
DOI: 10.3390/cells13110960