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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 -
Cells May 2024Acute inflammation is a rapid and dynamic process involving the recruitment and activation of multiple cell types in a coordinated and precise manner. Here, we...
Ly6C Monocytes Are Metabolically Reprogrammed in the Blood during Inflammatory Stimulation and Require Intact OxPhos for Chemotaxis and Monocyte to Macrophage Differentiation.
Acute inflammation is a rapid and dynamic process involving the recruitment and activation of multiple cell types in a coordinated and precise manner. Here, we investigate the origin and transcriptional reprogramming of monocytes using a model of acute inflammation, zymosan-induced peritonitis. Monocyte trafficking and adoptive transfer experiments confirmed that monocytes undergo rapid phenotypic change as they exit the blood and give rise to monocyte-derived macrophages that persist during the resolution of inflammation. Single-cell transcriptomics revealed significant heterogeneity within the surface marker-defined CD11bLy6GLy6C monocyte populations within the blood and at the site of inflammation. We show that two major transcriptional reprogramming events occur during the initial six hours of Ly6C monocyte mobilisation, one in the blood priming monocytes for migration and a second at the site of inflammation. Pathway analysis revealed an important role for oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) during both these reprogramming events. Experimentally, we demonstrate that OxPhos via the intact mitochondrial electron transport chain is essential for murine and human monocyte chemotaxis. Moreover, OxPhos is needed for monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation and macrophage M(IL-4) polarisation. These new findings from transcriptional profiling open up the possibility that shifting monocyte metabolic capacity towards OxPhos could facilitate enhanced macrophage M2-like polarisation to aid inflammation resolution and tissue repair.
Topics: Monocytes; Animals; Oxidative Phosphorylation; Macrophages; Cell Differentiation; Inflammation; Humans; Mice; Antigens, Ly; Chemotaxis; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Peritonitis; Zymosan; Mitochondria; Cellular Reprogramming
PubMed: 38891050
DOI: 10.3390/cells13110916 -
Cells May 2024Akt is an important kinase in metabolism. Akt also phosphorylates and activates endothelial and neuronal nitric oxide (NO) synthases (eNOS and nNOS, respectively)...
Akt is an important kinase in metabolism. Akt also phosphorylates and activates endothelial and neuronal nitric oxide (NO) synthases (eNOS and nNOS, respectively) expressed in M0 (unpolarized) macrophages. We showed that e/nNOS NO production downstream of bitter taste receptors enhances macrophage phagocytosis. In airway epithelial cells, we also showed that the activation of Akt by a small molecule (SC79) enhances NO production and increases levels of nuclear Nrf2, which reduces IL-8 transcription during concomitant stimulation with Toll-like receptor (TLR) 5 agonist flagellin. We hypothesized that SC79's production of NO in macrophages might likewise enhance phagocytosis and reduce the transcription of some pro-inflammatory cytokines. Using live cell imaging of fluorescent biosensors and indicator dyes, we found that SC79 induces Akt activation, NO production, and downstream cGMP production in primary human M0 macrophages. This was accompanied by a reduction in IL-6, IL-8, and IL-12 production during concomitant stimulation with bacterial lipopolysaccharide, an agonist of pattern recognition receptors including TLR4. Pharmacological inhibitors suggested that this effect was dependent on Akt and Nrf2. Together, these data suggest that several macrophage immune pathways are regulated by SC79 via Akt. A small-molecule Akt activator may be useful in some infection settings, warranting future in vivo studies.
Topics: Humans; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Phagocytosis; Macrophages; Cytokines; Nitric Oxide; NF-E2-Related Factor 2; Cyclic GMP; Lipopolysaccharides
PubMed: 38891035
DOI: 10.3390/cells13110902