Inflammation
Abstract
Chronic inflammation is associated with physical frailty and functional decline in older adults; however, the molecular mechanisms of this linkage are not understood. A mouse model of chronic inflammation showed reduced motor function and partial denervation at the neuromuscular junction. Metabolomic profiling of these mice and further validation in frail human subjects showed significant dysregulation in the tryptophan degradation pathway, including decreased tryptophan and serotonin, and increased levels of some neurotoxic kynurenines. In humans, kynurenine strongly correlated with age, frailty status, TNF-αR1 and IL-6, weaker grip strength, and slower walking speed. To study the effects of elevated neurotoxic kynurenines on motor neuronal cell viability and axonal degeneration, we used motor neuronal cells treated with 3-hydroxykynurenine and quinolinic acid and observed neurite degeneration in a dose-dependent manner and potentiation of toxicity between 3-hydroxykynurenine and quinolinic acid. These results suggest that kynurenines mediate neuromuscular dysfunction associated with chronic inflammation and aging.
Authors
Reyhan Westbrook, Tae Chung, Jacqueline Lovett, Chris Ward, Humberto Joca, Huanle Yang, Mohammed Khadeer, Jing Tian, Qian-Li Xue, Anne Le, Luigi Ferrucci, Ruin Moaddel, Rafa de Cabo, Ahmet Hoke, Jeremy Walston, Peter M. Abadir
Abstract
Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) can occur after hematopoietic cell transplant in patients undergoing treatment for hematological malignancies or inborn errors. Although CD4 T helper (Th) cells play a major role in aGVHD, the mechanisms by which they contribute, particularly within the intestines, have remained elusive. We have identified a novel subset of Th cells that accumulated in the intestines and produced the serine protease granzyme A (GrA). GrA+ Th cells were distinct from other Th lineages and exhibited a non-cytolytic phenotype. In vitro, GrA+ Th cells differentiated in the presence of IL-4, IL-6, and IL-21 and were transcriptionally unique from cells cultured with either IL-4 or the IL-6/IL-21 combination alone. In vivo, both STAT3 and STAT6 were required for GrA+ Th cell differentiation and played roles in maintenance of the lineage identity. Importantly, GrA+ Th cells promoted aGVHD-associated morbidity and mortality and contributed to crypt destruction within intestines but were not required for the beneficial graft-versus-leukemia effect. Our data indicate that GrA+ Th cells represent a distinct Th subset and are critical mediators of aGVHD.
Authors
Sungtae Park, Brad Griesenauer, Hua Jiang, Djamilatou Adom, Pegah Mehrpouya-Bahrami, Srishti Chakravorty, Majid Kazemian, Tanbeena Imam, Rajneesh Srivastava, Tristan A. Hayes, Julian Pardo, Sarath Chandra Janga, Sophie Paczesny, Mark H. Kaplan, Matthew R. Olson
Abstract
Electroconvulsive therapy is highly effective in neuropsychiatric disorders by unknown mechanisms. Microglial toxicity plays key role in neuroinflammatory and degenerative diseases, where there is critical shortage in therapies. This study examined the effects of electroconvulsive seizures (ECS) on chronic neuroinflammation and microglial neurotoxicity.Electric brain stimulation inducing full tonic-clonic seizures during chronic relapsing-progressive experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) reduced spinal immune cell infiltration, reduced myelin and axonal loss, and prevented clinical deterioration. Using the transfer EAE model we examined the effect of ECS on systemic immune response in donor mice versus ECS effect on CNS innate immune activity in recipient mice. ECS did not affect encephalitogenicity of systemic T cells, but targeted the CNS directly to inhibit T-cell induced neuroinflammation. In vivo and ex-vivo assays indicated that ECS suppressed microglial neurotoxicity, by reducing iNOS expression, nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and by reducing CNS oxidative stress. Microglia from ECS treated EAE mice expressed less T cell stimulatory and chemoattractant factors. Our finding indicate that Electroconvulsive therapy targets the CNS innate immune system to reduce neuroinflammation by attenuating microglial neurotoxicity. These findings signify a novel therapeutic approach for chronic neuroinflammatory, neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases.
Authors
Smadar Goldfarb, Nina Fainstein, Tamir Ben-Hur
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a devastating condition with poor prognosis and very limited treatment options. Affected patients are severely restricted in their daily activities. Shock wave therapy (SWT) has shown potent regenerative properties in bone fractures, wounds, and ischemic myocardium via activation of the innate immune receptor TLR3. Here, we report on the efficacy of SWT for regeneration of SCI. SWT improved motor function and decreased lesion size in WT but not Tlr3–/– mice via inhibition of neuronal degeneration and IL6-dependent recruitment and differentiation of neuronal progenitor cells. Both SWT and TLR3 stimulation enhanced neuronal sprouting and improved neuronal survival, even in human spinal cord cultures. We identified tlr3 as crucial enhancer of spinal cord regeneration in zebrafish. Our findings indicate that TLR3 signaling is involved in neuroprotection and spinal cord repair and suggest that TLR3 stimulation via SWT could become a potent regenerative treatment option.
Authors
Can Gollmann-Tepeköylü, Felix Nägele, Michael Graber, Leo Pölzl, Daniela Lobenwein, Jakob Hirsch, Angela An, Regina Irschick, Bernhard Röhrs, Christian Kremser, Hubert Hackl, Rosalie Huber, Serena Venezia, David Hercher, Helga Fritsch, Nikolaos Bonaros, Nadia Stefanova, Ivan Tancevski, Dirk Meyer, Michael Grimm, Johannes Holfeld
Abstract
One of the most significant adverse post-burn responses is abnormal scar formation, such as keloids. Despite its prolificacy, the underlying pathophysiology of keloid development is unknown. We recently demonstrated that NLRP3 inflammasome, the master regulator of inflammatory and metabolic responses (e.g. aerobic glycolysis), is essential for physiological wound healing. Therefore, burn patients who develop keloids may exhibit altered immunometabolic responses at the site of injury, which interferes with normal healing and portends keloid development. Here, we confirmed keloid NLRP3 activation (caspase-1 (p<0.05), IL1β (p<0.05), IL18 (p<0.01)) and upregulation in Glut1 (p<0.001) and glycolytic enzymes. Burn skin similarly displayed enhanced glycolysis and Glut1 expression (p<0.01). However, Glut1 was significantly higher in keloid compared to non-keloid burn patients (>2 standard deviations above mean). Targeting aberrant glucose metabolism with shikonin, a pyruvate kinase M2 inhibitor, dampened NLRP3-mediated inflammation (caspase-1 (p<0.05), IL1β (p<0.01)) and improved healing in vivo. In summary, burn skin exhibited evidence of Warburg-like metabolism, similar to keloids. Targeting this altered metabolism could change the trajectory towards normal scarring, indicating the clinical possibility of shikonin for abnormal scar prevention.
Authors
Roohi Vinaik, Dalia Barayan, Christopher Auger, Abdikarim Abdullahi, Marc G. Jeschke
Abstract
Specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) actively limit inflammation and expedite its resolution by modulating leukocyte recruitment and function. Here we profiled intramuscular lipid mediators via LC-MS based metabolipidomics following myofiber injury and investigated the potential role of SPMs in skeletal muscle inflammation and repair. Both pro-inflammatory eicosanoids and SPMs increased following myofiber damage induced by either intramuscular injection of barium chloride or synergist ablation-induced functional muscle overload. Daily systemic administration of the SPM resolvin D1 (RvD1) as an immunoresolvent limited the degree and duration of inflammation, enhanced regenerating myofiber growth, and improved recovery of muscle strength. RvD1 suppressed inflammatory cytokine expression, enhanced polymorphonuclear cell clearance, modulated the local muscle stem cell response, and polarized intramuscular macrophages to a more pro-regenerative subset. RvD1 had minimal direct impact on in-vitro myogenesis but directly suppressed myokine production and stimulated macrophage phagocytosis, showing that SPMs can modulate both infiltrating myeloid and resident muscle cell populations. These data reveal the efficacy of immunoresolvents as a novel alternative to classical anti-inflammatory interventions in the management of muscle injuries to modulate inflammation while stimulating tissue repair.
Authors
James F. Markworth, Lemuel A. Brown, Eunice Lim, Carolyn Floyd, Jacqueline Larouche, Jesus A. Castor-Macias, Kristoffer B. Sugg, Dylan C. Sarver, Peter C. D. Macpherson, Carol S. Davis, Carlos A. Aguilar, Krishna Rao Maddipati, Susan V. Brooks
Abstract
Background: Elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines have been associated with poor outcomes among COVID-19 patients. It is unknown, however, how these levels compare to those observed in critically ill patients with ARDS or sepsis due to other causes. Methods: We used a luminex assay to determine expression of 76 cytokines from plasma of hospitalized COVID-19 patients and banked plasma samples from ARDS and sepsis patients. Our analysis focused on detecting statistical differences in levels of 6 cytokines associated with cytokine storm (IL-1b, IL-1RA, IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, and TNFα) between patients with moderate COVID-19, severe COVID-19, and ARDS or sepsis. Results: 15 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 9 of whom were critically ill, were compared to critically ill patients with ARDS (n = 12) or sepsis (n = 16). There were no statistically significant differences in baseline levels of IL-1b, IL-1RA, IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, and TNFα between patients with COVID-19 and critically ill controls with ARDS or sepsis. Conclusions: Levels of inflammatory cytokines were not higher in severe COVID-19 patients than in moderate COVID-19 or critically ill patients with ARDS or sepsis in this small cohort. Broad use of immunosuppressive therapies in ARDS has failed in numerous Phase 3 studies; use of these therapies in unselected patients with COVID-19 may be unwarranted. Funding: A.J.R.: Stanford ICU Biobank NHLBI K23 HL125663. C.A.B.: Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Diseases #1016687; NIH/NIAID U19AI057229-16 (PI MM Davis); Stanford Maternal Child Health Research Institute; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub.
Authors
Jennifer G. Wilson, Laura J. Simpson, Anne-Maud Ferreira, Arjun Rustagi, Jonasel A. Roque, Adijat Asuni, Thanmayi Ranganath, Philip M. Grant, Aruna K. Subramanian, Yael Rosenberg-Hasson, Holden Maecker, Susan Holmes, Joseph E. Levitt, Catherine Blish, Angela J. Rogers
Abstract
Multiple organ failure in sepsis is a progressive failure of several interdependent organ systems. Liver dysfunction occurs early during sepsis and is directly associated with patient death; however, the underlying mechanism of liver dysfunction is unclear. Platelet transfusion benefits patients with sepsis, and inhibition of complement activation protects liver function in septic animals. Herein, we explored the potential link between platelets, complement activation, and liver dysfunction in sepsis. We found that deletion of platelet C-type lectin-like receptor 2 (CLEC-2) exacerbated liver dysfunction in early sepsis. Platelet CLEC-2–deficient mice exhibited higher complement activation, more severe complement attack in the liver, and lower plasma levels of complement inhibitors at early time points after E. coli infection. Circulating monocytes expressed the CLEC-2 ligand podoplanin in early sepsis, and podoplanin binding induced release of complement inhibitors from platelets. Injection of complement inhibitors released from platelets reduced complement attack and attenuated liver dysfunction in septic mice. These findings indicate a new function of platelets in the regulation of complement activation during sepsis.
Authors
Zhanli Xie, Bojing Shao, Christopher Hoover, Michael McDaniel, Jianhua Song, Miao Jiang, Zhenni Ma, Fei Yang, Jingjing Han, Xia Bai, Changgeng Ruan, Lijun Xia
Abstract
Despite advances in lipid-lowering therapies, people with diabetes continue to experience more limited cardiovascular benefits. In diabetes, hyperglycemia sustains inflammation and preempts vascular repair. We tested the hypothesis that the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) contributes to these maladaptive processes. We report that transplantation of aortic arches from diabetic, Western diet–fed Ldlr—/— mice into diabetic Ager—/— (Ager, the gene encoding RAGE) versus WT diabetic recipient mice accelerated regression of atherosclerosis. RNA-sequencing experiments traced RAGE-dependent mechanisms principally to the recipient macrophages and linked RAGE to interferon signaling. Specifically, deletion of Ager in the regressing diabetic plaques downregulated interferon regulatory factor 7 (Irf7) in macrophages. Immunohistochemistry studies colocalized IRF7 and macrophages in both murine and human atherosclerotic plaques. In bone marrow–derived macrophages (BMDMs), RAGE ligands upregulated expression of Irf7, and in BMDMs immersed in a cholesterol-rich environment, knockdown of Irf7 triggered a switch from pro- to antiinflammatory gene expression and regulated a host of genes linked to cholesterol efflux and homeostasis. Collectively, this work adds a new dimension to the immunometabolic sphere of perturbations that impair regression of established diabetic atherosclerosis and suggests that targeting RAGE and IRF7 may facilitate vascular repair in diabetes.
Authors
Laura Senatus, Raquel López-Díez, Lander Egaña-Gorroño, Jianhua Liu, Jiyuan Hu, Gurdip Daffu, Qing Li, Karishma Rahman, Yuliya Vengrenyuk, Tessa J. Barrett, M. Zahidunnabi Dewan, Liang Guo, Daniela Fuller, Aloke V. Finn, Renu Virmani, Huilin Li, Richard A. Friedman, Edward A. Fisher, Ravichandran Ramasamy, Ann Marie Schmidt
Abstract
The bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) family of epigenetic reader proteins are key regulators of inflammatory and hypertrophic gene expression in the heart. We previously identified the activation of pro-inflammatory gene networks as a key early driver of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in transgenic mice expressing a mutant form of phospholamban (PLNR9C) – a genetic cause of DCM in humans. We hypothesized that BETs coactivate this inflammatory process, representing a critical node in the progression of DCM. To test this hypothesis, PLNR9C or age-matched wild type mice were treated longitudinally with the small molecule BET bromodomain inhibitor JQ1 or vehicle. BET inhibition abrogated adverse cardiac remodeling, reduced cardiac fibrosis, and prolonged survival in PLNR9C mice by inhibiting expression of pro-inflammatory gene networks at all stages of disease. Specifically, JQ1 had profound effects on pro-inflammatory gene network expression in cardiac fibroblasts, while having little effect on gene expression in cardiomyocytes. Cardiac fibroblast proliferation was also substantially reduced by JQ1. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that BRD4 serves as a direct and essential regulator of NFkB-mediated pro-inflammatory gene expression in cardiac fibroblasts. Interdicting pro-inflammatory gene expression via BET bromodomain inhibition could be a novel therapeutic strategy for chronic DCM in humans.
Authors
Andrew Antolic, Hiroko Wakimoto, Zhe Jiao, Joshua M. Gorham, Steven R. DePalma, Madeleine E. Lemieux, David A. Conner, Da Young Lee, Jun Qi, Jonathan G. Seidman, James E. Bradner, Jonathan D. Brown, Saptarsi M. Haldar, Christine E. Seidman, Michael A. Burke
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