Inhibiting ferroptosis in brain microvascular endothelial cells: A potential strategy to mitigate polystyrene nanoplastics‒induced blood‒brain barrier dysfunction.

Polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs), a group of ubiquitous pollutants, may injure the central nervous system through the blood‒brain barrier (BBB). However, whether exposure to PS-NPs contributes to BBB disruption and the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. In vivo, we found that PS-NPs (25 mg/kg BW) could significantly increase BBB permeability in mice and downregulate the distribution of the tight junction-associated protein zona occludens 1 (ZO-1) in brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs). Using an in vitro BBB model, exposure to PS-NPs significantly reduced the transendothelial electrical resistance and altered ZO-1 expression and distribution in a dose-dependent manner. RNA-seq analysis and functional investigations were used to investigate the molecular pathways involved in the response to PS-NPs. The results revealed that the ferroptosis and glutathione metabolism signaling pathways were related to the disruption of the BBB model caused by the PS-NPs. PS-NPs treatment promoted ferroptosis in bEnd.3 cells by inducing disordered glutathione metabolism in addition to Fe2+ and lipid peroxide accumulation, while suppressing ferroptosis with ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) suppressed ferroptosis-related changes in bEnd.3 cells subjected to PS-NPs. Importantly, Fer-1 alleviated the decrease in ZO-1 expression in bEnd.3 cells and the exacerbation of BBB damage induced by PS-NPs. Collectively, our findings suggest that inhibiting ferroptosis in BMECs may serve as a potential therapeutic target against BBB disruption induced by PS-NPs exposure.

Simvastatin attenuates silica-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in rats via the AMPK-NOX pathway.

BACKGROUND: Simvastatin (Sim), a hydroxy-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor, has been widely used in prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Studies have suggested that Sim exerts anti-fibrotic effects by interfering fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis. This study was to determine whether Sim could alleviate silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis and explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: The rat model of silicosis was established by the tracheal perfusion method and treated with Sim (5 or 10 mg/kg), AICAR (an AMPK agonist), and apocynin (a NOX inhibitor) for 28 days. Lung tissues were collected for further analyses including pathological histology, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT), and the AMPK-NOX pathway. RESULTS: Sim significantly reduced silica-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis at 28 days after administration. Sim could reduce the levels of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α and transforming growth factor-ß1 in lung tissues. The expressions of hydroxyproline, α-SMA and vimentin were down-regulated, while E-cad was increased in Sim-treated rats. In addition, NOX4, p22pox, p40phox, p-p47phox/p47phox expressions and ROS levels were all increased, whereas p-AMPK/AMPK was decreased in silica-induced rats. Sim or AICAR treatment could notably reverse the decrease of AMPK activity and increase of NOX activity induced by silica. Apocynin treatment exhibited similar protective effects to Sim, including down-regulating of oxidative stress and inhibition of the EMT process and inflammatory reactions. CONCLUSIONS: Sim attenuates silica-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis by downregulating EMT and oxidative stress through the AMPK-NOX pathway.

Integrative transcriptomic and proteomic analysis reveals mechanisms of silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats.

BACKGROUND: Silicosis is a systemic disease characterized by persistent inflammation and incurable pulmonary fibrosis. Although great effort has been made to understand the pathogenesis of the disease, molecular mechanism underlying silicosis is not fully elucidated. This study was aimed to explore proteomic and transcriptomic changes in rat model of silicosis. METHODS: Twenty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups with 10 rats in each group. Rats in the model group were intratracheally instilled with 50 mg/mL silicon dioxide (1 mL per rat) and rats in the control group were treated with 1.0 mL saline (1 mL per rat). Twenty-eight days later, transcriptomic analysis by microarray and tandem mass tags (TMT)-based proteomic analysis were performed to reveal the expression of mRNAs and proteins in lung tissues. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were applied to analyze the altered genes and proteins. The integrated analysis was performed between transcriptome and proteome. The data were further verified by RT-qPCR and parallel reaction monitoring (PRM). RESULTS: In total, 1769 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 650 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified between the silicosis model and control groups. The integrated analysis showed 250 DEPs were correlated to the corresponding DEGs (cor-DEPs-DEGs), which were mainly enriched in phagosome, leukocyte transendothelial migration, complement and coagulation cascades and cellular adhesion molecule (CAM). These pathways are interrelated and converged at common points to produce an effect. GM2a, CHI3L1, LCN2 and GNAI1 are involved in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and inflammation contributing to fibrosis. CONCLUSION: Our comprehensive transcriptome and proteome data provide new insights into the mechanisms of silicosis and helpful information for more targeted prevention and treatment of silicosis.

Pirfenidone ameliorates pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in a rat silicosis model by inhibiting macrophage polarization and JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathways.

Macrophages play an important role in causing silicosis eventually becoming an irreversible fibrotic disease, and there are no specific drugs for silicosis in the clinic so far. Pirfenidone has consistently been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects, but the specific mechanism by which it ameliorates fibrosis in silicosis is unclear. A rat silicosis model was established in this study, and lung tissues and serum were collected by batch execution at 14, 28, and 56 days. Also, the effects of Pirfenidone on macrophage polarization and pulmonary fibrosis were evaluated in silicosis with early intervention and late treatment by histological examination, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Hydroxyproline assay, Western blot and Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that Pirfenidone significantly reduced pulmonary fibrosis in rats with silicosis, and both early intervention and late treatment effectively inhibited the expression of α-SMA, Col-I, Vimentin, Hydroxyproline, IL-1ß, IL-18, and the M2 macrophage marker CD206 and Arg-1, while only early intervention effectively inhibited E-cad, TGF-ß1, TNF-α, and the M1 macrophage marker iNOS, CD86. Furthermore, Pirfenidone dramatically reduced the mRNA expression of the JAK2/STAT3. These findings imply that Pirfenidone may reduce pulmonary fibrosis in silicosis rats by inhibiting macrophage polarization via the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Analysis of long non-coding RNA involved in atrazine-induced testicular degeneration of Xenopus laevis.

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays a critical role in male germline development. Atrazine (AZ) as an environmental endocrine disrupting chemical (EDCs) can induce male reproductive toxicity in amphibians. Our previous studies demonstrated that AZ can alter gene and circular RNA (circRNA) expression of damaged testes in Xenopus laevis (X. laevis). We furthered to investigate the lncRNA expression profiling in the testis of X. laevis. Over 3559 lncRNAs were detected by lncRNA sequencing. AZ induced 40 upregulated and 46 downregulated differentially expressed lncRNAs. KEGG analysis showed that AZ-affected lncRNAs mainly involve in 19 pathways among which 12 pathways are found in circRNA analysis. This study for the first time demonstrated that AZ can alter lncRNAs which may play a role in testicular degeneration through regulating expressions of functional genes in X. laevis. Our data may provide more insights on the mechanism about male reproductive toxicity of EDCs.

Continued Studies on the Effects of Simazine on the Liver Histological Structure and Metamorphosis in the Developing Xenopus laevis.

This study continued our previous work (Sai et al. in Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 95:157-163, 2015a) by analysing the effects of simazine on the liver histological structure and metamorphosis in the developing Xenopus laevis. Tadpoles (Nieuwkoop-Faber stage 46) were exposed to simazine at 0.1, 1.2, 11.0 and 100.9 µg/L for 100 days. When tadpoles were exposed to simazine at 11.0 and 100.9 µg/L, an increased mortality and damaged liver tissues were observed together with significant inhibition of percent of X. laevis completing metamorphosis on days 80 and 90 and prolonged time of completing metamorphosis. On the other hand, we found that simazine has no significant effects on liver weight and altered hepatosomatic index. Results of this study may be considered to inform risk assessment of the effects of simazine on the development of X. laevis.

Assessing atrazine-induced toxicities in Bufo bufo gargarizans Cantor.

Atrazine (AZ), a widely used herbicide has drawn attentions for its potential impacts on amphibians. This study aims to investigate the toxicity of AZ in Bufo bufo gargarizans Cantor (B. bufo gargarizans), a species of toad commonly found in China and countries in East Asia. We treated tadpoles with 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 µg/L AZ for 85 days and examined related parameters. The results showed that the mortality of the toads in the treatment group increased dramatically in a U-shaped dose-response relationship. The hindlimb extension and metamorphosis rate of the toads were significantly inhibited by AZ at 10 and 100 µg/L. Under the same condition, there were significant progressive changes in the testicular structures. Moreover, we found that AZ has no significant effects on growth, sex ratios, gonadal morphology, forelimb emergence and histology in the ovaries. Our results support the idea that environmental contaminants including AZ may be relevant to global amphibian decline.

The Effects of Simazine, a Chlorotriazine Herbicide, on the Expression of Genes in Developing Male Xenopus laevis.

Simazine was investigated for gene expression concurrent with simazine-induced phenotype changes during development of male Xenopus laevis. X. laevis tadpoles (Nieuwkoop-Faber stage 46) were exposed to 0.1, 1.2, 11.0 and 100.9 µg/L simazine for 100 days. The results showed that an increased mortality of X. laevis, decreased gonad weight and altered gonadosomatic index of males significantly (p<0.05) when exposed to simazine at 11.0 and 100.9 µg/L. Significant degeneration in testicular tissues was observed when tadpoles were exposed to simazine at 100.9 µg/L. To investigate the molecular mechanisms behind the testicular degeneration by simazine, we evaluated gene expression in animals treated with 100.9 µg/L simazine and found that 1,315 genes were significantly altered (454 upregulated, 861 downregulated). Genes involved in the cell cycle control, and amino acid metabolism pathways were significantly downregulated. These results indicate that simazine affects the related gene expressions which may be helpful for the understanding of the reason for the reproductive toxicity of simazine on male X. laevis.

[Effects of malathion on testicular spermatogenic function in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of malathion on the testicular spermatogenic function of male rats and its working mechanism. METHODS: Forty specific pathogen-free male Wistar rats were randomly and equally divided into four groups: three exposure groups and a control group. Malathion was administered orally to male rats in the exposure groups at 33.75, 54, and 108 mg/kg (1/32 LD50, 1/20 LD50, and 1/10 LD50) for 60 days. Rats in the control group received an equal volume of water. The body weights of rats were measured after exposure. The organ weights and coefficients of the testes and epididymes were determined as soon as rats were sacrificed. The sperm motility, counts, and malformation rates were measured in the left epididymis. Histopathological changes, cell apoptosis, and the expression levels of Bcl-2/Bax in the testes of rats were observed using HE staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUPT-biotin nick end labeling, and immunohistochemistry SABC method. RESULTS: The body weights and the testis weights in the exposure groups were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.01). The exposure groups had significantly lower sperm motility and significantly higher sperm malformation rates than the control group (P < 0.01). The sperm counts were significantly lower in the exposure groups than in the control group (P<0.01). The sperm counts and motility were negatively correlated with exposure dose (r = -0.81, P < 0.01; r = -0.51, P < 0.01), while the sperm malformation rate was positively correlated with exposure dose (r = 0.85, P 0.01). The exposure groups had significantly higher spermatogenic cell apoptosis rates than the control group (P<0.01). The expression level of Bax was significantly higher in the exposure groups than in the control group (P<0.01), while the expression level of Bcl-2 was significantly lower in the exposure groups than in the control group (P < 0.01). Histopathological examination of the testes showed degenerative changes in the seminiferous tubules at various doses along with the increase in malathion exposure dose. CONCLUSION: Malathion affects the testicular spermatogenic function of male rats and its working mechanism may involve cell apoptosis induced by down-regulation of Bcl-2 and up-regulation of Bax.

Effects of chlorpyrifos on reproductive toxicology of male rats.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of subchronic exposure to chlorpyrifos on reproductive toxicology of male rats. Forty healthy male rats were divided into four groups: three exposure groups and a control group. Chlorpyrifos was administered orally to male rats at 0, 2.7, 5.4, and 12.8 mg/kg for 90 days to evaluate the toxic alterations in testicular histology, testicular marker enzyme activities and related genes expression levels, sperm dynamics, and testosterone levels. The body weight and the testis weight of animals did not show any significant changes. Chlorpyrifos brought about marked reduction in testicular sperm counts, sperm motility, and significant growth of sperm malformation rate in exposed males. Histopathological examination of testes showed mild to severe degenerative changes in seminiferous tubules at various dose levels. The levels of testosterone (T) showed a decreasing tendency, and there was a statistical difference between the 5.4, 12.8 mg/kg groups, and the control group. The levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were significantly increased in 5.4 and 12.8 mg/kg groups, but there were no obvious effects on the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E2 ). A significant increase in the activities of LDH and LDH-x was observed in chlorpyrifos exposed rats in 5.4 and 12.8 mg/kg groups, but the expression levels of related genes had no significant differences between chlorpyrifos exposure groups and the control group. These results suggest that chlorpyrifos has adverse effects on reproductive system of male rats.

Bifidobacteria in disease: from head to toe.

Bifidobacteria as a strictly anaerobic gram-positive bacteria, is widely distributed in the intestine, vagina and oral cavity, and is one of the first gut flora to colonize the early stages of life. Intestinal flora is closely related to health, and dysbiosis of intestinal flora, especially Bifidobacteria, has been found in a variety of diseases. Numerous studies have shown that in addition to maintaining intestinal homeostasis, Bifidobacteria may be involved in diseases covering all parts of the body, including the nervous system, respiratory system, genitourinary system and so on. This review collects evidence for the variation of Bifidobacteria in typical diseases among various systems, provides mild and effective therapeutic options for those diseases that are difficult to cure, and moves Bifidobacteria from basic research to further clinical applications.

ATM deficiency aggravates the progression of liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride in mice.

Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is a pivotal sensor during the DNA damage response that slows cell passage through the cell cycle checkpoints to facilitate DNA repair, and liver fibrosis is an irreversible pathological consequence of the sustained wound-healing process, However, the effects of ATM on the development of liver fibrosis are still not fully understood. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the effects and potential mechanisms of ATM on the progression of liver fibrosis. Wild-type and ATM-deficient were administered with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4, 5 ml/kg, i.p.) for 8 weeks to induce liver fibrosis, and the liver tissues and serum were collected for analysis. KU-55933 (10 µM) was used to investigate the effects of ATM blockage on CCl4-induced hepatocyte injury in vitro. The results showed that ATM deficiency aggravated the increased serum transaminase levels and liver MDA, HYP, and 8-OHdG contents compared with the model group (p < 0.05). Sirius red staining showed that ATM deficiency exacerbated liver collagen deposition in vivo, which was associated with the activation of TGF-ß1/Smad2 signaling. Furthermore, blocking ATM with KU-55933 exacerbated the production of ROS and DNA damage caused by CCl4 exposure in HepG2 cells, and KU-55933 treatment also reversed the downregulated expression of CDK1 and CDK2 after CCl4 exposure in vitro. Moreover, the loss of ATM perturbed the regulation of the hepatic cell ChK2-CDC25A/C-CDK1/2 cascade and apoptosis in vivo, which was accompanied by increased Ki67-positive and TUNEL-positive cells after chronic CCl4 treatment. In conclusion, our results indicated that ATM might be a critical regulator of liver fibrosis progression, and the underlying mechanisms of exacerbated liver fibrosis development in ATM-deficient mice might be associated with the dysregulation of hepatic cell proliferation and apoptosis.

M6A transcriptome-wide map of circRNAs identified in the testis of normal and AZ-treated Xenopus laevis.

BACKGROUND: Evidence showed that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is strongly associated with male germline development. However, the role of m6A methylation on circRNAs in amphibians remains unknown. In this study, we conducted m6A sequencing analysis to explore the m6A transcriptome-wide profile of circRNAs in testis tissues of Xenopus laevis (X. laevis) with and without treatment with 100 µg/L atrazine (AZ). RESULTS: The analysis showed that m6A modification of circRNAs enriched in sense overlapping in testes of X. laevis. We identified the differential m6A modification sites within circRNAs in testes of AZ-exposed X. laevis and compared that with animals from control group. The results showed that a total of 1507 methylated m6A sites was induced by AZ (760 up-methylated and 747 down-methylated). The cross-analysis exhibited a negative correlation of differentially methylated m6A peaks and circRNAs expression level. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis indicated that 20 key pathways may be involved in the mechanism of testis damage of AZ-exposed X. laevis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicated that differentially m6A-methylated circRNAs may play important roles in abnormal testis development of AZ-exposed X. laevis. This study is the first report about a map of m6A modification of circRNAs in male X. laevis and provides a basis for further studying on the function and mechanism of m6A methylation of circRNAs in the testis development of amphibian.

Ligand-independent activation of AhR by hydroquinone mediates benzene-induced hematopoietic toxicity.

Although it has been well recognized that benzene exposure can cause hematopoietic disorders such as aplastic anemia and leukemia, the underlying molecular mechanism remains to be fully understood. Emerging evidence indicated that aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) plays important roles in hematopoietic and immune systems. This study investigated the activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) by hydroquinone (HQ) and its role in HQ-induced DNA damage and apoptosis in cultured human lymphocytes (JHP cells). We also investigated the effect of ROS on AhR activation and functions in JHP cells exposed to HQ with and without regulator including N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), a potent antioxidant, and tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), a Nrf2 activator. Results showed that HQ can cause oxidative stress, DNA damage and apoptosis. Pretreatment of an AhR antagonist (CH223191) can significantly increase the cell survival and mitigate HQ-induced toxicities such as DNA damage and apoptosis. We found that HQ can obviously increase expressions of total protein of AhR and prompt nuclear translocation compared to the control group. Interestingly, NAC can block HQ-induced AhR activation and DNA damage and apoptosis. Conclusively, our results indicated that HQ toxicity is mediated by AhR which is in turn regulated by ROS generated by HQ. The interaction between AhR and ROS drive and amplify the hematopoietic toxicity of HQ. This study provided new insights of mechanism and potential targets for the prevention and treatment to benzene-induced hematopoietic toxicity.

Associations of Bitumen Fumes with Lymphocyte Subsets and Cytokines Expression in the Peripheral Blood of Exposed Workers.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to investigate the distribution of lymphocyte subsets and cytokines expression in the peripheral blood of bitumen fumes-exposed workers. METHODS: In this study, 129 workers from molding and roasting workshops were recruited as the exposed group and 99 office and quality inspection staff were chosen as the control. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) levels of bitumen fumes in individual and fixed-point air samples and the urinary levels of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-P), 1-hydroxynaphthols (1-OH-N) and 2-hydroxynaphthols (2-OH-N) in workers were measured using High Performance Liquid Chromatography. The lymphocyte subsets and serum cytokines concentrations were analyzed by flow cytometry and cytometric bead array, respectively. RESULTS: The median values of PAHs were 0.08 mg/m3 for permissible concentration-time weighted average and 0.12 mg/m3 for permissible concentration-short term exposure (PC-STEL) in molding and roasting workshops, which were higher than that in the control area (< 0.01 mg/m3). Multivariate linear regression models were used to adjust for influential covariates, including age, gender, work age, smoking status, and alcohol consumptions. After adjusting for these covariates, we compared levels of urinary PAHs metabolites, the percentages of lymphocyte subsets, and serum cytokines concentrations between the two groups. The 1-OH-P, 1-OH-N, and 2-OH-N levels in the urine of bitumen fumes exposed workers were significantly higher than that in the controls (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the percentage of the natural killer (NK) cell (CD56+ cell) was significantly increased in the exposed group (P < 0.001). There was a significant decrease in the percentages of CD3+ T cell, CD4+ T cell, and CD8+ T cell in the exposed group compared to the control (P < 0.001). The serum levels of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and IL-6 in bitumen fumes exposed workers were significantly higher than that of the controls (P < 0.05). Moreover, positive correlations were observed between the serum levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, and urinary 1-OH-P levels in bitumen fumes-exposed workers, respectively (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the serum levels of IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), macrophage inflammatory protein-1ß (MIP-1ß) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) between the exposed group and the control group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study suggested that low dose of bitumen fumes exposure could decrease the percentage of T cell, increase the percentage of NK cell and stimulate the release of serum IL-1ß and IL-6 in the peripheral blood of exposed workers. The serum levels of IL-1ß and IL-6 were positive correlated with the urinary 1-OH-P levels in bitumen fumes exposed workers. These results may inform the search for potential effective biomarkers and provide evidences for early health monitoring in workers occupationally exposed to bitumen fumes.

Effects of chlorpyrifos exposure on liver inflammation and intestinal flora structure in mice.

Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is an organophosphate insecticide commonly used to treat fruit and vegetable crops. CPF can cause severe adverse effects on body organs including the liver and central nervous system. This study investigated the CPF-induced inflammation in mice and explored the role of intestinal flora changes in liver inflammation. Adult C57BL/6 male mice were exposed to a CPF of 0.01-, 0.1-, 1- and 10-mg/kg bodyweight for 12 weeks. The mice in experimental group given CPF solution dissolved in corn oil vehicle by gavage, was administered by intraoral gavage for 5 days per week for 12 weeks. Histopathological examination and inflammatory factor detection were performed on mice liver tissue. Faeces were used for 16S ribosomal RNA high-throughput sequencing to explore the impact of CPF on intestinal flora structure and diversity. The results showed that 1- and 10-mg/kg CPF caused different degrees of liver focal inflammation. The structure of intestinal flora changed significantly in mice including the decreased beneficial bacteria (Akkermansia, Prevotella and Butyricimonas) and increased pathogenic bacteria (Helicobacter and Desulfovibrio). Meanwhile, the results of Q-RT-PCR showed that there was more total bacterial DNA in the liver tissue of the mice treated with 10-mg/kg groups. In conclusion, the imbalance of intestinal flora, the decreased abundance of beneficial bacteria and the increased abundance of pathogenic bacteria, as well as the increase of total bacterial DNA in the liver tissues, maybe associated with the liver focal inflammation induced by CPF.

The role of HMGB1 on TDI-induced NLPR3 inflammasome activation via ROS/NF-κB pathway in HBE cells.

To explore the potential role of HMGB1 on TDI-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation, HBE cells were treated with TDI-HSA conjugate to observe the changes of HMGB1, TLR4, NF-κB, Nrf2 and NLRP3 inflammasome related proteins expressions, ROS release and MMP. NAC, TPCA-1 and Resatorvid pre-treatments were applied to explore the effects of ROS, NF-κB and TLR4 on TDI-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation. The CRISPR/Cas9 system was used to construct HMGB1 gene knockout HBE cell line and then to explore the role of HMGB1 on TDI-HSA induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation. GL pre-treatment was applied to further confirm the role of HMGB1. Results showed that TDI increased HMGB1, TLR4, P-p65, Nrf2 proteins expressions and ROS release, decreased MMP level and activated NLRP3 inflammasome in HBE cells in a dose dependent manner. NAC, TPCA-1 and Resatorvid pre-treatments decreased the expression of P-p65 and inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Inhibition of HMGB1 decreased Nrf2 expression and ROS release, improved MMP level and reduced NLRP3 inflammasome activation. GL ameliorated NLRP3 inflammasome activation via inhibiting HMGB1 regulated ROS/NF-κB pathway. These results indicated that HMGB1 was involved in TDI-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation as a positive regulatory mechanism. The study provided a potential target for early prevention and treatment of TDI-OA.

Toluene diisocyanate-induced inflammation and airway remodeling involves autophagy in human bronchial epithelial cells.

Toluene-diisocyanate (TDI) is one of the main causes of occupational asthma. To study the role of autophagy in TDI-induced airway inflammation and airway remodeling in bronchial airway epithelial (16HBE) cells. We treated 16HBE cells with TDI-human serum albumin (TDI-HSA) conjugate to observe reactive oxygen species (ROS) release, autophagy activation, airway inflammation and airway remodeling. 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) and Rapamycin (Rapa) intervention were used to explore the effects of autophagy on inflammatory response and protein expression related to airway remodeling in 16HBE cells treated with TDI-HSA. Experimental results suggested that various concentrations of TDI-HSA (0, 40, 80 and 120 µg/mL) increased the release of ROS and the expression of Nrf2, activated autophagy and increased the expression of AMPK, Beclin-1, LC3 and decreased the expression of p62, promoted the levels of IL-5, IL-6 and IL-8 in 16HBE cells. Results also showed that E-cadherin expression decreased but an increase was observed in α-SMA and MMP-9 in the TDI-HSA group. The treatment of TDI-HSA combined with Rapa aggravated the above reaction whereas the inverse was true for TDI-HSA combined with 3-MA. These results indicated that autophagy is involved in TDI-induced airway inflammation and airway remodeling as a positive regulatory mechanism, inhibiting autophagy can significantly alleviate the TDI-induced inflammatory response and attenuate airway remodeling protein expression in 16HBE cells.

Comprehensive analysis of differences of N6-methyladenosine of lncRNAs between atrazine-induced and normal Xenopus laevis testis.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence suggested N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is crucial for male germline development. However, m6A modification of lncRNAs gains a little attention in amphibians in recent years. Xenopus laevis (X. laevis) was chosen to be an ideal model organism for testing environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) exposure and resultant effects. Atrazine (AZ) as an endocrine disrupt can effect development of testis in amphibians. Our previous study revealed that m6A is a highly conserved modification across the species. RESULTS: The results of m6A sequences showed that m6A-methylated lncRNAs enriched in intergenic region in testes of X. laevis. We further examined the differential expression of lncRNAs m6A sites in testes of AZ-exposed and compared with that in animals from control group. The results indicated that up to 198 differentially methylated m6A sites were detected within 188 lncRNAs, in which 89 significantly up-methylated sites and 109 significantly down-methylated sites. Data from KEGG pathway analysis indicated that AZ-affected lncRNAs m6A sites were mainly involved in 10 pathways in which 3 mutual pathways were found in the result of differentially m6A-methylated mRNAs. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that differentially m6A-methylated lncRNAs and these 3 pathways may act on regulatory roles in abnormal testis development of AZ-exposed X. laevis. This study for the first time provides insights into the profile of lncRNAs m6A modifications in amphibian species.

[Effect of zeranol on spermary and spermigenesis function of male mice].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of zeranol on spermiogenesis function of mice and its possible mechanism. METHODS: 40 healthy mature male mice were randomly divided into four groups: negative group and zeranol exposure groups (25, 50, 100 mg/kg). Male mice were respectively administered with zeranol at the doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg for 35 days and killed. The weights of spermary, epididymis and spermatocyst were measured. The sperm counting, motility and the percent of abnormal sperms were observed. Pathological changes of testicle tissue were also observed. RESULTS: In comparison with control group, the visceral coefficient of spermatocysts and sperm counting of zeranol exposure groups were all decreased ( P < 0.05). Sperm motility were significantly decreased in the median and high exposure groups (P < 0.05). Pathological alterations of testes were also observed. Seminiferous epithelium was reduced in exposure groups, loose and anomalistic organization. Sperm counts were also reduced in the lumina of seminiferous tubules with glair. CONCLUSION: Zeranol have toxicity effect on spermigenesis function of male mice.