Methyl butyrate attenuates concanavalin A-induced autoimmune hepatitis by inhibiting Th1-cell activation and homing to the liver.

Con A-induced hepatitis is the most commonly used animal model for simulating autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). In this study, we investigated whether methyl butyrate (MB) alleviates Con A-induced hepatitis and how it affects Con A-stimulated lymphocytes. MB improves liver function in AIH mice, reducing the expression of several inflammatory cytokines and Th1 cell-associated chemokines in the liver, while significantly inhibiting toll-like receptor signaling pathway. Also in the liver, we verified that infiltrating Th1 cells were fewer after MB treatment. In vitro, we found that the activation of both human and mouse Th1 cells by Con A were inhibited by MB and the human-derived cells were even more sensitive. And MB caused a reduction in IFN-γ secretion together with TNF-α and IL-6. The above findings suggest that MB inhibits the activation and homing of Th1 cells to the liver, thereby attenuating Con A-induced liver injury, and may be a potential therapeutic agent for AIH.

Artemisinin derivative TPN10466 suppresses immune cell migration and Th1/Th17 differentiation to ameliorate disease severity in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) was one of the major conditions causing neurological dysfunction and was an incurable progressive central nervous system disease. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) was the most commonly used experimental model of MS. Artemisinin have been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects through unclear mechanisms. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of administration of the artemisinin derivative TPN10466 in EAE. TPN10466 alleviated the severity of disease in EAE. Further studies showed that TPN10466 inhibited lymphocyte migration by downregulating chemokine expression and adhesion molecules. In addition, studies showed that TPN10466 directly inhibited Th1 and Th17 differentiation and reduced Th1 and Th17 infiltration into the central nervous system. In conclusion, our work demonstrated that TPN10466 provided protection against the autoimmune disease EAE by inhibiting the migration of immune cells and suppressing Th1/Th17 differentiation, suggesting that TPN10466 could be a potential for promising potential agent for the treatment of MS/EAE.

Integrated bioinformatic analysis revealed biological processes and immune cells implicated in autoimmune hepatitis.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an immune-mediated inflammatory liver disease for which the pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. The current study aimed to reveal key biological processes and immune cells implicated in AIH by integrated bioinformatic analysis. The global gene expression in livers from wild-type BALB/c mice, mice with Tgfb1 deficiency, and mice with both Tgfb1 and Ifng deficiency was assessed by microarray data analysis. Differentially expressed genes were identified and subjected to functional enrichment analysis. AIH mice with Tgfb1 deletion showed significantly enhanced immune responses but impaired metabolic processes, whereas increased T cell activation and cytokine production, but weakened organic acid and lipid metabolic processes were observed in mice with deletion of both Tgfb1 and Ifng. In addition, infiltration of immune cells was evaluated by CIBERSORT. Increased infiltration of T cells, macrophages, and natural killer cells, and decreased infiltration of neutrophils, eosinophils, plasma cells, and B cells were observed in AIH mice. In conclusion, we identified potential biological processes and immune cells that contributed to AIH; further investigations are needed to confirm these findings and thus provide a potential novel therapeutic target for AIH treatment.

Ruthenium-Catalyzed Selectively Oxidative C-H Alkenylation of N-Acylated Aryl Sulfonamides by Using Molecular Oxygen as an Oxidant.

A ruthenium-catalyzed sulfonamide-directed ortho aryl C-H alkenylation/annulation to afford five-membered sultam by using of molecular oxygen as an oxidant is reported in this article. Compared to the previous transition-metal-catalyzed C-H alkenylation of aryl sulfonamides, no excess metal salt oxidant was required in this method. A wide sulfonamide substrates scope and good regioselectivity and site-selectivity make this Ru-catalyzed method more attractive. Importantly, this method can not only be used to effectively prepare the biologically active five-membered sultam molecules but also be efficiently applied to the late-stage modification of sulfonamide drugs.

Fucoidan-hybrid hydroxyapatite nanoparticles promote the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells under inflammatory condition.

Inflammation-related bone defects often lead to poor osteogenesis. Therefore, it is crucial to reduce the inflammation response and promote the osteogenic differentiation of stem/progenitor cells to revitalize bone physiology. Here, a kind of hybrid nano-hydroxyapatite was prepared using the confined phosphate ion release method with the participation of fucoidan, a marine-sourced polysaccharide with anti-inflammation property. The physicochemical analyses confirmed that the fucoidan hybrid nano-hydroxyapatite (FC/n-HA) showed fine needle-like architectures. With a higher amount of fucoidan, the crystal size and crystallinity of the FC/n-HA reduced while the liquid dispersibility was improved. Cell experiences showed that FC/n-HA had an optimal cytocompatibility at concentration of 50 µg/mL. Moreover, the lipopolysaccharide-induced cellular inflammatory model with PDLSCs was established and used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and osteogenic properties. For the 1%FC/n-HA group, the expression levels of TNF-α and IL-1ß were significantly reduced at 24 h, while the expression of alkaline phosphatase of PDLSCs was significantly promoted at days 3 and 7, and calcium precipitates was enhanced at 21 days. In this study, the FC/n-HA particles showed effective anti-inflammatory properties and facilitated osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs, indicating which has potential application in treating bone defects associated with inflammation, such as periodontitis.

The relationship between central obesity and risk of breast cancer: a dose-response meta-analysis of 7,989,315 women.

Purpose: Central obesity may contribute to breast cancer (BC); however, there is no dose-response relationship. This meta-analysis examined the effects of central obesity on BC and their potential dose-response relationship. Methods: In the present study, PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Web of Science were searched on 1 August 2022 for published articles. We included the prospective cohort and case-control studies that reported the relationship between central obesity and BC. Summary effect size estimates were expressed as risk ratios (RRs) or odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) and were evaluated using random-effect models. The inconsistency index (I2) was used to quantify the heterogeneity magnitude derived from the random-effects Mantel-Haenszel model. Results: This meta-analysis included 57 studies (26 case-control and 31 prospective cohort) as of August 2022. Case-control studies indicated that waist circumference (WC) (adjusted OR = 1.18; 95% CI: 1.00-1.38; P = 0.051) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (adjusted OR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.07-1.53; P = 0.008) were significantly positively related to BC. Subgroup analysis showed that central obesity measured by WC increased the premenopausal (adjusted OR = 1.15; 95% CI: 0.99-1.34; P = 0.063) and postmenopausal (adjusted OR = 1.18; 95% CI: 1.03-1.36; P = 0.018) BC risk and the same relationship appeared in WHR between premenopausal (adjusted OR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.19-1.59; P < 0.001) and postmenopausal (adjusted OR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.22-1.64; P < 0.001). The same relationship was observed in hormone receptor-positive (HR+) (adjusted ORWC = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.02-1.57; P = 0.035, adjusted ORWHR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.00-1.98; P = 0.051) and hormone receptor-negative (HR-) (adjusted ORWC = 1.44; 95% CI: 1.13-1.83; P = 0.003, adjusted ORWHR = 1.42; 95% CI: 0.95-2.13; P = 0.087) BCs. Prospective cohort studies indicated that high WC (adjusted RR = 1.12; 95% CI: 1.08-1.16; P < 0.001) and WHR (adjusted RR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.018-1.09; P = 0.017) may increase BC risk. Subgroup analysis demonstrated a significant correlation during premenopausal (adjusted RR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.02-1.14; P = 0.007) and postmenopausal (adjusted RR = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.10-1.19; P < 0.001) between BC and central obesity measured by WC, and WHR was significantly positively related to BC both premenopausal (adjusted RRpre = 1.04; 95% CI: 0.98-1.11; P = 0.169) and postmenopausal (adjusted RRpost = 1.04; 95% CI: 1.02-1.07; P = 0.002). Regarding molecular subtype, central obesity was significantly associated with HR+ (adjusted ORWC = 1.13; 95% CI: 1.07-1.19; P < 0.001, adjusted ORWHR = 1.03; 95% CI: 0.98-1.07; P = 0.244) and HR- BCs (adjusted ORWC =1.11; 95% CI: 0.99-1.24; P = 0.086, adjusted ORWHR =1.01; 95% CI: 0.91-1.13; P = 0.808). Our dose-response analysis revealed a J-shaped trend in the relationship between central obesity and BC (measured by WC and WHR) in case-control studies and an inverted J-shaped trend between BMI (during premenopausal) and BC in the prospective cohort. Conclusion: Central obesity is a risk factor for premenopausal and postmenopausal BC, and WC and WHR may predict it. Regarding the BC subtype, central obesity is proven to be a risk of ER+ and ER- BCs. The dose-response analysis revealed that when BMI (during premenopausal) exceeded 23.40 kg/m2, the risk of BC began to decrease, and WC higher than 83.80 cm or WHR exceeded 0.78 could efficiently increase the BC risk. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier: CRD42022365788.

Analysis of Patent and Regulatory Exclusivity for Novel Agents in China and the United States: A Cohort Study of Drugs Approved Between 2018 and 2021.

Patent and regulatory exclusivity shall constitute incentives for pharmaceutical companies to develop new drugs. This study aims to investigate the differences in the patent term extension (PTE) and regulatory exclusivity between China and the United States, and to evaluate their potential impact on the market exclusivity period of novel drugs. Small-molecule novel drugs with their first indication approved in China and the United States between 2018 and 2021 were evaluated regarding their PTE and regulatory exclusivity. The PTE length of the China-approved drugs was calculated by simulation, whereas that of the US-approved drugs was extracted from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Thirty-two and 107 novel drugs approved in China and the United States, respectively, were included in the study. The PTE length of the US-approved drugs calculated by the China-PTE method was significantly longer than that calculated by the US-PTE method. Patent extensions should be granted for 91% of new drugs in China and 82% in the United States. The simulated median PTE length of novel drugs approved in China was significantly higher than that of the United States (5.0 vs. 2.9 years, P < 0.05). It can be expected that the implementation of the PTE policy in China would significantly extend the period of market exclusivity for novel drugs similar to that of the United States. China should fully evaluate the potential impact of the PTE policy on the market exclusivity of novel drugs and provide better incentives to the development of novel drugs in addressing unmet clinical needs when developing its regulatory exclusivity policy.

Methyl Butyrate Alleviates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis and Regulates the Balance of Effector T Cells and Regulatory T Cells.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS), characterized by demyelinating neuropathy. The etiology of MS is not yet clear and its treatment remains a major medical challenge. While we search for drugs that can effectively treat experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the animal model of MS, we also hope to further explore its possible pathogenesis. In the present study, we investigated whether methyl butyrate (MB) could alleviate EAE and its potential mechanisms. In EAE mice, we found that administration of MB was effective in alleviating their clinical signs and improving histopathological manifestations of the CNS. In the CNS and intestinal lamina propria, we observed fewer effector T cells, including Th1 and Th17, in the MB-treated group. MB also increased the proportion of regulatory T cells and the secretion of IL-10 in peripheral immune organs. In vitro, MB led to suppression of Th1 cells and promotion of regulatory T cells in their differentiation. Given that MB had no direct effect on Th17 cell differentiation in vitro, we hypothesized that MB suppressed Th17 cells indirectly by inhibiting the secretion of IL-6, which was later confirmed both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we found that MB treatment upregulated Maf gene expression in mice, which explained its promotion of IL-10 secretion. The above findings suggest that MB may provide new ideas for the study of the mechanism of MS and have positive implications for new drug development.

Intrahepatic transcriptomics reveals gene signatures in chronic hepatitis B patients responded to interferon therapy.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a substantial public health burden worldwide. Alpha-interferon (IFNα) is one of the two currently approved therapies for chronic hepatitis B (CHB), to explore the mechanisms underlying IFNα treatment response, we investigated baseline and 24-week on-treatment intrahepatic gene expression profiles in 21 CHB patients by mRNA-seq. The data analyses demonstrated that PegIFNα treatment significantly induced antiviral responses. Responders who achieved HBV DNA loss and HBeAg or HBsAg seroconversion displayed higher fold change and larger number of up-regulated interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). Interestingly, lower expression levels of certain ISGs were observed in responders in their baseline biopsy samples. In HBeAg+ patients, non-responders had relative higher baseline HBeAg levels than responders. More importantly, HBeAg- patients showed higher HBsAg loss rate than HBeAg+ patients. Although a greater fold change of ISGs was observed in HBeAg- patients than HBeAg+ patients, upregulation of ISGs in HBeAg+ responders exceeded HBeAg- responders. Notably, PegIFNα treatment increased monocyte and mast cell infiltration, but decreased CD8 T cell and M1 macrophage infiltration in both responders and non-responders, while B cell infiltration was increased only in responders. Moreover, co-expression analysis identified ribosomal proteins as critical players in antiviral response. The data also indicate that IFNα may influence the production of viral antigens associated with endoplasmic reticulum. Collectively, the intrahepatic transcriptome analyses in this study enriched our understanding of IFN-mediated antiviral effects in CHB patients and provided novel insights into the development of potential strategies to improve IFNα therapy.

Methyl acetate arrests Th1 in peripheral immune system and alleviates CNS inflammation in EAE.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) mediated by immune cells. The pathogenesis of most autoimmune diseases has some degree of similarity to that of MS, and therefore the study of MS has clinical and scientific significance for other autoimmune diseases as well. As a widely used organic solvent, Methyl Acetate (MA) has a similar structure to acetate which has been shown to be therapeutic in the mouse model of multiple sclerosis. Here we found that MA was effective in reducing the disease severity of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE). Pathological sections showed that MA reduced inflammatory cell infiltration in the CNS and attenuated demyelination in the spinal cord. MA increases the proportion of Th1 cells in the periphery of EAE mice. Further mechanistic studies have demonstrated that MA treatment induces Th1 retention in the peripheral immune system by increasing the expression levels of peripheral Th1-related chemokines CXCR3. CXCL9, CXCL10. In addition, we observed that MA alleviated intestinal inflammation in EAE mice. The data showed that this phenomenon is achieved by enhancing IL-10 and inhibiting IL-6 secretion. Our data indicates that MA might have therapeutic implications for autoimmune diseases such as MS.

Identification of benzofused five-membered sultams, potent dual NOD1/NOD2 antagonists in vitro and in vivo.

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing proteins 1 and 2 play important roles in immune system activation. Recently, a shift has occurred due to the emerging knowledge that preventing nucleotide-binding oligomerization domains (NODs) signaling could facilitate the treatment of some cancers, which warrants the search for dual antagonists of NOD1 and NOD2. Herein, we undertook the synthesis and identification of a new class of derivatives of dual NOD1/NOD2 antagonists with novel benzofused five-membered sultams. Compound 14k was finally demonstrated to be the most potent molecule that inhibits both NOD1-and NOD2-stimulated NF-κB and MAPK signaling in vitro and in vivo.

Nonpeptidic quinazolinone derivatives as dual nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor 1/2 antagonists for adjuvant cancer chemotherapy.

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 1 and 2 (NOD1/2) receptors are potential immune checkpoints. In this article, a quinazolinone derivative (36b) as a NOD1/2 dual antagonist was identified that significantly sensitizes B16 tumor-bearing mice to paclitaxel treatment by inhibiting both nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase inflammatory signaling that mediated by NOD1/2.

Cp*CoIII-catalyzed formal [4+2] cycloaddition of benzamides to afford quinazolinone derivatives.

A Cp*CoIII-catalyzed arene C-H bond amidation/annulation of benzamides was developed to afford quinazolinone derivatives in one-pot with high yields and broad substrate scope. This method could be applied to the synthesis of quinazolinone drugs and late-stage modification of natural products.

Discovery of 1,4-Benzodiazepine-2,5-dione (BZD) Derivatives as Dual Nucleotide Binding Oligomerization Domain Containing 1/2 (NOD1/NOD2) Antagonists Sensitizing Paclitaxel (PTX) To Suppress Lewis Lung Carcinoma (LLC) Growth in Vivo.

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors (NLRs) are intracellular sensors of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Previously, we reported nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 1 (NOD1) antagonists (11, 12) and a NOD2 antagonist (9) that sensitized docetaxel (DTX) or paclitaxel (PTX) treatment for breast or lung cancer. In this article, we describe for the first time a 1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-dione (BZD) derivative (26bh) that acts as a dual NOD1/NOD2 antagonist and inhibits both nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inflammatory signaling, thereby sensitizing PTX to suppress Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) growth. After investigation of the compound's cytotoxicity, a systematic structure-activity relationship (SAR) was completed and revealed several key factors that were necessary to maintain antagonistic ability. This study establishes the possibility for using adjuvant treatment to combat cancer by antagonizing both NOD1 and NOD2 signaling.