CTRP6 suppresses neutrophil extracellular traps formation to ameliorate sepsis-induced lung injury through inactivation of ERK pathway.

BACKGROUND: Septic lung injury is associated with excessive neutrophil activation, while neutrophil extracellular traps formation contributes to inflammatory lung injury in sepsis. C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein-6 (CTRP6) is a paralog of adiponectin and exerts anti- inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The role of CTRP6 in sepsis-associated inflammatory lung injury was investigated in this study. METHODS: Mice were injected with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) intraperitoneally to establish the mouse sepsis model. They were first tail-vein injected with adenovirus-mediated overexpression CTRP6 (Ad-CTRP6) and then subjected to the LPS injection. Pathological changes in lungs were detected by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Inflammation cytokine levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were assessed by qRT-PCR and ELISA. Flow cytometry was used to detect the number of neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and immunofluorescence was performed to assess neutrophil extracellular traps. RESULTS: Lipopolysaccharides induced pulmonary congestion, interstitial edema, and alveolar wall thickening in the lungs, as well as upregulated lung histology score and wet/dry weight ratio. CTRP6 was reduced in lung tissues of septic mice. Injection with Ad-CTRP6 ameliorated extensive histopathological changes in LPS-induced mice and decreased lung histology score and wet/dry weight ratio. Overexpression of CTRP6 reduced the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß in septic mice. Injection with Ad-CTRP6 also decreased the number of neutrophils and downregulated Cit-H3 and myeloperoxidase polymers in septic mice. Protein expression of p-ERK in septic mice was reduced by overexpression of CTRP6. CONCLUSION: CTRP6 attenuated septic lung injury, exerted anti-inflammatory effect, and suppressed neutrophil extracellular traps formation against sepsis through inactivation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling.

High incidence and low case detection rate among contacts of tuberculosis cases in Shanghai, China.

BACKGROUND: To assess the effect of a contact investigation strategy by assessing the incidence of tuberculosis and the case detection rate among contacts of tuberculosis patients. METHODS: The pulmonary tuberculosis incidence among contacts was determined retrospectively from a tuberculosis information management system. For each detection method (symptom examination only, symptom examination plus chest radiography or other alternatives), the detection rate of pulmonary tuberculosis patients among contacts was derived from contact investigation form records. RESULTS: Sixty-nine cases of pulmonary tuberculosis were identified among a total of 8137 contacts after an average follow-up of 2.6 years (range: 0.25-5.25) during the period from 2010 to 2014. The incidence density was 329/100,000 person-years (PYs), and the 95% confidence interval (CI) was 256-419/100,000 PYs, which was significantly higher than the notification rate during the same period in the general population (29-30/100,000 PYs). The incidence density was higher (p < 0.0001) among male contacts (462/100,000 PYs) than among female contacts (236/100,000 PYs). The incidence density did not differ (p > 0.05) between contacts whose index case was sputum smear positive and those whose index case was sputum smear negative. Contacts who were biologically related family of the index cases exhibited a higher (p < 0.05) incidence density (475/100,000 PYs) than other contacts (281/100,000 PYs). Fifteen of the 69 incident cases were found through contact investigation, corresponding to a case detection rate via contact investigation of 22% (95% CI: 13-33%). The relevance ratio was 288/100,000 (12/4163) by both chest radiography and symptom survey, which was significantly higher than the rate detected by symptom survey alone, of 57/100,000 (2/3486), p = 0.028. The cumulative incidence in the contacts was 761/100,000 (62/8137) within 3 years from the time that the index cases were diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis, which was higher than the incidence rate of 210/100,000 (7/3328) recorded after 3 years (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The contacts were at higher risk of pulmonary tuberculosis than the general population; however, only approximately 22% of the incident cases could be detected through contact investigation. Therefore, the contact investigation strategy must be improved for better detection of potential pulmonary tuberculosis cases.

Design of an acoustic illusion device based on a shifting medium and multi-folded transformation.

An acoustic illusion device that can act as an invisible cloak or a shifting medium depending on the value of shift distance, which is about twice the circum-radius of the outer polygon, is proposed and designed based on linear coordinate transformation. A multi-folded transformation approach is used to design an illusion device with a circular opening window that allows for information interaction with the outside world. The results show that the proposed device can hide objects with arbitrary shapes or positions. Furthermore, in order to remove the material anisotropy of the proposed illusion device, a layered structure composed of homogenous and isotropic material is used based on the effective medium theory. The combination of the layered structure and the circular opening provide a flexible and feasible approach to achieve the partial implementation of the illusion device. It is hoped that these results may open an avenue for designing and implementing invisibility cloaks or illusion devices, and speed up potential applications for noise shielding, target camouflage, or target protection from active sonar signals.

The Complete Mitogenome of Falco amurensis (Falconiformes, Falconidae), and a Comparative Analysis of Genus Falco.

In this study, we sequenced the complete mitogenome of Falco amurensis (Falconiformes, Falconidae). The F. amurensis mitogenome is 17,464 bp long, and contains 37 genes, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNAs, 22 tRNAs, and two non-coding regions (control region and pseudo-control region). Most PCGs initiate with ATG and terminate with TAA. atp8 exhibits the highest evolutionary rate, with cox1 showing the lowest. rrnS and rrnL contain three domains with 46 helices and six domains with 59 helices, respectively. All tRNAs have a typical cloverleaf secondary structure, except that trnS(agy) lacks the dihydrouracil arm. The control region is located between trnT and trnP and the pseudo-control between trnE and trnF. Phylogenetic relationships of 23 species from Falconiformes were analyzed based on the nucleotide sequences of the 13 PCGs and two rRNAs. The results support Falco as a monophyletic taxon, and F. amurensis has a close relationship with the clade containing F. cherrug/F. rusticolus/F. peregrinus.

Encapsulating Fe3O4 into calcium alginate coated chitosan hydrochloride hydrogel beads for removal of Cu (II) and U (VI) from aqueous solutions.

The aim of this work was to study the removal of Cu (II) and U (VI) ions from aqueous solutions by encapsulating magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles into calcium alginate coated chitosan hydrochloride (CCM) hydrogel beads. ATR-FTIR and XRD analysis data indicated that the CCM composites were successfully prepared. SEM images and EDX spectra showed that Cu2+ and UO22+ ions were adhered onto sorbents. Adsorption properties for removal of both copper and uranium ions under various experimental conditions were investigated. Kinetic data and sorption equilibrium isotherms were also conducted in batch process. The sorption kinetic analysis revealed that sorption of Cu (II) and U (VI) followed the pseudo-second-order model well and exhibited 3-stage intraparticle diffusion model during the whole sorption process. Equilibrium data were best described by Langmuir model, and the CCM composite hydrogel beads showed the estimated maximum adsorption capacity 143.276mg/g and 392.692mg/g for Cu (II) and U (VI), respectively. The CCM adsorbent exhibited excellent reusability for five cycles use without significant changes in the adsorption capacity and structural stability. The results demonstrated that CCM can be an effective and promising sorbent for Cu (II) and U (VI) ions in wastewater.

Compact and broadband antenna based on a step-shaped metasurface.

A metasurface (MS) is highly useful for improving the performance of patch antennae and reducing their size due to their inherent and unique electromagnetic properties. In this paper, a compact and broadband antenna based on a step-shaped metasurface (SMS) at an operating frequency of 4.3 GHz is presented, which is fed by a planar monopole and enabled by selecting an SMS with high selectivity. The SMS consists of an array of metallic step-shaped unit cells underneath the monopole, which provide footprint miniaturization and bandwidth expansion. Numerical results show that the SMS-based antenna with a maximum size of 0.42λ02 (where λ0 is the operating wavelength in free space) exhibits a 22.3% impedance bandwidth (S11 < -10 dB) and a high gain of more than 7.15 dBi within the passband. Experimental results at microwave frequencies verify the performance of the proposed antenna, demonstrating substantial consistency with the simulation results. The compact and broadband antenna therefore predicts numerous potential applications within modern wireless communication systems.

[Prevalence and risk factors of latent tuberculosis infection in close contacts of tuberculosis patients among non-resident populations in Shanghai, China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of latent tuberculosis (TB) infection (LTBI), and to identify the risk factors in close contacts of pulmonary TB patients among non-resident population in Shanghai. METHODS: The study subjects were the close contacts of pulmonary TB patients among non-resident populations in Xuhui, Minhang and Songjiang Districts in Shanghai from 2013 to 2014.Questionnaire interview was applied to collect the socio-demographics, TB-related clinical and TB exposure information from the enrolled TB patients and their close contacts. The T-SPOT.TB test was used to identify the infection of M. TB. LTBI was defined as a positive T-SPOT.TB result inthe absence of signs and symptoms related to TB. RESULTS: In total, 182 pulmonary TB patients and 360 close contacts were enrolled in the present study. The mean age of the close contacts was (34±14) years(range, 2-83 years), including 160 men and 200 women. The T-SPOT.TB test and TB related examination revealed that 17.2% (62/360) of the close contacts were latently infected with M. TB. All the LTBI subjects were household contacts (χ(2)=16.814, P<0.001). In multivariate analysis, the risk of LTBI was statistically associated with the presence of TB symptoms of the index case (OR=2.696, 95%CI: 1.060-6.857) and duration of exposure (OR=1.007, 95%CI: 1.001-1.014); whereas there were no statistically significant associations among age, gender, diagnostic delay of index case, environment of contact place and the risk of LTBI among the studied close contacts. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of LTBI in close contacts of pulmonary TB patients among non-resident population in Shanghai is 17.2%.Contact with patients with TB symptoms and longer duration of exposure might increase the risk of LTBI.

Association between maternal HIV infection and low birth weight and prematurity: a meta-analysis of cohort studies.

BACKGROUND: To assess the association between maternal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and low birth weight (LBW)/prematurity (PTD), we conducted a meta-analysis of cohort studies of HIV infected and uninfected women. METHODS: Several English and Chinese databases were searched (updated to May 2015) to find the studies reporting infant outcomes associated with exposure to maternal HIV infection during pregnancy. Relevant articles were manually selected based on several inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS: Fifty-two cohort studies including 15,538 (for LBW) and 200,896 (for PTD) HIV infected women met the inclusion criteria. There was significant heterogeneity among studies for maternal HIV infection associated with LBW/PTD (I(2) = 71.7%, P < 0.05, and I(2) = 51.8%, P < 0.05 for LBW and PTD, respectively). The meta-analysis demonstrated that the maternal HIV infection was significantly associated with both LBW (pooled odds ratio (OR): 1.73, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.64, 1.82, P < 0.001) and PTD (pooled OR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.49, 1.63, P < 0.001). No significant difference in the relationship between maternal HIV infection and adverse pregnancy outcomes was detected among the groups of different study periods. HIV infected women were at slightly higher risk of LBW in developing countries compared with women in developed countries (OR: 2.12 (95% CI: 1.81, 2.48) vs. 1.75 (95% CI: 1.44, 2.12)). Antiretroviral drugs usage did not significantly change the associations of maternal HIV exposure with LBW and PTD. CONCLUSIONS: HIV infected women were at higher risk of having a low birth weight infant or a preterm delivery infant compared with uninfected women. Such associations did not change significantly over time or were not significantly affected by the usage of antiretroviral drugs.

Review of the leafhopper genus Singapora Mahmood (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae: Erythroneurini).

General characteristics of Singapora Dworakowska and a key to known species of the genus are provided. Six new species, Singapora candela, S. excedens, S. falcata, S. longiantrosa, S. triacantha and S. yingjiangica spp. nov. are described and illustrated, with two new records, S. shivae Dworakowska from China and S. bannaensis Song & Li from Thailand.

Review of the leafhopper genus Coloana Dworakowska (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae: Erythroneurini).

General characteristics of Coloana Dworakowska and a key to known species of the genus are provided. Six new species, Coloana accrescens, C. hainanensis, C. latiprocessa, C. orthoprocessa, C. recta and C. sinuata spp. nov. from China and Thailand are described and illustrated. C. cinerea Dworakowska is newly recorded from China.

A Review of Chinese Species of the Genus Oides Weber, 1801 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae).

In this study, 25 species of Oides Weber from China were reviewed. Among them, the following seven new species are described: Oides angustasp. nov., O. cystoprocessasp. nov., O. paraborerisp. nov., O. parabowringiisp. nov., O. parathibettanasp. nov., O. shimenensissp. nov., and O. yunnanensissp. nov.; Oides innocua Gahan has been recorded in China for the first time. A key to all the Chinese Oides species is provided.

Melittin alleviates sepsis-induced acute kidney injury by promoting GPX4 expression to inhibit ferroptosis.

OBJECTIVES: Melittin, the main component of bee venom, is a natural anti-inflammatory substance, in addition to its ability to fight cancer, antiviral, and useful in diabetes treatment. This study seeks to determine whether melittin can protect renal tissue from sepsis-induced damage by preventing ferroptosis and explore the protective mechanism. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the specific protective mechanism of melittin against sepsis-induced renal injury by screening renal injury indicators and ferroptosis -related molecules and markers in animal and cellular models of sepsis. RESULTS: Our results showed that treatment with melittin attenuated the pathological changes in mice with lipopolysaccharide-induced acute kidney injury. Additionally, we found that melittin attenuated ferroptosis in kidney tissue by enhancing GPX4 expression, which ultimately led to the reduction of kidney tissue injury. Furthermore, we observed that melittin enhanced NRF2 nuclear translocation, which consequently upregulated GPX4 expression. our findings suggest that melittin may be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of sepsis-associated acute kidney injury by inhibiting ferroptosis through the GPX4/NRF2 pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals the protective mechanism of melittin in septic kidney injury and provides a new therapeutic direction for Sepsis-AKI.

Taxonomic study of the genus Kapsa Dworakowska with a new subgenus, and new combinations and records for Tautoneura Anufriev (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae: Erythroneurini).

The genus Kapsa Dworakowska is redescribed and a new subgenus Kapsa (Rigida) Cao & Zhang is established to include thirteen species, a key to males of the subgenus is provided, and eight new species from China are described and illustrated: Kapsa aculeiformis, K. apicispina, K. brevis, K. explanata, K. furcata, K. imminuta, K. mnegaprocessa and K. serrata spp. nov.. Based on detailed study of previously described species, Kapsa yanheensis Song & Li, 2012 is considered a synonym of Tautoneura albida (Dworakowska, 1970). Four species previously placed in Kapsa are transferred to Tautoneura Anufriev: Tautoneura decorata (Dworakowska, 1981), T. diasonica (Chiang & Knight, 1990), T. elscinta (Chiang & Knight, 1990) and T. puerensis (Song & Li, 2012). K. alba Dworakowska, 1981 and T. ahmedi Dworakowska, 1977 are reported for the first time from China.

Synonymy, new species and new combinations in the leafhopper genus Matsumurina Dworakowska (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae: Erythroneurini) .

The leafhopper genus Takama Dworakowska & Viraktamath, 1975 is considered a junior synonym of Matsumurina Dworakowska, 1972, with seven known species all transferred to the latter. Another new combination is proposed: Matsumurina macra (Kuoh, 1982) n. comb. Seven additional species: Matsumurina abbreviata, M. angusta, M. furcata, M. longa, M. longissima, M. qini and M. serriformis spp. nov. are newly described and illustrated. A key for identification of adult males of Matsumurina is provided.

The extracts of Dracaena cochinchinensis stemwood suppress inflammatory response and phagocytosis in lipopolysaccharide-activated microglial cells.

BACKGROUND: Neuroinflammation is a pivotal process in the brain that contributes to the development of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). During neuroinflammation, the over-activation of microglial cells can drive the pathological processes underlying AD, including an increase in amyloid ß (Aß) production and accumulation, ultimately leading to neuronal and synaptic loss. Dracaena cochinchinensis (Lour.) S.C. Chen, also known as "Chan-daeng" in Thai, belongs to the Asparagaceae family. In Thai traditional medicine, it has been used as an antipyretic, pain reliever, and anti-inflammatory agent. However, the effects of D. cochinchinensis on neuroinflammation are yet to be determined. PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the anti-neuroinflammatory activities of D. cochinchinensis stemwood extract in activated microglia. METHODS: In this study, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a potent pro-inflammatory stimulus, was used to activate microglial BV2 cells, as a cell model of neuroinflammation. Our investigation included several techniques, including qRT-PCR, ELISA, Western blotting, phagocytosis, and immunofluorescence staining, to examine the potential anti-inflammatory effects of D. cochinchinensis stemwood. RESULTS: D. cochinchinensis stemwood, named DCS, was extracted with ethanol and water. The extracts of DCS showed dose-dependent anti-inflammatory effects, markedly suppressing the LPS-mediated mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory factors, including IL-1ß, TNF-α, and iNOS, while increasing expression of the anti-inflammatory biomarker Arg1 in both BV2 microglia and RAW264.7 macrophages. DCS extracts also decreased the protein levels of IL-1ß, TNF-α, and iNOS. These findings were correlated with the suppression of phosphorylated proteins of p38, JNK, and Akt in the LPS-activated microglia. Moreover, DCS extracts significantly attenuated excessive phagocytosis of beads and Aß fibrils during the LPS-mediated microglial activation. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our results indicated that DCS extracts had anti-neuroinflammatory properties by suppressing the expression of pro-inflammatory factors, increasing the expression of the anti-inflammatory biomarker Arg1, and modulating excessive phagocytosis in activated microglia. These findings suggested that DCS extract could be a promising natural product for the treatment of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, like AD.

Phylogeographic analyses of an epiphytic foliose lichen show multiple dispersal events westward from the Hengduan Mountains of Yunnan into the Himalayas.

Lobaria pindarensis is an endemic species of the Himalayas and the Hengduan Mountains. Little information is available on the phylogeography genetics and colonization history of this species or how its distribution patterns changed in response to the orographic history of the Himalayas and Hengduan Mountains. Based on samples covering a major part of the species' distribution range, we used 443 newly generated sequences of nine loci for molecular coalescent analyses in order to reconstruct the evolutionary history of L. pindarensis, and to reconstruct the species' ancestral phylogeographic distributions using Bayesian binary MCMC analyses. The results suggest that current populations originated from the Yunnan region of the Hengduan Mountains in the middle Pliocene, and that the Himalayas of Bhutan were colonized by a lineage that diverged from Yunnan ca. 2.72 Ma. The analysis additionally indicates that the Nepal and Xizang areas of the Himalayas were colonized from Yunnan as well, and that there was later a second dispersal event from Yunnan to Bhutan. We conclude that the change in climate and habitat related to the continuous uplift of the Himalayas and the Hengduan Mountains in the late Pliocene and middle Pleistocene influenced the geographic distribution pattern of L. pindarensis.

Cytosine-phosphate-guanine oligodeoxynucleotides regulate the cell cycle, apoptosis, and steroidogenesis of mouse ovarian granulosa cells by targeting inhibin alpha (1 ~ 32) fragments.

Cytosine-phosphate-guanine oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODNs), which exist in vertebrate, bacterial, and viral genomes, are regarded as strong immune adjuvants. To date, the biological activities of CpG-ODNs in reproduction remain unknown. Here, we investigated the effects of CpG-ODNs on the cell cycle, apoptosis, and steroidogenesis in mouse granulosa cells (mGCs), in combination with inhibin alpha (1 ~ 32) fragments. mGCs were transfected with pEGFP (containing green fluorescent protein, as a control), pEGISI (containing inhibin alpha (1 ~ 32) fragments), or pEGISI-CpG-ODNs (containing inhibin alpha (1 ~ 32) fragments and CpG-ODNs motifs) plasmid for 48 h in vitro. Our results showed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of inhibin alpha were downregulated in mGCs transfected with pEGISI-CpG-ODNs, compared to those transfected with pEGISI. Flow cytometry demonstrated that pEGISI-CpG-ODNs transfection promoted cell proliferation (for example, increasing the number of cells in S and G2 phases) and decreased apoptosis, compared to pEGISI transfection. The present study also indicated that the expression of cell cycle-related genes (cyclin D2, cyclin D3, cyclin E1, Cdk2, and Cdk6) was increased, while the expression of apoptosis-related factors (Fas, FasL, caspase-8, and caspase-3) decreased after pEGISI-CpG-ODNs treatment. Additionally, pEGISI-CpG-ODNs reversed the effect of pEGISI on the secretion of estradiol in mGCs, which was further validated by upregulating the levels of its synthesis-related factors (StAR, Cyp11a1, and 17ß-HSD II). Nevertheless, pEGISI-CpG-ODNs or pEGISI did not affect the concentration of progesterone nor changed the expression levels of its synthesis-related factors (3ß-HSD I and Cyp19a1). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that CpG-ODNs may affect the cell cycle, apoptosis, and steroidogenesis by targeting the effects of inhibin alpha (1 ~ 32) fragments, supporting the potential role of CpG-ODNs in the development of granulosa cells.

Association of Daily Exposure to Air Pollutants with the Risk of Tuberculosis in Xuhui District of Shanghai, China.

Previous studies have suggested that air pollutant exposure is related to tuberculosis (TB) risk, but results have not been consistent. This study evaluated the relation between daily air pollutant exposure and TB incidence in Shanghai from 2014 to 2019. Overall, there were four pollutants that were positively related to the risk of new TB cases. After a 5 µg/m3 increase, the maximum lag-specific and cumulative relative risk (RR) of SO2 were 1.081, (95% CI: 1.035-1.129, lag: 3 days) and 1.616 (95% CI: 1.119-2.333, lag: 0-13 days), while for NO2, they were 1.061 (95% CI: 1.015-1.11, lag: 4 days) and 1.8 (95% CI: 1.113-2.91, lag: 0-15 days). As for PM2.5, with a 50 µg/m3 increase, the lag-specific and cumulative RR were 1.064 (95% CI: 1-1.132, lag: 6 days) and 3.101 (95% CI: 1.096-8.777, lag: 0-21 days), while for CO, the lag-specific RR was 1.03 (95% CI: 1.005-1.057, lag: 8 days) and the cumulative RR was 1.436 (95% CI: 1.004-2.053, lag: 0-16 days) with a 100 µg/m3 increase. The associations tended to be stronger in male and elderly patients and differed with seasons. Air pollutant exposure may be a risk factor for TB incidence.

The precision of epidemiological investigation of COVID-19 transmission in Shanghai, China.

BACKGROUND: Shanghai had a local outbreak of COVID-19 from January 21 to 24. Timely and precise strategies were taken to prevent further spread of the disease. We discussed and shared the experience of COVID-19 containment in Shanghai. PROCESS: The first two patients worked at two hospitals but no staff from the two hospitals were infected. The suspected case and his two close contacts were confirmed to be infected within 12 h. The testing rate of individuals was low. The scope of screening was minimized to two related districts and the close contact tracing was completed within 12 h, which were precise and cost-effective. CONCLUSIONS: Active monitoring, precise epidemiological investigation and timely nucleic acid testing help discover new cases, minimize the scope of screening, and interrupt the transmission.

Overexpressed CD39 mitigates sepsis­induced kidney epithelial cell injury via suppressing the activation of NLR family pyrin domain containing 3.

Unfettered inflammation is a leading cause of multiple organ failures in sepsis. The anti­inflammatory role of cluster of differentiation (CD)39 has been previously reported. The present study aimed to investigate the role of unfettered inflammation in sepsis­induced acute kidney injury (AKI). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was introduced to construct a sepsis mouse model. Kidney function and pathological changes in mice were measured at 12, 24 and 48 h. CD39 overexpression and inhibition vectors were transfected into renal tubular epithelial (HK­2) cells, followed by LPS treatment (10 µg/ml), and the cell viability changes at 24 h after treatment were assessed and the expression of NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), cleaved caspase­1 and CD39 were determined by performing ELISAs. Cell apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were determined by flow cytometry. It was found that after LPS administration, kidney injury was the most serious at 24 h in mice. CD39 overexpression could suppress the upregulation of pro­inflammatory cytokines induced by LPS treatment. In addition, the cell apoptosis and ROS level exhibited an obvious decrease, while cell viability increased. The NLRP3 expression and activity also showed a great inhibition in CD39­overexpressed cells. By contrast to CD39 overexpression, CD39 inhibition promoted the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. These data indicate the protective role of CD39 in LPS­induced renal tubular epithelial cell damage through inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation and that CD39 might be a potential therapeutic target in sepsis­induced AKI.