6-Gingerol, a functional polyphenol of ginger, reduces pulmonary fibrosis by activating Sirtuin1

Pulmonary fibrosis in general is the final common outcome of various interstitial lung diseases. In recent years, the incidence of pulmonary fibrosis has been rising with poor prognosis. 6-gingerol is deemed as a functional polyphenol of ginger. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of 6-gingerol, on pulmonary fibrosis. Mice were randomly divided into four groups: control, bleomycin, bleomycin + 6-gingerol 100 mg/kg, bleomycin + 6-gingerol 250 mg/kg, and the survival rates of the groups were recorded. Pathological and fibrotic changes in the lungs were identified by H&E and Masson staining, respectively. The levels of hydroxyproline and protein deposited in lung tissues were then, respectively, determined by colorimetry and western blotting. Subsequently, the proportion of cells and inflammatory factors in the alveolar lavage fluid were estimated. Following the identification of the possibility of Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) in the pharmacological mechanism through molecular docking and western blotting, human embryonic lung fibroblasts MRC-5 were treated with TGF-β1 and SIRT1 inhibitor to study the role of SIRT1 in the regulatory effect of 6-gingerol. From the results, 6-gingerol was found to increase the survival rate of mice and reduce lung pathology and fibrosis in mice. And, it significantly reduced the levels of hydroxyproline and the proteins deposited in lung tissues. Moreover, the number of neutrophils, basophils, monocytes, and the levels of inflammatory factors in the alveolar lavage fluid were also reduced. SIRT1 inhibitor blocked the function of 6-gingerol to inhibit fibrosis. To sum up, 6-gingerol relieves pulmonary fibrosis via activating SIRT1. This finding expands the pharmacological effect of 6-gingerol, and it is expected to advance the development of treatments for pulmonary fibrosis (AU)

Relationship between manganese superoxide dismutase gene Val16Ala polymorphism and susceptibility to prostate cancer: a Meta-analysis / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To investigate the relationship between manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) gene Val16Ala polymorphism and the susceptibility to prostate cancer.Methods:All literatures related to MnSOD gene polymorphism and susceptibility to prostate cancer were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, China Knowledge Network and Wanfang databases. The retrieval time was from the database establishment to September 19, 2018. Literature screening and data extraction were independently done by 2 investigators, and Meta-analysis was performed by using Stata 12.0 software.Results:A total of 17 studies were included in the final analysis, including 7 101 prostate cancer cases and 9 146 healthy controls (people working at hospital and the ordinary people). The results of Meta-analysis showed that MnSOD gene Val16Ala polymorphism was not associated with susceptibility to prostate cancer under the homozygous model ( OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.02-1.23, P = 0.435), heterozygous model ( OR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.05-1.24, P = 0.765), dominant model ( OR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.05-1.23, P = 0.552) and allele comparison model ( OR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.02-1.12, P = 0.106). Conclusion:There may not be the relationship between MnSOD gene Val16Ala polymorphism and the susceptibility to prostate cancer.

Effects of interleukin (IL)-10/ transforming growth factor (TGF)-β-modified macrophages on renal ischemia reperfusion injury / 中华器官移植杂志

Objective To investigate the effects of IL-10/TGF-β-modified macrophages on renal ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI).Methods Bone marrow-derived macrophages were modified ex vivo by IL-10/TGF-β to acquire M2c (a subset of activated macrophages).M2c were transferred into treated C57BL/6 mice by a single tail-vein injection at 6 h after renal IRI.Mice were killed on the day 3 after renal IRI.Blood samples were collected to check renal function.Kidneys were harvested to determine tubular necrosis and apoptosis by H&E staining and TUNEL assay.Immunofluorescence was performed to analyze the proliferating tubular cell nuclear antigen.Meanwhile,proinflammatory cytokines and regulatory T cells in renal tissues were analyzed with real-time PCR and flow cytometry.Results In comparison with M1,M2c expressed lower levels of MHC Ⅱ (P＜0.01),CD86 (P＜ 0.01),TNFα (P＜0.01) and IL-1β (P＜0.01) and higher level of IL-10 (P＜0.01).M2c significantly attenuated renal functional decline (P＜0.01 or 0.05),structural injury (P＜0.05),apoptosis of tubular cells (P＜0.01) and inflammation factors infiltration (P＜0.01 or 0.05).What's more,the cells could promote tubular cells proliferation (P＜0.05) and regulatory T cells expression (P＜0.01).Conclusion Our results demonstrated that M2c macrophages effectively protect against renal IRI and may become a therapeutic strategy for renal IRI.

Protective Effect of Erqi Decoction on Intestinal Tract of Acute Radiation Intestinal Injury Rats and Its Mechanism / 广州中医药大学学报

Objective To investigate the protective effects of Erqi Decoction(EQD; mainly composed of Radix Aristolochiae Kaempferi, Radix Rhizoma Seu Flos Cypripedii, Cortex Fraxini, Cortex Phellodendri, Radix et Rhizoma Rhei) on the intestinal tract in rats with acute radiation intestinal injury and its mechanism. Methods Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group, EQD group and Baitouweng Decoction group (BD group), 15 rats in each group. The acute radiation enteritis model was established by exposing the whole abdomen to a total dose of 10 Gy of 6 MV higher-energy X-rays. EQD group and BD group were given intragastrical administration with corresponding medicine of EQD at the dose of 8.85 g·kg-1·d-1, BD at the dose of 4.69 g·kg-1·d-1 respectively, and the normal group and the model group were given intragastrical administration with the same volume of normal saline. The treatment lasted for 7 continuous days. After modeling, the morphological change of the proximal ileum tissue was observed under light microscope. Villus height, crypt depth, and thickness of the ileal mucosa and entire wall were measured by image analysis system. The myeloperoxidase (MPO) content in ileum tissue was determined by spectrophotometer, and the expression levels of caspase -3 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in ileum tissue were determined by immunohistochemistry. Results EQD group and BD group had milder injuries of the ileal structure, and had higher villus height, crypt depth, and thickness of mucosa and entire wall than those in the model group (P 0.05). MPO content in EQD group and BD group was decreased(P0.05). Conclusion EQD has certain protective effects against radiation-induced intestinal damage, which mechanism is probably associated with relieving the local intestinal inflammatory reaction, accelerating intestinal epithelial cell proliferation, and inhibiting intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis.