Effect of allyl isothiocyanate on oxidative stress in COPD via the AhR / CYP1A1 and Nrf2 / NQO1 pathways and the underlying mechanism.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is currently the third leading cause of death globally. Oxidative stress affects various molecular mechanisms and is the main driving factor of COPD. Ally isothiocyanate (AITC) is an effective component of Semen Sinapis Albae, which has favorable effects for the treatment of COPD, but its mechanism has not been fully elucidated. PURPOSE: This study aimed to elucidate the antioxidant effect of AITC on COPD and its molecular mechanism, and preliminarily determine the role of AhR in the progression of COPD. STUDY DESIGN: The COPD rat model was established by smoking combined with intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide. Different doses of AITC, positive control drug acetylcysteine, AhR inhibitor alpha-naphthoflavone, and agonist beta-naphthoflavone were administered by gavage. Human bronchial epithelial cells induced by cigarette smoke extract (CSE) were used in an in vitro model to explore the molecular mechanisms of AITC. METHODS: The effects of AITC on lung function and oxidative stress in rats were evaluated in vivo using the respiratory function test, white blood cell count, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and histological staining. The changes in protein expression in the lung tissue were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. RT-PCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence were used to explore the molecular mechanisms of AITC. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, reactive oxygen species probing, and flow cytometry were used to determine the antioxidant effect of AITC. RESULTS: AITC can improve the lung function of rats with COPD, restore lung tissue structure, improve oxidative stress, reduce inflammation, and inhibit lung cell apoptosis. AITC reversed the upregulation of AhR and CYP1A1 and the down-regulation of Nrf2 and NQO1 in the lung tissues of rats with COPD. CSE stimulation can increase the expressions of AhR and CYP1A1 and decrease the expressions of Nrf2 and NQO1 in 16HBE cells, leading to severe oxidative stress and inflammatory response and, ultimately, apoptosis. AITC inhibited AhR and CYP1A1 expressions, induced Nrf2 and NQO1 expressions, promoted Nrf2 nuclear translocation, and improved CSE-induced toxicological effects. CONCLUSION: AITC may improve lung oxidative stress by inhibiting the AhR / CYP1A1 and activating the Nrf2 / NQO1 pathways, thereby delaying the pathological progression of COPD.

Effects of allyl isothiocyanate on the expression, function, and its mechanism of ABCA1 and ABCG1 in pulmonary of COPD rats.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Allyl isothiocyanate(AITC) has been shown to play an important role in the improved symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) and the inhibition of inflammation, but the role in COPD lipid metabolism disorder and the molecular mechanism remains unclear. We aimed to explore whether and how AITC affects COPD by regulating lipid metabolism and inflammatory response. METHODS: The COPD rat model was established by cigarette smoke exposure. Cigarette smoke extract stimulated 16HBE cells to induce a cell model. The effect of AITC treatment was detected by lung function test, H&E staining, Oil red O staining, immunohistochemistry, ELISA, CCK-8, HPLC, fluorescence efflux test, siRNA, RT-PCR, and Western blotting. Biological analysis was performed to analyze the results. Graphpad Prism 8.0 software was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: AITC can improve lung function and pathological injury in COPD rats. The levels of IL-1 ß and TNF- α in the AITC treatment group were significantly lower than those in the model group(P < 0.05), and the lipid metabolism was also improved (P < 0.05). AITC reverses CSE-induced down-regulation of LXR α, ABCA1, and ABCG1 expression and function in a time-and concentration-dependent manner (P < 0.05). AITC regulates the cholesterol metabolism disorder induced by CSE in NR8383 cells and attenuates macrophage inflammation (P < 0.05). In addition, after silencing LXR α with siRNA, the effect of AITC was also inhibited. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that AITC improves COPD by promoting RCT process and reducing inflammatory response via activating LXR pathways.

Effect of Melodic Intonation Therapy on Nonfluent Aphasia after Stroke / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To observe the effect of melodic intonation therapy combined with speech training on nonfluent aphasia after stroke, and the changes of brain function. Methods:From March, 2017 to August, 2019, 40 patients with nonfluent aphasia after stroke were randomly divided into control group (n = 20) and intensive group (n = 20). Both groups accepted routine speech training, and the intensive group accepted melodic intonation therapy in addition. They were assessed with China Rehabilitation Research Center Chinese Standard Aphasia Examination before and four weeks after treatment. Three patients from each group were examined with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to observe the changes of regional homogeneity (ReHo) of cerebral hemisphere. Results:The scores of comprehension (noun, verb and sentence), repetition (noun and verb), read (noun) and naming (verb) increased in the control group (t > 2.221, P < 0.05), while it increased in comprehension (noun, verb and sentence), repetition (noun, verb and sentence), reading (noun and verb) and naming (noun and verb) in the intensive group (t > 2.179, P < 0.05). The scores of repetition (noun and verb) increased more in the intensive group than in the control group (t > 2.299, P < 0.05)， and the scores of reading (sentence) increased somehow. The ReHo in left cerebellum and temporal occipital area increased and the ReHo in bilateral frontal and temporal cortex decreased after treatment. Conclusion:Melodic intonation therapy based on speech therapy can promote the recovery of speech function for patients with nonfluent aphasia after stroke, especially in sentence reading and words repetition. The changes of the ReHo in resting state may associate with the neurological repairment after brain injury.

2-[4-(1H-1,2,4-Triazol-1-yl)phen-yl]-1H-benzimidazole.

In the title compound, C(15)H(11)N(5), the benzimidazole ring system is nearly planar [maximum deviation = 0.039 (2) Å], and is oriented at a dihedral angle of 28.85 (10)° with respect to the benzene ring; the dihedral angle between the triazole and benzene rings is 17.30 (15)°. In the crystal N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds link the mol-ecules into chains. Weak C-H⋯N inter-actions are also present.