Enhanced Expression of RAGE AXIS Is Associated with Severity of COVID-19 in Patients with Comorbidities.

Background: There is a limited understanding of molecular and cellular events that derive disease progression in patients with corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is hyperactive in development and complications of several diseases by mediating oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. The present study aims to explore activation of RAGE signaling in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with preexisting comorbidities, including hypertension and or diabetes. Methods: A total of 442 subjects with COVID-19, were recruited for the study. The molecular mechanism of Covid-19 was explored in blood cells, using ELISA, RT- PCR and Western blot. Results: Enhanced levels of ligands of RAGE, including AGEs, S100, and high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB-1) were observed in COVID-19 patients with severe diseases; however, their level was significantly higher in COVID-19 patients with comorbidities compared to COVID-19 patients without comorbidities. The expression of RAGE in parallel to ligands accumulation was significantly increased in patients with severe disease and comorbidities compared to COVID-19 patients with severe disease without comorbidities. The expression of downstream effectors of RAGE, including STAT-3 and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), was also enhanced and their activity was increased in COVID-19 patients with comorbidities. Levels of inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers were markedly increased in COVID-19 patients with comorbidities. Conclusions: We conclude that upregulated RAGE axis plays critical role, to worsen the severity of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with preexisting comorbidities and partly explain inflammatory and oxidative stress storm in severe COVID-19 patients.

Sesquiterpene from Polygonum barbatum disrupts mitochondrial membrane potential to induce apoptosis and inhibits metastasis by downregulating matrix metalloproteinase and osteopontin in NCI-H460 cells.

Globally, lung cancer accounts for 18% of cancer-associated mortalities. Among the subtypes, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most prevalent. The increased resistance and poor survival rates signify disease aggressiveness and thus require a search for an alternative anticancer molecule. Earlier, the sesquiterpene, i.e., compound 3 ((E)-methyl 6-acetoxy-7-methoxy-1-(2-methylpropylidene)-1H-indene-3-carboxylate) from Polygonum barbatum, was isolated, characterized by us, and reported for preliminary anticancer activity. Therefore, based on these results, this study was designed to explore the underlying molecular mechanism of apoptosis and metastasis against NCI-H460 cells. The molecular mechanism of compound 3 inducing apoptosis and inhibiting metastasis was elucidated by analyzing mitochondrial membrane potential, DNA fragmentation, clonogenic assay, invasion assay, and expression of apoptotic (caspases 3, 6, 8, 9, and BAK) and metastatic markers (MMP 2, MMP 9, and osteopontin). Compound 3 significantly inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis via the intrinsic route, i.e., the mitochondrial pathway, by disrupting mitochondrial membrane potential. The enhanced expression of caspases 6, 9, BAK, and HRK with downregulation of Bcl-2L1 and Ki67 further confirmed the involvement of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Moreover, compound 3 restricted the invasive nature of NCI-H460 cells evinced by reduced cell invasion in Boyden chamber invasion assay and downregulating the expression of metastatic markers, i.e., matrix metalloproteinase 2/9 and VEGF. It was also found to block osteopontin by negatively regulating its expression, a marker protein in cancer management. Conclusively, this sesquiterpene exhibited potent anticancer and antimetastatic activity and can be explored further as possible pharmacophores.

A molecular dynamic simulation approach: development of dengue virus vaccine by affinity improvement techniques.

This study is about proposing a vaccine for all four strains of dengue virus (DENV) that could be an important approach for reaching the WHO goal of reducing dengue morbidity and mortality. The significance of the DENV envelope proteins III lies in the fact that it elicits an immune response and hence can be a potential vaccine design candidate. This domain appears to play a key role in the host cell receptor binding for viral entry and in inducing long lasting protective immunity against the infection. We used long molecular dynamic simulation and mutagenesis scanning methods to provide the dynamic environment and propose the potential mutation that may result in enhancing the binding specificity and affinity of the antigen-antibody (Ag-Ab) complex. The binding free energetics were also estimated using free energy perturbation method. One charged mutation that is theorinine 93L to arginine interacting with epitopic glutamic acid 368 strongly contributing in increasing the binding affinity as well as specificity, predicted as -9.6 kcal/mol gain in 2H12-Fab with dengue envelope domain III binding free energy relative to the wild-type. In conclusion, the one charged residue that showed theoretically enhances the binding affinity of Ag-Ab complex by making couple of interactions i.e. by substituting theorinine to arginine in the antibody chains and can be considered as potential dengue vaccine candidate.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Potential Biological Targets Prediction, ADME Profiling, and Molecular Docking Studies of Novel Steroidal Products from Cunninghamella blakesleana.

BACKGROUND: New potential biological targets prediction through inverse molecular docking technique is another smart strategy to forecast the possibility of compounds being biologically active against various target receptors. OBJECTIVE: In this case of designed study, we screened our recently obtained novel acetylenic steroidal biotransformed products [(1) 8-ß-methyl-14-α-hydroxyΔ4tibolone (2) 9-α-HydroxyΔ4 tibolone (3) 8-ß-methyl-11-ß-hydroxyΔ4tibolone (4) 6-ß-hydroxyΔ4tibolone, (5) 6-ß-9-α-dihydroxyΔ4tibolone (6) 7-ß-hydroxyΔ4tibolone)] from fungi Cunninghemella Blakesleana to predict their possible biological targets and profiling of ADME properties. METHODS: The prediction of pharmacokinetic properties, membrane permeability, and bioavailability radar properties was carried out by using Swiss target prediction and Swiss ADME tools, respectively. These metabolites were also subjected to predict the possible mechanism of action along with associated biological network pathways by using Reactome database. RESULTS: All the six screened compounds possessed excellent drug ability criteria and exhibited exceptionally excellent non-inhibitory potential against all five isozymes of the CYP450 enzyme complex, including CYP1A2, CYP2C19, CYP2C9, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4. All the screened compounds are lying within the acceptable pink zone of bioavailability radar and showing excellent descriptive properties. Compounds [1-4 & 6] are showing high BBB (Blood Brain Barrier) permeation, while compound 5 is exhibiting high HIA (Human Intestinal Absorption) property of (Egan Egg). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the results of this study smartly reveal that in-silico based studies are considered to provide robustness towards a rational drug design and development approach; therefore, in this way, it helps to avoid the possibility of failure of drug candidates in the later experimental stages of drug development phases.