Arsenic exposure and pulmonary function decline: Potential mediating role of TRAIL in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

BACKGROUND: Environmental arsenic (As) exposure is strongly related to the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Pulmonary epithelial cells apoptosis is implicated in the pathophysiological mechanisms of COPD. However, the role of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), one biomarker of apoptosis, remains unclear in As-mediated pulmonary function alternations in COPD patients. METHODS: This study included 239 COPD patients. The serum level of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The blood As level was determined through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). RESULTS: Blood As levels exhibited a negative and dose-dependent correlation with pulmonary function. Per unit elevation of blood arsenic concentrations was related to reductions of 0.339 L in FEV1, 0.311 L in FVC, 1.171% in FEV1/FVC%, and 7.999% in FEV1% in COPD subjects. Additionally, a positive dose-response correlation of blood As with serum TRAIL was found in COPD subjects. Additionally, the level of serum TRAIL was negatively linked to lung function. Elevated TRAIL significantly mediated As-induced decreases of 11.05%, 13.35%, and 31.78% in FVC, FEV1, and FEV1%, respectively among the COPD patients. CONCLUSION: Blood As level is positively correlated with pulmonary function decline and serum TRAIL increase in individuals with COPD. Our findings suggest that elevated TRAIL levels may serve as a mediating mechanism through which As contributes to declining lung function in COPD patients.

Association of blood cadmium concentration with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease progression: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Prior studies in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) had indicated a potential correlation between cadmium (Cd) exposure and reduction in lung function. Nevertheless, the influence of Cd exposure on the progression of COPD remained unknown. Exploring the relationship between Cd exposure and the progression of COPD was the aim of this investigation. METHODS: Stable COPD patients were enrolled. Blood samples were collected and lung function was evaluated. Regular professional follow-ups were conducted through telephone communications, outpatient services, and patients' hospitalization records. RESULTS: Each additional unit of blood Cd was associated with upward trend in acute exacerbation, hospitalization, longer hospital stay, and death within 2 years. Even after adjusting for potential confounding factors, each 1 unit rise in blood Cd still correlated with a rise in the frequencies of acute exacerbation, longer hospital stay, and death. Moreover, COPD patients with less smoking amount, lower lung function and without comorbidities were more vulnerable to Cd-induced disease deterioration. CONCLUSION: Patients with COPD who have higher blood Cd concentration are susceptible to worse disease progression.

Arsenic exposure and lung function decline in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: The mediating influence of systematic inflammation and oxidative stress.

Lung tissue is one of the target sites of arsenic (As). The goal of this investigation was to assess the associations of blood As concentration with pulmonary function indicators in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as the roles of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress in this relationship. All 791 COPD patients were selected. Blood As concentration, and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and 8-iso-prostaglandin-F2α (8-iso-PGF2α) were detected in the serum of COPD cases. Blood As was robustly related to pulmonary function parameters in an inverse dose-dependent manner. Multivariate linear regression analyses verified that a 1-unit increase of blood As was linked to declines of 0.263 L in FVC, 0.288 L in FEV1, 3.454 in FEV1/FVC%, and 0.538 in predicted FEV1%, respectively. The potential for pulmonary function decline gradually increased across the elevated tertiles of blood As. Nonsmokers were susceptible to As-induced pulmonary function reduction. Blood As was positively linked to the levels of TNF-α and 8-iso-PGF2α. Increased TNF-α and 8-iso-PGF2α partially mediated As-induced the reductions in FEV1 and FVC among COPD patients. As exposure is intensely linked to pulmonary function reduction. Systematic inflammation and oxidative stress partially mediate such associations in COPD patients.

Association between cadmium exposure and pulmonary function reduction: Potential mediating role of telomere attrition in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

BACKGROUND: Environmental cadmium (Cd) exposure is linked to pulmonary function injury in the general population. But, the association between blood Cd concentration and pulmonary function has not been investigated thoroughly in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, and the potential mechanisms are unclear. METHODS: All eligible 789 COPD patients were enrolled from Anhui COPD cohort. Blood specimens and clinical information were collected. Pulmonary function test was conducted. The subunit of telomerase, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), was determined through enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Blood Cd was measured via inductively coupled-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). RESULTS: Blood Cd was negatively and dose-dependently associated with pulmonary function. Each 1-unit increase of blood Cd was associated with 0.861 L decline in FVC, 0.648 L decline in FEV1, 5.938 % decline in FEV1/FVC %, and 22.098 % decline in FEV1 % among COPD patients, respectively. Age, current-smoking, self-cooking and higher smoking amount aggravated Cd-evoked pulmonary function decrease. Additionally, there was an inversely dose-response association between Cd concentration and TERT in COPD patients. Elevated TERT obviously mediated 29.53 %, 37.50 % and 19.48 % of Cd-evoked FVC, FEV1, and FEV1 % declines in COPD patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: Blood Cd concentration is strongly associated with the decline of pulmonary function and telomerase activity among COPD patients. Telomere attrition partially mediates Cd-induced pulmonary function decline, suggesting an underlying mechanistic role of telomere attrition in pulmonary function decline from Cd exposure in COPD patients.

Low 15d-PGJ2 status is associated with oxidative stress in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

BACKGROUND: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is a ligand-dependent nuclear receptor and highly expressed in human and rodent lungs. 15-Deoxy-delta-12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2), known for cyclopentenone prostaglandin, is the endogenous ligand of PPARγ. However, the associations among PPARγ, 15d-PGJ2 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were unclear. METHODS: All 130 fasting blood samples and 40 lung specimens were obtained from COPD patients and control subjects. Serum 15d-PGJ2 was detected by ELISA. The expressions of oxidative stress indicators were measured using western blotting and PPARγ nuclei were evaluated with immunohistochemistry in lungs. The associations among serum 15d-PGJ2, pulmonary PPARγ and oxidative stress indicators, and COPD were estimated. RESULTS: Serum 15d-PGJ2 was reduced in COPD patients compared with healthy volunteers. Linear and logistic regression analysis indicated that serum 15d-PGJ2 was positively associated with pulmonary function in COPD patients. In addition, PPARγ-positive nuclei were reduced and oxidative stress indicators, included HO-1 and NOX-4, were increased in lungs of COPD patients. Further correlative analysis suggested that pulmonary function parameters was positively correlated with serum 15d-PGJ2 and pulmonary PPARγ-positive nuclei, inversely related to oxidative stress indicators in lungs of COPD patients. Pretreatment with 15d-PGJ2 obviously attenuated TNFα-induced oxidative stress in BEAS-2B cells. CONCLUSIONS: Serum 15d-PGJ2 and pulmonary PPARγ are reduced, and oxidative stress is elevated in COPD patients. Serum 15d-PGJ2 is inversely associated with oxidative stress in COPD patients.

Longitudinal associations of serum survivin with the severity and prognosis of community-acquired pneumonia patients.

BACKGROUND: Survivin is a member of apoptosis inhibitor proteins that evokes cellular proliferation and inhibits apoptosis. However, the role of survivin in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients remains to be firmly established. The aim of this cohort study was to evaluate the correlations of serum survivin with the severity and prognosis of CAP patients. METHODS: This research included 470 eligible CAP patients. Serum fasting samples were drawn from patients, and serum survivin was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Meanwhile, demographic characteristics and clinical information were collected. The prognosis of CAP patients was tracked. RESULTS: Serum survivin gradually decreased with elevated CAP severity scores. Additionally, the correlative analysis suggested that serum survivin was associated with many clinical characteristics. Furthermore, mixed linear and logistic regression models indicated that serum survivin was negatively associated with severity. After adjusting for confounding factors, logistic regression analyses found that lower serum survivin on admission elevated the risks of mechanical ventilation, vasoactive agent usage, longer hospital stays, ICU admission, and even death during hospitalization. Serum survivin in combination with CAP severity scores elevated the predictive capacities for severity and death in CAP patients compared with a single indicator. CONCLUSION: On admission, there are inverse dose-response associations of serum survivin with severity and poor prognosis in CAP patients, demonstrating that serum survivin may be involved in the pathophysiology process of CAP. Serum survivin may serve as a potential biomarker for disease evaluation and prognosis in CAP patients.

Serum Level of 4-Hydroxynonenal in Community-Acquired Pneumonia: A Potential Biomarker for Severity and Prognosis.

Background: Four-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) exerts a central role in the pathophysiological process of pulmonary diseases. The aim of this project was to evaluate the correlations between serum 4-HNE with severity and prognosis in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) by a prospective cohort study. Materials and Methods: A total of 239 patients with CAP and healthy volunteers were recruited. Fasting blood was collected. Serum 4-HNE was measured with ELISA. Clinical characteristics and demographic information were obtained. The relationships between serum 4-HNE and clinical characteristics were evaluated through the Spearman or Pearson correlation coefficient. The associations of serum 4-HNE with severity and prognosis were estimated through logistic regression analysis. Results: On admission, serum 4-HNE was upregulated in patients with CAP compared with healthy volunteers. Serum 4-HNE was gradually increased in line with CAP scores. Additionally, elderly patients with CAP were more prone to suffer from 4-HNE elevation. Moreover, serum 4-HNE was positively correlated with CAP severity scores. Meanwhile, the poor prognostic outcomes were tracked among patients with CAP. Higher serum 4-HNE on admission increased the risks of mechanical ventilation, vasoactive agent usage, and death in patients with CAP during hospitalization. The predictive powers for severity and death were increased in serum 4-HNE compared with CAP severity scores and inflammatory cytokines. Conclusion: Serum 4-HNE on admission is positively correlated with the severity and poor prognosis among patients with CAP, indicating that 4-HNE participates in the pathophysiology of CAP. Serum 4-HNE may be used as an earlier biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis in patients with CAP.

Role of Rim Functions in Recognition and Selectivity of Small-Molecule Guests in Water-Soluble Cavitand Hosts.

Groups on the upper rim of cavitands can play major roles in the recognition of small molecules. Water-soluble deep cavitands 1, 2 or 3 bearing the walls upper rim of imidazole, urea, and methyl urea, respectively, were synthesized and characterized as hosts of small-molecule guests. The vase forms of 1 or 2 are stabilized through H-bonding to solvent water molecules between adjacent walls. Various small alkyl organic molecules - alcohols, halides, cycloalkane derivatives and heterocycles - are efficiently bound in 1. For n-alcohols (C5 to C12), the -OH end is fixed at the upper rim and the alkyl parts are in the hydrophobic cavity. The longer alcohol guests (C7-C12) show coiling. Cycloalkane guests rotate rapidly on all 3 axes within the host cavity, while heterocycles show orientations placing their heteroatoms near the cavitand rim. Competition studies between alkyl chlorides, bromides and iodides showed preference for binding of iodides in 1. Competition between cavitands for hexyl halide guests halide showed the order 2>1>3.

Serum cadmium positively correlates with inflammatory cytokines in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: Cadmium is a ubiquitous toxic heavy metal and environmental toxicant. Inflammation exerts central roles in the process of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, few epidemiological studies on the correlation between cadmium exposure and COPD are available. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlations among serum cadmium, inflammatory cytokines and pulmonary function in COPD patients. METHODS: All 940 COPD patients were finally recruited in this study. Demographic characteristics and clinical information were extracted. Fasting serum was collected. Serum cadmium was detected through graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Serum inflammatory cytokines were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: All patients were classified into three groups according to the tertile division of serum cadmium concentration: low (<0.77 µg/L, L), medium (0.77-1.01 µg/L, M), and high (1.01 µg/L, H). Logistic regression analysis found that serum cadmium was inversely correlated with pulmonary function before and after adjusted confounding variables. When stratified by gender, serum cadmium was still negatively correlated with pulmonary function in COPD patients. Moreover, higher serum cadmium elevated CAT (COPD Assessment Test) score before and after adjusted confounding variables. Though a non-linear association between serum cadmium and inflammatory cytokines, serum cadmium was positively associated with inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and MCP-1). TNF-α and MCP-1 exerted a partial mediator in the association between cadmium exposure and pulmonary function decline in COPD patients. CONCLUSIONS: Serum cadmium concentration is inversely correlated with pulmonary function among COPD patients. Inflammatory cytokines may be important mediators for cadmium-induced pulmonary function decline in COPD patients.

Ethyl acetate extract of the Musa nana flower inhibits osteoclastogenesis and suppresses NF-κB and MAPK pathways.

Banana flowers are consumed as a vegetable and traditionally used for managing several health problems including joint pain, a symptom of bone loss. Osteoclasts are key effector cells responsible for bone loss. Some flavonoids in banana flowers, such as quercetin and quercitrin, have been shown to be able to inhibit osteoclastogenesis. Whether banana flowers can inhibit osteoclast formation is unknown. In this study, we prepared the ethyl acetate fraction (FFE-EA) of an ethanolic extract of fresh flowers of Musa nana. Using UPLC-MS/MS analyses, 76 polyphenols were identified in FFE-EA. In RANKL-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages, FFE-EA inhibited osteoclastogenesis and osteoclastic bone resorption. Mechanistic studies revealed that FFE-EA suppressed NF-κB and MAPK pathways, and lowered mRNA levels of osteoclast formation/function-related genes. These findings suggest that flowers of M. nana could be a source for formulating functional food that benefits bone health.

Five New Triene Derivatives from the Fungus Penicillium herquei JX4.

Five undescribed triene derivatives, pinophols B-F (2-6), together with one known compound, pinophol A (1), were obtained from the mangrove endophytic fungus Penicillium herquei JX4. The structures of compounds 1-6 were elucidated using IR, HR-ESI-MS, and NMR methods. The absolute configurations of compounds 1-6 were confirmed by comparing their experimental or calculated ECD spectra. Pinophols C and D (3 and 4) showed inhibitory activities against LPS-induced NO production.

A two-herb formula inhibits hyperproliferation of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes.

Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) play a pathogenic role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). STAT3 signaling is activated in FLS of RA patients (RA-FLS), which in turn causes RA-FLS hyperproliferation. RL is a traditional remedy for treating inflammatory diseases in China. It comprises Rosae Multiflorae Fructus and Lonicerae Japonicae Flos. A standardized ethanolic extract of RL (RLE) has been shown to exert anti-arthritic effects in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats. Some constituents of RLE were reported to inhibit JAK2/STAT3 signaling in rat FLS. Here, we determined whether RLE inhibits FLS hyperproliferation, and explored the involvement of STAT3 signaling in this inhibition. In joints of CIA rats, RLE increased apoptotic FLS. In IL-6/sIL-6R-stimulated RA-FLS, RLE reduced cell viability and evoked cell apoptosis. In synovial tissues of CIA rats, RLE lowered the protein level of phospho-STAT3. In IL-6/sIL-6R-stimulated RA-FLS, RLE inhibited activation/phosphorylation of STAT3 and JAK2, decreased the nuclear localization of STAT3, and downregulated protein levels of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1. Over-activation of STAT3 diminished RLE's anti-proliferative effects in IL-6/sIL-6R-stimulated RA-FLS. In summary, RLE inhibits hyperproliferation of FLS in rat and cell models, and suppression of STAT3 signaling contributes to the underlying mechanisms. This study provides further pharmacological groundwork for developing RLE as a modern anti-arthritic drug.

Dimeric capsules self-assembled through halogen and chalcogen bonding.

Supramolecular capsules are nanoscale containers useful for the study of molecular behavior in confined spaces. They offer practical applications in catalysis, molecular transport, drug delivery, and materials science. Self-assembly has proven to be an effective approach in constructing supramolecular capsules and a variety of well-known noncovalent interactions including hydrogen bonding, metal coordination and ionic interactions have been deployed. Bowl-shaped cavitand structures built up from resorcinarenes have particular advantages for the construction of supramolecular capsules, and this highlight discusses the unconventional self-assembly of molecular capsules held together by halogen and chalcogen bonds.

Three new bioactive natural products from the fungus Talaromyces assiutensis JTY2.

A novel cyclopentenone derivative, talarocyclopenta A (1), a new phenolicethers derivative, talarocyclopenta B (2) and a new itaconic acid derivative, talarocyclopenta C (3) together with four known itaconic acid derivatives (4-7) were isolated from the Talaromyces assiutensis JTY2. Their structures were elucidated by the detailed analysis of comprehensive spectroscopic data. Among them, talarocyclopent (1) is the first represent an unusual type of cyclopentenone derivative, possessing a cyclopentenone unit, a 2-butanone unit and a 3-hydroxybutyric acid unit. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities. Compounds 1-4 showed inhibitory activities against the nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide in mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells in vitro. Compound 2 showed broad spectrum antibacterial against six terrestrial pathogenic bacteria.

Bioactive acetaminophen derivatives from Penicillum herquei JX4.

Two novel epimer pairs of acetaminophen derivatives penicilquei A-D (1-4) were isolated from Penicillium herquei JX4. Their structures were elucidated using comprehensive spectroscopic methods. The absolute configurations of penicilquei A-D (1-4) were determined by modifified Mosher's method, and comparing their experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Penicilquei A-D (1-4) are the first example of acetaminophen derivatives featuring an unprecedented carbon skeleton. The inhibitory activities of all compounds against nine phytopathogenic fungi and α-glucosidase were evaluated. Penicilquei A-D (1-4) showed strong inhibitory activities against at least eight phytopathogenic fungus.