Comparison between hangeshashinto and dexamethasone for IL-1α and ß-defensin 1 production by human oral keratinocytes.

OBJECTIVE: Human ß-defensin 1 (hBD-1) is a antimicrobial peptide that is constantly secreted by oral tissues. Hangeshashinto (HST), a traditional Japanese medicine, has been reported to be effective against stomatitis. This study aimed to clarify the profile of HST by comparing the system of production of interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and hBD-1 in human oral mucosal epithelial cells with dexamethasone (DEX), a steroid used for the treatment of stomatitis. METHODS: Human oral keratinocytes (HOK) were treated with HST, DEX, or HST components (baicalein, baicalin, berberine, and glycyrrhizin) for 24 h, and subsequently cultured for 24 h with or without Pam3CSK4 or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The cell supernatants, total RNA, and intracellular proteins were collected, and changes in IL-1α and hBD-1 protein production and gene expression were evaluated using ELISA and RT-PCR. The phosphorylation of NF-kB and the cell proliferative ability of HOK were evaluated by western blotting and XTT assay, respectively. RESULTS: DEX (0.01-10 µM) significantly suppressed IL-1α and hBD-1 production induced by either Pam3CSK4 or LPS, and also decreased cell growth. In contrast, HST inhibited Pam3CSK4- and LPS-induced IL-1α production at a concentration range of 12.5-100 µg/mL without affecting the cell proliferative capacity and hBD-1 production of HOK. Baicalein and baicalin, which are flavonoid ingredients of HST, showed anti-IL-1α production. CONCLUSION: HST may be useful as a therapeutic agent for stomatitis and other inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity.

Neuronal alarmin IL-1α evokes astrocyte-mediated protective signals: Effectiveness in chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain.

The distinction between glial painful and protective pathways is unclear and the possibility to finely modulate the system is lacking. Focusing on painful neuropathies, we studied the role of interleukin 1α (IL-1α), an alarmin belonging to the larger family of damage-associated molecular patterns endogenously secreted to restore homeostasis. The treatment of rat primary neurons with increasing doses of the neurotoxic anticancer drug oxaliplatin (0.3-100µM, 48 h) induced the release of IL-1α. The knockdown of the alarmin in neurons leads to their higher mortality when co-cultured with astrocytes. This toxicity was related to increased extracellular ATP and decreased release of transforming growth factor ß1, mostly produced by astrocytes. In a rat model of neuropathy induced by oxaliplatin, the intrathecal treatment with IL-1α was able to reduce mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity both after acute injection (100 ng and 300 ng) and continuous infusion (100 and 300 ng/die-1). Ex vivo analysis on spinal purified astrocyte processes (gliosomes) and nerve terminals (synaptosomes) revealed the property of IL-1α to reduce the endogenous glutamate release induced by oxaliplatin. This protective effect paralleled with an increased number of GFAP-positive cells in the spinal cord, suggesting the ability of IL-1α to evoke a positive, conservative astrocyte phenotype. Endogenous IL-1α induced protective signals in the cross-talk between neurons and astrocytes. Exogenously administered in rats, IL-1α prevented neuropathic pain in the presence of spinal glutamate decrease and astrocyte activation.

Use of cartilage derived from murine induced pluripotent stem cells for osteoarthritis drug screening.

OBJECTIVE: The discovery of novel disease-modifying drugs for osteoarthritis (OA) is limited by the lack of adequate genetically defined cartilage tissues for application in high-throughput screening systems. We addressed this need by synthesizing cartilage from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to establish and validate an in vitro model of OA. METHODS: Native or iPSC-derived mouse cartilage samples were treated with the cytokine interleukin-1α (IL-1α) for 3 days to model the inflammatory environment of OA. The biochemical content, mechanical properties, and gene expression of the resulting tissues were assayed. In addition, the inflammatory and catabolic environment of the media was assessed. To establish high-throughput capability, we used a 96-well plate format and conducted a screen of previously identified candidate OA drugs. Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) release into the medium was used as the primary output for screening. RESULTS: Treatment of iPSC-derived or native cartilage with IL-1α induced characteristic features of OA in a rapid and dose-dependent manner. In addition to the loss of GAGs and tissue mechanical properties, IL-1α treatment induced the expression of matrix metalloproteinases and increased the production of the inflammatory mediators nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 . In the high-throughput screen validation, all candidate OA therapeutic agents provided some benefit, but only the NF-κB inhibitor SC514 effectively reduced cartilage loss in response to IL-1α. CONCLUSION: This work demonstrates the utility of iPSCs for studying cartilage pathology and provides a platform for identifying novel, patient-specific therapeutic agents that prevent cartilage degradation and modify the course of OA development.

Report of a phase I evaluation of dose and schedule of interleukin-1 alpha and cyclophosphamide in patients with advanced tumors: An Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group study (PX990) and review of IL-1-based studies of hematopoietic reconstitution.

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a cytokine critical to inflammation, immunological activation, response to infection, and bone marrow hematopoiesis. Cyclophosphamide downmodulates immune suppressor cells and is cytotoxic to a variety of tumors. A phase I trial of IL-1 and cyclophosphamide was conducted by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. This study evaluated 3 dose levels and 3 schedules in patients with solid tumors. The goal was to evaluate the hematopoietic supportive care effect and possible antitumor effect. Toxicity was fever, chills, hypotension, nausea/emesis, hepatic, and neutropenia. Toxicity increased with dose increases of interleukin-1. Treatment at all dose levels resulted in significant increases in total white blood cell (WBC) counts above baseline. Nadir WBC and nadir absolute neutrophil counts were not significantly different by dose level of IL-1 or schedule of IL-1. Toxicity due to IL-1 at higher doses prohibited further evaluation of this agent for hematopoietic support, particularly in view of the activity and tolerability of more lineage-specific hematopoietic cytokines. Therapeutic interventions in the role of IL-1 in inflammatory conditions and cancer may be further informed by our definition of its clinical and biological effects in this evaluation of dose and schedule.

Boswellia frereana (frankincense) suppresses cytokine-induced matrix metalloproteinase expression and production of pro-inflammatory molecules in articular cartilage.

The aim of this study was to assess the anti-inflammatory efficacy of Boswellia frereana extracts in an in vitro model of cartilage degeneration and determine its potential as a therapy for treating osteoarthritis. Cartilage degradation was induced in vitro by treating explants with 5 ng/ml interleukin1alpha (IL-1alpha) and 10 ng/ml oncostatin M (OSM) over a 28-day period, in the presence or absence of 100 microg/ml B. frereana. Treatment of IL-1alpha/OSM stimulated cartilage explants with B. frereana inhibited the breakdown of the collagenous matrix. B. frereana reduced MMP9 and MMP13 mRNA levels, inhibited MMP9 expression and activation, and significantly reduced the production of nitrite (stable end product of nitric oxide), prostaglandin E2 and cycloxygenase-2. Epi-lupeol was identified as the principal constituent of B. frereana. This is the first report on the novel anti-inflammatory properties of Boswellia frereana in an in vitro model of cartilage degradation. We have demonstrated that B. frereana prevents collagen degradation, and inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory mediators and MMPs. Due to its efficacy we propose that B. frereana should be examined further as a potential therapeutic agent for treating inflammatory symptoms associated with arthritis.