Inhibition of PI3K/C/EBPß axis in tolerogenic bone marrow-derived dendritic cells of NOD mice promotes Th17 differentiation and diabetes development.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are key regulators of the adaptive immune response. Tolerogenic dendritic cells play a crucial role in inducing and maintaining immune tolerance in autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes in humans as well as in the NOD mouse model. We previously reported that bone marrow-derived DCs (BM.DCs) from NOD mice, generated with a low dose of GM-CSF (GM/DCs), induce Treg differentiation and are able to protect NOD mice from diabetes. We had also found that the p38 MAPK/C/EBPß axis is involved in regulating the phenotype, as well as the production of IL-10 and IL-12p70, by tolerogenic GM/DCs. Here, we report that the inhibition of the PI3K signaling switched the cytokine profile of GM/DCs toward Th17-promoting cytokines without affecting their phenotype. PI3K inhibition abrogated the production of IL-10 by GM/DCs, whereas it enhanced their production of IL-23 and TGFß. Inhibition of PI3K signaling in tolerogenic GM/DCs also induced naive CD4+ T cells differentiation toward Th17 cells. Mechanistically, PI3K inhibition increased the DNA-binding activity of C/EBPß through a GSK3-dependent pathway, which is important to maintain the semimature phenotype of tolerogenic GM/DCs. Furthermore, analysis of C/EBPß-/- GM/DCs demonstrated that C/EBPß is required for IL-23 production. Of physiological relevance, the level of protection from diabetes following transfusion of GM/DCs into young NOD mice was significantly reduced when NOD mice were transfused with GM/DCs pretreated with a PI3K inhibitor. Our data suggest that PI3K/C/EBPß signaling is important in controlling tolerogenic function of GM/DCs by limiting their Th17-promoting cytokines.

Dendritic Cells and Their Immunotherapeutic Potential for Treating Type 1 Diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) results from the destruction of pancreatic beta cells through a process that is primarily mediated by T cells. Emerging evidence suggests that dendritic cells (DCs) play a crucial role in initiating and developing this debilitating disease. DCs are professional antigen-presenting cells with the ability to integrate signals arising from tissue infection or injury that present processed antigens from these sites to naïve T cells in secondary lymphoid organs, thereby triggering naïve T cells to differentiate and modulate adaptive immune responses. Recent advancements in our knowledge of the various subsets of DCs and their cellular structures and methods of orchestration over time have resulted in a better understanding of how the T cell response is shaped. DCs employ various arsenal to maintain their tolerance, including the induction of effector T cell deletion or unresponsiveness and the generation and expansion of regulatory T cell populations. Therapies that suppress the immunogenic effects of dendritic cells by blocking T cell costimulatory pathways and proinflammatory cytokine production are currently being sought. Moreover, new strategies are being developed that can regulate DC differentiation and development and harness the tolerogenic capacity of these cells. Here, in this report, we focus on recent advances in the field of DC immunology and evaluate the prospects of DC-based therapeutic strategies to treat T1D.

A glimpse into the efficacy of alternative therapies in the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common disease that can cause uncomfortable lower urinary tract symptoms. The occurrence of symptomatic BPH develops after the age of 40 years and increases gradually with age to reach more than 50% at the age of 60 years and severely disturbs the quality of life of the patients. Alpha-blockers and 5­alpha reductase inhibitors are first-line agents used for the treatment of BPH. Due to the adverse effects of these conventional therapies, many patients turn to phytotherapy and other alternative therapies. This review covers alternative therapies, i.e., phytotherapy (cernilton, eviprostat, quercetin, saw palmetto and pumpkin seed) and physical therapy (acupuncture, aquablation, pulsed electromagnetic field, prostate urethral lift, radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy, thermobalancing therapy, and transurethral needle ablation) commonly used in the management of BPH.

Elucidating the Role of Ezh2 in Tolerogenic Function of NOD Bone Marrow-Derived Dendritic Cells Expressing Constitutively Active Stat5b.

Tolerogenic dendritic cells (toDCs) are crucial to controlling the development of autoreactive T cell responses and the prevention of autoimmunity. We have reported that NOD.CD11cStat5b-CA transgenic mice expressing a constitutively active (CA) form of Stat5b under the control of a CD11c promoter are protected from diabetes and that Stat5b-CA-expressing DCs are tolerogenic and halt ongoing diabetes in NOD mice. However, the molecular mechanisms by which Stat5b-CA modulates DC tolerogenic function are not fully understood. Here, we used bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) from NOD.CD11cStat5b-CA transgenic mice (Stat5b-CA.BMDCs) and found that Stat5b-CA.BMDCs displayed high levels of MHC class II, CD80, CD86, PD-L1, and PD-L2 and produced elevated amounts of TGFß but low amounts of TNFα and IL-23. Stat5b-CA.BMDCs upregulated Irf4 and downregulated Irf8 genes and protein expression and promoted CD11c+CD11b+ DC2 subset differentiation. Interestingly, we found that the histone methyltransferase Ezh2 and Stat5b-CA bound gamma-interferon activated site (GAS) sequences in the Irf8 enhancer IRF8 transcription, whereas Stat5b but not Ezh2 bound GAS sequences in the Irf4 promoter to enhance IRF4 transcription. Injection of Stat5b-CA.BMDCs into prediabetic NOD mice halted progression of islet inflammation and protected against diabetes. Importantly, inhibition of Ezh2 in tolerogenic Stat5b-CA.BMDCs reduced their ability to prevent diabetes development in NOD recipient mice. Taken together, our data suggest that the active form of Stat5b induces tolerogenic DC function by modulating IRF4 and IRF8 expression through recruitment of Ezh2 and highlight the fundamental role of Ezh2 in Stat5b-mediated induction of tolerogenic DC function.

Factors Influencing the Delivery Efficiency of Cancer Nanomedicines.

The superiority of nanomedicine over conventional medicines in the treatment of cancer has gained immediate recognition worldwide. As traditional cancer therapies are nonspecific and detrimental to healthy cells, the ability of nanomedicine to release drugs to target tumor cells specifically instead of healthy cells has brought new hope to cancer patients. This review focuses on the effects of various factors of nanoparticles such as transport, concentration in cells, tumor microenvironment, interaction with protein, penetration, uptake by tumor cells, cancer cell mutations, and intracellular trafficking of the nanoparticle. Besides the history of nanomedicine, future perspectives of nanomedicines are also explored in this text.

Synergistic interaction between butorphanol and dexmedetomidine in antinociception.

Opioid analgesics and the α2-adrenergic receptor (α2AR) agonists are found to produce synergistic antinociception when administered in combination. In this study interactions between butorphanol and dexmedetomidine were investigated in the thermal pain and autonomous locomotor activity. Butorphanol and dexmedetomidine were administered subcutaneously alone and in combination in a fixed-dose ratio (3:1) to assess the antinociceptive and sedative responses. Butorphanol produced antinociception in the hot-plate test via three major opioid receptor subtypes, i.e. MORs, KORs and DORs, while in the tail-immersion test the antinociception was produced by MORs and KORs, whereas dexmedetomidine exhibited antinociception by α2ARs in both tests. They exhibited dose- and time-dependent antinociception and inhibition of locomotor activity when administered alone, while their combination displayed enhanced therapeutic effects. Isobolographic analysis revealed that combined butorphanol and dexmedetomidine produced synergistic interactions in the hot-plate, tail-immersion and locomotor activity tests. Furthermore, the analgesic synergy was also approved to be modulated by MORs, KORs, DORs and α2ARs. Hence we concluded from this study that combined butorphanol and dexmedetomidine produced synergistic antinociception that may be helpful in facilitating clinical management of acute nociceptive pain.

Antibody-Drug Conjugates: A Comprehensive Review.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) are one of the fastest growing anticancer drugs. This approach comprises a mAb conjugated to the cytotoxic payload via a chemical linker that directed toward a target antigen expressed on the cancer cell surface, reducing systemic exposure and therefore toxicity. ADCs are complex molecules that require careful attention to various components. Selection of an appropriate target, an mAb, cytotoxic payload, and the manner in which the antibody is linked to the payload are key determinants of the safety and efficacy of ADCs. This review provides an overview of the systemic evaluation of each component of an ADC design, improved understanding of the mechanism of action of ADC, and mechanistic pathways involved in ADC resistance and various strategies to optimize ADC design. Moreover, this review also shed light on the current status of ADCs that have gained regulatory approval from the FDA including a description of biology and chemistry, metabolic profiles, adverse events, drug interactions, and the future perspective on combination strategies with other agents, including immunotherapy.

Efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic prostatitis-chronic pelvic pain syndrome: a review of the literature.

Among one of the four category prostatitis, chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is the disease with unknown etiology and having 90-95% prevalence in prostatitis. CP/CPPS poses adverse psychological effects and weakens the quality of life (QoL) of the patients. Due to its multifactorial etiology, various types of treatment are available with different management efficacies. The conventional treatment like anti-inflammatory medications, antibiotics, and alpha-blockers have given the lack of verified efficacy that has turned the patients to alternative therapies such as acupuncture because of its efficacy, safety, and high compliance. Acupuncture is an alternative management accepted in several countries and is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for chronic pain. Acupuncture had the effect of immune modulation, anti-inflammatory, and neuromodulation. For chronic prostatitis, acupuncture can improve pain symptoms and can bring better results about National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI), and QoL. This review will discuss the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of CP/CPPS and effect of acupuncture on NIH-CPSI total score and its domains: pain, voiding, and QoL, as well as its effect on different biomarkers of CPPS.

Effect of Oral T2 Antigen on Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome in Mice Model.

The exact etiology and pathogenesis of chronic prostatitis (CP/CPPS) remain unclear. However, autoimmunity is a widely known theory. Precise treatment of CP/CPPS is not available. Here, we developed a new effective treatment method to prevent the occurrence of CP/CPPS. A total of 40 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups (n = 10): i.e., naive, model, high-dose (500 µg/ml), and low-dose (50 µg/ml) groups. High-dose and low-dose groups were orally given 0.4 ml of T2-containing soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) at once after every 2 days for a total of 10 days. On day 10 and day 24 all the groups except naïve group were subcutaneously injected with 0.2 ml of T2 peptide along with CFA to make valid CP/CPPS models. Hematoxylin and eosin staining were used to evaluate the variation in CP/CPPS manifestation. Voiding behavior was recorded for the evaluation of urine frequencies. ELISA was used to measure the serum level of TNF-α in each group. The high- and low-dose groups of T2-containing STI displayed a reduction in urine frequencies, and inflammation, and there was a slight inflammatory infiltration as compared to the model group. In contrast, there was no difference observed in the TNF-α concentration of model as well as high- and low-dose groups compared to the naïve group. Our study demonstrates that oral T2-containing STI prevents CP/CPPS and provides an effective approach for the treatment of CP/CPPS.

Interventions to chronic prostatitis/Chronic pelvic pain syndrome treatment. Where are we standing and what's next?

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a frustrating syndrome. The pathogenesis and state of the art treatment of CP/CPPS are not known. A wide variety of therapies including anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, alpha-blockers, neuropathic pain modulators, and 5α-reductase inhibitors are in practice. These treatment strategies focus on alleviating symptoms in specific domains without treating root-cause and therapeutic outcome is far from satisfactory. We review the literature on current pharmacological treatments for CP/CPPS in detail and suggest future perspectives to modify the treatment strategies. We suggest that introducing novel treatment strategies such as gene editing, and Tregs expressing chimeric receptors may improve the treatment outcomes by inducing immune tolerance and controlling expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Chitosan oligosaccharides prevent doxorubicin-induced oxidative stress and cardiac apoptosis through activating p38 and JNK MAPK mediated Nrf2/ARE pathway.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the most effective chemotherapeutic drugs; however, the incidence of cardiotoxicity compromises its therapeutic index. Oxidative stress and apoptosis are believed to be involved in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Chitosan oligosaccharides (COS), the enzymatic hydrolysates of chitosan, have been reported to possess diverse biological activities including antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties. The objective of the present study was to investigate the potential role of COS against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, and the effects of COS on apoptosis and oxidative stress in rats and H9C2 cells. Furthermore, we also shed light on the involved pathways during the whole process. For this purpose, first, we demonstrated that COS exhibited a significant protective effect on cardiac tissue by not only inducing a decrease in body and heart growth but also ameliorated oxidative damage and ECG alterations in DOX-treated rats. Second, we found that COS reversed the decrease of cell viability induced by DOX, reduced the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), increased the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and Bcl-2/Bax ratio. COS treatment also results in reduced caspase-3 and caspase-9 expressions, and an increase in the phosphorylation of MAPKs (mitogen-activated protein kinases) in DOX-exposed H9C2 cells. Additionally, cellular homeostasis was re-established via stabilization of MAPK mediated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/antioxidant-response element (Nrf2/ARE) signaling and transcription of downstream cytoprotective genes. In summary, these findings suggest that COS could be a potential candidate for the prevention and treatment of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.

Novel Treatment of Experimental Autoimmune Prostatitis by Nanoparticle-Conjugated Autoantigen Peptide T2.

The exact etiology and pathogenesis of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) are still unknown, as a result, available therapeutic options for patients are far from satisfactory. Therefore, there is a need to develop a valid therapeutic approach that can ameliorate the manifestations of CP/CPPS. Fifty male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into five groups of ten mice each. All groups except naïve were subcutaneously injected with 0.2 ml of T2 plus complete Freund adjuvant (CFA) on day 0 and 14 to generate valid CP/CPPS model. After successful CP/CPPS induction, model group was injected with 0.2 ml of normal saline while PLGA, PLGA-OVA, and PLGA-T2 groups were administered intravenously with 0.2 ml mixture of PLGA, PLGA-OVA, and PLGA-T2, respectively. Voiding behavior, pain threshold, and hematoxylin and eosin staining were used to assess micturition habits, pain intensity as well as prostate inflammation. Additionally, TNF-α, CRP, and IL-10 levels in plasma were measured by using ELISA kits. Mice administered with PLGA-T2 showed higher pain threshold, lower urine frequencies, mild edema, and inflammation in prostate tissue in comparison to other groups. Moreover, the expression of TNF-α and CRP levels was markedly decreased while IL-10 expression was increased in the PLGA-T2 treatment group as compared to the other groups. Our results showed that nanoparticles conjugated with autoantigen novel peptide T2 could successfully alleviate or even heal CP/CPPS to some extent in mice. This study provides an easy, useful, and economic tool for ameliorating the manifestations of CP/CPPS that will improve the therapeutic approaches.

Novel hepatoprotective role of Leonurine hydrochloride against experimental non-alcoholic steatohepatitis mediated via AMPK/SREBP1 signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome and is characterized by steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. We aim to characterize the hepatoprotective effects of Leonurine hydrochloride (LH) and the possible pathway in a cell and rodent model of diet-induced steatohepatitis (NASH). METHODS: For in vitro studies, Palmitic acid (PA) and free fatty acid (FFA) induced HepG2 and HL7702 steatosis cell models were used. For in vivo studies, NASH was induced by feeding mice MCD diet. These mice received either placebo or LH at three different doses (50、100、200 mg/kg/day) for 6 weeks. Histological staining's, and commercially available kits for ALT and AST and hepatic contents of TG, TC, MDA, SOD, and GSH were used to assess NASH. Furthermore, relative liver protein and gene expression levels were determined by Western Blot and qPCR, respectively. RESULTS: After establishing NASH models, LH treatment improved lipid accumulation, hepatic contents of TG, TC, and expression levels of ALT and AST in dose-dependent manner. Also, LH improved MDA, SOD, and GSH expression levels. The results of RT-PCR and Western blotting showed that LH upregulated the expression of AMPK phosphorylation and downregulated SREBP-1c and its target genes expression level. CONCLUSIONS: Our data reveal the promising role of Leonurine hydrochloride in the prevention and treatment of NASH, in vitro and in vivo. This effect may be partially mediated by the AMPK/SREBP1 pathway. These findings provide a novel therapeutic target for the clinical treatment of NASH.

A novel approach to devise the therapy for ventricular fibrillation by epicardial delivery of lidocaine using active hydraulic ventricular attaching support system: An experimental study in rats.

Active hydraulic ventricular attaching support system (ASD) placed around the heart is not only a novel, nontransplant surgical device used for epicardial administration of drugs like lidocaine, but also a promising treatment option for ventricular fibrillation (VF) and arrhythmias. We hypothesize that lidocaine in 5 mg/kg dose released by ASD significantly improves the VF in the rat model. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were selected and were divided into four groups, intravenous injection (IV), epicardial infusion (EI), ASD, and control. ASD group was further divided into four subgroups for different lidocaine doses (i) ASD+A group (10 mg/kg), (ii) ASD+B group (5 mg/kg), (iii) ASD+C group (1 mg/kg), and (iv) ASD+D group (0.1 mg/kg). VF was induced with calcium chloride injection and was confirmed by electrocardiogram (ECG) in all the groups. VF was treated with different doses of lidocaine using different modes of administration. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 19.0 Chi-square tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The Kaplan-Meier curve for OS was compared to the Logrank test based on the survival time. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. ASD + B group (5 mg/kg) showed significantly reduced sgroup. The time of first sinus rhythm recovered (15.96 ± 21.77 min) and ▵T-SOD in plasma (-42.02 ± 26.99 U/mL) was significantly different than that of control, IV, and EI groups. ▵T-SOD in plasma for all ASD-treated groups was smaller than the control and IV groups. This study proves that ASD with 5 mg/kg lidocaine dose appears as a promising therapeutic platform for treating VF in rats. Furthermore, ASD may also have potential for treating VF or other cardiovascular disease with different therapeutic agents. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 107B: 1722-1731, 2019.

A nanoparticle-coupled T2 peptide induces immune tolerance and ameliorates chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) in mice model.

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a complex disease of unclear etiology. Precise treatment of CP/CPPS is not available due to lack of specific cause; however, autoimmunity is the most valid theory. We develop a new treatment strategy that involves synthesis and coupling of biodegradable nanoparticles to antigenic T2 peptide to induce immune tolerance in CP/CPPS mice models. A total of 50 male C57BL/6 mice were randomized into five groups, that is, naïve, Model, PLGA-PEMA, PLGA-PEMA-OVA323-339 , and PLGA-PEMA-T2 group. All groups except naïve were injected subcutaneously on day 0 with 0.2 mL of T2 peptide with CFA to generate valid CP/CPPS models. After successful induction of CP/CPPS, Model group, PLGA-PEMA, PLGA-PEMA-OVA, and PLGA-PEMA-T2 groups were treated with 0.15 mL of normal saline, 0.2 mg of PLGA-PEMA and PLG-PEMA-T2 and 0.3 mg PLGA-PEMA-OVA nanoparticles, respectively, on day 28. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, and ELISA were used to evaluate the variation in CP/CPPS manifestations and seral level of IL-10 in each group. Pain threshold and voiding behavior were also recorded for every group. Mice treated with PLGA-PEMA-T2 exhibited enhanced pain threshold, reduced urine frequency, and prostate pathology. Furthermore, serum level of inflammatory mediators (TNF-α and CRP) were reduced and anti-inflammatory IL-10 was enhanced in PLGA-PEMA-T2 group as compared to other groups. Our results demonstrate that PLGA-PEMA-T2 nanoparticle ameliorates disease manifestations in CP/CPPS mice models and upregulates IL-10 which is essential for tolerance induction. This strategy highlights the new therapeutic approach utilizing biodegradable nanoparticles for the treatment of CP/CPPS.

The protective effects of a novel synthetic ß-elemene derivative on human umbilical vein endothelial cells against oxidative stress-induced injury: Involvement of antioxidation and PI3k/Akt/eNOS/NO signaling pathways.

Antioxidant therapy is considered as promising strategy for treating oxidative stress-induced cardiovascular disease. Bis (ß-elemene-13-yl) glutarate (BEG) is a novel ß-elemene derivative. Herein, we examined the antioxidant activity of BEG on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) after injury with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and investigated the mechanism involved. HUVECs were divided into the following groups: control group (untreated cells); treated groups (cells treated with 0.1, 1, 10 µmol/L of BEG); positive control group (cells treated with 0.1 mM Vitamin E); model group (cells treated with 0.5 mM H2O2 alone). Cells were pre-incubated with or without BEG for 24 h and then incubated for a further 2 h with 0.5 mM H2O2. Our results showed that BEG significantly reduced H2O2 induced loss in endothelial cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, reduced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, and malonyldialdehyde (MDA) level in a concentration-dependent manner. Also, BEG increased the cellular the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Moreover, we found that H2O2 decreased Akt and eNOS phosphorylation, which perhaps, indirectly reduced nitric oxide (NO) production. These effects induced by H2O2, however, were reduced by pre-treatment with BEG. BEG effects were inhibited by a PI3K inhibitor (wortmannin) and eNOS inhibitor (L-NAME). In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that BEG has antioxidant activity. Furthermore, BEG reduced H2O2-induced endothelial cells injury by the involvement of antioxidation and PI3K/Akt/eNOS/NO signaling pathways.

Role of oxidative stress in pathology of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome and male infertility and antioxidants function in ameliorating oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress (OS) is a result of the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants in the body that can cause tissue damage. Oxidative stress has a significant involvement in the pathogenesis of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) and male infertility. CP/CPPS is a major risk factor for male infertility due to generation of excessive ROS that damage sperm DNA, lipids, and proteins, resulting in compromised vitality and decreased sperm motility. Here we present a comprehensive review of oxidative stress relevance in CP/CPPS and male infertility, and embody the protective effects of antioxidants against ROS. An online literature was searched using the following keywords/terms: oxidative stress, ROS, Oxidative stress and chronic prostatitis, oxidative stress and male infertility and antioxidants. Original and review articles, clinical trials, and case reports of human and animal studies published till 2017 were searched using the PubMed and MEDLINE.

Comprehensive overview of prostatitis.

Prostatitis is a common urinary tract syndrome that many doctors find problematic to treat effectively. It is the third most commonly found urinary tract disease in men after prostate cancer and Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH). Prostatitis may account for 25% of all office visits made to the urological clinics complaining about the genital and urinary systems all over the world. In the present study, we classified prostatitis and comprehensively elaborated the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of acute bacterial prostatitis (category I), chronic bacterial prostatitis (category II), chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) (category III), and asymptomatic prostatitis (category IV). In addition, we also tried to get some insights about other types of prostatitis-like fungal, viral and gonococcal prostatitis. The aim of this review is to present the detail current perspective of prostatitis in a single review. To the best of our knowledge currently, there is not a single comprehensive review, which can completely elaborate this important topic in an effective way. Furthermore, this review will provide a solid platform to conduct future studies on different aspects such as risk factors, mechanism of pathogenesis, proper diagnosis, and rational treatment plans for fungal, viral, and gonococcal prostatitis.

An Immunogenic Peptide, T2 Induces Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome: an Autoimmune Mouse Model for Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome.

The exact pathophysiology of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome is unknown; however, autoimmunity is a valid theory. We developed an autoimmune chronic cystitis model by administration of the medium dose of immunogenic peptide T2. Sixty female C57BL/6 mice were divided into six groups. The control group was not treated with any reagent. CFA group was injected with CFA + normal saline, homogenate group with bladder homogenate + CFA, low-dose group with low dose of T2 peptide + CFA, medium dose group with the medium dose of T2 peptide + CFA, and high-dose group with the high dose of T2 peptide + CFA. Micturition habits, withdrawal frequencies of mice, and bladders weight were measured for each group. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and toluidine blue staining were used to investigate bladder inflammation and mast cells accumulation, respectively. T cells infiltration in the bladder tissues and serum TNF-α level were measured by using immunohistochemistry and ELISA, respectively. Mice immunized with the medium dose of T2 peptide (0.225 mg/ml) were extremely sensitive to the applied force, showed greater urine frequencies, and higher bladder weights. Histologic examination revealed severe edema and inflammation in bladder tissues of medium-dose group. Extensive infiltration of T cells in bladder tissues, elevated TNF-α, and increased mast cells accumulation were observed in medium-dose group as compared to that in other groups. EAC mice model established by injecting the medium dose of T2 (0.225 mg/ml) mimics all the symptoms and pathophysiologic characteristics of IC/PBS. We believe that this model can help us to investigate the pathogenesis of IC/PBS.

A novel mouse model of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome induced by immunization of special peptide fragment with aluminum hydroxide adjuvant.

OBJECTIVES: CP/CPPS is a commonly observed distress in male patients. Because of its little-known etiology, no effective therapy has been developed which has promising outcomes. Therefore, there is a need to develop a valid model which can mimic the etiology of CP/CPPS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty male C57BL/6 mice were randomly and averagely divided into 5 groups of 10 mice each. The control group was injected with 0.9% NaCl solution. Aluminum hydroxide and T2 groups were injected with aluminum hydroxide adjuvant and T2 peptide. T2 plus complete Freund adjuvant (CFA) with aluminum hydroxide group was injected with a mixture of T2, CFA and aluminum hydroxide adjuvant. At the same time, CFA group was injected with complete Freund adjuvant. Hematoxylin-eosin stain and immunohistochemistry were used to investigate inflammatory lesion and expression of IL-ß1. Furthermore, TNF-α and CRP protein levels were evaluated by using commercially available ELISA kits. The ANOVA test was used to compare the statistical differences among groups. RESULTS: Prostates from a mixture of T2 plus CFA with aluminum hydroxide immunized mice showed elevated lesions and high level of inflammatory cells infiltration compared to the other groups. In addition, the levels of TNF-α, IL-ß1, and CRP were also higher in the T2 plus CFA with aluminum hydroxide group as compared to the other groups. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that T2 with CFA plus aluminum hydroxide adjuvant injection could successfully induce CP/CPPS in mice. This autoimmune novel model provides a useful, economic, safer, and easy tool for exploring the etiology and pathophysiology of CP/CPPS which will improve the therapeutic outcomes.