Transduction of the cytoplasmic domain of CTLA-4 inhibits TcR-specific activation signals and prevents collagen-induced arthritis.

CTLA-4 (CD152) negatively regulates T cell activation signaling, and the cytoplasmic domain of CTLA-4 (ctCTLA-4) itself has the capacity to inhibit T cell activation in vitro and in vivo. In this study, the inhibitory mechanisms of the cell-permeable recombinant protein Hph-1-ctCTLA-4 on T cell activation and its ability to prevent collagen-induced arthritis were analyzed. Hph-1-ctCTLA-4 prevented human and mouse T cell activation and proliferation by inhibition of T cell receptor-proximal signaling and the arrest of the cell cycle. Furthermore, Hph-1-ctCTLA-4 protected human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) from the human CTL allo-response. The incidence and severity of collagen-induced arthritis were significantly reduced and the erosion of cartilage and bone was effectively prevented by i.v. injection and transdermal administration of Hph-1-ctCTLA-4. Inflammatory cytokine production (IL-1beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha, IL-17A) and collagen-specific antibody levels were significantly reduced, and the numbers of activated T cells and infiltrating granulocytes were substantially decreased. These results demonstrate that systemic or transdermal application of a cell-permeable form of the cytoplasmic domain of CTLA-4 offers an effective therapeutic approach for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Antioxidant properties of neohesperidin dihydrochalcone: inhibition of hypochlorous acid-induced DNA strand breakage, protein degradation, and cell death.

Neohesperidin dihydrochalcone (NHDC), a non-nutritive sweetening agent, is simply produced by hydrogenation of neohesperidin. The aim of this study is to evaluate the antioxidant and radical scavenging properties of neohesperidin dihydrochalcone and other structurally related compounds (phloridzin, neohesperidin) toward different reactive radical and oxygen species including .ABTS+, .O2-, .OH, H2O2, and HOCl in vitro. NHDC showed remarkable radical scavenging activity against stable radical and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in concentration dependent manner. Especially, NHDC was the most potent inhibitor of H2O2 and HOCl. NHDC showed HOCl scavenging activity of 93.5% and H2O2 scavenging property of 73.5% which was more than those of all the tested compounds including ascorbic acid and BHT. Moreover, NHDC could inhibit protein degradation, plasmid DNA strand cleavage and HIT-T15, HUVEC cell death from HOCl attack while mannitol, BHT, and ascorbic acid could not protect them effectively. These results suggest that NHDC is a potent antioxidant, especially it is evaluated as a novel HOCl scavenger. This study implies the possibility of therapeutic effect of NHDC on ROS-related inflammatory diseases.