NDRG1 promotes endothelial dysfunction and hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension by targeting TAF15.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) represents a threatening pathophysiologic state that can be induced by chronic hypoxia and is characterized by extensive vascular remodeling. However, the mechanism underlying hypoxia-induced vascular remodeling is not fully elucidated.

Methods And Results: By using quantitative polymerase chain reactions, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry, we demonstrate that the expression of N-myc downstream regulated gene-1 (NDRG1) is markedly increased in hypoxia-stimulated endothelial cells in a time-dependent manner as well as in human and rat endothelium lesions.

A reductive dehalogenative process for chemo- and stereoselective synthesis of 1,3-dienylsulfonyl fluorides.

A method for the mild and efficient synthesis of 1,3-dienylsulfonyl fluorides was developed dehalogenation of α-halo-1,3-dienylsulfonyl fluorides in the presence of zinc powder and acetic acid, achieving exclusive chemo- and stereoselectivities. This protocol was successfully applied to the synthesis of heterocyclic dienylsulfonyl fluorides and polyene sulfonyl fluoride.

Evaluating carbon content in airway macrophages as a biomarker of personal exposure to fine particulate matter and its acute respiratory effects.

It remains unclear whether carbon content in airway macrophages (AM) can predict personal short-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) air pollution and its respiratory health effects. We aimed to evaluate the pathway from personal PM exposure to adverse respiratory outcomes through AM carbon content. We designed a longitudinal panel study with 3 scheduled follow-ups among 113 non-smoking patients of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Shanghai, China, from April 2017 to January 2019.

Lipopolysaccharide-Activated Bone Marrow-Derived Dendritic Cells Suppress Allergic Airway Inflammation by Ameliorating the Immune Microenvironment.

Background: Previous studies have shown that lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DClps) might induce tolerance in autoimmune and cancer models , whereas it remains unclear whether DClps could play a role in allergic disease model. Herein, we aimed to elucidate the potential effects of DClps on OVA-sensitized/challenged airway inflammation in a mouse model, which may help facilitate the application of specific tolerogenic dendritic cells (tolDC) in allergic asthma in the future.

Methods: The phenotype and function of immature DC (DCia), DClps or IL-10-activated-DC (DC10) were determined.

Induced sputum metabolomic profiles and oxidative stress are associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) severity: potential use for predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine.

Unlabelled: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a highly heterogeneous disease, and metabolomics plays a hub role in predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM) related to COPD. This study thus aimed to reveal the role of induced sputum metabolomics in predicting COPD severity. In this pilot study, a total of 20 COPD patients were included.

Adoptive transfer of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) alleviates OVA-induced allergic airway inflammation in asthmatic mice.

Airway dendritic cells (DCs) are recognized as important factors in the mechanisms of allergic inflammatory diseases. Suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) is involved in regulating the functions of T cells and macrophages, but the roles of SOCS3-expressing DCs in the pathogeneses of allergic inflammatory diseases are still controversial. We compared the effects of adoptively transferred SOCS3 and SOCS3 bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) on airway inflammation in ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized asthmatic mice.

PI3K inhibitor treatment ameliorates the glucocorticoid insensitivity of PBMCs in severe asthma.

Background: Glucocorticoid (GC) insensitivity is an important feature of severe and fatal asthma. Oxidative stress can induce phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) activation, contributing to the development of GC insensitivity in chronic airway diseases. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of PI3K in the pathogenesis of severe asthma remains unknown.

Clinical and pulmonary function changes in cough variant asthma with small airway disease.

Background: It is known that small airway disease is present across all asthma severities; however, its prevalence and clinical characteristics in cough variant asthma (CVA) have not been fully illuminated.

Methods: A total of 77 CVA patients with preserved proximal airway function (FEV1/FVC > 70%) were enrolled in this study. The correlation between forced expiratory flow at 50% (FEF) and FEF in the CVA population was first evaluated.

Preventative tracheal administration of interleukin-27 attenuates allergic asthma by improving the lung Th1 microenvironment.

Background: Interleukin-27 (IL-27) modulates CD4+ T-cell differentiation and function. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect and molecular mechanisms of IL-27 on the development of asthma.

Methods: IL-27 was intranasally administered in an ovalbumin-induced asthma model, and lung mononuclear cells and different Th cell classes were detected by fluorescence-activated cell sorting.

Structural and functional characterisation of FOXO/Acan-DAF-16 from the parasitic nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis.

Fork head box transcription factors subfamily O (FoxO) is regarded to be significant in cell-cycle control, cell differentiation, ageing, stress response, apoptosis, tumour formation and DNA damage repair. In the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the FoxO transcription factor is encoded by Ce-daf-16, which is negatively regulated by insulin-like signaling (IIS) and involved in promoting dauer formation through bringing about its hundreds of downstream genes expression. In nematode parasites, orthologues of daf-16 from several species have been identified, with functions in rescue of dauer phenotypes determined in a surrogate system C.