Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is characterized by alveolar simplification with decreased alveolar number and increased airspace size. Formation of alveoli involves a process known as secondary septation triggered by myofibroblasts. This study investigated the underlying mechanisms of altered lung morphogenesis in a rat model of BPD induced by intra-amniotic injection of ...

Our previous studies found that 4 compounds, namely pseudohypericin, amentoflavone, quercetin, and chlorogenic acid, in Hypericum perforatum ethanol extract synergistically inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophage production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Microarray studies led us to hypothesize that these compounds inhibited PGE2 production by activating suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3). In ...

ABSTRACT: COPD is a disease of innate immunity and bacterial infections are a dominant cause of exacerbations in the later stages resulting in poor health and high mortality. The pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is sensed by immune cells through activation of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). This leads ...

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a relatively rare liver disorder that leads to the massive death of hepatocytes. Our previous study has reported that a novel small-molecule agent, (E)-5-(2,4-di-tert-butyl-6-((2,4-dioxothiazolidin-5-ylidene)methyl)phenyl)-5'-methyl-7,7'-dimethoxy-4,4'-biben-zo[d][1,3]dioxole-5,5'-dicarboxylate (7k), possessed potent anti-inflammatory activity. In the present study, we further evaluated the therapeutic effects of 7k on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALF, ...

Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of several pathologies, such as rheumatoid arthritis, gastritis, inflammatory bowel disease, atherosclerosis and cancer. A wide range of anti-inflammatory chemicals have been used to treat such diseases while presenting high toxicity and numerous side effects. Here, we report the anti-inflammatory effect of a non-toxic, cost-effective ...

PURPOSE: The interaction of Shiga toxin (Stx) and/or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with monocytes (Mo) may be central to the pathogenesis of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), providing the cytokines necessary to sensitize endothelial cells to Stx action. We have previously demonstrated phenotypical alterations in Mo from HUS patients, including increased number of ...

Salvia miltiorrhiza, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, is used to treat various inflammatory diseases. In the present study, the antiinflammatory effects of S. miltiorrhiza lipid-soluble extracts (SMLE) were demonstrated in vitro and in vivo, along with its underlying mechanism of action. SMLE significantly inhibited the production of NO, TNF-α, IL-1β ...

Brain pathological conditions and pro-inflammatory stimuli induce cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), a key enzyme in arachidonic acid metabolism mediating the production of prostanoids that, amongst other actions, have strong vasoactive properties. Although low basal cerebral COX-2 expression has been reported, COX-2 is strongly induced by pro-inflammatory challenges, whereas COX-1 is constitutively expressed. ...

Context: Factors in honey that improve wound healing are poorly understood, but are thought to include lipopolysaccharide (LPS), apalbumin-1 and -2, and a 5.8 kDa component that stimulate cytokine release from macrophages. Objective: To characterize the ability of New Zealand honeys to elicit the release of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) from ...

Background: Sepsis Sepsis is a major world-wide medical problem with high morbidity and mortality. Gram-negative bacteria are among the most important pathogens of sepsis and their LPS LPS content is regarded to be important for the systemic inflammatory reaction. The CD14 CD14 /myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD-2 MD-2 )/TLR4 complex ...

A rise in intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) is crucial for the activation of macrophages, however, the mechanisms and consequences of this [Ca(2+)](i) increase remain unclear. This study investigated the role of calcium in mouse peritoneal macrophages stimulated with LPS plus IFN-γ by using the store-operated Ca(2+) channel (SOCC) blocker SK&F 96365. ...

Serious Candida glabrata infections, which can be difficult to treat, are often treated with echinocandins. We compared in vitro the effects of high and low concentrations of 3 echinocandins (micafungin [MCF], caspofungin [CAS], and anidulafungin [ANF]), voriconazole (VRC), and amphotericin B (AmB), singly and VRC in combination with MCF, CAS, ...

BACKGROUND: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a devastating disorder of the lung by various causes and its cardinal features are tissue inflammation, pulmonary edema, low lung compliance, and widespread capillary leakage. Among phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks), PI3K-γ isoform has been shown to play an important role in a number of immune/inflammatory ...

PURPOSE: To investigate differences in cytokine/chemokine release in response to lipoteichoic acid (LTA) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and contributing cellular mechanisms, in order to improve understanding of the pathogenesis of sepsis. METHODS: Levels of cytokines/chemokines were measured in plasma and peritoneal lavage fluid of 10-week-old male mice (C57/B16) following intraperitoneal injection ...

The lipopolysaccharide is the major component of Gram-negative bacteria outer membrane. LPS comprises three covalently linked regions: the lipid A, the rough core oligosaccharide, and the O-antigenic side chain determining serotype specificity. Wild-type LPS (sLPS) contains the O-antigenic side chain and is referred to as smooth. Rough LPS (rLPS) does ...

Neisseria meningitidis causes sepsis with coagulopathy. The present study evaluated the tissue factor (TF)-inducing capacity of bacterial LPS in different presentation forms, i.e. membrane-bound LPS versus purified LPS, and of non-LPS components of N. meningitidis. By using a wild-type N. meningitidis, a mutant N. meningitidis lacking LPS (LPS-deficient N. meningitidis), ...

Alpinetin, one of the main constituents of the seeds of Alpinia katsumadai Hayata, belonging to flavonoids, has been known to exhibit antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and other important therapeutic activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protection of alpinetin on inflammation in Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated Raw 264.7 cells and ...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Caesalpinia ferrea (Caesalpinioideae), known as pau-ferro or juca, has been used in the traditional medicine in North and Northeast of Brazil in inflammatory disorder, among others. Thus, experimental evaluation of the anti-inflammatory activity of extracts and fraction polysaccharides of Caesalpinia ferrea pods, and correlation with its anti-inflammatory activity ...

IL-27, which is produced by activated APCs, bridges innate and adaptive immunity by regulating the development of Th cells. Recent evidence supports a role for IL-27 in the activation of monocytic cells in terms of inflammatory responses. Indeed, proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory activities are attributed to IL-27, and IL-27 production itself ...

The present study investigated the effects of Forsythoside B on an experimental model of sepsis induced by caecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in rats and elucidated the potential mechanism in cultured RAW 264.7 cells. Results showed that Forsythoside B concentration-dependently down-regulated the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and high-mobility group-box 1 protein ...

BACKGROUND: Monascus-fermented products have featured in Chinese cuisine for thousands of years and are widely used as food colourants and dietary materials in many Asian countries. Rice and dioscorea fermented with Monascus purpureus NTU 568 have health-promoting attributes in vitro and in vivo. The aim of this study was to ...

Aurentiacin is a chalcone isolated from Syzygium samarangense. In the present study, we examined the anti-inflammatory effects of aurentiacin in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse macrophages. Aurentiacin significantly inhibited LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 cells concomitantly with the suppression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. Aurentiacin also reduced the ...

We have demonstrated an integrated platform for microfluidics and chemiluminescence (CL) detection that is capable of parallel cell culture, convenient liquid manipulation, and sensitive chemiluminescent detection. Luminol-dependent CL responses induced by three different stimuli, phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (ConA), and lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which can evoke a CL response in macrophages, ...

Background: Although cutaneous and oral lichen planus (LP) share similar histopathological features, oral LP often follows a recalcitrant course while LP skin lesions tend to be self-limiting. Apoptosis, mediated by cytotoxic T-cells in LP, may be triggered by the release of molecules such as perforin and granzyme B. As variation ...

Previous studies of the HLA-B27-transgenic rat model of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) suggested that macrophages develop an intracellular stress response called the unfolded protein response (UPR) and, as a result, secrete increased amounts of cytokines in response to Toll-like receptor agonists such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Our objective was to determine whether ...

Abstract We previously reported that the increment of carbohydrate content in the Viscozyme(®) L (Novozyme Corp., Oklahoma City, OK, USA) extract of Lactobacillus brevis-fermented Ecklonia cava affected the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production and that it might be related to the polysaccharide compound. However, there is no report of ...

A large body of evidence suggests that epidermal melanocytes are an integral part of the skin immune system and can be considered immunocompetent cells. Recently, it has been reported that human melanocytes constitutively express Toll-like receptors and may be involved in the induction of several inflammatory cytokines. In the study ...

Bee venom antimicrobial peptide, melittin, besides showing versatile activity against microorganisms neutralizes lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pro-inflammatory responses in macrophage cells. However, how the amino acid sequence of melittin contributes in its anti-inflammatory properties is mostly unknown. To determine the importance of the leucine zipper sequence of melittin in its neutralization of ...

Among the nine Echinacea species, E. purpurea, E. angustifolia and E. pallida, have been widely used to treat the common cold, flu and other infections. In this study, ethanol extracts of these three Echinacea species and E. paradoxa, including its typical variety, E. paradoxa var. paradoxa, were screened in lipopolysaccharide ...

Acute lung injury (ALI), instilled by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), is a severe illness with excessive mortality and has no specific treatment strategy. Luteolin is an anti-inflammatory flavonoid and widely distributed in the plants. Pretreatment with luteolin inhibited LPS-induced histological changes of ALI and lung tissue edema. In addition, LPS-induced inflammatory responses, ...

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin of Gram-negative bacteria, activates the innate immunity system through a receptor complex of myeloid differentiation 2 (MD-2) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). MD-2 directly recognizes the lipid A domain of LPS, which triggers MD-2/TLR4-mediated cellular response aimed at eliminating the invaded pathogen. However, excess production of ...

Heating and steaming processes have been applied to various natural medicines for either enhancing or altering their pharmacological activities, and these processes frequently change the chemical compositions of the active components contained in the medicines. While ginsenoside Rb1, which is the major constituent of raw ginseng, has been studied extensively ...

Infection of the cornea with bacteria, viruses, or fungi can result in corneal ulceration. Corneal stromal cells participate in the immune and inflammatory responses to such infection in part by producing various cytokines and chemokines. The effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid [poly(I:C)], and zymosan as surrogates for bacteria, viruses, ...

Praeruptorin C, D, and E (PC, PD, and PE) are three pyranocoumarins isolated from the dried root of Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn of Umbelliferae. In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of these compounds in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Pyranocoumarins significantly inhibited LPS-induced production of nitric oxide, interleukin-6 ...

ABSTRACT: Inflammation and oxidative stress play important roles in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as stroke, traumatic injury, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Paeonol, a natural compound extracted from Moutan Cortex, is a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative agent. The aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective mechanisms ...

There is a growing body of preclinical evidence for the potential involvement of glial cells in neuropathic pain conditions. Several glial-targeted agents are in development for the treatment of pain conditions. Here we report the failure of a glial modulating agent, propentofylline, to decrease pain reported in association with post-herpetic ...

Jolkinolides are the main abietane-type diterpenoids isolated from the root of Euphorbia fischeriana Steud. In the present study, we investigated in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of four structural analogs of jolkinolide in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264 macrophages. Among these jolkinolides, 17-hydroxy-jolkinolide B (HJB) exhibited the most potent inhibition of LPS-induced production of ...

Pearson, W., Fletcher, R. S., Kott, L. S. Oral rosmarinic acid-enhanced Mentha spicata modulates synovial fluid biomarkers of inflammation in horses challenged with intra-articular LPS. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2885.2011.01343.x. A biological extract of high-rosmarinic acid mint (HRAM) has previously demonstrated inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2) ...

The pathogenesis of sepsis is complex and unfortunately poorly understood. The cellular process of autophagy is believed to play a protective role in sepsis; however, the mechanisms responsible for its regulation in this setting are ill defined. In the present study, interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) was found to regulate the ...

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a component of the innate immune system that recognizes a diverse group of molecular structures, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria. TLR4 signaling ultimately leads to activation of the transcription factor, nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and the production of cytokines. Ceramide is a bioactive ...

Many clinical studies have shown that daily intake of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr., family Fabacease] or its foods may reduce the risk of osteoporosis, heart attack, hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, cardiovascular and chronic renal diseases, as well as cancers including prostate, colon and breast cancers. Of the soy constituents, ...

Iron constitutes a critical nutrient source for bacterial growth so iron overload is a risk factor for bacterial infections. This study aimed at investigating the role of iron overload in modulating bacterial endotoxin-induced lung inflammation. Weaning male Wistar rats were intraperitoneally injected with saline or iron sucrose (15 mg/kg body ...

It is widely believed that microglia and monocyte-derived macrophages (collectively referred to as central nervous system (CNS) macrophages) cause excitotoxicity in the diseased or injured CNS. This view has evolved mostly from in vitro studies showing that neurotoxic concentrations of glutamate are released from CNS macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), ...

Inflammation is an essential host defense system particularly in response to infection and injury; however, excessive or undesirable inflammatory responses contribute to acute and chronic human diseases. A high-throughput screening effort searching for anti-inflammatory compounds from medicinal plants deduced that the methanolic extract of Juniperus rigida S. et L. (Cupressaceae) ...

Infection of the bovine endometrium with Gram-negative bacteria commonly causes uterine disease. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) on cells of the immune system bind Gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), stimulating the secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL) 1B and IL6, and the chemokine IL8. As the endometrium is the first barrier ...

Different pathogens, such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, can be responsible for different outcomes of mastitis; that is, acute and severe or chronic and subclinical. These differences in the disease could be related to different mammary responses to the pathogens. The objective of this study was to determine if ...

Krabbe disease is a neuro-inflammatory disorder in which galactosyl sphingosine (psychosine) accumulates in nervous tissues. Despite some leads in elucidating the mechanism of psychosine action on different cells of brain, there still remain gaps in the knowledge and mechanisms behind events in the pathogenic cascade of Krabbe disease. Inflammation in ...

The cellular mechanisms that directly regulate the production of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation in mast cells are currently unresolved. The aim of this study was to clarify the role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) in the production of IL-12 and IL-10 in mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells ...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of regulatory molecules involved in many physiological processes, including activation of cells of the immune system. This study investigated the effect of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin B (SEB) on the expression of five miRNAs involved in the inflammatory response, including miR-9, ...

Biological specimens are often contaminated with bacteria-derived products such as LPS or lipoproteins (LP), which trigger unwanted inflammatory responses in hosts. Whereas a contamination by LPS can be determined by various test systems, a contamination by LP can as yet not be determined. TLR4 and TLR2 are key components of ...