Project description:We inflicted TBI to wildetype (wt) mice in order to establish whether the anti-inflammatory agent cyclophosphamide can be used therapeutically. Cyclophosphamide was found to regulate distinct inflammatory cells such as activated microglia separate from invading phagocytes and dendritic cells. Cyclophosphamide postinjury selectively reduces antigen-presenting dendritic cells. Findings show feasibility of drug development to interfere with brain inflammation.
Project description:We inflicted TBI to wildetype (wt) mice in order to establish whether the anti-inflammatory agent cyclophosphamide can be used therapeutically. Cyclophosphamide was found to regulate distinct inflammatory cells such as activated microglia separate from invading phagocytes and dendritic cells. Cyclophosphamide postinjury selectively reduces antigen-presenting dendritic cells. Findings show feasibility of drug development to interfere with brain inflammation. TBI was carried out in injured wt B6 mice for postinjury treatment with cyclophospamide i.p. using saline as a control substance for comparison with injured but untreated mice. Total RNA was prepared from injured cerebral neocortex after three days. RNA samples were also from uninjured wt mice as reference for hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays.
Project description:Although there are studies on obesity and sarcopenia, our understanding of obesity-mediated sarcopenia is insufficient. Additionally, no studies have investigated the application of luteolin in sarcopenia. We attempted to determine the effect of luteolin on obese sarcopenia in mice with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. Luteolin exerted suppressive effects on obesity, inflammation, and protein degradation in HFD-fed obese mice. Luteolin inhibited lipid infiltration into the muscle and decreased p38 and JNK activity and mRNA expression of inflammatory factors, such as TNFα, Tlr2, Tlr4, MCP1, and MMP2, in the muscle. Suppression of muscle inflammation by luteolin led to the inhibition of myostatin, FoxO, atrogin, and MuRF expression, which reduced protein degradation and improved muscle function. This is the first study to demonstrate that luteolin exerts a protective effect against obese sarcopenia, as its anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory activities inhibited protein degradation. Therefore, luteolin may be a useful supplement for prevention of obese sarcopenia.
Project description:We inflicted TBI to chemokine-deficient mouse lines in order to establish involvement of various signalling pathways that may be addressed therapeutically. Interacting chemokine pathways in brain regulate distinct inflammatory cells. Activated microglia are separate from invading phagocytes and dendritic cells. Findings show potential targets to interfere with specific inflammatory responses after brain injury.
Project description:We inflicted TBI to chemokine-deficient mouse lines in order to establish involvement of various signalling pathways that may be addressed therapeutically. Interacting chemokine pathways in brain regulate distinct inflammatory cells. Activated microglia are separate from invading phagocytes and dendritic cells. Findings show potential targets to interfere with specific inflammatory responses after brain injury. TBI was carried out in Ccl3-/- and Ccr2-/- mice, total RNA prepared from injured cerebral neocortex after three days. RNA samples were from uninjured Ccl3-/- and Ccr2-/- mice as reference for hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays.
Project description:The flavonoid luteolin possess a variety of anti-inflammatory properties, but little has known about the detailed mechanisms linked to the anti-metabolic syndrome action of luteolin based on the integration of the transcriptional profile and the phenotype biomarkers. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective role of luteolin on inflammation-mediated metabolic diseases, focusing on its role in modulating toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway triggered up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Above all, it provides novel insights into the effect of luteolin on the link among adiposopathy, insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. C57BL/6J mice were fed a normal, high-fat, and high-fat + 0.005% (w/w) luteolin diet for 16 weeks. In this study, (a) luteolin treatment resulted in an improvement in chronic low-grade inflammation by modulating TLR-signaling pathway resulting in reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines and macrophage accumulation; (b) there is a positive relationship of TLR5, MKK4/7, p38 and JNK-related gene expressions and lipogenesis in luteolin-treated obese mice, which is linked to an attenuation of hepatic lipotoxicity with an increased hepatic anti-oxidant system; (c) luteolin prevented hepatic and adipocyte fibrosis by decreasing ECM accumulation and cathepsin gene expressions; (d) Emr1 and Ccl7 genes, important markers inducing low-grade inflammation, are affected by advancing age as well as body weight, and luteolin treatment normalized those gene expressions; (e) luteolin treatment improved insulin resistance by normalizing pancreatic islet dysfunction, and differentially modulating the plasma GLP-1 and GIP levels. Taken together, luteolin ameliorates the deleterious effects of diet-induced obesity and its comorbidity.
Project description:Our aim was to identify genes that were differentially expressed in microglia stimulated with Lipopolysaccharide, Luteolin, or both. Affymetrix microarrays were used to analyze RNA samples Experiment Overall Design: RNA from control BV-2 cells, and cells treated for 24h with LPS, Luteolin, or LPS+Luteolin was analyzed with Affymetrix GeneChip Mouse Genome 430 2.0 Arrays. Biological triplicates were analyzed for each condition
Project description:Engrams are considered to be substrates for memory storage, and the functional dysregulation of the engrams leads to cognition impairment.However, the cellular basis for these maladaptive changes lead to the forgetting of memories remains unclear. Here we found that the expression of autophagy protein 7 (Atg7) mRNA was dramatically upregulated in aged DG engrams, and led to the forgetting of contextual fear memory and the activation of surrounding microglia.To determine mechanism by which autophagy in DG engrams activates the surrounding microglia, mice were co-injected AAV-RAM-Cre either with AAV-Dio-Atg7-Flag or AAV-Dio- EYFP in dorsal dentate gyrus to overexpress ATG7 in the DG memory engrams. Microglia were separated using magnetic-activated cell sorting and subjected to RNA-Seq in dorsal hippocampus .Bioinformatics analysis shown overexpression of Atg7 in dorsal DG memory engrams caused an increase in the expression of Tlr2 in the surrounding microglia.Depletion of Toll-like receptor 2/4 (TLR2/4) in DG microglia prohibited excessive microglial activation and synapse elimination induced by the overexpression of ATG7 in DG engrams, and thus prevented forgetting. Furthermore, the expression of Rac1, a Rho-GTPases which regulates active forgetting in both fly and mice, was upregulated in aged engrams. Optogentic activation of Rac1 in DG engrams promoted the autophagy of the engrams, the activation of microglia, and the forgetting of fear memory. Invention of the Atg7 expression and microglia activation attenuated forgetting induced by activation of Rac1 in DG engrams. Together, our findings revealed autophagy-dependent synapse elimination of DG engrams by microglia as a novel forgetting mechanism.