Project description:Analysis of response to leptin and IL-1β in gingival fibroblasts at the gene expression level. The hypothesis tested in the present study was that leptin and IL-1β synergistically effect the phenotype of gingival fibroblasts. Results provide important information regarding the response of gingival fibroblasts to leptin and IL-1β, such as specific inflammatory genes that were up- or down-regulated.
Project description:Gingival fibroblasts amplify periodontal inflammation by producing chemokines in response to pro-inflammatory cytokines. Mouth rinses directly contact the gingival tissues, yet their effects on host inflammatory signaling remain incompletely defined. This study investigated how a zinc-containing Listerine® formulation modulates IL-1β/TNF-α–induced responses in human gingival fibroblasts and compared these effects with zinc alone. Primary human gingival fibroblasts were stimulated with IL-1β and TNF-α in the presence or absence of Listerine®. Global transcriptional changes were analyzed by RNA sequencing and validated by quantitative PCR. CXCL8 secretion was quantified by immunoassay. Zinc ions and individual essential oil components were tested separately. Metal content was determined by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. IL-1β/TNF-α induced a broad inflammatory transcriptional program, including chemokines and innate immune–associated genes. Co-treatment with Listerine® consistently reduced the magnitude of cytokine-induced gene expression while preserving inducibility, indicating quantitative attenuation rather than suppression. Listerine® significantly decreased cytokine-induced CXCL1, CXCL2, and CXCL8 mRNA levels and reduced CXCL8 protein release. Transcriptomic profiling revealed strong induction of metallothionein family members. Zinc was identified as the predominant metal at biologically relevant concentrations. Zinc alone robustly induced metallothioneins but did not significantly reduce cytokine-induced chemokine expression. Individual essential oil components did not reproduce the inhibitory effect. Taken together, Listerine® constrains cytokine-driven inflammatory output in gingival fibroblasts while activating a zinc-associated metallothionein stress response. Zinc alone is insufficient to explain the anti-inflammatory phenotype, supporting a formulation-dependent host-modulating effect.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of Homo sapiens inflammatory skin diseases (whole skin biospies): Psoriasis (Pso), vs Atopic Dermatitis (AD) vs Lichen planus (Li), vs Contact Eczema (KE), vs Healthy control (KO) In recent years, different genes and proteins have been highlighted as potential biomarkers for psoriasis, one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases worldwide. However, most of these markers are not psoriasis-specific but also found in other inflammatory disorders. We performed an unsupervised cluster analysis of gene expression profiles in 150 psoriasis patients and other inflammatory skin diseases (atopic dermatitis, lichen planus, contact eczema, and healthy controls). We identified a cluster of IL-17/TNFα-associated genes specifically expressed in psoriasis, among which IL-36γ was the most outstanding marker. In subsequent immunohistological analyses IL-36γ was confirmed to be expressed in psoriasis lesions only. IL-36γ peripheral blood serum levels were found to be closely associated with disease activity, and they decreased after anti-TNFα-treatment. Furthermore, IL-36γ immunohistochemistry was found to be a helpful marker in the histological differential diagnosis between psoriasis and eczema in diagnostically challenging cases. These features highlight IL-36γ as a valuable biomarker in psoriasis patients, both for diagnostic purposes and measurement of disease activity during the clinical course. Furthermore, IL-36γ might also provide a future drug target, due to its potential amplifier role in TNFα- and IL-17 pathways in psoriatic skin inflammation. In recent years, different genes and proteins have been highlighted as potential biomarkers for psoriasis, one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases worldwide. However, most of these markers are not psoriasis-specific but also found in other inflammatory disorders. We performed an unsupervised cluster analysis of gene expression profiles in 150 psoriasis patients and other inflammatory skin diseases (atopic dermatitis, lichen planus, contact eczema, and healthy controls). We identified a cluster of IL-17/TNFα-associated genes specifically expressed in psoriasis, among which IL-36γ was the most outstanding marker. In subsequent immunohistological analyses IL-36γ was confirmed to be expressed in psoriasis lesions only. IL-36γ peripheral blood serum levels were found to be closely associated with disease activity, and they decreased after anti-TNFα-treatment. Furthermore, IL-36γ immunohistochemistry was found to be a helpful marker in the histological differential diagnosis between psoriasis and eczema in diagnostically challenging cases. These features highlight IL-36γ as a valuable biomarker in psoriasis patients, both for diagnostic purposes and measurement of disease activity during the clinical course. Furthermore, IL-36γ might also provide a future drug target, due to its potential amplifier role in TNFα- and IL-17 pathways in psoriatic skin inflammation.
Project description:To gain a better understanding of the role of Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in lung CD140a+ mesenchymal cells (fibroblasts) modulation, we performed RNA-seq to compare the transcriptomes of IL-1β-treated and control lung CD140a+ mesenchymal cells (fibroblasts).
Project description:Analysis of the effects of AVS023 and its active compounds (gallic acid and piperine) on human gene expression in primary human dermal fibroblasts induced by IL-1β. The results provided up- and down- regulated genes resulting from IL-1β and IL-1β plus with each test compound in primary human dermal fibroblasts
Project description:The oral gingival barrier is a constantly stimulated and dynamic environment where homeostasis is often disrupted, resulting in inflammatory periodontal diseases. Type 2 diabetes (T2D), a risk factor for periodontitis, has been reported to be associated with barrier dysfunction, but the effect and underlying mechanism are inconclusive. Herein, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of gingiva from leptin receptor-deficient (db/db) mice to understand the heterogeneity of gingival barrier in the context of T2D. Periodontal health of control mice is characterized by populations of Krt14+-expressing epithelial cells and Col1a1+-fibroblasts mediating immune homeostasis primarily through the enrichment of innate lymphoid cells. The db/db mice exhibit an impaired gingival barrier with spontaneous periodontal bone loss, and a decreased proportion of epithelial/stromal cells. We further observed stromal, particularly fibroblast immune hyperresponsiveness linked to recruitment of myeloid cell populations in gingiva from T2D mice. Analysis of ligand-receptor interaction pairs suggested inflammatory signaling between fibroblasts and myeloid cells, a main driver of diabetes-induced periodontal damage. Moreover, the “Immune-like” stromal cells contributed to gingival Th17/IL-17 hyperresponsiveness in T2D. Our work reveals transcriptional diversity of stromal cells and interaction with innate immune cells in T2D, and uncovers the “immune-like” fibroblast subsets participating in barrier homeostasis at the diabetic gingiva.
Project description:The similar response of endothelial cells to exogenous IL-33 or IL-1β prompted us to compare the genome-wide transcription profile of confluent human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) cultures after 4 hours exposure to IL-33 or IL-1β. Analysis of these data revealed a striking similarity in the transcriptional response to the two cytokines.
Project description:Kynureninase is a member of a large family of catalytically diverse but structurally homologous pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzymes known as the aspartate aminotransferase superfamily or alpha-family. The Homo sapiens and other eukaryotic constitutive kynureninases preferentially catalyze the hydrolytic cleavage of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine to produce 3-hydroxyanthranilate and l-alanine, while l-kynurenine is the substrate of many prokaryotic inducible kynureninases. The human enzyme was cloned with an N-terminal hexahistidine tag, expressed, and purified from a bacterial expression system using Ni metal ion affinity chromatography. Kinetic characterization of the recombinant enzyme reveals classic Michaelis-Menten behavior, with a Km of 28.3 +/- 1.9 microM and a specific activity of 1.75 micromol min-1 mg-1 for 3-hydroxy-dl-kynurenine. Crystals of recombinant kynureninase that diffracted to 2.0 A were obtained, and the atomic structure of the PLP-bound holoenzyme was determined by molecular replacement using the Pseudomonas fluorescens kynureninase structure (PDB entry 1qz9) as the phasing model. A structural superposition with the P. fluorescens kynureninase revealed that these two structures resemble the "open" and "closed" conformations of aspartate aminotransferase. The comparison illustrates the dynamic nature of these proteins' small domains and reveals a role for Arg-434 similar to its role in other AAT alpha-family members. Docking of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine into the human kynureninase active site suggests that Asn-333 and His-102 are involved in substrate binding and molecular discrimination between inducible and constitutive kynureninase substrates.