Dehydrocostus lactone inhibits BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis and inflammation in mice via the JNK and p38 MAPK-mediated NF-κB signaling pathways.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and irreversible inflammatory disease with a high mortality rate and limited therapeutic options. This study explored the potential role and mechanisms of Dehydrocostus lactone (DHL) in the inflammatory and fibrotic responses in a bleomycin (BLM) induced model. Treatment with DHL significantly reduced pathological injury and fibrosis, the secretion of BLM-induced pro-fibrotic mediators TGF-β and α-SMA, and components of the extracellular matrix (fibronectin). Additionally, in the early stages of inflammation, DHL administration inhibited the infiltration of inflammatory cells and downregulated the expression of TGF-β, TNF-α, and IL-6, indicating that DHL treatment effectively alleviated BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis and inflammation in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, BLM induced the production of IL-33 in vivo, which initiated and progressed pulmonary fibrosis by activating macrophages and enhancing the production of IL-13 and TGF-β. In contrast, a significant decrease in the expression of IL-33 after DHL treatment in vitro showed that DHL strongly reduced IL-13 and TGF-β. Regarding the mechanism, BLM-induced phosphorylation of JNK, p38 MAPK, and NF-κB were significantly reduced after DHL treatment, which further led to the down-regulation of IL-33 expression, thereby decreasing IL-13 and TGF-β. Collectively, our data suggested that DHL could exert its anti-fibrosis effect via inhibiting the early inflammatory response by downregulating the JNK/p38 MAPK-mediated NF-κB signaling pathway to suppress macrophage activation. Therefore, DHL has therapeutic potential for pulmonary fibrosis.

Xiong Y ，Cui X ，Zhou Y ，Chai G ，Jiang X ，Ge G ，Wang Y ，Sun H ，Che H ，Nie Y ，Zhao P ... -  《-》

Dehydrocostus Lactone Suppresses LPS-induced Acute Lung Injury and Macrophage Activation through NF-κB Signaling Pathway Mediated by p38 MAPK and Akt.

Nie Y ，Wang Z ，Chai G ，Xiong Y ，Li B ，Zhang H ，Xin R ，Qian X ，Tang Z ，Wu J ，Zhao P ... -  《MOLECULES》

Dehydrocostus Lactone Attenuates Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus-Induced Inflammation and Acute Lung Injury via Modulating Macrophage Polarization.

Wu YX ，Jiang FJ ，Liu G ，Wang YY ，Gao ZQ ，Jin SH ，Nie YJ ，Chen D ，Chen JL ，Pang QF ... -  《INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES》

Glucagon like peptide-1 attenuates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, involving the inactivation of NF-κB in mice.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive lung disease with high mortality and poor prognosis. Previous studies confirmed that NF-κB plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis and glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) has a property of anti-inflammation by inactivation of NF-κB. Furthermore, the GLP-1 receptor was detected in the lung tissues. Our aim was to investigate the potential value and mechanisms of GLP-1 on BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Mice with BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis were treated with or without GLP-1 administration. 28 days after BLM infusion, the number of total cells, macrophages, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and the content of TGF-β1 in BALF were measured. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Masson's trichrome (MT) staining were performed. The Ashcroft score and hydroxyproline content were analyzed. RT-qPCR and western blot were used to evaluate the expression of α-SMA and VCAM-1. The phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 was also assessed by western blot. DNA binding of NF-κB p65 was measured through Trans(AM) p65 transcription factor ELISA kit. GLP-1 reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and the content of TGF-β1 in BLAF in mice with BLM injection. The Ashcroft score and hydroxyproline content were decreased by GLP-1 administration. Meanwhile, BLM-induced overexpression of α-SMA and VCAM-1 were blocked by GLP-1 treatment in mice. GLP-1 also reduced the ratio of phosphor-NF-κB p65/total-NF-κB p65 and NF-κB p65 DNA binding activity in BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Our data found that BLM-induced lung inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis were significantly alleviated by GLP-1 treatment in mice, possibly through inactivation of NF-κB.

Gou S ，Zhu T ，Wang W ，Xiao M ，Wang XC ，Chen ZH ... -  《-》

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2/angiotensin-(1-7)/Mas axis protects against lung fibrosis by inhibiting the MAPK/NF-κB pathway.

Meng Y ，Yu CH ，Li W ，Li T ，Luo W ，Huang S ，Wu PS ，Cai SX ，Li X ... -  《-》