Schizandrin attenuates lung lesions induced by Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli in chickens
MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS
Authors: Yuan, Meng; Peng, Lu-Yuan; Wei, Qian; Li, Jing-He; Song, Ke; Chen, Shuang; Huang, Jiang-Ni; Yu, Jia-Lin; An, Qiang; Yi, Peng-Fei; Shen, Hai-Qing; Fu, Ben-Dong
Abstract
Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) can cause serious pathological changes and inflammation in chickens. Schizandrin has anti-inflammatory activity and can prevent damage to various tissues and organs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of schizandrin on APEC-induced lung lesions in chickens and explore the potential mechanism of schizandrin protection. The schizandrin (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) was intragastrically administered for 3 days. APEC was administered using intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection to induce lung lesions. Then, chickens were sacrificed by CO2 inhalation 24 h later and the lung tissues were collected for examining histopathological changes, wet/dry (W/D) ratio, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA), levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, and IL-8 and activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. Our findings showed that schizandrin markedly inhibited pathological changes, pulmonary edema, MPO activity and MDA content. Moreover, schizandrin markedly reduced the levels of TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6 and IL-8 in lung tissue. Importantly, the mechanism responsible for these effects was attributed to the inhibitory effect of schizandrin on NF-kappa B and MAPK signaling activation. In conclusion, our findings reveal that schizandrin displays anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity against APEC-induced lung lesions in chickens, paving the way for rational use of schizandrin as a protective agent against lung-related inflammatory disease.
Association of Genes Related to Oxidative Stress with the Extent of Coronary Atherosclerosis
LIFE-BASEL
Authors: Racis, Milena; Stanislawska-Sachadyn, Anna; Sobiczewski, Wojciech; Wirtwein, Marcin; Krzeminski, Michal; Krawczynska, Natalia; Limon, Janusz; Rynkiewicz, Andrzej; Gruchala, Marcin
Abstract
Oxidative stress is believed to play a critical role in atherosclerosis initiation and progression. In line with this, in a group of 1099 subjects, we determined eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to oxidative stress (PON1 c.575A>G, MPO c.-463G>A, SOD2 c.47T>C, GCLM c.-590C>T, NOS3 c.894G>T, NOS3 c.-786T>C, CYBA c.214C>T, and CYBA c.-932A>G) and assessed the extent of atherosclerosis in coronary arteries based on Gensini score. An increased risk of having a Gensini score in the higher half of the distribution was observed for the PON1 c.575G allele (odds ratio (OR) = 1.27, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.004-1.617, p = 0.046). Next, the genetic risk score (GRS) for the additive effect of the total number of pro-oxidative alleles was assessed. We noted an increase in the risk of having a Gensini score above the median with the maximum number of risk alleles (OR = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.19-5.23, p = 0.014). A univariate Spearman's test revealed significant correlation between the total number of pro-oxidant alleles (GRS) and the Gensini score (rho = 0.068, p = 0.03). In conclusion, the PON1 c.575A>G variant and the high number of risk alleles (GRS) were independent risk factors for a high Gensini score. We suggest, however, that GRS might occur as a more valuable component in adding a predictive value to the genetic background of atherosclerosis.