Selenium-enriched oolong tea(Camellia sinensis)extract exerts anti-inflammatory potential via targeting NF-κB and MAPK pathways in macrophages

Both tea polyphenols and selenium(Se)have been suggested to exert the health benefits via the regulatory capacities of chronic inflammation,which make Se-enriched oolong tea a promising beverage as an anti-inflammatory diet.The aim of this study is to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of Se-enriched oolong tea extract(Se-TE)and underlying mechanism in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells.Se-TE treatments(50 and 150μg/m L)significantly suppressed the over-production of nitric oxide(NO)and prostaglandin E2(PGE2)in LPS-stimulated macrophages via downregulating the expression of nitric oxide synthase(i NOS)and cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2).Moreover,Se-TEs also effectively inhibited the productions of inflammatory cytokines,such as tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6),and interleukin-1β(IL-1β).Furthermore,Se-TE could block mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)and nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB)signaling pathways through the inhibition of the phosphorylation of key proteins(IκB-α,p65,p38,ERK,and JNK)and the translocation of the p65 subunit into the nucleus.Collectively,our results indicated that Se-TE may have the potential to be used as a novel food ingredient for the development of various anti-inflammatory foods and the treatment and prevention of chronic inflammation-related diseases.

LncRNA DACH1 protects against pulmonary fibrosis by binding to SRSF1 to suppress CTNNB1 accumulation

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF)is a progressive disease with unknown etiology and limited therapeutic options.Activation of fibroblasts is a prominent feature of pulmonary fibrosis.Here we report that lncRNA DACH1(dachshund homolog 1)is downregulated in the lungs of IPF patients and in an experimental mouse model of lung fibrosis.LncDACH1 knockout mice develop spontaneous pulmonary fibrosis,whereas overexpression of LncDACH1 attenuated TGF-β1-induced aberrant activation,collagen deposition and differentiation of mouse lung fibroblasts.Similarly,forced expression of LncDACH1 not only prevented bleomycin(BLM)-induced lung fibrosis,but also reversed established lung fibrosis in a BLM model.Mechanistically,LncDACH1 binding to the serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 1(SRSF1)protein decreases its activity and inhibits the accumulation of Ctnnb1.Enhanced expression of SRSF1 blocked the anti-fibrotic effect of LncDACH1 in lung fibroblasts.Furthermore,loss of LncDACH1 promoted proliferation,differentiation,and extracellular matrix(ECM)deposition in mouse lung fibroblasts,whereas such effects were abolished by silencing of Ctnnb1.In addition,a conserved fragment of LncDACH1 alleviated hyperproliferation,ECM deposition and differentiation of MRC-5 cells driven by TGF-β1.Collectively,LncDACH1 inhibits lung fibrosis by interacting with SRSF1 to suppress CTNNB1 accumulation,suggesting that LncDACH1 might be a potential therapeutic target for pulmonary fibrosis.

Intrinsic chemiluminescence production from the degradation of haloaromatic pollutants during environmentally-friendly advanced oxidation processes:Mechanism,structure-activity relationship and potential applications

The ubiquitous distribution of halogenated aromatic compounds（XAr） coupled with their carcinogenicity has raised public concerns on their potential risks to both human health and the ecosystem. Recently, advanced oxidation processes（AOPs） have been considered as an＂environmentally-friendly＂ technology for the remediation and destruction of such recalcitrant and highly toxic XAr. During our study on the mechanism of metal-independent production of hydroxyl radicals（UOH） by halogenated quinones and H_2O_2, we found, unexpectedly, that an unprecedented UOH-dependent two-step intrinsic chemiluminescene（CL） can be produced by H_2O_2 and tetrachloro-p-benzoquinone, the major carcinogenic metabolite of the widely used wood preservative pentachlorophenol. Further investigations showed that, in all UOH-generating systems, CL can also be produced not only by pentachlorophenol and all other halogenated phenols, but also by all XAr tested. A systematic structure–activity relationship study for all 19 chlorophenolic congeners showed that the CL increased with an increasing number of Cl-substitution in general. More importantly, a relatively good correlation was observed between the formation of quinoid/semiquinone radical intermediates and CL generation. Based on these results, we propose that UOH-dependent formation of quinoid intermediates and electronically excited carbonyl species is responsible for this unusual CL production; and a rapid, sensitive,simple, and effective CL method was developed not only to detect and quantify trace amount of XAr, but also to provide useful information for predicting the toxicity or monitoring real-time degradation kinetics of XAr. These findings may have broad chemical, environmental and biological implications for future studies on halogenated aromatic persistent organic pollutants.