IL-13 and eotaxin play important, inter-related roles in asthma models. In the lungs, CysLT, produced by the 5-LO-LTC4S pathway, mediate some local responses to IL-13 and eotaxin; in bone marrow, CysLT enhance IL-5-dependent eosinophil differentiation. We examined the effects of IL-13 and eotaxin on eosinophil differentiation. Semi-solid or liquid cultures were established from murine bone marrow with GM-CSF or IL-5, respectively, and the effects of IL-13, eotaxin, or CysLT on eosinophil colony formation and on eosinophil differentiation in liquid culture were evaluated, in the absence or presence of: a) the 5-LO inhibitor zileuton, the FLAP inhibitor MK886, or the CysLT1R antagonists, montelukast and MK571; b) mutations that inactivate 5-LO, LTC4S, or CysLT1R; and c) neutralizing mAb against eotaxin and its CCR3 receptor. Both cytokines enhanced GM-CSF-dependent eosinophil colony formation and IL-5-stimulated eosinophil differentiation. Although IL-13 did not induce eotaxin production, its effects were abolished by anti-eotaxin and anti-CCR3 antibodies, suggesting up-regulation by IL-13 of responses to endogenous eotaxin. Anti-CCR3 blocked eotaxin completely. The effects of both cytokines were prevented by zileuton, MK886, montelukast, and MK571, as well as by inactivation of the genes coding for 5-LO, LTC4S, and CysLT1R. In the absence of either cytokine, these treatments or mutations had no effect. These findings provide evidence for: a) a novel role of eotaxin and IL-13 in regulating eosinophilopoiesis; and b) a role for CysLTRs in bone marrow cells in transducing cytokine regulatory signals.

We have previously described the anti-allergic activities of a pooled fraction of tetranortriterpenoids (TNTPs) containing 6α-acetoxygedunin, 7-deacetoxy-7-oxogedunin, andirobin and methyl angolensate isolated from the seeds of Carapa guianensis. In the present study, we performed in vitro studies in order to elucidate the mechanisms by which TNTPs present their anti-allergic effects and to identify the bioactive compound(s) present in such fraction. Here, we show that in vitro incubation of eosinophils with the pooled TNTP fraction, as well as with each one of the five isolated tetranortriterpenoids, impaired the adhesion of eosinophils to tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-primed tEND.1 endothelial cells. Furthermore, the individual or pooled TNTPs impaired CCL11/eotaxin-mediated chemotaxis. By contrast, pooled TNTPs failed to inhibit adhesion and chemotaxis of T lymphocytes. However, TNTPs were able to impair anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody-induced T cell proliferation and the expression of CD25 and CD69. These data suggest that TNTPs prevent T cell activation. Pretreatment of splenocytes with the pooled TNTP fraction, as well as with each one of the five isolated TNTPs, inhibited ovalbumin (OVA)-induced in vitro production of interleukin-2, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 11 (CCL11) and regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES, also known as CCL5). TNTPs (except 6α-acetoxygedunin) also impaired nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) nuclear translocation in OVA-challenged splenocytes. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the anti-allergic effects of TNTPs isolated from C. guianensis might rely on their ability to inhibit eosinophil migration, as well as the activation of T lymphocytes, which is shared by the five isolated TNTPs.

T lymphocytes are critical cells involved in allergy. Here, we report that the natural tetranortriterpenoid gedunin impaired allergic responses primarily by modulating T lymphocyte functions. The intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of gedunin inhibited pleural leukocyte accumulation triggered by intra-pleural (i.pl.) challenge with ovalbumin (OVA) in previously sensitized C57BL/6 mice; this inhibition was primarily due to the impairment of eosinophil and T lymphocyte influx. Likewise, i.pl. pre-treatment with gedunin inhibited eosinophil and T lymphocyte migration into mouse lungs 24 h after OVA intra-nasal (i.n.) instillation. Pre-treatment with gedunin diminished the levels of CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, CCL11, Interleukin-5 and leukotriene B(4) at the allergic site. In vitro pre-treatment with gedunin failed to inhibit T lymphocyte adhesion and chemotaxis towards pleural washes recovered from OVA-challenged mice, suggesting that gedunin inhibits T lymphocyte migration in vivo via the inhibition of chemotactic mediators in situ. In vivo pre-treatment with gedunin reduced the numbers of CD69(+) and CD25(+) T lymphocytes in the pleura and CD25(+) cells in the thoracic lymph nodes 24 h after OVA i.pl. challenge. In accordance, in vitro treatment of T lymphocytes with gedunin inhibited α-CD3 mAb-induced expression of CD69 and CD25, proliferation, Interleukin-2 production and nuclear translocation of NFκB and NFAT. Notably, post-treatment of mice with gedunin reverted OVA-induced lung allergic inflammation by decreasing the T lymphocyte and eosinophil counts and the levels of eosinophilotactic mediators in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Our results demonstrate a remarkable anti-allergic effect of gedunin due to its capability to modulate T cell activation and trafficking into the airways.

Despite the significant increase in the generation of SARS-CoV-2 contaminated domestic and hospital wastewater, little is known about the ecotoxicological effects of the virus or its structural components in freshwater vertebrates. In this context, this study evaluated the deleterious effects caused by SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein on the health of Danio rerio , zebrafish. We demonstrated, for the first time, that zebrafish injected with fragment 16 to 165 (rSpike), which corresponds to the N-terminal portion of the protein, presented mortalities and adverse effects on liver, kidney, ovary and brain tissues. The conserved genetic homology between zebrafish and humans might be one of the reasons for the intense toxic effects followed inflammatory reaction from the immune system of zebrafish to rSpike which provoked damage to organs in a similar pattern as happen in severe cases of COVID-19 in humans, and, resulted in 78,6% of survival rate in female adults during the first seven days. The application of spike protein in zebrafish was highly toxic that is suitable for future studies to gather valuable information about ecotoxicological impacts, as well as vaccine responses and therapeutic approaches in human medicine. Therefore, besides representing an important tool to assess the harmful effects of SARS-CoV-2 in the aquatic environment, we present the zebrafish as an animal model for translational COVID-19 research.

Artemisinin and its derivates are an important class of antimalarial drug and are described to possess immunomodulatory activities. Few studies have addressed the effect of artesunate in the murine malaria model or its effect on host immune response during malaria infection. Herein, we study the effect of artesunate treatment and describe an auxiliary mechanism of artesunate in modulating the inflammatory response during experimental malaria infection in mice. Treatment with artesunate did not reduce significantly the parasitemia within 12 h, however, reduced BBB breakdown and TNF-α mRNA expression in the brain tissue of artesunate-treated mice. Conversely, mefloquine treatment was not able to alter clinical features. Notably, artesunate pretreatment failed to modulate the expression of LFA-1 in splenocytes stimulated with parasitized red blood cells (pRBCs) in vitro; however, it abrogated the expression of ICAM-1 in pRBC-stimulated endothelial cells. Accordingly, a cytoadherence in vitro assay demonstrated that pRBCs did not adhere to artesunate-treated vascular endothelial cells. In addition, NF-κB nuclear translocation in endothelial cells stimulated with pRBCs was impaired by artesunate treatment. Our results suggest that artesunate is able to exert a protective effect against the P. berghei-induced inflammatory response by inhibiting NF-κB nuclear translocation and the subsequent expression of ICAM-1.