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Major anti-inflammatory agents, steroids and cyclooxygenase, were proved to have serious side effects. Here, a series of chalcone derivatives were synthesized and screened for anti-inflammatory activities. QSAR study revealed that the presence of electron-withdrawing groups in B-ring and electron-donating groups in A-ring of chalcones was important for inhibition of LPS-induced IL-6 expression. Further, compounds 22, 23, 26, 40, and 47 inhibited TNF-α and IL-6 release in a dose-dependent manner and decreased LPS-induced TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12, and COX-2 mRNA production. Mechanistically, compounds 23 and 26 interfered with JNK/NF-κB signaling and dose-dependently prevented ERK and p38 activation. In addition, 23 and 26 exhibited a significant protection against LPS-induced death and were able to block high glucose-activated cytokine profiles in macrophages. Together, these data show a series of anti-inflammatory chalcones with potential therapeutic effects in inflammatory diseases.

Hyperglycemia-induced inflammation and apoptosis have important roles in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy. We recently found that a novel curcumin derivative, C66, is able to reduce the high glucose (HG)-induced inflammatory response. This study was designed to investigate the protective effects on diabetic cardiomyopathy and its underlying mechanisms. Pretreatment with C66 significantly reduced HG-induced overexpression of inflammatory cytokines via inactivation of nuclear factor-κB in both H9c2 cells and neonatal cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, we showed that the inhibition of Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation contributed to the protection of C66 from inflammation and cell apoptosis, which was validated by the use of SP600125 and dominant-negative JNK. The molecular docking and kinase activity assay confirmed direct binding of C66 to and inhibition of JNK. In mice with type 1 diabetes, the administration of C66 or SP600125 at 5 mg/kg significantly decreased the levels of plasma and cardiac tumor necrosis factor-α, accompanied by decreasing cardiac apoptosis, and, finally, improved histological abnormalities, fibrosis, and cardiac dysfunction without affecting hyperglycemia. Thus, this work demonstrated the therapeutic potential of the JNK-targeting compound C66 for the treatment of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Importantly, we indicated a critical role of JNK in diabetic heart injury, and suggested that JNK inhibition may be a feasible strategy for treating diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) represents the primary driving force to promote the progression of chronic cholestatic liver diseases. We previously reported that cholangiocyte-derived exosomal long noncoding RNA-H19 (lncRNA-H19) plays a critical role in promoting cholestatic liver injury. However, it remains unclear whether cholangiocyte-derived lncRNA-H19 regulates HSC activation, which is the major focus of this study. Both bile duct ligation (BDL) and Mdr2 knockout (Mdr2 -/-) mouse models were used. Wild-type and H19 maternalΔExon1/+ (H19KO) mice were subjected to BDL. Mdr2 -/-H19 maternalΔExon1/+ (DKO) mice were generated. Exosomes isolated from cultured mouse and human cholangiocytes or mouse serum were used for in vivo transplantation and in vitro studies. Fluorescence-labeled exosomes and flow cytometry were used to monitor exosome uptake by hepatic cells. Collagen gel contraction and bromodeoxyuridine assays were used to determine the effect of exosomal-H19 on HSC activation and proliferation. Mouse and human primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC)/primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) liver samples were analyzed by real-time PCR, western blot analysis, histology, and immunohistochemistry. The results demonstrated that hepatic H19 level was closely correlated with the severity of liver fibrosis in both mouse models and human patients with PSC and PBC. H19 deficiency significantly protected mice from liver fibrosis in BDL and Mdr2 -/mice. Transplanted cholangiocyte-derived H19-enriched exosomes were rapidly and preferentially taken up by HSCs and HSC-derived fibroblasts, and promoted liver fibrosis in BDL-H19KO mice and DKO mice. H19-enriched exosomes enhanced transdifferentiation of cultured mouse primary HSCs and promoted proliferation and matrix formation in HSC-derived fibroblasts. Conclusion: Cholangiocyte-derived exosomal H19 plays a critical role in the progression of cholestatic liver fibrosis by promoting HSC differentiation and activation and represents a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for cholangiopathies. (Hepatology 2019;70:1317-1335).

Curcumin has been extensively studied for its anti-inflammatory activities. However, its potential beneficial effects on various disease preventions and treatments are limited by its unstable structure. The β-diketone moiety renders curcumin to be rapidly metabolized by aldoketo reductase in liver. In the present study, a series of curcumin analogues with more stable chemical structures were synthesized and several compounds showed an enhanced ability to inhibit lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced TNF-α and IL-6 synthesis in macrophages.Curcumin [1,7-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione, Fig. 1] is the major active constituent of turmeric, a yellow compound originally isolated from the plant Curcuma longa L. Tumeric has been widely used for centuries as a dietary spice and pigment. 1 In addition to its unique flavor and color, tumeric has been extensively used in traditional medicine in China and India, particularly as an anti-inflammatory agent. 2 During the last two decades, numerous studies have shown that curcumin has a variety of biological and pharmacological activities such as anti -carcinogen, immuno-modulation, anti-oxidant, antiangiogenesis, and chemo-prevention. 3-9 Recent studies have demonstrated that inflammation is implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases including cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetes, fatty liver, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. 10-13 Anti-inflammation is the major focus of current drug development. 14 Cytokines are local mediators produced by lymphocytes and macrophages as well as by epithelial and mesenchymal cells. 15 It has been demonstrated that cytokines are involved in a variety of biological processes and play a central role in the development of inflammation and immunity. TNF-α is a multifunctional cytokine produced primarily by activated monocytes/macrophages and plays a critical role in the initiation and continuation of inflammation and immunity. 16 It is well-known that TNF-α is a key proinflammatory cytokine in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory diseases and cancer. 13, 17 In addition to directly *Corresponding authors: Huiping Zhou: 1217 East Marshall Street, MSB#533, Richmond, VA 23298, USA. E-mail: hzhou@vcu.edu; Tel:804-828-6817; Fax:804-828-0676., Xiaokun Li: College of Pharmacy, Wenzhou Medical College., E-mail: xiaokunli@163.com. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. In order to identify the crucial structural motifs leading to anti-inflammatory activity and gain insight into future directions for designing new analogues with better activity, thre...

Bile duct obstruction is a potent stimulus for cholangiocyte proliferation, especially for large cholangiocytes. Our previous studies reported that conjugated bile acids (CBAs) activate the AKT and ERK1/2 signaling pathways via the sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 2 (S1PR2) in hepatocytes and cholangiocarcinoma cells. It also has been reported that taurocholate (TCA) promotes large cholangiocyte proliferation and protects cholangiocytes from bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced apoptosis. However, the role of S1PR2 in bile acid-mediated cholangiocyte proliferation and cholestatic liver injury has not been elucidated. Here we report that S1PR2 is the predominant S1PR expressed in cholangiocytes. Both TCA- and S1P-induced activation of ERK1/2 and AKT were inhibited by JTE-013, a specific antagonist of S1PR2, in cholangiocytes. In addition, TCA- and S1P-induced cell proliferation and migration were inhibited by JTE-013 and a specific shRNA of S1PR2 as well as chemical inhibitors of ERK1/2 and AKT in mouse cholangiocytes. In BDL mice, the expression of S1PR2 was upregulated in whole liver and cholangiocytes. S1PR2 deficiency significantly reduced BDL-induced cholangiocyte proliferation and cholestatic injury as indicated by significant reduction of inflammation and liver fibrosis in S1PR2−/− mice. Treatment of BDL mice with JTE-013 significantly reduced total bile acid levels in the serum and cholestatic liver injury. This study suggests that the CBA-induced activation of S1PR2-mediated signaling pathways plays a critical role in obstructive cholestasis and may represent a novel therapeutic target for cholestatic liver diseases.

Inflammation plays a central role in the etiology of diabetic nephropathy, a global health issue. We observed a significant reduction in the renal expression of fibroblast growth factor 1, a known mitogen and insulin sensitizer, in patients with diabetic nephropathy and in mouse models implying that fibroblast growth factor 1 possesses beneficial anti-inflammatory and renoprotective activities in vivo. To test this possibility, we investigated the effects of chronic intraperitoneal administration of fibroblast growth factor 1 into both the streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes and db/db type 2 diabetes models. Indeed, recombinant fibroblast growth factor 1 significantly suppressed renal inflammation (i.e., cytokines, macrophage infiltration), glomerular and tubular damage, and renal dysfunction in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mice. Fibroblast growth factor 1 was able to correct the elevated blood glucose levels in type 2 but not in type 1 diabetic mice, suggesting that the anti-inflammatory effect of fibroblast growth factor 1 was independent of its glucose-lowering activity. The mechanistic study demonstrated that fibroblast growth factor 1–mediated inhibition of the renal inflammation in vivo was accompanied by attenuation of the nuclear factor κB and c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling pathways, further validated in vitro using cultured glomerular mesangial cells and podocytes. Thus, fibroblast growth factor 1 holds great promise for developing new treatments for diabetic nephropathy through countering inflammatory signaling cascades in injured renal tissue.

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