micheliolide and dimethylaminomicheliolide

Applied science nowadays works on the isolation and application of biological macromolecules (BMM). These BMM are isolates from plants using different techniques and used as anticancer, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Parthenolide (PLT) is one of the most important biological macromolecules and a naturally occurring sesquiterpene lactone that is isolated from a plant species

Topics: Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Humans; Lactones; Neoplasms; Sesquiterpenes; Sesquiterpenes, Guaiane

Renal fibrosis is a pathologic process that leads to irreversible renal failure without effective treatment. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a key role in this process. The current study found that aberrant expression of IL-11 is critically involved in tubular EMT. IL-11 and its receptor subunit alpha-1 (IL-11Rα1) were significantly induced in renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) kidneys, co-localized with transforming growth factor-β1. IL-11 knockdown ameliorated UUO-induced renal fibrosis in vivo and transforming growth factor-β1-induced EMT in vitro. IL-11 intervention directly induced the transdifferentiation of RTECs to the mesenchymal phenotype and increased the synthesis of profibrotic mediators. The EMT response induced by IL-11 was dependent on the sequential activation of STAT3 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 signaling pathways and the up-regulation of metadherin in RTECs. Micheliolide (MCL) competitively inhibited the binding of IL-11 with IL-11Rα1, suppressing the activation of STAT3 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2-metadherin pathways, ultimately inhibiting renal tubular EMT and interstitial fibrosis induced by IL-11. In addition, treatment with dimethylaminomicheliolide, a pro-drug of MCL for in vivo use, significantly ameliorated renal fibrosis exacerbated by IL-11 in the UUO model. These findings suggest that IL-11 is a promising target in renal fibrosis and that MCL/dimethylaminomicheliolide exerts its antifibrotic effect by suppressing IL-11/IL-11Rα1 interaction and blocking its downstream effects.

Topics: Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; Fibrosis; Humans; Interleukin-11; Kidney; Kidney Diseases; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; Transcription Factors; Transforming Growth Factor beta1; Ureteral Obstruction

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the principal cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide and few treatments are available. Because immunomodulators are pivotal to DKD pathophysiology, anti-inflammatory agents may be useful for treating DKD. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of micheliolide (MCL), a novel guaianolide sesquiterpene lactone with well-known anti-inflammatory effects, on DKD. Treatment with dimethylaminomicheliolide (DMAMCL), the pro-drug of MCL currently under clinical trial in oncology, protected the kidneys against proteinuria, renal failure, histopathological injury, and inflammation in db/db mice. This effect was associated with metadherin (Mtdh) downregulation. We observed aberrant upregulation of Mtdh in the kidneys of db/db mice and high-glucose (HG)-induced mouse tubular epithelial cells (mTECs). Downregulation of Mtdh obviously inhibited nuclear factor-κB signaling activation and suppressed its downstream inflammatory cytokines, such as monocyte chemotactic peptide-1, interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6 in HG-induced mTECs, which was similar to the effect of MCL. Mtdh overexpression largely reversed the anti-inflammatory role of MCL. Moreover, MCL downregulated Mtdh by both inhibiting the transcription level and promoting ubiquitin-mediated degradation. These findings suggest that DMAMCL is a promising anti-inflammatory agent useful for preventing renal injury in DKD by inhibiting Mtdh-mediated renal inflammation.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Cells, Cultured; Cytokines; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Diabetic Nephropathies; Down-Regulation; Epithelial Cells; Kidney; Membrane Proteins; Mice; NF-kappa B; Prodrugs; RNA-Binding Proteins; Sesquiterpenes, Guaiane

Micheliolide (MCL), derived from parthenolide (PTL), is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and has multiple roles in inflammatory diseases and tumours. To investigate its effect on renal disease, we intragastrically administrated DMAMCL, a dimethylamino Michael adduct of MCL for in vivo use, in two renal fibrosis models-the unilateral ureteral occlusion (UUO) model and an ischaemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) model and used MCL in combination with transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) on mouse tubular epithelial cells (mTEC) in vitro. The expression of fibrotic markers (fibronectin and α-SMA) was remarkably reduced, while the expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin was restored after DMAMCL treatment both in the UUO and IRI mice. MCL function in TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in mTEC was consistent with the in vivo results. Metadherin (Mtdh) was activated in the fibrotic condition, suggesting that it might be involved in fibrogenesis. Interestingly, we found that while Mtdh was upregulated in the fibrotic condition, DMAMCL/MCL could suppress its expression. The overexpression of Mtdh exerted a pro-fibrotic effect by modulating the BMP/MAPK pathway in mTECs, and MCL could specifically reverse this effect. In conclusion, DMAMCL/MCL treatment represents a novel and effective therapy for renal fibrosis by suppressing the Mtdh/BMP/MAPK pathway.

Topics: Animals; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; Cells, Cultured; Fibrosis; Kidney; Kidney Diseases; Male; MAP Kinase Signaling System; Membrane Proteins; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Protective Agents; Reperfusion Injury; RNA-Binding Proteins; Sesquiterpenes, Guaiane; Ureteral Obstruction

Small molecules that can selectively target cancer stem cells (CSCs) remain rare currently and exhibit no common structural features. Here we report a series of guaianolide sesquiterpene lactones (GSLs) and their derivatives that can selectively eradicate acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) stem or progenitor cells. Natural GSL compounds arglabin, an anticancer clinical drug, and micheliolide (MCL), are able to reduce the proportion of AML stem cells (CD34⁺CD38⁻) in primary AML cells. Targeting of AML stem cells is further confirmed by a sharp reduction of colony-forming units of primary AML cells upon MCL treatment. Moreover, DMAMCL, the dimethylamino Michael adduct of MCL, slowly releases MCL in plasma and in vivo and demonstrates remarkable therapeutic efficacy in the nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency AML models. These findings indicate that GSL is an ample source for chemical agents against AML stem or progenitor cells and that GSL is potentially highly useful to explore anti-CSC approaches.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Line, Tumor; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Hematopoietic Stem Cells; Humans; Lactones; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred NOD; Mice, SCID; Neoplasm Transplantation; Neoplastic Stem Cells; Prodrugs; Sesquiterpenes; Sesquiterpenes, Guaiane; Structure-Activity Relationship; Transplantation, Heterologous