Sonoporation-mediated transduction of siRNA ameliorated experimental arthritis using 3 MHz pulsed ultrasound

The goal of this feasibility study was to examine whether sonoporation assisted transduction of siRNA could be used to ameliorate arthritis locally. If successful, such approach could provide an alternative treatment for the patients that have or gradually develop adverse response to chemical drugs. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) produced by synovial fibroblasts has an important role in the pathology of rheumatoid arthritis, inducing inflammation and bone destruction. In this study, we injected a mixture of microbubbles and siRNA targeting TNF-α (siTNF) into the articular joints of rats, and transduced siTNF into synovial tissue by exposure to a collimated ultrasound beam, applied through a probe 6 mm in diameter with an input frequency of 3.0 MHz, an output intensity of 2.0 W/cm² (spatial average temporary peak; SATP), a pulse duty ratio of 50%, and a duration of 1 min. Sonoporation increased skin temperature from 26.8 °C to 27.3 °C, but there were no adverse effect such as burns. The mean level of TNF-α expression in siTNF-treated knee joints was 55% of those in controls. Delivery of siTNF into the knee joints every 3 days (i.e., 7, 10, 13, and 16 days after immunization) by in vivo sonoporation significantly reduced paw swelling on days 20–23 after immunization. Radiographic scores in the siTNF group were 56% of those in the CIA group and 61% of those in the siNeg group. Histological examination showed that the number of TNF-α positive cells was significantly lower in areas of pannus invasion into the ankle joints of siTNF- than of siNeg-treated rats. These results indicate that transduction of siTNF into articular synovium using sonoporation may be an effective local therapy for arthritis.     

Functional and structural domains of the sixth component (C6) of human complement

The effects of serine protease inhibitors, diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) and phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), on hemolytic activity of C6 were reinvestigated. C6 was inactivated in a range of 1-10 mM by both of the inhibitors as previously reported. Limited proteolytic digestion was also studied to elucidate the functional and structural domains of C6. The major fragments produced by trypsin, plasmin, or lysyl endopeptidase could not be separated unless disulfide bonds were disrupted, but Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease yielded several fragments, each of which was not linked by disulfide bond. When C6 labeled with [3H]DFP was subjected to limited digestion with V8 protease, a fragment with a molecular weight of 38 kilodaltons (kDa) was mainly labeled and other fragments of 53 kDa and 26.4 kDa were also faintly labeled, while fragment 35 kDa wasn't labeled, indicating specific domains reactive with DFP. On the other hand, when C6 with or without DFP treatment was digested with V8 protease and those fragments were incubated with C5 and subjected to sucrose density ultracentrifugation, fragments 53, 38, 35 and 27.5 kDa interacted with C5 in both cases. These results suggest that C6 modified by DFP can interact with C5, and the amino-terminal sequences of fragment 38 and 35 kDa suggest the binding domain of C6 with C5 takes place within the two short consensus repeats.     

Significant Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 In Vitro by a Green Tea Catechin,a Catechin-Derivative,and Black Tea Galloylated Theaflavins

Potential effects of tea and its constituents on SARS-CoV-2 infection were assessed in vitro. Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 was decreased to 1/100 to undetectable levels after a treatment with black tea, green tea, roasted green tea, or oolong tea for 1 min. An addition of (−) epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) significantly inactivated SARS-CoV-2, while the same concentration of theasinensin A (TSA) and galloylated theaflavins including theaflavin 3,3′-di-O-gallate (TFDG) had more remarkable anti-viral activities. EGCG, TSA, and TFDG at 1 mM, 40 µM, and 60 µM, respectively, which are comparable to the concentrations of these compounds in tea beverages, significantly reduced infectivity of the virus, viral RNA replication in cells, and secondary virus production from the cells. EGCG, TSA, and TFDG significantly inhibited interaction between recombinant ACE2 and RBD of S protein. These results suggest potential usefulness of tea in prevention of person-to-person transmission of the novel coronavirus.