BACKGROUND Traumatic brain injury (TBI) initiates a neuroinflammatory cascade that contributes to neuronal damage and behavioral impairment. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of wogonin, a flavonoid with potent anti-inflammatory properties, on functional and histological outcomes, brain edema, and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)- and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)-related signali...

The generation of reactive oxygen species has a pivotal role in both acute and chronic glomerular injuries in patients with lupus nephritis. As the transcription factor Nrf2 is a major regulator of the antioxidant response and is a primary cellular defense mechanism, we sought to determine a role of Nrf2 in the progression of lupus nephritis. Pathological analyses of renal biopsies from patient...

BACKGROUND/AIMS This study aimed to investigate whether exogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) confered cardiac protection against high glucose (HG)-induced injury by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation via a specific TLR4/NF-κB pathway. METHODS H9c2 cardiac cells were exposed to 33 mM glucose for 24 h to induce HG-induced cytotoxicity. The cells were pretreated with NaHS (a donor of H2S) befo...

Our previous study concerning brain trauma has shown that progesterone could regulate toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway in the brain, which also has been proved to play important roles in early brain injury (EBI) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The aim of the current study was to investigate whether progesterone administration modulated TLR4/N...

Histones are intracellular nucleosomal components and extracellular damage-associated molecular pattern molecules that modulate chromatin remodeling, as well as the immune response. However, their extracellular roles in cell migration and invasion remain undefined. Here, we demonstrate that histones are novel regulators of tumor metastasis with chemokine-like activities. Indeed, exogenous histo...

PURPOSE To observe the expression of Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), and nuclear factor kappa B p65 (NF-κB p65) in iris tissue during endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) and evaluate the significance of these factors in uveitis. METHODS Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups (0  h, 12  h, 24  h, 48  h, and 72  h, n = 10/group). Animal model of acut...

BACKGROUND Indoxyl sulfate, a uremic toxin, is accumulated in the serum of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, accelerating the progression of CKD. In CKD rat kidney, the expressions of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) and its related genes are downregulated. AST-120, an oral sorbent, reduces serum indoxyl sulfate and slows the progression of CKD. The present study aimed to...

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is unique among the TLRs in its use of multiple adaptor proteins leading to activation of both the interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathways. Previous work has demonstrated that TLR4 initiates NF-κB activation from the plasma membrane, but that subsequent TLR4 translocation to the endosomes is required for IRF3 activation. Here we h...

Objective To observe the protective effect of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on dextran sulfate sodium- (DSS-) induced ulcerative colitis in rats and to explore the roles of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway. Methods Rat models of ulcerative colitis were established by giving DSS. EGCG (50 mg/kg/d) was given to assess disease activity index. HE staining was applied to observe histological c...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) is a powerful atherogen. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) has a pathophysiological role in regulating inflammatory responses and atherosclerosis. Mast cells can infiltrate into the atheromatous plaque and secrete various pro-inflammatory cytokines, which significantly amplify the atherogenic processes and promote plaque vulnerability. Small i...