Allergic asthma is caused by the aberrant expansion in the lung of T helper cells that produce type 2 (TH2) cytokines and is characterized by infiltration of eosinophils and bronchial hyperreactivity. This disease is often triggered by mast cells activated by immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergic challenge. Activated mast cells release various chemical mediators, including prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), whose role in allergic asthma has now been investigated by the generation of mice deficient in the PGD receptor (DP). Sensitization and aerosol challenge of the homozygous mutant (DP-/-) mice with ovalbumin (OVA) induced increases in the serum concentration of IgE similar to those in wild-type mice subjected to this model of asthma. However, the concentrations of TH2 cytokines and the extent of lymphocyte accumulation in the lung of OVA-challenged DP-/- mice were greatly reduced compared with those in wild-type animals. Moreover, DP-/- mice showed only marginal infiltration of eosinophils and failed to develop airway hyperreactivity. Thus, PGD2 functions as a mast cell-derived mediator to trigger asthmatic responses.

Prostaglandin D_2 as a Mediator of Allergic Asthma.

Selenium is a trace element essential to human health largely because of its incorporation into selenoproteins that have a wide range of protective functions. Selenium has an ongoing history of reducing the incidence and severity of various viral infections; for example, a German study found selenium status to be significantly higher in serum samples from surviving than non-surviving COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, a significant, positive, linear association was found between the cure rate of Chinese patients with COVID-19 and regional selenium status. Moreover, the cure rate continued to rise beyond the selenium intake required to optimise selenoproteins, suggesting that selenoproteins are probably not the whole story. Nonetheless, the significantly reduced expression of a number of selenoproteins, including those involved in controlling ER stress, along with increased expression of IL-6 in SARS-CoV-2 infected cells in culture suggests a potential link between reduced selenoprotein expression and COVID-19-associated inflammation. In this comprehensive review, we describe the history of selenium in viral infections and then go on to assess the potential benefits of adequate and even supra-nutritional selenium status. We discuss the indispensable function of the selenoproteins in coordinating a successful immune response and follow by reviewing cytokine excess, a key mediator of morbidity and mortality in COVID-19, and its relationship to selenium status. We comment on the fact that the synthetic redox-active selenium compound, ebselen, has been found experimentally to be a strong inhibitor of the main SARS-CoV-2 protease that enables viral maturation within the host. That finding suggests that redox-active selenium species formed at high selenium intake might hypothetically inhibit SARS-CoV-2 proteases. We consider the tactics that SARS-CoV-2 could employ to evade an adequate host response by interfering with the human selenoprotein system. Recognition of the myriad mechanisms by which selenium might potentially benefit COVID-19 patients provides a rationale for randomised, controlled trials of selenium supplementation in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Selenium and selenoproteins in viral infection with potential relevance to COVID-19.

Here, we addressed the pharmacology and toxicology of synthetic organoselenium compounds and some naturally occurring organoselenium amino acids. The use of selenium as a tool in organic synthesis and as a pharmacological agent goes back to the middle of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth centuries. The rediscovery of ebselen and its investigation in clinical trials have motivated the search for new organoselenium molecules with pharmacological properties. Although ebselen and diselenides have some overlapping pharmacological properties, their molecular targets are not identical. However, they have similar anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, possibly, via activation of transcription factors, regulating the expression of antioxidant genes. In short, our knowledge about the pharmacological properties of simple organoselenium compounds is still elusive. However, contrary to our early expectations that they could imitate selenoproteins, organoselenium compounds seem to have non-specific modulatory activation of antioxidant pathways and specific inhibitory effects in some thiol-containing proteins. The thiol-oxidizing properties of organoselenium compounds are considered the molecular basis of their chronic toxicity; however, the acute use of organoselenium compounds as inhibitors of specific thiol-containing enzymes can be of therapeutic significance. In summary, the outcomes of the clinical trials of ebselen as a mimetic of lithium or as an inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 proteases will be important to the field of organoselenium synthesis. The development of computational techniques that could predict rational modifications in the structure of organoselenium compounds to increase their specificity is required to construct a library of thiol-modifying agents with selectivity toward specific target proteins.

/pdf/toxicology-and-pharmacology-of-synthetic-organoselenium-1y6cg82d0l.pdf

Toxicology and pharmacology of synthetic organoselenium compounds: an update.

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element that functions in the form of the 21st amino acid, selenocysteine (Sec) in a defined set of proteins. Se deficiency is associated with pathological condi...

Selenium and selenoproteins in prostanoid metabolism and immunity

The trace element selenium (Se) is an essential part of the human diet; moreover, increased health risks have been observed with Se deficiency. A sufficiently high Se status is a prerequisite for adequate immune response, and preventable endemic diseases are known from areas with Se deficiency. Biomarkers of Se status decline strongly in pregnancy, severe illness, or COVID-19, reaching critically low concentrations. Notably, these conditions are associated with an increased risk for autoimmune disease (AID). Positive effects on the immune system are observed with Se supplementation in pregnancy, autoimmune thyroid disease, and recovery from severe illness. However, some studies reported null results; the database is small, and randomized trials are sparse. The current need for research on the link between AID and Se deficiency is particularly obvious for rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes mellitus. Despite these gaps in knowledge, it seems timely to realize that severe Se deficiency may trigger AID in susceptible subjects. Improved dietary choices or supplemental Se are efficient ways to avoid severe Se deficiency, thereby decreasing AID risk and improving disease course. A personalized approach is needed in clinics and during therapy, while population-wide measures should be considered for areas with habitual low Se intake. Finland has been adding Se to its food chain for more than 35 years-a wise and commendable decision, according to today's knowledge. It is unfortunate that the health risks of Se deficiency are often neglected, while possible side effects of Se supplementation are exaggerated, leading to disregard for this safe and promising preventive and adjuvant treatment options. This is especially true in the follow-up situations of pregnancy, severe illness, or COVID-19, where massive Se deficiencies have developed and are associated with AID risk, long-lasting health impairments, and slow recovery.

Selenium Deficiency Due to Diet, Pregnancy, Severe Illness, or COVID-19-A Preventable Trigger for Autoimmune Disease.

Epo-receptor signaling in macrophages alters the splenic niche to promote erythroid differentiation.

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) leads to adverse colonic inflammation associated with poor resolution of inflammation and loss of epithelial integrity Micronutrient trace element selenium (Se) is incorporated into selenoproteins as the 21st amino acid, selenocysteine (Sec) Previous studies have shown that such an incorporation of Sec into the selenoproteome is key for the anti-inflammatory functions of Se in macrophages and other immune cells An intriguing mechanism underlying the anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving effects of Se stems from the ability of selenoproteins to skew arachidonic acid metabolism from pro-inflammatory mediators, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) toward anti-inflammatory mediators derived from PGD2, such as 15-deoxy-Δ12, 14- prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2), via eicosanoid class switching of bioactive lipids The impact of Se and such an eicosanoid-class switching mechanism was tested in an enteric infection model of gut inflammation by C rodentium, a murine equivalent of EPEC C57BL/6 mice deficient in Se (Se-D) experienced higher mortality when compared to those on Se adequate (008 ppm Se) and Se supplemented (04 ppm Se) diets following infection Decreased survival was associated with decreased group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) and T helper 17 (Th17) cells in colonic lamina propria of Se-D mice along with deceased expression of epithelial barrier protein Zo-1 Inhibition of metabolic inactivation of PGE2 by 15-prostaglandin dehydrogenase blocked the Se-dependent increase in ILC3 and Th17 cells in addition to reducing epithelial barrier integrity, as seen by increased systemic levels of FITC-dextran following oral administration; while 15d-PGJ2 administration in Se-D mice alleviated the effects by increasing ILC3 and Th17 cells Mice lacking selenoproteins in monocyte/macrophages via the conditional deletion of the tRNA[Sec] showed increased mortality post infection Our studies indicate a crucial role for dietary Se in the protection against inflammation following enteric infection via immune mechanisms involving epithelial barrier integrity

/pdf/the-essential-role-of-selenoproteins-in-the-resolution-of-3axen6sob7.pdf

The Essential Role of Selenoproteins in the Resolution of Citrobacter rodentium-Induced Intestinal Inflammation.

Prostaglandin D2 and its cyclopentenone metabolites [cyclopentenone prostaglandins (CyPGs)], Δ12prostaglandin J2 and 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2, act through 2 GPCRs, d-type prostanoid 1 and t...

https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1096/fj.201802608R

Fenghua Qian

Papers

Selenium and selenoproteins in prostanoid metabolism and immunity

Epo-receptor signaling in macrophages alters the splenic niche to promote erythroid differentiation.

The Essential Role of Selenoproteins in the Resolution of Citrobacter rodentium-Induced Intestinal Inflammation.

Crth2 receptor signaling down-regulates lipopolysaccharide-induced NF-κB activation in murine macrophages via changes in intracellular calcium