Journal: bioRxiv

Article Title: Microfluidic Osteoarthritis-on-a-Chip: Modeling Human Joint Inflammation

doi: 10.64898/2026.02.06.704398

Figure Lengend Snippet: (A) Representative fluorescence scans of the Human Inflammation Array illustrating cytokine expression patterns (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, IFN-γ, MCP-1, and TNF-α) across the four experimental conditions: healthy monoculture, disease (IL-1β-stimulated) monoculture, healthy co-culture (M0 macrophages), and disease co-culture (M1 macrophages). (B) Representative fluorescence scans of the Human MMP Array showing the relative abundance of matrix remodeling proteins (MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-8, MMP-9, MMP-10, MMP-13, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, and TIMP-4) under the same four conditions. Each antibody is printed in quadruplicate horizontally to ensure reproducibility and quantitative reliability.

Article Snippet: Two conditions were established: an untreated control group representing the low-inflammation (i.e., nominally healthy) state and an IL-1β-stimulated group (10 ng/mL; HY-P7028, MedChemExpress, recombinant human, E. coli -derived) representing the high-inflammation (disease-like) state.

Techniques: Fluorescence, Expressing, Co-Culture Assay

Journal: bioRxiv

Article Title: Microfluidic Osteoarthritis-on-a-Chip: Modeling Human Joint Inflammation

doi: 10.64898/2026.02.06.704398

Figure Lengend Snippet: Expression profiles of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), and cytokines across healthy and OA (disease) conditions in monoculture and co-culture systems. MC denotes chondrocyte monoculture , and CC denotes the four-cell co-culture (with M0 or M1 macrophages). Panels A-J show MMPs and TIMPs, and panels K-T present ten key inflammatory mediators (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, MCP-1, IFN-γ, TNF-α). White bars represent healthy conditions (healthy MC or healthy M0-CC), and gray bars represent OA/disease conditions (IL-1β-stimulated MC or M1-CC). Comparisons were performed within each condition (healthy MC vs healthy CC; disease MC vs disease CC). Data are mean ± 95% CI relative to the corresponding MC. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, **** p < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: Two conditions were established: an untreated control group representing the low-inflammation (i.e., nominally healthy) state and an IL-1β-stimulated group (10 ng/mL; HY-P7028, MedChemExpress, recombinant human, E. coli -derived) representing the high-inflammation (disease-like) state.

Techniques: Expressing, Co-Culture Assay

Journal: Scientific Reports

Article Title: IL-37 alleviates inflammatory effects and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in LPS-induced preterm birth

doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-34506-1

Figure Lengend Snippet: rhIL-37 delays preterm delivery by reducing LPS-induced inflammatory effects and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in mice. ( A ) Orbital blood was collected from the control mice ( n = 6), LPS-induced preterm mice (LPS; n = 6), and rhIL-37 + LPS-co-treated preterm mice (rhIL-37 + LPS; n = 6).Serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were detected via ELISA. ( B ) Foetal membrane and placental tissues were collected from mice ( n = 6 per group) immediately before labour,, and the mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, Caspase-1 and ASC were detected via qRT-PCR. ( C ) Foetal membrane and placental tissues were collected from the mice in each group ( n = 3 per group), and the protein levels of NLRP3, Caspase-1, Pro-caspase-1 and ASC were analyzed by western blotting. ( D ) Western blot Results were normalised to β-actin. Bar graphs show statistical quantification of the western blot data. All data met the assumption of homogeneity of variance. Data are presented as mean ± s.e.m. Results are representative of at least three independent experiments. * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01;*** p < 0.001;**** p < 0.0001 (one-way ANOVA).

Article Snippet: Supernatants collected from HTR-8/SVneo cells were assayed for IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels using a human ELISA kit (LiankeBio, Hangzhou, China).

Techniques: Activation Assay, Control, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay, Membrane, Expressing, Quantitative RT-PCR, Western Blot

Journal: Scientific Reports

Article Title: IL-37 alleviates inflammatory effects and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in LPS-induced preterm birth

doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-34506-1

Figure Lengend Snippet: IL-37 knockdown enhances LPS-induced inflammatory and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in HTR-8/Svneo cells. ( A ) Cell supernatants were collected from control, si_NC- or si_IL37-treated cells following LPS exposure, and IL-37 expression level were detected by ELISA, qRT-PCR and Western blotting. ( B ) IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α levels in the cell supernatants were detected by ELISA. ( C ) The mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, Caspase-1 and ASC after cell treatment with LPS ( n = 5) were measured by qRT-PCR analysis. ( D ) NLRP3,pro-caspase-1, caspase-1 and ASC protein levels were detected by Western blotting, and the results were normalised to β-actin. All data exhibited equal variance.The data are shown as the mean ± s.e.m. The results are representative of at least three independent experiments. * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01;*** p < 0.001;**** p < 0.0001 (One-way ANOVA).

Article Snippet: Supernatants collected from HTR-8/SVneo cells were assayed for IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels using a human ELISA kit (LiankeBio, Hangzhou, China).

Techniques: Knockdown, Activation Assay, Control, Expressing, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay, Quantitative RT-PCR, Western Blot

Journal: Scientific Reports

Article Title: IL-37 alleviates inflammatory effects and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in LPS-induced preterm birth

doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-34506-1

Figure Lengend Snippet: Nigericin reversed the anti-inflammatory effects and effects of rhIL-37 and its inhibition of NF-κB p65 activation in LPS-induced PTB.t ( A ) Cell supernatants were collected from HTR-8/Svneo cells co-treated with rhIL-37 and LPS, then either left untreated or treated with nigericin.The mRNA expression of NLRP3, caspase-1, and ASC was detected. ( B ) Cells were collected, and the protein expression of NLRP3, caspase-1, pro-caspase-1, and ASC was detected by western blotting. Results were normalised to β-actin and statistically analyzed.( C ) HTR-8/Svneo cell supernatants were collected after co-treatment with rhIL-37 and LPS (with or without nigericin), and the expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were detected by ELISA. ( D ) HTR-8/Svneo cells co-treated with rhIL-37 and LPS (with or without nigericin) were collected. The mRNA expression of p65 was detected by qRT-PCR, and protein expression of p65 and p-p65 was detected by western blotting. Densitometric quantification of p-p65 relative to p65 was performed. Statistical analysis of the western blot results was performed.All data exhibited equal variance.The data are shown as the means ± s.e.m. The results are representative of at least three independent experiments..

Article Snippet: Supernatants collected from HTR-8/SVneo cells were assayed for IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels using a human ELISA kit (LiankeBio, Hangzhou, China).

Techniques: Inhibition, Activation Assay, Expressing, Western Blot, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay, Quantitative RT-PCR

Journal: Cells

Article Title: Human Liver Organoids as an Experimental Tool to Investigate Lipocalin-2 in Hepatic Inflammation

doi: 10.3390/cells15030216

Figure Lengend Snippet: LCN2 expression in human liver organoids. ( A ) Comparison of protein expression of various liver-specific proteins between male (m) and female (f) liver tissue and organoid lysates. For liver tissue, 80 µg of protein lysate was used, while for organoids, 40 µg of protein lysates were applied for Western blotting. ( B ) mRNA expression of exemplary genes over a cultivation period of 6 passages is shown. All genes are stably expressed during long-term cultivation of organoids. ( C ) LCN2 protein expression and ( D ) mRNA expression of LCN2 increase after stimulation of organoids for 24 h with certain inflammatory cytokines. The concentrations of cytokines used are 2.5 ng/mL IL-1β, 10 ng/mL TNF-α, 10 ng/mL IL-6, and 10 µg/mL LPS. HSP90, Cyclophilin A and β-Actin protein expression in ( A , C ) are used as controls. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n ≥ 6). Please note that signals labeled in grey resulted from previous probing. Multiple comparisons of data were performed to unstimulated (ctrl) samples. Statistical significances are highlighted with asterisks, **** p < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: Subsequently, the organoids were treated with the following final concentrations of the respective substances: 2.5 ng/mL IL-1β (130-093-895, Miltenyi Biotec, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany), 10 ng/mL TNF-α (210-TA, R&D Systems, Wiesbaden, Germany), 10 ng/mL IL-6 (130-093-929, Miltenyi Biotec), and LPS 10 μg/mL (L-6143, Sigma-Aldrich, Merck).

Techniques: Expressing, Comparison, Western Blot, Stable Transfection, Labeling

Journal: Cells

Article Title: Human Liver Organoids as an Experimental Tool to Investigate Lipocalin-2 in Hepatic Inflammation

doi: 10.3390/cells15030216

Figure Lengend Snippet: Immunofluorescence staining of LCN2 under inflammatory conditions. LCN2 expression (green) was visualized after 24 h of stimulation. Nuclei were counterstained with DAPI (blue). Organoids were stimulated with cytokines at the following concentrations: 2.5 ng/mL IL-1β, 10 ng/mL TNF-α, 10 ng/mL IL-6, and 10 µg/mL LPS. Fluorescence images were captured using a Nikon Eclipse 80i microscope at a magnification of 200×. Representative images are displayed with a scale bar indicating 100 µm.

Article Snippet: Subsequently, the organoids were treated with the following final concentrations of the respective substances: 2.5 ng/mL IL-1β (130-093-895, Miltenyi Biotec, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany), 10 ng/mL TNF-α (210-TA, R&D Systems, Wiesbaden, Germany), 10 ng/mL IL-6 (130-093-929, Miltenyi Biotec), and LPS 10 μg/mL (L-6143, Sigma-Aldrich, Merck).

Techniques: Immunofluorescence, Staining, Expressing, Fluorescence, Microscopy

Journal: Cells

Article Title: Human Liver Organoids as an Experimental Tool to Investigate Lipocalin-2 in Hepatic Inflammation

doi: 10.3390/cells15030216

Figure Lengend Snippet: Downstream signaling pathway activation and inhibition. ( A ) Stimulation of liver organoids with LCN2 induces inflammatory cytokines for 15 min and 1 h to detect activated downstream pathways through phosphorylation or activation of selected proteins. Representative membranes are shown (n = 6). HSP90 protein expression was used as an internal control. ( B ) NF-κB inhibitor QNZ, JNK inhibitor JNK-IN-8 and p38 inhibitor SB203580 were utilized to inhibit the signaling pathways before organoids were stimulated with 2.5 ng/mL IL-1β for 24 h. Protein expression of downstream targets and LCN2 was analyzed after 24 h. Representative Western blot images are shown (n = 6). ( C ) LCN2 mRNA expression was measured after 24 h of stimulation with IL-1β and treatment with the respective inhibitors. Data is presented as mean ± SD. Multiple comparisons of data were made to IL-1β-treated samples. Statistical significances (n = 6) are indicated with asterisks * p < 0.05, **** p < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: Subsequently, the organoids were treated with the following final concentrations of the respective substances: 2.5 ng/mL IL-1β (130-093-895, Miltenyi Biotec, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany), 10 ng/mL TNF-α (210-TA, R&D Systems, Wiesbaden, Germany), 10 ng/mL IL-6 (130-093-929, Miltenyi Biotec), and LPS 10 μg/mL (L-6143, Sigma-Aldrich, Merck).

Techniques: Activation Assay, Inhibition, Phospho-proteomics, Expressing, Control, Protein-Protein interactions, Western Blot