Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a respiratory condition characterized by irreversible airflow obstruction due to chronic inflammation. Cigarette smoke is the main etiologic factor associated with the development of COPD, for which there is no cure. Although bronchodilators and steroids are used in the treatment of COPD, only oxygen has been demonstrated to prolong survival of patients. Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents may be useful in the treatment of COPD. Many edible fruits are rich sources of polyphenolic antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, and diets rich in fruits and vegetables are correlated with a reduced risk of COPD in men. Our preliminary data demonstrate that two plant-derived polyphenols, the novel depside jaboticabin and the anthocyanin delphinidin 3-glucoside, both from the Brazilian fruit Myrciaria cauliflora, have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Jaboticabin and delphinidin 3-glucoside both inhibit interleukin-8 induction in cells exposed to cigarette-smoke extract. We hypothesize that polyphenols, like jaboticabin and delphinidin 3-glucoside, will modulate the cigaretteinduced inflammatory, oxidative, and proteolyitic responses of the lung. We will test this by isolating a group of polyphenols from four edible fruits in the Ericaceae (blueberry) and Myrtaceae (myrtle), plant families rich in polyphenols. The purified polyphenols will be tested in vitro using antioxidant assays including 2,2- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and oxygen radical absorbance capacity, and anti-inflammatory assays for IL-8 and cyclooxygenase. The polyphenols will be prioritized for further study based on the activity in these assays as well as their structural uniqueness. Three of the polyphenols will undergo further mechanistic studies. The results will be used to select the most promising compound that will be tested in an in vivo animal model for COPD. This model has proved to be valuable in identifying causative mechanisms of COPD, and also provides an essential vehicle for drug discovery. An additional aim of this project is for the PI to participate in career developmental activities to make him more competitive for NIH R01 funding. We anticipate that the project will lead to the discovery of new and/or potent polyphenols that will serve as models for new therapeutic agents for the prevention and/or treatment of COPD.
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