ACE inhibition actively promotes cell survival by altering gene expression

We tested the effect of ACE inhibition on the survival of bovine retinal (REC) and choroidal (CEC) endothelial cells (EC) in culture. The ACE inhibitor captopril delayed the apoptotic tube collapse of REC on Matrigel for >15 days. Captopril treatment of confluent monolayers (2-8 weeks) followed by slow starvation (2-4 weeks) increased EC viability by approximately 200%. Two-week captopril exposures were sufficient to confer maximal protection. Only vehicle-treated EC demonstrated apoptotic features such as membrane blebbing and DNA laddering. By RT-PCR, the starvation marker p202 was upregulated only in starved cells. In REC, captopril upregulated the pro-survival proteins mortalin-2, uPA, and uPAR while downregulating the anti-growth sprouty-4 and tPA. In CEC, captopril also upregulated tPA and its inhibitor PAI-1. Amiloride (uPA inhibitor) blocked the captopril-induced increase in EC survival, secondary sprouting, and invasion in Matrigel. The pro-survival effects of captopril involve the reprogramming of genes involved in cell survival and immortalization.     

The Ocular Lens Epithelium

An adult lens contains two easily discernible, morphologically distinct compartments, the epithelium and the fiber-cell mass. The fiber-cell mass provides the lens with its functional phenotype, transparency. Metabolically, in comparison to the fiber cells the epithelium is the more active compartment of the ocular lens. For the purposes of this review we will only discuss the surface epithelium that covers the anterior face of the adult ocular lens. This single layer of cells, in addition to acting as a metabolic engine that sustains the physiological health of this tissue, also works as a source of stem cells, providing precursor cells, which through molecular and morphological differentiation give rise to fiber cells. Morphological simplicity, defined developmental history and easy access to the experimenter make this epithelium a choice starting material for investigations that seek to address universal questions of cell growth, development, epithelial function, cancer and aging. There are two important aspects of the lens epithelium that make it highly relevant to the modern biologist. Firstly, there are no known clinically recognizable cancers of the ocular lens. Considering that most of the known malignancies are epithelial in origin this observation is more than an academic curiosity. The lack of vasculature in the lens may explain the absence of tumors in this tissue, but this provides only a teleological basis to a very important question for which the answers must reside in the molecular make-up and physiology of the lens epithelial cells. Secondly, lens epithelium as a morphological entity in the human lens is first recognizable in the 5th–6th week of gestation. It stays in this morphological state as the anterior epithelium of the lens for the rest of the life, making it an attractive paradigm for the study of the effects of aging on epithelial function. What follows is a brief overview of the present status and lacunae in our understanding of the biology of the lens epithelium.     

Diabetes is not a potent inducer of neuronal cell death in mouse sensory ganglia,but it enhances neurite regeneration in vitro

We examined the effects of diabetes on the morphological features and regenerative capabilities of adult mouse nodose ganglia (NG) and dorsal root ganglia (DRG). By light and electron microscopy, no apoptotic cell death was detected in the ganglia obtained from either streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic or normal C57BL/6J mice in vivo. Neurite regeneration from transected nerve terminals of NG and DRG explants in culture at normal (10 mM) and high (30 mM) glucose concentrations was significantly enhanced in the diabetic mice. Chromatolytic changes (i.e. swelling and migration of the nucleus to an eccentric position in the neurons, and a loss of Nissl substance in the neuronal perikarya) and apoptotic cell death (less than one-fifth of the neurons) in the cultured ganglia were present, but neither hyperglycemia in vivo nor high glucose conditions in vitro altered the morphological features of the ganglia or the ratios of apoptotic cells at 3 days in culture. By semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis, the mRNA expressions of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) in DRG from both mice were down-regulated at 1 day in culture. The expression in diabetic DRG, but not in control DRG, was significantly up-regulated at later stages (3 and 7 days) in culture. In summary, hyperglycemia is unlikely to induce cell death in the sensory ganglia, but enhances the regenerative capability of vagal and spinal sensory nerves in vitro. The up-regulation of CNTF mRNA expression during the culture of diabetic DRG may play a role in the enhanced neurite regeneration.     

The role of oxidative stress in diabetic vascular and neural disease

This review will focus on the impact of hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress in the development of diabetes-induced vascular and neural dysfunction. Oxidative stress occurs when the balance between the production of oxidation products and the ability of antioxidant mechanisms to neutralize these products is tilted in the favor of the former. The production of reactive oxygen species has been shown to be increased in patients with diabetes. The possible sources for the overproduction of reactive oxygen species is widespread and include enzymatic pathways, autoxidation of glucose and the mitochondria. Increase in oxidative stress has clearly been shown to contribute to the pathology of vascular disease not only in diabetes but also in hypertension, stroke and ischemia. Since the etiology of diabetic neuropathy is considered to have a large vascular component, prevention of oxidative stress in diabetes is considered by many investigators to be a primary defense against the development of diabetic vascular disease. Potential therapies for preventing increased oxidative stress in diabetes and the neural vasculature will be discussed.     

小檗胺对大鼠糖尿病性白内障模型中DNA损伤修复及致障过程的影响

利用链脲佐菌素（ＳＴＺ）引起的大鼠糖尿病性实验性白内障模型,观察小檗胺对晶状体上皮细胞ＤＮＡ损伤、修复及致障过程的影响．发现ＳＴＺ对照组在腹腔注射ＳＴＺ后３～４ｄ开始出现有显著意义的ＤＮＡ单链断裂（ｓｉｎｇｌｅｓｔｒａｎｄｂｒｅａｋｓ,ＳＳＢ）,并持续存在于发病全程直至晶状体完全混浊．而在注射ＳＴＺ后１２ｈ再腹腔注射３．４８ｍｇ／ｋｇ体重,１．７４ｍｇ／ｋｇ体重小檗胺后,一周后才出现有显著意义的ＳＳＢ．３．４８ｍｇ／ｋｇ体重组在５周后白内障形成率明显低于ＳＴＺ组的同时,ＳＳＢ也恢复到对照水平,而１．７４ｍｇ／ｋｇ体重组第７周才恢复到对照水平．提示抗氧化药物小檗胺能在一定程度上阻止白内障发生过程中的ＤＮＡ损伤．     

糖尿病肾病患者血浆NGAL和血清CysC水平改变及其早期诊断价值

目的:研究糖尿病肾病(DN)患者血浆中性粒细胞明胶酶相关脂质运载蛋白(NGAL)和血清胱抑素C(CysC)水平变化,分析其对DN的早期诊断价值。方法:选取160例糖尿病(DM)患者按尿微量白蛋白排泄率(UAER)分为DN前期组58例(A组),DN早期组52例(B组)及DN临床组50例(C组),同期选择健康体检者61例为对照组(D组)。比较四组受试者血中NGAL、CysC、尿素氮(BUN)和血肌酐(CREA),及尿中微量清蛋白(UMA)水平的差异,分析血NGAL、CysC与UMA之间的相关关系。结果:(1)A、B、C组受试者NGAL、CysC及UMA水平显著高于D组,且CBA,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05);C组BUN和CREA水平均明显高于A、B、D三组,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05),而A、B组较D组均无统计学差异(P0.05)。(2)血NGAL、CysC与尿UMA均存在正相关关系(r=0.59,0.64;P均0.05)。结论:DN早期患者血浆NGAL与血清CysC水平显著升高,且二者均与尿UMA水平存在正相关关系,可作为评价肾脏损害程度及DN早期诊断的较敏感的生物学标志物,临床推荐应用。     

封闭负压引流对兔糖尿病溃疡创面组织愈合影响的观察

目的:探讨封闭负压引流(VAC)对兔糖尿病溃疡创面组织愈合的影响及其可能机制。方法:采用四氧嘧啶法建立兔糖尿病溃疡模型,设空白对照组和实验组(对照组创面采用常规包扎治疗处理,实验组创面则采用VAC处理),观察和比较两组动物的创面肉眼观、愈合时间,在致伤前、致伤后3 d、7 d、14 d取创面软组织,检测和比较两组动物的创面组织含水量、血流量以及血浆ET-1和NO含量。结果:与对照组比较,实验组动物的创面肿胀及分泌物得到明显控制,创面坏死组织的清除与肉芽组织的生长明显加快,平均愈合时间明显缩短(P0.05);致伤后3 d、7 d和14 d,创面组织含水量与血浆ET-1含量明显下降(P0.05),创面组织血流量与血浆NO含量明显增加(P0.05)。结论:VAC对兔糖尿病溃疡创面组织的愈合可起到积极的促进作用,这可能与其增加血浆NO含量及降低ET-1的含量有关,其具体机制尚有待于进一步的研究。     

线粒体功能障碍在糖尿病肾病进展的作用

糖尿病肾病是糖尿病微血管并发症之一,亦是引起终末期肾脏病的主要原因。目前各种临床治疗手段并没有阻止糖尿病肾病患者肾功能的进行性减退。因此,当务之急是进一步研究糖尿病肾病的发病机制,并从中寻找新的治疗靶点。大量研究结果显示线粒体功能障碍在糖尿病肾病的发生发展过程中具有重要作用。正常线粒体功能的维持依赖于多方面因素的共同参与,如线粒体质量控制机制、线粒体DNA等。这篇综述回顾了关于线粒体与糖尿病肾病相关文献,阐述线粒体功能障碍在糖尿病肾病进展中可能的作用。     

BMP-9与骨代谢及糖代谢关系研究进展

骨形成蛋白-9(BMP-9)是从胚胎鼠的肝脏c DNA文库中克隆得到的新型细胞因子,属于转化生长因子β超家族的成员,由肝脏非实质细胞合成分泌,在体内以类激素的形式发挥广泛的生物学作用。BMP-9不仅具有强烈的骨诱导活性,促进成骨细胞分化,还可通过调控糖代谢过程中关键酶的表达、促进胰岛素合成及分泌、增加胰岛素敏感性等方式调节体内葡萄糖平衡。本文主要对BMP-9与骨代谢及糖代谢的关系进行综述,为深入认识糖尿病、代谢性骨病及糖尿病性骨质疏松的发生机理提供理论依据,为糖尿病和骨骼疾病的防治提供新的思路。