Hypoxia-induced mitogenic factor enhances angiogenesis by promoting proliferation and migration of endothelial cells

Our previous studies have indicated that hypoxia-induced mitogenic factor (HIMF) has angiogenic properties in an in vivo matrigel plug model and HIMF upregulates expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in mouse lungs and cultured lung epithelial cells. However, whether HIMF exerts angiogenic effects through modulating endothelial cell function remains unknown. In this study, mouse aortic rings cultured with recombinant HIMF protein resulted in enhanced vascular sprouting and increased endothelial cell spreading as confirmed by Dil-Ac-LDL uptake, von Willebrand factor and CD31 staining. In cultured mouse endothelial cell line SVEC 4-10, HIMF dose-dependently enhanced cell proliferation, in vitro migration and tubulogenesis, which was not attenuated by SU1498, a VEGFR2/Flk-1 receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Moreover, HIMF stimulation resulted in phosphorylation of Akt, p38 and ERK1/2 kinases in SVEC 4-10 cells. Treatment of mouse aortic rings and SVEC 4-10 cells with LY294002, but not SB203580, PD098059 or U0126, abolished HIMF-induced vascular sprouting and angiogenic responses. In addition, transfection of a dominant-negative mutant of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K), Deltap85, blocked HIMF-induced phosphorylation of Akt, endothelial activation and tubulogenesis. These results indicate that HIMF enhances angiogenesis by promoting proliferation and migration of endothelial cells via activation of the PI-3K/Akt pathways.     

Down-regulation of lncRNA MEG3 promotes hypoxia-induced human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration via repressing PTEN by sponging miR-21

Hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension is a life-threatening disease arising from a progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance, irreversible pulmonary vascular remodeling and resulting in right ventricular failure. Recent studies suggested that pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration played an important role in the pathogenesis of hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension. However, the mechanisms of hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension are complicated and largely unclear. In this study, we discovered that lncRNA MEG3 was down-regulated in human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell in hypoxia, and inhibition of MEG3 promoted the cell proliferation and cell migration in both normal and hypoxia condition. Further study demonstrated that MEG3 exerted its function via regulation of miR-21 expression in both normal and hypoxia condition. In addition, we displayed the modulation of PTEN by miR-21 and their role in hypoxia. Ultimately, our study illustrated that MEG3 exerts its role via miR-21/PTEN axis in human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell under both normal and hypoxia conditions.     

PMA 及乏氧诱导VEGF 上调的细胞模型构建及用于RNAi 研究

目的:探讨佛波酯(PMA)与乏氧诱导对小鼠黑色素瘤细胞B16-F10中血管内皮细胞生长因子(VEGF)表达量的影响,构建适合RNA干扰(RNAi)的体外细胞模型。方法:通过酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA法)在蛋白质水平上检测细胞分泌的VEGF量,并用激光共聚焦显微镜观察小干扰RNA(siRNA)转染的细胞胞吞及细胞形态。结果:1 M PMA处理细胞2 h能明显上调B16-F10细胞中VEGF蛋白的合成及分泌,与常规培养相比,细胞可增加50%的VEGF水平。再经乏氧诱导48 h,稳定释放到培养液里的VEGF浓度大幅提高200%,范围在55-65 pg/mL/h。结论:经PMA和乏氧诱导后,B16-F10细胞稳定的VEGF分泌量与一定时间内分泌的稳定性均表明其适合作为RNAi的体外细胞模型。初步的RNAi结果表明,TKO/siRNA纳米粒与壳聚糖/siRNA纳米粒对于VEGF的沉默效率达40%。     

Upregulation of hypoxia-induced mitogenic factor in bacterial lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury

Hypoxia-induced mitogenic factor (HIMF), also known as FIZZ1 (found in inflammatory zone), plays important roles in lung inflammation. We found that intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced intensive HIMF production exclusively in mouse lung, but not in the heart, liver, spleen or kidney. This HIMF production, at least partly, contributes to LPS-induced vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) upregulation and mononuclear cell sequestration to lung parenchyma, while protecting alveolar type II cells from LPS-resulted decrease in surfactant protein-C production and cell death. These data indicate that HIMF participates in LPS-induced acute lung injury and inflammation through modulating VCAM-1 and SP-C expression.     

Collagen-related gene and protein expression changes in the lung in response to chronic hypoxia

Collagen accumulation likely contributes to increased vascular and airway impedance in hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH). Collagen exists in multiple subtypes and can accumulate via increased synthesis or decreased degradation. To better understand the individual contributions of fibrillar (FB) and basement membrane (BM) collagen, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) to pulmonary vascular and airway remodeling in HPH, we investigated the temporal changes in gene and protein expression in the lungs of mice exposed to hypoxia for 0, 3, 6, 10 and 15 days. The earliest and largest change in gene expression was of type I FB collagen, which was significantly increased over control levels at 6, 10 and 15 days of hypoxia (p  <  0.05). Type III FB and type IV BM collagen were increased at 10 and 15 days of hypoxia (p <  0.05); MMP and TIMP gene expression levels were typically higher but sometimes lower than control levels at various time points. Collagen protein content was increased in whole lungs as early as 6 days of hypoxia and increased monotonically with longer exposures. However, neither qualitative nor semi-quantitative analysis of immunohistochemistry demonstrated accumulation of type I FB collagen in compartments of the lung other than large airways, suggesting that other collagen subtypes may be important contributors to collagen protein accumulation. These results provide insight into the patterns of gene and protein expression relevant to collagen accumulation in the lung in response to chronic hypoxia, through which we can develop a better understanding of the time course of changes in matrix biology and biomechanics that occur in HPH.     

PHB2抑制低氧性肺动脉高压小鼠右心室重塑的作用

摘要 目的：探讨抗增殖蛋白2（PHB2）在低氧性肺动脉高压（HPH）诱导的右心室重塑中的作用及可能机制。方法：将普通8周龄的C57BL/6小鼠随机分为：对照组（Control）、HPH组、HPH+空病毒（HPH+vector）组、HPH+过表达PHB2（HPH+PHB2）组。HPH组、HPH+空病毒组、HPH+过表达PHB2组置于低压低氧人工舱内维持4 w,对照组置于常压常氧环境中维持4 w。实验开始3 w前,尾静脉注射平滑肌特异性PHB2过表达的AAV9腺相关病毒及其对照病毒。评估小鼠右室血流动力学、右室重塑指标、炎症、氧化应激、血管活性物质水平以及肺组织PHB2和p-Stat3蛋白表达。结果：与对照组相比,HPH组和HPH+空病毒组RVSP、RVAW、RVHI显著增加（P<0.05）,而RVID显著降低（P<0.05）,右室CVF显著增加（P<0.05）,血浆ET-1和BNP显著增加（P<0.05）,血浆NO、总NOS和iNOS显著降低（P<0.05）,右心IL-1β、IL-6及TNF-α显著增加（P<0.05）,SOD和GSH-Px显著降低（P<0.05）,肺组织PHB2表达降低（P<0.05）,p-STAT3表达增加（P<0.05）。与HPH组和HPH+空病毒组相比,HPH+过表达PHB2组RVSP、RVAW、RVHI显著降低（P<0.05）,而RVID显著增加（P<0.05）,右室CVF显著降低（P<0.05）,血浆ET-1和BNP显著降低（P<0.05）,血浆NO、总NOS和iNOS显著增加（P<0.05）,右心IL-1β、IL-6及TNF-α显著降低（P<0.05）,SOD和GSH-Px显著增加（P<0.05）,肺组织PHB2表达增加（P<0.05）,p-STAT3表达降低（P<0.05）。结论：PHB2可减轻HPH诱发的右心室重塑,其机制可能与PHB2抑制STAT3的磷酸化水平有关。     

Deficient of LRRC8A attenuates hypoxia-induced necrosis in 3T3-L1 cells

ABSTRACT

Under acute hypoxia, multiple ion channels on the cell membrane are activated, causing cell swelling and eventually necrosis. LRRC8A is an indispensable protein of the volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC), which participates in swelling and the acceleration of cell necrosis. In this study, we revealed a dynamic change in the expression level of the LRRC8 family during hypoxia in 3T3-L1 cells. The disruption of LRRC8A in 3T3-L1 cells was also associated with a significant anti-necrotic phenotype upon hypoxia accompanied by the reduced expression of necrosis-related genes. In vivo, differential expression of LRRC8 family members was also identified between high-altitude pigs and their low-altitude relatives. Taken these findings together, this study demonstrates the involvement of LRRC8A in hypoxia-induced cell necrosis.