膜铁转运蛋白1，铁调素的靶分子？

膜铁转运蛋白1是重要的跨膜铁输出分子,主要分布于十二指肠和单核巨噬系统的细胞膜上,参与机体的肠铁吸收和巨噬细胞对铁的再循环等过程。铁调素是调节机体铁代谢平衡的激素,机体通过肝脏分泌的铁调素对铁转运相关蛋白的表达进行调控,从而实现机体自身的铁稳态。最新研究显示,铁调素的靶分子可能是膜铁转运蛋白1,它通过直接的作用引起膜铁转运蛋白1的内化(internalization)、降解,从而调节其在细胞膜上的表达量,进而控制肠铁吸收和巨噬细胞对铁的再循环过程,以维持机体的铁稳态。     

骨形态发生蛋白6对机体铁代谢调控的机制

骨形态发生蛋白6(BMP6)为TGF-β超家族中的一员,已有的研究表明BMP6具有成骨和成软骨作用,最新的研究发现了它对机体的铁代谢也具有重要的调控作用,通过调节铁调素(hepcidin)的表达,在调节机体铁稳态过程中扮演着重要角色。     

极化过程影响巨噬细胞的铁代谢

本文旨在研究巨噬细胞极化过程对自身铁代谢调节的影响.用20 ng/mLγ干扰素(interferon gamma,1FN-γ)刺激猪肺泡巨噬细胞(3D4/2细胞)24 h,诱导其为M1型巨噬细胞,另外用10 ng/mL白细胞介素4(interleukin-4,IL-4)联合10 ng/mL巨噬细胞集落刺激因子(macr...     

脑铁代谢及调控

随着研究的深入,脑铁代谢相关分子突变引起的疾病越来越多的被人们所认识。脑铁代谢紊乱可能是神经退行性疾病的发病原因之一。对脑铁代谢机理的认识将为预防和治疗脑铁代谢紊乱相关疾病提供重要的理论根据。对脑铁代谢的过程,脑铁代谢的相关分子以及这些分子对脑内铁稳态的调控作用作一介绍。     

中枢神经系统铁代谢与帕金森病的关系

帕金森病病人黑质内铁含量增高,铁参与自由工的生成导致神经细胞死亡,因此脑内铁含量增高被认为参与了帕金森病的发病。但是黑质内铁异常增高的原因不清,因此对于脑内铁代谢的研究显得尤为重要。本文就脑内铁的摄取及铁代谢相关蛋白即铁蛋白、乳铁蛋白、铜蓝蛋白与帕金森病的关系作一简要综述。     

苦参素对肾间质纤维化大鼠单核巨噬细胞浸润及MCP-1表达的影响

目的 观察苦参素对肾间质纤维化大鼠单核巨噬细胞（MC/MP）浸润,MCP-1及Ⅰ型胶原表达的影响。方法 大鼠行单侧输尿管结扎（UUO）建立肾小管间质纤维化模型。实验分为3组：假手术组,UUO组,苦参素治疗组。治疗组在UUO的基础上每天以苦参素100mg/Kg腹腔注射。各组于术后第14d分别处死5只大鼠。用PAS及Masson染色法观察肾脏病理改变。用免疫组织化学法观察肾间质ED-1阳性的MC/MP细胞浸润,单核细胞趋化蛋白-1（MCP-1）及Ⅰ型胶原（ColⅠ）的表达。结果 苦参素治疗组肾间质MC/MP细胞浸润数及MCP-1,ColⅠ的表达显著低于UUO组,肾小管变性和肾间质纤维化的程度也明显减轻。结论 苦参素可下调UUO大鼠肾间质MCP-1的表达,减少MC/MP细胞浸润,减轻肾间质纤维化。     

巨噬细胞胆固醇转运相关蛋白研究进展

动脉粥样斑块中泡沫细胞的形成与巨噬细胞胆固醇的转运密切相关,巨噬细胞胆固醇转运是胆固醇逆转运中的一个重要过程,它可清除外周组织过多的胆固醇,对维持细胞内胆固醇稳定、延缓动脉粥样硬化的发生发展有着重要意义.这个过程涉及到许多转运相关蛋白的作用,如三磷酸腺苷结合盒转运体A1/G1、载脂蛋白A-Ⅰ、胆固醇脂转运蛋白、卵磷脂胆固醇酰基转移酶等.本文就巨噬细胞胆固醇转运过程中相关蛋白的作用做一综述,以期为动脉粥样硬化相关疾病的防治研究提供新的思路.     

铁代谢蛋白在肾脏的表达与功能

最近的研究证实,肾小管细胞具有能力表达包括转铁蛋白受体1(transferrin receptor-1,TfR1)、二价金属离子转运蛋白1(divalent metal transporter-1,DMT1)、膜铁转运蛋白1(ferroportin-1,FPN1)、铁调节蛋白(iron regulatory protein,IRP)和铁调素(hepcidin,Hepc)在内的几乎所有铁代谢蛋白.这些蛋白质的存在以及相关研究显示肾脏可能具有排出多余铁的功能,因此对体铁平衡起有十分重要的作用.     

病原菌逃避单核-巨噬细胞杀灭策略的研究进展

单核-巨噬细胞具有强大的吞噬功能,在机体固有免疫和适应性免疫中均发挥着重要作用,可有效保护宿主免受多种致病菌的感染。病原菌在与宿主单核-巨噬细胞的长期相互作用过程中,逐渐形成多种逃避杀灭的有效策略,得以在宿主体内存活并增殖。本文从病原菌抗巨噬细胞吞噬作用、抗巨噬细胞内吞噬溶酶体降解作用、诱导和抑制巨噬细胞凋亡或坏死4个方面,综述近年来国内、外关于病原菌逃避单核-巨噬细胞杀灭策略的研究进展。     

人表皮生长因子(EGF)与单核-巨噬细胞集落刺激因子(GM-CSF)融合蛋白在大肠杆菌中的表达

应用基因工程技术,将ＥＧＦ、ＧＭ－ＣＳＦ基因克隆到ｐＧＥＭ－３Ｚｆ（＋）载体的ＥｃｏＲＩ,ＢａｍＨＩ位点上,再将重组融合基因亚克隆到表达载体ｐＢＶ２２０的ＥｃｏＲＩ,ＢａｍＨＩ位点上,在大肠杆菌ＤＨ５α中进行表达,ＳＤＳ－聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳和Ｗｅｓｔｅｒｎｂｌｏｔ表明ＥＧＦ－ＧＭ－ＣＳＦ融合蛋白获得表达,并且具有ＥＧＦ、ＧＭ－ＣＳＦ的免疫学活性．这为进一步研究该融合蛋白的功能和肿瘤治疗提供一种新的基因产品．     

Age-related changes in iron homeostasis in mouse ferroxidase mutants

Disorders of iron metabolism are a significant problem primarily in young and old populations. In this study, We compared 1-year-old C57BL6/J mice on iron deficient, iron overload, or iron sufficient diets with two similarly aged genetic models of disturbed iron homeostasis, the sla (sex-linked anemia), and the ceruloplasmin knockout mice (Cp ^−/−) on iron sufficient diet. We found tissue specific changes in sla and nutritional iron deficiency including decreased liver Hamp1 expression and increased protein expression of the enterocyte basolateral iron transport components, hephaestin and ferroportin. In contrast, the Cp ^−/− mice did not show significantly increased Hamp1 expression despite increased liver iron suggesting that regulation is independent of liver iron levels. Together, these results suggest that older mice have a distinct response to alterations in iron metabolism and that age must be considered in future studies of iron metabolism.     

Oxidative stress and damage in liver, but not in brain, of Fischer 344 rats subjected to dietary iron supplementation with lipid-soluble [(3,5,5-trimethylhexanoyl)ferrocene

Accumulation of iron probably predisposes the aging brain to progressive neuronal loss. We examined various markers of oxidative stress and damage in the brain and liver of 3- and 24-month-old rats following supplementation with the lipophilic iron derivative [(3,5,5-trimethylhexanoyl)ferrocene] (TMHF), which is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier. At both ages, iron concentration increased markedly in the liver but failed to increase in the brain. In the liver of TMHF-treated young rats, levels of alpha- and gamma-tocopherols and glutathione (GSH) were also higher. In contrast, the brain displayed unaltered levels of the tocopherols and GSH. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level was also higher in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the liver but not in the brain. In old rats, the absence of an increase in iron concentration in the brain was reflected by unaltered concentrations of GSH, tocopherols, and MDA as compared to that in untreated rats. In the aging liver, concentrations of GSH and MDA increased with TMHF treatment. Morphological studies revealed unaltered levels of iron, ferritin, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), nitrotyrosine (NT), or MDA in the brains of both young and old rats treated with TMHF. In contrast, TMHF treatment increased the level of HO-1 in Kupffer cells, NT in hepatic endothelial cells, and MDA and ferritin in hepatocytes. Although these results demonstrated an increase in the biochemical markers of oxidative stress and damage in response to increasing concentrations of iron in the liver, they also demonstrated that the brain is well protected against dietary iron overload by using iron in a lipid-soluble formulation.     

Iron in arterial plaque: A modifiable risk factor for atherosclerosis

It has been proposed that iron depletion protects against cardiovascular disease. There is increasing evidence that one mechanism for this protection may involve a reduction in iron levels within atherosclerotic plaque. Large increases in iron concentration are seen in human atherosclerotic lesions in comparison to levels in healthy arterial tissue. In animal models, depletion of lesion iron levels in vivo by phlebotomy, systemic iron chelation treatment or dietary iron restriction reduces lesion size and/or increases plaque stability. A number of factors associated with increased arterial disease or increased cardiovascular events is also associated with increased plaque iron. In rats, infusion of angiotensin II increases ferritin levels and arterial thickness which are reversed by treatment with the iron chelator deferoxamine. In humans, a polymorphism for haptoglobin associated with increased cardiovascular disease is also characterized by increased lesional iron. Heme oxygenase 1 (HO1) is an important component of the system for mobilization of iron from macrophages. Human HO1 promoter polymorphisms causing weaker upregulation of the enzyme are associated with increased cardiovascular disease and increased serum ferritin. Increased cardiovascular disease associated with inflammation may be in part caused by elevated hepcidin levels that promote retention of iron within plaque macrophages. Defective retention of iron within arterial macrophages in genetic hemochromatosis may explain why there is little evidence of increased atherosclerosis in this disorder despite systemic iron overload. The reviewed findings support the concept that arterial plaque iron is a modifiable risk factor for atherogenesis.     

Iron homeostasis is dysregulated,but the iron-hepcidin axis is functional,in chronic liver disease

BackgroundPerturbations in iron homeostasis have been reported to be associated with irreversible liver injury in chronic liver disease (CLD). However, it is not clear whether liver dysfunction per se underlies such dysregulation or whether other factors also contribute to it. This study attempted to examine the issues involved.MethodsPatients diagnosed to have chronic liver disease (n = 63), who underwent a medically-indicated upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, were the subjects of this study. Patients with dyspepsia, who underwent such a procedure, and were found to have no endoscopic abnormalities, were used as control subjects (n = 49). Duodenal mucosal samples were obtained to study mRNA and protein levels of duodenal proteins involved in iron absorption. A blood sample was also obtained for estimation of hematological, iron-related, inflammatory and liver function-related parameters.ResultsPatients with CLD had impaired liver function, anemia of inflammation and lower serum levels of hepcidin than control subjects. Gene (mRNA) expression levels of duodenal ferroportin and duodenal cytochrome b (proteins involved in iron absorption) were decreased, while that of divalent metal transporter–1 (DMT-1) was unchanged. Protein expression of DMT-1 was, however, decreased while that of ferroportin was unchanged. In the CLD group, serum hepcidin was predicted independently by serum ferritin and hemoglobin, but not by C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation). CLD patients with serum ferritin greater than 300 μg/dL had significantly greater liver dysfunction (as indicated by significantly higher serum concentrations of bilirubin, AST and ALT, and MELD scores), higher serum concentrations of CRP and hepcidin, and higher ferroportin protein expression, than those with serum ferritin ≤ 300 μg/dL.ConclusionsIn patients with CLD, anemia of inflammation and low serum hepcidin levels were found to paradoxically co-exist. Expression of duodenal proteins involved in iron absorption were either decreased or unaltered in these patients. The hepcidin response to higher body iron levels and/or inflammation appeared to be functional in these patients, despite the presence of liver disease.     

Short repeats in the heme oxygenase 1 gene promoter is associated with increased levels of inflammation,ferritin and higher risk of type-2 diabetes mellitus

ObjectiveWe evaluated the relationship between the HO1 genotype, ferritin levels and the risk of type-2 diabetes and inflammation.Research methodsEight hundred thirty-five individuals were evaluated and classified according to their nutritional status and the presence of type-2 diabetes: 153 overweight (OW); 62 obese (OB); 55 type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM); 202 OWDM; 239 OBDM and 124 controls (C). We studied biochemical (glycemia, insulin, lipid profile, liver enzyme, creatinine, hsCRP), hematological (hemoglobin, free erythrocyte protoporphyrin, transferrin receptor and serum Fe and ferritin) and oxidative stress (SOD, GHS and TBARS) parameters. We determined heme oxygenase activity and the (GT)_n polymorphism in its gene promoter.ResultsIndividuals with diabetes, independent of nutritional status, showed high levels of ferritin and HO activity compared to control subjects. Allelic frequency was not different between the groups (Chi², NS) however, genotypes were different (Chi², P < 0.001). The SS (short-short) genotype was higher in all DM individuals compared to controls and MM was higher in controls. SM (short-medium) genotype was an independent risk factor for DM in logistic regression analysis. We observed high risk for type-2 diabetes mellitus in the presence of SM genotype and high levels of ferritin (OR adjusted: 2.7; 1.9–3.6; p < 0.001; compared to control group). It was also significantly related to inflammation.ConclusionThe SM genotype in HO1 gene promoter and ferritin levels were associated with higher risk for type-2 diabetes and for having a higher marker of inflammation, which is the main risk factor for the development of chronic diseases.     

脑血红素加氧酶系统的作用研究

血红素加氧酶（HO）是降解血红素的微粒体酶系统,催化降解血红素生成一氧化碳（CO）、胆绿素和铁离子,同工酶HO-1和HO-2广泛分布于脑中,具有不同的调控机制,可能发挥着调节NO水平,抗氧化应激,参与神经元退行性变等重要作用。     

A compartmental model of iron regulation in the mouse

A simple compartmental model is developed for investigating the mechanism of iron homeostasis. In contrast to previous mathematical models of iron metabolism, the liver is included as a key site of iron regulation. Compartments for free iron in blood, diferric transferrin (Tf) in blood, hepatocytes, red blood cells, and macrophages are included, and their roles in iron regulation are explored. The function of hepcidin in regulating iron absorption is modeled through an inverse relationship between hepatocyte transferrin receptor 2 (TfR2) levels and the rate of iron export processes mediated by ferroportin (Fpn). Simulations of anemia and erythropoiesis stimulation support the idea that the iron demands of the erythroid compartment can be communicated through diferric Tf. The iron-responsive element of Fpn is found to be important for stabilizing intracellular iron stores in response to changing iron demands and allowing proper iron regulation through diferric Tf. The contribution of iron dysregulation to the pathogenesis of iron overload disorders is also investigated. It is shown that the characteristics of HFE hemochromatosis can be reproduced by increasing the setpoint of iron absorption in the duodenum to a level where the system cannot downregulate iron absorption to meet the iron excretion rate.     

Brain microvascular and intracranial artery resistance to atherosclerosis is associated with heme oxygenase and ferritin in Japanese quail

Oxidative stress and increased oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) through free radical-mediated tissue injury may be important factors in the development of extracranial atherosclerotic lesions. However, the roles of oxidative stress and hypercholesterolemia in intracranial atherosclerosis is less established. The induction of heme oxygenase (HO) is a cellular response to oxidative stress, and inducible HO (HO-1) may protect against oxidized lipids such as those produced by oxidative stress. We investigated the effects of oxLDL on cell and tissue viability, HO-1 and ferritin expression in extracranial and intracranial endothelial cells, and the arteries of cholesterol-induced atherosclerosis (CIA) Japanese quail. We report that cultured microvascular endothelial cells from the brain (QBMEC) and carotid (QCEC) differ in their response to oxidative stress. The QCECs are less responsive than QBMECs to oxidative stress induced by oxLDL, as evident by lower expression of HO-1 mRNA, HO activity, and ferritin levels. Furthermore, the higher levels of catalytic iron, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and lactate dehydrogenase released in QCECs indicated that these cells are more susceptible to oxidative stress than QBMECs. We also investigated the relationship between extent of atherosclerotic plaque deposition and the extracranial and intracranial arterial expression of HO-1 in quail. The common carotid and vertebral (extracranial) arteries had higher tissue cholesterol levels (starting at 2 weeks of cholesterol-supplementation) and a greater atherosclerotic plaque score (starting at 4 weeks of cholesterol-supplementation) compared with middle cerebral and basilar (intracranial) arteries, and this may be relevant to the effect of aging on the process of atherogenesis. The extracranial arteries also had early and greater levels of lipid peroxidation and catalytic iron coupled with lower expression of HO-1 protein, HO activity, and ferritin compared to the intracranial vessels. These observations suggest that the extracranial and intracranial arterial walls respond differently to oxidation of lipoproteins, and support the feasibility of increased HO-1 expression as a means of protection against oxidant injury.     

On the Pathways of Biologically Relevant Diatomic Gases through Proteins. Dioxygen and Heme Oxygenase from the Perspective of Molecular Dynamics

This work deals with dioxygen (O₂) binding sites and pathways through inducible human heme oxygenase (HO‐1). The experimentally known distal binding site 1, and sites 2–3 above it, could be reproduced by means of non‐deterministic random‐acceleration molecular‐dynamics (RAMD) simulations. In addition, RAMD revealed the proximal binding site 5, a deeply‐seated binding site 4, which lies behind heme, as well as a few gates communicating with the external medium. In getting from site 1 to the main gate, which lies on the protein front opposed to site 4, O₂ follows chiefly the shortest direct pathway. Less frequently, O₂ visits intermediate sites 2, 4, or 5 along longer pathways. A similarity between HO‐1, myoglobin, and cytoglobin in using, for diatomic gas delivery, the direct shortest pathway from the heme center to the surrounding medium, is emphasized. Otherwise, comparing other proteins and diatomic gases, each system reveals its peculiarities as to sites, gates, and pathways. Thus, relating these properties to the physiological functions of the proteins remains in general a challenge for future studies.