A potential role for NEDD1 and the centrosome in senescence of mouse embryonic fibroblasts

Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) are commonly grown in cell culture and are known to enter senescence after a low number of passages as a result of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has also been suggested to promote centrosome disruption; however, the contribution of this organelle to senescence is poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the role of the centrosome in oxidative stress induced-senescence using MEFs as a model. We demonstrate here that coincident with the entry of late-passage MEFs into senescence, there was an increase in supernumerary centrosomes, most likely due to centrosome fragmentation. In addition, disrupting the centrosome in early-passage MEFs by depletion of neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated gene 1 (NEDD1) also resulted in centrosomal fragmentation and subsequent premature entry into senescence. These data show that a loss of centrosomal integrity may contribute to the entry of MEFs into senescence in culture, and that centrosomal disruption can cause senescence.     

TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL−1β modulate hyaluronan synthase expression in human skin fibroblasts: Synergistic effect by concomital treatment with FeSO4 plus ascorbate

Several reports have shown that a number of cytokines such as tumor necrosis-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and interleukin-β (IL-1β) are capable to induce hyaluronan sinthases (HASs) mRNA expression in different cell culture types. The obvious consequence of this stimulation is a marked increment in hyaluronan (HA) production. It has been also reported that oxidative stress, by itself, may increase HA levels. The aim of this study was to evaluate how TNF-α, IFN-γ,IL−1β, and exposition to oxidative stress may modulate HAS activities in normal human skin fibroblasts. Moreover, the effects on HAS mRNA expression of the concomitant treatment with cytokines and oxidants, and the HA concentrations after treatments, were studied. TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-1β were added to normal or/and exposed to FeSO₄ plus ascorbate fibroblast cultures and HAS1, HAS2 and HAS3 mRNA content, by PCR-real time, was assayed 3,h later. HA levels were also evaluated after 24,h incubation. The treatment of fibroblasts with cytokines up-regulated HASs gene expression and increased HA production. IL-1β induced HAS mRNA expression and HA production more efficiently than TNF-α and IFN-γ. The exposition of the fibroblasts with the oxidant system markedly increased HAS activities while slightly HA production. The concomitant treatment of cells with the cytokines and the oxidant was able to further enhance, in a dose dependent way, with synergistic effect on HAS mRNA expression. On the contrary HA levels resulted unaffected by the concomitant treatment, and resemble those obtained with the exposure to FeSO₄ plus ascorbate only. This lack in HA production could be due to the deleterious action of free radicals on the HA synthesis.     

Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and L-type fatty acid binding protein as diagnostic markers of early acute kidney injury after liver transplantation

Objective: We examined the value of two potential novel urinary biomarkers, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and L-type fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP), in diagnosing acute kidney injury (AKI) in liver transplant recipients.

Methods: NGAL and L-FABP in urinary sample from Twenty-five patients before surgery and at 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 120 h after the anhepatic phase were tested. Standard statistics were used along with receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to evaluate the diagnostic value of selected markers.

Results: Urinary NGAL was only slightly elevated at 2 h in the non-AKI group while rose and stayed high from 2–6 h in the AKI group. However, urinary L-FABP rose transiently in both groups 2–120 h following surgery. The level of urinary NGAL presented differences at 2–6 h (p < 0.05) and urinary L-FABP at 4 h (p < 0.05) between AKI and non-AKI groups. ROC analysis showed that area under the curves (AUCs) of NGAL were 0.766, 0.773, and 0.773 at 2, 4 and 6 h respectively while 0.760 of L-FABP at 4 h.

Conclusion: Urinary NGAL rather than L-FABP appeared to be a sensitive and specific marker of AKI in liver transplant recipients.     

H2O2诱发人成纤维细胞衰老样变化的基因表达谱

以 5 0 μmol/LH2 O2 作用体外培养的人胚肺二倍体成纤维细胞 4次 ,使之出现不可逆的衰老表型 .提取年轻细胞及H2 O2 处理早老细胞的mRNA ,以荧光物Cy3标记年轻细胞cDNA ,Cy5标记H2 O2 处理的细胞cDNA ,并与点有 40 96条人类基因的芯片杂交 ,利用计算机数据处理判断基因是否存在表达差异 .结果显示 :有 12 3种基因的表达变化较显著 ,这些基因参与细胞周期进程、细胞代谢及蛋白质修饰、细胞外基质及细胞骨架蛋白的形成和调节、炎症反应、调节受体酪氨酸蛋白激酶和G蛋白耦联受体信号转导 .     

H2O2诱发人成纤维细胞衰老样变化的基因表达谱

以50 μmol/L H₂O₂作用体外培养的人胚肺二倍体成纤维细胞4次,使之出现不可逆的衰老表型.提取年轻细胞及H₂O₂处理早老细胞的mRNA,以荧光物Cy3标记年轻细胞cDNA,Cy5标记H₂O₂处理的细胞cDNA,并与点有4 096条人类基因的芯片杂交,利用计算机数据处理判断基因是否存在表达差异.结果显示：有123种基因的表达变化较显著,这些基因参与细胞周期进程、细胞代谢及蛋白质修饰、细胞外基质及细胞骨架蛋白的形成和调节、炎症反应、调节受体酪氨酸蛋白激酶和G蛋白耦联受体信号转导.     

Semantics, Inflammation, Cytokines and Common Sense

Semantic evaluation of some of the terms we regularly employ—inflammation, anti-inflammatory, pro-inflammatory, anti-inflammatory drugs, cytokines, homeostasis and stress—raises concerns about their precise meanings and about their mechanistic implications. Semantic imprecision may have undesirable conceptual consequences.     

Switching Akt: from survival signaling to deadly response

Akt, a protein kinase hyperactivated in many tumors, plays a major role in both cell survival and resistance to tumor therapy. A recent study, 1 along with other evidences, shows interestingly, that Akt is not a single‐function kinase, but may facilitate rather than inhibit cell death under certain conditions. This hitherto undetected function of Akt is accomplished by its ability to increase reactive oxygen species and to suppress antioxidant enzymes. The ability of Akt to down‐regulate antioxidant defenses uncovers a novel Achilles' heel, which could be exploited by oxidant therapies in order to selectively eradicate tumor cells that express high levels of Akt activity.     

Oxygen free radicals in cell senescence: are they signal transducers?

Oxygen free radicals have a major impact on senescence of primary human cells. In replicative senescence, which is induced by uncapping of telomeres, the rate of telomere shortening is largely determined by telomere-specific accumulation of DNA damage induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS). More intense ROS-generating stressors can induce premature senescence via generation of telomere-independent DNA damage. Interestingly, ROS levels were also elevated when premature senescence was triggered by pathways downstream or independent of DNA damage. This has led to the suggestion that ROS generation could be a specific component of the signalling pathways inducing senescence. However, the available data are compatible with the concept that senescence is triggered as a DNA damage response. ROS appear to be involved as inducers of DNA damage rather than as specific signalling molecules. The upregulation of ROS production often seen in premature senescence might be related to retrograde response initiated by mitochondria.