Expression of endothelia and lymphocyte adhesion molecules in bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) in adult human lung

Background

The aim of the present study was to explore the occurrence of fibrocytes in tissue and to investigate whether the appearance of fibrocytes may be linked to structural changes of the parenchyme and vasculature in the lungs of patients with obliterative bronchiolitis (OB) following lung or bone marrow transplantation.

Methods

Identification of parenchyme, vasculature, and fibrocytes was done by histological methods in lung tissue from bone marrow or lung-transplanted patients with obliterative bronchiolitis, and from controls.

Results

The transplanted patients had significantly higher amounts of tissue in the alveolar parenchyme (46.5 ± 17.6%) than the controls (21.7 ± 7.6%) (p < 0.05). The patients also had significantly increased numbers of fibrocytes identified by CXCR4/prolyl4-hydroxylase, CD45R0/prolyl4-hydroxylase, and CD34/prolyl4-hydroxylase compared to the controls (p < 0.01). There was a correlation between the number of fibrocytes and the area of alveolar parenchyma; CXCR4/prolyl 4-hydroxylase (p < 0.01), CD45R0/prolyl 4-hydroxylase (p < 0.05) and CD34/prolyl 4-hydroxylase (p < 0.05). In the pulmonary vessels, there was an increase in the endothelial layer in patients (0.31 ± 0.13%) relative to the controls (0.037 ± 0.02%) (p < 0.01). There was a significant correlation between the number of fibrocytes and the total area of the endothelial layer CXCR4/prolyl 4-hydroxylase (p < 0.001), CD45R0/prolyl 4-hydroxylase (p < 0.001) and CD34/prolyl 4-hydroxylase (p < 0.01). The percent areas of the lumen of the vessels were significant (p < 0.001) enlarged in the patient with OB compared to the controls. There was also a correlation between total area of the lumen and number of fibrocytes, CXCR4/prolyl 4-hydroxylase (p < 0.01), CD45R0/prolyl 4-hydroxylase (p < 0.001) and CD34/prolyl 4-hydroxylase (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

Our results indicate that fibrocytes are associated with pathological remodelling processes in patients with OB and that tissue fibrocytes might be a useful biomarker in these processes.     

SGT1-HSP90 complex is required for CENP-A deposition at centromeres

The centromere plays an essential role in accurate chromosome segregation, and defects in its function lead to aneuploidy and thus cancer. The centromere-specific histone H3 variant CENP-A is proposed to be the epigenetic mark of the centromere, as active centromeres require CENP-A–containing nucleosomes to direct the recruitment of multiple kinetochore proteins. CENP-A K124 ubiquitylation, mediated by CUL4A-RBX1-COPS8 E3 ligase activity, is required for CENP-A deposition at the centromere. However, the mechanism that controls the E3 ligase activity of the CUL4A-RBX1-COPS8 complex remains obscure. We have discovered that the SGT1-HSP90 complex is required for recognition of CENP-A by COPS8. Thus, the SGT1-HSP90 complex contributes to the E3 ligase activity of the CUL4A complex that is necessary for CENP-A ubiquitylation and CENP-A deposition at the centromere.     

Predicted expansion of the claudin multigene family

Claudins (Cldn) are essential membrane proteins of tight junctions (TJs), which form the paracellular permselective barrier. They are produced by a multi-gene family of 24 reported members in mouse and human. Based on a comprehensive search combined with phylogenetic analyses, we identified three novel claudins (claudin-25, -26, and -27). Quantitative RT-PCR revealed that the three novel claudins were expressed in a tissue- and/or developmental stage-dependent manner. Claudins-25 and -26, but not claudin-27, were immunofluorescently localized to TJs when exogenously expressed in cultured MDCK and Eph epithelial cell lines. These findings expand the claudin family to include at least 27 members.     

Mineralocorticoid receptor activation: a major contributor to salt-induced renal injury and hypertension in young rats

Excessive salt intake is known to preferentially increase blood pressure (BP) and promote kidney damage in young, salt-sensitive hypertensive human and animal models. We have suggested that mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) activation plays a major role in kidney injury in young rats. BP and urinary protein were compared in young (3-wk-old) and adult (10-wk-old) uninephrectomized (UNx) Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high (8.0%)-salt diet for 4 wk. The effects of the MR blocker eplerenone on BP and renal injury were examined in the high-salt diet-fed young UNx rats. Renal expression of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAA) system components and of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers was also measured. The effects of the angiotensin receptor blocker olmesartan with or without low-dose aldosterone infusion, the aldosterone synthase inhibitor FAD286, and the antioxidant tempol were also studied. Excessive salt intake induced greater hypertension and proteinuria in young rats than in adult rats. The kidneys of young salt-loaded rats showed marked histological injury, overexpression of RAA system components, and an increase in inflammatory and oxidative stress markers. These changes were markedly ameliorated by eplerenone treatment. Olmesartan also ameliorated salt-induced renal injury but failed to do so when combined with low-dose aldosterone infusion. FAD286 and tempol also markedly reduced urinary protein. UNx rats exposed to excessive salt at a young age showed severe hypertension and renal injury, likely primarily due to MR activation and secondarily due to angiotensin receptor activation, which may be mediated by inflammation and oxidative stress.     

Dual functional significance of calcineurin homologous protein 1 binding to Na(+)/H(+) exchanger isoform 1

Calcineurin homologous protein 1 (CHP1) binds to the hydrophilic tail of the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger isoform 1 (NHE1). Previous gene knockout of CHP1 revealed that the loss of CHP1 caused a decrease in the total amount of NHE1, suggesting the destabilization of NHE1 molecules without CHP1 (Matsushita et al., Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 293: C246-C254, 2007). However, Pang et al. (J Biol Chem 276: 17367-17372, 2001) reported that NHE1 without a CHP1 binding site was found in the plasma membrane, suggesting no requirement of CHP1 binding for plasma membrane localization of NHE1. Here, the functional significance of CHP1 binding to NHE1 was examined to resolve these contradictory results. In CV1 cells, which overexpressed wild-type NHE1, overexpression of CHP1 caused an increase in both the total amount of NHE1 and the colocalization of NHE1 and CHP1 at the plasma membrane. This provided new visual evidence of the localization of NHE1 from endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane upon CHP1 binding. An immunoprecipitation assay showed that the expression of CHP1 reduced the ubiquitination of NHE1 and/or its associated proteins. Mutant NHE1s without CHP1 binding site exhibited a modest localization to the plasma membrane. After reaching the plasma membrane, these mutant NHE1s exhibited shorter half-lives than the wild-type NHE1 with CHP1. The results suggest a dual functional significance of CHP1 and its binding region: 1) binding of CHP1 stabilizes NHE1 and increases its plasma membrane localization by masking a NHE1 disposal signal, and 2) CHP1 binding is required for the antiporter activity.