Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Secretome Up-Regulates 47 kDa CXCR4 Expression,and Induce Invasiveness in Neuroblastoma Cell Lines

Neuroblastoma accounts for 15% of childhood cancer deaths and presents with metastatic disease of the bone and the bone marrow at diagnosis in 70% of the cases. Previous studies have shown that the Mesenchymal Stromal Cell (MSC) secretome, triggers metastases in several cancer types such as breast and prostate cancer, but the specific role of the MSC factors in neuroblastoma metastasis is unclear. To better understand the effect of MSC secretome on chemokine receptors in neuroblastoma, and its role in metastasis, we studied a panel of 20 neuroblastoma cell lines, and compared their invasive potential towards MSC-conditioned-RPMI (mRPMI) and their cytokine receptor expression profiles. Western blot analysis revealed the expression of multiple CXCR4 isoforms in neuroblastoma cells. Among the five major isoforms, the expression of the 47 kDa isoform showed significant correlation with high invasiveness. Pretreatment with mRPMI up-regulated the expression of the 47 kDa CXCR4 isoform and also increased MMP-9 secretion, expression of integrin α3 and integrin β1, and the invasive potential of the cell; while blocking CXCR4 either with AMD 3100, a CXCR4 antagonist, or with an anti-47 kDa CXCR4 neutralizing antibody decreased the secretion of MMP-9, the expression of integrin α3 and integrin β1, and the invasive potential of the cell. Pretreatment with mRPMI also protected the 47 kDa CXCR4 isoform from ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. Our data suggest a modulatory role of the MSC secretome on the expression of the 47 kDa CXCR4 isoform and invasion potential of the neuroblastoma cells to the bone marrow.     

Brucella suis vaccine strain S2-infected immortalized caprine endometrial epithelial cell lines induce non-apoptotic ER-stress

Brucella, which is regarded as an intracellular pathogen responsible for a zoonotic disease called brucellosis, survives and proliferates within several types of phagocytic and non-phagocytic cells. Brucella infects not only their preferred hosts but also other domestic and wild animal species, inducing abortion and infertility. Therefore, the interaction between uterine cells and Brucella is important for understanding the pathogenesis of this disease. In this study, we describe the Brucella suis vaccine strain S2 (B.suis.S2) infection and replication in the immortalized caprine endometrial epithelial cell line hTERT-EECs and the induced cellular and molecular response modulation in vitro. We found that B.suis S2 was able to infect and replicate to high titers and inhibit the proliferation of EECs and induce non-apoptotic pathways, as determined by B.suis.S2 detection using MTT and acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining and flow cytometry. We explored the evidence of non-apoptotic pathways using real-time quantitative RT-PCR and by western blot analysis. Finally, we discovered the over-expression of GRP78, ATF4, ATF6, PERK, eIF2α, CHOP, and cytochrome c (Cyt-c) but not IRE1, xbp-1, and caspase-3 in B.suis.S2 (HK)-attacked and B.suis.S2-infected cells, suggesting that the molecular mechanism of ER stress sensor activation by B.suis.S2 is basically concomitant with that by B.suis.S2 (HK) and that ER stress, especially the PERK pathway, plays an important role in the process of B.suis.S2 infecting EEC, which may, in part, explain the role of the uterus in the pathogenesis of B.suis.S2.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12192-014-0564-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Is a Risk Factor for the Development of Diabetic Nephropathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is prevalent in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is also associated with T2DM. However, little is known about the interaction between these conditions in patients with T2DM.

Objective

To examine the association between NAFLD and DN in patients with T2DM.

Methods

This retrospective study included patients seen between January 2006 and July 2014.T2DM patients were divided into two groups based on NAFLD status (with NAFLD = group A; without = group B). The cumulative incidence of DN and chronic kidney disease (CKD) staging were compared between the two groups. Liver fat content was examined in some patients. Associations among NAFLD, other factors,and DN were analyzed by the additive interaction method.

Results

Cumulative incidence of DN in patients from group A (58.58%) was higher than in group B (37.22%) (P = 0.005). In both groups, the number of DN patients with CKD stage 1 was greater than the number of patients with stages 2–5. Increased liver fat content was associated with increased occurrence of severe and mild albuminuria and decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR). There were positive correlations between NAFLD and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), free fatty acids (FFA), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), omentin-1, visceral fat area, homocysteine (HCY), and serum uric acid (UA).

Conclusion

NAFLD might be a risk factor for DN. Elevated liver fat content could be associated with higher DN burden.     

Baicalein induces the apoptosis of U251 glioblastoma cell lines via the NF-kB-p65-mediated mechanism

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive cerebral gliomas. Moreover, the overall prognosis of GBM is still little. Baicalein (BA) is a flavonoid derived from the Scutellaria baicalensis root, and has historically been used in anticancer therapies. However, its apoptosis role and related mechanisms in GBM has not yet been researched clearly. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of BA on human GBM U251 cell line. The effects of BA on proliferation of U251 cells were measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Cellular apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry with annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide staining. The expression of apoptosis-related protein Bcl-2, Bax and cleaved-caspase3 was detected by quantitative real-time PCR and western blot. The expression of nuclear p65 protein, the active subunit of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), was determined by immunofluorescence and western blot. Our results showed that the viability of U251 cells significantly decreased in a time- and dose-dependent manner after treated with BA, and the apoptotic ratio of BA-treated groups was significantly higher than that of control groups. Furthermore, the expression of NF-kB-p65 in the nucleus was remarkably reduced, and the activity of NF-kB-p65 was remarkably inhibited after BA treatment. Combined treatment with a NF-kB-P65 inhibitor (QNZ) and BA resulted in the synergistic reduction of Bcl-2 expression and then increase of Bax and cleaved-caspase3 expression; and the viability of U251 cells was also inhibited. In conclusion, BA inhibits GBM cells viability and induces apoptosis via inhibit the activity of NF-kB-p65, suggesting that BA is a potential therapeutic agent for GBM.     

唐菖蒲赤霉素受体基因克隆及表达分析

以唐菖蒲子球为材料,采用RT PCR技术,克隆了1个赤霉素（GA）受体基因,命名为GhGID1a（GenBank登录号为KU525107）。其开放阅读框为1 032 bp,编码343个氨基酸。序列比对结果表明,GhGID1a推导氨基酸序列与百子莲、油棕和海枣等植物的GID1的氨基酸序列相似性较高,分别为82%、78%和77%。50 mg/L GA₃对子球萌发具有促进作用,150 mg/L GA₃会抑制其萌发。实时荧光定量PCR结果显示,GA3处理对GhGID1a基因表达具有反馈抑制作用,GhGID1a表达量随着子球休眠解除而逐渐降低,推测唐菖蒲子球休眠解除可能与GA及其受体基因有关,GA及其受体基因GhGID1a可能参与了调控唐菖蒲的子球休眠与萌发过程。     

随机SNP在全基因组关联研究人群分层分析中的应用

在复杂疾病的全基因组关联研究中,人群分层现象会增加结果的假阳性率,因此考虑人群遗传结构、控制人群分层是很有必要的。而在人群分层研究中,使用随机选择的SNP的效果还有待进一步探讨。文章利用HapMap Phase2人群中无关个体的Affymetrix SNP 6.0芯片分型数据,在全基因组上随机均匀选择不同数量的SNP,同时利用f值和Fisher精确检验方法筛选祖先信息标记（Ancestry Informative Markers,AIMs）。然后利用HapMap Phase3中的无关个体的数据,以F-statistics和STRUCTURE分析两种方法评估所选出的不同SNP组合对人群的区分效果。研究发现,随机均匀分布于全基因组的SNP可用于识别人群内部存在的遗传结构。文章进一步提示,在全基因组关联研究中,当没有针对特定人群的AIMs时,可在全基因组上随机选择3000以上均匀分布的SNP来控制人群分层。     

水鼩鼱消化道5-羟色胺阳性细胞的形态与分布

应用免疫酶标技术ABC( avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex)法,对水鼩鼱(Neomys fodiens)消化道内5-羟色胺(5-HT)阳性细胞的分布及形态进行研究.结果显示,5-羟色胺阳性细胞仅在肠内分布,食管和胃处没有分布.细胞分布密度曲线呈抛物线型,空肠部分布密度最高,十二指肠部次之...     

Cloning and characterization of an mRNA encoding a novel G protein alpha-subunit abundant in mantle and gill of pearl oyster Pinctada fucata

Nacre formation is an ideal model to study biomineralization processes. Although much has been done about biomineralization mechanism of nacre, little is known as to how cellular signaling regulates this process. We are interested in whether G protein signaling plays a role in mineralization. Degenerate primers against conserved amino acid regions of G proteins were employed to amplify cDNA from the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata. As a result, the cDNA encoding a novel G(s)alpha (pfG(s)alpha) from the pearl oyster was isolated. The G(s)alpha cDNA encodes a polypeptide of 377 amino acid residues, which shares high similarity to the octopus (Octopus vulgaris) G(s)alpha. The well-conserved A, C, G (switch I), switch II functional domains and the carboxyl terminus that is a critical site for interaction with receptors are completely identical to those from other mollusks. However, pfG(s)alpha has a unique amino acid sequence, which encodes switch III and interaction sites of adenylyl cyclase respectively. In situ hybridization and Northern blotting analysis revealed that the oyster G(s)alpha mRNA is widely expressed in a variety of tissues, with highest levels in the outer fold of mantle and epithelia of gill, the regions essential for biomineralization. We also show that overexpression of the pfG(s)alpha in mammalian MC3T3-E1 cells resulted in increased cAMP levels. Mutant pfG(s)alpha that has impaired CTX substrate diminished its ability to induce cAMP production. Furthermore, the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, an indicator for mineralization, is induced by the G(s)alpha in MC3T3-E1 cells. These results indicated that G(s)alpha may be involved in regulation of physiological function, particularly in biological biomineralization.     

Changing dendritic field size of mouse retinal ganglion cells in early postnatal development

During early postnatal development, dendrites of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) extend and branch in the inner plexiform layer to establish the adult level of stratification, pattern of branching, and coverage. Many studies have described the branching patterns, transient features, and regulatory factors of stratification of the RGCs. The rate of RGC dendritic field (DF) expansion relative to the growing retina has not been systematically investigated. In this study, we used two methods to examine the relative expansion of RGC DFs. First, we measured the size of RGC DFs and the diameters of the eyeballs at several postnatal stages. We compared the measurements with the RGC DF sizes calculated from difference of the eyeball sizes based on a linear expansion assumption. Second, we used the number of cholinergic amacrine cells (SACs) circumscribed by the DFs of RGCs at corresponding time points as an internal ruler to assess the size of DFs. We found most RGCs exhibit a phase of faster expansion relative to the retina between postnatal day 8 (P8) and P13, followed by a phase of retraction between P13 and adulthood. The morphological α cells showed the faster growing phase but not the retraction phase, whereas the morphological ON–OFF direction selective ganglion cells expanded in the same pace as the growing retina. These findings indicate different RGCs show different modes of growth, whereas most subtypes exhibit a fast expansion followed by a retraction phase to reach the adult size. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 70: 397–407, 2010     

Permeability of Plant Young Root Endodermis to Cu Ions and Cu-Citrate Complexes in Corn and Soybean

The non-selective apoplastic passage of Cu and Cu-citrate complexes into the root stele of monocotyledonous corn and dicotyledonous soybean was investigated using an inorganic-salt-precipitation technique. Either Cu ions or Cu-citrate complexes were drawn into root through the apoplast from the root growth medium, and K₄[Fe(CN)₆] was subsequently perfused through xylem vessels or the entire root cross section. Based on microscopic identification of the reddish-brown precipitates of copper ferrocyanide in the cell walls of the xylem of corn and soybean roots, Cu²⁺ passed through the endodermal barrier into the xylem of both species. When the solution containing 200 μM CuSO₄ and 400 μM sodium citrate (containing 199.98 μM Cu-citrate, 0.02 μM Cu²⁺) was drawn via differential pressure gradients into the root xylem while being perfused with K₄[Fe(CN)₆] through the entire root cross-section, reddish-brown precipitates were observed in the walls of the stele of soybean, but not corn root. However, when a CuSO₄ solution containing 0.02 or 0.2 μM free Cu²⁺ was used, no reddish-brown precipitates were detected in the stele of either of the two plants. Results indicated that endodermis was permeable to Cu-citrate complexes in primary roots of soybean, but not corn. The permeability of the endodermal barrier to the Cu-citrate complex may vary between dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous plants, which has considerable implications for chelant-enhanced phytoextraction.