Cytochrome P450arom, androgen and estrogen receptors in pig sperm

Background  

Androgens and estrogens are crucial for mammalian sperm differentiation but their role in biology of mature male gamete is not still defined. The expression of proteins involved in the biosynthesis and action of these steroid hormones has been demonstrated in human spermatozoa, but very few data have been reported in mature sperm from non human species. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the expression of aromatase (P450arom), estrogen (ERalpha/ERbeta) and androgen (AR) receptors in ejaculated spermatozoa of pig.     

Encapsulation and exfoliation of inorganic lamellar fillers into polycaprolactone by electrospinning

The present paper reports, for the first time, the successful fabrication of layered double hydroxide (Mg-Al LDH)-reinforced polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers by electrospinning. Either the LDH in carbonate form or an LDH organically modified with 12-hydroxydodecanoic acid (LDH-HA) were incorporated into PCL and electrospun using a voltage of 20 KV. The LDH-HA was prepared by an ionic exchange reaction from pristine LDH and encapsulated into PCL from acetone solutions at 15 wt %. The morphological analysis showed pure PCL fibers with an average diameter of 600 +/- 50 nm, and this dimension was maintained in the fibers with LDH, with the inorganic component residing outside the fibers and not exfoliated. At variance, the fibers with the LDH-HA showed a significantly lower average diameter in the range of 350 +/- 50 nm, indicating the improved electrospinnability of PCL. Moreover, the inorganic lamellae were exfoliated, as shown by X-rays and residing inside the nanofibers as demonstrated by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. The structural parameters, such as degradation temperature and crystallinity, were investigated for all the samples and correlated with the electrospinning process.     

Heart HIF-1alpha and MAP kinases during hypoxia: are they associated in vivo?

To study the in vivo dynamics of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha), master regulator of O(2)-dependent gene expression, and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in the hypoxic myocardium, Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 4 to 6 per group) were exposed to 1-hr hypoxia (10% O(2)), 23-hr hypoxia, and 23-hr hypoxia, followed by reoxygenation. HIF-1alpha increased 15-fold after 1-hr hypoxia, remained constant for 23 hrs, and returned to baseline on reoxygenation. Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) were unchanged throughout. Phosphorylated p38 increased 4-fold after 1-hr hypoxia and returned to baseline within 23-hr hypoxia. The activity of stress-activated protein kinases/c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinases (JNKs), measured as phosphorylated c-Jun, increased 3-fold after 1-hr hypoxia and remained sustained afterward. Furthermore, HIF-1alpha was halved in rats that were administered with the p38 inhibitor SB202190 and made hypoxic for 1 hr. In conclusion, although very sensitive to the reoxygenation, HIF-1alpha is overexpressed in vivo in the hypoxic myocardium, and its acute induction by hypoxia is correlated with that of p38.     

Metabolic modulation induced by chronic hypoxia in rats using a comparative proteomic analysis of skeletal muscle tissue

Hypoxia-induced changes of rat skeletal muscle were investigated by two-dimensional difference in-gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) and mass spectrometry. The results indicated that proteins involved in the TCA cycle, ATP production, and electron transport are down-regulated, whereas glycolytic enzymes and deaminases involved in ATP and AMP production were up-regulated. Up-regulation of the hypoxia markers hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1alpha) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) was also observed, suggesting that in vivo adaptation to hypoxia requires an active metabolic switch. The kinase protein, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which has been implicated in the regulation of protein synthesis in hypoxia, appears unchanged, suggesting that its activity, in this system, is not controlled by oxygen partial pressure.     

Platelet‐Rich Plasma Increases Growth and Motility of Adipose Tissue‐Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Controls Adipocyte Secretory Function

Adipose tissue‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (Ad‐MSC) and platelet derivatives have been used alone or in combination to achieve regeneration of injured tissues. We have tested the effect of platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) on Ad‐MSC and adipocyte function. PRP increased Ad‐MSC viability, proliferation rate and G1‐S cell cycle progression, by at least 7‐, 2‐, and 2.2‐fold, respectively, and reduced caspase 3 cleavage. Higher PRP concentrations or PRPs derived from individuals with higher platelet counts were more effective in increasing Ad‐MSC growth. PRP also accelerated cell migration by at least 1.5‐fold. However, PRP did not significantly affect mature adipocyte viability, differentiation and expression levels of PPAR‐γ and AP‐2 mRNAs, while it increased leptin production by 3.5‐fold. Interestingly, PRP treatment of mature adipocytes also enhanced the release of Interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐8, IL‐10, Interferon‐γ, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor. Thus, data are consistent with a stimulatory effect of platelet derivatives on Ad‐MSC growth and motility. Moreover, PRP did not reduce mature adipocyte survival and increased the release of pro‐angiogenic factors, which may facilitate tissue regeneration processes. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Cell. Biochem. 116: 2408–2418, 2015. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

SAM68 is a physiological regulator of SMN2 splicing in spinal muscular atrophy

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by loss of motor neurons in patients with null mutations in the SMN1 gene. The almost identical SMN2 gene is unable to compensate for this deficiency because of the skipping of exon 7 during pre–messenger RNA (mRNA) processing. Although several splicing factors can modulate SMN2 splicing in vitro, the physiological regulators of this disease-causing event are unknown. We found that knockout of the splicing factor SAM68 partially rescued body weight and viability of SMAΔ7 mice. Ablation of SAM68 function promoted SMN2 splicing and expression in SMAΔ7 mice, correlating with amelioration of SMA-related defects in motor neurons and skeletal muscles. Mechanistically, SAM68 binds to SMN2 pre-mRNA, favoring recruitment of the splicing repressor hnRNP A1 and interfering with that of U2AF65 at the 3′ splice site of exon 7. These findings identify SAM68 as the first physiological regulator of SMN2 splicing in an SMA mouse model.     

Identification of MK-5710 ((8aS)-8a-methyl-1,3-dioxo-2-[(1S,2R)-2-phenylcyclo- propyl]-N-(1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)hexahydro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine-7(1H)-carboxamide), a potent smoothened antagonist for use in Hedgehog pathway dependent malignancies, part 2

The Hedgehog (Hh-) signaling pathway is a key developmental pathway which gets reactivated in many human tumors, and smoothened (Smo) antagonists are emerging as novel agents for the treatment of malignancies dependent on the Hh-pathway, with the most advanced compounds demonstrating encouraging results in initial clinical trials. A novel series of potent bicyclic hydantoin Smo antagonists was reported in the preceding article, these have been resolved, and optimized to identify potent homochiral derivatives with clean off-target profiles and good pharmacokinetic properties in preclinical species. While showing in vivo efficacy in mouse allograft models, unsubstituted bicyclic tetrahydroimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine-1,3(2H,5H)-diones were shown to epimerize in plasma. Alkylation of the C-8 position blocks this epimerization, resulting in the identification of MK-5710 (47) which was selected for further development.