Toxic effect of heavy metals on ovarian deformities,apoptotic changes,oxidative stress,and steroid hormones in rainbow trout

BackgroundAs is well known, the pollution in the aquatic environment in which fish grow has a direct impact on aquaculture practices. Pollution in aquatic systems because of multiple adverse effects on fish metabolic processes, especially the reproductive systems.AimThe goal of this study was to assess the severity of pollution impact in two different hatcheries, Verinag hatchery, Site 1 (S1) and Panzath hatchery, Site 2 (S2) in Anantnag region, using histopathological, ultrastructural, oxidative stress, genotoxic, and hormonal analysis in rainbow trout gonad (ovary).M&M: Fish were collected between May 2018 and April 2019 from two locations, Verinag hatchery (S1) and Panzath hatchery (S2), which were affected by heavy metals.ResultsThe histological and ultrastructural examination of rainbow trout ovaries from the Verinag hatchery (S1) revealed normal structure in growing oocytes in rainbow trout at various stages based on morphological features while the fish ovaries in the Panzath hatchery (S2) showed various deformities and irregularly shaped oocytes. The surfaces of some of these oocytes were wrinkled, rough, or distorted. Apoptotic studies revealed that the frequency of apoptotic cells collected from S2 water was significantly increased in ovarian cells (P < 0.05). The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were found to be increased in fish collected from S1 but decreased in fish collected from S2. In S2 caught fish, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were found to increase gradually, and the degree of heavy metal stress was positively correlated (p < 0.05). The comet assay was used to determine the induction of DNA damage in ovarian cells. The induction of DNA damage was found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) in S2 fish specimens compared to fish from S1. On comparing the DNA damage of the rainbow trout from the two sampling sites, it was revealed that the fish is much more sensitive to aquatic contaminants. Regarding steroid hormones, higher levels of progesterone and estrogen were reported in the fish samples collected from S1 as compared to S2 captured fish.ConclusionIn conclusion, the comparative study of fish from two different sites viz. Verinag hatchery (S1) and Panzath hatchery (S2) revealed that S2 sampled fish suffered more heavy metal damage, including cellular deformities, apoptosis, oxidative damage, and altered steroid hormones.     

CD4<Superscript>+</Superscript> T cells kill Id<Superscript>+</Superscript> B-lymphoma cells: FasLigand-Fas interaction is dominant in vitro but is redundant in vivo

B-lymphoma cells express a highly tumor-specific antigen, monoclonal Ig, which is a promising target for immunotherapy. Previous work has demonstrated that B-lymphoma cells spontaneously process their endogenous monoclonal Ig and present variable (V) region peptides (Id-peptides) on their MHC class II molecules to CD4⁺ T cells. Id-specific CD4⁺ T cells protect mice against B-lymphoma cells in the absence of anti-idiotypic antibodies. The molecular mechanism by which Id-specific CD4⁺ T cells kill B-lymphoma cells is hitherto unknown. We here demonstrate in an Id-specific T-cell receptor (TCR)–transgenic mouse model that Id-specific CD4⁺ T cells induce apoptosis of Fas⁺ B-lymphoma cells in vitro by FasLigand (FasL)–Fas interaction. Moreover, the rare B lymphomas that had escaped rejection in TCR-transgenic mice had down-regulated their sensitivity to Fas-mediated apoptosis. Although these results suggest that FasL-Fas interaction is important, Id-specific CD4⁺ T cells could eliminate Id⁺ B-lymphoma cells in vivo by other mechanisms, since three independent ways of blocking FasL-Fas–mediated killing failed to abrogate tumor protection in TCR-transgenic mice. These results suggest that there are several redundant pathways by which Id-specific CD4⁺ T cells eliminate Id⁺ B-lymphoma cells in vivo, of which FasL-Fas interaction is only one.Supported by grants from the Norwegian Cancer Society, the Research Council of Norway, and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.     

Adapter Protein Shc Regulates Janus Kinase 3 Phosphorylation

Although constitutive activation of Janus kinase 3 (Jak3) leads to different cancers, the mechanism of trans-molecular regulation of Jak3 activation is not known. Previously we reported that Jak3 interactions with adapter protein p52ShcA (Shc) facilitate mucosal homeostasis. In this study, we characterize the structural determinants that regulate the interactions between Jak3 and Shc and demonstrate the trans-molecular mechanism of regulation of Jak3 activation by Shc. We show that Jak3 autophosphorylation was the rate-limiting step during Jak3 trans-phosphorylation of Shc where Jak3 directly phosphorylated two tyrosine residues in Src homology 2 (SH2) domain and one tyrosine residue each in calponin homology 1 (CH1) domain and phosphotyrosine interaction domain (PID) of Shc. Direct interactions between mutants of Jak3 and Shc showed that although FERM domain of Jak3 was sufficient for binding to Shc, CH1 and PID domains of Shc were responsible for binding to Jak3. Functionally Jak3 was autophosphorylated under IL-2 stimulation in epithelial cells. However, Shc recruited tyrosine phosphatases SHP2 and PTP1B to Jak3 and thereby dephosphorylated Jak3. Thus we not only characterize Jak3 interaction with Shc, but also demonstrate the molecular mechanism of intracellular regulation of Jak3 activation where Jak3 interactions with Shc acted as regulators of Jak3 dephosphorylation through direct interactions of Shc with both Jak3 and tyrosine phosphatases.     

甘珀酸干预对大鼠脑缺血再灌注损伤的影响

目的观察缝隙连接阻断剂甘珀酸对局灶性脑缺血/再灌注损伤的影响。方法采用大鼠大脑中动脉阻塞再灌流模型（MCAO）,将动物随机分为脑缺血60min再灌注（MCAO）组,脑缺血再灌注加甘珀酸干预（MCAO＋CBX）组和假手术组（sham）。采用尼氏染色显示脑梗死灶并计算梗死灶体积;应用免疫荧光与TUNEL染色法分别观察脑缺血后3d与7d不同时间点缺血边缘区胶质纤维酸性蛋白（GFAP）的表达和细胞凋亡情况。结果（1）缺血后3d、7d MCAO＋CBX组大鼠梗死体积小于MCAO组,3d、7d MCAO＋CBX组大鼠梗死体积较MCAO组分别缩小5%和4.6%;（2）缺血后3d、7d于缺血边缘区可见大量TUNEL阳性染色细胞,且MCAO组大鼠缺血边缘区细胞凋亡数目明显多于MCAO＋CBX大鼠（P〈0.001）;（3）缺血后3d和7d组缺血边缘区GFAP表达明显增强,3d的MCAO组与MCAO＋CBX组大鼠缺血边缘区GFAP的表达均较假手术组强（P〈0.05）,7d的MCAO＋CBX组大鼠缺血边缘区GFAP的表达较假手术组强（P〈0.001）,但明显弱于MCAO组大鼠（P〈0.01）;结论缝隙连接阻断剂甘珀酸可减少大鼠大脑中动脉阻塞后脑梗死体积,其机制可能与阻断缝隙连接后缺血边缘区神经元凋亡降低有关,星型胶质细胞的反应性变化参与了该过程。     

Construction of the plasmid for expression of ETA-EGFP fusion protein under control of the cytomegalovirus promoter and its effects in HeLa cells

Tumor-targeted vectors encoding toxic protein genes are promising tools for treating malignant tumors. We used the pEGFP-N1 vector to construct a novel plasmid (pCMV-ETA-EGFP) for eukaryotic expression of a truncated Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (ETA) that is known to inhibit protein synthesis, and subsequently induce cell death, by inactivation of elongation factor-2. ETA was linked to the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene, and ETA-EGFP gene expression was driven by the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter. The time-lapse effects of pCMV-ETA-EGFP expression were examined in transiently transfected HeLa cells. HeLa cells transfected with pCMV-ETA-EGFP or cotransfected with pCMV-ETA-EGFP and рЕGFP-N1 showed lower fluorescence intensity than cells transfected with pEGFP-N1 alone. Analysis of the number of dead cells further confirmed the highly toxic effect of the ETA-EGFP fusion protein on cells transfected with pCMV-ETA-EGFP or cotransfected with pCMV-ETA-EGFP and рЕGFP-N1. ETA-EGFP fusion protein induced apoptotic cell death through the caspase-3 activation. By using the antibody against a marker nucleolar antigen A3 [Grigoryev, A.A., Bulycheva, T.I., Sheval, E.V., Kalinina, I.A., Zatsepina, O.V., 2008. Cytological indicators of the overall suppression of protein synthesis revealed by staining with new monoclonal antibody. Cell Tissue Biol. 2, 191–199], the distribution of which changes when HeLa cells are treated with known translation inhibitors, we obtained evidence to support the idea that protein synthesis is inhibited in transfected cells in situ. ETA-EGFP fusion protein was identified in lysates of transfected cells using anti-GFP-BL antibodies. Collectively, our results indicate that HeLa cells transfected with pCMV-ETA-EGFP synthesize the ETA-EGFP fusion protein that efficiently inhibits protein synthesis, leading to massive cell death by an apoptosis-mediated pathway with a participation of caspase-3. The constructed vector can be used in suicidal gene therapy of cancer and may also be useful for investigating the general effects of translational downregulation in human cancer cells. We also suggest a novel approach for detecting the activity of new vectors in transfected cells, which is based on the redistribution of nucleolar proteins in transfected cells.     

Hypoxia triggers endothelial endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis via induction of VLDL receptor

Endothelial cells express very low density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLr). Beyond the function as peripheral lipoprotein receptor, other roles of VLDLr in endothelial cells have not been completely unraveled. In the present study, human umbilical vein endothelial cells were subjected to hypoxia, and VLDLr expression, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and apoptosis were assessed. Hypoxia triggered endothelial ER stress and apoptosis, and induced VLDLr expression. Silencing or stabilization of HIF-1α reduced and enhanced VLDLr expression, respectively. HIF-1α affected vldlr promoter activity by interacting with a hypoxia-responsive element (HRE). Knockdown or overexpression of VLDLr alleviated and exacerbated hypoxia-induced ER stress and apoptosis, respectively. Thus, hypoxia induces VLDLr expression through the interaction of HIF-1α with HRE at the vldlr promoter. VLDLr then mediates ER stress and apoptosis.     

人白蛋白对HK-2 细胞凋亡的作用

目的:探讨人白蛋白对体外培养的HK-2细胞凋亡的作用。方法:本实验研究对象为HK-2细胞株,将培养的HK-2细胞与20g/L的人白蛋白共同孵育0、4、6、8小时后,用Hoechst33258染色检测细胞凋亡。不同浓度(0g/L、5 g/L、10 g/L、20g/L和30g/L)的人白蛋白与体外培养的HK-2分别共同孵育0、4、6、8小时后,流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡。结果:Hoechst33258染色结果显示:培养基对照组未见明显细胞凋亡;20g/L白蛋白与HK-2细胞共同孵育4、6、8小时,与对照组比较,均可见HK-2细胞荧光强度增加,有着典型凋亡形态的细胞增多,且随着人白蛋白与HK-2细胞作用时间的延长,细胞凋亡的程度和数目也增多。流式细胞仪检测结果显示:与对照组比较,HK-2细胞的凋亡率随着人白蛋白与HK-2细胞作用的浓度和时间增加而显著性增高,细胞凋亡率在8h组为(9.15±0.15%),在30g/L组为(9.35±0.46%),均为最高。结论:人白蛋白以时间和剂量依赖方式诱导肾小管细胞凋亡,以30g/L作用浓度和8小时作用时间的人白蛋白诱导HK-2细胞凋亡的作用最显著。     

比较NRP-1反义寡核苷酸与VEGFR-2反义寡核苷酸对人胃癌SGC7901细胞增殖和凋亡的影响

目的:研究比较神经纤毛蛋白1(NRP-1)反义寡核苷酸(ASODN)与血管内皮生长因子受体2(VEGFR-2)反义寡核苷酸(ASODN)对人胃癌SGC7901细胞增殖活性及凋亡水平的影响。 方法:分别及同时将不同浓度经硫代磷酸化修饰的NRP-1 ASODN 和 VEGFR-2 ASODN 转染入人胃癌SGC7901细胞,逆转录-聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)检测NRP-1基因和VEGFR-2 基因mRNA的转录水平;MTT比色法测量细胞的增殖活性;流式细胞仪测量细胞的凋亡水平。 结果:转染NRP-1 ASODN和VEGFR-2 ASODN后,人胃癌SGC7901细胞NRP-1基因和VEGFR-2 基因mRNA的转录水平均出现降低;NRP-1 ASODN和VEGFR-2 ASODN对SGC7901细胞有明显抑制增殖和促进凋亡的作用,且随着ASODN浓度升高而增强;分别转染时其作用无显著差别,联合转染时其作用明显增强。结论:NRP-1 ASODN和VEGFR-2 ASODN可抑制人胃癌SGC7901细胞 NRP-1基因和VEGFR-2 基因mRNA的转录水平及细胞增殖活性,促进细胞凋亡;与分别转染相比,两者联合转染作用明显增强。