Bradykinin Preconditioning Improves Therapeutic Potential of Human Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Infarcted Myocardium

Objectives

Stem cell preconditioning (PC) is a powerful approach in reducing cell death after transplantation. We hypothesized that PC human endothelial progenitor cells (hEPCs) with bradykinin (BK) enhance cell survival, inhibit apoptosis and repair the infarcted myocardium.

Methods

The hEPCs were preconditioned with or without BK. The hEPCs apoptosis induced by hypoxia along with serum deprivation was determined by annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/ propidium iodide staining. Cleaved caspase-3, Akt and eNOS expressions were determined by Western blots. Caspase-3 activity and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels were assessed in hEPCs. For in vivo studies, the survival and cardiomyocytes apoptosis of transplanted hEPCs were assessed using 1,1′-dioctadecyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethylindodi- carbocyanine,4-chlorobenzenesul-fonate salt labeled hEPCs and TUNEL staining. Infarct size and cardiac function were measured at 10 days after transplantation, and the survival of transplanted hEPCs were visualized using near-infrared optical imaging.

Results

In vitro data showed a marked suppression in cell apoptosis following BK PC. The PC reduced caspase-3 activation, increased the Akt, eNOS phosphorylation and VEGF levels. In vivo data in preconditioned group showed a robust cell anti-apoptosis, reduction in infarct size, and significant improvement in cardiac function. The effects of BK PC were abrogated by the B2 receptor antagonist HOE140, the Akt and eNOS antagonists LY294002 and L-NAME, respectively.

Conclusions

The activation of B2 receptor-dependent PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway by BK PC promotes VEGF secretion, hEPC survival and inhibits apoptosis, thereby improving cardiac function in vivo. The BK PC hEPC transplantation for stem cell-based therapies is a novel approach that has potential for clinical used.     

呼伦贝尔黄花苜蓿MfMYB30基因的克隆及表达分析

该研究在呼伦贝尔黄花苜蓿(Medicago falcata L. cv. Hulunbuir)转录组测序基础上,通过RT PCR方法克隆获得了MfMYB30基因,并通过生物信息学和表达分析进行初步研究,为深入研究MfMYB30基因的功能和开发利用奠定基础。结果表明：(1)成功克隆获得呼伦贝尔黄花苜蓿MfMYB30基因,其ORF序列长为957 bp,编码318个氨基酸,相对分子质量为86.85 kD,理论等电点为5.11。MfMYB30蛋白为疏水性蛋白,无跨膜结构,无信号肽序列。(2)系统进化分析表明黄花苜蓿MfMYB30蛋白与紫花苜蓿MsMYB4、拟南芥AtMYB30、木豆CcMYB30、蒺藜苜蓿MtMYB30和大豆GmMYB60聚为一个类群,亲缘关系较近。(3)实时荧光定量PCR结果显示,MfMYB30在黄花苜蓿模拟刈割不同天数后的相对表达量呈先降低后升高的趋势,在刈割7 d后相对表达量达到峰值。(4)通过在拟南芥原生质体亚细胞定位分析发现,该蛋白定位于细胞核。研究推测,MfMYB30基因可能在黄花苜蓿刈割或放牧胁迫响应过程中发挥重要调控作用。     

The complete mitochondrial genomes sequences of Asio flammeus and Asio otus and comparative analysis

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), as a model sys-tem, has been extensively used for molecular phy-logenetic and evolutionary analysis[1]. With the ad-vances in DNA sequencing technology, more andmore researchers prefer to use complete mitochondrialgenome for phylogenetic analysis[2—4]. Since the com-plete sequencing of human mtDNA in 1981 (Andersonet al., 1981)[5], 342 vertebrate mitochondrial genomeshave so far been sequenced. Up to now the completesequences of 29 avian mitochondrial genomes h…     

Proteomic analysis of testis biopsies in men treated with transient scrotal hyperthermia reveals the potential targets for contraceptive development

Mild testicular heating safely and reversibly suppresses spermatogenesis. In this study, we attempted to clarify the underlying molecular mechanism(s) involved in heat‐induced spermatogenesis suppression in human testis. We conducted global proteomic analyses of human testicular biopsies before, and at 2 and 9 wk after heat treatment. Thirty‐one and Twenty‐six known proteins were identified with significant differential expression at 2 and 9 wk after heat treatment, respectively. These were used to characterize the cellular and molecular events in the testes when seminiferous epithelia became damaged (2 wk) and recovered (9 wk). At 2 wk post‐treatment, the changed expression of a series of proteins could promote apoptosis or suppress proliferation and cell survival. At 9 wk post‐treatment, the changed expression of proteins mainly promoted cell proliferation, differentiation and survival, but resisted cell apoptosis. Among those heat‐regulated proteins, HNRNPH1 was selected for the further functional study. We found that HNRNPH1 was an anti‐apoptosis protein that could regulate the expression of other heat‐induced proteins. In conclusion, heat‐induced reversible suppression of spermatogenesis occurred by modulating the expression of proteins related to proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and cell survival pathways. These differentially expressed proteins were found to be key molecular targets affecting spermatogenesis after heat treatment.     

Role of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1, GPER, in inhibition of oocyte maturation by endogenous estrogens in zebrafish

Estrogen inhibition of oocyte maturation (OM) and the role of GPER (formerly known as GPR30) were investigated in zebrafish. Estradiol-17β (E2) and G-1, a GPER-selective agonist, bound to zebrafish oocyte membranes suggesting the presence of GPER which was confirmed by immunocytochemistry using a specific GPER antibody. Incubation of follicle-enclosed oocytes with an aromatase inhibitor, ATD, and enzymatic and manual removal of the ovarian follicle cell layers significantly increased spontaneous OM which was partially reversed by co-treatment with either 100 nM E2 or G-1. Incubation of denuded oocytes with the GPER antibody blocked the inhibitory effects of estrogens on OM, whereas microinjection of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) antisense oligonucleotides into the oocytes was ineffective. The results suggest that endogenous estrogens produced by the follicle cells inhibit or delay spontaneous maturation of zebrafish oocytes and that this estrogen action is mediated through GPER. Treatment with E2 and G-1 also attenuated the stimulatory effect of the teleost maturation-inducing steroid, 17,20β-dihyroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP), on OM. Moreover, E2 and G-1 down-regulated the expression of membrane progestin receptor alpha (mPRα), the intermediary in DHP induction of OM. Conversely DHP treatment caused a > 50% decline in GPER mRNA levels. The results suggest that estrogens and GPER are critical components of the endocrine system controlling the onset of OM in zebrafish. A model is proposed for the dual control of the onset of oocyte maturation in teleosts by estrogens and progestins acting through GPER and mPRα, respectively, at different stages of oocyte development.     

Using NMR Metabolomics to Investigate Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle-dependent Signal Transduction in Staphylococcus epidermidis

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a skin-resident bacterium and a major cause of biomaterial-associated infections. The transition from residing on the skin to residing on an implanted biomaterial is accompanied by regulatory changes that facilitate bacterial survival in the new environment. These regulatory changes are dependent upon the ability of bacteria to “sense” environmental changes. In S. epidermidis, disparate environmental signals can affect synthesis of the biofilm matrix polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA). Previously, we demonstrated that PIA biosynthesis is regulated by tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle activity. The observations that very different environmental signals result in a common phenotype (i.e. increased PIA synthesis) and that TCA cycle activity regulates PIA biosynthesis led us to hypothesize that S. epidermidis is “sensing” disparate environmental signals through the modulation of TCA cycle activity. In this study, we used NMR metabolomics to demonstrate that divergent environmental signals are transduced into common metabolomic changes that are “sensed” by metabolite-responsive regulators, such as CcpA, to affect PIA biosynthesis. These data clarify one mechanism by which very different environmental signals cause common phenotypic changes. In addition, due to the frequency of the TCA cycle in diverse genera of bacteria and the intrinsic properties of TCA cycle enzymes, it is likely the TCA cycle acts as a signal transduction pathway in many bacteria.