ALBERT

Description: Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is the effector factor of hepatic fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. Accumulating evidence suggests that retinoic acids (RAs), derivatives of vitamin A, contribute to prevention of liver fibrosis and carcinogenesis, however, regulatory mechanisms of RAs still remain exclusive. To elucidate RA signaling pathway, we previously performed a genome-wide screening of RA-responsive genes by in silico analysis of RA-response elements, and identified 26 RA-responsive genes. We found that thioredoxin interacting protein (TXNIP), which inhibits antioxidant activity of thioredoxin (TRX), was downregulated by all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). In the present study, we demonstrate that ATRA ameliorates activation of HSCs through TXNIP suppression. HSC activation was attenuated by TXNIP downregulation, whereas potentiated by TXNIP upregulation, indicating that TXNIP plays a crucial role in activation of HSCs. Notably, we showed that TXNIP-mediated HSC activation was suppressed by antioxidant N-acetylcysteine. In addition, ATRA treatment or downregulation of TXNIP clearly declined oxidative stress levels in activated HSCs. These data suggest that ATRA plays a key role in inhibition of HSC activation via suppressing TXNIP expression, which reduces oxidative stress levels. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: ABSTRACT The potassium ion channel Kv3.1b is a member of a family of voltage-gated ion channels that are glycosylated in their mature form. In the present study, we demonstrate the impact of N-glycosylation at specific asparagine residues on the trafficking of the Kv3.1b protein. Large quantities of asparagine 229 (N229)-glycosylated Kv3.1b reached the plasma membrane, whereas N220-glycosylated and unglycosylated Kv3.1b were mainly retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). These ER-retained Kv3.1b proteins were susceptible to degradation when co-expressed with calnexin, whereas Kv3.1b pools located at the plasma membrane were resistant. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed a complex type Hex 3 HexNAc 4 Fuc 1 glycan as the major glycan component of the N229-glycosylated Kv3.1b protein, as opposed to a high-mannose type Man 8 GlcNAc 2 glycan for N220-glycosylated Kv3.1b. Taken together, these results suggest that trafficking-dependent roles of the Kv3.1b potassium channel are dependent on N229 site-specific glycosylation and N-glycan structure, and operate through a mechanism whereby specific N-glycan structures regulate cell surface expression. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) has been well known to exert therapeutic potential for patients with myocardial infarction (MI). In addition, interleukin-10 (IL10) could attenuate MI through suppressing inflammation. Thus, the combination of MSC implantation with IL10 delivery may extend health benefits to ameliorate cardiac injury after MI. Here we established overexpression of IL10 in bone marrow-derived MSC through adenoviral transduction. Cell viability, apoptosis and IL10 secretion under ischemic challenge in vitro were examined. In addition, MSC was transplanted into the injured hearts in a rat model of MI. Four weeks after the MI induction, myocardial infarction, cardiac functions, apoptotic cells and inflammation cytokines were assessed. In response to in vitro oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD), IL10 overexpression in MSC (Ad.IL10-MSC) enhanced cell viability, decreased apoptosis and increased IL10 secretion. Consistently, the implantation of Ad.IL10-MSCs into MI animals resulted in more reductions in myocardial infarct size, cardiac impairment and cell apoptosis, compared to the individual treatments of either MSC or IL10 administration. Moreover, the attenuation of both systemic and local inflammations was most prominent for Ad.IL10-MSC treatment. IL10 overexpression and MSC may exert a synergistic anti-inflammatory effect to alleviate cardiac injury after MI. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Obesity is a condition likely associated with several dysmetabolic conditions or worsening of cardiovascular and other chronic disturbances. A key role in this mechanism seem to be played by the onset of low-grade systemic inflammation, highlighting the importance of the interplay between adipocytes and immune system cells. Adipocytes express a complex and highly adaptive biological profile being capable to selectively activate different metabolic pathways in order to respond to environmental stimuli. It has been demonstrated how adipocytes, under appropriate stimulation, can easily differentiate and de-differentiate thereby converting themselves into different phenotypes according to metabolic necessities. Although underlying mechanisms are not fully understood, growing in adipocyte size and the inability of storing triglycerides under overfeeding conditions seem to be crucial for the switching to a dysfunctional metabolic profile, which is characterized by inflammatory and apoptotic pathways activation and by the shifting to pro-inflammatory adipokines secretion. In obesity, changes in adipokines secretion along with adipocyte deregulation and fatty acids release into circulation contribute to maintain immune cells activation as well as their infiltration into regulatory organs. Over the well-established role of macrophages, recent findings suggest the involvement of new classes of immune cells such as T regulatory lymphocytes and neutrophils in the development inflammation and multi systemic worsening. Deeply understanding the pathways of adipocyte regulation and the de-differentiation process could be extremely useful for developing novel strategies aimed at curbing obesity-related inflammation and related metabolic disorders. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Excessive inflammatory responses are critical in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI). Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is a stress-induced transcriptional regulator that is a negative regulator of inflammatory responses. Therefore, we investigated the role and signaling pathways of ATF3 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI in mice. The mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells were cultured on HTS 24-Transwell filter plates in presence of ATF3 siRNA before exposure to LPS. ATF3 knock-out (KO) and wild type (WT) mice were challenged by intra-peritoneal injection of LPS (15mg/kg). Gene analysis was used to analyze differential gene expression between ATF3 KO and WT mice. LPS increased the expression of ATF3 in RAW264.7 cells and in lung tissues of mice, The concentration of TNFα and IL-6 was significantly increased in ATF3 siRNA-treated RAW264.7 cells compared to control cells after LPS stimulation. The concentration of TNFα, IL-6 and IL-1β in serum and lung tissue of ATF3 KO mice was significantly increased compared to ATF3 WT mice. In addition, the lung wet/dry weight and BALF protein were significantly increased in ATF3 KO mice after LPS injection at 6, 24 and 48-hours. The survival of ATF3 KO mice significantly decreased. Differential gene analysis showed that TL1A was highly expressed in LPS-induced lung tissues of ATF3 KO mice.Moreover, ATF3 down-regulated the expression of TL1A in RAW264.7 cells and in lung tissues. These findings suggest that ATF3 protects against LPS-induced ALI via inhibiting TL1A expression. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Intestinal smooth muscle cells play a critical role in the remodeling of intestinal structure and functional adaptation after bowel resection. Recent studies have shown that supplementation of butyrate (Bu) contributes to the compensatory expansion of a muscular layer of the residual intestine in a rodent model of short-bowel syndrome (SBS). However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. In this study, we found that the growth of human intestinal smooth muscle cells (HISMCs) was significantly stimulated by Bu via activation of Yes-Associated Protein (YAP). Incubation with 0.5 mM Bu induced a distinct proliferative effect on HISMCs, as indicated by the promotion of cell cycle progression and increased DNA replication. Notably, YAP silencing by RNA interference or its specific inhibitor significantly abolished the proliferative effect of Bu on HISMCs. Furthermore, Bu induced YAP expression and enhanced the translocation of YAP from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, which led to changes in the expression of mitogenesis genes, including TEAD1, TEAD4, CTGF and Cyr61. These results provide evidence that Bu stimulates the growth of human intestinal muscle cells by activation of YAP, which may be a potential treatment for improving intestinal adaptation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Zebrafish has become an excellent model for studying the development and function of inner ear. We report here a zebrafish line in which claudin 7b ( cldn7b ) locus is interrupted by a Tol2 transposon at its first intron. The homozygous mutants have enlarged otocysts, smaller or no otoliths, slowly formed semicircular canals, and insensitiveness to sound stimulation. These abnormal phenotypes and hearing loss of inner ear could be mostly rescued by injection of cldn7b -mRNA into one-cell stage homozygous mutant embryos. Mechanistically, cldn7b -deficiency interrupted the formation of apical junction complexes (AJCs) in otic epithelial cells of inner ear and the ion-homeostasis of endolymph, which then led to the loss of proper contact between otoliths and normally developed hair cells in utricle and saccule or aberrant mechanosensory transduction. Thus, Cldn7b is essential for the formation and proper function of inner ear through its unique role in keeping an initial integrity of otic epithelia during zebrafish embryogenesis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: As a natural metabolite of limonoids from Dictamnus dasycarpus , fraxinellone has been reported to be neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory. However, its influence on cellular metabolism remains largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the effect of fraxinellone on cellular senescence-induced by oxidative stress and the potential mechanism. We found that fraxinellone administration caused growth arrest and certainly repressed the activity of senescence associated β-galactosidase as well as the expression of senescence-associated-genes. Interestingly, this effect of fraxinellone is closely correlated with the restoration of impaired autophagy and the activation of AMPK. Notably, fraxinellone reacts in an AMPK-dependent but mTORC1-independent manner. Together, our study demonstrates for the first time that fraxinellone has the effect on senescence inhibition and AMPK activation, and supports the notion that autophagic mechanism is important for aging prevention. These findings expanded the list of natural compounds and will be potentially utilized for aging decay and/or AMPK activation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Aging is a primary risk factor for both neurodegenerative disorders (NDs) and tumors such as adult-onset brain tumors. Since NDs and tumors are severe, disabling, progressive and often incurable conditions, they represent a pressing problem in terms of human suffering and economic costs to the healthcare systems. The current challenge for physicians and researchers is to develop new therapeutic strategies in both areas to improve the patients' quality of life. In addition to genetics and environmental stressors, the increase in cellular oxidative stress as one of the potential common etiologies has been reported for both disorders. Recently, the scientific community has focused on the beneficial effects of dietary antioxidant classes, known as nutraceuticals, such as carotenoids, vitamins and polyphenols. Among these compounds, polyphenols are considered to be one of the most bioactive agents in neurodegeneration and tumor prevention. Despite the beneficial activity of polyphenols, their poor bioavailability and inefficient delivery systems are the main factors limiting their use in medicine and functional food. The development of polymeric nanoparticle-based delivery systems able to encapsulate and preserve polyphenolic compounds may represent a promising tool to enhance their stability, solubility and cell membrane permeation. In the present review we provide an overview of the main polyphenolic compounds used for ND and brain tumor prevention and treatment that explores their mechanisms of action, recent clinical findings and principal factors limiting their application in medicine. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Adipose-derived stromal/stem cells (ASCs) represent a widely used cell source with multi-lineage differentiation capacity in approaches for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Despite the multitude of literature on their differentiation capacity, little is reported about the physiological properties contributing to and controlling the process of lineage differentiation. Direct intercellular communication between adjacent cells via gap junctions has been shown to modulate differentiation processes in other cell types, with connexin 43 (Cx43) being the most abundant isoform of the gap junction-forming connexins. Thus, in the present study we focused on the expression of Cx43 and gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) in human ASCs, and its significance for adipogenic differentiation of these cells. Cx43 expression in ASCs was demonstrated histologically and on the gene and protein expression level, and was shown to be greatly positively influenced by cell seeding density. Functionality of gap junctions was proven by dye transfer analysis in growth medium. Adipogenic differentiation of ASCs was shown to be also distinctly elevated at higher cell seeding densities. Inhibition of GJIC by 18α-glycyrrhetinic acid (AGA) significantly compromised adipogenic differentiation, as demonstrated by histology, triglyceride quantification, and adipogenic marker gene expression. Flow cytometry analysis showed a lower proportion of cells undergoing adipogenesis when GJIC was inhibited, further indicating the importance of GJIC in the differentiation process. Altogether, this study demonstrates the impact of direct cell-cell communication via gap junctions on the adipogenic differentiation process of ASCs, and may contribute to further integrate direct intercellular crosstalk in rationales for tissue engineering approaches. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Mitochondrial 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) synthase (HMGCS2) catalyses the first step of ketogenesis and is critical in various metabolic conditions. Several nutrient molecules were able to differentially modulate HMGCS2 expression levels. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6, n-3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5, n-3), arachidonic acid (AA, C20:4, n-6) and glucose increased HMGCS2 mRNA and protein levels in HepG2 hepatoma cells, while fructose decreased them. The effect of n-6 AA resulted significantly higher than that of n-3 PUFA, but when combined all these molecules were far less efficient. Insulin reduced HMGCS2 mRNA and protein levels in HepG2 cells, even when treated with PUFA and monosaccharides. Several nuclear receptors and transcription factors are involved in HMGCS2 expression regulation. While peroxysome proliferator activated receptor α (PPAR-α) agonist WY14643 increased HMGCS2 expression, this treatment was unable to affect PUFA-mediated regulation of HMGCS2 expression. Forkhead box O1 (FoxO1) inhibitor AS1842856 reduced HMGCS2 expression and suppressed induction promoted by fatty acids. Cells treatment with liver X receptor alpha (LXRα) agonist T0901317 reduced HMGCS2 mRNA, indicating a role for this transcription factor as suppressor of HMGCS2 gene. Previous observations already indicated HMGCS2 expression as possible nutrition status reference: our results show that several nutrients as well as specific nutritional related hormonal conditions are able to affect significantly HMGCS2 gene expression, indicating a relevant role for PUFA, which are mostly derived from nutritional intake. These insights into mechanisms of its regulation, specifically through nutrients commonly associated with disease risk, indicate HMGCS2 expression as possible reference marker of metabolic and nutritional status. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: ABSTRACT We investigated the role of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity in wild-type CHO-K1 cells and in xylosyltransferase-deficient CHO-745 cells. GAGs inhibit the integrin/FAK/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in CHO-K1 cells, decreasing the phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser1177. Furthermore, in CHO-K1 cells, eNOS and PKCα are localized at sphingolipid- and cholesterol-rich domains in the plasma membrane called caveolae. At caveolae, PKCα activation stimulates the phosphorylation of eNOS on Thr495, resulting in further inhibition of NO production in these cells. In our data, CHO-745 cells generate approximately 12-fold more NO than CHO-K1 cells. Increased NO production in CHO-745 cells promotes higher rates of protein S-nitrosylation and protein tyrosine nitration. Regarding reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, CHO-745 cells show lower basal levels of superoxide (O 2 - ) than CHO-K1 cells. In addition, CHO-745 cells express higher levels of GPx, Trx1 and catalase than CHO-K1 cells, suggesting that CHO-745 cells are in a constitutive nitrosative/ oxidative stress condition. Accordingly, we showed that CHO-745 cells are more sensitive to oxidant-induced cell death than CHO-K1 cells. The high concentration of NO and reactive oxygen species generated by CHO-745 cells can induce simultaneous mitochondrial biogenesis and antioxidant gene expression. These observations led us to propose that GAGs are part of a regulatory mechanism that participates in eNOS activation and consequently regulates nitrosative/oxidative stress in CHO cells. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: CRSBP-1 (mammalian LYVE-1) is a membrane glycoprotein highly expressed in lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). It has multiple ligands, including hyaluronic acid (HA) and growth factors/cytokines (e.g., PDGF-BB and VEGF-A) containing CRS motifs (clusters of basic amino-acid residues). The ligand binding activities are mediated by Link module and acidic-amino-acid-rich (AAAR) domains, respectively. These CRSBP-1/LYVE-1 ligands have been shown to induce opening of lymphatic intercellular junctions in LEC monolayers and in lymphatic vessels in wild-type mice. We hypothesize that CRSBP-1/LYVE-1 ligands, particularly CRS-containing growth factors/cytokines, are secreted by immune and cancer cells for lymphatic entry during adaptive immune responses and lymphatic metastasis. We have looked into the origin of the Link module and AAAR domain of LYVE-1 in evolution and its association with the development of lymph nodes and efficient adaptive immunity. Lymph nodes represent the only major recent innovation of the adaptive immune systems in evolution particularly to mammals and bird. Here we demonstrate that the development of the LYVE-1 gene with the AAAR domain in evolution is associated with acquisition of lymph nodes and adaptive immunity. LYVE-1 from other species, which have no lymph nodes, lack the AAAR domain and efficient adaptive immunity. Synthetic CRSBP-1 ligands PDGF and VEGF peptides, which contain the CRS motifs of PDGF-BB and VEGF-A, respectively, specifically bind to CRSBP-1 but do not interact with either PDGFβR or VEGFR2. These peptides function as adjuvants by enhancing adaptive immunity of pseudorabies virus vaccine in pigs. These results support the notion that LYVE-1 is involved in adaptive immunity in mammals. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: ABSTRACT The transcriptional factors implicated in the expression of the intermediate filament protein nestin in cardiomyocytes during embryogenesis remain undefined. In the heart of 9,5-10,5 day embryonic mice, nestin staining was detected in atrial and ventricular cardiomyocytes and a subpopulation co-expressed Tbx5. At later stages of development, nestin immunoreactivity in cardiomyocytes gradually diminished and was absent in the heart of 17,5 day embryonic mice. In the heart of wild type 11,5 day embryonic mice, 54 ± 7% of the trabeculae expressed nestin and the percentage was significantly increased in the hearts of Tbx5 +/− and Gata4 +/− embryos. The cell cycle protein Ki67 and transcriptional coactivator Yap-1 were still prevalent in the nucleus of nestin (+) -cardiomyocytes identified in the heart of Tbx5 +/− and Gata4 +/− embryonic mice. Phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate treatment of neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes increased Yap-1 phosphorylation and co-administration of the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 led to significant dephosphorylation. Antagonism of dephosphorylated Yap-1 signalling with verteporfin inhibited phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate/SB203580-mediated nestin expression and BrdU incorporation of neonatal cardiomyocytes. Nestin depletion with an AAV9 containing a shRNA directed against the intermediate filament protein significantly reduced the number of neonatal cardiomyocytes that re-entered the cell cycle. These findings demonstrate that Tbx5- and Gata4-dependent events negatively regulate nestin expression in cardiomyocytes during embryogenesis. By contrast, dephosphorylated Yap-1 acting via upregulation of the intermediate filament protein nestin plays a seminal role in the cell cycle re-entry of cardiomyocytes. Based on these data, an analogous role of Yap-1 may be prevalent in the heart of Tbx5 +/− and Gata4 +/− mice. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: The skeleton has recently emerged as a critical insulin target tissue that regulates whole body glucose metabolism and male reproductive function. While our understanding of these new regulatory axes remains in its infancy, the bone-specific protein, osteocalcin, has been shown to be centrally involved. Undercarboxylated osteocalcin acts as a secretagogue in a feed-forward loop to stimulate pancreatic β-cell proliferation and insulin secretion, improve insulin sensitivity and promote testosterone production. Importantly, dysregulation of insulin signaling in bone causes a reduction in serum osteocalcin levels that is associated with elevated blood glucose and reduced serum insulin levels, suggesting that the skeleton may play a significant role in the development of diet-induced insulin resistance. Insulin signaling is negatively regulated by the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) which becomes hyper-activated in response to nutrient overload. Loss- and gain-of function models suggest that mTORC1 function in bone is essential for normal skeletal development; however, the role of this complex in the regulation of glucose metabolism remains to be determined. This review highlights our current understanding of the role played by osteocalcin in the skeletal regulation of glucose metabolism and fertility. In particular, it examines data emerging from transgenic mouse models which have revealed a pancreas-bone-testis regulatory axis and discusses recent human studies which seek to corroborate findings from mouse models with clinical observations. Moreover, we review recent studies which suggest dysregulation of insulin signaling in bone leads to the development of insulin resistance and discuss the potential role of mTORC1 signaling in this process This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Salivary dysfunction commonly occurs in many older adults and is considered a physiological phenomenon. However, the genetic changes in salivary glands during aging have not been characterized. The present study analyzed the gene expression profile in salivary glands from accelerated aging klotho deficient mice (klotho -/-, 4 weeks old). Microarray analysis showed that 195 genes were differentially expressed (z-score 〉 2 in two independent arrays) in klotho null mice compared to wild-type mice. Importantly, alpha2-Na + /K + -ATPase (Atp1a2), Ca 2+ -ATPase (Atp2a1), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and nerve growth factor (NGF), which have been suggested to be regulators of submandibular salivary gland function, were significantly decreased. When a network was constructed from the differentially expressed genes, proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR γ), which regulates energy homeostasis and insulin sensitivity, was located at the core of the network. In addition, the expression of genes proposed to regulate various PPAR γ-related cellular pathways, such as Klk1b26, Egfbp2, Cox8b, Gpx3, Fabp3, EGF, and NGFβ, was altered in the submandibular salivary glands of klotho -/- mice. Our results may provide clues for the identification of novel genes involved in salivary gland dysfunction. Further characterization of these differentially expressed genes will be useful in elucidating the genetic basis of aging-related changes in the submandibular salivary gland. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Accumulating studies have shown that miR-216b acted as a tumor suppressor and was down-regulated in solid tumors. However, little studies revealed the role or clinical implication of miR-216b in blood cancers. Herein, we reported miR-216b expression and its clinical significance in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In the current study, we analyzed bone marrow (BM) miR-216b expression in 115 de novo AML patients examined by real-time quantitative PCR. Notably, BM miR-216b expression was significantly up-regulated in AML patients, and could serve as a potential biomarker distinguishing AML from controls. No significant correlations of BM miR-216 expression were found with sex, age, white blood cells, hemoglobin, platelets, BM blasts, French-American-British classifications, and karyotypes. Significantly, patients with high miR-216b expression tended to have a lower frequency of FLT3 -ITD mutation and higher incidence of U2AF1 and IDH1/2 mutations. Moreover, complete remission (CR) rate and overall survival were negatively affected by BM miR-216b overexpression among cytogenetically normal AML (CN-AML). Cox regression analyses showed that high BM miR-216b expression may act as an independent risk factor in CN-AML patients. Among the follow-up patients, BM miR-216b level in CR phase was markedly lower than in diagnosis time, and was returned in relapse phase. Collectively, our findings indicated that miR-216b overexpression was a frequent event in de novo AML, and independently conferred a poor prognosis in CN-AML. Moreover, miR-216b expression was a valuable biomarker correlated with disease recurrence in AML. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Background Cytotoxicity and inflammation-associated toxic responses could be induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in vitro and in vivo respectively. However, the mechanism involved in LPS-induced cardiac malformation in prenatal fetus is still unknown. Methods and results In this study, we demonstrated that LPS was induced in gut microbiota imbalance mice, and next, LPS exposure during gastrulation in the chick embryo increased the incidence of cardia bifida. Gene transfection and tissue transplantation trajectory indicated that LPS exposure restricted the cell migration of cardiac progenitors to primary heart field in gastrula chick embryos. In vitro explant allograft of GFP-labeled anterior primitive streak demonstrated that LPS treatments could inhibit cell migration. A similar observation was also obtained from the cell migration assay of scratch wounds using primary culture of cardiomyocytes or H9c2 cells. In the embryos exposed to LPS, expressions of Nkx2.5 and GATA5 were disturbed. These genes are associated with cardiomyocyte differentiation when heart tube fusion occurs. Furthermore, pHIS3, C-caspase3 immunohistological staining indicated that cell proliferation decreased, cell apoptosis increased in the heart tube of chick embryo. Meanwhile, in vivo, pHIS3 immunohistological staining and Hochest/PI staining also draw the similar conclusions. The LPS exposure also caused the production of excess ROS, which might damage the cardiac precursor cells of developing embryos. At last, we showed that LPS-induced cardia bifida could be partially rescued through the addition of antioxidants. Conclusions Together, these results reveal that excess ROS generation is involved in the LPS-induced defects in heart tube during chick embryo development. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Osteoclasts are multinucleated cells formed by fusion of preosteoclasts (POCs) derived from cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. We have reported a culture system that supports the formation of POCs from stroma-depleted rat bone marrow cells. Global gene expression analysis of this culture system identified genes highly expressed in POCs. Here, we have analyzed the expression and function of one of these highly expressed genes, prostate transmembrane protein androgen induced 1 (Pmepa1), a target of TGF-β and binds Nedd4 ubiquitin ligase, which plays a role in intracellular trafficking. We show here that the expression of Pmepa1 was strongly induced by RANKL in mouse bone marrow macrophage and in the osteoclast precursor cell line RAW-D. The expression of Pmepa1 was increased at 24 h of culture, but was decreased at 72 h. Pmepa1 protein was localized to intracellular vesicle membrnane of mononuclear cells, some of which were cathepsin-K positive. RANKL-induced expression of Pmepa1 was significantly reduced by inhibitors of p38 MAPK signaling. Pmepa1 siRNA suppressed the formation of osteoclasts in RAW-D cells, and inhibited the expression of cathepsin K and c-fos but not RANK. In addition, inhibition of Pmepa1 expression reduced the surface expression of RANK in RAW-D cells induced by RANKL. These results demonstrate that Pmepa1 is induced by RANK-p38 MAPK pathway signaling, and upregulates cell surface expression of RANK, suggesting that Pmepa1 plays a role in osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast signaling. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Simvastatin (SIM), a widely used cholesterol-lowering drug, also exhibits tumor-suppressive potentials in several types of malignancy. Colorectal cancer (CRC), the third most common malignant neoplasm, accounts for the second most leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In the present study, we investigated the anticancer effects of SIM on CRC using primary cancer cells lines (CPs: CP1 to CP5) isolated from five Taiwanese colorectal cancer patients as a model for colorectal cancer. We treated all five CPs with SIM for 24 to 72 hours and observed the respective cell viability by an MTT assay. SIM increased DNA content of the G 1 phase, but did not induce apoptosis/necrosis in CPs as shown by flow cytometry with propidium iodide (PI)/annexin V double staining and PI staining. The expression of G 1 phase-related proteins was analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blotting. SIM suppressed cell growth and induced cell cycle G 1 -arrest by suppressing the expression of CDK4/cyclin D1 and CDK2/cyclin E1, but elevating the expression of glycogen synthase kinase 3β in CPs. Our findings indicate that SIM may have antitumor activity in established colorectal cancer. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most predominant subjects of liver malignancies, which arouses global concern in the recent years. Advanced studies have found that Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are differentially expressed in HCC, with its regulatory capacity in HCC pathogenesis and metastasis. However, the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. In this review, we summarized the functions and mechanisms of those aberrantly expressed circRNAs in HCC tissues. We hope to enlighten more comprehensive studies on the detailed mechanisms of circRNAs and explore their potential values in clinic applications. It revealed that hsa_circ_0004018 can be used as a potential biomarker in HCC diagnosis, with its superior sensitivity to alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Notably, the correlation of circRNA abundance in the proliferation of liver regeneration (LR) has recently been clarified and different circRNA profiles served as candidates for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) diagnosis also be discussed. Therefore, the improved understanding of circRNAs in HCC pathogenesis and metastasis proposed a novel basis for the early diagnosis in HCC patients, which provides a useful resource to explore the pathogenesis of HCC. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Homocysteine (Hcy) causes endothelial dysfunction by inducing oxidative stress in most neurodegenerative disorders. This dysfunction is highly correlated with mitochondrial dynamics such as fusion and fission. However, there are no strategies to prevent Hcy induced mitochondrial remodeling. Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) is an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant compound. We hypothesized that THC may ameliorates Hcy induced mitochondria remodeling in mouse brain endothelial cells (bEnd3) cells. bEnd3 cells were exposed to Hcy treatment in the presence or absence of THC. Cell viability and autophagic cell death were measured with MTT and MDC staining assay. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was determined using DCFH-DA staining by confocal microscopy. Autophagy flux was assessed using a conventional GFP-microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) dot assay. Interaction of phagophore marker LC-3 with mitochondrial receptor NIX was observed by confocal imaging. Mitochondrial fusion and fission were evaluated by western blot and RT-PCR. Our results demonstrated that Hcy resulted in cell toxicity in a dose-dependent manner and supplementation of THC prevented the detrimental effects of Hcy on cell survival. Furthermore, Hcy also upregulated of fission marker (DRP-1), fusion markers (Mfn2) and autophagy marker (LC-3). Finally, we observed that Hcy activated mitochondrial specific phagophore marker (LC-3) was co-localized with the mitochondrial receptor NIX, as viewed by confocal microscopy. Pretreatment of bEnd3 with THC (15µM) ameliorated Hcy induced oxidative damage, mitochondrial fission/fusion, and mitophagy. Our studies strongly suggest that THC has beneficial effects on mitochondrial remodeling and could be developed as a potential therapeutic agent against hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) induced mitochondrial dysfunction. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) plays a key role in sensing and integrating large amounts of environmental cues to regulate organismal growth, homeostasis, and many major cellular processes. Recently, mounting evidences highlight its roles in regulating bone homeostasis, which sheds light on the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. The activation/inhibition of mTOR signaling is reported to positively/negatively regulate bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs)/osteoblasts-mediated bone formation, adipogenic differentiation, osteocytes homeostasis, and osteoclasts-mediated bone resorption, which result in the changes of bone homeostasis, thereby resulting in or protect against osteoporosis. Given the likely importance of mTOR signaling in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis, here we discuss the detailed mechanisms in mTOR machinery and its association with osteoporosis therapy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Since the past thirty years, the prevalence of diabetes has more than doubled, making it an urgent challenge globally. We carried out systematic analysis with the public data of mRNA expression profiles in skeletal muscle to study the pathogenesis, since insulin resistance in the skeletal muscle is an early feature. We utilized three GEO datasets, containing total 60 cases and 63 normal samples. After the background removal, R package QC was utilized to finish the preprocessing of datasets. We obtained a dataset containing 2481 genes and 123 samples after the pre-processing. Quantitative quality control measures were calculated to represent the quality of these datasets. MetaDE package provides functions for conducting different systematic analysis methods for differential expression analysis. The GO term enrichment was carried out using PANTHER. Protein-protein interactions, drug-gene interactions and genetic association of the identified differentially expressed genes were analyzed using STRING v10.0 online tool, DGIdb and the Genetic Association Database, respectively. The datasets had good performances on IQC and EQC, which suggested that the datasets had good internal and external quality. Totally 96 differentially expressed genes were detected using 0.01 as cutoff of AW. The enriched GO terms were mainly associated with the response to glucocorticoid. There were seven genes involving in the gluconeogenesis were differentially expressed, which might be the potential treatment target for this disease. The closely connected networks and potential targets of existed drugs suggested that some of the drugs might be applied to the treatment of diabetes as well. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Neutrophil is a significant contributor to ischemia reperfusion (IR) induced liver tissue damage. However, the underlying mechanisms of IR induced innate immune activation and liver damage is not quite clear. Our study sheds light on the role of chronic oxidative stress end products in worsening the IR inflammatory process by neutrophil recruitment and activation following liver surgery. We employed specific inhibitors for molecular targets – NOX2 (NADPH oxidase 2) and P38 MAPK (Mitogen activated protein kinase) signal to counteract neutrophil activation and neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) release induced liver damage in IR injury. We found that acrolein initiated neutrophil chemotaxis and induced NET release both in vitro and in vivo . Acrolein exposure caused NET induced nuclear and mitochondrial damage in HepG2 cells as well as aggravated the IR injury in rat liver. Pretreatment with F-apocynin and naringin, efficiently suppressed acrolein induced NET release in vitro . Notably, it suppressed the expression of inflammatory cytokines, P38MAPK-ERK activation and apoptotic signals in rat liver exposed to acrolein and subjected to IR. Moreover, this combination effectively attenuated acrolein induced NET release and hepatic IR injury. Conclusion : In the current study we have shown that acrolein accumulation in liver due to chronic stress, is responsible for neutrophil recruitment and its activation leading to NET induced liver damage during surgery. Our study shows that therapeutic targeting of NOX2 and p38MAPK signaling in patients with chronic hepatic disorders would improve post operative hepatic function and survival. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: RNA-binding proteins (RBP) are important facilitators of post-transcriptional gene regulation. We have previously established that nuclear overexpression of the RBP Musashi-2 (MSI2) during male germ cell maturation is detrimental to sperm cell development and fertility. Herein we determine the genes and pathways impacted by the upregulation of Msi2 . Microarray analysis and qPCR confirmed differential gene expression in factors fundamental to the cell cycle, cellular proliferation, and cell death. Similarly, comparative protein expression analysis via iTRAQ, immunoblot, and immunolocalisation, identified differential expression and localisation of important regulators of transcription, translation, RNA processing, and spermatogenesis. Specifically, the testis-expressed transcription factor, Tbx1 , and the piRNA regulator of gamete development, Piwil1 , were both found to be targeted for translational repression by MSI2. This study provides key evidence to support a fundamental role for MSI2 in post-transcriptional regulation during male gamete development. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: The relatively low efficacy of ACE-inhibitors in the treatment of heart failure in women after estrogen loss may be due to their inability to reach the intracellular sites at which angiotensin (Ang) II is generated and/or the existence of cell-specific mechanisms in which ACE is not the essential processing pathway for Ang II formation. We compared the metabolic pathway for Ang II formation in freshly isolated myocytes (CMs) and non-myocytes (NCMs) in cardiac membranes extracted from hearts of gonadal-intact and ovariectomized (OVX) adult WKY and SHR rats. Plasma Ang II levels were higher in WKY vs. SHR (strain effect: WKY: 62 ± 6 pg/mL vs. SHR: 42 ± 9 pg/mL; P 〈 0.01), independent of OVX. The enzymatic activities of chymase, ACE, and ACE2 were higher in NCMs vs. CMs, irrespective of whether assays were performed in cardiac membranes from WKY or SHR or in the presence or absence of OVX. E2 depletion increased chymase activity, but not ACE activity, in both CMs and NCMs. Moreover, cardiac myocyte chymase activity associated with diastolic function in WKYs and cardiac structure in SHRs while no relevant functional and structural relationships between the classic enzymatic pathway of Ang II formation by ACE or the counter-regulatory Ang-(1-7) forming path from Ang II via ACE2 were apparent. The significance of these novel findings is that targeted cell-specific chymase rather than ACE inhibition may have a greater benefit in the management of HF in women after menopause. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into not only cells of mesodermal lineages, but also into endodermal and ectodermal derived elements, including neurons and glial cells. For this reason, MSCs have been extensively investigated to develop cell-based therapeutic strategies, especially in pathologies whose pharmacological treatments give poor results, if any. As in the case of irreversible neurological disorders characterized by progressive neuronal death, in which behavioral and cognitive functions of patients inexorably decline as the disease progresses. In this review, we focus on the possible functional role exerted by MSCs in the treatment of some disabling neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Huntington's Disease and Parkinson's Disease. Investigations have been mainly performed in vitro and in animal models by using MSCs generally originated from umbilical cord, bone marrow or adipose tissue. Positive results obtained have prompted several clinical trials, the number of which is progressively increasing worldwide. To date, many of them have been primarily addressed to verify the safety of the procedures but some improvements have already been reported, fortunately. Although the exact mechanisms of MSC-induced beneficial activities are not entirely defined, they include neurogenesis and angiogenesis stimulation, antiapoptotic, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory actions. Most effects would be exerted through their paracrine expression of neurotrophic factors and cytokines, mainly delivered at damaged regions, given the innate propensity of MSCs to home to injured sites. Hopefully, in the near future more efficacious cell-replacement therapies will be developed to substantially restore disease-disrupted brain circuitry. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a life-threatening lung disorder with towering prevalence and risk for future has been gradually rising worldwide. Even, no specific medications are available for pulmonary hypertension; various classes of treatment based upon the origin and magnitude of hypertension are still used for the treatment of PH. Consideration of molecular or signaling modulation is the imperative approach that can offer a new notion for prevalent pharmacotherapeutic agents. Instead of concurrent targets, including endothelin receptor antagonists (ETA/ETB), phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor (PDF-5), calcium channel blockers, anticoagulants, diuretics and long acting prostacyclin analogue, recent scientific reports revealed the numerous potential alternative therapeutic approaches that can significantly target the pathological signaling alteration associated with PH. Understanding precise molecular cascade involved in PH can be useful for designing preclinical animal experiments and human clinical trials to evaluate target specific novel therapeutic interventions for the treatment of PH. In this review, we discussed the possible molecular signaling involved in the pathogenesis of PH and detailed account of the current status of medications employed for the treatment of PH. Moreover, the newly identified potential target sites and alternative approaches for treating the PH have been discussed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), as the most common type of oral cancer, is responsible for almost 3% of all malignant tumors worldwide. Non-coding RNAs such as lncRNAs and microRNAs have been involved in many cancers including OSCC. Recently, lncRNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript-1 (MALAT1) has been reported to play an oncogenic role in OSCC metastasis. However, the underlying mechanism of MALAT1 in regulating OSCC progression remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the specific role of MALAT1 in OSCC development. It was observed that MALAT1 was upregulated in OSCC cell lines. Inhibition of MALAT1 can prevent OSCC proliferation while overexpressing MALAT1 promoted OSCC progression. In addition, bioinformatics search was used to identify that miR-125b was a direct target of MALAT1, which indicated a negative correlation between MALAT1 and miR-125b. Besides these, STAT3 was predicted as a binding target of miR-125b in OSCC. Overexpression of MALAT1 was able to suppress the tumor inhibitory effect of miR-125b mimics via upregulating STAT3. Moreover, the function of MALAT1 in OSCC development was further investigated by using in vivo assays. The established nude mice models revealed that downregulated MALAT1 greatly inhibited OSCC tumor growth and reversely upregualated MALAT1 promoted OSCC development via miR-125b/STAT3 axis respectively. In conclusion, MALAT1 can function as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to modulate STAT3 expression by absorbing miR-125b in OSCC and could be used as a novel therapeutic target in OSCC diagnosis and treatment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of curcumin on cell activities of gastric cancer (GC), and the connection between curcumin and P53 as well as PI3K signaling. This study was conducted with two cell lines SGC-7901 and BGC-823, both were exposed to curcumin at the concentrations of 0 µM, 10 µM, 20 µM and 40 µM. MTT assay, flow cytometry (FCM) assay, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to study the underlying mechanisms of curcumin in respective of proliferation, apoptosis and autophagy. Western blot assay was also employed to detect impacts of curcumin on tophosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) and P53 signaling pathways-related proteins. MTT assay displayed that curcumin inhibited GC cell proliferation. FCM results indicated that curcumin induced the apoptosis of GC cells. TEM revealed that curcumin induced autophagy in GC cells. Western blot results showed that curcumin activated P53 signaling pathway and inhibited PI3K signaling pathway. Curcumin may inhibit proliferation and induce the autophagy and apoptosis in GC cells. Additionally, curcumin activated the P53 signaling pathway by up-regulating P53 and P21, which also inhibited PI3K pathway through down-regulating PI3K, p-Akt and p-mTOR. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have played critical roles in a variety of cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In our study, we focused on the biological function and clinical significance of lncRNA LINC00968 in NSCLC. It was indicated that LINC00968 was significantly increased in LUAD tissues, LUSC tissues and NSCLC cells compared to their corresponding controls. Inhibition of LINC00968 was able to repress NSCLC growth, migration and invasion in vitro while upregulation of LINC00968 reversed this process. Additionally, downregulation of LINC00968 induced apoptosis capacity of A549 cell. Apoptosis-related proteins BCL-2 were decreased and BAX was increased by knockdown of LINC00968 respectively. Meanwhile we observed that Wnt signaling pathway was involved in the LINC00968-induced NSCLC progression. Finally, in vivo tumor xenografts were established using A549 cells to detect the function of LINC00968 in NSCLC tumorigenesis. Silencing LINC00968 greatly inhibited NSCLC tumor progression, which was consistent with the in vitro tests. In conclusion, we have uncovered that LINC00968 could be regarded as a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in NSCLC diagnosis and treatment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Sanguinarine, a benzophenanthridine alkaloid, has been previously demonstrated to exert antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activities. A previous study has identified Sanguinarine as a potential drug candidate for osteoporosis treatment by computational bioinformatics analysis. This study further evaluated the effects of Sanguinarine on the differentiation of murine preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells and its anti-osteoporosis activity in an ovarietomized rat model. Sanguinarine treatment (0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 µM) of MC3T3-E1 cells significantly increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and the phoshporalyation of AMP-activated protein kinase α subunit (AMPKα), but did not affect cell proliferation. The induction effects of Sanguinarine treatment (2 µM) on ALP activity, AMPKα phosphorylation, Smad1 phosphorylation and the expression of three osteoblast differentiation-regulators (bone morphogenetic protein 2 [BMP2], osterix [OSX] and osteoprotegerin [OPG]) were partially reversed by Compound C treatment. More importantly, Sanguinarine treatment promoted bone tissue growth in an ovariectomized (OVX) osteoporosis rat model as evaluated by histological examination, micro-CT analysis and serum parameter detection. In conclusion, these results indicate that Sanguinarine induces the differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells through the activation of the AMPK/Smad1 signaling pathway. Sanguinarine can stimulate bone growth in vivo and may be an effective drug for osteoporosis treatment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal and disabling neurodegenerative disease characterized by upper and lower motor neurons depletion. In our previous work, comprehensive genomic profiling of 41 motor cortex samples enabled to discriminate controls from sporadic ALS patients, and segregated these latter into two distinct subgroups (SALS1 and SALS2), each associated with different deregulated genes. In the present study, we focused our attention on two of them, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide ( PACAP ) and its type 1 receptor ( PAC1R ), and validated the results of the transcriptome experiments by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. To assess the functional role of PACAP and PAC1R in ALS, we developed an in vitro model of human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC)-derived motor neurons and examined the trophic effects of exogenous PACAP following neurodegenerative stimuli. Treatment with 100 nM PACAP was able to effectively rescue iPSC-derived motor neurons from apoptosis, as shown by cell viability assay and protein dosage of the apoptotic marker (BAX). All together, these data suggest that perturbations in the PACAP-PAC1R pathway may be involved in ALS pathology and represent a potential drug target to enhance motor neuron viability. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Gastrointestinal cancers are a global public health problem, which represent a vast majority of all cancer-caused deaths in both men and women. On the other hand, viral pathogens have been long implicated as etiological factors in the onset of certain human cancers, including gastrointestinal tumors. In this regard, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), Epstein - Barr Virus (EBV) and John Cunningham Virus (JCV) have been more strongly suggested to be involved in gastrointestinal carcinogenesis; so that, the association of HPV with oropharyngeal and anal cancers and also the association of EBV with gastric cancer have been etiologically confirmed by epidemiological and experimental investigations. Although, the association of other viruses is less evident, but may rely on co-factors for their oncogenic roles. Therefore, to improve the prevention and treatment of these classes of cancer, their association with viral agents as potential risk factors should be investigated with care. In this respect, the present review has focused on the existing literature on the subject of viral involvement in gastrointestinal tumorgenesis, by covering and discussing various gastrointestinal cancers, corresponding viral agents and their oncogenic aspects and then summarizing evidences either supporting or rejecting a causal role of these pathogens in gastrointestinal malignancies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Neo vessel formation by angiogenesis is an important event during many pathological conditions including cancer, where it is indispensable for tumor growth and survival. Although, various pro-angiogenic cytokines and soluble factors, secreted by tumor cells, have been reported to promote angiogenesis, recent studies have shown regulatory role of exosomes, secreted by tumor cells in the process of angiogenesis. These exosomes are capable of carrying nucleic acids, proteins etc. as their cargo. Under the light of these facts and considering the presence of miRNAs, the non-coding RNAs capable of regulating target gene expression, as one of the major cargos in the exosomes, we investigated, whether exosomes derived from normoxic and hypoxic tumor cell colonies exhibit difference in levels of miR-23∼27∼24 cluster members and if so, to check the significance of their horizontall transfer on the process of angiogenesis. Results of our study showed that exosomes secreted by hypoxic tumor cell colonies possess significantly higher levels of miR23a and can induce angiogenesis.. Further we have shown that exosomes secreted by cells that ectopically over express miR23a is capable of inducing angiogenesis in different angiogenic model systems such as CAM, in ovo Xenograft and HUVEC models systems. Further, mechanistic analysis revealed that miR23a driven regulation of angiogenesis is brought about by down regulation of SIRT1 in the recipient cells. Collectively, the results presented here suggest that exosomal transfer of miR23a from tumor cell colonies can induce the process of angiogenesis by targeting SIRT1 in the recipient endothelial cells. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Increasing flavonoids have been reported to possess anti-angiogenic effects. Inhibition of angiogenesis plays a critical role in the treatment of cancer, especially in advanced metastatic cancer. In this study, we assessed the effect of Oroxylin A-7-glucuronide (Oroxyloside), a main metabolite of Oroxylin A, on angiogenesis in human endothelial cell-like EA.hy926 cells. Oroxyloside suppressed the migration and tube formation of EA.hy926 cells. Meanwhile, microvessels sprouting from aortic rings and new blood vessels on the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) were also inhibited. Mechanism studies showed that Oroxyloside reduced the autophosphorylation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2/Flk-1) while it up-regulated the expression of R-Ras and VE-cadherin. In consequence, Oroxyloside inhibited the downstream Akt/MAPK/NF-κB pathways and then decreased the nuclear translocation and DNA binding ability of NF-κB. Furthermore, in-vivo study showed that Oroxyloside exhibited a potential anti-angiogenic effect in Matrigel plug assay and inhibited growth of xenografted tumors with low systemic toxicity, which could be ascribed to the inhibition of VEGFR2 internalization. Taken together, these results suggested that Oroxyloside could inhibit angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo via suppressing the internalization of VEGFR2 and might serve as a potential antitumor agent. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: We performed a network meta-analysis (NMA) to compare the short- and long-term efficacy of Gemcitabine, Gemcitabine + S-1 (tegafur), Gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel, Gemcitabine + Capecitabine, Gemcitabine + Cisplatin, FOLFIRINOX (oxaliplatin + irinotecan + fluorouracil + leucovorin), Gemcitabine + oxaliplatin, Gemcitabine + irinotecan, Gemcitabine + Exatecan, Gemcitabine + pemetrexed, Gemcitabine + 5-FU and S-1 in treating advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer (PC). The odds radios (OR) or weighted mean difference (WMD) and surface under the cumulative ranking curves (SUCRA) were evaluated by a combination of direct evidence and indirect evidence. In total twenty studies were included in this paper. For short-term efficacy, the overall response rate (ORR) was lower for patients treated with Gemcitabine compared with Gemcitabine + S-1, Gemcitabine + Cisplatin, Gemcitabine + irinotecan and S-1. The ORR for FOLFIRINOX was higher compared with Gemcitabine, Gemcitabine + Capecitabine and Gemcitabine + Cisplatin. The disease control rate (DCR) for Gemcitabine was lower compared with Gemcitabine + S-1, Gemcitabine + Cisplatin and FOLFIRINOX. For long-term efficacy, the 12-month overall survival (OS) rate for FOLFIRINOX was higher compared with Gemcitabine, Gemcitabine + Capecitabine, Gemcitabine + Cisplatin, Gemcitabine + irinotecan, Gemcitabine + Exatecan and Gemcitabine + pemetrexed. The SUCRA revealed that FOLFIRINOX was relatively better in both short-term and long-term efficacy, while Gemcitabine was relatively poorer. In both short-term and long-term efficacy, FOLFIRINOX had the best short term and long term efficacy among the 12 chemotherapy regimens while efficacy of Gemcitabine was relatively poorer in the treatment of advanced or metastatic PC. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Recent studies indicate that Family with sequence similarity 20 member C (FAM20C) catalyzes the phosphorylation of secreted proteins, and participates in a variety of biological processes, including cell proliferation, migration, mineralization and phosphate homeostasis. To explore the local influences of FAM20C on osteoblast, Fam20c -deficient osteoblasts were generated by treating the immortalized Fam20c f/f osteoblasts with CMV-Cre-IRES-EGFP lentivirus. Compared with the normal Fam20c f/f osteoblasts, the expression of Bone sialoprotein ( Bsp) , Osteocalcin ( Ocn) , Fibroblast growth factor 23 ( Fgf23) and transcription factors that promote osteoblast maturation were up-regulated in the Fam20c -deficient osteoblasts. In contrast, the expression of Dental matrix protein 1 (Dmp1), Dentin sialophosphoprotein (Dspp), Osteopontin (Opn), type I Collagen a 1 (Col1a1) and Alkine phosphatase (Alp) were down-regulated in the Fam20c -deficient cells. These alterations disclosed the primary regulation of Fam20c on gene expression. The Fam20c -deficient osteoblasts showed a remarkable reduction in the ability of forming mineralized nodules. However, supplements of extracellular matrix proteins extracted from the normal bone failed to rescue the reduced mineralization, suggesting that FAM20C may affect the biomineralization by the means more than local phosphorylation of extracellular matrix proteins and systemic phosphorus homeostasis. Moreover, although Fam20c deficiency had little impact on cell proliferation, it significantly reduced cell migration and lowered the levels of p-Smad1/5/8, p-Erk and p-p38, suggesting that the kinase activity of FAM20C might be essential to cell mobility and the activity of BMP ligands. In summary, these findings provide evidences that FAM20C may regulate osteoblast maturation, migration, mineralization and BMP signaling pathways in a cell-autonomous manner. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Cells reside in a complex microenvironment (niche) in which the biochemical and biophysical properties of the extracellular matrix profoundly affect cell behavior. Extracellular stiffness, one important bio-mechanical characteristic of the cell niche, is important in regulating cell proliferation, migration, and lineage specification. However, the mechanism by which mechanical signals guide osteogenic and adipogenic commitment of stem cells remains difficult to dissect. To explore this question, we generated a range of polydimethylsiloxane-based matrices with differing degrees of stiffness that mimicked the stiffness seen in natural tissues and examined adipose stem cell morphology, spreading, vinculin expression and differentiation along the osteogenic and adipogenic pathways. Rigid matrices allowed broader cell spreading, faster growth rate and stronger expression of vinculin in adipose-derived stem cells. In the presence of inductive culture media, stiffness-dependent osteogenesis and adipogenesis of the adipose stem cells indicated that there was a combinatorial effect of biophysical and biochemical cues; no such lineage specification was observed in normal media. Osteogenic differentiation behavior showed a correlation with matrix rigidity, as well as with elevated expression of RhoA, ROCK-1/-2 and related proteins in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. The result provides a comprehensive understanding of how stem cells respond to the surrounding microenvironment and points to the fact that matrix stiffness is a critical element in biomaterial design and this will be an important advance in stem cell-based tissue engineering. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: ABSTRACT Integrins are transmembrane adhesion receptors that play an important role in hematopoiesis by facilitating interactions between hematopoietic cells and extracellular matrix components of the bone marrow and hematopoietic tissues. These interactions are important in regulating the function, proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells, as well as their homing and mobilization in the bone marrow. Not surprisingly altered expression and function of integrins plays a key role in the development and progression of cancer including leukemias. However, the regulation of integrin gene expression is not well characterized and the mechanisms by which integrin genes are disrupted in cancer remain unclear. Here we demonstrate for the first time that a key regulator of hematopoiesis, RUNX1, binds to and regulates the promoters of both the ITGA6 and ITGB4 genes in myeloid cells. The ITGA6 and ITGB4 integrin genes form the α6β4 integrin receptor. However our data indicates that RUNX1 functions differently at these two promoters. RUNX1 regulates ITGA6 through a consensus RUNX1 binding motif in its promoter. In contrast, although the ITGB4 promoter is also activated by RUNX1, it does so in the absence of a recognized consensus RUNX1 binding motif. Further, our data suggest that regulation of ITGB4 may involve interactions between the promoter and upstream regulatory elements. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: The intestinal epithelium plays an essential role in nutrient absorption, hormone release and barrier function. Maintenance of the epithelium is driven by continuous cell renewal by stem cells located in the intestinal crypts. The amount and type of diet influence this process and result in changes in the size and cellular make-up of the tissue. The mechanism underlying the nutrient-driven changes in proliferation is not known, but may involve a shift in intracellular metabolism that allows for more nutrients to be used to manufacture new cells. We hypothesized that nutrient availability drives changes in cellular energy metabolism of small intestinal epithelial crypts that could contribute to increases in crypt proliferation. We utilized primary small intestinal epithelial crypts from C57BL/6J mice to study 1) the effect of glucose on crypt proliferation, and 2) the effect of glucose on crypt metabolism using an extracellular flux analyzer for real-time metabolic measurements. We found that glucose increased both crypt proliferation and glycolysis, and the glycolytic pathway inhibitor 2-Deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) attenuated glucose-induced crypt proliferation. Glucose did not enhance glucose oxidation, but did increase the maximum mitochondrial respiratory capacity, which may contribute to glucose-induced increases in proliferation. Glucose activated Akt/HIF-1α signaling pathway, which might be at least in part responsible for glucose-induced glycolysis and cell proliferation. These results suggest that high glucose availability induces an increase in crypt proliferation by inducing an increase in glycolysis with no change in glucose oxidation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) is characterized by structural changes in pulmonary arteries. Increased numbers of cells expressing α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) is a nearly universal finding in the remodeled artery. It has been confirmed endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) may be a source of those α-SMA–expressing cells. In addition, the EndoMT is reversible. Here, we show that under hypoxia, the expression of bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP-7) was decreased both in vivo and in vitro. We also found that under normoxia, BMP-7 deficiency induced spontaneous EndoMT and cell migration. The hypoxia-induced EndoMT and cell migration were markedly attenuated after pretreatment with rh-BMP-7. Moreover, m-TOR phosphorylation was involved in EndoMT and BMP-7 suppressed hypoxia-induced m-TORC1 phosphorylation in pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Our results demonstrate that BMP-7 attenuates the hypoxia-induced EndoMT and cell migration by suppressing the m-TORC1 signaling pathway. Our study revealed a novel mechanism underlying the hypoxia-induced EndoMT in pulmonary artery endothelial cells and suggested a new therapeutic strategy targeting EndoMT for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: The effect of fenofibrate on the metabolism of skeletal muscle and visceral white adipose tissue of diet-induced obese (DIO) mice was investigated. C57BL/6J male mice were fed either a control or high-fat diet for eight weeks. Fenofibrate (50 mg/Kg b.w., daily) was administered by oral gavage during the last two weeks of the experimental period. Insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism in soleus muscles, glucose tolerance test, insulin tolerance test, indirect calorimetry, lipolysis of visceral white adipose tissue, expression of miR-103-3p in adipose tissue and miR-1a, miR-133a/b, miR-206, let7b-5p, miR-23b-3p, miR-29-3p, miR-143-3p in soleus muscle, genes related to glucose and fatty acid metabolism in adipose tissue and soleus muscle, and proteins (phospho-AMPKα2, Pgc1α, Cpt1b), intramuscular lipid staining, and activities of fatty acid oxidation enzymes in skeletal muscle were investigated. In DIO mice, fenofibrate prevented weight gain induced by HFD feeding by increasing energy expenditure; improved whole body glucose homeostasis, and in skeletal muscle, increased insulin dependent glucose uptake, miR-1a levels, reduced intramuscular lipid accumulation, and phospho-AMPKα2 levels. In visceral adipose tissue of obese mice, fenofibrate decreased basal lipolysis rate and visceral adipocytes hypertrophy, and induced the expression of Glut-4 , Irs1 and Cav-1 mRNA and miR-103-3p suggesting a higher insulin sensitivity of the adipocytes. The evidence is presented herein that beneficial effects of fenofibrate on body weight, glucose homeostasis and muscle metabolism might be related to its action in adipose tissue. Moreover, fenofibrate regulates miR-1a-3p in soleus and miR-103-3p in adipose tissue, suggesting these microRNAs might contribute to fenofibrate beneficial effects on metabolism. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Ionizing radiation-induced bone loss is a potential health concern in radiotherapy, occupational exposure and astronauts. Although impaired bone vasculature and reduced proliferation of bone-forming osteoblasts has been implicated in this process, it has not been clearly characterized that whether radiation affects the growth of bone-resorbing osteoclasts. The molecular crosstalk between different cell populations in the skeletal system has not yet been elucidated in detail, especially between the increased bone resorption at early stage of post-irradiation and bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (BM-EPCs). In order to further understand the mechanisms involved in radiation-induced bone loss at the cellular level, we assessed the effects of irradiation on angiogenesis of BM-EPCs and osteoclastogenesis of receptor activator for nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and crosstalk between these cell populations. We herein found significantly dysfunction of BM-EPCs in response to irradiation at a dose of 2 Gy, including inhibited proliferation, migration, tube-forming abilities and downregulated expression of pro-angiogenesis vascular endothelial growth factors A (VEGF A). Meanwhile, we observed that irradiation promoted osteoclastogenesis of RANKL-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells directly or indirectly. These results provide quantitative evidences of irradiation induced osteoclastogenesis at a cellular level, and strongly suggest the involvement of osteoclastogenesis, angiogenesis and crosstalk between bone marrow cells in the radiation-induced bone loss. This study may provide new insights for the early diagnosis and intervention of bone loss post-irradiation.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: ABSTRACT One of the methods employed to improve healing of damaged tissues is the use of cellular based therapies. A number of regenerative medicine based strategies, from in vitro expanded mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to “one-step” procedures using bone marrow (BM) in toto (BM aspirate; BMA) or BM concentrate (BMC), have been developed. Recently, orthopedic researchers focused their attention on the clinical therapeutic potential of BMC and BMA for musculoskeletal regeneration. BMA is reported as an excellent source of cells and growth factors. However, the quality of BM harvest and aspirate is extremely technique-dependent and, due to the presence of megakaryocytes and platelets, BMA is prone to clot. BMA clot formation is usually considered a complication hampering the procedures on both BMC preparation and MSC expansion. Therefore, different protocols have been developed to avoid and/or degrade clots. However, from a biological point of view there is a strong rationale for the use of BMA clot for tissue engineering strategies. This descriptive systematic literature review summarizes preclinical and clinical studies dealing the use of BMA clot for orthopedic procedures and provided some evidence supporting its use as a cell based therapy for cartilage and bone regeneration. Despite these results, there are still few preclinical and clinical studies that carefully evaluate the safety and efficacy of BMA clot in orthopedic procedures. Thus, implementing biological knowledge and both preclinical and clinical studies could help researchers and clinicians to understand if BMA clots can really be considered a possible therapeutic tool. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: The MEKK3/MEK5/ERK5 signalling axis is required for cardiovascular development in vivo . We analysed the physiological role of ERK5 in cardiac endothelial cells and the consequence of activation of this kinase by the statin class of HMG Co-A reductase inhibitor drugs. We utilised human microvascular endothelial cells (HCMECs) and altered ERK5 expression using siRNA mediated gene silencing or overexpression of constitutively active MEK5 and ERK5 to reveal a role for ERK5 in regulating endothelial tight junction formation and cell permeability. Statin treatment of HCMECs stimulated activation of ERK5 and translocation to the plasma membrane resulting in co-localisation with the tight junction protein ZO-1 and a concomitant reduction in endothelial cell permeability. Statin mediated activation of ERK5 was a consequence of reduced isoprenoid synthesis following HMG Co-A reductase inhibition. Statin pretreatment could overcome the effect of doxorubicin in reducing endothelial tight junction formation and prevent increased permeability. Our data provides the first evidence for the role of ERK5 in regulating endothelial tight junction formation and endothelial cell permeability. Statin mediated ERK5 activation and the resulting decrease in cardiac endothelial cell permeability may contribute to the cardioprotective effects of statins in reducing doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Apelin is an endogenous ligand of seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor APJ. Apelin and APJ are distributed in various tissues, including the heart, lung, kidney, and even in tumor tissues. Studies show that apelin mRNA is highly expressed in the inner stripe of kidney outer medulla, which plays an important role in process of water and sodium balance. Additionally, more studies also indicate that apelin/APJ system exerts a broad range of activities in kidney. Therefore, we review the role of apelin/APJ system in kidney diseases such as renal fibrosis, renal ischemia/reperfusion injury, diabetic nephropathy, polycystic kidney disease and hemodialysis. Apelin/APJ system can improve renal interstitial fibrosis by reducing the deposition of extracellular matrix. Apelin/APJ system significantly reduces renal ischemia/reperfusion injury by inhibiting renal cell death. Apelin/APJ system involves the progression of diabetic nephropathy. Apelin/APJ system also predicts the process of polycystic kidney disease. Besides, apelin/APJ system prevents some dialysis complications in hemodialysis patients. And apelin/APJ system alleviates chronic kidney disease by inhibiting vascular calcification. Overall, apelin/APJ system plays diversified roles in kidney disease and may be a potential target for the treatment of kidney disease. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: We previously demonstrated that the nuclear form of Glutathione Peroxidase 4 (nGPx4) has a peculiar distribution in sperm head, being localized to nuclear matrix and acrosome and that sperm lacking nGPx4 are more prone to decondensation in vitro. In this study we have hypothesized that sperm retained acetylated histones and nGPx4 are implicated in paternal chromatin decondensation and male pronucleus formation at fertilization. Indeed, significant higher amounts of acetylated histone H4 and acetylated histone H3 were observed by both immunofluorescence and western blotting in nGPx4-KO sperm vs WT ones. In vitro fertilization of zona pellucida-deprived oocytes by WT sperm in the presence of trichostatin (TSA) also demonstrated that paternal histone acetylation was inversely related to the timing of sperm nucleus decondensation at fertilization. In contrast, TSA had no effect on nGPx4-KO sperm, indicating they had a maximal level of histone acetylation. Moreover the paternally imprinted gene Igf2/H19 was hypomethylated in KO sperm compared to WT ones. The lack of nGPx4 negatively affected male fertility, causing a marked decrease in total pups and pregnancies with delivery, a significant reduction in pronuclei (PN) embryos in in vitro fertilization assays and an approximately 2 h delay in egg fertilization in vivo. Because the zona pellucida binding and fusion to oolemma of nGPx4-KO and WT sperm were similar, the subfertility of nGPx4 sperm reflected a decreased sperm progression through egg cumulus/zona pellucida, pinpointing a defective acrosome in line with acrosomal nGPx4 localization. We conclude that paternal acetylated histones and acrosomal nGPx4 are directly involved in fertilization. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Celiac disease is a multifactorial autoimmune chronic inflammatory disorder affecting approximately one percent of the worldwide population. In such patients, ingestion of gluten proteins from cereals like wheat, barley and rye causes damage of the small intestine mucosa, with potentially severe consequences. Onset of the disease in predisposed individuals is believed to require a still not clearly identified external trigger, such as viral infections. A very recent study has begun to shed light on a possible mechanistic basis for this hypothesis, and surprisingly linked intestinal infections caused by common reoviruses to the onset of celiac disease. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Chemokines play an important role in regulating the complex immune system at the maternal-fetal interface during pregnancy. Among various chemokines, C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) plays a role in the recruitment of immune regulatory cells to implantation sites within the endometrium. In cattle, CCL2 is abundantly expressed in the uterine endometrium. However, its intracellular signaling has not been identified. In this study, we examined the effects of CCL2 on bovine endometrial (BEND) cell proliferation. CCL2 stimulated BEND cell proliferation by abundant expression of PCNA, accumulation of cells in the G2/M phase, and activation of the PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways. Moreover, CCL2 reduced endoplasmic reticulum stress and restored the inflammation-induced reduction in BEND cell proliferation by regulating the unfolded protein response genes and cytokines. Collectively, these results demonstrated that CCL2 plays a pivotal role in reproductive tissues and may support maternal-fetal interface to improve efficiency of pregnancy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are a sub-population of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells that are released in circulation to restore damaged endothelium during its physiological turnover or rescue blood perfusion after an ischemic insult. Additionally, they may be mobilized from perivascular niches located within larger arteries' wall in response to hypoxic conditions. For this reason, EPCs have been regarded as an effective tool to promote revascularization and functional recovery of ischemic hearts, but clinical application failed to exploit the full potential of patients-derived cells. Indeed, the frequency and biological activity of EPCs are compromised in aging individuals or in subjects suffering from severe cardiovascular risk factors. Rejuvenating the reparative phenotype of autologous EPCs through a gene transfer approach has, therefore, been put forward as an alternative approach to enhance their therapeutic potential in cardiovascular patients. An increase in intracellular Ca 2+ concentration constitutes a pivotal signal for the activation of the so-called endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs), the only known truly endothelial EPC subset. Studies from our group showed that the Ca 2+ toolkit differs between peripheral blood- and umbilical cord blood (UCB)-derived ECFCs. In the present article, we first discuss how VEGF uses repetitive Ca 2+ spikes to regulate angiogenesis in ECFCs and outline how VEGF-induced intracellular Ca 2+ oscillations differ between the two ECFC subtypes. We then hypothesize about the possibility to rejuvenate the biological activity of autologous ECFCs by transfecting the cell with the Ca 2+ -permeable channel Transient Receptor Potential Canonical 3, which selectively drives the Ca 2+ response to VEGF in UCB-derived ECFCs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Chrysin is mainly found in passion flowers, honey, and propolis acts as a potential therapeutic and preventive agent to inhibit proliferation and invasion of various human cancer cells. Although chrysin has anti-carcinogenic effects in several cancers, little is known about its functional roles in ovarian cancer which shows poor prognosis and chemoresistance to traditional therapeutic agents. In the present study, we investigated functional roles of chrysin in progression of ovarian cancer cells using ES2 and OV90 (clear cell and serous carcinoma, respectively) cell lines. Results of the current study demonstrated that chrysin inhibited ovarian cancer cell proliferation and induced cell death by increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cytoplasmic Ca 2+ levels as well as inducing loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Moreover, chrysin activated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathways in ES2 and OV90 cells in concentration-response experiments. Collectively, our results led us to propose that chrysin-induced apoptotic events are mediated by the activation of PI3K and MAPK pathways in human ovarian cancer cells. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: The G2-M transition of the cell cycle requires the activation of members of the Cdc25 dual specificity phosphatase family. Using Xenopus oocyte maturation as a model system, we have previously shown that chelation of transition metals blocks meiosis progression by inhibiting Cdc25C activation. Here, using approaches that allow for the isolation of very pure and active recombinant Cdc25C, we show that Cdc25C does not bind zinc as previously reported. Additionally, we show that mutants in the disordered C-terminal end of Cdc25C are poor initiators of meiosis, likely due to their inability to localize to the proper sub-cellular location. We further demonstrate that the transition metal chelator, TPEN, acts on or upstream of polo-like kinases in the oocyte to block meiosis progression. Together our results provide novel insights into Cdc25C structure-function relationship and the role of transition metals in regulating meiosis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: mSEL-1L is a highly conserved ER-resident type I protein, involved in the degradation of misfolded peptides through the ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS), a pathway known to control the plasticity of the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) phenotype and survival. In this article we demonstrate that mSEL-1L deficiency interferes with the murine embryonic vascular network, showing particular irregularities in the intracranic and intersomitic neurovascular units and in the cerebral capillary microcirculation. During murine embryogenesis, mSEL-1L is expressed in cerebral areas known to harbor progenitor neural cells, while in the adult brain the protein is specifically restricted to the stem cell niches, co-localizing with Sox2 and Nestin. Null mice are characterized by important defects in the development of telenchephalic regions, revealing conspicuous aberration in neural stem cell lineage commitment. Moreover, mSEL-1L depletion in vitro and in vivo appears to affect the harmonic differentiation of the NSCs, by negatively influencing the corticogenesis processes. Overall, the data presented suggests that the drastic phenotypic characteristics exhibited in mSEL-1L null mice can, in part, be explained by the negative influence it plays on Notch1 signaling pathway. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune inflammatory disorder designated with hyperplastic synovium, bone destruction and cartilage degradation. Current therapies involve targeting major cytokines and inflammatory mediators involved in RA to alleviate the pain and provide a temporary relief. Interleukin 21 (IL-21), a recently identified cytokine is known to possess a versatile role in modulating the cells of the RA synovium. Over the past decade, the pleiotropic role of IL-21 in RA pathogenesis has been implicated in several aspects. T helper 17 (Th17) and follicular T helper cells (Tfh), being the key immunomodulators of the RA synovium secrete high amounts of IL-21 during disease progression. Several studies have provided experimental evidences elucidating the multifaceted role of IL-21 in RA disease progression. IL-21 has the potential to activate T cells, B cells, monocytes/macrophages and synovial fibroblasts in RA pathogenesis through activation of JAK-STAT, MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. Till date, therapies targeting Th17 cells and its inflammatory cytokines have been under investigation and are subjected to various clinical trials. This review showcases the function of IL-21 in RA pathogenesis and recent reports implicating its function in various immune cells, major signaling pathways and in promoting osteoclastogenesis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: AMAP1 was a GTPase-activating protein that regulates cytoskeletal structures in focal adhesions, circular dorsal ruffles, and promote cell differentiation in tumor cells. But the activation and function of AMAP1 in breast cancer remain largely unexplored. Here we show that AMAP1 was phosphorylated and translocated to plasma membrane and formed a stable complex with Pyk2 in response to CCL18. Moreover, CCL18-dependent AMAP1 translocation interfered the AMAP1-IKK-β interaction, resulting in nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-Κb)activation. Depletion of AMAP1 expression by RNAi efficiently reversed the CCL18-induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of breast cancer cells and as well as CCL18-induced adhesion, migration and invasion. Strikingly, AMAP1 overexpression was found in breast cancers that had undergone metastasis and was strongly predictive of poor prognosis in breast cancers. Given that AMAP1 mediated CCL18-induce activation of NF-κB and promoted breast cancer metastasis, AMAP1 may represent a therapeutic target for the eradication of breast cancer metastasis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Type 2 diabetes is an emerging global health epidemic. Foundations for new therapies are arising from understanding interactions between body systems. Bone-derived factors that reduce RANKL (receptor activator of NF-kappa B ligand) signaling in the liver may prevent insulin resistance and the onset of type 2 diabetes. Here we demonstrate that deletion of the epigenetic regulator, Hdac3, in Osx1-expressing osteoprogenitors prevents insulin resistance induced by high fat diet by increasing serum and skeletal gene expression levels of osteoprotegerin (Opg), a natural inhibitor of RANKL signaling. Removal of one Opg allele in mice lacking Hdac3 in Osx1+ osteoprogenitors increases the insulin resistance of the Hdac3-deficient mice on a high fat diet. Thus, Hdac3-depletion in osteoblasts increases expression of Opg, subsequently preserving insulin sensitivity. The Hdac inhibitor vorinostat also increased Opg transcription and histone acetylation of the Opg locus. These results define a new mechanism by which bone regulates systemic insulin sensitivity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) is abundantly expressed in conceptuses and endometria during pregnancy in diverse animal models including domestic animals. However, its intracellular mechanism of action has not been reported for bovine endometrial cells. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify functional roles of FGF2 in bovine endometrial (BEND) cell line which has served as a good model system for investigating regulation of signal transduction following treatment with interferon-tau (IFNT) in vitro . Results of present study demonstrated that administration of FGF2 to BEND cells increased their proliferation and regulated the cell cycle through DNA replication by an increase of PCNA and Cyclin D1. FGF2 also increased phosphorylation of AKT, P70S6K, S6, ERK1/2, JNK, and P38 in BEND cells in a dose-dependent manner, and expression of each of those transcription factors was inhibited by their respective pharmacological inhibitor including Wormannin, U0126 and SP600125. In addition, the increase in proliferation of BEND cells and activation of the protein kinases in response to FGF2 was suppressed by BGJ398, a FGFR inhibitor. Furthermore, proliferation of BEND cells was inhibited by tunicamycin, but treatment of BEND cells with FGF2 restored proliferation of BEND cells. Consistent with this result, the stimulated unfolded protein response (UPR) regulatory proteins induced by tunicamycin were down-regulated by FGF2. Results of this study suggest that FGF2 promotes proliferation of BEND cells and likely enhances uterine capacity and maintenance of pregnancy by activating cell signaling via the PI3K and MAPK pathways and by restoring ER stress through the FGFR. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: DNA methylation was the first epigenetic modification to be detected in human cancers with specific relation to aberrant gene expression. Herein, DNA methylation analysis explains how epigenetic patterns affect gene expression level. Hypermethylation at tumor suppressor gene loci leads to increased tumorigenesis due to tumor suppressor gene silencing, whereas global hypomethylation of CpG islands (CGIs) is followed by genomic instability and aberrant activation of multiple oncogenes. Therefore, characterization of the genes which silenced or activated epigenetically in human tumor cells can improve our understanding of cancer biology. Different genome-wide methodologies are applied to evaluate methylation status. Various commonly conducted techniques for this evaluation are reviewed in this paper. We provided comparative description of the procedures, advantages, and drawbacks of genome-wide DNA methylation analysis methods and biological applications, to give information on selecting the appropriate method for different methylation studies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Understanding neurite outgrowth, orientation, and migration is important for the design of biomaterials that interface with the neural tissue. However, the molecular signaling alternations have not been well elucidated to explain the impact of hydrogels on cell morphology. In our previous studies, a silk fibroin peptide (SF16) hydrogel was found to be an effective matrix for the viability, morphology and proliferation of PC12 rat pheocrhomocytoma cells. We found that PC12 cells in the peptide hydrogel exhibited adhesive morphology compared to those cultured in agarose or collagen. Moreover, we identified that cell adhesion molecules (E- and N-cadherin) controlled by mTOR signaling were highly induced in PC12 cells cultured in the SF16 peptide hydrogel. Our findings suggest that the SF16 peptide might be suitable to be a cell-adhesion material in cell culture or tissue engineering, and mTOR/cadherin signaling is required for the cell adhesion in the SF16-peptide hydrogel. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: The free gingival graft (FGG) and connective tissue graft (CTG) are currently considered to be the gold standards for keratinized gingival tissue reconstruction and augmentation. However, these procedures have some disadvantages in harvesting large grafts, such as donor-site morbidity as well as insufficient gingival width and thickness at the recipient site post-treatment. To solve these problems, we focused on an alternative strategy using micronized tissue transplantation (micro-graft). In this study, we first investigated whether transplantation of micronized gingival connective tissues (MGCTs) promotes skin wound healing. MGCTs (≤100 µm) were obtained by mincing a small piece (8 mm 3 ) of porcine keratinized gingiva using the RIGENERA system. The MGCTs were then transplanted to a full skin defect (5 mm in diameter) on the dorsal surface of immunodeficient mice after seeding to an atelocollagen matrix. Transplantations of atelocollagen matrixes with and without micronized dermis were employed as experimental controls. The results indicated that MGCTs markedly promote the vascularization and epithelialization of the defect area 14 days after transplantation compared to the experimental controls. After 21 days, complete wound closure with low contraction was obtained only in the MGCT grafts. Tracking analysis of transplanted MGCTs revealed that some mesenchymal cells derived from MGCTs can survive during healing and may function to assist in wound healing. We propose here that micro-grafting with MGCTs represents an alternative strategy for keratinized tissue reconstruction that is characterized by low morbidity and ready availability. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Osteocytes are the most abundant cells in bone and regulate bone metabolism in coordination with osteoblasts and osteoclasts. However, the molecules that control osteocytes are still incompletely understood. Profilin1 is an actin-binding protein that is involved in actin polymerization. Osteocytes possess characteristic dendritic process formed based on actin cytoskeleton. Here, we examined the expression of profilin1 and its function in osteocytes. Profilin1 mRNA was expressed in osteocytic MLO-Y4 cells and its levels were gradually increased along with the time in culture. With regard to functional aspect, knockdown of profilin1 by siRNA enhanced BMP-induced increase in alkaline phosphatase expression levels in MLO-Y4 cells. Profilin1 knockdown suppressed the levels of dendritic processes and migration of MLO-Y4 cells. Since ageing causes an increase in ROS in the body, we further examined the effects of hydrogen peroxide on the expression of profilin1. Hydrogen peroxide treatment increased the levels of profilin1 mRNA in MLO-Y4 cells in contrast to the decline in alkaline phosphatase. Profilin1 was expressed not only in MLO-Y4cells but also in the primary cultures of osteocytes. Importantly, profilin1 mRNA levels in primary cultures of osteocytes were higher than those in primary cultures of osteoblasts. To examine in vivo role of profilin1 in osteocytes, proflin1 was conditionally knocked out by using DMP1-cre and profilin1 floxed mice. This conditional deletion of profilin1 specifically in osteocytes resulted in reduction in the levels of bone volume and bone mineral density. These data indicate that profilin1 is expressed in osteocytes and regulates cell shape, migration and bone mass. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Phospholipid signaling has clear connections to a wide array of cellular processes, particularly in gene expression and in controlling the chromatin biology of cells. However, most of the work elucidating how phospholipid signaling pathways contribute to cellular physiology have studied cytoplasmic membranes, while relatively little attention has been paid to the role of phospholipid signaling in the nucleus. Recent work from several labs has shown that nuclear phospholipid signaling can have important roles that are specific to this cellular compartment. This review focuses on the nuclear phospholipid functions and the activities of phospholipid signaling enzymes that regulate metazoan chromatin and gene expression. In particular, we highlight the roles that nuclear phosphoinositides play in several nuclear-driven physiological processes, such as differentiation, proliferation, and gene expression. Taken together, the recent discovery of several specifically nuclear phospholipid functions could have dramatic impact on our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that enable tight control of cellular physiology. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: ABSTRACT The process of hemostatic plug formation at sites of vascular injury crucially relies on the large multimeric plasma glycoprotein von Willebrand factor (VWF) and its ability to recruit platelets to the damaged vessel wall via interaction of its A1 domain with platelet GPIbα. Under normal blood flow conditions, VWF multimers exhibit a very low binding affinity for platelets. Only when subjected to increased hydrodynamic forces, which primarily occur in connection with vascular injury, VWF can efficiently bind to platelets. This force-regulation of VWF's hemostatic activity is not only highly intriguing from a biophysical perspective, but also of eminent physiological importance. On the one hand, it prevents undesired activity of VWF in intact vessels that could lead to thromboembolic complications and on the other hand, it enables efficient VWF-mediated platelet aggregation exactly where needed. Here, we review recent studies that mainly employed biophysical approaches in order to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the complex mechano-regulation of the VWF-GPIbα interaction. Their results led to two main hypotheses: first, intramolecular shielding of the A1 domain is lifted upon force-induced elongation of VWF; second, force-induced conformational changes of A1 convert it from a low-affinity to a high-affinity state. We critically discuss these hypotheses and aim at bridging the gap between the large-scale behavior of VWF as a linear polymer in hydrodynamic flow and the detailed properties of the A1-GPIbα bond at the single-molecule level. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: ABSTRACT Cardiac hypertrophy (CH), characterized by the enlargement of cardiomyocytes, fibrosis and apoptosis, is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Despite the advances in cardiovascular research, there remains a need to further investigate the signaling pathways that mediate CH in order to identify novel therapeutic targets. One of the hallmarks of CH is the remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Multiple studies have shown an important role of cysteine proteases and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the remodeled heart. This review focuses on the role of cysteine cathepins and MMPs in cardiac remodeling. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: The Golgi apparatus is a ribbon-like system of stacks which consist of multiple closely apposed flattened cisternae and vesicles usually localized in the juxta-nuclear area. As for the biological functions, the Golgi apparatus plays a major role in protein biosynthesis, post-translational modification and sorting protein from ER to plasma membrane and other destinations. Structural changes and functional disorder of the Golgi apparatus is associated with various diseases. Moreover, increasing evidence revealed that swelling, poor development and other morphological alterations of the Golgi apparatus are linked to cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, arrhythmia and dilated cardiomyopathy. Furthermore, dysfunction of the Golgi apparatus is also related to cardiovascular diseases since the Golgi apparatus is extremely responsible for transport, glycosylation, biosynthesis and subcellular distribution of cardiovascular proteins. This review gives a brief overview of the intricate relationship between the Golgi apparatus and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, we provide a further prospective that the Golgi apparatus may provide diagnosis reference for cardiovascular diseases, and changes in the ultrastructure and morphology of the Golgi apparatus such as swelling, poor development and fragmentation may serve as a reliable index for cardiovascular diseases. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Elevated plasma low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) concentration is the most important risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a ubiquitously expressed serine proteinase which plays a key role in cholesterol metabolism, but has been found to be implicated in some other lipid-independent physiological processes. In this review, the role of PCSK9 was evaluated not only concerning lipid metabolism but also hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, bacterial infections/sepsis and septic shock. Collected data from clinical trials revealed that treatment with PCSK9 inhibitors has beneficial effects in lowering LDL-C via inhibition of LDL-receptors (LDL-R), an antiviral effect on HCV infection via down-regulating the surface expression of LDL-R and CD81 on hepatic cells, and a positive association with increased inflammatory responses, as well as with septic shock by down-regulation of hepatocyte LDL-R. On the other hand, PCSK9 inhibition by therapeutic fully humanized antibodies has positive effects in reducing elevated LDL-C. However, their safety and tolerability is an important issue which has to be taken into consideration. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Differentiated ameloblasts secret enamel matrix proteins such as amelogenin, ameloblastin, and enamelin. Expression levels of these proteins are regulated by various factors. To find a new regulatory factor for ameloblast differentiation, we performed 2D-PAGE analysis using mouse ameloblast lineage cell line (mALCs) cultured with mineralizing medium. Of identified proteins, family with sequence similarity 50 member A (Fam50a) was significantly increased during differentiation of mALCs. Fam50a protein was also highly expressed in secretory ameloblasts of mouse tooth germs. In mALCs cultures, forced expression of Fam50a up-regulated the expression of enamel matrix protein genes such as amelogenin, ameloblastin, and enamelin. In addition, up-regulation of Fam50a also increased ALP activity and mineralized nodule formation in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, knockdown of Fam50a decreased expression levels of enamel matrix protein genes, ALP activity, and mineralized nodule formation. By fluorescence microscopy, endogenous Fam50a protein was found to be localized to the nucleus of ameloblasts. In addition, Fam50a synergistically increased Ambn transactivation by Runx2. Moreover, Fam50a increased binding affinity of Runx2 to Ambn promoter by physically interacting with Runx2. Taken together, these results suggest Fam50a might be a new positive regulator of ameloblast differentiation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is often diagnosed at a late stage when tumor metastasis may have already occurred. Current treatments are often ineffective in metastatic disease, and consequently late diagnosis is often associated with poor outcomes in CRC. Alternative strategies are therefore urgently required. An interaction between epithelial cancer cells and their tissue microenvironment is a contributor to metastasis, and therefore recent studies are beginning to focus on the properties of the tumor microenvironment and the mechanism by which the metastatic cells exploit the tumor microenvironment for survival, immune evasion, and growth. We have reviewed the development of the combined therapeutic approaches that have focused on targeting the microenvironment of colorectal cancer. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: ABSTRACT To obtain stable outcomes in regenerative medicine, understanding and controlling immunological responses in transplanted tissues are of great importance. In our previous study, auricular chondrocytes in tissue-engineered cartilage transplanted in mice were shown to express immunological factors, including macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). Since MIF exerts pleiotropic functions, in this study, we examined the roles of MIF in cartilage regenerative medicine. We made tissue-engineered cartilage consisting of auricular chondrocytes of C57BL/6J mouse, atellocollagen gel and a PLLA scaffold, and transplanted the construct subcutaneously in a syngeneic manner. Localization of MIF was prominent in cartilage areas of tissue-engineered cartilage at 2 weeks after transplantation, though it became less apparent by 8 weeks. Co-culture with RAW264 significantly increased the expression of MIF in chondrocytes, suggesting that the transplanted chondrocytes in tissue-engineered cartilage could enhance the expression of MIF by stimulation of surrounding macrophages. When MIF was added in the culture of chondrocytes, the expression of type II collagen was increased, indicating that MIF could promote the maturation of chondrocytes. Meanwhile, toluidine blue staining of constructs containing wild type ( Mif   +   /   + ) chondrocytes showed increased metachromasia compared to MIF-knockout ( Mif-/- ) constructs at 2 weeks. However, this tendency was reversed by 8 weeks, suggesting that the initial increase in cartilage maturation in Mif   +   /+ constructs deteriorated by 8 weeks. Since the Mif   +   /+ constructs included more iNOS-positive inflammatory macrophages at 2 weeks, MIF might induce an M1 macrophage-polarized environment, which may eventually worsen the maturation of tissue-engineered cartilage in the long term. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Skin health is associated with the day-to-day activity of fibroblasts. The primary function of fibroblasts is to synthesize structural proteins, such as collagen, extracellular matrix proteins, and other proteins that support the structural integrity of the skin and are associated with younger, firmer, and more elastic skin that is better able to resist and recover from injury. At sub-nanomolar concentrations (0.03-0.3 nM), bryostatin-1 and its synthetic analog, picolog (0.1-10 nM) sustained the survival and activation of human dermal fibroblasts cultured under the stressful condition of prolonged serum deprivation. Bryostatin-1 treatment stabilized human skin equivalents (HSEs), a bioengineered combination of primary human skin cells (keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts) on an extracellular matrix composed of mainly collagen. Fibroblasts activated by bryostatin-1 protected the structural integrity of HSEs. Bryostatin-1 and picolog prolonged activation of Erk in fibroblasts to promote cell survival. Chronic stress promotes the progression of apoptosis. Dermal fibroblasts constitutively express all components of Fas associated apoptosis, including caspase-8, an initiator enzyme of apoptosis. Prolong bryostatin-1 treatment reduced apoptosis by decreasing caspase-8 and protected dermal fibroblasts. Our data suggest that bryostatin-1 and picolog could be useful in anti-aging skincare, and could have applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Regenerative medicine has sparked interest in potential strategies for bone repair. Bone defects are widespread and could be caused by trauma, congenital malformations, infections, and surgery. Although bone has a large self-healing capacity, some defects or fractures are too big to regenerate. To regenerate bone structures which can be used for treatment of patients, bone growth must be induced by a number of bioactive implantable materials, cell types and intracellular and extracellular molecular signaling pathways. Since mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their differentiation during remodeling processes have important roles in bone regeneration, it is believed that understanding molecular signaling pathways involved is crucial to the development of bone implants, bone substitute materials, and cell-based scaffolds for bone regeneration. In this review, we briefly introduce concepts in fracture repair and regeneration following bone injuries, and then discuss the current clinical methods in bone regeneration. In the next section, we review the involvement of the various key signaling pathways in bone regeneration. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: ABSTRACT Osteoblast differentiation is a multistep process delicately regulated by many factors, including cytoskeletal dynamics and signaling pathways. Microtubule actin crosslinking factor 1 (MACF1), a key cytoskeletal linker, has been shown to play key roles in signal transduction and in diverse cellular processes; however, its role in regulating osteoblast differentiation is still needed to be elucidated. To further uncover the functions and mechanisms of action of MACF1 in osteoblast differentiation, we examined effects of MACF1 knockdown (MACF1-KD) in MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells on their osteoblast differentiation and associated molecular mechanisms. The results showed that knockdown of MACF1 significantly suppressed mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells, down-regulated the expression of key osteogenic genes alkaline phosphatase (ALP), runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) and type I collagen α1 (Col Iα1). Knockdown of MACF1 dramatically reduced the nuclear translocation of β-catenin, decreased the transcriptional activation of T cell factor 1 (TCF1), and down-regulated the expression of TCF1, lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1), and Runx2, a target gene of β-catenin/TCF1. In addition, MACF1 knockdown increased the active level of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), which is a key regulator for β-catenin signal transduction. Moreover, the reduction of nuclear β-catenin amount and decreased expression of TCF1 and Runx2 were significantly reversed in MACF1-KD cells when treated with lithium chloride, an agonist for β-catenin by inhibiting GSK-3β activity. Taken together, these findings suggest that knockdown of MACF1 in osteoblastic cells inhibits osteoblast differentiation through suppressing the β-catenin/TCF1-Runx2 axis. Thus, a novel role of MACF1 in and a new mechanistic insight of osteoblast differentiation are uncovered. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: In bone marrow (BM), haematopoietic elements are mingled with adipocytes (BM-A), which are the most abundant stromal component in the niche. BM-A progressively increase with ageing, eventually occupying up to 50% of BM cavities. In this work, the role played by BM-A was explored by studying primary human BM-A isolated from hip surgery patients at the molecular level, through microarray analysis, and at the functional level, by assessing their relationship with primary human haematopoietic stem cells (HSC) by the long-term culture initiating cell (LTC-IC) assay. Findings demonstrated that BM-A are capable of supporting HSC survival in the LTC-IC assay, since after 5 weeks of co-culture, HSC were still able to proliferate and differentiate. Furthermore, critical molecules such as C-X-C motif chemokine 12 (CXCL12), interleukin (IL)-8, colony-stimulating factor 3 (CSF3), and leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), were expressed at similar levels in BM-A and in primary human BM mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSC), whereas IL-3 was higher in BM-A. Interestingly, BM-A displayed a different gene expression profile compared with subcutaneous adipose tissue adipocytes (AT-A) collected from abdominal surgery patients, especially in terms of regulation of lipid metabolism, stemness genes and white-to-brown differentiation pathways. Accordingly, analysis of the gene pathways involved in haematopoiesis regulation showed that BM-A are more closely related to BM-MSC than to AT-A. The present data suggest that BM-A play a supporting role in the haematopoietic niche and directly sustain HSC survival. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: GPR84, a member of the G protein-coupled receptor family, is found predominantly in immune cells, such as macrophages, and functions as a pivotal modulator of inflammatory responses. In this study, we investigated the role of GPR84 in receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation. Our microarray data showed that GPR84 was significantly downregulated in osteoclasts compared to in their precursors, macrophages. The overexpression of GPR84 in bone marrow-derived macrophages suppressed the formation of multinucleated osteoclasts without affecting precursor proliferation. In addition, GPR84 overexpression attenuated the induction of c-Fos and nuclear factor of activated T cells, cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1), which are transcription factors that are critical for osteoclastogenesis. Furthermore, knockdown of GPR84 using a small hairpin RNA promoted RANKL-mediated osteoclast differentiation and gene expression of osteoclastogenic markers. Mechanistically, GPR84 overexpression blocked RANKL-stimulated phosphorylation of IκBα and three MAPKs, JNK, ERK, and p38. GPR84 also suppressed NF-κB transcriptional activity mediated by RANKL. Conversely, GPR84 knockdown enhanced RANKL-induced activation of IκBα and the three MAPKs. Collectively, our results revealed that GPR84 functions as a negative regulator of osteoclastogenesis, suggesting that it may be a potential therapeutic target for osteoclast-mediated bone-destructive diseases. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: ABSTRACT Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are considered cue regulators of tissue remodelling. Their activity is strongly governed by local milieu, where O 2 level is most important. The elevation of inflammatory mediators and acute O 2 lowering may additionally modulate MSC activity. In present paper the priming effects of IFN-gamma on adipose tissue-derived MSCs (ASCs) at tissue-related O 2 level (5%) and acute hypoxic stress (0.1% O 2 ) were assessed as alterations of ASCs' CFU-F, proliferation, migration, osteo-commitment. IFN-gamma priming provoked ROS elevation, cell growth slowdown, attenuation of both spontaneous and induced osteodifferentiation of tissue O2-adapted ASCs. The prominent changes in ASC cytoskeleton-related gene transcription was detected. IFN-gamma exposure shifted the ASC paracrine profile, suppressing the production of VEGF and IL-8, while MCP-1 and IL-6 were stimulated. Conditioned medium of IFN-gamma-primed ASCs did not activate vessel growth in the CAM assay, but induced endothelial cell migration in “wound closure”. Short-term hypoxia suppressed CFU-F number, IFN-gamma-induced elevation of IL-6 and endothelial cell migration, while it abolished IFN-gamma-provoked VEGF inhibition. After N-acetyl cysteine treatment ROS level was partly abolished providing additional enhancement of IL-6 and suppression of IL-8 and VEGF production. These findings demonstrated that paracrine activity of ASCs in part may be governed by ROS level. Thus, this study first demonstrated that IFN-gamma priming itself and in combination with acute O 2 deprivation could supply dual effects on ASC functions providing both stimulatory and hampering effects. The equilibrium of these factors is a substantial requirement for the execution of MSC remodelling functions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) presents a pervasive health burden due to the high morbidity and mortality associated with it. Volatile anesthetics like sevoflurane has been previously shown to have organ-protective effect, both in the context of normal physiological function in liver, and during LPS-induced ALI. Sevoflurane was shown to exert lung protective effect during LPS-induced ALI by modulating expression level of microRNAs (miRNAs), specifically miR-155. The objective of the current study was to define the underlying mechanism by which sevoflurane alters miRNA expression levels. Methods: Lung injury caused by LPS and its amelioration post sevoflurane administration was first confirmed. Expression levels of different miRNA and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) encoding inflammatory cytokines were measured in a rat model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI, which were subsequently treated with either sevoflurane or vehicle control. Results: Host of miRNAs and messenger RNAs encoding pro-inflammatory cytokines are overexpressed during LPS-induced ALI, which are reversed following sevoflurane administration. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the RNA-binding protein, poly r(C) binding protein 1 (PCBP1) expression is induced in ALI and is repressed following sevoflurane treatment. RNA immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that PCBP1 expression dictates the altered miRNA expression and sevoflurane altered miRNA expression by suppressing PCBP1 expression. Conclusion: Our study thus elucidates a unique mechanism of lung protective effect of sevoflurane mediated by suppression of expression of a RNA-binding protein that potentiates expression of pro-inflammatory miRNAs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Extracellular concentration of adenosine increases in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment. Adenosine signaling regulates apoptosis, angiogenesis, metastasis and immune suppression in cancer cells. Adenosine-induced cell responses depend upon different subtypes of adenosine receptors activation and type of cancer. Suppression of adenosine signaling via inhibition of adenosine receptors or adenosine generating enzymes including CD39 and CD73 on ovarian or cervical cancer cells is a potentially novel therapeutic approach for gynecological cancer patients. This review summarizes the role of adenosine in the pathogenesis of gynecological cancer for a better understanding and hence a better management of this disease. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Curcumin is known as a natural dietary polyphenol which is extracted from Curcuma longa L. It has been shown that curcumin has a variety of pharmacological effects such as antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial activities. Anti-cancer effects of curcumin are due to targeting of a wide range of cellular and molecular pathways involved in cancer pathogenesis including NF-kB, MAPK, PTEN, P53, and microRNAs (miRNA) network. Multiple lines of evidence have indicated that curcumin exerts its therapeutic effects via regulating miRNA expression (e.g. miR-1, miR-7, miR-9, miR-34a, miR-181, miR-21 and miR-19) which could lead to the regulation of underlying cellular and molecular pathways involved in cancer pathogenesis. Exosomes are one of the important classes of biological vehicles which could be released from various types of cells such as cancer cells and stem cells and could change the behavior of recipient cells. It has been shown that treatment of cancer cells with different dose of curcumin leads to the release of exosomes containing curcumin. These exosomes could induce anti-cancer properties in recipient cells and reduce tumor growth. Hence, exosomes containing curcumin could be applied as powerful tools for cancer treatment. Here, we highlighted various miRNAs which could be affected by curcumin in various types of cancer. Moreover, we highlight exosomes containing curcumin as suitable therapeutic tools in cancer therapy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Apigenin is a plant-derived flavonoid having anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic properties in chronic and metabolic diseases, and cancers. However, the functional role of apigenin remains to be identified in human endometriosis that is a benign inflammatory disease causing infertility, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and chronic abdominal or pelvic pain. In the present study, we determined the effects of apigenin on two well-established human endometriosis cell lines (VK2/E6E7 and End1/E6E7). Apigenin reduced proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in the both endometriosis cell lines. In addition, it disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) which was accompanied by an increase in concentration of calcium ions in the cytosol and in pro-apoptotic proteins including Bax and cytochrome c in the VK2/E6E7 and End1/E6E7 cells. Moreover, apigenin treated cells accumulated excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), and experienced lipid peroxidation and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress with activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) regulatory proteins. Furthermore, the apigenin-induced apoptosis in endometriosis cells was regulated via the ERK1/2, JNK and AKT cell signaling pathways. Taken together, apigenin is a potential novel therapeutic agent to overcome current limitations in the treatment to endometriosis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Mammalian hibernation includes re-programming of metabolic capacities, partially, encouraged by microRNAs (miRNAs). Albeit much is known about the functions of miRNAs, we need learning on low temperature miRNAs target determination. As hibernators can withstand low body temperatures (TB) for a long time without anguish tissue damage, understanding the means and mechanisms that empower them to do as such are of restorative intrigue. Nonetheless, these mechanisms by which miRNAs and the hibernators react to stressful conditions are not much clear. It is evident from recent data that the gene expression and the translation of mRNA to protein are controlled by miRNAs. The miRNAs also influence regulation of major cellular processes. As the significance of miRNAs in stress conditions adaptation are getting clearer, this audit article abridges the key alterations in miRNA expression and the mechanism that facilitates stress survival. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Ozone, one of the most important air pollutants, is a triatomic molecule containing three atoms of oxygen that results in an unstable form due to its mesomeric structure. It has been well-known that ozone has potent ability to oxidize organic compounds and can induce respiratory irritation. Although ozone has deleterious effects, many therapeutic effects have also been suggested. Since last decades, the therapeutic potential of ozone has gained much attention through its strong capacity to induce controlled and moderated oxidative stress when administered in precise therapeutic doses. A plethora of scientific evidence showed that the activation of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1a), nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT), nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2-antioxidant response element (Nrf2-ARE), and activated protein-1 (AP-1) pathways are the main molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of ozone therapy. Activation of these molecular pathways leads to up-regulation of endogenous antioxidant systems, activation of immune functions as well as suppression of inflammatory processes, which is important for correcting oxidative stress in diabetes and spinal pain. The present study intended to review critically the available scientific evidence concerning the beneficial properties of ozone therapy for treatment of diabetic complications and spinal pain. It finds benefit for integrating the therapy with ozone into pharmacological procedures, instead of a substitutive or additional option to therapy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Humanized mice are superior to rodents for preclinical evaluation of the efficacy and safety of drug candidates using human cells or tissues. During the past decade, humanized mouse technology has been greatly advanced by the establishment of novel platforms of genetically modified immunodeficient mice. Several human diseases can be recapitulated using humanized mice due to the improved engraftment and differentiation capacity of human cells or tissues. In this review, we discuss current advanced humanized mouse models that recapitulate human diseases including cancer, allergy, and graft-versus-host disease. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: ABSTRACT Malignant glioma is the most fatal of astrocytic lineage tumors despite therapeutic advances. Onset and progression of gliomas is accompanied by severe debilitation of T-cell defense and T-cell survival. One of the chief contributors to T-cell survival downstream of activation is the PI3K-AKT pathway. Our prior studies showed that the novel immunotherapeutic molecule T11-target structure (T11TS) blocks T-cell apoptosis in glioma. We also showed activation of immunological synapse components and calcineurin-NFAT pathway following T11TS immunotherapy of glioma-bearing rats. This lead to investigations whether such T-cell activation upon T11TS therapy translates into activation of downstream PI3K/AKT signals which may be related to observed blockade of T-cell apoptosis. For the purpose, we assessed by flowcytometry and immunoblotting, expressions of PI3K, PDK1, AKT, p-AKT, and PTEN in splenic T-cells of normal, experimentally-induced glioma-bearing rats and glioma-bearing rats receiving first, second and third doses of T11TS. We also determined comparative nuclear translocation of NF-κB across groups. We found significant increases in T-cell expressions of PDK1, PI3K and p-AKT in T11TS-treated animal groups compared to sharp downregulations in glioma. AKT levels remained unchanged across groups. PTEN levels declined sharply after T11TS immunotherapy. T11TS also caused enhanced NF-κB translocation to the T-cell nucleus compared to glioma group. Results showed heightened activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway in glioma-bearing rats following T11TS immunotherapy. These results illustrate the novel role of T11TS immunotherapy in ameliorating the PI3K pathway in T-cells in glioma-bearing animals to enhance T-cell survival, according greater defense against glioma. The study thus has far-reaching clinical outcomes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: As a young science, nanotechnology promptly integrated into the current oncology practice. Accordingly, various nanostructure particles were developed to reduce drug toxicity and allow the targeted delivery of various diagnostic and therapeutic compounds to the cancer cells. New sophisticated nanosystems constantly emerge to improve the performance of current anticancer modalities. Targeting tumor vasculature is an attractive strategy to fight cancer. Though the idea was swiftly furthered from basic science to the clinic, targeting tumor vasculature had a limited potential in patients, where tumors relapse due to the development of multiple drug resistance and metastasis. The aim of this review is to discuss the advantages of nanosystem incorporation with various vascular targeting agents, including endogen anti-angiogenic agents; (ii) inhibitors of angiogenesis-related growth factors, (iii) inhibitors of tyrosine kinase receptors; (iv) inhibitors of angiogenesis-related signaling pathways, (v) inhibitors of tumor endothelial cell-associated markers, and (vi) tumor vascular disrupting agents. We also review the efficacy of nanostructures as natural vascular targeting agents. The efficacy of each approach in cancer therapy is further discussed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: ABSTRACT The use of stem cells in cell-based therapy is an emerging concept for the treatment of ear disorders. Tympanic membrane perforation (TMP) and inner ear disorders are some of the most commonly presented otologic disorders that can benefit from advances in cell-based therapy. Studies have already demonstrated that stem cell-based therapy can potentially be an effective treatment modality for acute and chronic TMP. Recent studies have also shown promise in application of cell-based approach to treat inner ear dysfunction. In this perspective, we will discuss the recent advancements regarding the use of cell-based therapy for ear disorders. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: ABSTRACT Lipoprotein(a) Lp(a) is a cholesterol-rich, LDL-like particle that is independently associated with an increased risk for ischemic heart disease, atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and stroke. Genetic variation in the Lp(a) locus and some other genes related to Lp(a) synthesis and metabolism play a critical role in regulating plasma Lp(a) levels. The pathophysiological potential of Lp(a) is related to proatherogenic and prothrombotic effects on the vasculature. Different molecular mechanisms underlying the atherothrombotic potential of Lp(a), free apolipoprotein(a), and oxidized-Lp(a) have been proposed. However, plasma Lp(a) assay is complicated by problems associated with quantification and standardization owing to the polymorphic nature of this lipoprotein. This review has focused on the physicochemical properties of Lp(a), the genetic aspects of Lp(a), the need for accurate determination of Lp(a), the synthesis and recent findings on metabolism of Lp(a). Lastly, the patho-physiological mechanisms by which Lp(a) may increase athero-thrombosis and an overview on the therapeutic modalities to interfere with Lp(a) are summarized. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Angiogenesis is known as one of the hallmarks in cancer which could play a key role in providing oxygen and nutrients for tumor cells. It has been shown that tumor cannot grow without sufficient development of new blood vessels. Accordingly, targeting angiogenesis, especially endothelial cells, could be considered as a common therapeutic target in tumors and more investigation on already existing biomarkers and potentially new biomarkers of endothelial cells seems to be necessary in cancer therapy. Moreover, the use of effective targeting approaches such as proteins and peptides, aptamers, and small molecules is an important step for targeting biomarkers associated with endothelial cells and angiogenesis in cancer therapy. These agents are FDA approved, or are currently under investigation in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Among various biomarkers for angiogenesis microRNAs are suitable candidates for target therapy. These molecules play key roles in tumor angiogenesis which exert their effect via targeting a variety of cellular and molecular pathways involved in tumor angiogenesis. Here, we summarize a variety of biomarkers which their expressions or their functions could change the function of endothelial cells in tumor microenvironments. Moreover, we highlighted various therapeutic agents which could target these biomarkers. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Recently, PSEN1 has been reported to have mutations in dilated cardiomyopathy pedigrees. However, the function and mechanism of PSEN1 in cardiomyopathy remains unresolved. Here, we established 4 types of genetically modified mice to determine the function of PSEN1 in cardiac development and pathology. PSEN1 null mutation resulted in perinatal death, retardation of heart growth, ventricular dilatation, septum defects, and valvular thickening. PSEN1 knockout in adults led to decreased muscle fibers, widened sarcomere Z lines and reduced lengths of sarcomeres in cardiomyocytes. Cardiovascular loss of function of PSEN1 induced by Sm22a-Cre or Myh6-Cre/ER /tamoxifen also resulted in severe ultrastructural abnormalities, such as relaxed gap junctions between neighboring cardiomyocytes. Functionally, cardiovascular deletion of PSEN1 caused spontaneous mortality from birth to adulthood and led to diastolic heart dysfunction, including decreased volume of the left ventricle at the end-systolic and end-diastolic stages. Additionally, in a myocardial ischemia model, deletion of PSEN1 in the cardiovascular system first protected mice by inducing adaptive hypertrophy but ultimately resulted in severe heart failure. Furthermore, a collection of genes was abnormally expressed in the hearts of cardiac-specific PSEN1 knockout mice. They were enriched in cell proliferation, calcium regulation, and so on. Taken together, dynamic regulation and abnormal function of PSEN1 underlie the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases due to ultrastructural abnormality of cardiomyocytes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) as an adjuvant therapy in in vitro and in vivo bone engineering has proven to be extremely useful. The present study aimed at investigating the effect of 30 mW/cm 2 LIPUS stimulation on commercially available human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) cultured in basal or osteogenic medium at different experimental time points (7d, 14d, 21d). The hypothesis was that LIPUS would improve the osteogenic differentiation of hMSC and guarantying the maintenance of osteogenic committed fraction, as demonstrated by cell vitality and proteomic analysis. LIPUS stimulation (a) regulated the balance between osteoblast commitment and differentiation by specific networks (activations of RhoA/ROCK signaling and upregulation of Ribosome constituent/Protein metabolic process, Glycolysis/Gluconeogenesis, RNA metabolic process/Splicing and Tubulins); (b) allowed the maintenance of a few percentage of osteoblast precursors (21d CD73 + /CD90 + : 6%; OCT-3/4 + /NANOG + /SOX2 + : 10%); (c) induced the activation of osteogenic specific pathways shown by gene expression (early: ALPL , COL1A1 , late: RUNX2 , BGLAP, MAPK1/6 ) and related protein release (COL1a1, OPN, OC), in particular in the presence of osteogenic soluble factors able to mimic bone microenvironment. To summarize, LIPUS might be able to improve the osteogenic commitment of hMSCs in vitro , and, at the same time, enhance their osteogenic differentiation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: High attrition of new oncology drug candidates in clinical trials is partially caused by the poor predictive capacity of artificial monolayer cell culture assays early in drug discovery. Monolayer assays do not take the natural three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment of cells into account. As a result, false positive compounds often enter clinical trials, leading to high dropout rates and a waste of time and money. Over the past two decades, tissue engineers and cell biologists have developed a broad range of 3D in vitro culturing tools that better represent in vivo cell biology. These tools preserve the 3D architecture of cells and can be used to predict toxicity of and resistance against antitumor agents. Recent progress in tissue engineering further improves 3D models by taking into account the tumor microenvironment, which is important for metastatic progression and vascularization. However, the widespread implementation of 3D cell cultures into cell-based research programs has been limited by various factors, including their cost and reproducibility. In addition, different 3D cell culture techniques often produce spheroids of different size and shape, which can strongly influence drug efficacy and toxicity. Hence, it is imperative to morphometrically characterize multicellular spheroids to avoid generalizations among different spheroid types. Standardized 3D culturing procedures could further reduce data variability and enhance biological relevance. Here, we critically evaluate the benefits and challenges inherent to growing cells in 3D, along with an overview of the techniques used to form spheroids. This is done with a specific focus on antitumor drug screening. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Ptn is a pleiotropic growth factor involving in the regulation of cellular proliferation and differentiation, but its biological function in uterine decidualization remains unknown. Here we showed that Ptn was highly expressed in the decidual cells, and could induce the proliferation of uterine stromal cells and expression of Prl8a2 and Prl3c1 which were two well-established differentiation markers for decidualization, suggesting an important role of Ptn in decidualization. In the uterine stromal cells, progesterone stimulated the expression of Ptn accompanied with an accumulation of intracellular cAMP level. Silencing of Ptn impeded the induction of progesterone and cAMP on the differentiation of uterine stromal cells. Administration of PKA inhibitor H89 resulted in a blockage of progesterone on Ptn expression. Further analysis evidenced that regulation of progesterone and cAMP on Ptn was mediated by C/EBPβ. During in vitro decidualization, knockdown of Ptn could weaken the up-regulation of Prl8a2 and Prl3c1 elicited by C/EBPβ overexpression, while constitutive activation of Ptn reversed the repressive effects of C/EBPβ siRNA on the expression of Prl8a2 and Prl3c1. Meanwhile, Ptn might mediate the regulation of C/EBPβ on Hand2 which was a downstream target of Ptn in the differentiation of uterine stromal cells. Attenuation of Ptn or C/EBPβ by specific siRNA blocked the stimulation of Hand2 by progesterone and cAMP. Collectively, Ptn may play a vital role in the progesterone-induced decidualization pathway. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Silibinin is a flavonolignan extracted from seeds of milk thistles. Traditionally, it has been used as a therapeutic agent for liver disorders, and now it is well-known for its anti-cancer effects. However, studies on anti-cancer effects of silibinin on choriocarcinoma are very limited. Therefore, we performed proliferation and apoptosis assays to determine effects of silibinin on the viability of human choriocarcinoma (JAR and JEG3) cells. Our results showed that silibinin significantly inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in both JAR and JEG3 cells, and significantly increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation. Moreover, silibinin disrupted mitochondrial function by inducing permeabilization of mitochondrial membrane potential and calcium ion efflux in JAR and JEG3 cells. Furthermore, silibinin-induced apoptosis in choriocarcinoma cells via AKT, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and unfolded protein response (UPR) signal transduction. Collectively, our results suggest that silibinin is a novel therapeutic agent or dietary supplement for management of human placental choriocarcinomas. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: There is increasing demand for efficient and physiological in vitro cell culture systems suitable for testing new pharmaceutical drugs or for evaluating materials for tissue regeneration. In particular, co-cultures of two or more tissue-relevant cell types have the advantage to study the response of cells on diverse parameters in a more natural environment with respect to physiological complexity. We developed a direct bone cell co-culture system using human peripheral blood monocytes (hPBMC) and human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSC) as osteoclast/osteoblast precursor cells, respectively, strictly avoiding external supplements for the induction of differentiation. The sophisticated direct hPBMC/hBMSC co-culture was characterized focusing on osteoclast function and was compared with two indirect approaches. Only in the direct co-culture, hPBMC were triggered by hBMSC into osteoclastogenesis and became active resorbing osteoclasts. Bisphosphonates and sulfated glycosaminoglycans were used to examine the suitability of the co-culture system for evaluating the influence of certain effectors on bone healing and bone regeneration and the contribution of each cell type thereby. The results show that the investigated substances had more pronounced effects on both osteoblasts and osteoclasts in the co-culture system than in respective monocultures. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Sulfur mustard (SM) is a vesicating agent that has been employed as a chemical warfare agent. High-dose exposure to sulfur mustard may lead to the damage of rapidly proliferating cells of bone marrow and, therefore, suppression of the immune system. This may be continued as dysfunction of the immune system, and ultimately result in secondary immune disorders. Studies have suggested a role for T cells in SM-induced lung injury. Moreover, observations from animal studies indicate a delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response after skin exposure to SM, providing an understanding that SM can stimulate specific T cell-mediated immune responses. On the other hand, T helper (Th) 17 cells, which are a subset of CD4+ T cells, have recently been reported to be involved in a number of inflammatory, autoimmune, and chronic fibrotic lung diseases. Furthermore, a strong association has been established between the overproduction of profibrotic cytokines like transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and Th17 cell number. In this review, we aimed to go through the new findings about the involvement and interactions of TGF-β and Th17 in SM-related injuries. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) catalyzes deacetylation of histones at the promoter and coding regions of transcribed genes and regulates chromatin structure and transcription. To explore the role of HDAC2 and phosphorylated HDAC2 in gene regulation, we studied the location along transcribed genes, the mode of recruitment and the associated proteins with HDAC2 and HDAC2S394ph in chicken polychromatic erythrocytes. We show that HDAC2 and HDAC2S394ph are associated with transcriptionally active chromatin and located in the interchromatin channels. HDAC2S394ph was present primarly at the upstream promoter region of the transcribed CA2 and GAS41 genes, while total HDAC2 was also found within the coding region of the CA2 gene. Recruitment of HDAC2 to these genes was partially dependent upon on-going transcription. Unmodified HDAC2 was associated with RNA binding proteins and interacted with RNA bound to the initiating and elongating forms of RNA polymerase II. HDAC2S394ph was not associated with RNA polymerase II. These results highlight the differential properties of unmodified and phosphorylated HDAC2 and the organization of acetylated transcriptionally active chromatin in the chicken polychromatic erythrocyte. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: ABSTRACT Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a class of drugs that are mainly used to treat pain, inflammation and fever via cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition. There are abundant findings that uncover the hidden critical chemotherapeutics potential of NSAIDs in cancer treatment. However, still the precise mechanism by which NSAIDs could be used as an effective anti-tumor agent in the prevention of carcinogenesis is not well understood. Here, we show that indomethacin, a well-known NSAID, induces proteasomal dysfunction that results in accumulation of unwanted proteins, mitochondrial abnormalities and successively stimulate apoptosis in cells. We observed the interaction of indomethacin with proteasome and noticed the massive accumulation of intracellular ubiquitin-positive proteins, which might be due to the suppression of proteasome activities. Furthermore, we also found that exposure of indomethacin causes the accumulation of critical proteasomal substrates that consequently generate severe mitochondrial abnormalities and prompt up key apoptotic events in cells. Our results demonstrate how indomethacin affects normal proteasomal functions and induces mitochondrial apoptosis in cells. These findings also improve our current understanding of how NSAIDs can exhibit crucial anti-proliferative effects in cells. In near future, our findings may suggest a new possible strategy for the development of specific proteasome inhibitors in conjunction with other chemo-preventive anticancer agents. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: ABSTRACT Bone destruction or osteolysis marked by excessive osteoclastic bone resorption is a very common medical condition. Identification of agents that can effectively suppress excessive osteoclast formation and function is crucial for prevention and treatment of osteolytic conditions such as periprosthetic joint infection and periprosthetic loosening. Luteoloside, a flavonoid, is a natural bioactive compound with anti-inflammation and anti-tumor properties. However, the effect of Luteoloside on inflammation-induced osteolysis is unknown. Here, we found that Luteoloside exhibited a strong inhibitory effect on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced osteolysis in vivo . In addition, Luteoloside suppressed RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation and abrogated bone resorption in a dose-dependent manner. Further, we found that the anti-osteoclastic and anti-resorptive actions of Luteoloside are mediated via blocking NFATc1 activity and the attenuation of RANKL-mediated Ca 2+ signaling as well as NF-κB and MAPK pathways. Taken together, this study shows that Luteoloside may be a potential therapeutic agent for osteolytic bone diseases associated with abnormal osteoclast formation and function in inflammatory conditions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved