scholarly journals Extracellular SPARC cooperates with TGF-β signalling to induce pro-fibrotic activation of systemic sclerosis patient dermal fibroblasts

Rheumatology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (9) ◽  
pp. 2258-2263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiago Carvalheiro ◽  
Beatriz Malvar Fernández ◽  
Andrea Ottria ◽  
Barbara Giovannone ◽  
Wioleta Marut ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives SSc is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation, vascular injury and excessive fibrosis in multiple organs. Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is a matricellular glycoprotein that regulates processes involved in SSc pathology, such as inflammation and fibrosis. In vivo and in vitro studies have implicated SPARC in SSc, but it is unclear if the pro-fibrotic effects of SPARC on fibroblasts are a result of intracellular signalling or fibroblast interactions with extracellular SPARC hampering further development of SPARC as a potential therapeutic target. This study aimed to analyse the potential role of exogenous SPARC as a regulator of fibrosis in SSc. Methods Dermal fibroblasts from both healthy controls and SSc patients were stimulated with SPARC alone or in combination with TGF-β1, in the absence or presence of a TGF receptor 1 inhibitor. mRNA and protein expression of extracellular matrix components and other fibrosis-related mediators were measured by quantitative PCR and western blot. Results Exogenous SPARC induced mRNA and protein expression of collagen I, collagen IV, fibronectin 1, TGF-β and SPARC by dermal fibroblasts from SSc patients, but not from healthy controls. Importantly, exogenous SPARC induced the activation of the tyrosine kinase SMAD2 and pro-fibrotic gene expression induced by SPARC in SSc fibroblasts was abrogated by inhibition of TGF-β signalling. Conclusion These results indicate that exogenous SPARC is an important pro-fibrotic mediator contributing to the pathology driving SSc but in a TGF-β dependent manner. Therefore, SPARC could be a promising therapeutic target for reducing fibrosis in SSc patients, even in late states of the disease.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (19) ◽  
pp. 10581
Author(s):  
Eszter Becskeházi ◽  
Marietta Margaréta Korsós ◽  
Eleonóra Gál ◽  
László Tiszlavicz ◽  
Zsófia Hoyk ◽  
...  

Several clinical studies indicate that smoking predisposes its consumers to esophageal inflammatory and malignant diseases, but the cellular mechanism is not clear. Ion transporters protect esophageal epithelial cells by maintaining intracellular pH at normal levels. In this study, we hypothesized that smoking affects the function of ion transporters, thus playing a role in the development of smoking-induced esophageal diseases. Esophageal cell lines were treated with cigarettesmoke extract (CSE), and the viability and proliferation of the cells, as well as the activity, mRNA and protein expression of the Na+/H+ exchanger-1 (NHE-1), were studied. NHE-1 expression was also investigated in human samples. For chronic treatment, guinea pigs were exposed to tobacco smoke, and NHE-1 activity was measured. Silencing of NHE-1 was performed by using specific siRNA. CSE treatment increased the activity and protein expression of NHE-1 in the metaplastic cells and decreased the rate of proliferation in a NHE-1-dependent manner. In contrast, CSE increased the proliferation of dysplastic cells independently of NHE-1. In the normal cells, the expression and activity of NHE-1 decreased due to in vitro and in vivo smoke exposure. Smoking enhances the function of NHE-1 in Barrett’s esophagus, and this is presumably a compensatory mechanism against this toxic agent.


2021 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 096368972097873
Author(s):  
Jing Li ◽  
Youming Zhu ◽  
Na Li ◽  
Tao Wu ◽  
Xianyu Zheng ◽  
...  

The lack of vasculogenesis often hampers the survivability and integration of newly engineered tissue grafts within the host. Autologous endothelial cells (ECs) are an ideal cell source for neovascularization, but they are limited by their scarcity, lack of proliferative capacity, and donor site morbidity upon isolation. The objective of this study was to determine whether differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) into the endothelial lineage can be enhanced by recombinant ETV2 overexpression. DPSCs were extracted from fresh dental pulp tissues. ETV2 overexpression in DPSCs was achieved by lentiviral infection and cellular morphological changes were evaluated. The mRNA and protein expression levels of endothelial-specific markers were assessed through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blot, immunofluorescence staining, and flow cytometry. The tube formation assay and Matrigel plug assay were also performed to evaluate the angiogenic potential of the ETV2-transduced cells in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Additionally, proteomic analysis was performed to analyze global changes in protein expression following ETV2 overexpression. After lentiviral infection, ETV2-overexpressing DPSCs showed endothelial-like morphology. Compared with control DPSCs, significantly higher mRNA and protein expression levels of endothelial-specific genes, including CD31, VE-Cadherin, VEGFR1, and VEGFR2, were detected in ETV2-overexpressing DPSCs. Moreover, ETV2 overexpression enhanced capillary-like tube formation on Matrigel in vitro, as well as neovascularization in vivo. In addition, comparative proteomic profiling showed that ETV2 overexpression upregulated the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors, which was indicative of increased VEGF signaling. Taken together, our results indicate that ETV2 overexpression significantly enhanced the endothelial differentiation of DPSCs. Thus, this study shows that DPSCs can be a promising candidate cell source for tissue engineering applications.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinxin Yang ◽  
Haibo Yang ◽  
Fengdi Wu ◽  
Zhipeng Qi ◽  
Jiashuo Li ◽  
...  

Excessive manganese (Mn) can accumulate in the striatum of the brain following overexposure. Oxidative stress is a well-recognized mechanism in Mn-induced neurotoxicity. It has been proven that glutathione (GSH) depletion is a key factor in oxidative damage during Mn exposure. However, no study has focused on the dysfunction of GSH synthesis-induced oxidative stress in the brain during Mn exposure. The objective of the present study was to explore the mechanism of Mn disruption of GSH synthesis via EAAC1 and xCT in vitro and in vivo. Primary neurons and astrocytes were cultured and treated with different doses of Mn to observe the state of cells and levels of GSH and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and measure mRNA and protein expression of EAAC1 and xCT. Mice were randomly divided into seven groups, which received saline, 12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg MnCl2, 500 mg/kg AAH (EAAC1 inhibitor) + 50 mg/kg MnCl2, 75 mg/kg SSZ (xCT inhibitor) + 50 mg/kg MnCl2, and 100 mg/kg NAC (GSH rescuer) + 50 mg/kg MnCl2 once daily for two weeks. Then, levels of EAAC1, xCT, ROS, GSH, malondialdehyde (MDA), protein sulfhydryl, carbonyl, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and morphological and ultrastructural features in the striatum of mice were measured. Mn reduced protein levels, mRNA expression, and immunofluorescence intensity of EAAC1 and xCT. Mn also decreased the level of GSH, sulfhydryl, and increased ROS, MDA, 8-OHdG, and carbonyl in a dose-dependent manner. Injury-related pathological and ultrastructure changes in the striatum of mice were significantly present. In conclusion, excessive exposure to Mn disrupts GSH synthesis through inhibition of EAAC1 and xCT to trigger oxidative damage in the striatum.


Author(s):  
Mohammad Reza Shiran ◽  
Elham Mahmoudian ◽  
Abolghasem Ajami ◽  
Seyed Mostafa Hosseini ◽  
Ayjamal Khojasteh ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives Angiogenesis is the most important challenge in breast cancer treatment. Recently, scientists become interesting in rare natural products and intensive researches was performed to identify their pharmacological profile. Auraptene shows helpful effects such as cancer chemo-preventive, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, immuno-modulatory. In this regard, we investigated the anti-angiogenesis effect of Auraptene in in-vitro and in-vivo model of breast cancer. Methods In this study, 4T, MDA-MB-231 and HUVEC cell lines were used. The proliferation study was done by MTT assay. For tube formation assay, 250 matrigel, 1 × 104 HUVEC treated with Auraptene, 20 ng/mL EGF, 20 ng/mL bFGF and 20 ng/mL VEGF were used. Gene expression of important gene related to angiogenesis in animal model of breast cancer was investigated by Real-time PCR. Protein expression of VCAM-1 and TNFR-1 gene related to angiogenesis in animal model of breast cancer was investigated by western-blot. Results Auraptene treatment led to reduction in cell viability of MDA-MB-231 in a concentration-dependent manner. Also, we observed change in the number of tubes or branches formed by cells incubated with 40 and 80 μM Auraptene. Auraptene effect the gene expression of important gene related to angiogenesis (VEGF, VEGFR2, COX2, IFNɣ). Moreover, the western blot data exhibited that Auraptene effect the protein expression of VCAM-1 and TNFR-1. Conclusions Overall, this study shows that Auraptene significantly suppressed angiogenesis via down-regulation of VEGF, VEGFR2, VCAM-1, TNFR-1, COX-2 and up-regulation of IFNγ.


Author(s):  
Pollyana Ribeiro Castro ◽  
Lucas Felipe Fernandes Bittencourt ◽  
Sébastien Larochelle ◽  
Silvia Passos Andrade ◽  
Charles Reay Mackay ◽  
...  

Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) derived from microbiota and is involved in a range of cell processes in a concentration-dependent manner. Low concentrations of sodium butyrate (NaBu) was shown to be proangiogenic. However, the mechanisms associated with these effects are not yet fully known. Here, we investigated the contribution of the SCFA receptor GPR43 in the proangiogenic effects of local treatment with NaBu and its effects on matrix remodeling using the sponge-induced fibrovascular tissue model in mice lacking the GPR43 gene (GPR43-KO) and the wild-type (WT). We demonstrated that NaBu (0.2 mM intraimplant) treatment enhanced the neovascularization process, blood flow, and VEGF levels in a GPR43-dependent manner in the implants. Moreover, NaBu was able to modulate matrix remodeling aspects of the granulation tissue such as proteoglycans production, collagen deposition and α-SMA expression in vivo, besides to increase TGF-b1 levels in the fibrovascular tissue, in a GPR43-dependent manner. Interestingly, NaBu directly stimulated L929 murine fibroblasts migration, and TGF-β1 and collagen production in vitro. GPR43 was found to be expressed in human dermal fibroblasts, myofibroblasts and endothelial cells. Overall, our findings evidence that the metabolite-sensing receptor GPR43 contributes to the effects of low dose of NaBu in inducing angiogenesis and matrix remodeling during granulation tissue formation. These data provide important insights for the proposition of new therapeutic approaches based on NaBu, beyond the highly explored intestinal, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer purposes, as a local treatment to improve tissue repair, particularly, by modulating granulation tissue components.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ching-Yuan Wu ◽  
Yu-Shih Lin ◽  
Yao-Hsu Yang ◽  
Li-Hsin Shu ◽  
Yu-Ching Cheng ◽  
...  

Outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 occurred in Wuhan and has rapidly spread to almost all parts of world. GB-1, the herbal formula from Tian Shang Sheng Mu of Chiayi Puzi Peitian Temple, is used for the prophylaxis of SARS-CoV-2 in Taiwan. In this study, we investigated that the effect of GB-1 and the index compounds of GB-1 on the ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression through in vitro and in vivo study. In our result, GB-1 can inhibit ACE2 and TMPRSS2 protein expression in HepG2 cells, 293T cells, and Caco-2 cells without cytotoxicity. For the mouse model, GB-1 treatment could decrease ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression levels of the lung and kidney tissue without adverse effects, including nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. In the compositions of GB-1, 0.5–1 mg/ml of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC. extract could not inhibit ACE2 mRNA and protein expression in HepG2 cells. In addition, theaflavin-3-gallate could inhibit protein expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 without significant cytotoxicity. Our results suggest that GB-1 and theaflavin-3-gallate could act as potential candidates for prophylaxis or treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection through inhibiting protein expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 for the further study.


2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. S194-S195
Author(s):  
S.J Yoon ◽  
C.S Shin ◽  
K.-H Baek ◽  
J.J Ko ◽  
N.Y Yoon ◽  
...  

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0241448
Author(s):  
Lisa Annabel Weber ◽  
Anne Funtan ◽  
Reinhard Paschke ◽  
Julien Delarocque ◽  
Jutta Kalbitz ◽  
...  

Equine sarcoid (ES) is the most prevalent skin tumor in equids worldwide. Additionally, aging grey horses frequently suffer from equine malignant melanoma (EMM). Current local therapies targeting these skin tumors remain challenging. Therefore, more feasible topical treatment options should be considered. In order to develop a topical therapy against ES and EMM, betulinyl-bis-sulfamate and NVX-207, derivatives of the naturally occurring betulin and betulinic acid, respectively, were evaluated for their antiproliferative (crystal violet staining assay), cytotoxic (MTS assay) and apoptotic (AnnexinV staining, cell cycle investigations) effects on primary ES cells, EMM cells and equine dermal fibroblasts in vitro. The more potent derivative was assessed for its in vitro penetration and permeation on isolated equine skin within 30 min and 24 h using Franz-type diffusion cells and HPLC analysis. Betulinyl-bis-sulfamate and NVX-207 inhibited the proliferation and metabolism in ES cells, EMM cells and fibroblasts significantly (p < 0.001) in a time- and dose-dependent manner. NVX-207 had superior anticancer effects compared to betulinyl-bis-sulfamate. Both compounds led to the externalization of phosphatidylserines on the cell membrane and DNA fragmentation, demonstrating that the effective mode of action was apoptosis. After 48 h of treatment with NVX-207, the number of necrotic cells was less than 2% in all cell types. Detected amounts of NVX-207 in the different skin layers exceeded the half-maximal inhibitory concentrations calculated by far. Even though data obtained in vitro are auspicious, the results are not unconditionally applicable to the clinical situation. Consequently, in vivo studies are required to address the antitumoral effects of topically applied NVX-207 in ES and EMM patients.


2016 ◽  
Vol 90 (10) ◽  
pp. 5047-5058 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Klymenko ◽  
H. Hernandez-Lopez ◽  
A. I. MacDonald ◽  
J. M. Bodily ◽  
S. V. Graham

ABSTRACTThe human papillomavirus (HPV) life cycle is tightly linked to differentiation of the infected epithelial cell, suggesting a sophisticated interplay between host cell metabolism and virus replication. Previously, we demonstrated in differentiated keratinocytesin vitroandin vivothat HPV type 16 (HPV16) infection caused increased levels of the cellular SR splicing factors (SRSFs) SRSF1 (ASF/SF2), SRSF2 (SC35), and SRSF3 (SRp20). Moreover, the viral E2 transcription and replication factor that is expressed at high levels in differentiating keratinocytes could bind and control activity of the SRSF1 gene promoter. Here, we show that the E2 proteins of HPV16 and HPV31 control the expression of SRSFs 1, 2, and 3 in a differentiation-dependent manner. E2 has the greatest transactivation effect on expression of SRSF3. Small interfering RNA depletion experiments in two different models of the HPV16 life cycle (W12E and NIKS16) and one model of the HPV31 life cycle (CIN612-9E) revealed that only SRSF3 contributed significantly to regulation of late events in the virus life cycle. Increased levels of SRSF3 are required for L1 mRNA and capsid protein expression. Capsid protein expression was regulated specifically by SRSF3 and appeared independent of other SRSFs. Taken together, these data suggest a significant role of the HPV E2 protein in regulating late events in the HPV life cycle through transcriptional regulation of SRSF3 expression.IMPORTANCEHuman papillomavirus replication is accomplished in concert with differentiation of the infected epithelium. Virus capsid protein expression is confined to the upper epithelial layers so as to avoid immune detection. In this study, we demonstrate that the viral E2 transcription factor activates the promoter of the cellular SRSF3 RNA processing factor. SRSF3 is required for expression of the E4^L1 mRNA and so controls expression of the HPV L1 capsid protein. Thus, we reveal a new dimension of virus-host interaction crucial for production of infectious virus. SRSF proteins are known drug targets. Therefore, this study provides an excellent basis for developing strategies to regulate capsid protein production in the infected epithelium and the production of new virions.


2008 ◽  
Vol 139 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. P98-P98
Author(s):  
Ze-Zhang Tao ◽  
Wang Yan

Problem To develop an RNA-interference (RNAi) approach involving the hitting of multiple targets by a recombinant plasmid and evaluate its antitumor effect on laryngeal squamous carcinoma in vitro and in vivo. Methods A plasmid containing 3 different short hairpin RNA (shRNA) segments termed pEGFP-shVEGF-shTERT-shBcl-xl was constructed. Plasmids containing single shRNA against each target (VEFG, TERT, BCL-xl alone) individually were also constructed as control. Cells were treated with these plasmids. The expression of targeted genes as well as apoptosis of tumor cells were evaluated after treatment with multiple shRNA vectors or control vectors. The mRNA and protein expression were determined by RT-PCR and western blotting. Cell viability was examined using the MTT assay. Apoptotic morphological alterations were observed by Hoechst staining and electron microscopy. The in vivo antitumor effect was characterized in a nude mice model of laryngeal squamous carcinoma. Results We demonstrated that a recombinant plasmid containing multiple shRNAs could effectively and simultaneously inhibit VEGF, TERT and Bcl-xl mRNA and protein expression in the HEp-2 cells; the plasmid containing the 3 different shRNAs exhibited a potent antitumor effect on LSCC both in vitro and in vivo, and could much more effectively induced cell apoptosis than each single shRNA. We also demonstrated that the simultaneous blockage of these 3 genes have a better inhibitory effect on human HEp-2 cells than the blockage of each single shRNA. Conclusion Our study demonstrates that the application of vector-based RNAi technology that involves hitting multiple targets will be a promising therapeutic modality in the gene therapy of human laryngeal cancers. Significance Our study provides experimental evidence for the clinical application of this technology in the future. Support This work was supported by the grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30471873, No.30672313 and No.30740012).


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