Recombinant angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 improves pulmonary blood flow and oxygenation in lipopolysaccharide-induced lung injury in piglets

2010 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 596-601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedikt Treml ◽  
Nikolaus Neu ◽  
Axel Kleinsasser ◽  
Christian Gritsch ◽  
Thomas Finsterwalder ◽  
...  
Diagnosis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 385-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Vikse ◽  
Giuseppe Lippi ◽  
Brandon Michael Henry

AbstractCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), shares similarities with the former SARS outbreak, which was caused by SARS-CoV-1. SARS was characterized by severe lung injury due to virus-induced cytopathic effects and dysregulated hyperinflammatory state. COVID-19 has a higher mortality rate in men both inside and outside China. In this opinion paper, we describe how sex-specific immunobiological factors and differences in angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression may explain the increased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in males. We highlight that immunomodulatory treatment must be tailored to the underlying immunobiology at different stages of disease. Moreover, by investigating sex-based immunobiological differences, we may enhance our understanding of COVID-19 pathophysiology and facilitate improved immunomodulatory strategies.


2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (6) ◽  
pp. 637-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. J. Rey-Parra ◽  
A. Vadivel ◽  
L. Coltan ◽  
A. Hall ◽  
F. Eaton ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Joseph W. Golden ◽  
Curtis R. Cline ◽  
Xiankun Zeng ◽  
Aura R. Garrison ◽  
Brian D. Carey ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has created an international health crisis. Small animal models mirroring SARS-CoV-2 human disease are essential for medical countermeasure (MCM) development. Mice are refractory to SARS-CoV-2 infection due to low affinity binding to the murine angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) protein. Here we evaluated the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 in male and female mice expressing the human ACE2 gene under the control of the keratin 18 promotor. In contrast to non-transgenic mice, intranasal exposure of K18-hACE2 animals to two different doses of SARS-CoV-2 resulted in acute disease including weight loss, lung injury, brain infection and lethality. Vasculitis was the most prominent finding in the lungs of infected mice. Transcriptomic analysis from lungs of infected animals revealed increases in transcripts involved in lung injury and inflammatory cytokines. In the lower dose challenge groups, there was a survival advantage in the female mice with 60% surviving infection whereas all male mice succumbed to disease. Male mice that succumbed to disease had higher levels of inflammatory transcripts compared to female mice. This is the first highly lethal murine infection model for SARS-CoV-2. The K18-hACE2 murine model will be valuable for the study of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and the assessment of MCMs.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Benedikt Treml ◽  
Alexander Loeckinger ◽  
Axel Kleinsasser ◽  
Elisabeth Schoepf ◽  
Ralf Geiger ◽  
...  

Objective. Meconium aspiration induces acute lung injury (ALI) in neonates born through meconium-stained amniotic fluid. As yet, there is no specific therapy for improving the outcome. Recently, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which inactivates angiotensin II (Ang II), has been shown to ameliorate murine ALI. Design. To evaluate the therapeutic potential of this substance, we studied ACE2 in a piglet model of ALI induced by meconium aspiration. Subjects. Twelve anesthetized piglets were subjected in an animal research laboratory. ALI was induced by tracheal meconium instillation. Thereafter, six animals were randomly assigned to the ACE2 group, while another 6 served as control. Measurements. Systemic, pulmonary hemodynamic, and blood gas exchange parameters and Ang II levels were examined before ALI induction and at various time points after administering ACE2 or saline. In addition, ventilation-perfusion distribution of the lung was assessed by the multiple inert gas elimination technique (MIGET). Main Results. Animals treated with ACE2 maintained significantly higher arterial partial pressures of oxygen (Pao2) and lower arterial partial pressures of carbon dioxide (Paco2), respectively. Furthermore, Ang II, which was substantially increased, returned to basal values. Conclusion. In summary, ACE2 improves blood gas exchange in meconium-induced ALI in piglets.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 113-118
Author(s):  
Naisha Chokshi ◽  
Amal Abdul-Hafez ◽  
Bruce D Uhal

Purpose: Meconium pneumonitis occurs due to local lung injury and inflammation in newborn with meconium aspiration. The activation of Renin Angiotensin System (RAS) plays critical role in lung injury. Angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE 2) functions as a negative regulator of the angiotensin system by converting pro-apoptotic Angiotensin II to anti-apoptotic Angiotensin 1-7. Our previous study has shown that meconium causes degradation of lung protective ACE-2 by proteolytic enzymes present in meconium. However, the specific proteases in meconium that degrade ACE-2 have not yet been identified.  Objective: To begin characterizing ACE-2-degrading proteases in meconium through the use of different subtypes of protease inhibitors. Methods: Alveolar epithelial A549 cells were exposed to F-12 medium, 2.5% meconium and meconium + specific protease inhibitors (PIs). Specific PIs used included chymostatin, AEBSF(Pefobloc) and leupeptin. At the end of incubation, cell lysates were collected for ACE-2 immunoblotting and enzyme activity. Results: Reduction of ACE-2 immunoreactive 100-115 kDa bands or enzymatic activity by meconium was attenuated by treatment with chymostatin, but not with the other the PIs.  These data suggest the involvement of cysteine-like proteases in meconium in ACE-2 degradation, and suggest a potential therapeutic strategy of PI administration to babies aspirating meconium.


Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mansoureh Barzegar ◽  
Yuping Wang ◽  
Jungmi W. Yun ◽  
Oleg Chernyshev ◽  
Roger Kelley ◽  
...  

Following thrombolytic therapy for stroke, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) mediated inflammation often disrupts the blood brain barrier (BBB). This can enhance expression of endothelial adhesion markers and perturb normal blood flow regulation. Proposed benefits of stem cell therapy (SCT) in stroke, besides long-term trans-differentiation into neural cells, include secretion of protective factors, which partly depends on exosomes released by stem cells. We evaluated human placenta mesenchymal stem cells (hPMSC) as potential ameliorative SCT in an acute ischemic stroke model. We hypothesize that hPMSC would achieve site-specific suppression of post-ischemic immune cell transmigration, preservation of the BBB and maintenance of blood flow via ‘paracrine’ signaling pathways in acute stroke injury.We found that intraperitoneal (IP) administration of hPMSC at the time of reperfusion, using the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)/reperfusion model, produced significant protection ( p =0.0001) of the ipsilateral hemisphere. We also demonstrated that hPMSC-treated MCAO mice exhibited significantly greater neurological recovery ( p <0.0001) compared to untreated MCAO, an effect which was accompanied by significant restoration of blood flow ( p <0.01) to the MCAO-stressed brains. Using Evans Blue dye assay, we also observed significant ( p =0.004) improvement of BBB integrity in ipsilateral hemispheres of hPMSC-treated mice vs MCAO controls. Furthermore, we determined that hPMSC-derived exosomes contribute to paracrine based protection of hPMSC in MCAO model. Importantly, we found that hPMSC/exosome protection is mediated partly by the function of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). To evaluate the contribution of ACE2 in protection of the brain after ischemic stroke, we first demonstrated that hPMSC and their exosomes express ACE2. Second, mice injected with hPMSC which had been pre-treated with the specific ACE2 inhibitor (10μM) MLN-4760, showed tissue injury and neurological behavior similar to that seen in untreated MCAO.We conclude that pleiotropic factors associated with hPMSC administration can have a favorable impact on blood flow, BBB integrity potentially alleviating the detrimental effects of ischemic stroke.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document