A High Throughput System for Long Term Application of Intermittent Cyclic Hydrostatic Pressure on Cells in Culture

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Rottmar ◽  
Sabine Ackerknecht ◽  
Peter Wick ◽  
Katharina Maniura-Weber

The process of bone remodeling is governed by mechanical stresses and strains. Studies on the effects of mechanical stimulation on cell response are often difficult to compare as the nature of the stimuli and differences in parameters applied vary greatly. Experimental systems for the investigation of mechanical stimuli are mostly limited in throughput or flexibility and often the sum of several stimuli is applied. In this work, a flexible system that allows the investigation of cell response to isolated intermittent cyclic hydrostatic pressure (icHP) on a high throughput level is shown. Human bone derived cells were cultivated with or without mechanical stimulus in the presence or absence of chemical cues triggering osteogenesis for 7–10 days. Cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation were evaluated by cell counting and immunohistochemical staining for bone alkaline phosphatase as well as collagen 1, respectively. In either medium, both cell proliferation and level of differentiation were increased when the cultures were mechanically stimulated. These initial results therefore qualify the present system for studies on the effects of isolated icHP on cell fate and encourage further investigations on the details behind the observed effects.

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (06) ◽  
pp. 1950049 ◽  
Author(s):  
SARAH TONELLO ◽  
MICHELA BORGHETTI ◽  
NICOLA F. LOPOMO ◽  
MAURO SERPELLONI ◽  
EMILIO SARDINI ◽  
...  

Impedance-based sensors represent a promising tool for cell monitoring to improve current invasive biological assays. A novel research field is represented by measurements performed in dynamic conditions, monitoring cells (e.g., myocytes) for which the mechanical stimulus plays an important role for promoting maturation. In this picture, we applied printed and stretchable electronics principles, developing a system able to evaluate cells adhesion during substrate cyclic strain. Cytocompatible and stretchable sensors were ink-jet printed using carbon-based ink on crosslinked poly([Formula: see text]-caprolactone) electrospun mats. Moreover, a customized stretching device was produced, with a complete user interface to control testing condition, validated in order to correlate impedance changes with myoblasts — i.e., myocytes precursors — adhesion. Overall system sensitivity was evaluated using three different cell concentrations and DAPI imaging assay was performed to confirm myoblast adhesion. Preliminary results showed the possibility to correlate an average increase of impedance magnitude of 1[Formula: see text]k[Formula: see text] every 15,000 cells/cm2 seeded, suggesting the possibility to discriminate between different cell concentrations, with a sensitivity of 80[Formula: see text]m[Formula: see text]/(cells/cm2). In conclusion, the present system might be generalized in the development of future applications, including the differentiation process of cardiac myocytes with the aid of mechanical stimuli.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 1021-1028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fanghua Qiu ◽  
Lifang Liu ◽  
Yu Lin ◽  
Zetian Yang ◽  
Feng Qiu

Background:Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), the most prevalent histologic subtype of esophageal cancer, is an aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis and a high incidence in the East. Corilagin, an active component present in Phyllanthus niruri L., has been shown to suppress tumor growth in various cancers. However, the effects of corilagin on ESCC and the mechanisms for its tumor suppressive function remain unknown.Methods:Cell proliferation was measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and colony formation assays. Annexin V/PI double-staining was performed to assess cell apoptosis. Immunofluorescence staining and western blotting were used to evaluate the protein expression. A xenograft mice model was used to assess the in vivo antitumor effects of corilagin alone or in combination with cisplatin.Results:We for the first time showed that corilagin was effectively able to inhibit ESCC cell proliferation and induce cell apoptosis. Additionally, our results validated its antitumor effects in vivo using a xenograft mouse model. Mechanistically, we found that corilagin caused significant DNA damage in ESCC cells. We found that corilagin could significantly attenuate the expression of the E3 ubiquitin ligase RING finger protein 8 (RNF8) through ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, leading to the inability of DNA damage repair response and eventually causing cell apoptosis. Furthermore, we also showed that corilagin substantially enhanced the antitumor effects of chemotherapy drug cisplatin both in vitro and in vivo.Conclusion:Our results not only provided novel and previously unrecognized evidences for corilagin-induced tumor suppression through inducing DNA damage and targeting RNF8 in ESCC, but also highlighted that corilagin might serve as an adjunctive treatment to conventional chemotherapeutic drugs in ESCC patients.


BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Xi ◽  
Zhuang Jing ◽  
Wu Wei ◽  
Zhang Chun ◽  
Qi Quan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Sodium butyrate (NaB) is produced through the fermentation of dietary fiber that is not absorbed and digested by the small intestine. Purpose Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of NaB on the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of CRC cells and their potential underlying molecular mechanism(s). Methods The cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and EdU assay were used to detect cell proliferation ability, flow cytometry was used to investigate the induction of apoptosis and cell cycle progression, and the scratch-wound healing and transwell assays were used to evaluate cell migration and invasion, respectively. The human CRC genome information for tissues and CRC cells treated with NaB obtained from the NCBI GEO database was reannotated and used for differential RNA analysis. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses were performed for differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network for the hub genes was constructed using the Cytoscape software. Targeted miRNAs were predicted based on the lnCeDB database, and a ceRNA network was constructed using the Cytoscape software. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze patient prognosis using the clinical information and exon-seq data for CRC obtained from the Broad Institute’s GDAC Firehose platform. Results NaB decreased the proliferation ability of CRC cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The number of apoptotic CRC cells increased with the increase in NaB concentrations, and NaB induced a G1 phase block in CRC cells. Moreover, NaB suppressed the migratory and invasive capabilities of CRC cells. There were 666 differentially expressed mRNAs and 30 differentially expressed lncRNAs involved in the CRC inhibition by NaB. The PPI network and ceRNA network were constructed based on the differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs. Three differentially expressed mRNAs, including HMGA2, LOXL2, and ST7, were significantly correlated with the prognosis of CRC. Conclusion NaB induces the apoptosis and inhibition of CRC cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis by modulating complex molecular networks. RNA prediction and molecular network construction need to be the focus of further research in this direction.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jipeng Lu ◽  
Zhongxiong Wu ◽  
Ying Xiong

Abstract Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is a joint disease characterized via destruction of cartilage. Chondrocyte damage is associated with cartilage destruction during OA. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are implicated in the regulation of chondrocyte damage in OA progression. This study aims to investigate the role and underlying mechanism of lncRNA homeobox antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) in OA chondrocyte injury. Methods Twenty-three OA patients and healthy controls without OA were recruited. Chondrocytes were isolated from OA cartilage tissues. HOTAIR, microRNA-107 (miR-107) and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) levels were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot. Cell proliferation, apoptosis and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation were measured using cell counting kit-8, flow cytometry and western blot. The target interaction was explored by bioinformatics, luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Results HOTAIR expression was enhanced, and miR-107 level was reduced in OA cartilage samples. HOTAIR overexpression inhibited cell proliferation, but induced cell apoptosis and ECM degradation in chondrocytes. HOTAIR knockdown caused an opposite effect. MiR-107 was sponged and inhibited via HOTAIR, and knockdown of miR-107 mitigated the effect of HOTAIR silence on chondrocyte injury. CXCL12 was targeted by miR-107. CXCL12 overexpression attenuated the roles of miR-107 overexpression or HOTAIR knockdown in the proliferation, apoptosis and ECM degradation. CXCL12 expression was decreased by HOTAIR silence, and restored by knockdown of miR-107. Conclusion HOTAIR knockdown promoted chondrocyte proliferation, but inhibited cell apoptosis and ECM degradation in OA chondrocytes by regulating the miR-107/CXCL12 axis.


Breast Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingzi Zhang ◽  
Jiao Tian ◽  
Chi Qu ◽  
Yang Peng ◽  
Jinwei Lei ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Recent studies have indicated that serpin peptidase inhibitor, clade A, member 3 (SERPINA3) is a potential marker associated with tumor progression, which connoted that SERPINA3 is related to malignant phenotypes in cancer. However, the biological function of SERPINA3 in breast cancer (BC) remains unclear. Methods Bioinformatics data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Immunohistochemical staining (IHC) was conducted to determine SERPINA3 expression. With strong aggressive abilities, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines (MDA-MB-231, BT549 and MDA-MB-436) were obtained to examine SERPINA3 expression and functions. Wound healing and Transwell assays were performed to measure cell migration and invasion. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was conducted to detect cell proliferation abilities and cell viabilities. Results SERPINA3 was upregulated in BC tissues. Functional assays suggested that overexpression of SERPINA3 significantly promoted cell proliferation, where migration and invasion of TNBC cells were accelerated. Knockdown of SERPINA3 had the opposite effects. These results causing by overexpression of SERPINA3 were also confirmed in non-TNBC cell lines. Overexpression of SERPINA3 remarkably enhanced the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) by upregulating the EMT markers and EZH2. In addition, the overexpression of SERPINA3 reduced the sensitivity of TNBC cells to cisplatin. Conclusion SERPINA3 can regulate the migration, invasion and EMT of TNBC cells and increased expression of SERPINA3 confers resistance to cisplatin in TNBC cells. We discern it is required for the regulation of BC progression and is a critical target for the clinical treatment of BC.


BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caihong Wen ◽  
Xiaoqing Feng ◽  
Honggang Yuan ◽  
Yong Gong ◽  
Guangsheng Wang

Abstract Background Circular RNAs (circRNAs) feature prominently in tumor progression. However, the biological function and molecular mechanism of circ_0003266 in colorectal cancer (CRC) require further investigation. Methods Circ_0003266 expression in 46 pairs CRC tissues / adjacent tissues, and CRC cell lines was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR); after circ_0003266 was overexpressed or knocked down in CRC cells, cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were evaluated by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, and Transwell assays, respectively; the interaction among circ_0003266, miR-503-5p, and programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) was confirmed using bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay; PDCD4 protein expression in CRC cells was quantified using Western blot. Results Circ_0003266 was significantly lowly expressed in CRC tissues and cell lines. Circ_0003266 overexpression markedly repressed CRC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and accelerated the cell apoptosis, but its overexpression promoted the malignant phenotypes of CRC cells. PDCD4 was a direct target of miR-503-5p and circ_0003266 promoted PDCD4 expression by competitively sponging miR-503-5p. Conclusion Circ_0003266 suppresses the CRC progression via sponging miR-503-5p and regulating PDCD4 expressions, which suggests that circ_0003266 may serve as a novel target for the treatment of CRC.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Liebisch ◽  
Armin Drusko ◽  
Biena Mathew ◽  
Ernst H. K. Stelzer ◽  
Sabine C. Fischer ◽  
...  

AbstractDuring the mammalian preimplantation phase, cells undergo two subsequent cell fate decisions. During the first decision, the trophectoderm and the inner cell mass are formed. Subsequently, the inner cell mass segregates into the epiblast and the primitive endoderm. Inner cell mass organoids represent an experimental model system, mimicking the second cell fate decision. It has been shown that cells of the same fate tend to cluster stronger than expected for random cell fate decisions. Three major processes are hypothesised to contribute to the cell fate arrangements: (1) chemical signalling; (2) cell sorting; and (3) cell proliferation. In order to quantify the influence of cell proliferation on the observed cell lineage type clustering, we developed an agent-based model accounting for mechanical cell–cell interaction, i.e. adhesion and repulsion, cell division, stochastic cell fate decision and cell fate heredity. The model supports the hypothesis that initial cell fate acquisition is a stochastically driven process, taking place in the early development of inner cell mass organoids. Further, we show that the observed neighbourhood structures can emerge solely due to cell fate heredity during cell division.


A preparation of a single Pacinian corpuscle in the cat’s mesentery has been used to study the initiation of nerve impulses in sensory endings. The minimum movement of a mechanical stimulator required to excite a single corpuscle has been found to be 0⋅5 μ in 100 μ sec. It has been difficult to produce repetitive discharges with rectangular pulses of long duration, either mechanical or of constant current. The latency between a mechanical stimulus and the initiation of an impulse has a value around 1⋅5 msec, for threshold stimuli, and this decreases to a minimum value around 0⋅5 msec, as the stimulus is increased; it is altered only slightly, if at all, by changes in the duration of the maintained displacement of the mechanical stimulator. Subthreshold mechanical stimuli have been shown to facilitate stimulation by electrical test shocks. The return of excitability at the ending is independent of the nature of the conditioning stimulus and varies but little with the nature of the test shock. The value of the latency at threshold is unaffected by the relatively refractory state. The relations of these results to various hypotheses are discussed, and it is suggested that these results can all be accounted for in terms of the known properties of axons.


Author(s):  
Fengjiao Zhu ◽  
Yahui Ji ◽  
Linmei Li ◽  
Xue Bai ◽  
Xianming Liu ◽  
...  

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