Involvement of N-type Ca2+ channels in the fibrotic process of the kidney in rats

2013 ◽  
Vol 304 (6) ◽  
pp. F665-F673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keiichiro Mishima ◽  
Akito Maeshima ◽  
Masaaki Miya ◽  
Noriyuki Sakurai ◽  
Hidekazu Ikeuchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renal Fibrosis ◽  
Type I Collagen ◽  
Channel Blocker ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Smooth Muscle Actin ◽  
Type Iii Collagen ◽  
Type I ◽  
Renal Tubules ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Fibrotic Process

N-type Ca2+ channels are densely distributed in sympathetic nerves that innervate renal tubules. However, the role of N-type Ca2+ channels in renal fibrosis remains unknown. To address this issue, we examined the difference between the effects of amlodipine (an L-type Ca2+ channel blocker) and cilnidipine (a dual L/N-type Ca2+ channel blocker) on fibrotic changes using a rat unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model. The expression of both L-type and N-type Ca2+ channels was significantly upregulated in UUO kidneys compared with that in contralateral kidneys. There were no significant differences in mean blood pressure among the rats tested. Both amlodipine and cilnidipine significantly attenuated fibrotic changes in UUO kidneys. The antifibrotic effect of cilnidipine was more potent than that of amlodipine. Amlodipine as well as cilnidipine reduced type III collagen deposition, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, and interstitial cell proliferation. In addition, cilnidipine significantly reduced deposition of type I collagen and macrophage infiltration in UUO kidneys. With the use of in vivo bromodeoxyuridine labeling, label-retaining cells (LRCs) were identified as a population of tubular cells that participate in epithelial-mesenchymal transition after UUO. Some LRCs migrated into the interstitium, expressed α-SMA and vimentin, and produced several extracellular matrixes in UUO kidneys. The number of interstitial LRCs was significantly decreased by cilnidipine but not amlodipine. These data suggest that N-type Ca2+ channels contribute to multiple steps of renal fibrosis, and its blockade may thus be a useful therapeutic approach for prevention of renal fibrosis.

scholarly journals Modulation of EndMT by Hydrogen Sulfide in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Fibrosis

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 910
Author(s):  
Lara Testai ◽  
Vincenzo Brancaleone ◽  
Lorenzo Flori ◽  
Rosangela Montanaro ◽  
Vincenzo Calderone
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Sulfide ◽  
Type I Collagen ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Smooth Muscle Actin ◽  
Type I ◽  
Vascular Endothelial ◽  
Independent Manner ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Adult Age ◽  
Cardiovascular Fibrosis

Endothelial mesenchymal transition (EndMT) has been described as a fundamental process during embryogenesis; however, it can occur also in adult age, underlying pathological events, including fibrosis. Indeed, during EndMT, the endothelial cells lose their specific markers, such as vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin), and acquire a mesenchymal phenotype, expressing specific products, such as α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and type I collagen; moreover, the integrity of the endothelium is disrupted, and cells show a migratory, invasive and proliferative phenotype. Several stimuli can trigger this transition, but transforming growth factor (TGF-β1) is considered the most relevant. EndMT can proceed in a canonical smad-dependent or non-canonical smad-independent manner and ultimately regulate gene expression of pro-fibrotic machinery. These events lead to endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis at the vascular level as well as myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis. Indeed, EndMT is the mechanism which promotes the progression of cardiovascular disorders following hypertension, diabetes, heart failure and also ageing. In this scenario, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been widely described for its preventive properties, but its role in EndMT is poorly investigated. This review is focused on the evaluation of the putative role of H2S in the EndMT process.

scholarly journals TGF-β and the Smad Signaling Pathway Support Transcriptomic Reprogramming during Epithelial-Mesenchymal Cell Transition

2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 1987-2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich Valcourt ◽  
Marcin Kowanetz ◽  
Hideki Niimi ◽  
Carl-Henrik Heldin ◽  
Aristidis Moustakas
Keyword(s):  
Target Genes ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Smooth Muscle Actin ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Ectopic Expression ◽  
Dominant Negative ◽  
Type I ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Smad Signaling

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributes to normal tissue patterning and carcinoma invasiveness. We show that transforming growth factor (TGF)-β/activin members, but not bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) members, can induce EMT in normal human and mouse epithelial cells. EMT correlates with the ability of these ligands to induce growth arrest. Ectopic expression of all type I receptors of the TGF-β superfamily establishes that TGF-β but not BMP pathways can elicit EMT. Ectopic Smad2 or Smad3 together with Smad4 enhanced, whereas dominant-negative forms of Smad2, Smad3, or Smad4, and wild-type inhibitory Smad7, blocked TGF-β–induced EMT. Transcriptomic analysis of EMT kinetics identified novel TGF-β target genes with ligand-specific responses. Using a TGF-β type I receptor that cannot activate Smads nor induce EMT, we found that Smad signaling is critical for regulation of all tested gene targets during EMT. One such gene, Id2, whose expression is repressed by TGF-β1 but induced by BMP-7 is critical for regulation of at least one important myoepithelial marker, α-smooth muscle actin, during EMT. Thus, based on ligand-specific responsiveness and evolutionary conservation of the gene expression patterns, we begin deciphering a genetic network downstream of TGF-β and predict functional links to the control of cell proliferation and EMT.

scholarly journals Pancreatic Cancer Cells Respond to Type I Collagen by Inducing Snail Expression to Promote Membrane Type 1 Matrix Metalloproteinase-dependent Collagen Invasion

2011 ◽  
Vol 286 (12) ◽  
pp. 10495-10504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario A. Shields ◽  
Surabhi Dangi-Garimella ◽  
Seth B. Krantz ◽  
David J. Bentrem ◽  
Hidayatullah G. Munshi
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Type I Collagen ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Type I ◽  
Collagen Gels ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Pancreatic Cancer Cells ◽  
Membrane Type

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by pronounced fibrotic reaction composed primarily of type I collagen. Although type I collagen functions as a barrier to invasion, pancreatic cancer cells have been shown to respond to type I collagen by becoming more motile and invasive. Because epithelial-mesenchymal transition is also associated with cancer invasion, we examined the extent to which collagen modulated the expression of Snail, a well known regulator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Relative to cells grown on tissue culture plastic, PDAC cells grown in three-dimensional collagen gels induced Snail. Inhibiting the activity or expression of the TGF-β type I receptor abrogated collagen-induced Snail. Downstream of the receptor, we showed that Smad3 and Smad4 were critical for the induction of Snail by collagen. In contrast, Smad2 or ERK1/2 was not involved in collagen-mediated Snail expression. Overexpression of Snail in PDAC cells resulted in a robust membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP, MMP-14)-dependent invasion through collagen-coated transwell chambers. Snail-expressing PDAC cells also demonstrated MT1-MMP-dependent scattering in three-dimensional collagen gels. Mechanistically, Snail increased the expression of MT1-MMP through activation of ERK-MAPK signaling, and inhibiting ERK signaling in Snail-expressing cells blocked two-dimensional collagen invasion and attenuated scattering in three-dimensional collagen. To provide in vivo support for our findings that Snail can regulate MT1-MMP, we examined the expression of Snail and MT1-MMP in human PDAC tumors and found a statistically significant positive correlation between MT1-MMP and Snail in these tumors. Overall, our data demonstrate that pancreatic cancer cells increase Snail on encountering collagen-rich milieu and suggest that the desmoplastic reaction actively contributes to PDAC progression.

scholarly journals Crotoxin Modulates Events Involved in Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition in 3D Spheroid Model

Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 830
Author(s):  
Ellen Emi Kato ◽  
Sandra Coccuzzo Sampaio
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Type I Collagen ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Metastatic Cancer ◽  
A549 Cells ◽  
The Body ◽  
Antitumor Action ◽  
Type I ◽  
Collagen Gels ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition

Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) occurs in the early stages of embryonic development and plays a significant role in the migration and the differentiation of cells into various types of tissues of an organism. However, tumor cells, with altered form and function, use the EMT process to migrate and invade other tissues in the body. Several experimental (in vivo and in vitro) and clinical trial studies have shown the antitumor activity of crotoxin (CTX), a heterodimeric phospholipase A2 present in the Crotalus durissus terrificus venom. In this study, we show that CTX modulates the microenvironment of tumor cells. We have also evaluated the effect of CTX on the EMT process in the spheroid model. The invasion of type I collagen gels by heterospheroids (mix of MRC-5 and A549 cells constitutively prepared with 12.5 nM CTX), expression of EMT markers, and secretion of MMPs were analyzed. Western blotting analysis shows that CTX inhibits the expression of the mesenchymal markers, N-cadherin, α-SMA, and αv. This study provides evidence of CTX as a key modulator of the EMT process, and its antitumor action can be explored further for novel drug designing against metastatic cancer.

A sensitive short-term evaluation of antifibrotic effects using newly established type I collagen reporter transgenic rats

2010 ◽  
Vol 299 (4) ◽  
pp. F792-F801 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hideki Terashima ◽  
Mikio Kato ◽  
Hiroaki Yasumo ◽  
Hiroshi Tsuchida ◽  
Makoto Mizuno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renal Fibrosis ◽  
Type I Collagen ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Luciferase Activity ◽  
Smooth Muscle Actin ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Type I ◽  
Hydroxyproline Content ◽  
Transgenic Rats ◽  
Short Period

Fibrosis is the final common pathway for various tissue lesions that lead to chronic progressive organ failure, and consequently effective antifibrotic drugs are strongly desired. However, there are few animal models in which it is possible to evaluate fibrosis sensitively in a short period of time. We therefore generated two transgenic rats harboring a firefly luciferase reporter gene under the control of the 5′-flanking region of rat α1(I) collagen (Col1a1-Luc Tg rats) and α2(I) collagen (Col1a2-Luc Tg rats). The luciferase activities of these transgenic rats were highly correlated with the hydroxyproline content in various organs. In unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), a well-characterized model of renal fibrosis, the luciferase activity in obstructed kidneys showed a significant increase after even 3 days of UUO, while the hydroxyproline content showed little increase. In addition, the renal hydroxyproline content had a higher correlation with the luciferase activity than α1(I) collagen mRNA level for over 2 wk after UUO. Although both an ANG II type 1 receptor blocker (ARB), olmesartan, and a transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) type I receptor kinase (ALK5) inhibitor, SB-431542, inhibited renal luciferase activities in UUO, only SB-431542 inhibited luciferase activity induced by TGF-β1 in isolated glomeruli. Double immunostaining for luciferase and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) revealed that some α-SMA-positive tubular epithelial cells and tubular interstitial cells produced type I collagen, which would lead to renal fibrosis. Thus collagen reporter transgenic rats would be very useful for the evaluation of antifibrotic effects and analysis of their mechanisms.

scholarly journals EndMT Regulation by Small RNAs in Diabetes-Associated Fibrotic Conditions: Potential Link With Oxidative Stress

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta Giordo ◽  
Yusra M. A. Ahmed ◽  
Hilda Allam ◽  
Salah Abusnana ◽  
Lucia Pappalardo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Small Rnas ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Type I Collagen ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Common Denominator ◽  
Type I ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Fibrotic Process

Diabetes-associated complications, such as retinopathy, nephropathy, cardiomyopathy, and atherosclerosis, the main consequences of long-term hyperglycemia, often lead to organ dysfunction, disability, and increased mortality. A common denominator of these complications is the myofibroblast-driven excessive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins. Although fibroblast appears to be the primary source of myofibroblasts, other cells, including endothelial cells, can generate myofibroblasts through a process known as endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT). During EndMT, endothelial cells lose their typical phenotype to acquire mesenchymal features, characterized by the development of invasive and migratory abilities as well as the expression of typical mesenchymal products such as α-smooth muscle actin and type I collagen. EndMT is involved in many chronic and fibrotic diseases and appears to be regulated by complex molecular mechanisms and different signaling pathways. Recent evidence suggests that small RNAs, in particular microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), are crucial mediators of EndMT. Furthermore, EndMT and miRNAs are both affected by oxidative stress, another key player in the pathophysiology of diabetic fibrotic complications. In this review, we provide an overview of the primary redox signals underpinning the diabetic-associated fibrotic process. Then, we discuss the current knowledge on the role of small RNAs in the regulation of EndMT in diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, cardiomyopathy, and atherosclerosis and highlight potential links between oxidative stress and the dyad small RNAs-EndMT in driving these pathological states.

scholarly journals Hsp47 promotes cancer metastasis by enhancing collagen-dependent cancer cell-platelet interaction

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (7) ◽  
pp. 3748-3758 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaofeng Xiong ◽  
Jie Chen ◽  
Guoying Zhang ◽  
Shike Wang ◽  
Kunito Kawasaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Type I Collagen ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Type I ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Collagen Secretion ◽  
Cell Colonization

Increased expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) suggests potential function of cancer cell-produced ECM in initiation of cancer cell colonization. Here, we showed that collagen and heat shock protein 47 (Hsp47), a chaperone facilitating collagen secretion and deposition, were highly expressed during the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and in CTCs. Hsp47 expression induced mesenchymal phenotypes in mammary epithelial cells (MECs), enhanced platelet recruitment, and promoted lung retention and colonization of cancer cells. Platelet depletion in vivo abolished Hsp47-induced cancer cell retention in the lung, suggesting that Hsp47 promotes cancer cell colonization by enhancing cancer cell–platelet interaction. Using rescue experiments and functional blocking antibodies, we identified type I collagen as the key mediator of Hsp47-induced cancer cell–platelet interaction. We also found that Hsp47-dependent collagen deposition and platelet recruitment facilitated cancer cell clustering and extravasation in vitro. By analyzing DNA/RNA sequencing data generated from human breast cancer tissues, we showed that gene amplification and increased expression of Hsp47 were associated with cancer metastasis. These results suggest that targeting the Hsp47/collagen axis is a promising strategy to block cancer cell–platelet interaction and cancer colonization in secondary organs.

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