scholarly journals Increased Bone Mass in Mice Lacking the Adipokine Apelin

Endocrinology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 154 (6) ◽  
pp. 2069-2080 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lalita Wattanachanya ◽  
Wei-Dar Lu ◽  
Ramendra K. Kundu ◽  
Liping Wang ◽  
Marcia J. Abbott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bone Mass ◽  
Bone Cells ◽  
Physiological Role ◽  
In Vitro Study ◽  
Maximum Effect ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Primary Mouse ◽  
Skeletal Homeostasis

Abstract Adipose tissue plays an important role in skeletal homeostasis, and there is interest in identifying adipokines that influence bone mass. One such adipokine may be apelin, a ligand for the Gi-G protein-coupled receptor APJ, which has been reported to enhance mitogenesis and suppress apoptosis in MC3T3-E1 cells and primary human osteoblasts (OBs). However, it is unclear whether apelin plays a physiological role in regulating skeletal homeostasis in vivo. In this study, we compared the skeletal phenotypes of apelin knockout (APKO) and wild-type mice and investigated the direct effects of apelin on bone cells in vitro. The increased fractional cancellous bone volume at the distal femur was observed in APKO mice of both genders at 12 weeks of age and persisted until the age of 20. Cortical bone perimeter at the femoral midshaft was significantly increased in males and females at both time points. Dynamic histomorphometry revealed that APKO mice had increased rates of bone formation and mineral apposition, with evidences of accelerated OB proliferation and differentiation, without significant alteration in osteoclast activity. An in vitro study showed that apelin increased proliferation of primary mouse OBs as well as suppressed apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner with the maximum effect at 5nM. However, it had no effect on the formation of mineralized nodules. We did not observed significantly altered in osteoclast parameters in vitro. Taken together, the increased bone mass in mice lacking apelin suggested complex direct and paracrine/endocrine effects of apelin on bone, possibly via modulating insulin sensitivity. These results indicate that apelin functions as a physiologically significant antianabolic factor in bone in vivo.

scholarly journals Transcriptional factor ATF3 promotes liver fibrosis via activating hepatic stellate cells

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhemin Shi ◽  
Kun Zhang ◽  
Ting Chen ◽  
Yu Zhang ◽  
Xiaoxiao Du ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liver Fibrosis ◽  
Hepatic Stellate Cells ◽  
In Vitro Study ◽  
Stellate Cells ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor 3 ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Liver Fibrogenesis

AbstractThe excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) is a key feature of liver fibrosis and the activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the major producer of ECM proteins. However, the precise mechanisms and target molecules that are involved in liver fibrosis remain unclear. In this study, we reported that activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) was over-expressed in mice and human fibrotic livers, in activated HSCs and injured hepatocytes (HCs). Both in vivo and in vitro study have revealed that silencing ATF3 reduced the expression of pro-fibrotic genes and inhibited the activation of HSCs, thus alleviating the extent of liver fibrosis, indicating a potential protective role of ATF3 knockdown. However, ATF3 was not involved in either the apoptosis or proliferation of HCs. In addition, our data illustrated that increased nuclear localization of ATF3 promoted the transcription of fibrogenic genes and lnc-SCARNA10, which functioned as a novel positive regulator of TGF-β signaling in liver fibrogenesis by recruiting SMAD3 to the promoter of these genes. Interestingly, further study also demonstrated that lnc-SCARNA10 promoted the expression of ATF3 in a TGF-β/SMAD3-dependent manner, revealing a TGF-β/ATF3/lnc-SCARNA10 axis that contributed to liver fibrosis by activating HSCs. Taken together, our data provide a molecular mechanism implicating induced ATF3 in liver fibrosis, suggesting that ATF3 may represent a useful target in the development of therapeutic strategies for liver fibrosis.

Interleukin-18 deficiency protects against renal interstitial fibrosis in aldosterone/salt-treated mice

2016 ◽  
Vol 130 (19) ◽  
pp. 1727-1739 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akiko Tanino ◽  
Takafumi Okura ◽  
Tomoaki Nagao ◽  
Masayoshi Kukida ◽  
Zuowei Pei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Renal Fibrosis ◽  
Cardiac Fibrosis ◽  
Interstitial Fibrosis ◽  
Rat Kidney ◽  
In Vitro Study ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Renal Interstitial Fibrosis

Interleukin (IL)-18 is a member of the IL-1 family of cytokines and was described originally as an interferon γ-inducing factor. Aldosterone plays a central role in the regulation of sodium and potassium homoeostasis by binding to the mineralocorticoid receptor and contributes to kidney and cardiovascular damage. Aldosterone has been reported to induce IL-18, resulting in cardiac fibrosis with induced IL-18-mediated osteopontin (OPN). We therefore hypothesized that aldosterone-induced renal fibrosis via OPN may be mediated by IL-18. To verify this hypothesis, we compared mice deficient in IL-18 and wild-type (WT) mice in a model of aldosterone/salt-induced hypertension. IL-18−/− and C57BL/6 WT mice were used for the uninephrectomized aldosterone/salt hypertensive model, whereas NRK-52E cells (rat kidney epithelial cells) were used in an in vitro model. In the present in vivo study, IL-18 protein expression was localized in medullary tubules in the WT mice, whereas in aldosterone-infused WT mice this expression was up-regulated markedly in the proximal tubules, especially in injured and dilated tubules. This renal damage caused by aldosterone was attenuated significantly by IL-18 knockout with down-regulation of OPN expression. In the present in vitro study, aldosterone directly induced IL-18 gene expression in renal tubular epithelial cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. These effects were inhibited completely by spironolactone. IL-18 may be a key mediator of aldosterone-induced renal fibrosis by inducing OPN, thereby exacerbating renal interstitial fibrosis. Inhibition of IL-18 may therefore provide a potential target for therapeutic intervention aimed at preventing the progression of renal injury.

scholarly journals Histidine–Tryptophan-–Ketoglutarate Solution as a Neuroprotective Against Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiun Hsu ◽  
Chih-Hsien Wang ◽  
Shu-Chien Huang ◽  
Yung-Wei Chen ◽  
Shengpin Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Ischemia Reperfusion Injury ◽  
Ischemia Reperfusion ◽  
In Vitro Study ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Sterile Saline ◽  
Nadph Oxidase 4 ◽  
H2o2 Level

Ischemic neuron loss contributes to brain dysfunction in patients with cardiac arrest (CA). Histidine–tryptophan–ketoglutarate (HTK) solution is a preservative used during organ transplantation. Can HTK also protect neurons from severe hypoxia (SH) following CA? We isolated rat primary cortical neurons and induced SH with or without HTK. Changes in caspase-3, hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α), and NADPH oxidase-4 (NOX4) expression were evaluated at different time points till 72 h. Using a rat asphyxia model, we induced CA-mediated brain damage and then completed resuscitation. HTK or sterile saline was administered into the left carotid artery. Neurological deficit scoring and mortality were evaluated for 3 days. Then the rats were sacrificed for evaluating NOX4 and H2O2 level in blood and brain. In the in vitro study, HTK attenuated SH- and H2O2-mediated cytotoxicity in a volume- and time-dependent manner, associated with persisted HIF-1α expression, reductions in procaspase-3 activation and NOX4 expression. The inhibition of HIF-1α abrogated HTK’s effect on NOX4. In the in vivo study, neurological scores were significantly improved by HTK. H2O2 level, NOX4 activity and NOX4 gene expression were all decreased in the brain specimen of HTK-treated rats. Our results suggest that HTK acts as an effective neuroprotective solution.

Mechanotransductive Effects of Acoustic Radiation Force on Osteoblastic Primary Cilium, Cytoskeleton and Ca2+ Influx

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. X. Qin ◽  
S. Zhang ◽  
J. Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Primary Cilium ◽  
Bone Cells ◽  
Acoustic Radiation ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Radiation Force ◽  
Acoustic Radiation Force ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Wide Range

Mechanotransduction has demonstrated potentials for tissue adaptation in vivo and in vitro. It is well documented that ultrasound, as a mechanical signal, can produce a wide variety of biological effects in vitro and in vivo[1]. For example, pulsed ultrasound can be used to accelerate the rate of bone fracture healing noninvasively. Although a wide range of studies have been done, mechanism for this therapeutic effect on bone healing is currently unknown and still under active investigation. In our previous studies, we have developed methodology allowed in vitro manipulating osteoblastic cells using acoustic radiation force (ARF) generated by ultrasound without the effects of acoustic streaming and ultrasound-induced temperature rise. Furthermore, we also confirmed that ARF modulated intracellular Ca2+ transient in MC3T3-E1 osteoblast-like cells in a strain and frequency-dependent manner. A potential mechanism by which bone cells may sense ultrasound is through their structures such as primary cilia and cytoskeletons. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the hypothesis that acoustic radiation force can regulate the activities of the primary cilium and the cytoskeleton of the cells, which act as the mechanotransductive signals to mediate Ca2+ flux, as a pathway in response to cyclic loading.

scholarly journals Preptin, another peptide product of the pancreatic β-cell, is osteogenic in vitro and in vivo

2007 ◽  
Vol 292 (1) ◽  
pp. E117-E122 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Cornish ◽  
K. E. Callon ◽  
U. Bava ◽  
M. Watson ◽  
X. Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bone Mass ◽  
Map Kinases ◽  
Cell Number ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Pancreatic Β Cell ◽  
Hepatitis C Infection ◽  
Β Cell ◽  
High Bone Mass

Several hormones that regulate nutritional status also impact on bone metabolism. Preptin is a recently isolated 34-amino acid peptide hormone that is cosecreted with insulin and amylin from the pancreatic β-cells. Preptin corresponds to Asp69-Leu102 of pro-IGF-II. Increased circulating levels of a pro-IGF-II peptide complexed with IGF-binding protein-2 have been implicated in the high bone mass phenotype observed in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection. We have assessed preptin's activities on bone. Preptin dose-dependently stimulated the proliferation (cell number and DNA synthesis) of primary fetal rat osteoblasts and osteoblast-like cell lines at periphysiological concentrations (>10−11 M). In addition, thymidine incorporation was stimulated in murine neonatal calvarial organ culture, likely reflecting the proliferation of cells from the osteoblast lineage. Preptin did not affect bone resorption in this model. Preptin induced phosphorylation of p42/p44 MAP kinases in osteoblastic cells in a dose-dependent manner (10−8-10−10 M), and its proliferative effects on primary osteoblasts were blocked by MAP kinase kinase inhibitors. Preptin also reduced osteoblast apoptosis induced by serum deprivation, reducing the number of apoptotic cells by >20%. In vivo administration of preptin increased bone area and mineralizing surface in adult mice. These data demonstrate that preptin, which is cosecreted from the pancreatic β-cell with amylin and insulin, is anabolic to bone and may contribute to the preservation of bone mass observed in hyperinsulinemic states such as obesity.

scholarly journals The Sso7d protein ofSulfolobus solfataricus: in vitro relationship among different activities

Archaea ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annamaria Guagliardi ◽  
Laura Cerchia ◽  
Mosè Rossi
Keyword(s):  
Atpase Activity ◽  
Atp Hydrolysis ◽  
Physiological Role ◽  
Protein Aggregates ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Double Stranded Dna ◽  
Dna Strands ◽  
Negative Supercoiling

The physiological role of the nonspecific DNA-binding protein Sso7d from the crenarchaeonSulfolobus solfataricusis unknown. In vitro studies have shown that Sso7d promotes annealing of complementary DNA strands (Guagliardi et al. 1997), induces negative supercoiling (Lopez-Garcia et al. 1998), and chaperones the disassembly and renaturation of protein aggregates in an ATP hydrolysis-dependent manner (Guagliardi et al. 2000). In this study, we examined the relationships among the binding of Sso7d to double-stranded DNA, its interaction with protein aggregates, and its ATPase activity. Experiments with 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid as probe demonstrated that exposed hydrophobic surfaces in Sso7d are responsible for interactions with protein aggregates and double-stranded DNA, whereas the site of ATPase activity has a non-hydrophobic character. The interactions of Sso7d with double-stranded DNA and with protein aggregates are mutually exclusive events, suggesting that the disassembly activity and the DNA-related activities of Sso7d may be competitive in vivo. In contrast, the hydrolysis of ATP by Sso7d is independent of the binding of Sso7d to double-stranded DNA or protein aggregates.

scholarly journals The Bradyrhizobium japonicum Irr Protein Is a Transcriptional Repressor with High-Affinity DNA-Binding Activity

2008 ◽  
Vol 190 (15) ◽  
pp. 5172-5177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Indu Sangwan ◽  
Sandra K. Small ◽  
Mark R. O'Brian
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Bradyrhizobium Japonicum ◽  
Iron Homeostasis ◽  
Transcriptional Repressor ◽  
Physiological Role ◽  
Iron Limitation ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
High Affinity

ABSTRACT The Irr protein is a global regulator of iron homeostasis in Bradyrhizobium japonicum, and a subset of genes within the Irr regulon are negatively controlled under iron limitation. However, repressor function, high-affinity DNA binding in vitro, or promoter occupancy in vivo of Irr for a negatively regulated gene has not been demonstrated. Here, we show that the blr7895 and bll6680 genes are negatively regulated by Irr as determined by derepression of transcript levels in iron-limited cells of an irr mutant strain. Electrophoretic gel mobility shift analysis showed that a component in extracts of wild-type cells grown under iron limitation bound the iron control elements (ICE) within the promoters of blr7895 and bll6680 identified previously (G. Rudolph, G. Semini, F. Hauser, A. Lindemann, M. Friberg, H. Hennecke, and H. M. Fischer, J. Bacteriol. 188:733-744, 2006). Binding was not observed with extracts of cells from the parent strain grown under high iron conditions or with those from an irr mutant. Furthermore, gel mobility supershift experiments identified Irr as a component of the binding complex. Purified recombinant Irr bound to ICE DNA with high affinity in the presence of divalent metal, with K d values of 7 to 19 nM, consistent with a physiological role for Irr as a transcriptional regulator. In addition, in vitro transcription initiated from the blr7895 promoter was inhibited by Irr. Whole-cell cross-linking and immunoprecipitation experiments showed that Irr occupies the promoters of blr7895 and bll6680 in vivo in an iron-dependent manner. The findings demonstrate that Irr is a transcriptional repressor that binds DNA with high affinity.

scholarly journals The Impact of Microgravity on Bone Metabolism in vitro and in vivo

2001 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter M. Loomer
Keyword(s):  
Bone Loss ◽  
Bone Mass ◽  
Bone Metabolism ◽  
Bone Cells ◽  
Mechanical Load ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
The Impact

Exposure to microgravity has been associated with several physiological changes in astronauts and cosmonauts, including an osteoporosis-like loss of bone mass. In-flight measures used to counteract this, including intensive daily exercise regimens, have been only partially successful in reducing the bone loss and in the process have consumed valuable work time. If this bone loss is to be minimized or, preferably, prevented, more effective treatment strategies are required. This, however, requires a greater understanding of the mechanisms through which bone metabolism is affected by microgravity. Various research strategies have been used to examine this problem, including in vitro studies using bone cells and in vivo studies on humans and rats. These have been conducted both in flight and on the ground, by strategies that produce weightlessness to mimic the effects of microgravity. Overall, the majority of the studies have found that marked decreases in gravitation loading result in the loss of bone mass. The processes of bone formation and bone resorption become uncoupled, with an initial transitory increase in resorption accompanied by a prolonged decrease in formation. Loss of bone mass is not uniform throughout the skeleton, but varies at different sites depending on the type of bone and on the mechanical load received. It appears that the skeletal response is a physiologic adaptation to the space environment which, after long space flights or repeated shorter ones, could eventually lead to significant reductions in the ability of the skeletal tissues to withstand the forces of gravity and increased susceptibility to fracture.

scholarly journals The role of estrogens for male bone health

2009 ◽  
Vol 160 (6) ◽  
pp. 883-889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claes Ohlsson ◽  
Liesbeth Vandenput
Keyword(s):  
Bone Mass ◽  
Bone Health ◽  
Steroid Receptors ◽  
Mediated Effects ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Trabecular Bone Mass ◽  
Skeletal Homeostasis ◽  
Estrogen Effects

Sex steroids are important for the growth and maintenance of both the female and the male skeleton. However, the relative contribution of androgens versus estrogens in the regulation of the male skeleton is unclear. Experiments using mice with inactivated sex steroid receptors demonstrated that both activation of the estrogen receptor (ER)α and activation of the androgen receptor result in a stimulatory effect on both the cortical and trabecular bone mass in males. ERβ is of no importance for the skeleton in male mice while it modulates the ERα-action on bone in female mice. Previous in vitro studies suggest that the membrane G protein-coupled receptor GPR30 also might be a functional ER. Our in vivo analyses of GPR30-inactivated mice revealed no function of GPR30 for estrogen-mediated effects on bone mass but it is required for normal regulation of the growth plate and estrogen-mediated insulin-secretion. Recent clinical evidence suggests that a threshold exists for estrogen effects on bone in men: rates of bone loss and fracture risk seem to be the highest in men with estradiol levels below this threshold. Taken together, even though these findings do not exclude an important role for testosterone in male skeletal homeostasis, it is now well-established that estrogens are important regulators of bone health in men.

scholarly journals Amylin inhibits bone resorption while the calcitonin receptor controls bone formation in vivo

2004 ◽  
Vol 164 (4) ◽  
pp. 509-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Romain Dacquin ◽  
Rachel A. Davey ◽  
Catherine Laplace ◽  
Régis Levasseur ◽  
Howard A. Morris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bone Resorption ◽  
Bone Formation ◽  
Bone Mass ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Calcitonin Receptor ◽  
Low Bone Mass ◽  
High Bone Mass ◽  
High Bone

Amylin is a member of the calcitonin family of hormones cosecreted with insulin by pancreatic β cells. Cell culture assays suggest that amylin could affect bone formation and bone resorption, this latter function after its binding to the calcitonin receptor (CALCR). Here we show that Amylin inactivation leads to a low bone mass due to an increase in bone resorption, whereas bone formation is unaffected. In vitro, amylin inhibits fusion of mononucleated osteoclast precursors into multinucleated osteoclasts in an ERK1/2-dependent manner. Although Amylin +/− mice like Amylin-deficient mice display a low bone mass phenotype and increased bone resorption, Calcr +/− mice display a high bone mass due to an increase in bone formation. Moreover, compound heterozygote mice for Calcr and Amylin inactivation displayed bone abnormalities observed in both Calcr +/− and Amylin +/− mice, thereby ruling out that amylin uses CALCR to inhibit osteoclastogenesis in vivo. Thus, amylin is a physiological regulator of bone resorption that acts through an unidentified receptor.

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