[64Cu]Cu-PEG-FUD peptide for noninvasive and sensitive detection of murine pulmonary fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic lung disease resulting in irreversible scarring within the lungs. However, the lack of biomarkers that enable real-time assessment of disease activity remains a challenge in providing efficient clinical decision-making and optimal patient care in IPF. Fibronectin (FN) is highly expressed in fibroblastic foci of the IPF lung where active extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition occurs. Functional upstream domain (FUD) tightly binds the N-terminal 70-kilodalton domain of FN that is crucial for FN assembly. In this study, we first demonstrate the capacity of PEGylated FUD (PEG-FUD) to target FN deposition in human IPF tissue ex vivo. We subsequently radiolabeled PEG-FUD with 64Cu and monitored its spatiotemporal biodistribution via µPET/CT imaging in mice using the bleomycin-induced model of pulmonary injury and fibrosis. We demonstrated [64Cu]Cu-PEG-FUD uptake 3 and 11 days following bleomycin treatment, suggesting that radiolabeled PEG-FUD holds promise as an imaging probe in aiding the assessment of fibrotic lung disease activity.

Preventive preclinical efficacy of intravenously administered sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) in strengthening hypoxia adaptive responses to acute and sub-chronic hypobaric hypoxia.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is emerging as a hypoxia responsive bio-lipid; systemically raised levels of S1P are proposed to have potential hypoxia pre-conditioning effects. The study aims to evaluate the hypoxia pre-conditioning efficacy of exogenously administered S1P in rats exposed to acute (24-48 hs (h)) and sub-chronic (7 days) hypobaric hypoxia. Sprague-Dawley rats (200 ± 20 g) were preconditioned with 1 µg/kg body weight S1P intravenously for three consecutive days. On the third day, control and S1P preconditioned animals were exposed to hypobaric hypoxia equivalent to 7620 m for 24 h, 48 h and 7 days. Post exposure analysis included body weight quantitation, blood gas/chemistry analysis, vascular permeability assays, evaluation of oxidative stress/inflammation parameters, and estimation of hypoxia responsive molecules. S1P preconditioned rats exposed to acute HH display a significant reduction in body weight loss, as a culmination of improved oxygen carrying capacity, increased 2,3- diphosphoglycerate levels and recuperation from energy deficit. Pathological disturbances such as vascular leakage in the lungs and brain, oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory milieu and raised level of endothelin-1 were also reined. The adaptive and protective advantage conferred by S1P in the acute phase of hypobaric hypoxia exposure, is observed to precipitate into an improved sustenance even after sub-chronic (7d) hypobaric hypoxia exposure as indicated by decreased body weight loss, lower edema index and improvement in general pathology biomarkers. Conclusively, administration of 1 µg/kg body weight S1P, in the aforementioned schedule, confer hypoxia pre-conditioning benefits, sustained up to 7 days of hypobaric hypoxia exposure.

Acute Hypobaric Hypoxia-Mediated Biochemical/Metabolic Shuffling and Differential Modulation of S1PR-SphK in Cardiac and Skeletal Muscles.

AIM: High altitude exposure alters biochemical, metabolic, and physiological features of heart and skeletal muscles, and hence has pathological consequences in these tissues. Central to these hypoxia-associated biochemical/metabolic shuffling are energy deficit accumulation of free radicals and ensuing oxidative damage in the tissue. Recent preclinical/clinical studies indicate sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) axis, comprising S1P G protein coupled receptors (S1PR1-5) and its synthesizing enzyme-sphingosine kinase (SphK) to have key regulatory roles in homeostatic cardiac and skeletal muscle biology. In view of this, the aim of the present study was to chart the initiation and progression of biochemical/metabolic shuffling and assess the coincident differential modulation of S1PR(1-5) expression and total SphK activity in cardiac and skeletal muscles from rats exposed to progressive hypobaric hypoxia (HH; 21,000 feet for 12, 24, and 48 hours). RESULTS: HH-associated responses were evident as raised damage markers in plasma, oxidative stress, decreased total tissue protein, imbalance of intermediate metabolites, and aerobic/anaerobic enzyme activities in cardiac and skeletal muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) culminating as energy deficit. CONCLUSION: Cardiac and gastrocnemius muscles were more susceptible to hypoxic environment than soleus muscle. These differential responses were directly and indirectly coincident with temporal expression of S1PR(1-5) and SphK activity.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate pretreatment amends hypoxia-induced metabolic dysfunction and impairment of myogenic potential in differentiating C2C12 myoblasts by stimulating viability, calcium homeostasis and energy generation.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) has a role in transpiration in patho-physiological signaling in skeletal muscles. The present study evaluated the pre-conditioning efficacy of S1P in facilitating differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts under a normoxic/hypoxic cell culture environment. Under normoxia, exogenous S1P significantly promoted C2C12 differentiation as evident from morphometric descriptors and differentiation markers of the mature myotubes, but it could facilitate only partial recovery from hypoxia-induced compromised differentiation. Pretreatment of S1P optimized the myokine secretion, intracellular calcium release and energy generation by boosting the aerobic/anaerobic metabolism and mitochondrial mass. In the hypoxia-exposed cells, there was derangement of the S1PR1-3 expression patterns, while the same could be largely restored with S1P pretreatment. This is being proposed as a plausible underlying mechanism for the observed pro-myogenic efficacy of exogenous S1P preconditioning. The present findings are an invaluable addition to the existing knowledge on the pro-myogenic potential of S1P and may prove beneficial in the field of hypoxia-related myo-pathologies.

S1P prophylaxis mitigates acute hypobaric hypoxia-induced molecular, biochemical, and metabolic disturbances: A preclinical report.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is emerging to have hypoxic preconditioning potential in various preclinical studies. The study aims to evaluate the preclinical preconditioning efficacy of exogenously administered S1P against acute hypobaric hypoxia (HH)-induced pathological disturbances. Male Sprague Dawley rats (200 ± 20 g) were preconditioned with 1, 10, and 100 µg/kg body weight (b.w.) S1P (i.v.) for three consecutive days. On the third day, S1P preconditioned animals, along with hypoxia control animals, were exposed to HH equivalent to 7,620 m (280 mm Hg) for 6 h. Postexposure status of cardiac energy production, circulatory vasoactive mediators, pulmonary and cerebral oxidative damage, and inflammation were assessed. HH exposure led to cardiac energy deficit indicated by low ATP levels and pronounced AMPK activation levels, raised circulatory levels of brain natriuretic peptide and endothelin-1 with respect to total nitrate (NOx), redox imbalance, inflammation, and alterations in NOx levels in the pulmonary and cerebral tissues. These pathological precursors have been routinely reported to be coincident with high-altitude diseases. Preconditioning with S1P, especially 1 µg/kg b.w. dose, was seen to reverse the manifestation of these pathological disturbances. The protective efficacy could be attributed, at least in part, to enhanced activity of cardioprotective protein kinase C and activation of small GTPase Rac1, which led to further induction of hypoxia-adaptive molecular mediators: hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and Hsp70. This is a first such report, to the best of our knowledge, elucidating the mechanism of exogenous S1P-mediated HIF-1α/Hsp70 induction. Conclusively, systemic preconditioning with 1 µg/kg b.w. S1P in rats protects against acute HH-induced pathological disturbances. © 2016 IUBMB Life 68(5):365-375, 2016.

Exogenous sphingosine-1-phosphate boosts acclimatization in rats exposed to acute hypobaric hypoxia: assessment of haematological and metabolic effects.

BACKGROUND: The physiological challenges posed by hypobaric hypoxia warrant exploration of pharmacological entities to improve acclimatization to hypoxia. The present study investigates the preclinical efficacy of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) to improve acclimatization to simulated hypobaric hypoxia. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Efficacy of intravenously administered S1P in improving haematological and metabolic acclimatization was evaluated in rats exposed to simulated acute hypobaric hypoxia (7620 m for 6 hours) following S1P pre-treatment for three days. MAJOR FINDINGS: Altitude exposure of the control rats caused systemic hypoxia, hypocapnia (plausible sign of hyperventilation) and respiratory alkalosis due to suboptimal renal compensation indicated by an overt alkaline pH of the mixed venous blood. This was associated with pronounced energy deficit in the hepatic tissue along with systemic oxidative stress and inflammation. S1P pre-treatment improved blood oxygen-carrying-capacity by increasing haemoglobin, haematocrit, and RBC count, probably as an outcome of hypoxia inducible factor-1α mediated erythropoiesis and renal S1P receptor 1 mediated haemoconcentation. The improved partial pressure of oxygen in the blood could further restore aerobic respiration and increase ATP content in the hepatic tissue of S1P treated animals. S1P could also protect the animals from hypoxia mediated oxidative stress and inflammation. CONCLUSION: The study findings highlight S1P's merits as a preconditioning agent for improving acclimatization to acute hypobaric hypoxia exposure. The results may have long term clinical application for improving physiological acclimatization of subjects venturing into high altitude for occupational or recreational purposes.