Chronic alcohol feeding alters lymph and plasma proteome in a rodent model.

Chronic alcohol consumption in rodents induces mesenteric collecting lymphatic vessel hyperpermeability, lymph leakage, and consequent immunometabolic dysregulation of the perilymphatic adipose tissue (PLAT). The specific lymphatic components mediating PLAT immunometabolic dysregulation remain to be identified. Specifically, whether alcohol impacts lymph composition is unknown. This study aimed to determine alcohol associated changes in lymph and plasma proteome. Adult male rats were fed a Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet containing 36 % of calories from alcohol for 10 weeks. Time-matched control animals were pair-fed. At sacrifice lymph was collected for 2 h using the lymph-fistula technique and plasma was collected prior to sacrifice. Quantitative discovery-based proteomics identified a total of 703 proteins. An integrative approach combining Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) and an unbiased network analysis using WGCNA (Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis) was used to analyze the proteomics data. IPA results identified significant upregulation of a cluster of apolipoproteins in lymph from alcohol-fed animals compared with pair-fed controls and a downregulation of 34 proteins in the plasma from alcohol-fed animals. WGCNA analysis identified several candidate hub proteins in the lymph that were also significantly differentially expressed in lymph from alcohol-fed animals compared to that of pair-fed controls. WGCNA analysis of plasma identified a module without significant enrichment of differentially expressed proteins. Of the 59 proteins contained within this module, only 2 were significantly differentially expressed in plasma from alcohol-fed rats compared to plasma of pair-fed controls. Future studies will investigate further the functionality of the hub proteins affected by alcohol feeding in both lymph and plasma.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction: At the Nexus between Alcohol-Associated Immunometabolic Dysregulation and Tissue Injury.

Alcohol misuse, directly or indirectly as a result of its metabolism, negatively impacts most tissues, including four with critical roles in energy metabolism regulation: the liver, pancreas, adipose, and skeletal muscle. Mitochondria have long been studied for their biosynthetic roles, such as ATP synthesis and initiation of apoptosis. However, current research has provided evidence that mitochondria participate in myriad cellular processes, including immune activation, nutrient sensing in pancreatic ß-cells, and skeletal muscle stem and progenitor cell differentiation. The literature indicates that alcohol impairs mitochondrial respiratory capacity, promoting reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and disrupting mitochondrial dynamics, leading to dysfunctional mitochondria accumulation. As discussed in this review, mitochondrial dyshomeostasis emerges at a nexus between alcohol-disrupted cellular energy metabolism and tissue injury. Here, we highlight this link and focus on alcohol-mediated disruption of immunometabolism, which refers to two distinct, yet interrelated processes. Extrinsic immunometabolism involves processes whereby immune cells and their products influence cellular and/or tissue metabolism. Intrinsic immunometabolism describes immune cell fuel utilization and bioenergetics that affect intracellular processes. Alcohol-induced mitochondrial dysregulation negatively impacts immunometabolism in immune cells, contributing to tissue injury. This review will present the current state of literature, describing alcohol-mediated metabolic and immunometabolic dysregulation from a mitochondrial perspective.

Alcohol-Associated Tissue Injury: Current Views on Pathophysiological Mechanisms.

At-risk alcohol use is a major contributor to the global health care burden and leads to preventable deaths and diseases including alcohol addiction, alcoholic liver disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, traumatic injuries, gastrointestinal diseases, cancers, and fetal alcohol syndrome. Excessive and frequent alcohol consumption has increasingly been linked to alcohol-associated tissue injury and pathophysiology, which have significant adverse effects on multiple organ systems. Extensive research in animal and in vitro models has elucidated the salient mechanisms involved in alcohol-induced tissue and organ injury. In some cases, these pathophysiological mechanisms are shared across organ systems. The major alcohol- and alcohol metabolite-mediated mechanisms include oxidative stress, inflammation and immunometabolic dysregulation, gut leak and dysbiosis, cell death, extracellular matrix remodeling, endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and epigenomic modifications. These mechanisms are complex and interrelated, and determining the interplay among them will make it possible to identify how they synergistically or additively interact to cause alcohol-mediated multiorgan injury. In this article, we review the current understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms involved in alcohol-induced tissue injury.

Perspectives Against Racism: educational and socialization efforts at the departmental level.

The current heightened social awareness and anxiety triggered by escalating violence against Black Americans in the United States demands a safe space for reflection, education, and civil discourse within the academic setting. Too often there is an unmet need paired with a collective urgent desire to better understand the chronic existing structural, social, educational, and health inequities affecting disadvantaged populations, particularly Black Americans. In this perspective, the authors provide insight into a shared learning approach that provided a forum to discuss Perspectives Against Racism (PAR). Unlike existing top-down approaches, faculty, trainees, and staff were engaged in leading a series of focused discussions to examine unconscious bias, promote awareness of implicit biases, and reflect on individual and collective roles and responsibilities in working toward becoming antiracist. An existing 1-h graduate elective seminar course was dedicated to creating a space for learning, discussion, and exchange of ideas related to the experience and existence of racism (personal and institutional/systemic). A goal of each session was to go beyond didactics and identify mechanisms to implement change, at the level of the individual, department, and institution. This perspective of the shared experience may provide an adaptable framework that can be implemented in an academic setting at the departmental, center, or institutional level.

Ethanol-induced lymphatic endothelial cell permeability via MAP-kinase regulation.

Chronic alcohol alters the immune system enhancing the susceptibility to inflammation, bacterial, and viral infections in alcohol users. We have shown that alcohol causes increased permeability of mesenteric lymphatic vessels in alcohol-fed rats. The mechanisms of alcohol-induced lymphatic leakage are unknown. Endothelial cell monolayer permeability is controlled by junctional proteins complexes called tight junctions (TJ) and adherens junctions (AJ), and each can be regulated by MAPK activation. We hypothesize that ethanol induces lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) permeability via disruption of LEC TJ through MAPK activation. An in vitro model of rat LECs was used. Ethanol-supplemented medium was added at concentrations of 0, 25, and 50 mM to confluent cells. Resistance-based barrier function, transwell permeability, cell viability, TJ, AJ, and MAPK protein activity, TJ and AJ gene expressions, and the role of p38 MAPK in barrier function regulation were measured. Ethanol increased the permeability of LECs compared to controls that was not associated with decreased cell viability. LECs treated with 50 mM ethanol showed an increase in phosphorylated levels of p38. No significant changes in TJ and AJ gene or protein expressions were observed after ethanol treatment. p38 inhibition prevented ethanol-induced increases in permeability. These findings suggest that p38 may play a role in the regulation of ethanol-induced LEC permeability, but altered permeability may not be associated with decreased TJ or AJ protein expression. Further investigation into junctional protein localization is needed to better understand the effects of ethanol on lymphatic endothelial cell-to-cell contacts and hyperpermeability.

Knowledge gains in a professional development workshop on diversity, equity, inclusion, and implicit bias in academia.

As literature indicates, historic racism and implicit bias throughout academia have been profound metrics leading to a lack of diversity, as related to people from underrepresented groups according to race and ethnicity, among biomedical sciences graduate students in U.S. universities. Recognizing such challenges, a team of biomedical scientists and inclusivity educators developed and implemented a pilot training program within an academic health sciences center as an initial step to educate faculty and staff regarding their roles in the promotion of an inclusive academic environment, receptive to all students, including underrepresented students. The 3-h workshop included didactic modules, videos, teaching modules, and active attendee participation. Faculty and staff were presented common terminology and ways to promote the development of an inclusive and diverse academic workforce. Compared with pre-workshop, post-workshop survey results indicated a statistically significant improvement in attendee knowledge of correctly identifying definitions of "implicit bias," "status leveling," "color-blind racial attitudes," "tokenism," and "failure to differentiate." Additionally, by the end of the workshop, participants had a statistically significant increase in self-perceptions regarding the importance of improving diversity and recognizing biases and stereotypes in graduate education, knowing what to say when interacting with people from different cultures, and the ability to acknowledge bias when mentoring students from groups underrepresented in the biomedical field. This preliminary initiative was successful in the introduction of faculty and staff to the importance of fostering an inclusive academic environment and thereby developing a diverse workforce.

Alcohol-Induced Mesenteric Lymphatic Permeability: Link to Immunometabolic Modulation of Perilymphatic Adipose Tissue.

Alcohol exerts significant immunomodulatory effects on innate and adaptive immune responses, impairing host defense against infections. Gut-mucosa-derived dendritic cells (DCs) traffic to mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) through mesenteric lymphatic vessels (MLVs), contributing to intestinal antigen homeostasis. Previously, we demonstrated that acute alcohol administration to male rats induces MLV hyperpermeability resulting in perilymphatic adipose tissue (PLAT) inflammation and insulin signaling dysregulation. We hypothesized that alcohol-induced MLV hyperpermeability can lead to DC leakage to PLAT. DCs promote adipose tissue regulatory T cell (Treg) expansion, and this has been proposed as a mechanism underlying age-associated insulin resistance (IR). The aim of this study was to determine whether chronic alcohol consumption promotes DC leakage to PLAT and results in metabolic dysregulation. Male rats received a Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet containing 36% of calories from alcohol for 10 weeks. Time-matched control animals were pair-fed. PLAT, MLNs, and peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) were isolated for flow cytometry analyses. PLAT explants were used for determinations of insulin-induced glucose uptake. Chronic alcohol consumption decreased MLN CD4/CD8 ratio and Treg frequency in PBLs. Alcohol increased the frequency of DCs, CD4 T cells, and Tregs in PLAT. Lastly, alcohol decreased insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in PLAT. Collectively, these findings suggest that alcohol-induced immune cell deviation from the gut-MLN pathway is associated with PLAT immunometabolic dysregulation. Whether this immune cell deviation impacts induction of mucosal immunity warrants further investigation.

The prevalence of cardio-metabolic risk factors is differentially elevated in obesity-prone Osborne-Mendel and obesity-resistant S5B/Pl rats.

AIMS: Individual susceptibility to develop obesity may impact the development of cardio-metabolic risk factors that lead to obesity-related comorbid conditions. Obesity-prone Osborne-Mendel (OM) rats expressed higher levels of visceral adipose inflammation than obesity-resistant, S5B/Pl (S5B) rats. However, the consumption of a high fat diet (HFD) differentially affected OM and S5B rats and induced an increase in visceral adipose inflammation in S5B rats. The current study examined the effects of HFD consumption on cardio-metabolic risk factors in OM and S5B rats. MATERIALS & METHODS: Glucose regulation and circulating levels of lipids, adiponectin and C-reactive protein were assessed following 8 weeks of HFD or low fat diet (LFD) consumption. Left ventricle hypertrophy and mRNA expression of cardiovascular disease biomarkers were also quantified in OM and S5B rats. KEY FINDINGS: Circulating levels of triglycerides were higher, while HDL cholesterol, adiponectin and glycemic control were lower in OM rats, compared to S5B rats. In the left ventricle, BNP and CTGF mRNA expression were higher in OM rats and IL-6, IL-1ß, VEGF, and iNOS mRNA expression were higher in S5B rats. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings support the hypothesis that cardio-metabolic risk factors are increased in obesity-prone individuals, which may increase the risk for the development of obesity-related comorbidities. In the current models, obesity-resistant S5B rats also exhibited cardiovascular risk factors supporting the importance of monitoring cardiovascular health in individuals characterized as obesity-resistant.

Summary of the 2018 Alcohol and Immunology Research Interest Group (AIRIG) meeting.

On January 26, 2018, the 23rd annual Alcohol and Immunology Research Interest Group (AIRIG) meeting was held at the University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado. The meeting consisted of plenary sessions with oral presentations and a poster presentation session. There were four plenary sessions that covered a wide range of topics relating to alcohol use: Alcohol and Liver Disease; Alcohol, Inflammation and Immune Response; Alcohol and Organ Injury; Heath Consequences and Alcohol Drinking. The meeting provided a forum for the presentation and discussion of novel research findings regarding alcohol use and immunology.

Repeated Binge-Like Alcohol Intoxication: Depot-Specific Adipose Tissue Immuno-Metabolic Dysregulation.

Repeated binge-like alcohol intoxication (RBAI) induces whole-body insulin resistance, which is predicted to increase the risk for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Previously, we showed that acute alcohol intoxication increases mesenteric lymphatic permeability, perilymphatic adipose tissue (PLAT) inflammation, and circulating lipopolysaccharide levels in rats. We hypothesize that mesenteric lymphatic hyperpermeability, adipose tissue inflammation and associated dysregulated adipokine expression, and insulin signaling are central mechanisms underlying whole-body metabolic dysregulation resulting from RBAI. To test this hypothesis, male Sprague-Dawley rats surgically fitted with an intragastric catheter received a bolus of 2.5 g/kg/day of alcohol (12.5% alcohol w/v) or isocaloric dextrose in Vanilla Ensure (116 kcal/kg/day) for 3 days. Mesenteric lymphatic permeability, mesenteric (MFAT = PLAT) and subcutaneous (SFAT) adipose tissue inflammatory milieu, circulating adipokines, and markers of insulin responsiveness (pAKT and PTP1B protein expression) were determined following the last alcohol/dextrose administration. RBAI resulted in increased lymphatic permeability, MFAT-specific expression of inflammatory cytokines and markers of inflammatory cells (macrophages, dendritic, and T cells), decreased circulating adiponectin and visfatin levels, and MFAT-specific attenuation of insulin-stimulated protein kinase B phosphorylation (Ser) compared with dextrose-treated control animals. These results suggest that RBAI-induced mesenteric lymphatic hyperpermeability promotes inflammatory milieu, decreased insulin-sensitizing adipokines, and impaired insulin signaling in MFAT, which we propose may be an early event preceding systemic metabolic dysregulation. We speculate that RBAI-induced increase in gut-derived toxins, promoting lymphatic leak, and MFAT inflammatory milieu are mechanisms deserving further investigation to elucidate lymphatic-MFAT crosstalk events that precede and predispose for alcohol-induced insulin resistance.

Physiological processes underlying organ injury in alcohol abuse.

This review summarizes the American Physiological Society (APS) Presidential Symposium 1 entitled "Physiological Processes Underlying Organ Injury in Alcohol Abuse" at the 2016 Experimental Biology meeting. The symposium was organized by Dr. Patricia Molina, past president of the APS, was held on April 3 at the Convention Center in San Diego, CA, and was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The "Physiological Processes Underlying Organ Injury in Alcohol Abuse Symposium" assembled experts and leaders in the field and served as a platform to discuss and share knowledge on the latest developments and scientific advances on the mechanisms underlying organ injury in alcohol abuse. This symposium provided unique, interdisciplinary alcohol research, including several organs, liver, muscle, adipose, and brain, affected by excessive alcohol use.

Alcohol Vapor Inhalation as a Model of Alcohol-Induced Organ Disease.

BACKGROUND: Chronic intermittent ethanol vapor (CIEV) exposure has been used extensively to produce rodent models of alcohol dependence, but unlike other models of alcohol abuse, CIEV has not been assessed as a model of end-organ damage. The purpose of this study was to characterize the effects of CIEV on peripheral organ systems affected by alcohol abuse, including the liver, lungs, and cardiovascular system. METHODS: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to daily CIEV for a period of 8 weeks (14HR ON/10HR OFF), producing blood alcohol levels of ~200 mg/dl. Controls were exposed to room air. After 8 weeks, echocardiography was performed to assess cardiac function. Indices of liver injury (alanine and aspartate aminotransferases [ALT and AST]; cytochrome p450 2E1 [CYP2E1]; alcohol dehydrogenase [ADH]; Oil Red O and triglyceride content; lipid peroxidation; inflammatory cytokine expression; and macrophage infiltration), and lung inflammatory cell count, proinflammatory cytokine expression, and lipid peroxidation were measured. RESULTS: Left ventricular posterior wall thickness was significantly decreased, and systolic blood pressure was significantly elevated by CIEV compared with air controls. CIEV led to a significant increase in plasma ALT and triglycerides compared with room air controls. CIEV did not affect liver triglyceride content, lipid staining or peroxidation, but increased CYP2E1 and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) protein expression, while decreasing ADH expression. CIEV significantly increased numbers of both polymorphonuclear neutrophils and lymphocytes in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, indicative of pulmonary inflammation. However, CIEV did not produce significant changes in lung mass, pulmonary lipid peroxidation, inflammatory cytokine expression, or edema. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that CIEV produces hepatic, pulmonary, and cardiovascular effects in rats similar to those found in other models of chronic alcohol administration. Alcohol vapor administration is a novel method of alcohol-induced tissue injury with high potential for widespread use in alcohol toxicology research.

Rnd3 as a Novel Target to Ameliorate Microvascular Leakage.

BACKGROUND: Microvascular leakage of plasma proteins is a hallmark of inflammation that leads to tissue dysfunction. There are no current therapeutic strategies to reduce microvascular permeability. The purpose of this study was to identify the role of Rnd3, an atypical Rho family GTPase, in the control of endothelial barrier integrity. The potential therapeutic benefit of Rnd3 protein delivery to ameliorate microvascular leakage was also investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using immunofluorescence microscopy, Rnd3 was observed primarily in cytoplasmic areas around the nuclei of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Permeability to fluorescein isothiocyanate-albumin and transendothelial electrical resistance of human umbilical vein endothelial cell monolayers served as indices of barrier function, and RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc42 activities were determined using G-LISA assays. Overexpression of Rnd3 significantly reduced the magnitude of thrombin-induced barrier dysfunction, and abolished thrombin-induced Rac1 inactivation. Depleting Rnd3 expression with siRNA significantly extended the time course of thrombin-induced barrier dysfunction and Rac1 inactivation. Time-lapse microscopy of human umbilical vein endothelial cells expressing GFP-actin showed that co-expression of mCherry-Rnd3 attenuated thrombin-induced reductions in local lamellipodia that accompany endothelial barrier dysfunction. Lastly, a novel Rnd3 protein delivery method reduced microvascular leakage in a rat model of hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation, assessed by both intravital microscopic observation of extravasation of fluorescein isothiocyanate-albumin from the mesenteric microcirculation, and direct determination of solute permeability in intact isolated venules. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that Rnd3 can shift the balance of RhoA and Rac1 signaling in endothelial cells. In addition, our findings suggest the therapeutic, anti-inflammatory potential of delivering Rnd3 to promote endothelial barrier recovery during inflammatory challenge.

Alcohol's Burden on Immunity Following Burn, Hemorrhagic Shock, or Traumatic Brain Injury.

Alcohol consumption contributes to increased incidence and severity of traumatic injury. Compared with patients who do not consume alcohol, alcohol-consuming patients have higher rates of long-term morbidity and mortality during recovery from injury. This can be attributed in part to an impaired immune response in individuals who consume alcohol. Acute and chronic alcohol use can affect both the innate and adaptive immune defense responses within multiple organ systems; the combination of alcohol use and injury results in increased susceptibility to bacterial and viral pathogens. This review examines the major deleterious effects of alcohol on immunity following tissue damage or traumatic injury, with a focus on alcohol's influence on the ability of the immune and major organ systems to fight disease and to repair damaged tissues following injury.

Mesenteric Lymphatic-Perilymphatic Adipose Crosstalk: Role in Alcohol-Induced Perilymphatic Adipose Tissue Inflammation.

BACKGROUND: The digestive tract lymphatics transport approximately two-thirds of all lymph produced in the body and have a key role in mucosal immunity through their contribution to antigen transport and immune cell trafficking. Mesenteric lymphatic pumping function integrity is critical for maintaining homeostasis and lipid transport. We previously demonstrated that acute alcohol intoxication (AAI) increases mesenteric lymphatic amplitude of contraction and ejection fraction, enhancing the ability of the lymphatic vessels to pump lymph. AAI has been shown to disrupt intestinal barrier integrity, which would be expected to increase the endotoxin content of mesenteric lymph. In this study, we tested the prediction that AAI increases lymphatic permeability directly affecting perilymphatic adipose tissue (PLAT) milieu. METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley rats received an intragastric infusion of 2.5 g/kg of alcohol. Isovolumic administration of water (vehicle) served as control. PLAT was isolated for the determination of Evans Blue extravasation (permeability), cytokine content, and immunohistochemistry for inflammatory cell infiltration at 30 minutes and 24 hours after alcohol administration. RESULTS: PLAT isolated from AAI animals had greater Evans Blue concentrations and cytokine expression (24 hours post-AAI) and mast cell and neutrophil density than that isolated from controls. AAI resulted in significantly higher plasma lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin) levels, lower plasma adiponectin levels (at 30 minutes), and unchanged plasma visfatin levels. CONCLUSIONS: The data indicate that AAI induces mesenteric lymphatic hyperpermeability, promotes PLAT inflammatory milieu and disrupts the systemic adipokine profile. These findings suggest an association between alcohol-induced lymphatic hyperpermeability and early manifestations of metabolic dysfunction as a result of alcohol abuse. We propose that crosstalk between lymph and PLAT results in adipose inflammation and adipokine dysregulation during AAI.

Mechanisms of Acute Alcohol Intoxication-Induced Modulation of Cyclic Mobilization of [Ca²âº] in Rat Mesenteric Lymphatic Vessels.

BACKGROUND: We have demonstrated that acute alcohol intoxication (AAI) increases the magnitude of Ca(2+) transients in pumping lymphatic vessels. We tested the contribution of extracellular Ca(2+) via L-type Ca(2+) channels and intracellular Ca(2+) release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) to the AAI-induced increase in Ca(2+) transients. METHODS AND RESULTS: AAI was produced by intragastric administration of 30% alcohol to conscious, unrestrained rats; isovolumic administration of water served as the control. Mesenteric lymphatic vessels were isolated, cannulated, and loaded with Fura-2 AM to measure changes in intracellular Ca(2+). Measurements were made at intraluminal pressures of 2, 6, and 10 cm H2O. L-type Ca(2+) channels were blocked with nifedipine; IP-3 receptors were inhibited with xestospongin C; and SR Ca(2+) release and Ca(2+) pool (Ca(2+) free APSS) were achieved using caffeine. Nifedipine reduced lymphatic Ca(2+) transient magnitude in both AAI and control groups at all pressures tested, but reduced lymphatic contraction frequency only in the control group. Xestospongin C did not significantly change any of the Ca(2+) parameters in either group; however, fractional shortening increased in the controls at low transmural pressure. RyR (ryanodine receptor) activation with caffeine resulted in a single contraction with a greater Ca(2+) transient in lymphatics from AAI than those from controls. SR Ca(2+) pool was also greater in lymphatics isolated from AAI- than from control animals. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that 1) L-type Ca(2+) channels contribute to the AAI-induced increase in lymphatic Ca(2+) transient, 2) blockage of IP-3 receptors could increase calcium sensitivity, and 3) AAI increases Ca(2+) storage in the SR in lymphatic vessels.

Involvement of local lamellipodia in endothelial barrier function.

Recently we observed that endothelial cells cultured in tightly confluent monolayers display frequent local lamellipodia, and that thrombin, an agent that increases endothelial permeability, reduces lamellipodia protrusions. This led us to test the hypothesis that local lamellipodia contribute to endothelial barrier function. Movements of subcellular structures containing GFP-actin or VE-cadherin-GFP expressed in endothelial cells were recorded using time-lapse microscopy. Transendothelial electrical resistance (TER) served as an index of endothelial barrier function. Changes in both lamellipodia dynamics and TER were assessed during baseline and after cells were treated with either the barrier-disrupting agent thrombin, or the barrier-stabilizing agent sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). The myosin II inhibitor blebbistatin was used to selectively block lamellipodia formation, and was used to test their role in the barrier function of endothelial cell monolayers and isolated, perfused rat mesenteric venules. Myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation was assessed by immunofluorescence microscopy. Rac1 and RhoA activation were evaluated using G-LISA assays. The role of Rac1 was tested with the specific inhibitor NSC23766 or by expressing wild-type or dominant negative GFP-Rac1. The results show that thrombin rapidly decreased both TER and the lamellipodia protrusion frequency. S1P rapidly increased TER in association with increased protrusion frequency. Blebbistatin nearly abolished local lamellipodia protrusions while cortical actin fibers and stress fibers remained intact. Blebbistatin also significantly decreased TER of cultured endothelial cells and increased permeability of isolated rat mesenteric venules. Both thrombin and S1P increased MLC phosphorylation and activation of RhoA. However, thrombin and S1P had differential impacts on Rac1, correlating with the changes in TER and lamellipodia protrusion frequency. Overexpression of Rac1 elevated, while NSC23766 and dominant negative Rac1 reduced barrier function and lamellipodia activity. Combined, these data suggest that local lamellipodia, driven by myosin II and Rac1, are important for dynamic changes in endothelial barrier integrity.

Alcohol abuse: critical pathophysiological processes and contribution to disease burden.

Alcohol abuse; the most common and costly form of drug abuse, is a major contributing factor to many disease categories. The alcohol-attributable disease burden is closely related to the average volume of alcohol consumption, with dose-dependent relationships between amount and duration of alcohol consumption and the incidence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pneumonia. The frequent occurrence of alcohol use disorders in the adult population and the significant and widespread detrimental organ system effects highlight the importance of recognizing and further investigating the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying alcohol-induced tissue and organ injury.

Rho kinase enhances contractions of rat mesenteric collecting lymphatics.

The mechanisms that control phasic and tonic contractions of lymphatic vessels are poorly understood. We hypothesized that rho kinase ROCK, previously shown to increase calcium (Ca2+) sensitivity in vascular smooth muscle, enhances lymphatic contractile activity in a similar fashion. Contractions of isolated rat mesenteric lymphatic vessels were observed at a luminal pressure of 2 cm H2O in a 37°C bath. The expression of ROCK in isolated rat mesenteric lymphatic vessels was assessed by Western blotting and confocal microscopy. The role of ROCK in contractile function was tested using two specific yet structurally distinct inhibitors: H1152 (0.1-10 µM) and Y-27632 (0.5-50 µM). In addition, lymphatics were transfected with constitutively active (ca)-ROCK protein (2 µg/ml) to assess gain of contractile function. Vessel diameter and the concentration of intracellular free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) were simultaneously measured in a subset of isolated lymphatics loaded with the Ca2+-sensing dye fura-2. The results show expression of both the ROCK1 and ROCK2 isoforms in lymphatic vessels. Inhibition of ROCK increased lymphatic end diastolic diameter and end systolic diameter in a concentration-dependent manner. Significant reductions in lymphatic tone and contraction amplitude were observed after treatment 1-10 µM H1152 or 25-50 µM Y-27632. H1152 (10 µM) also significantly reduced contraction frequency. Transient increases in [Ca2+]i preceded each phasic contraction, however this pattern was disrupted by either 10 µM H1152 or 50 µM Y-27632 in the majority of lymphatics studied. The significant decrease in tone caused by H1152 or Y-27632 was not associated with a significant change in the basal [Ca2+]i between transients. Transfection with ca-ROCK protein enhanced lymphatic tone, but was not associated with a significant change in basal [Ca2+]i. Our data suggest that ROCK mediates normal tonic constriction and influences phasic contractions in lymphatics. We propose that ROCK modulates Ca2+ sensitivity of contractile proteins in lymphatics.

Involvement of H1 and H2 receptors and soluble guanylate cyclase in histamine-induced relaxation of rat mesenteric collecting lymphatics.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the roles of the H1 and H2 histamine receptors, NO synthase, and sGC cyclase in histamine-induced modulation of rat mesenteric collecting lymphatic pumping. METHODS: Isolated rat mesenteric collecting lymphatics were treated with 1- to 100-µM histamine. Histamine receptors were blocked with either the H1 antagonist mepyramine or the H2 antagonist cimetidine. The role of NO/sGC signaling was tested using the arginine analog L-NAME, the sGC inhibitor ODQ, and SNP as a positive control. RESULTS: Histamine applied at 100 µM decreased tone and CF of isolated rat mesenteric collecting lymphatics. Pharmacologic blockade of either H1 or H2 histamine receptors significantly inhibited the response to histamine. Pretreatment with ODQ, but not L-NAME, completely inhibited the histamine-induced decrease in tone. ODQ pretreatment also significantly inhibited SNP-induced lymphatic relaxation. CONCLUSIONS: H1 and H2 histamine receptors are both involved in histamine-induced relaxation of rat mesenteric collecting lymphatics. NO synthesis does not appear to contribute to the histamine-induced response. However, sGC is critical for the histamine-induced decrease in tone and contributes to the drop in CF.