NSun2 regulates aneurysm formation by promoting autotaxin expression and T cell recruitment.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is characterized by inflammatory cell infiltration and aggravated by hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy). It is unknown whether the homocysteine (Hcy)-activated RNA methyltransferase NOP2/Sun domain family member 2 (NSun2) is associated with AAA. Here, we found that NSun2 deficiency significantly attenuated elastase-induced and HHcy-aggravated murine AAA with decreased T cell infiltration in the vessel walls. T cell labeling and adoptive transfer experiments confirmed that NSun2 deficiency inhibited the chemotaxis of vessels to T cells. RNA sequencing of endothelial cells showed that Hcy induced the accumulation of various metabolic enzymes of the phospholipid PC-LPC-LPA metabolic pathway, especially autotaxin (ATX). In the elastase-induced mouse model of AAA, ATX was specifically expressed in the endothelium and the plasma ATX concentration was upregulated and even higher in the HHcy group, which were decreased dramatically by NSun2 knockdown. In vitro Transwell experiments showed that ATX dose-dependently promoted T cell migration. HHcy may upregulate endothelial ATX expression and secretion and in turn recruit T cells into the vessel walls to induce vascular inflammation and consequently accelerate the pathogenesis of AAA. Mechanistically, secreted ATX interacted with T cells by binding to integrin α4, which subsequently activated downstream FAK/Src-RhoA signaling pathways and then induced T cell chemokinesis and adhesion. ATX overexpression in the vessel walls reversed the inhibited development of AAA in the NSun2-deficient mice. Therefore, NSun2 mediates the development of HHcy-aggravated AAA primarily by increasing endothelial ATX expression, secretion and T cell migration, which is a novel mechanism for HHcy-aggravated vascular inflammation and pathogenesis of AAA.

Ganoderic acid alleviates chemotherapy-induced fatigue in mice bearing colon tumor.

Chemotherapy-related fatigue (CRF) is increasingly being recognized as one of the severe symptoms in patients undergoing chemotherapy, which not only largely reduces the quality of life in patients, but also diminishes their physical and social function. At present, there is no effective drug for preventing and treating CRF. Ganoderic acid (GA), isolated from traditional Chinese medicine Ganoderma lucidum, has shown a variety of pharmacological activities such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, immunoregulation, etc. In this study, we investigated whether GA possessed anti-fatigue activity against CRF. CT26 tumor-bearing mice were treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU, 30 mg/kg) and GA (50 mg/kg) alone or in combination for 18 days. Peripheral and central fatigue-related behaviors, energy metabolism and inflammatory factors were assessed. We demonstrated that co-administration of GA ameliorated 5-FU-induced peripheral muscle fatigue-like behavior via improving muscle quality and mitochondria function, increasing glycogen content and ATP production, reducing lactic acid content and LDH activity, and inhibiting p-AMPK, IL-6 and TNF-α expression in skeletal muscle. Co-administration of GA also retarded the 5-FU-induced central fatigue-like behavior accompanied by down-regulating the expression of IL-6, iNOS and COX2 in the hippocampus through inhibiting TLR4/Myd88/NF-κB pathway. These results suggest that GA could attenuate 5-FU-induced peripheral and central fatigue in tumor-bearing mice, which provides evidence for GA as a potential drug for treatment of CRF in clinic.

T-cell-derived extracellular vesicles regulate B-cell IgG production via pyruvate kinase muscle isozyme 2.

Intercellular communication between lymphocytes plays a fundamental role in numerous immune responses. Previously, we demonstrated that hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) induced T cell intracellular glycolytic-lipogenic reprogramming and IFN-γ secretion via pyruvate kinase muscle isozyme 2 (PKM2) to accelerate atherosclerosis. Usually, B cells partially obtain help from T cells in antibody responses. However, whether PKM2 activation in T cells regulates B cell antibody production is unknown. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important cellular communication vehicles. Here, we found that PKM2 activator TEPP46-stimulated T-cell-derived EVs promoted B-cell IgG secretion. Conversely, EVs secreted from PKM2-null T cells were internalized into B cells and markedly inhibited B-cell mitochondrial programming, activation, and IgG production. Mechanistically, lipidomics analyses showed that increased ceramides in PKM2-activated T-cell EVs were mainly responsible for enhanced B cell IgG secretion induced by these EVs. Finally, quantum dots (QDs) were packaged with PKM2-null T cell EVs and anti-CD19 antibody to exert B-cell targeting and inhibit IgG production, eventually ameliorating HHcy-accelerated atherosclerosis in vivo. Thus, PKM2-mediated EV ceramides in T cells may be an important cargo for T-cell-regulated B cell IgG production, and QD-CD19-PKM2-null T cell EVs hold high potential to treat B cell overactivation-related diseases.-Yang, J., Dang, G., Lü, S., Liu, H., Ma, X., Han, L., Deng, J., Miao, Y., Li, X., Shao, F., Jiang, C., Xu, Q., Wang, X., Feng, J. T-cell-derived extracellular vesicles regulate B-cell IgG production via pyruvate kinase muscle isozyme 2.

B cell-derived anti-beta 2 glycoprotein I antibody mediates hyperhomocysteinemia-aggravated hypertensive glomerular lesions by triggering ferroptosis.

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is a risk factor for chronic kidney diseases (CKDs) that affects about 85% CKD patients. HHcy stimulates B cells to secrete pathological antibodies, although it is unknown whether this pathway mediates kidney injury. In HHcy-treated 2-kidney, 1-clip (2K1C) hypertensive murine model, HHcy-activated B cells secreted anti-beta 2 glycoprotein I (ß2GPI) antibodies that deposited in glomerular endothelial cells (GECs), exacerbating glomerulosclerosis and reducing renal function. Mechanistically, HHcy 2K1C mice increased phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) (18:0/20:4, 18:0/22:6, 16:0/20:4) in kidney tissue, as determined by lipidomics. GECs oxidative lipidomics validated the increase of oxidized phospholipids upon Hcy-activated B cells culture medium (Hcy-B CM) treatment, including PE (18:0/20:4 + 3[O], PE (18:0a/22:4 + 1[O], PE (18:0/22:4 + 2[O] and PE (18:0/22:4 + 3[O]). PE synthases ethanolamine kinase 2 (etnk2) and ethanolamine-phosphate cytidylyltransferase 2 (pcyt2) were increased in the kidney GECs of HHcy 2K1C mice and facilitated polyunsaturated PE synthesis to act as lipid peroxidation substrates. In HHcy 2K1C mice and Hcy-B CM-treated GECs, the oxidative environment induced by iron accumulation and the insufficient clearance of lipid peroxides caused by transferrin receptor (TFR) elevation and down-regulation of SLC7A11/glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) contributed to GECs ferroptosis of the kidneys. In vivo, pharmacological depletion of B cells or inhibition of ferroptosis mitigated the HHcy-aggravated hypertensive renal injury. Consequently, our findings uncovered a novel mechanism by which B cell-derived pathogenic anti-ß2GPI IgG generated by HHcy exacerbated hypertensive kidney damage by inducing GECs ferroptosis. Targeting B cells or ferroptosis may be viable therapeutic strategies for ameliorating lipid peroxidative renal injury in HHcy patients with hypertensive nephropathy.

From mono-PEGylation towards anti-nonspecific protein interaction: comparison of dihydrolipoic acid versus glutathione-capped fluorescent gold nanoclusters using gel electrophoresis.

Ultrafine fluorescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) have emerged as biocompatible nanoprobes for biomedical imaging in vivo, and the precision surface chemistry of AuNCs is the key for attaining their clinical application. Comparison of two promising candidates for future nanomedicine, i.e. dihydrolipoic acid- versus glutathione-capped AuNCs (AuNC@DHLA vs. AuNC@GSH), was conducted for the first time to clarify their polyethylene glycol-related bioconjugate chemistry (PEGylation) and protein interactions. Gel electrophoresis was performed to separate the number of AuNCs PEGylation, and the molecular weight of the PEG spacer dominated the resolution of the separation in the gel. We have engineered and isolated the mono-PEGylated AuNCs either from the indirect carbodiimide bioconjugate chemistry or the direct Au-S binding. One-pot synthesis showed great efficiency for isolating mono-PEGylated AuNC@GSH from the tailored controlled aggregation of Au(i)-thiolate complexes on in situ generated Au(0) cores. Post-PEGylation of AuNC@GSH was also feasible using monodendate thiol-terminated PEG, but bidendate ligands of AuNC@DHLA exhibited low PEGylated efficiency by Au-S binding. In addition, mono-PEGylated AuNC@GSH significantly enhanced the ability of anti-nonspecific protein adsorption, but mono-PEGylated AuNC@DHLA cannot avoid the nonspecific binding with serum albumin. In addition, specific nano-assembly involving mono-biotinylated AuNCs with streptavidin were also compared using gel electrophoresis. These results provide key insights into the selection, preparation and design of functional AuNCs as nanoprobes for versatile biomedical applications.

B cell-derived anti-beta 2 glycoprotein I antibody contributes to hyperhomocysteinaemia-aggravated abdominal aortic aneurysm.

AIMS: Overactivated B cells secrete pathological antibodies, which in turn accelerate the formation of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Hyperhomocysteinaemia (HHcy) aggravates AAA in mice; however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely elusive. In this study, we further investigated whether homocysteine (Hcy)-activated B cells produce antigen-specific antibodies that ultimately contribute to AAA formation. METHODS AND RESULTS: ELISA assays showed that HHcy induced the secretion of anti-beta 2 glycoprotein I (anti-ß2GPI) antibody from B cells both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, Hcy increased the accumulation of various lipid metabolites in B cells tested by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, which contributed to elevated anti-ß2GPI IgG secretion. By using the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-specific inhibitor TAK-242 or TLR4-deficient macrophages, we found that culture supernatants from Hcy-activated B cells and HHcy plasma IgG polarized inflammatory macrophages in a TLR4-dependent manner. In addition, HHcy markedly increased the incidence of elastase- and CaPO4-induced AAA in male BALB/c mice, which was prevented in µMT mice. To further determine the importance of IgG in HHcy-aggravated AAA formation, we purified plasma IgG from HHcy or control mice and then transferred the IgG into µMT mice, which were subsequently subjected to elastase- or CaPO4-induced AAA. Compared with µMT mice that received plasma IgG from control mice, µMT mice that received HHcy plasma IgG developed significantly exacerbated elastase- or CaPO4-induced AAA accompanied by increased elastin degradation, MMP2/9 expression, and anti-ß2GPI IgG deposition in vascular lesions, as shown by immunofluorescence histochemical staining. CONCLUSION: Our findings reveal a novel mechanism by which Hcy-induced B cell-derived pathogenic anti-ß2GPI IgG might, at least in part, contribute to HHcy-aggravated chronic vascular inflammation and AAA formation.

rLj-RGD3, a Novel Three-RGD-Motif-Containing Recombinant Protein from Lampetra japonica, Protects PC12 Cells from Injury Induced by Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation and Reperfusion.

rLj-RGD3 is a 14.5 kDa recombinant protein with 3 RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) motifs from the salivary gland secretions of Lampetra japonica, which is a histidine-rich and arginine-rich protein. Previous reports indicated that rLj-RGD3 has typical functions of RGD-toxin protein, such as platelet aggregation suppression tumour metastasis and angiogenesis inhibition. Because histidine and arginine have cerebral ischemia-reperfusion and neuroprotective functions, we investigated whether rLj-RGD3 has such activities and studied the mechanism. The effects of rLj-RGD3 on neuroprotection and antiapoptosis were determined. The expression level of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), p-FAK, Caspase-3, and Bcl-2 after oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion (OGD-R) was examined. The viability of PC12 cells incubated with rLj-RGD3 at high concentrations (16 µmol/L) increased significantly due to its ability to protect the cells from apoptosis after OGD-R-induced injury. Furthermore, rLj-RGD3 attenuated the damage due to OGD-R. Most of the PC12 cells were apoptotic after OGD-R. In contrast, the number of apoptotic PC12 cells was significantly decreased in the group treated with a high-dose of rLj-RGD3. In addition, rLj-RGD3 activated FAK and p-FAK protein. rLj-RGD3 inhibited Caspase-3 and upregulated Bcl-2 protein expression in PC12 cells after OGD-R. The study provides the first evidence for neuroprotective effects of rLj-RGD3 in ischemic injury that may be partly mediated through inhibition of Caspase-3 and upregulation of Bcl-2, FAK, and p-FAK protein expression.

The anti-tumour activity of rLj-RGD4, an RGD toxin protein from Lampetra japonica, on human laryngeal squamous carcinoma Hep-2 cells in nude mice.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study is to investigate the antiproliferative activity and mechanism of integrin-binding rLj-RGD4 in a Hep-2 human laryngeal carcinoma-bearing nude mouse model. METHODS: Human laryngeal squamous carcinoma cells (Hep-2) were inoculated subcutaneously into the axilla of nude mice to generate a Hep-2 human laryngeal carcinoma-bearing nude mouse model. When the Hep-2 xenograft model was successfully established, the animals were randomly separated into five groups. Three groups were treated with different dosages of rLj-RGD4. Cisplatin was administered to the positive control group, and normal saline (NaCl) was administered to the negative control group for 3 weeks. The body weights and the survival of the nude mice were evaluated, and the volumes and weights of the solid tumours were measured. The mechanism underlying rLj-RGD4 inhibition of tumour growth in transplanted Hep-2 human laryngeal carcinoma-bearing nude mice was evaluated by haematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL), measurement of intratumoural microvessel density (MVD), Western blotting, and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: The tumour volumes and weights of the treatment groups were reduced compared with the model group, and survival times were improved by rLj-RGD4 treatment in Hep-2 human laryngeal carcinoma-bearing nude mice. The number of apoptotic Hep-2 human cells and intratumoural MVD significantly decreased after the administration of rLj-RGD4. In the xenograft tissue of animals treated with rLj-RGD4, FAK, PI3K, and Akt expression was unaltered, whereas P-FAK, P-PI3K, Bcl-2, P-Akt, and VEGF levels were down-regulated. In addition, activated caspase-3, activated caspase-9, and Bax levels were up-regulated. CONCLUSION: rLj-RGD4 exhibits potent in vivo activity and inhibits the growth of transplanted Hep-2 human laryngeal carcinoma cells in a nude mouse model. Thus, these results indicate that the recombinant RGD toxin protein rLj-RGD4 may serve as a potent clinical therapy for human laryngeal squamous carcinoma.

Recombinant hirudin suppresses the viability, adhesion, migration and invasion of Hep-2 human laryngeal cancer cells.

Recombinant hirudin (rH) is a highly potent and specific inhibitor of thrombin, and has been shown to inhibit the growth and metastasis of several types of cancers in experimental tumor models. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antitumor effects and explore the underlying mechanisms of rH in Hep-2 human laryngeal carcinoma (LC) cells. Hep-2 cells were treated with various concentrations of rH for 24 h. The cell viability was evaluated by a water-soluble tetrazolium salt (WST) assay. The adhesion ability of the cells was evaluated by cell adhesion to fibronectin. Cell migration and invasion were measured with the Boyden chamber assay. Cell apoptosis was detected by Hoechst 33324 fluorescence staining. A chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay was used to assess the effects of rH on angiogenesis in vivo. Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF-R), focal adhesion kinase (FAK), Bcl-2-associated agonist of cell death (Bad) and B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) proteins. rH significantly inhibited the cell viability and induced apoptosis in LC Hep-2 cells in a dose-dependent manner, as compared with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) as control. These results were accompanied by a decrease in the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and an increase in the pro-apoptotic protein Bad. Moreover, rH dose-dependently inhibited the adhesion, migration and invasion of the Hep-2 cells, compared to the vehicle PBS. In addition, rH robustly suppressed angiogenesis in the CAM assay. Importantly, the expression of adhesion and angiogenesis-associated proteins FAK and VEGF-R was significantly downregulated by rH in a dose-dependent manner. The present findings demonstrate that rH exerts antitumor effects in Hep-2 human laryngeal cancer cells via multiple mechanisms and suggests that targeting thrombin by rH is a potential strategy for the treatment of LC.