Transcription Factor Forkhead Box O1 Mediates Transforming Growth Factor-ß1-Induced Apoptosis in Hepatocytes.

Dysregulation of hepatocyte apoptosis is associated with several types of chronic liver diseases. Transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) is a well-known pro-apoptotic factor in the liver, which constitutes a receptor complex composed of TGF-ß receptor I and II, along with transcription factor Smad proteins. As a member of the forkhead box O (Foxo) class of transcription factors, Foxo1 is a predominant regulator of hepatic glucose production and apoptosis. This study investigated the potential relationship between TGF-ß1 signaling and Foxo1 in control of apoptosis in hepatocytes. TGF-ß1 induced hepatocyte apoptosis in a Foxo1-dependent manner in hepatocytes isolated from both wild-type and liver-specific Foxo1 knockout mice. TGF-ß1 activated protein kinase A through TGF-ß receptor I-Smad3, followed by phosphorylation of Foxo1 at Ser273 in promotion of apoptosis in hepatocytes. Moreover, Smad3 overexpression in the liver of mice promoted the levels of phosphorylated Foxo1-S273, total Foxo1, and a Foxo1-target pro-apoptotic gene Bim, which eventually resulted in hepatocyte apoptosis. The study further demonstrated a crucial role of Foxo1-S273 phosphorylation in the pro-apoptotic effect of TGF-ß1 by using hepatocytes isolated from Foxo1-S273A/A knock-in mice, in which the phosphorylation of Foxo1-S273 was disrupted. Taken together, this study established a novel role of TGF-ß1→protein kinase A→Foxo1 signaling cascades in control of hepatocyte survival.

Lipotoxicity-polarised macrophage-derived exosomes regulate mitochondrial fitness through Miro1-mediated mitophagy inhibition and contribute to type 2 diabetes development in mice.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Insulin resistance is a major pathophysiological defect in type 2 diabetes and obesity. Numerous experimental and clinical studies have provided evidence that sustained lipotoxicity-induced mitophagy deficiency can exacerbate insulin resistance, leading to a vicious cycle between mitophagy dysfunction and insulin resistance, and thereby the onset of type 2 diabetes. Emerging evidence suggests that exosomes (Exos) from M2 macrophages play an essential role in modulating metabolic homeostasis. However, how macrophages are affected by lipotoxicity and the role of lipotoxicity in promoting macrophage activation to the M1 state have not been determined. The objective of this study was to determine whether M1 macrophage-derived Exos polarised by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) + palmitic acid (PA)-induced lipotoxicity contribute to metabolic homeostasis and impact the development of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Lipotoxicity-polarised macrophage-derived M1 Exos were isolated from bone marrow (C57BL/6J mouse)-derived macrophages treated with LPS+PA. Exos were characterised by transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis and western blotting. Flow cytometry, H&E staining, quantitative real-time PCR, immunofluorescence, glucose uptake and output assays, confocal microscopy imaging, western blotting, GTTs and ITTs were conducted to investigate tissue inflammation, mitochondrial function and insulin resistance in vitro and in vivo. The roles of miR-27-3p and its target gene Miro1 (also known as Rhot1, encoding mitochondrial rho GTPase 1) and relevant pathways were predicted and assessed in vitro and in vivo using specific miRNA mimic, miRNA inhibitor, miRNA antagomir and siRNA. RESULTS: miR-27-3p was highly expressed in M1 Exos and functioned as a Miro1-inactivating miRNA through the miR-27-3p-Miro1 axis, leading to mitochondria fission rather than fusion as well as mitophagy impairment, resulting in NOD-like receptor 3 inflammatory activation and development of insulin resistance both in vivo and in vitro. Inactivation of miR-27-3p induced by M1 Exos prevented type 2 diabetes development in high-fat-diet-fed mice. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: These findings suggest that the miR-27-3p-Miro1 axis, as a novel regulatory mechanism for mitophagy, could be considered as a new therapeutic target for lipotoxicity-related type 2 diabetes disease development.

Bioinformatics Identification of Regulatory Genes and Mechanism Related to Hypoxia-Induced PD-L1 Inhibitor Resistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

The combination of a PD-L1 inhibitor and an anti-angiogenic agent has become the new reference standard in the first-line treatment of non-excisable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due to the survival advantage, but its objective response rate remains low at 36%. Evidence shows that PD-L1 inhibitor resistance is attributed to hypoxic tumor microenvironment. In this study, we performed bioinformatics analysis to identify genes and the underlying mechanisms that improve the efficacy of PD-L1 inhibition. Two public datasets of gene expression profiles, (1) HCC tumor versus adjacent normal tissue (N = 214) and (2) normoxia versus anoxia of HepG2 cells (N = 6), were collected from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. We identified HCC-signature and hypoxia-related genes, using differential expression analysis, and their 52 overlapping genes. Of these 52 genes, 14 PD-L1 regulator genes were further identified through the multiple regression analysis of TCGA-LIHC dataset (N = 371), and 10 hub genes were indicated in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. It was found that POLE2, GABARAPL1, PIK3R1, NDC80, and TPX2 play critical roles in the response and overall survival in cancer patients under PD-L1 inhibitor treatment. Our study provides new insights and potential biomarkers to enhance the immunotherapeutic role of PD-L1 inhibitors in HCC, which can help in exploring new therapeutic strategies.

Regulators of calcineurin 1 deficiency attenuates tubulointerstitial fibrosis through improving mitochondrial fitness.

Renal fibrosis is the common pathological process of various chronic kidney diseases (CKD). Recent studies indicate that mitochondrial fragmentation is closely associated with renal fibrosis in CKD. However, the molecular mechanisms leading to mitochondrial fragmentation remain to be elucidated. The present study investigated the role of regulators of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1) in mitochondrial fission and renal interstitial fibrosis using conditional knockout mice in which RCAN1 was genetically deleted in tubular epithelial cells (TECs). TEC-specific deletion of RCAN1 attenuated tubulointerstitial fibrosis and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like phenotype change after unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) through suppressing TGF-ß1/Smad3 signaling pathway. TEC-specific deletion of RCAN1 also reduced the tubular apoptosis after UUO by inhibiting cytochrome c/caspase-9 pathway. Ultrastructure analysis revealed a marked decrease in mitochondrial fragmentation in TECs of RCAN1-deficient mice in experimental CKD models. The expression of mitochondrial profission proteins dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) and mitochondrial fission factor (Mff) was also downregulated in obstructed kidney of TEC-specific RCAN1-deficient mice. Furthermore, TEC-specific deletion of RCAN1 attenuated the dysfunctional tubular autophagy by regulating PINK1/Parkin-induced mitophagy in CKD. RCAN1 knockdown and knockout similarly improved the mitochondrial quality control in HK-2 cells and primary cultured mouse tubular cells stimulated by TGF-ß1. Put together, our data indicated that RCAN1 plays an important role in the progression of tubulointerstitial fibrosis through regulating the mitochondrial quality. Therefore, targeting RCAN1 may provide a potential therapeutic approach in CKD.

A Syntenic Cross Species Aneuploidy Genetic Screen Links RCAN1 Expression to ß-Cell Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a complex metabolic disease associated with obesity, insulin resistance and hypoinsulinemia due to pancreatic ß-cell dysfunction. Reduced mitochondrial function is thought to be central to ß-cell dysfunction. Mitochondrial dysfunction and reduced insulin secretion are also observed in ß-cells of humans with the most common human genetic disorder, Down syndrome (DS, Trisomy 21). To identify regions of chromosome 21 that may be associated with perturbed glucose homeostasis we profiled the glycaemic status of different DS mouse models. The Ts65Dn and Dp16 DS mouse lines were hyperglycemic, while Tc1 and Ts1Rhr mice were not, providing us with a region of chromosome 21 containing genes that cause hyperglycemia. We then examined whether any of these genes were upregulated in a set of ~5,000 gene expression changes we had identified in a large gene expression analysis of human T2D ß-cells. This approach produced a single gene, RCAN1, as a candidate gene linking hyperglycemia and functional changes in T2D ß-cells. Further investigations demonstrated that RCAN1 methylation is reduced in human T2D islets at multiple sites, correlating with increased expression. RCAN1 protein expression was also increased in db/db mouse islets and in human and mouse islets exposed to high glucose. Mice overexpressing RCAN1 had reduced in vivo glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and their ß-cells displayed mitochondrial dysfunction including hyperpolarised membrane potential, reduced oxidative phosphorylation and low ATP production. This lack of ß-cell ATP had functional consequences by negatively affecting both glucose-stimulated membrane depolarisation and ATP-dependent insulin granule exocytosis. Thus, from amongst the myriad of gene expression changes occurring in T2D ß-cells where we had little knowledge of which changes cause ß-cell dysfunction, we applied a trisomy 21 screening approach which linked RCAN1 to ß-cell mitochondrial dysfunction in T2D.

Hepatic Oncostatin M Receptor ß Regulates Obesity-Induced Steatosis and Insulin Resistance.

The liver is an essential insulin-responsive organ that is critical for maintaining glucose homeostasis and lipid metabolism. Oncostatin M receptor ß chain (OSMRß) is implicated in adipose tissue- and immune cell-mediated metabolic regulation. However, the role of hepatocyte-derived OSMRß in metabolic disorders remains unclear. Here, we report on the central role of OSMRß in the protection against obesity and deregulation of glucose and lipids. We observed significantly varied expression levels of OSMRß in hepatic tissues in both human samples and mouse models of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Mice lacking either whole-body or hepatic OSMRß displayed exacerbated diet-induced insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and inflammation, both in diet-induced and genetically (ob/ob) obese mice. These adverse effects were markedly attenuated by hepatocyte-specific overexpression of OSMRß. Mechanistically, we showed that OSMRß phosphorylates and activates the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/STAT3 signaling pathway in the liver. More importantly, the liver-restricted overexpression of STAT3 rescued glucose tolerance and ameliorated hepatic steatosis and inflammation in OSMRß knockout mice, whereas OSMRß overexpression failed to protect against hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance, and hepatic inflammation in STAT3-deficient mice. Thus, activation of STAT3 is both sufficient and required to produce OSMRß-mediated beneficial effects. In conclusion, hepatic OSMRß expression alleviates obesity-induced hepatic insulin resistance and steatosis through the activation of JAK2/STAT3 signaling cascades.

Upregulation of lncRNA MEG3 Promotes Osteogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells From Multiple Myeloma Patients By Targeting BMP4 Transcription.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by the impaired osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as important regulatory molecules in tumor-suppressor and oncogenic pathways. Here we showed that MSCs from MM expressed less lncRNA MEG3 relative to those from normal donors during osteogenic differentiation. To evaluate the effect of MEG3 on osteogenesis, bone marrow MSCs with enhanced or reduced MEG3 were prepared. We observed that MEG3 knockdown significantly reduced the expression of key osteogenic markers, including Runt-related transcription factor 2, osterix, and osteocalcin, while overexpression of MEG3 enhanced their expression. Additionally, MEG3 knockdown decreased BMP4 transcription. Here we showed that MEG3 was critical for SOX2 transcriptional repression of the BMP4. MEG3, which is located near the BMP4 gene, could dissociate the transcription factor SOX2 from the BMP4 promoter. A stable complex containing the MEG3, SOX2, and the SOX2 consensus site of BMP4 suggested that MEG3 activated transcriptional activity by directly influencing SOX2 activity. By using assays such as luciferase, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and RNA immunoprecipitation, we showed that MEG3 had a critical function in a mechanism of promoter-specific transcriptional activation. These results suggested that MEG3 played an essential role in osteogenic differentiation in bone marrow MSCs, partly by activating BMP4 transcription. Our data provided novel evidence for the biological and clinical significance of lncRNA MEG3 expression as a potential biomarker for identifying patients with MM and as a potential therapeutic target in MM.

Adenovirus-mediated co-expression of ING4 and PTEN cooperatively enhances their antitumor activity in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Both inhibitor of growth 4 (ING4) and phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) are well known as tumor suppressors that are closely related to tumor occurrence and progression. It was reported that ING4 and PTEN showed synergistic antitumor activities in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. The two tumor suppressors demonstrated synergistic effect on growth inhibition and apoptosis activation. In this study, we investigated their therapeutic potential in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Recombinant adenoviruses co-expressing ING4 and PTEN (Ad-ING4-PTEN) were constructed, and the antitumor effect on SMMC-7721 and HepG2 HCC cells was evaluated. Ad-ING4-PTEN cooperatively inhibited cell growth, stimulated apoptosis, and suppressed invasion in both HCC cells, and regulated cell cycle in SMMC-7721. Further studies showed that the combination of ING4 and PTEN by Ad-ING4-PTEN cooperatively enhanced the alteration of the expression of cell cycle-related proteins (p53, p21, and cyclin D1) and apoptotic factors (Bad, Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, and Bax), which are involved in the regulation of cell cycle and the activation of apoptotic pathways, leading to the synergistic antitumor effect. These results indicate that the combination of ING4 and PTEN may provide an effective therapeutic strategy for HCC.

Cathepsin B contributes to autophagy-related 7 (Atg7)-induced nod-like receptor 3 (NLRP3)-dependent proinflammatory response and aggravates lipotoxicity in rat insulinoma cell line.

Impairment of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion caused by the lipotoxicity of palmitate was found in ß-cells. Recent studies have indicated that defects in autophagy contribute to pathogenesis in type 2 diabetes. Here, we report that autophagy-related 7 (Atg7) induced excessive autophagic activation in INS-1(823/13) cells exposed to saturated fatty acids. Atg7-induced cathepsin B (CTSB) overexpression resulted in an unexpected significant increase in proinflammatory chemokine and cytokine production levels of IL-1ß, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, IL-6, and TNF-α. Inhibition of receptor-interacting protein did not affect the inflammatory response, ruling out involvement of necrosis. CTSB siRNA suppressed the inflammatory response but did not affect apoptosis significantly, suggesting that CTSB was a molecular linker between autophagy and the proinflammatory response. Blocking caspase-3 suppressed apoptosis but did not affect the inflammatory response, suggesting that CTSB induced inflammatory effects independently of apoptosis. Silencing of Nod-like receptor 3 (NLRP3) completely abolished both IL-1ß secretion and the down-regulation effects of Atg7-induced CTSB overexpression on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion impairment, thus identifying the NLRP3 inflammasome as an autophagy-responsive element in the pancreatic INS-1(823/13) cell line. Combined together, our results indicate that CTSB contributed to the Atg7-induced NLRP3-dependent proinflammatory response, resulting in aggravation of lipotoxicity, independently of apoptosis in the pancreatic INS-1(823/13) cell line.

[Biological function and molecular mechanism of URI in HepG2 cells].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect and molecular mechanism of the unconventional prefoldin RPB5 interactor (URI) in hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells. METHODS: The cDNA sequence and shRNA of URI were obtained and sub-cloned into eukaryotic expression vectors. Then those vectors were transfected into HepG2 cells to obtain stable transfection cell line. The cell proliferation and anchor-independent growth in URI-overexpressing and knockdown HepG2 cells were determined by CCK-8 and soft agar colony assay. Flow cytometry was applied to detect the cell cycle and apoptosis of γ-ray irradiated cells. Apoptosis related genes were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: The pCDNA3.1-URI and pGPU6-URIi eukaryotic expression vectors were constructed successfully and corresponding stable transfection cell lines were obtained. Cell proliferation rates of the HepG2, pCDNA3.1-URI-HepG2 and pGPU6-URIi-HepG2 cells were (588.78 ± 32.12)%, (959.33 ± 58.8)% and (393.93 ± 39.7)%, respectively (P < 0.05). The number of cell clones of HepG2, pCDNA3.1-URI-HepG2 and pGPU6-URIi-HepG2 cells were 43 ± 7, 85 ± 5 and 20 ± 4 (P < 0.05), respectively. After γ-ray irradiation, the URI-overexpressing cell line showed a significantly lower apoptosis rate and G(2)/M phase arrest than those in the URI-depleted cell line (P < 0.05). In the HepG2 cells, the relative protein expression levels of URI, Bax and Bcl-2 were 0.92 ± 0.03, 1.11 ± 0.13 and 0.82 ± 0.01 (P < 0.05). In the pCDNA3.1-URI-HepG2 cells, the relative protein expression levels of URI, Bax and Bcl-2 were 1.79 ± 0.12, 0.48 ± 0.01 and 2.20 ± 0.30 (P < 0.05), respectively. In the pGPU6-URIi-HepG2 cells, the relative protein expression levels of URI, Bax and Bcl-2 were 0.50 ± 0.04, 1.52 ± 0.20 and 0.38 ± 0.01 (P < 0.05), respectively. The expression of Bax was down-regulated and Bcl-2 was up-regulated in the URI-overexpressing cell line. However, on the contrary, expression of Bax was up-regulated and Bcl-2 was down-regulated in the URI-depleted cell line. CONCLUSIONS: URI may promote the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via inhibition of cell proliferation and reducing the apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro. After the impairment of URI expression, the proliferation ability of hepatocellular carcinoma cells is suppressed and the ability to resist γ-ray irradiation is reduced. URI may become a potential new target for cancer therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma.

A high fat diet in glutamate 3-/Y mice causes changes in behavior that resemble human intellectual disability.

Cognitive impairment in individuals with intellectual disability (ID) is characterized by developmental delay and deficits in language and memory. Ionotropic AMPA mediate the majority of excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system and are essential for the induction and maintenances of long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD), two cellular models of learning and memory underlie many the symptoms of ID. Clinical research has found obese male patients with GluA3 interrupted underlie the symptom of ID. We tested GluA3-/Y mice under high fat diet (HFD) stress on a series of behavioral paradigms associated with symptoms of ID: wild type mice showed significant levels of sociability, while GluA3-/Y mice did not. Wild type mice showed significant preference for social novelty, while GluA3-/Y mice did not. Normal scores on relevant control measures confirmed general health and physical abilities in both GluA3-/Y and wild type mice (WT), ruling out artifactual explanations for social deficits. GluA3-/Y mice also showed working spatial memory behavior impairment in Y-maze test and abnormal anxiety in open-field test, compared to wild-type littermate controls. GluA3-/Y mice had a significantly reduced spontaneous activities tested by elevated plus maze, display both low social approach and resistance to change in routine on the T-maze, consistent with an ID-like phenotype. These findings demonstrate that selective gene deletion of GluA3 receptor in male mice under oxidative stress induced phenotypic abnormalities related to ID-like symptoms.

Characterization of the biological and transcriptomic signatures of natural killer cells derived from cord blood and peripheral blood.

Longitudinal studies have indicated the pivotal role of natural killer cells (NKs) in the elimination of certain infections and malignancies. Currently, perinatal blood (PB) and cord blood (CB) have been considered with promising prospective for autogenous and allogeneic NKs transplantation, yet the similarities and differences at the biological and molecular levels are largely obscure. We isolated mononuclear cells (MNCs) from PB and CB, and compared the biological phenotypes of resident NKs by flow cytometry and cell counting. Then, we turned to our well-established "3ILs" strategy and co-culture for NK cell activation and cytotoxicity analyses, respectively. Finally, with the aid of transcriptomic analyses, we further dissected the signatures of PB-NKs and CB-NKs. CB-NKs revealed superiority in cellular vitality over PB-NKs, together with variations in subpopulations. CB-NKs showed higher cytotoxicity over PB-NKs against K562 cells. Furthermore, we found both NKs revealed multifaceted conservations and differences in gene expression profiling and genetic variations, together with gene subsets and signaling pathway. Collectively, both NKs revealed multifaceted similarities and diverse variations at the cellular and transcriptomic levels. Our findings would benefit the further exploration of the biological and transcriptomic properties of CB-NKs and PB-NKs, together with the development of NK cell-based cytotherapy.

Decoding the multidimensional signatures of resident and expanded natural killer cells generated from perinatal blood.

Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes and play a pivotal role in innate and adaptive immune responses against infections and malignancies. Longitudinal studies have indicated the feasibility of perinatal blood for large-scale NK cell generation, yet the systematic and detailed comparations of the signatures of resident and expanded NK cells (rNKs, eNKs) are largely obscure. Herein, we harvested rNKs from umbilical cord blood (rUC-NKs) and placental blood (rP-NKs) as well as the corresponding eNKs (eUC-NKs, eP-NKs). Furthermore, the biological properties and transcriptomic signatures including cellular subpopulations, cytotoxicity, gene expression profiling, genetic characteristics, signaling pathways and gene set-related biological process were investigated. The enriched rNKs and eNKs exhibited diversity in biomarker expression pattern, and eNKs with higher percentages of NKG2D+, NKG2A+, NKp44+ and NKp46+ subsets. rNKs or eNKs with different origins showed more similarities in transcriptomic signatures than those with the same origin. Our data revealed multifaceted similarities and differences of the indicated rNKs and pNKs both at the cellular and molecular levels. Our findings provide new references for further dissecting the efficacy and molecular mechanisms of rNKs and eNKs, which will collectively benefit the fundamental and translational studies of NK cell-based immunotherapy.

Natural killer cells: of-the-shelf cytotherapy for cancer immunosurveillance.

Natural killer (NK) cells are advantaged innate cytotoxic lymphocytes with characteristics of tumor immunosurveillance and microorganism elimination. Distinguish from the adaptive T and B lymphocytes, the autologous or allogeneic NK cells efficaciously fulfil the function of combating transformed hematological malignancies and metastatic solid tumors via the proverbial mechanisms including direct cytolytic effect and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) as well as paracrine effects dispense with antigen presentation. Herein, we review the candidate sources (e.g., peripheral blood, umbilical cord blood, placental blood, cell lines and stem cells) for large-scale and clinical-grade NK cell manufacturing, ex vivo cultivation (feeder-, cytokine cocktail- or physicochemical irritation-dependent strategies) for NK cell persistence and activation. Furthermore, we also figure out the promising prospects as well as the accompanied challenges of NK cell- or chimeric antigen receptor-transduced NK (CAR-NK) cell-based adoptive immunotherapy in standardizations for industrialized preparation and clinical practices.

Two-step generation of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells from human pluripotent stem cells with reinforced efficacy upon osteoarthritis rabbits by HA hydrogel.

BACKGROUND: Current studies have enlightened the rosy prospects of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) in regenerative medicine. However, systematic investigation of their signatures and applications with alternative biomaterials in osteoarthritis (OA) remains indistinct. METHODS: Herein, we initially took advantage of a small molecule library-mediated programming strategy for hPSC-MSC induction. Then, with the aid of multifaceted analyses such as flow cytometry (FCM), chromosome karyocyte and cell vitality, wound healing and microtubule formation assay and coculturing with T lymphocytes, we systematically evaluated the characterizations of signatures in vitro and the in vivo efficacy of hPSC-MSCs and HA hydrogel composite on rabbit osteoarthritis model. RESULTS: We found the combination of LLY-507 and AZD5153 was sufficient for high-efficiency CD73+CD90+CD105+CD31-CD34-CD45-HLA-DR- MSC induction from both hESCs and hiPSCs with stemness (POU5F1/SOX2/NANOG). The programmed hPSC-MSCs revealed conservative transcriptome variations and went through a heterogeneous intermediate-stage with mesenchymal-associated gene expression (NT5E, ENG, VIM and FN1) as well as displayed typical cytomorphology, immunophenotypes and normal karyotyping, multilineage differentiation potential, favorable cell vitality, proangiogenic and immunoregulatory properties in vitro. Meanwhile, the cell population exhibited preferable restorative and ameliorative function on OA rabbits with HA hydrogel in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, we established a rapid and convenient procedure for hPSC-MSC generation without redundant manipulations. The fundamental and clinical studies upon osteoarthritis (OA) treatment would benefit tremendously from the combination of the inexhaustible hPSC-MSCs and advantageous biomaterials.

MNK as a potential pharmacological target for suppressing LPS-induced acute lung injury in mice.

Acute lung injury (ALI) or its more severe form, known as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), is characterized by an initial exudative phase, expression of proinflammatory mediators, activation of inflammatory leukocytes, and impairment of the lung endothelium and epithelium. Despite numerous, novel therapeutic strategies have been developed regarding the pathophysiology of ALI, current treatment is mainly supportive, as specific therapies have not been established in the past few decades. The MAP kinase-interacting kinases (MNK1 and MNK2) are serine threonine kinases which are activated by mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), regulate protein synthesis by phosphroylating eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E). Although studies have shown that MAPKs pathway is involved in anti-inflammatory and preventing tissue injury processes, the role of MNKs in ALI has, until now, remained relatively unexplored. Here, we investigated whether partial inhibition of MAPKs pathway by targeting MNKs was effective in the prevention and treatment of ALI. C57BL6 mice were pretreated with MNK1 and MNK2 inhibitor (CGP57380, 30 mg/kg) for 30 min and then challenged with 5 mg/kg LPS for 6 h. The results showed that pretreatment with CGP57380 not only significantly attenuated LPS-induced lung wet/dry ratio, as well as protein content, total cells and neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), but also decreased the production of pro-inflammatory mediators such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and keratinocyte-derived chemoattractant (KC). In addition, CGP57380 was observed to significantly suppress LPS-stimulated phosphorylation of eIF4E and MAPKs in the mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs). The involvement of MNK2 in lung injury was further evident by MNK2 knockout mice. MNK2 deficiency resulted in the attenuated lung histopathological changes, as also reflected by reductions in neutrophil counts, and the less LPS-induced the production of IL-6, TNF-α and KC in mouse BALF. Taken together, these findings demonstrated for the first time that MNK inhibition could effectively reduce the LPS-induced ALI in mice, suggesting a novel and potential application for MNK-based therapy to treat this serious disease.

Mitochondrial Quality Control in Cardiomyocytes: A Critical Role in the Progression of Cardiovascular Diseases.

Mitochondria serve as an energy plant and participate in a variety of signaling pathways to regulate cellular metabolism, survival and immunity. Mitochondrial dysfunction, in particular in cardiomyocytes, is associated with the development and progression of cardiovascular disease, resulting in heart failure, cardiomyopathy, and cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury. Therefore, mitochondrial quality control processes, including post-translational modifications of mitochondrial proteins, mitochondrial dynamics, mitophagy, and formation of mitochondrial-driven vesicles, play a critical role in maintenance of mitochondrial and even cellular homeostasis in physiological or pathological conditions. Accumulating evidence suggests that mitochondrial quality control in cardiomyocytes is able to improve cardiac function, rescue dying cardiomyocytes, and prevent the deterioration of cardiovascular disease upon external environmental stress. In this review, we discuss recent progress in understanding mitochondrial quality control in cardiomyocytes. We also evaluate potential targets to prevent or treat cardiovascular diseases, and highlight future research directions which will help uncover additional mechanisms underlying mitochondrial homeostasis in cardiomyocytes.

Combination therapy of gefitinib and miR-30a-5p may overcome acquired drug resistance through regulating the PI3K/AKT pathway in non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation often initially respond to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) treatment but may acquire drug resistance due to multiple factors. MicroRNAs are a class of small noncoding and endogenous RNA molecules that may play a role in overcoming the resistance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we explored and validated, through in vitro experiments and in vivo models, the ability of a combination treatment of EGFR-TKI, namely gefitinib, and a microRNA mimic, miR-30a-5p, to overcome drug resistance through regulation of the insulin-like growth factor receptor-1 (IGF1R) and hepatocyte growth factor receptor signaling pathways, which all converge on phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K), in NSCLC. First, we examined the hypothesized mechanisms of drug resistance in H1650, H1650-acquired gefitinib-resistance (H1650GR), H1975, and H460 cell lines. Next, we investigated a potential combination treatment approach to overcome acquired drug resistance in the H1650GR cell line and an H1650GR cell implanted mouse model. RESULTS: Dual inhibitors of EGFR and IGF1R significantly lowered the expression levels of phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT) and phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-ERK) compared with the control group in all cell lines. With the ability to repress PI3K expression, miR-30a-5p mimics induced cell apoptosis, and inhibited cell invasion and migration in the treated H1650GR cell line. CONCLUSION: Gefitinib, combined with miR-30a-5p mimics, effectively suppressed the growth of H1650GR-induced tumor in xenografts. Hence, a combination therapy of gefitinib and miR-30a-5p may play a critical role in overcoming acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs. The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.

Obesity-Induced Regulator of Calcineurin 1 Overexpression Leads to ß-Cell Failure Through Mitophagy Pathway Inhibition.

Aims: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with pancreatic ß-cell dysfunction, manifested by reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). The regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1) in islets is an endogenous inhibitor of calcium-activated protein phosphatase. Previous studies have indicated that global RCAN1 overexpression under high nutrient stress is involved in insulin resistance in T2D. However, the specific role and mechanism of this gene's overexpression in pancreatic ß-cells have not been thoroughly elucidated to date. Results: In this study, we showed that mice overexpressing islet-specific RCAN1 exhibited a prediabetic phenotype with markedly reduced GSIS under nutrient stress. Overexpression of RCAN1 increased the autophagy-associated DNA methylation level of Beclin-1 suppressing the induction of autophagy, affected the protein kinase B, and downregulated the activation of mammalian target of rapamycin, leading to Miro1-mediated mitophagy deficiency. Furthermore, the exacerbated impairment of autophagy induction and mitophagy flux failures induced ß-cell apoptosis, resulting in GSIS impairment, lipid imbalance, and NOD-like receptor 3 proinflammation under high nutrient stress in mice. Innovation: Our present data identify a detrimental effect of RCAN1 overexpression on Miro1-mediated mitophagy deficiency and ß-cell dysfunction in high-fat diet-fed RCAN1 overexpressing mice. Conclusion: Our results revealed that strategies targeting RCAN1 in vivo may provide a therapeutic target to enhance ß-cell mitophagy quality and may determine the crucial factor in T2D development.

P21 and P27 promote tumorigenesis and progression via cell cycle acceleration in seminal vesicles of TRAMP mice.

Transgenic adenocarcinoma mouse prostate (TRAMP) model is established to mimic human prostate cancer progression, where seminal vesicle lesions often occur and has been described as phyllodes-like epithelial-stromal tumors. However, the molecular mechanism regulating tumorigenesis and progression in seminal vesicles of TRAMP mice remains largely unknown. In this study, C57BL/6 TRAMP mice were found to have a significantly shorter lifespan than wild-type (WT) mice and all of the seminal vesicles were markedly increased in size and weight with age from 24 weeks exhibiting a clearly papillary-phyllode pattern, though no obvious difference was observed in multiple organs including heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, testicles and bone between TRAMP and WT mice, and less than 10% of TRAMP mice developed prostate tumors. Western blotting showed Cyclin (CCN) B1 and CCND1 were remarkably overexpressed in seminal vesicle tumors of TRAMP mice at 24 weeks of age and increased with age till the end of trial, which was confirmed by Immunohistochemistry (IHC). P21 and P27 were also significantly augmented, whereas P53 and phosphorylated P53 (p-P53) were constantly expressed in normal controls and P53 did not appear to be mutated. Not only cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 1 and phosphorylated forkhead box protein (FOX) O1 but also CDK4, CDK6 and phosphorylated retinoblastoma-associated protein (RB) had similar increase trends, so did epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), AKT serine/threonine kinase (AKT), and their respective phosphorylation levels. Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3, p-STAT3, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and EZH2 mediated trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) were considerably elevated, too. Taken together, this finding suggests P21 and P27 promote carcinogenesis and development in seminal vesicles of TRAMP mice via accelerating cell cycle progression, in which oncogenic transformation of P21 and P27 might be through regulation of EGFR-AKT signaling.