The protective effect of caffeine against oxalate-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in renal tubular cells via mitochondrial preservation.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the key mechanisms for developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). Hyperoxaluria and nephrolithiasis are also associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Increasing evidence has shown that caffeine, the main bioactive compound in coffee, exerts both anti-fibrotic and anti-lithogenic properties but with unclear mechanisms. Herein, we address the protective effect of caffeine against mitochondrial dysfunction during oxalate-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in renal cells. Analyses revealed that oxalate successfully induced EMT in MDCK renal cells as evidenced by the increased expression of several EMT-related genes (i.e., Snai1, Fn1 and Acta2). Oxalate also suppressed cellular metabolic activity and intracellular ATP level, but increased reactive oxygen species (ROS). Additionally, oxalate reduced abundance of active mitochondria and induced mitochondrial fragmentation (fission). Furthermore, oxalate decreased mitochondrial biogenesis and content as evidenced by decreased expression of sirtuin-1 (SIRT1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), cytochrome c oxidase subunit 4 (COX4), and total mitochondrial proteins. Nonetheless, these oxalate-induced deteriorations in MDCK cells and their mitochondria were successfully hampered by caffeine. Knockdown of Snai1 gene by small interfering RNA (siRNA) completely abolished the effects of oxalate on suppression of cellular metabolic activity, intracellular ATP and abundance of active mitochondria, indicating that these oxalate-induced renal cell deteriorations were mediated through the Snai1 EMT-related gene. These data, at least in part, unveil the anti-fibrotic mechanism of caffeine during oxalate-induced EMT in renal cells by preserving mitochondrial biogenesis and function.

The inhibitory effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate on calcium oxalate monohydrate crystal growth, aggregation and crystal-cell adhesion.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a predominant phytochemical in tea plant, has been reported to prevent kidney stone formation but with vague mechanism. We investigated modulatory effects of EGCG (at 0.1-100 µM) on calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystals at various stages of kidney stone development. EGCG significantly increased crystal size (at 1-100 µM), but decreased crystal number (at 10-100 µM), resulting in unchanged crystal mass and volume. Interestingly, EGCG at 10-100 µM caused morphological change of the crystals from typical monoclinic prismatic to coffee-bean-like shape, which represented atypical/aberrant form of COM as confirmed by attenuated total reflection - Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. EGCG at all concentrations significantly inhibited crystal growth in a concentration-dependent manner. However, only 100 µM and 10-100 µM of EGCG significantly inhibited crystal aggregation and crystal-cell adhesion, respectively. Immunofluorescence staining (without permeabilization) revealed that surface expression of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) (a COM crystal receptor) on MDCK renal cells was significantly decreased by 10 µM EGCG, whereas other surface COM receptors (annexin A1, annexin A2, enolase 1 and ezrin) remained unchanged. Immunoblotting showed that 10 µM EGCG did not alter total level of HSP90 in MDCK cells, implicating that its decreased surface expression was due to translocation. Our data provide a piece of evidence explaining mechanism underlying the anti-lithiatic property of EGCG by inhibition of COM crystal growth, aggregation and crystal-cell adhesion via reduced surface expression of HSP90, which is an important COM crystal receptor.

Caffeine causes cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 and increases of ubiquitinated proteins, ATP and mitochondrial membrane potential in renal cells.

Caffeine is a well-known purine alkaloid commonly found in coffee. Several lines of previous and recent evidence have shown that habitual coffee drinking is associated with lower risks for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and nephrolithiasis. However, cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying its renoprotective effects remain largely unknown due to a lack of knowledge on cellular adaptive response to caffeine. This study investigated cellular adaptive response of renal tubular cells to caffeine at the protein level. Cellular proteome of MDCK cells treated with caffeine at a physiologic concentration (100 µM) for 24 h was analyzed comparing with that of untreated cells by label-free quantitative proteomics. From a total of 936 proteins identified, comparative analysis revealed significant changes in levels of 148 proteins induced by caffeine. These significantly altered proteins were involved mainly in proteasome, ribosome, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) (or Krebs) cycle, DNA replication, spliceosome, biosynthesis of amino acid, carbon metabolism, nucleocytoplasmic transport, cell cycle, cytoplasmic translation, translation initiation, and mRNA metabolic process. Functional validation by various assays confirmed that caffeine decreased cell population at G2/M, increased cell population at G0/G1, increased level of ubiquitinated proteins, increased intracellular ATP and enhanced mitochondrial membrane potential in MDCK cells. These data may help unravelling molecular mechanisms underlying the biological effects of caffeine on renal tubular cells at cellular and protein levels.

Chlorogenic acid enhances endothelial barrier function and promotes endothelial tube formation: A proteomics approach and functional validation.

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a highly abundant bioactive compound in green coffee beans. CGA has protective roles in various cardiovascular diseases, suggesting that it may affect endothelial cells lining the blood vessels. However, cellular mechanisms underlying its beneficial effects remained unclear. We therefore performed quantitative proteomics of CGA-treated human endothelial cells, followed by enrichment/pathway analyses, and functional validation using various assays. EA.hy926 cells were treated with 5 µM CGA for 24-h before nanoLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS/MS analyses. Comparing with control cells, the CGA-treated cells had 185 differentially expressed proteins. Of these, up-regulations of podocalyxin-1 and lamin A/C were confirmed by immunoblotting. Enrichment analysis revealed that CGA mainly affected RNA-binding proteins involved in protein targeting to membrane and exosomal secretion. KEGG pathway analysis of proteins in RNA metabolic process/gene expression cluster revealed the involvement of Rap1 signaling, PI3K/AKT signaling and spliceosome, suggesting their potential roles in modulating tight junction (TJ) barrier and angiogenesis. Functional validation revealed significant increases in ZO-1 (a TJ-associated protein) expression and transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) in the CGA-treated cells. Finally, CGA enhanced capillary-like endothelial tube formation and secretion of angiopoietin-2 (an angiogenic factor). These novel findings provide insights into cellular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of CGA on cardiovascular system via enhancement of endothelial TJ barrier function and angiogenesis.

The divergent roles of exosomes in kidney diseases: Pathogenesis, diagnostics, prognostics and therapeutics.

Exosomes are the self-packed nanoscale vesicles (nanovesicles) derived from late endosomes and released from the cells to the extracellular milieu. Exosomal biogenesis is based on endosomal pathway to form the nanovesicles surrounded by membrane originated from plasma membranes of the parental cells. During biogenesis, exosomes selectively encapsulate an array of biomolecules (proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, metabolites, etc.), thereby conveying diverse messages for cell-cell communications. Once released, these exosomal contents trigger signaling and trafficking that play roles in cell growth, development, immune responses, homeostasis, remodeling, etc. Recent advances in exosomal research have provided a wealth of useful information that enhances our knowledge on the roles for exosomes in pathogenic mechanisms of human diseases involving a wide variety of organ systems. In the kidney, exosomes play divergent roles, ranging from pathogenesis to therapeutics, based on their original sources and type of interventions. Herein, we summarize and update the current knowledge on the divergent roles of exosomes involving the pathogenesis, diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutics in various groups of kidney diseases, including acute kidney injury, immune-mediated kidney diseases (e.g., IgA nephropathy, lupus nephritis, membranous nephropathy, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis), chronic kidney disease (caused by diabetic nephropathy and others), renal cell carcinoma, nephrolithiasis, kidney transplantation and related complications, and polycystic kidney disease. Finally, the future perspectives on research in this area are discussed.

Persistent Escherichia coli infection in renal tubular cells enhances calcium oxalate crystal-cell adhesion by inducing ezrin translocation to apical membranes via Rho/ROCK pathway.

Recent evidence has suggested that recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) can cause not only infection stones but also metabolic stones (e.g., those containing calcium oxalate monohydrate or COM). However, precise mechanisms underlying UTI-induced metabolic stones remained unknown. In this study, Escherichia coli, the most common bacterium found in recurrent UTI was used to establish the in vitro model for persistent infection of renal epithelial cells. The promoting effects of persistent E. coli infection on kidney stone formation were validated by COM crystal-cell adhesion assay, followed by immunofluorescence study for changes in surface expression of the known COM crystal receptors. Among the five receptors examined, only ezrin had significantly increased level on the surface of persistently infected cells without change in its total level. Such translocation of ezrin to apical membranes was confirmed by Western blotting of apical membrane and cytosolic fractions and confocal microscopic examination. Additionally, persistent infection increased phosphorylation (Thr567) of ezrin. However, all of these changes induced by persistent E. coli infection were significantly inhibited by small-interfering RNA (siRNA) specific for ezrin or a Rho-associated kinase (ROCK)-specific inhibitor (Y-27632). In summary, this study provides a piece of evidence demonstrating that persistent infection by E. coli, one of the non-urease-producing bacteria, may contribute to COM metabolic stone formation by translocation of ezrin to apical membranes, thereby promoting COM crystal-cell adhesion. Such ezrin translocation was mediated via Rho/ROCK signaling pathway. These findings may, at least in part, explain the pathogenic mechanisms underlying recurrent UTI-induced metabolic kidney stone disease.

Induction of mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) by epigallocatechin-3-gallate to reverse epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in SNAI1-overexpressed renal cells: A potential anti-fibrotic strategy.

Dynamic transdifferentiation of epithelial cells from epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to its reverse process, mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET), has gained wide attention for management of cancers and tissue fibrosis. In this study, we addressed beneficial effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on EMT-MET reversion using an in vitro EMT model by overexpressing SNAI1 gene encoding Snail1, an EMT-inducing transcription factor, into renal tubular epithelial cells (pcDNA6.2-SNAI1 cells). The cells transfected with empty vector (pcDNA6.2 cells) served as the control. Titrating EGCG concentrations revealed its optimal dose at 25 µM for 24-h, which was used throughout. pcDNA6.2-SNAI1 cells had increased spindle index and typical morphology of EMT, whereas EGCG could restore the normal index and morphology. Increased nuclear Snail1 and ß-catenin; increased cytoplasmic Snail1, p-GSK-3ß, vimentin, fibronectin and F-actin; and decreased occludin, ZO-1, transepithelial resistance (TER), E-cadherin and cell cluster size were observed in the pcDNA6.2-SNAI1 cells. These pcDNA6.2-SNAI1 cells also had increased migrating activity associated with increased forward but decreased non-forward α-tubulin filaments, G0/G1 cell cycle escape, and increased matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9. All of these EMT features were successfully abolished by EGCG (partially, completely, or overly). Collectively, our data have demonstrated that EGCG can reverse EMT to MET processes in renal cells. Therefore, EGCG may have the therapeutic potential as one of the promising anti-fibrotic agents to reverse the fibrotic kidney.

Systematic analysis of modulating activities of native human urinary Tamm-Horsfall protein on calcium oxalate crystallization, growth, aggregation, crystal-cell adhesion and invasion through extracellular matrix.

Functions of Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP), the most abundant human urinary protein, have been studied for decades. However, its precise roles in kidney stone formation remain controversial. In this study, we aimed to clarify the roles of native human urinary THP in calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) kidney stone formation. THP was purified from the human urine by adsorption method using diatomaceous earth (DE). Its effects on stone formation processes, including COM crystallization, crystal growth, aggregation, crystal-cell adhesion and invasion through extracellular matrix (ECM), were examined. SDS-PAGE and Western blotting confirmed that DE adsorption yielded 84.9% purity of the native THP isolated from the human urine. Systematic analyses revealed that THP (at 0.4-40 µg/ml) concentration-dependently reduced COM crystal size but did not affect the crystal mass during initial crystallization. At later steps, THP concentration-dependently inhibited COM crystal growth and aggregation, and prevented crystal-cell adhesion only at 40 µg/ml. However, THP did not affect crystal invasion through the ECM. Sequence analysis revealed two large calcium-binding domains (residues 65-107 and 108-149) and three small oxalate-binding domains (residues 199-207, 361-368 and 601-609) in human THP. Immunofluorescence study confirmed the binding of THP to COM crystals. Analyses for calcium-affinity and/or oxalate-affinity demonstrated that THP exerted a high affinity with only calcium, not oxalate. Functional validation revealed that saturation of THP with calcium, not with oxalate, could abolish the inhibitory effects of THP on COM crystal growth, aggregation and crystal-cell adhesion. These data highlight the inhibitory roles of the native human urinary THP in COM crystal growth, aggregation and crystal-cell adhesion, which are the important processes for kidney stone formation. Such inhibitory effects of THP are most likely mediated via its high affinity with calcium ions.

Effects of secretome derived from macrophages exposed to calcium oxalate crystals on renal fibroblast activation.

The association between kidney stone disease and renal fibrosis has been widely explored in recent years but its underlying mechanisms remain far from complete understanding. Using label-free quantitative proteomics (nanoLC-ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap MS/MS), this study identified 23 significantly altered secreted proteins from calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM)-exposed macrophages (COM-MP) compared with control macrophages (Ctrl-MP) secretome. Functional annotation and protein-protein interactions network analysis revealed that these altered secreted proteins were involved mainly in inflammatory response and fibroblast activation. BHK-21 renal fibroblasts treated with COM-MP secretome had more spindle-shaped morphology with greater spindle index. Immunofluorescence study and gelatin zymography revealed increased levels of fibroblast activation markers (α-smooth muscle actin and F-actin) and fibrotic factors (fibronectin and matrix metalloproteinase-9 and -2) in the COM-MP secretome-treated fibroblasts. Our findings indicate that proteins secreted from macrophages exposed to COM crystals induce renal fibroblast activation and may play important roles in renal fibrogenesis in kidney stone disease.

Caffeine prevents oxalate-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition of renal tubular cells by its anti-oxidative property through activation of Nrf2 signaling and suppression of Snail1 transcription factor.

Caffeine is an active ingredient found in coffee and energy beverages. Its hepatoprotective effects against liver fibrosis are well-documented. Nonetheless, its renoprotective effects against renal fibrogenesis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) processes remain unclear and under-investigated. In this study, the protective effects of caffeine against oxalate-induced EMT in renal tubular cells were evaluated by various assays to measure expression levels of epithelial and mesenchymal markers, cell migrating activity, level of oxidized proteins, and expression of Nrf2 and Snail1. Oxalate at sublethal dose significantly suppressed cell proliferation but increased cell elongation, spindle index and migration. Oxalate also decreased expression of epithelial markers (zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and E-cadherin) but increased expression of mesenchymal markers (fibronectin, vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)). All of these EMT-inducing effects of oxalate could be prevented by pretreatment with caffeine. While oxalate increased oxidized proteins and Snail1 levels, it decreased Nrf2 expression. Caffeine could preserve all these molecules to their basal (control) levels. Finally, silencing of Nrf2 expression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) could abolish such protective effects of caffeine on oxalate-induced EMT. Our data indicate that the renoprotective effects of caffeine against oxalate-induced EMT is mediated, at least in part, by its anti-oxidative property through activation of Nrf2 signaling and suppression of Snail1 transcription factor.

Application of tandem fast protein liquid chromatography to purify intact native monomeric/aggregated Tamm-Horsfall protein from human urine and systematic comparisons with diatomaceous earth adsorption and salt precipitation: yield, purity and time-consumption.

Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) is a high-abundance urinary protein. Although its functions have been studied for years, several aspects of these remain unclear. To achieve more knowledge on THP functions, an effective isolation/purification method providing a high yield and high purity is required. This is the first report that applied tandem fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) (by combining Mono Q anion-exchange with Superdex 200 size-exclusion columns in a tandem manner) to isolate intact THP from human urine. Its efficiency was then systematically compared with that of two conventional methods, diatomaceous earth (DE) adsorption and salt precipitation. The first ever systematic comparisons among the three methods revealed that, while Mono Q-Superdex 200 tandem FPLC offered the lowest %yield and was most time-consuming, it provided substantially high %purity and could selectively purify the monomeric and aggregated forms of urinary THP. On the other hand, DE adsorption provided the highest %yield and %purity, whereas salt precipitation offered the lowest %purity. In summary, the tandem FPLC system is most useful for selective purification of the monomeric and aggregated forms of urinary THP for further functional study, whereas DE adsorption remains the method of choice for general purification of THP from human urine.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate prevents TGF-ß1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and fibrotic changes of renal cells via GSK-3ß/ß-catenin/Snail1 and Nrf2 pathways.

Several lines of evidence have demonstrated anti-fibrotic property of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in many tissues/organs but with unclear mechanisms. This study thus aimed to define cellular mechanisms underlying such protective effect of EGCG. HK-2 renal cells were treated with 5 ng/ml TGF-ß1 for 24 h with/without pretreatment by 5 µM EGCG for 1 h. The cells were then evaluated by morphological examination, immunofluorescence study, semi-quantitative RT-PCR, Western blotting, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results showed that TGF-ß1-treated cells underwent epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) as evidenced by morphological change into fibroblast-like and increases in spindle index, mesenchymal markers (Snail1 and vimentin), extracellular matrix (fibronectin), cell stiffness (by AFM measurement) and actin stress fibers, whereas the epithelial markers (E-cadherin and ZO-1) were decreased. All of these features were abolished by EGCG pretreatment. Functional studies revealed that the anti-fibrotic property of EGCG was, at least in part, due to de-activation/stabilization of GSK-3ß/ß-catenin/Snail1 (EMT-triggering) signaling pathway that was activated by TGF-ß1 as shown by maintaining phosphorylated GSK-3ß, ß-catenin and Snail1 to their basal levels. Additionally, Nrf2 knockdown by small interfering RNA could abolish the EGCG effect on ß-catenin expression. These data indicate that EGCG attenuates TGF-ß1-induced EMT in renal tubular cells through GSK-3ß/ß-catenin/Snail1 and Nrf2 pathways.

Flagellum Is Responsible for Promoting Effects of Viable Escherichia coli on Calcium Oxalate Crystallization, Crystal Growth, and Crystal Aggregation.

Urease-producing bacteria (especially Proteus mirabilis) can cause infection kidney stone. However, recent studies have shown that intact viable non-urease-producing bacteria such as Escherichia coli might also promote calcium oxalate (CaOx) kidney stone formation but with unclear mechanism. We thus hypothesized that some relevant bacterial components might be responsible for such promoting effects of the intact viable E. coli. Flagella, capsule, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) were isolated/purified and their stone modulatory activities were evaluated using CaOx crystallization, crystal growth, and crystal aggregation assays. Among these, flagella had the most potent promoting effects on CaOx crystallization, crystal growth, and crystal aggregation. Validation was performed by deflagellation demonstrating that the deflagellated intact viable E. coli had markedly reduced CaOx crystal modulatory activities in all aspects (comparable to those of the negative controls). Similarly, neutralization of the isolated/purified flagella using a specific anti-flagellin antibody, not an isotype control, could abolish the promoting effects of flagella. These findings provide direct evidence indicating that flagellum is responsible for the promoting effects of the viable E. coli on CaOx crystallization, crystal growth and aggregation.

Molecular Mechanisms of Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate for Prevention of Chronic Kidney Disease and Renal Fibrosis: Preclinical Evidence.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common public health problem worldwide characterized by gradual decline of renal function over months/years accompanied by renal fibrosis and failure in tissue wound healing after sustained injury. Patients with CKD frequently present with profound signs/symptoms that require medical treatment, mostly culminating in hemodialysis and renal transplantation. To prevent CKD more efficiently, there is an urgent need for better understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms and molecular pathways of the disease pathogenesis and progression, and for developing novel therapeutic targets. Recently, several lines of evidence have shown that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), an abundant phytochemical polyphenol derived from Camellia sinensis, might be a promising bioactive compound for prevention of CKD development/progression. This review summarizes current knowledge of molecular mechanisms underlying renoprotective roles of EGCG in CKD based on available preclinical evidence (from both in vitro and in vivo animal studies), particularly its antioxidant property through preservation of mitochondrial function and activation of Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2)/HO-1 (heme oxygenase-1) signaling, anti-inflammatory activity, and protective effect against epithelial mesenchymal transition. Finally, future perspectives, challenges, and concerns regarding its clinical use in CKD and renal fibrosis are discussed.

Caffeine inhibits hypoxia-induced renal fibroblast activation by antioxidant mechanism.

Caffeine has been demonstrated to possess anti-fibrotic activity against liver fibrosis. However, its role in renal fibrosis remained unclear. This study investigated the effects of caffeine on renal fibroblast activation induced by hypoxia (one of the inducers for renal fibrosis). BHK-21 fibroblasts were cultured under normoxia or hypoxia with or without caffeine treatment. Hypoxia increased levels of fibronectin, α-smooth muscle actin, actin stress fibers, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and oxidized proteins. However, caffeine successfully preserved all these activated fibroblast markers to their basal levels. Cellular catalase activity was dropped under hypoxic condition but could be reactivated by caffeine. Hif1a gene and stress-responsive Nrf2 signaling molecule were elevated/activated by hypoxia, but only Nrf2 could be partially recovered by caffeine. These data suggest that caffeine exhibits anti-fibrotic effect against hypoxia-induced renal fibroblast activation through its antioxidant property to eliminate intracellular ROS, at least in part, via downstream catalase and Nrf2 mechanisms.

Protective Effects of Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate from Green Tea in Various Kidney Diseases.

Kidney diseases are common health problems worldwide. Various etiologies (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, drug-induced nephrotoxicity, infection, cancers) can affect renal function and ultimately lead to development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The global rise in number of CKD/ESRD patients during recent years has led to tremendous concern to look for effective strategies to prevent or slow progression of CKD and ESRD. Natural compounds derived from herbs or medicinal plants have gained wide attention for scientific scrutiny to achieve such goals. One of such natural compounds that has been extensively investigated is epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a major polyphenol found in the tea plant (Camellia sinensis). A growing body of recent evidence has shown that EGCG may be a promising therapeutic or protective agent in various kidney diseases. This article thus highlights recent progress in medical research on beneficial effects of EGCG against a broad spectrum of kidney diseases, including acute kidney injury, cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, kidney stone disease, glomerulonephritis, lupus nephritis, renal cell carcinoma, diabetic nephropathy, CKD, and renal fibrosis. The renoprotective mechanisms are also detailed. Finally, future perspectives of medical research on EGCG and its potential use in clinical practice for treatment and prevention of kidney diseases are discussed.

Roles of Macrophage Exosomes in Immune Response to Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate Crystals.

In kidney stone disease, macrophages secrete various mediators via classical secretory pathway and cause renal interstitial inflammation. However, whether their extracellular vesicles, particularly exosomes, are involved in kidney stone pathogenesis remained unknown. This study investigated alterations in exosomal proteome of U937-derived macrophages (by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate activation) after exposure to calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystals for 16-h using 2-DE-based proteomics approach. Six significantly altered proteins in COM-treated exosomes were successfully identified by nanoscale liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-electron transfer dissociation tandem mass spectrometry as proteins involved mainly in immune processes, including T-cell activation and homeostasis, Fcγ receptor-mediated phagocytosis, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) regulation, and cell migration/movement. The decreased heat shock protein 90-beta (HSP90ß) and increased vimentin were confirmed by Western blotting. ELISA showed that the COM-treated macrophages produced greater level of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), one of the markers for inflammasome activation. Functional studies demonstrated that COM-treated exosomes enhanced monocyte and T-cell migration, monocyte activation and macrophage phagocytic activity, but on the other hand, reduced T-cell activation. In addition, COM-treated exosomes enhanced production of proinflammatory cytokine IL-8 by monocytes that could be restored to its basal level by small-interfering RNA targeting on vimentin (si-Vimentin). Moreover, si-Vimentin could also abolish effects of COM-treated exosomes on monocyte and T-cell migration as well as macrophage phagocytic activity. These findings provided some implications to the immune response during kidney stone pathogenesis via exosomal pathway of macrophages after exposure to COM crystals.

Quantitative peptidomics of endogenous peptides involved in TGF-ß1-induced epithelial mesenchymal transition of renal epithelial cells.

TGF-ß1 is a key fibrotic factor mediating epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) of epithelial cells through various signaling pathways. However, roles of proteolytic cleavage and endogenous peptide dynamics in TGF-ß1-induced EMT remain unknown. We therefore performed quantitative peptidomics of TGF-ß1-induced EMT in renal tubular epithelial cells. The acquired mesenchymal characteristics were confirmed, including morphological change (from cobblestone-like to fibroblast-like), decreased epithelial marker (ZO-1), and increased mesenchymal marker (vimentin). Quantitative peptidomics using stable isotope labeling revealed significantly altered levels of 70 unique endogenous peptides (derived from internal and C-terminal parts of 39 unique precursor proteins) after EMT induction. Interestingly, the majority of these peptides were derived from non-short-lived proteins, and analysis of P1 position revealed predominance of hydrophobic residues, suggesting that these endogenous peptides were generated mainly from proteasome cleavage. This hypothesis was confirmed by treating the cells with MG132 (a proteasome inhibitor), which provided almost identical endogenous peptide pattern as of the TGF-ß1-treated cells. Moreover, validation assay showed marked reduction of proteasome peptidase activity in both TGF-ß1-treated and MG132-treated cells. This is the first peptidome dataset that provides several novel aspects of mechanisms for TGF-ß1-induced EMT. Our data also suggest that TGF-ß1 exerts inhibitory effect against proteasome activity during EMT induction.

Differential proteomics of lesional vs. non-lesional biopsies revealed non-immune mechanisms of alopecia areata.

Alopecia areata (AA) is one of the common hair disorders for which treatment is frequently ineffective and associated with relapsing episodes. Better understanding of disease mechanisms and novel therapeutic targets are thus required. From 10 AA patients, quantitative proteomics using LTQ-Orbitrap-XL mass spectrometer revealed 104 down-regulated, 4 absent, 3 up-regulated and 11 newly present proteins in lesional vs. non-lesional biopsies. Among these, the decreased levels of α-tubulin, vimentin, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), HSP90, annexin A2 and α-enolase were successfully confirmed by Western blotting. Protein-protein interactions network analysis using STRING tool revealed that the most frequent biological processes/networks of the down-regulated proteins included tissue development, cell differentiation, response to wounding and catabolic process, whereas those for the up-regulated proteins included biological process, metabolic process, cellular transport, cellular component organization and response to stimulus. Interestingly, only 5 increased/newly present proteins were associated with the regulation of immune system, which may not be the predominant pathway in AA pathogenic mechanisms as previously assumed. In summary, we report herein the first proteome dataset of AA demonstrating a number of novel pathways, which can be linked to the disease mechanisms and may lead to discovery of new therapeutic targets for AA.

Phenotypic characteristics and comparative proteomics of Staphylococcus aureus strains with different vancomycin-resistance levels.

Reduced vancomycin susceptibility of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a worldwide problem. Unfortunately, its genetic marker and molecular mechanisms remained unknown. This study investigated differential phenotypic characteristic and protein expression profiles among three groups of MRSA isolates, including vancomycin-susceptible S. aureus (VSSA), heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (hVISA) and vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) (n = 7 isolates/group). Phenotypic characteristic revealed significant greater number of isolates with non-spreading colony in VISA as compared to both VSSA and hVISA groups. 2-DE followed by nanoLC-MS/MS analyses revealed increased glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) in both hVISA and VISA, whereas 50S ribosomal protein L14 (RplN) and DNA-binding protein II (Hup) were increased only in VISA. The non-spreading colony and GAPDH level of MRSA may be used as the markers for differentiation of VSSA, hVISA and VISA.