Antisense oligodeoxynucleotide against tissue factor inhibits human umbilical vein endothelial cells injury induced by anoxia-reoxygenation.

AIMS: The role of antisense oligodeoxynucleotide against tissue factor (aODN/TF) in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) subjected to anoxia-reoxygenation (A/R) was investigated. METHODS: HUVECs were divided randomly into control group, A/R group, aODN/TF+A/R group, sense oligodeoxynucleotide (sODN/TF) + A/R group and mismatched oligodeoxynucleotide (mODN/TF) + A/R group, in the latter 3 groups, HUVECs were transfected with aODN/TF, sODN/TF and mODN/TF respectively. HUVECs in all A/R groups underwent 3 hrs of anoxia and followed by 2 hrs of reoxygenation. In order to investigate the potential mechanisms of how increased TF may contribute to A/R injury in HUVECs, another set of HUVECs were incubated with human recombinant active site blocked factor VII (FVIIai) during A/R. RESULTS: After A/R, TF expression at both mRNA and protein level was increased, furthermore, cell viability and the concentrations of SOD, GSH-PX and NO were declined, while LDH, MDA and ET-1 were overproduced (P<0.05 to 0.001 versus control group). In HUVECs of aODN/TF+A/R group, however, TF expression was inhibited, while the declined cell viability and the concentrations of SOD, GSH-PX, NO as well as the enhanced LDH, MDA and ET-1 levels occurred during A/R were ameliorated and reversed effectively (P<0.05 to 0.01 versus those in other A/R groups). The results also showed that ROS was increased and PAR-1, PAR-2, p38 MAP kinase and p42/44 MAP kinase were all activated after A/R (P<0.001 versus HUVECs under normoxia), while FVIIai inhibited the increment of ROS, PAR-1, PAR-2, p38 MAP kinase and p42/44 MAP kinase, and improved the changes of TF:C, MDA, SOD, GSH-PX, cell viability and LDH occurred during A/R (P<0.05 to 0.001 versus HUVECs without FVIIai treatment). CONCLUSION: Tissue factor plays an important role in the development of HUVECs injury induced by anoxia-reoxygenation, inhibition of TF with antisense oligodeoxynucleotide is an effective approach to ameliorate the damage.

Adipose-derived stem cells: A candidate for liver regeneration.

The scarcity of donor livers and the impracticality of hepatocyte transplantation represent the biggest obstacles for the treatment of liver failure. Adipose-derived stem cells, with their ability to differentiate into the hepatic lineage, provide a reliable alternative cell source with clear ethical and practical advantages. Moreover, adipose-derived stem cells can effectively repair liver damage by the dominant indirect pattern and increase the number of hepatocytes by the secondary direct pattern. In recent years, the development of the indirect pattern, which mainly includes immunomodulatory and trophic effects, has become a hot topic in the field of cell engineering. Therefore, adipose-derived stem cells are considered to be ideal therapeutic stem cells for human liver regeneration. In this article, we reviewed the advantages of adipose-derived stem cells in liver regeneration, and explore their underlying mechanisms.

Stachydrine, a major constituent of the Chinese herb leonurus heterophyllus sweet, ameliorates human umbilical vein endothelial cells injury induced by anoxia-reoxygenation.

Stachydrine is a major constituent of Chinese herb leonurus heterophyllus sweet, which is used in clinics to promote blood circulation and dispel blood stasis. Our study aimed to investigate the role of stachydrine in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) injury induced by anoxia-reoxygenation. Cultured HUVECs were divided randomly into control group, anoxia-reoxygenation (A/R) group and 4 A/R+stachydrine groups. HUVECs in the control group were exposed to normoxia for 5 hours, while in all A/R groups, HUVECs underwent 3 hours anoxia followed by 2 hours reoxygenation, and HUVECs in the 4 A/R+stachydrine groups were treated with 10(-8) M, 10(-7) M, 10(-6) M and 10(-5) M (final concentration) of stachydrine respectively. After anoxia-reoxygenation, tissue factor (TF) was over-expressed, cell viability and the concentrations of SOD, GSH-PX and NO were declined, while LDH, MDA and ET-1 were over-produced (p < 0.05 to 0.001 vs. the control group). However, in stachydrine treated groups, TF expression was inhibited at both mRNA and protein levels, while the declined cell viability and SOD, GSH-PX, NO as well as the enhanced LDH, MDA and ET-1 levels occurred during anoxia-reoxygenation were ameliorated and reversed effectively (p < 0.05 to 0.01 versus A/R group). Consequently, our findings indicate that TF plays an important role in the development of anoxia-reoxygenation injury of HUVECs, stachydrine ameliorates HUVECs injury induced by anoxia-reoxygenation and its putative mechanisms are related to inhibition of TF expression.