Activin receptor type 2A (ACVR2A) functions directly in osteoblasts as a negative regulator of bone mass.

Bone and skeletal muscle mass are highly correlated in mammals, suggesting the existence of common anabolic signaling networks that coordinate the development of these two anatomically adjacent tissues. The activin signaling pathway is an attractive candidate to fulfill such a role. Here, we generated mice with conditional deletion of activin receptor (ACVR) type 2A, ACVR2B, or both, in osteoblasts, to determine the contribution of activin receptor signaling in regulating bone mass. Immunohistochemistry localized ACVR2A and ACVR2B to osteoblasts and osteocytes. Primary osteoblasts expressed activin signaling components, including ACVR2A, ACVR2B, and ACVR1B (ALK4) and demonstrated increased levels of phosphorylated Smad2/3 upon exposure to activin ligands. Osteoblasts lacking ACVR2B did not show significant changes in vitro However, osteoblasts deficient in ACVR2A exhibited enhanced differentiation indicated by alkaline phosphatase activity, mineral deposition, and transcriptional expression of osterix, osteocalcin, and dentin matrix acidic phosphoprotein 1. To investigate activin signaling in osteoblasts in vivo, we analyzed the skeletal phenotypes of mice lacking these receptors in osteoblasts and osteocytes (osteocalcin-Cre). Similar to the lack of effect in vitro, ACVR2B-deficient mice demonstrated no significant change in any bone parameter. By contrast, mice lacking ACVR2A had significantly increased femoral trabecular bone volume at 6 weeks of age. Moreover, mutant mice lacking both ACVR2A and ACVR2B demonstrated sustained increases in trabecular bone volume, similar to those in ACVR2A single mutants, at 6 and 12 weeks of age. Taken together, these results indicate that activin receptor signaling, predominantly through ACVR2A, directly and negatively regulates bone mass in osteoblasts.

Antioxidant components of naturally-occurring oils exhibit marked anti-inflammatory activity in epithelial cells of the human upper respiratory system.

BACKGROUND: The upper respiratory tract functions to protect lower respiratory structures from chemical and biological agents in inspired air. Cellular oxidative stress leading to acute and chronic inflammation contributes to the resultant pathology in many of these exposures and is typical of allergic disease, chronic sinusitis, pollutant exposure, and bacterial and viral infections. Little is known about the effective means by which topical treatment of the nose can strengthen its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory defenses. The present study was undertaken to determine if naturally-occurring plant oils with reported antioxidant activity can provide mechanisms through which upper respiratory protection might occur. METHODS: Controlled exposure of the upper respiratory system to ozone and nasal biopsy were carried out in healthy human subjects to assess mitigation of the ozone-induced inflammatory response and to assess gene expression in the nasal mucosa induced by a mixture of five naturally-occurring antioxidant oils--aloe, coconut, orange, peppermint and vitamin E. Cells of the BEAS-2B and NCI-H23 epithelial cell lines were used to investigate the source and potential intracellular mechanisms of action responsible for oil-induced anti-inflammatory activity. RESULTS: Aerosolized pretreatment with the mixed oil preparation significantly attenuated ozone-induced nasal inflammation. Although most oil components may reduce oxidant stress by undergoing reduction, orange oil was demonstrated to have the ability to induce long-lasting gene expression of several antioxidant enzymes linked to Nrf2, including HO-1, NQO1, GCLm and GCLc, and to mitigate the pro-inflammatory signaling of endotoxin in cell culture systems. Nrf2 activation was demonstrated. Treatment with the aerosolized oil preparation increased baseline levels of nasal mucosal HO-1 expression in 9 of 12 subjects. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that selected oil-based antioxidant preparations can effectively reduce inflammation associated with oxidant stress-related challenge to the nasal mucosa. The potential for some oils to activate intracellular antioxidant pathways may provide a powerful mechanism through which effective and persistent cytoprotection against airborne environmental exposures can be provided in the upper respiratory mucosa.

Antimalarial Preclinical Drug Development: A Single Oral Dose of A 5-Carbon-linked Trioxane Dimer Plus Mefloquine Cures Malaria-Infected Mice.

Three new 5-carbon-linked trioxane dimer carboxylate esters have been prepared from the natural trioxane, artemisinin in only 3-steps and 40-50% overall yields. Each one of these new chemical entities is at least as efficacious as the clinically used trioxane antimalarial drug artemether when combined with mefloquine hydrochloride in a low single oral dose cure.

Isoliquiritigenin inhibits IkappaB kinase activity and ROS generation to block TNF-alpha induced expression of cell adhesion molecules on human endothelial cells.

Isoliquiritigenin (ILTG) is a flavonoid with chalcone structure (4,2',4'-trihydroxychalcone), an active component present in plants like Glycyrrhiza and Dalbergia which showed various biological activities including anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic and antihistamic. As very little is known in regard to the underlying mechanism involved in explaining the various activities of the compound, we carried out a detailed study on the effect of ILTG on the expression of cell adhesion molecules on human primary endothelial cells. We demonstrate here that ILTG inhibits TNF-alpha induced adhesion of neutrophils to endothelial monolayer by blocking the expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and E-selectin. Since NF-kappaB is a major transcription factor involved in the transcriptional regulation of cell adhesion molecules, thus we studied the status of NF-kappaB activation in ILTG treated endothelial cells. We demonstrate that ILTG inhibits the translocation and activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) by blocking the phosphorylation and subsequent degradation of IkappaBalpha. As oxidative stress is also known to regulate the activation of NF-kappaB to modulate TNF-alpha signaling cascade, we tested the effect of ILTG on reactive oxygen species (ROS). We found that it inhibits TNF-alpha induced ROS production in endothelial cells. These results have important implications for using ILTG or its derivatives towards the development of effective anti-inflammatory molecules.

Piperine inhibits TNF-alpha induced adhesion of neutrophils to endothelial monolayer through suppression of NF-kappaB and IkappaB kinase activation.

Piperine displays antipyretic, analgesic, insecticidal and anti-inflammatory activities. It is the first amide to be isolated from Piper species. In the process of identifying non-steroidal anti-inflammatory small molecules from the natural sources, we demonstrate here that piperine inhibits adhesion of neutrophils to endothelial monolayer. The inhibition of neutrophils to endothelial monolayer by piperine is due to its ability to block the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) induced expression of cell adhesion molecules i.e. ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule-1), VCAM-1 (vascular cell adhesion molecule-1) and E-selectin as analyzed by cell-ELISA and confirmed by flow cytometry. Further, we demonstrate that inhibition of ICAM-1 by piperine is reversible. As nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) is known to control the transcriptional regulation of cell adhesion molecules hence, we measured the effect of piperine on NF-kappaB in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus of endothelial cells. We observed that pretreatment of endothelial cells with piperine blocks the nuclear translocation and activation of NF-kappaB via blocking the phosphorylation and degradation of its inhibitory protein, IkappaBalpha. Piperine blocks the phosphorylation and degradation of IkappaBalpha by attenuating TNF-alpha induced IkappaB kinase activity. These results suggest a possible mechanism of anti-inflammatory activity of piperine. Therefore, piperine or its structural analogues could be used for the development of new anti-inflammatory molecules.

Identification of an Alu element-mediated deletion in the promoter region of GNE in siblings with GNE myopathy.

BACKGROUND: GNE myopathy is a rare genetic disease characterized by progressive muscle atrophy and weakness. It is caused by biallelic mutations in the GNE gene that encodes for the bifunctional enzyme, uridine diphosphate (UDP)-N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) 2-epimerase/N-acetylmannosamine (ManNAc) kinase. Typical characteristics of GNE myopathy include progressive myopathy, first involving anterior tibialis muscle and sparing the quadriceps, and rimmed vacuoles on muscle biopsy. Identifying biallelic mutations by sequencing of the GNE gene confirms the diagnosis of GNE myopathy. In a subset of patients, diagnostic confirmation is challenged by the identification of mutations in only one allele, suggesting mutations in deep intronic regions or regulatory regions. METHODS: We performed targeted sequencing and copy number variant (CNV) analysis of GNE in two siblings who clinically presented with GNE myopathy. Further molecular and biochemical studies were done to characterize the effect of a previously uncharacterized GNE mutation. RESULTS: We report two siblings of Indian descent with characteristic features of GNE myopathy, including progressive skeletal muscle weakness initially involving the anterior tibialis, and rimmed vacuoles on muscle biopsy, in which a heterozygous mutation, p.Val727Met, was identified in both affected siblings, but no other deleterious variants in either coding region or exon-intron boundaries of the gene. Subsequent insertion/deletion analysis identified a novel 11.3-kb deletion (Chr9 [GRCh37]: g.36257583_36268910del) encompassing the GNE promoter region, with breakpoints residing in Alu repeats. Gene expression analysis revealed reduced GNE mRNA and protein levels, confirming decreased expression of the deleted allele harboring the deletion. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified GNE as one of the genes susceptible to Alu-mediated recombination. Our findings suggest that the deletion may encompass the promoter or another region necessary for GNE expression. In patients with typical manifestations of GNE myopathy and a single GNE variant identified, copy number variant (CNV) analysis may be useful in arriving at the diagnosis.

Administration of soluble activin receptor 2B increases bone and muscle mass in a mouse model of osteogenesis imperfecta.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) comprises a group of heritable connective tissue disorders generally defined by recurrent fractures, low bone mass, short stature and skeletal fragility. Beyond the skeletal complications of OI, many patients also report intolerance to physical activity, fatigue and muscle weakness. Indeed, recent studies have demonstrated that skeletal muscle is also negatively affected by OI, both directly and indirectly. Given the well-established interdependence of bone and skeletal muscle in both physiology and pathophysiology and the observations of skeletal muscle pathology in patients with OI, we investigated the therapeutic potential of simultaneous anabolic targeting of both bone and skeletal muscle using a soluble activin receptor 2B (ACVR2B) in a mouse model of type III OI (oim). Treatment of 12-week-old oim mice with ACVR2B for 4 weeks resulted in significant increases in both bone and muscle that were similar to those observed in healthy, wild-type littermates. This proof of concept study provides encouraging evidence for a holistic approach to treating the deleterious consequences of OI in the musculoskeletal system.

Nrf2 is required for normal postnatal bone acquisition in mice.

A large body of literature suggests that bone metabolism is susceptible to the ill effects of reactive species that accumulate in the body and cause cellular dysfunction. One of the body's front lines in defense against such damage is the transcription factor, Nrf2. This transcription factor regulates a plethora of antioxidant and cellular defense pathways to protect cells from such damage. Despite the breadth of knowledge of both the function of Nrf2 and the effects of reactive species in bone metabolism, the direct role of Nrf2 in skeletal biology has yet to be thoroughly examined. Thus, in the current study, we have examined the role of Nrf2 in postnatal bone metabolism in mice. Mice lacking Nrf2 (Nrf2(-/-)) exhibited a marked deficit in postnatal bone acquisition, which was most severe at 3 weeks of age when osteoblast numbers were 12-fold less than observed in control animals. While primary osteoblasts from Nrf2(-/-) mice functioned normally in vitro, the colony forming capacity of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) from these mice was significantly reduced compared to controls. This defect could be rescued through treatment with the radical scavenger N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), suggesting that increased reactive species stress might impair early osteoblastogenesis in BMSCs and lead to the failure of bone acquisition observed in Nrf2(-/-) animals. Taken together, these studies suggest Nrf2 represents a key pathway in regulating bone metabolism, which may provide future therapeutic targets to treat osteoporosis.

Osteoblast-restricted Disruption of the Growth Hormone Receptor in Mice Results in Sexually Dimorphic Skeletal Phenotypes.

Growth hormone (GH) exerts profound anabolic actions during postnatal skeletal development, in part, through stimulating the production of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in liver and skeletal tissues. To examine the requirement for the GH receptor (GHR) in osteoblast function in bone, we used Cre-LoxP methods to disrupt the GHR from osteoblasts, both in vitro and in vivo. Disruption of GHR from primary calvarial osteoblasts in vitro abolished GH-induced signaling, as assessed by JAK2/STAT5 phosphorylation, and abrogated GH-induced proliferative and anti-apoptotic actions. Osteoblasts lacking GHR exhibited reduced IGF-1-induced Erk and Akt phosphorylation and attenuated IGF-1-induced proliferation and anti-apoptotic action. In addition, differentiation was modestly impaired in osteoblasts lacking GHR, as demonstrated by reduced alkaline phosphatase staining and calcium deposition. In order to determine the requirement for the GHR in bone in vivo, we generated mice lacking the GHR specifically in osteoblasts (ΔGHR), which were born at the expected Mendelian frequency, had a normal life span and were of normal size. Three week-old, female ΔGHR mice had significantly reduced osteoblast numbers, consistent with the in vitro data. By six weeks of age however, female ΔGHR mice demonstrated a marked increase in osteoblasts, although mineralization was impaired; a phenotype similar to that observed previously in mice lacking IGF-1R specifically in osteoblasts. The most striking phenotype occurred in male mice however, where disruption of the GHR from osteoblasts resulted in a "feminization" of bone geometry in 16 week-old mice, as observed by µCT. These results demonstrate that the GHR is required for normal postnatal bone development in both sexes. GH appears to serve a primary function in modulating local IGF-1 action. However, the changes in bone geometry observed in male ΔGHR mice suggest that, in addition to facilitating IGF-1 action, GH may function to a greater extent than previously appreciated in establishing the sexual dimorphism of the skeleton.

Malaria-Infected Mice Are Cured by a Single Low Dose of a New Silylamide Trioxane Plus Mefloquine.

Three thermally and hydrolytically stable silylamide trioxanes have been prepared from the natural trioxane artemisinin in only five simple chemical steps and in at least 56% overall yield. Two of these new chemical entities completely cured malariainfected mice at a single oral dose of only 8 mg/kg combined with 24 mg/kg of mefloquine hydrochloride. The high efficacy of this ACT chemotherapy is considerably better than the efficacy using the popular trioxane drug artemether plus mefloquine hydrochloride.