Blood flow characteristics of diabetic patients with complications detected by optical measurement.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common diseases worldwide. Uncontrolled and prolonged hyperglycemia can cause diabetic complications, which reduce the quality of life of patients. Diabetic complications are common in DM patients. Because it is impossible to completely recover from diabetic complications, it is important for early detection. In this study, we suggest a novel method of determining blood flow characteristics based on fluorescence image analysis with indocyanine green and report that diabetic complications have unique blood flow characteristics. METHODS: We analyzed time-series fluorescence images obtained from controls, DM patients, and DM patients with complications. The images were segmented into the digits and the dorsum of the feet and hands, and each part has been considered as arterial and capillary flow. We compared the blood flow parameters in each region among the three groups. RESULTS: The DM patients with complications showed similar blood flow parameters to the controls, except the area under the curve and the maximum intensity, which indicate the blood flow volume. These parameters were significantly decreased in DM patients with complications. Although some blood flow parameters in the feet of DM patients with complications were close to normal blood flow, the vascular response of the macrovessels and microvessels to stimulation of the hands was significantly reduced, which indicates less reactivity in DM patients with complications. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that DM patients, and DM patients with complications, have unique peripheral blood flow characteristics.

Restoration of impaired endothelial myocyte enhancer factor 2 function rescues pulmonary arterial hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease of the pulmonary arterioles, characterized by increased pulmonary arterial pressure and right ventricular failure. The cause of PAH is complex, but aberrant proliferation of the pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs) and pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells is thought to play an important role in its pathogenesis. Understanding the mechanisms of transcriptional gene regulation involved in pulmonary vascular homeostasis can provide key insights into potential therapeutic strategies. METHODS AND RESULTS: We demonstrate that the activity of the transcription factor myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) is significantly impaired in the PAECs derived from subjects with PAH. We identified MEF2 as the key cis-acting factor that regulates expression of a number of transcriptional targets involved in pulmonary vascular homeostasis, including microRNAs 424 and 503, connexins 37, and 40, and Kruppel Like Factors 2 and 4, which were found to be significantly decreased in PAH PAECs. The impaired MEF2 activity in PAH PAECs was mediated by excess nuclear accumulation of 2 class IIa histone deacetylases (HDACs) that inhibit its function, namely HDAC4 and HDAC5. Selective, pharmacological inhibition of class IIa HDACs led to restoration of MEF2 activity in PAECs, as demonstrated by increased expression of its transcriptional targets, decreased cell migration and proliferation, and rescue of experimental pulmonary hypertension models. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that strategies to augment MEF2 activity hold potential therapeutic value in PAH. Moreover, we identify selective HDAC IIa inhibition as a viable alternative approach to avoid the potential adverse effects of broad spectrum HDAC inhibition in PAH.

Apelin-APJ signaling is a critical regulator of endothelial MEF2 activation in cardiovascular development.

RATIONALE: The peptide ligand apelin and its receptor APJ constitute a signaling pathway with numerous effects on the cardiovascular system, including cardiovascular development in model organisms such as xenopus and zebrafish. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to characterize the embryonic lethal phenotype of the Apj-/- mice and to define the involved downstream signaling targets. METHODS AND RESULTS: We report the first characterization of the embryonic lethality of the Apj-/- mice. More than half of the expected Apj-/- embryos died in utero because of cardiovascular developmental defects. Those succumbing to early embryonic death had markedly deformed vasculature of the yolk sac and the embryo, as well as poorly looped hearts with aberrantly formed right ventricles and defective atrioventricular cushion formation. Apj-/- embryos surviving to later stages demonstrated incomplete vascular maturation because of a deficiency of vascular smooth muscle cells and impaired myocardial trabeculation and ventricular wall development. The molecular mechanism implicates a novel, noncanonical signaling pathway downstream of apelin-APJ involving Gα13, which induces histone deacetylase (HDAC) 4 and HDAC5 phosphorylation and cytoplasmic translocation, resulting in activation of myocyte enhancer factor 2. Apj-/- mice have greater endocardial Hdac4 and Hdac5 nuclear localization and reduced expression of the myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) transcriptional target Krüppel-like factor 2. We identify a number of commonly shared transcriptional targets among apelin-APJ, Gα13, and MEF2 in endothelial cells, which are significantly decreased in the Apj-/- embryos and endothelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate a novel role for apelin-APJ signaling as a potent regulator of endothelial MEF2 function in the developing cardiovascular system.

Essential role of Apelin signaling during lymphatic development in zebrafish.

OBJECTIVE: Apelin and its cognate receptor Aplnr/Apj are essential for diverse biological processes. However, the function of Apelin signaling in lymphatic development remains to be identified, despite the preferential expression of Apelin and Aplnr within developing blood and lymphatic endothelial cells in vertebrates. In this report, we aim to delineate the functions of Apelin signaling during lymphatic development. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We investigated the functions of Apelin signaling during lymphatic development using zebrafish embryos and found that attenuation of Apelin signaling substantially decreased the formation of the parachordal vessel and the number of lymphatic endothelial cells within the developing thoracic duct, indicating an essential role of Apelin signaling during the early phase of lymphatic development. Mechanistically, we found that abrogation of Apelin signaling selectively attenuates lymphatic endothelial serine-threonine kinase Akt 1/2 phosphorylation without affecting the phosphorylation status of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2. Moreover, lymphatic abnormalities caused by the reduction of Apelin signaling were significantly exacerbated by the concomitant partial inhibition of serine-threonine kinase Akt/protein kinase B signaling. Apelin and vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) signaling provide a nonredundant activation of serine-threonine kinase Akt/protein kinase B during lymphatic development because overexpression of VEGF-C or apelin was unable to rescue the lymphatic defects caused by the lack of Apelin or VEGF-C, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our data present compelling evidence suggesting that Apelin signaling regulates lymphatic development by promoting serine-threonine kinase Akt/protein kinase B activity in a VEGF-C/VEGF receptor 3-independent manner during zebrafish embryogenesis.

Evaluation of the in vitro and in vivo angiogenic effects of exendin-4.

Exendin-4, an analog of glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1, has beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease induced by diabetes mellitus (DM). Recently, exendin-4 was reported to induce the proliferation of endothelial cells. However, its angiogenic effect on endothelial cells has not been clearly evaluated. Therefore, we investigated the effects of exendin-4 on the angiogenic process with respect to migration, sprouting, and neovascularization using in vitro and in vivo assays. Treatment with exendin-4 increased the migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in in vitro scratch wound assays, as well as the number of lumenized vessels sprouting from HUVECs in in vitro 3D bead assays. These responses were abolished by co-treatment with exendin (9-39), a GLP-1 receptor antagonist, which suggests that exendin-4 regulates endothelial cell migration and tube formation in a GLP-1 receptor-dependent manner. In an ex vivo assay, treatment of aortic rings with exendin-4 increased the sprouting of endothelial cells. Exendin-4 also significantly increased the number of new vessels and induced blood flow in Matrigel plugs in in vivo assays. Our results provide clear evidence for the angiogenic effect of exendin-4 in in vitro and in vivo assays and provide a mechanism underlying the cardioprotective effects of exendin-4.

Interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) increases pain behavior and the blood glucose level: possible involvement of glucocorticoid system.

The possible involvement of glucocorticoid system in interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß)-induced nociception and the blood glucose level was studied in ICR mice. In the first experiment, mice were treated intrathecally (i.t.) with IL-1ß (100 pg). Corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA (hypothalamus) and c-Fos mRNA (pituitary gland, spinal cord, and the adrenal gland) levels were measured at 30, 60 and 120 min after IL-1ß administration. We found that i.t. injection with IL-1ß increased CRH mRNA level in the hypothalamus. The IL-1ß administered i.t. elevated c-Fos mRNA levels in the spinal cord, pituitary and adrenal glands. Furthermore, i.t. administration of IL-1ß significantly increased the plasma corticosterone level up to 60 min. In addition, the adrenalectomy caused the reductions of the blood glucose level and pain behavior induced by IL-1ß injected i.t. in normal and D-glucose-fed groups. Furthermore, intraperitoneal (i.p.) pretreatment with RU486 (100mg/kg) attenuated the blood glucose level and pain behavior induced by IL-1ß administered i.t. in normal and D-glucose-fed groups. Our results suggest that IL-1ß administered i.t. increases the blood glucose level and pain behavior via an activation of the glucocorticoid system.

Effect of GABA receptor agonists or antagonists injected spinally on the blood glucose level in mice.

The possible roles of gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) receptors located in the spinal cord for the regulation of the blood glucose level were studied in ICR mice. We found in the present study that intrathecal (i.t.) injection with baclofen (a GABAB receptor agonist; 1-10 µg/5 µl) or bicuculline (a GABAA receptor antagonist; 1-10 µg/5 µl) caused an elevation of the blood glucose level in a dose-dependent manner. The hyperglycemic effect induced by baclofen was more pronounced than that induced by bicuculline. However, muscimol (a GABAA receptor agonist; 1-5 µg/5 µl) or phaclofen (a GABAB receptor antagonist; 5-10 µg/5 µl) administered i.t. did not affect the blood glucose level. Baclofen-induced elevation of the blood glucose was dose-dependently attenuated by phaclofen. Furthermore, i.t. pretreatment with pertussis toxin (PTX; 0.05 or 0.1 µg/5 µl) for 6 days dose-dependently reduced the hyperglycemic effect induced by baclofen. Our results suggest that GABAB receptors located in the spinal cord play important roles for the elevation of the blood glucose level. Spinally located PTX-sensitive G-proteins appear to be involved in hyperglycemic effect induced by baclofen. Furthermore, inactivation of GABAA receptors located in the spinal cord appears to be responsible for tonic up-regulation of the blood glucose level.

Apelin/APJ signaling is a critical regulator of statin effects in vascular endothelial cells--brief report.

OBJECTIVE: The endothelial response elicited by the G-protein-coupled receptor pathway involving apelin and APJ predicts an overall vasoprotective effect. As a number of downstream endothelial targets of apelin/APJ signaling are also known to be targeted by statins (3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl [HMG]-CoA reductase inhibitors) as potential mediators of their known pleiotropic effects, we evaluated for the involvement of apelin/APJ signaling in statin endothelial effects. METHODS AND RESULTS: We found that disruption of apelin/APJ signaling in endothelial cells leads to significantly decreased expression of Kruppel-like factor 2, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and thrombomodulin. We found that statin-mediated induction of Kruppel-like factor 2, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and thrombomodulin expression, as well as inhibition of monocyte-endothelial adhesion, was abrogated by concurrent apelin knockdown. Moreover, we found that statins can transcriptionally regulate APJ in a Kruppel-like factor 2-dependent manner, demonstrating the presence of a positive-feedback loop. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide a novel mechanism by which the apelin/APJ pathway serves as a critical intermediary that links statin to its pleiotropic effects in regulating endothelial gene targets and function.

Antinociceptive profiles and mechanisms of orally administered coumarin in mice.

In the present study, the antinociceptive profiles of coumarin were examined in ICR mice. Coumarin administered orally (from 1 to 10 mg/kg) showed an antinociceptive effect in a dose-dependent manner as measured in the acetic acid-induced writhing test. Duration of antinociceptive action of coumarin maintained at least for 60 min. But, the cumulative response time of nociceptive behaviors induced by a subcutaneous (s.c.) formalin injection, intrathecal (i.t.) substance P (0.7 µg) or glutamate (20 µg) injection was not affected by coumarin. In addition, intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) or intrathecal (i.t.) administration with coumarin (10-40 µg) attenuated acetic acid-induced writhing response in a dose dependent manner. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) pretreatment with naloxone (an opioid receptor antagonist) attenuated antinociceptive effect induced by coumarin in the writhing test. Furthermore, i.c.v. or i.t. pretreatment with naloxone (5 µg) reversed the decreased acetic acid-induced writhing response. However, methysergide (a 5-HT serotonergic receptor antagonist) or yohimbine (an α2-adrenergic receptor antagonist) did not affect antinociception induced by coumarin in the writhing test. Our results suggest that coumarin exerts a selective antinociceptive property in the acetic acid-induced visceral-derived pain model. Furthermore, the antinociceptive effect of coumarin may be mediated by activation of central opioid receptors, but not serotonergic and adrenergic receptors.

Repaglinide, but not nateglinide administered supraspinally and spinally exerts an anti-diabetic action in d-glucose fed and streptozotocin-treated mouse models.

We have recently demonstrated that some anti-diabetic drugs such as biguanide and thizolidinediones administered centrally modulate the blood glucose level, suggesting that orally administered anti-diabetic drugs may modulate the blood glucose level by acting on central nervous system. The present study was designed to explore the possible action of another class of anti-diabetic drugs, glinidies, administered centrally on the blood glucose level in ICR mice. Mice were administered intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) or intrathecally (i.t.) with 5 to 30 µg of repaglinide or nateglinide in D-glucose-fed and streptozotocin (STZ)-treated models. We found that i.c.v. or i.t. injection with repaglinide dose-dependently attenuated the blood glucose level in D-glucose-fed model, whereas i.c.v. or i.t. injection with nateglinide showed no modulatory action on the blood glucose level in D-glucose-fed model. Furthermore, the effect of repaglinide administered i.c.v. or i.t. on the blood glucose level in STZ-treated model was studied. We found that repaglinide administered i.c.v. slightly enhanced the blood glucose level in STZ-treated model. On the other hand, i.t. injection with repaglinide attenuated the blood glucose level in STZ-treated model. The plasma insulin level was enhanced by repaglinide in D-glucose-fed model, but repaglinide did not affect the plasma insulin level in STZ-treated model. In addition, nateglinide did not alter the plasma insulin level in both D-glucose-fed and STZ-treated models. These results suggest that the anti-diabetic action of repaglinide appears to be, at least, mediated via the brain and the spinal cord as revealed in both D-glucose fed and STZ-treated models.

Effect of cholera toxin administered supraspinally or spinally on the blood glucose level in pain and d-glucose fed animal models.

In the present study, the effect of intrathecal (i.t.) or intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration with cholera toxin (CTX) on the blood glucose level was examined in ICR mice. The i.t. treatment with CTX alone for 24 h dose-dependently increased the blood glucose level. However, i.c.v. treatment with CTX for 24 h did not affect the blood glucose level. When mice were orally fed with D-glucose (2 g/kg), the blood glucose level reached to a maximum level at 30 min and almost returned to the control level at 120 min after D-glucose feeding. I.c.v. pretreatment with CTX increased the blood glucose level in a potentiative manner, whereas i.t. pretreatment with CTX increased the blood glucose level in an additive manner in a D-glucose fed group. In addition, the blood glucose level was increased in formalin-induced pain animal model. I.c.v. pretreatment with CTX enhanced the blood glucose level in a potentiative manner in formalin-induced pain animal model. On the other hand, i.t. pretreatment with CTX increased the blood glucose level in an additive manner in formalin-induced pain animal model. Our results suggest that CTX administered supraspinally or spinally differentially modulates the regulation of the blood glucose level in D-glucose fed model as well as in formalin-induced pain model.

Efficient differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into functional CD34+ progenitor cells by combined modulation of the MEK/ERK and BMP4 signaling pathways.

Differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into functional cell types is a crucial step in cell therapy. In the present study, we demonstrate that functional CD34(+) progenitor cells can be efficiently produced from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) by combined modulation of 2 signaling pathways. A higher proportion of CD34(+) cells (∼ 20%) could be derived from hPSCs by inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling and activation of bone morphogenic protein-4 (BMP4) signaling. hPSC-derived CD34(+) progenitor cells further developed to endothelial and smooth muscle cells with functionality. Moreover, they contributed directly to neovasculogenesis in ischemic mouse hind limbs, thereby resulting in improved blood perfusion and limb salvage. Our results suggest that combined modulation of signaling pathways may be an efficient means of differentiating hPSCs into functional CD34(+) progenitor cells.

Synthesis of 4-substituted benzyl-2-triazole-linked-tryptamine-paeonol derivatives and evaluation of their selective inhibitions against butyrylcholinesterase and monoamine oxidase-B.

Cholinesterase (ChE) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors are being used and developed to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD), a major type of dementia patients. Fifteen 4-substituted benzyl-2-triazole-linked-tryptamine-paeonol derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A), and B (MAO-B). Compound 896 was the most potent BChE inhibitor (IC50 = 0.13 µM) with the selectivity index (SI) value of >769.23 for BChE over AChE. Compound 897 was the most potent selective MAO-B inhibitor (IC50 = 0.73 µM; SI = 20.45 for MAO-B over MAO-A). The meta-CF3 substituent of 896 increased BChE inhibitory activity and the para-CF3 substituent of 897 increased MAO-B inhibitory activity. Compound 896 was a reversible noncompetitive BChE inhibitor (Ki = 0.171 µM) and 897 was a reversible competitive MAO-B inhibitor (Ki = 0.237 µM). Compound 896 had a lower binding energy (-13.75 kcal/mol) to BChE than 897 (-11.29 kcal/mol), and 897 had a lower binding energy to MAO-B (-11.31 kcal/mol) than that to MAO-A (-6.72 kcal/mol). Little cytotoxicity was observed for 896 and 897 to normal cells (MDCK) and human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y). This study suggested that 896 and 897 are therapeutic candidates for various neurodegenerative disorders such as AD.

Real-Time Longitudinal Evaluation of Tumor Blood Vessels Using a Compact Preclinical Fluorescence Imaging System.

Tumor angiogenesis is enhanced in all types of tumors to supply oxygen and nutrients for their growth and metastasis. With the development of anti-angiogenic drugs, the importance of technology that closely monitors tumor angiogenesis has also been emerging. However, to date, the technology for observing blood vessels requires specialized skills with expensive equipment, thereby limiting its applicability only to the laboratory setting. Here, we used a preclinical optical imaging system for small animals and, for the first time, observed, in real time, the entire process of blood vessel development in tumor-bearing mice injected with indocyanine green. Time-lapse sequential imaging revealed blood vessel volume and blood flow dynamics on a microscopic scale. Upon analyzing fluorescence dynamics at each stage of tumor progression, vessel volume and blood flow were found to increase as the tumor developed. Conversely, these vascular parameters decreased when the mice were treated with angiogenesis inhibitors, which suggests that the effects of drugs targeting angiogenesis can be rapidly and easily screened. The results of this study may help evaluate the efficacy of angiogenesis-targeting drugs by facilitating the observation of tumor blood vessels easily in a laboratory unit without large and complex equipment.

Dynamic fluorescence imaging of indocyanine green for reliable and sensitive diagnosis of peripheral vascular insufficiency.

Quantitative measurement of functional tissue perfusion is essential for early diagnosis and proper treatment of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). We have previously demonstrated that dynamic imaging of near-infrared fluorophore indocyanine green (ICG) can be a noninvasive and sensitive tool to measure tissue perfusion. In the present study, we investigated the clinical efficacy of ICG perfusion imaging method for the diagnosis of PAOD. Total nineteen PAOD patients and age-matched controls (n=10) were evaluated for lower extremity tissue perfusion using ICG perfusion imaging. The perfusion rates of the lower extremities with severe PAOD (n=25 legs, 16.6±8.3%/min) were significantly lower than those of normal controls (38.1±17.3%/min, p<0.001). In cases of mild PAOD, the perfusion rates (n=11 legs, 18.3±10.3%/min) were also significantly lower compared to the control; while the conventional ankle-brachial index (ABI) test failed to detect mild functional impairment. These results collectively indicate that ICG perfusion imaging can be a very effective tool for diagnosis of PAOD with a superior efficacy in comparison to conventional ABI test.

Unsorted human adipose tissue-derived stem cells promote angiogenesis and myogenesis in murine ischemic hindlimb model.

We examined the protective effect of unsorted human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (hADSCs) with a short-term culture in endothelial differentiation medium on tissue repair after ischemic injury. hADSCs were isolated from human subcutaneous adipose tissue and cultured in vitro in endothelial differentiation medium for 2wks before transplantation. Cultured hADSCs showed a typical mesenchymal stromal cell-like phenotype, positive for endothelial-specific markers including VE-cadherin, Flt-1, eNOS, and vWF but not CD31. Two hours after ligation of the femoral artery and vein, mice were injected with the unselected hADSCs locally near the surgery site and tested for tissue perfusion and repair. Tissue perfusion rates of the ischemic limbs were significantly higher in the group treated with hADSCs compared with those of the control mice as early as post-operative day 3 (median 195.3%/min; interquartile range, 82.0-321.1 vs. median 47.1%/min; interquartile range, 18.0-58.7; p=0.001 by Friedman two-way analysis). Subsequently, the mice treated with hADSC showed better prognosis at 4wks after surgery, and the histological analysis revealed increased vascular density and reduced muscle atrophy in the hADSC-transplanted limbs. Moreover, hADSC-treated muscle contained differentiated myocytes positive for human NF-κB and myogenin antigen. These results collectively indicate that unsorted hADSCs after a 2-wk-in vitro culture have a therapeutic potential in ischemic tissue injury via inducing both angiogenesis and myogenesis.

Epigenome-wide DNA methylation profiling of preeclamptic placenta according to severe features.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia (PE) is an obstetric disorder with significant morbidities for both the mother and fetus possibly caused by a failure of the placental trophoblast invasion. However, its pathophysiology largely remains unclear. Here, we performed DNA methylation profiling to determine whether differential patterns of DNA methylation correlate with PE and severe features of PE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We extracted DNA from placental tissues of 13 normal, five PE, and eight PE pregnant women with severe features. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis was performed using the Illumina HumanMethylation 850K BeadChip. New functional annotations of differentially methylated CpGs (DMCs) in PE were predicted using bioinformatics tools. RESULTS: Significant differences were evident for 398 DMCs, including 243 DMCs in PE and 155 DMCs in PE with severe features, compared with normal placental tissues. Of these, 12 hypermethylated DMCs and three hypomethylated DMCs were observed in both PE groups, thus were independent from severe features. Three hundred seventy-nine DMCs were identified by the presence or absence of severe features. Two hundred genes containing these DMCs were associated with developmental processes and cell morphogenesis. These genes were significantly associated with various PE complications such as disease susceptibility, viral infections, immune system diseases, endocrine disturbance, seizures, hematologic diseases, and thyroid diseases. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to investigate the genome-scale DNA methylation profiles of PE placentas according to severe features. The epigenetic variation in the placentas probably resulted in altered developmental processes and immune dysregulation, contributing to PE. This study provides basic information to refine the clinical and pathological mechanisms of the severe features in placenta-mediated PE.

Epigenome-wide base-resolution profiling of DNA methylation in chorionic villi of fetuses with Down syndrome by methyl-capture sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Epigenetic mechanisms provide an interface between environmental factors and the genome and are influential in various diseases. These mechanisms, including DNA methylation, influence the regulation of development, differentiation, and establishment of cellular identity. Here, we performed high-throughput methylome profiling to determine whether differential patterns of DNA methylation correlate with Down syndrome (DS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We extracted DNA from the chorionic villi cells of five normal and five DS fetuses at the early developmental stage (12-13 weeks of gestation). Methyl-capture sequencing (MC-Seq) was used to investigate the methylation levels of CpG sites distributed across the whole genome to identify differentially methylated CpG sites (DMCs) and regions (DMRs) in DS. New functional annotations of DMR genes using bioinformatics tools were predicted. RESULTS: DNA hypermethylation was observed in DS fetal chorionic villi cells. Significant differences were evident for 4,439 DMCs, including hypermethylation (n = 4,261) and hypomethylation (n = 178). Among them, 140 hypermethylated DMRs and only 1 hypomethylated DMR were located on 121 genes and 1 gene, respectively. One hundred twenty-two genes, including 141 DMRs, were associated with heart morphogenesis and development of the ear, thyroid gland, and nervous systems. The genes were significantly associated with DS and various diseases, including hepatopulmonary syndrome, conductive hearing loss, holoprosencephaly, heart diseases, glaucoma, and musculoskeletal abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to compare the whole-epigenome DNA methylation pattern of the chorionic villi cells from normal and DS fetuses at the early developmental-stage using MC-seq. Overall, our results indicate that the chorionic villi cells of DS fetuses are hypermethylated in all autosomes and suggested that altered DNA methylation may be a recurrent and functionally relevant downstream response to DS in human cells. This study provides basic information for future research focused on the pathophysiology of the DS and its potential effects, as well as the role DNA methylation plays in the early developmental stage of DS fetuses.

Principal component analysis of dynamic fluorescence images for diagnosis of diabetic vasculopathy.

Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging has been clinically used for noninvasive visualizations of vascular structures. We have previously developed a diagnostic system based on dynamic ICG fluorescence imaging for sensitive detection of vascular disorders. However, because high-dimensional raw data were used, the analysis of the ICG dynamics proved difficult. We used principal component analysis (PCA) in this study to extract important elements without significant loss of information. We examined ICG spatiotemporal profiles and identified critical features related to vascular disorders. PCA time courses of the first three components showed a distinct pattern in diabetic patients. Among the major components, the second principal component (PC2) represented arterial-like features. The explained variance of PC2 in diabetic patients was significantly lower than in normal controls. To visualize the spatial pattern of PCs, pixels were mapped with red, green, and blue channels. The PC2 score showed an inverse pattern between normal controls and diabetic patients. We propose that PC2 can be used as a representative bioimaging marker for the screening of vascular diseases. It may also be useful in simple extractions of arterial-like features.

MicroRNA 139-5p coordinates APLNR-CXCR4 crosstalk during vascular maturation.

G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signalling, including that involving apelin (APLN) and its receptor APLNR, is known to be important in vascular development. How this ligand-receptor pair regulates the downstream signalling cascades in this context remains poorly understood. Here, we show that mice with Apln, Aplnr or endothelial-specific Aplnr deletion develop profound retinal vascular defects, which are at least in part due to dysregulated increase in endothelial CXCR4 expression. Endothelial CXCR4 is negatively regulated by miR-139-5p, whose transcription is in turn induced by laminar flow and APLN/APLNR signalling. Inhibition of miR-139-5p in vivo partially phenocopies the retinal vascular defects of APLN/APLNR deficiency. Pharmacological inhibition of CXCR4 signalling or augmentation of the miR-139-5p-CXCR4 axis can ameliorate the vascular phenotype of APLN/APLNR deficient state. Overall, we identify an important microRNA-mediated GPCR crosstalk, which plays a key role in vascular development.